by A. m Madden
“Ms. Daniels, this loan is cleared.”
“What? What do you mean cleared?”
“It’s been paid in full.”
I tapped my finger on the letter sitting on his desk. “Can you please look at that again. There must be some mistake.” A little voice told me to say thank you and get the hell out of there while the getting was good, but I didn’t listen. There was no way possible it was paid.
Mr. Allen tilted his monitor toward me and pointed to the zero balance. “There’s no mistake. This is the account, and it’s clear.”
“How? Who paid it?”
There was more clicking and tapping on his keyboard until he found what he needed. “It says here it was paid in full by SFS, Inc. Do you know who they are?”
I shook my head. “No, do you?” Jude popped into my head, but he had no idea where the loan originated, so it couldn’t have been him. I needed to search SFS, Inc. and figure out who they were.
He beamed. “I’d say they were your fairy godmother. But, according to the notes on the account, Mr. Jackson was the one to speak with them.” Mr. Allen pushed a button and the sound of a printer came to life. He handed me a piece of paper. “Keep this for your records.”
Rather than the usual high number I’d been used to seeing in the balance column, this one just had three zeros. “Thank you.” I stood and shook the man’s hand before leaving his office.
“Wait, you mean to tell me the loan is paid off?” Cassie sounded as surprised as I did. Music filled the air at José Ponchos where I met my friends for drinks. I nodded and took a sip of my margarita.
It was my third, and the knot in my chest was finally loosening. I filled the girls in on the basics of what had happened over the last five weeks, and it only took about five sentences to do so.
“Do you think it was him?” Desiree asked.
“Yes. I searched his name, which led to his company, and this SFS, Inc is a subsidiary of Soren Enterprises. So, it’s him. He’s so arrogant, I’m surprised he didn’t want me to know he paid it to get back in my good graces,” I admitted with a scowl. Desiree mumbled something inaudibly. “What did you say?”
“I said, unless he didn’t want you to know because he knew how you’d react.” My eyes flared and I opened my mouth to argue, only to be stopped by Desiree’s palm facing me. “Let’s face it, Brae. You’re a proud woman. We’ve all offered to chip in and help, but you declined. If you guys are as close as you said, he would know that too. Maybe this was his way of apologizing.”
Desiree’s words rattled around in my brain. I didn’t care what his reasons were. As far as I was concerned, now I had another debt to pay. I didn’t want to owe that man anything.
Vanessa waved her hand back and forth. “Who cares? Our girl is debt free. I’m more interested in hearing more details of what happened on the island of sin.”
We all looked at her with wide eyes. “Please don’t call it that.”
“What? I’m sorry, but, sweetie, that man was delectable. Plus, you told all of us you didn’t want to end up with the man, just a way to pay off the loan. If I were stranded with him, I know I’d be climbing him like a monkey on a tree.”
“Well, be my guest, because he’s an asshole,” I hissed with a sneer.
Desiree put her hand on mine. “I’m so sorry he hurt you.”
I just shrugged. Hurt? The man crushed me. Hurt would be easier to get over.
“Now, tell us what really happened.” Vanessa leaned forward, intrigue written all over her face. When I cocked one brow, her lips turned down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how much he meant to you. If you want, I can hunt the bastard down and cut his balls off.”
Trying to suppress a smile didn’t last long. The four of us started to laugh. It felt good to be with my friends again. How I wished I could have had them with me on the island. So much could have been different.
“Okay, I’ll tell you. But then I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Deal?” They all nodded while taking sips of their drinks. “Jude wasn’t exactly like the man who answered those questions. Don’t get me wrong, when we first got there, he was a Grade A prick, but the more we got to know each other, the more I saw the real Jude Soren.” I smiled at the memory. “He was kind and attentive. He’d cook for us, since you all know I can barely make toast.” They all nodded, but remained silent. I could feel the pressure of tears starting to build. “He made me feel things I didn’t think I had in me.”
“Wow, you fell hard for him,” Cassie interjected before waving for the waitress to refill our drinks.
“Jude Soren ruined me.” All the hurt, all the pain, and even all the wonderful parts rushed through me in a sudden surge of emotion that settled as a lump in my throat. Three sets of eyes were on me, and I needed to take a few deep breaths before I could continue.
Desiree reached over and caressed my arm in support. “Are you okay, sweetie?”
“I’m fine. I just need to figure out how to forget him. You’d think it’d be easy, since I only knew the man barely over a month. But . . . it’s not. Being with him day and night wasn’t scary or intimidating. It was comfortable. I’d never spent so much time with a man before. Every hour of every day for the past five weeks was spent with him. How could I not have feelings for him?” I choked back a small sob. “Except the only feeling I have for him now is hate. I hate that he broke the rules. I hate that he had such little regard for my feelings. I hate that he didn’t care enough about me. He knew the purpose for me being there and about my parents, and he still left when he shouldn’t have.” When I looked up all my friends, including Vanessa, they had tears filling their eyes. “What I hate most is how much I miss him.”
Jude
Ruth sat at my desk, rattling off my meetings for the day. This was what I was used to. Constant meetings, phone calls, and staring at the stock market ticker on the bottom of the plasma screen hanging in my office. This was my sanctuary. That was, until I met Brae. Now, this felt like my hell.
By now, she knew her loan was paid off. At least she no longer had that burden. Part of me felt like she hadn’t figured it out yet, otherwise I would have no doubt heard from her. If she did know, her silence was even more telling. She hated me.
“I need a favor.” Before Ruth walked out of the office, I reached into the top left drawer and took out a small wrapped box. Right before I left the island, I had the cab driver stop in town so I could buy her that bracelet she loved. I’d never forget the look on her face when she modeled it in the store. I wanted to give it to her in person, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
“Yes, Mr. Soren?”
“Can you please have this messengered to the address attached?” I handed her the small package.
“Would you like a card added?”
“No, I put a note inside, but thank you.” I leaned back in my leather chair and rubbed my temples with my fingertips.
“Sir, are you okay? I don’t know what happened when you were away, but if you need me to free your schedule, I can do that.” Poor Ruth looked like her dog died. She has worked for me since I started and knew this wasn’t my norm.
“That won’t be necessary. Just please have the package delivered, and if you could send Luca in, I’d appreciate it.”
With a nod, she was gone.
“What’s up, my brother?” Luca bounded into my office and dropped his ass on the chair. His chipper disposition didn’t help my current one. In fact, it had the opposite effect.
“We need to go over the financials for the Lamen Foundation. A few money market accounts split overnight and we need to decide where to allocate the funds to increase their profits while the prices are low.”
Luca just stared at me. “You look like hell.”
“Thank you. Once you’re done critiquing my appearance, can you please pull the necessary recommendations? We have a lot of work to catch up on. Tell me what else is going on.”
He started firing off dol
lar figures, percentages, and fluctuations. All the things that would usually get my blood pumping, but today, it all sounded like a big burden. I spun my chair a bit and stared out the window, looking down at the people milling about on the sidewalks. Brae was in this city and even though I had her address, going there wouldn’t be an option if I wanted to keep my balls.
Luca started knocking on my desk. “Earth to Jude, are you listening to me?”
“Yeah, fluctuating markets. I heard you.”
“Dude, you didn’t hear anything I just said. It’s clear you’re not focused. Why don’t you go home? I can’t even blame jetlag. You’re Brae-lagged.” I threw him a livid expression and he raised his hands in defense. “Kidding.”
“I need to be here. There’s nothing for me at home.” Dismissing his suggestion, I tried to focus.
“You mean, aside from your palatial surroundings? Call someone to keep you company.”
He couldn’t be serious. “Are you suggesting I go home and get laid?”
His hands flew in the air again and his Italian accent thickened. “No. Did I say laid? I said to keep you company. Call Kyle, he’ll come over. I’ll stay here and take care of things. Technically, you weren’t supposed to be back in the office yet. You’re of no use here. Try again tomorrow.”
“I’ll be fine.” I cleared my throat and started the meeting again, pushing all thoughts of Brae to the back of my mind.
My apartment had never felt so empty. Even though Brae had never been inside, I still expected to see her coming out of the bathroom. We’d talked about living here after we were married. Married. I was completely ready to say “I do” to her, yet here I was, alone.
Pouring myself a couple fingers of whiskey, I sat on my couch. My GoPro was across from me on the coffee table. I kept telling myself, over and over, to stop watching the video I took of her. It was becoming a problem. My snoring kitten was like a lullaby when I slept.
A knock at my door caused me to groan. I didn’t need to even look through the peephole or ask who it was, I knew. When I opened the door, I was right. Luca and Kyle stood in my hallway with pizza, chips, and a twelve pack.
“The Knicks are on. We thought we’d come over and watch it at your place.”
They meant well, I knew they did—hell, maybe a guy’s night would help me get my head on straight. “Sounds good.” I stepped aside, letting my two buddies in.
At halftime, the pizza was gone, as was most of the beer. “So, I talked to Shelly today,” Kyle said as he popped a chip in his mouth. “She gave me Brae’s phone number.”
“I thought you weren’t seeing her anymore,” Luca chimed in, chuckling. “You said she was too clingy for your taste.”
He shrugged. “I happened to run into her while I was having lunch.”
All I could do was stare at him. Kyle had her number. Did I want it?
“Anyway, I’ll text it to you.” Before I could stop him, my phone dinged. Looking down, I saw the number, and my heart sped up at the thought of hearing her voice again. “Do with it what you will, but you’re acting like a pussy. Where’s the cocky guy we all know and love?”
They were right. Maybe all of this sulking was the worst thing for me. Rejection would just add to my demeanor, so I probably wouldn’t call. Not today anyway. A loud buzzing came from my television. It was time for the second half, and time for me to get my head out of my ass.
Chapter 27
Brae
When the messenger delivered the package yesterday, I was afraid to open it. There was no return address, but thankfully, after batting my eyes a few times, the young messenger gave up that information. I’d guessed who it was from even though the address meant nothing to me.
There it sat next to my cup of coffee. Teasing me. Baiting me to open it. I finally gave in and picked it up. I shook it a few times, but it barely rattled. With shaky fingers, I unwrapped it. When I pulled the cover off, there sat the bracelet from the store on St. John—the six thousand dollar bracelet. I couldn’t believe he’d done that. An involuntary wave of heat warmed my entire body from head to toe.
My fingers trembled as I took it from the cotton and stared at it for a moment. A note rested in the box.
Brae,
I remembered how much you loved this bracelet. How your face lit up when you saw it for the first time, and how beautiful it looked on your arm. I wanted to buy it for you that day, but I knew you’d say no.
Please forgive me. I know you hate me, and rightfully so. I let you down. You trusted me and I failed you—failed us.
I’ll never forget our time together.
I’ll never forget you.
Always yours,
Jude
Tears I finally thought I was done shedding free-flowed down my face. My heart lodged in my throat as I read his note over and over again. No matter how much I cared about him, this wasn’t going to work. He made it clear his company was the most important thing in his life, and I couldn’t live with that.
There was no way I could accept this gift. It didn’t matter that he was wealthy—it was too much.
I put it back in the box, wiped my tears away with the back of my hand, grabbed my coat, and headed out the door.
When the cab pulled up to the tall building, my heart raced. Warning bells sounded in my head. He was inside. My plan was to leave it with reception and hightail it out of there.
The elevator rose at a snail’s pace, stopping at what felt like every floor between the lobby and the fifteenth, where I was headed. Finally, the number fifteen lit up with a ding and the doors slid open. I stepped out, and my eyes caught the silver lettering on the mahogany-covered wall. The script read, Soren Enterprises. And right there beneath it, read, SFS, Incorporated. Even knowing it was him, seeing it in silver staring at me like a beacon felt like a slap to my face.
“May I help you?” I turned my head toward the voice, my eyes landing on a pretty, young woman sitting behind a large desk matching the wall.
“Yes.” I reached into my bag and pulled out the box. “I’d like to leave this for Jude Soren.”
She smiled at the mention of his name. Not that I could blame her. I could only imagine what he looked like in the office. His confidence had to be off the charts sexy.
“Let me buzz him. Can I get your name?”
“No need.” I set the box down. “Just please make sure he gets it. He’ll know who it’s from.”
I pivoted on my heel just as a door opened beside the elevator bay. A familiar looking man walked out and stared at me before looking back into the room he was leaving. He said something in an accent and I realized it was Luca.
A sly grin grew across his face as he stepped aside to make room for someone.
Jude.
Our eyes locked and my pulse pounded in my ears. He looked devilishly handsome in his charcoal suit, white shirt, and thin black tie. Naturally, his hair was perfectly messy and his five o’clock scruff appeared to be thicker. But it was his eyes that got me.
With a tentative smile on his face, he said, “Sparky?” In just a few long strides, he was in front of me. His arms wrapped around me, yet mine just hung at my sides.
He must have sensed my apprehension and realized this wasn’t a reconciliation visit. When he released me, I instantly missed his warmth, his scent. All memories flooded through me like a tsunami. I reached over to the desk and grabbed the small box away from the woman who was now staring at us.
“My name is Brae, not Sparky, and I can’t accept this.” I held the box out for him to take. Instead of taking it, he wrapped his hand around the top of my arm and escorted me toward the office he emerged from.
“I can’t stay. I have a job interview.” I twisted away from his grip.
He leaned down until his nose practically touched mine. “You can walk to my office and give me five minutes of your time, or I can carry you in there. Your choice. You have ten seconds to decide.”
My eyes scanned the plush office, a blush
creeping over my cheeks when several of his employees stopped in their tracks and were now watching us. He straightened and waited, the look on his face challenging me. In his mind, he was probably counting down the clock.
There wasn’t a doubt he’d follow through, and the only thing that had my feet moving in the direction we were heading was a visual of my ass in the air as my body was flung over his shoulder.
Upon the click of the door, my skin prickled under the wool of my sweater. “Okay. I’m here. What do you want? Like I said, I have an appointment, so make it quick.”
“You look good.” I rolled my eyes and moved toward the door. “Wait. How have you been?”
Before I could even entertain giving him an answer, something needed to be said. “Thank you for paying off the loan. I know you did it out of guilt, and as soon as I get a job, I’ll be paying you back with interest.”
“How did you know?”
Not bothering to explain, all I said was, “I don’t want your money.”
“Consider it a gift. It was the least I could do.”
His offending comment sent me over the edge. “The least you could do?” I seethed. “You just paid off four hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars without blinking an eye, and in the process, made me feel like a whore.”
“Don’t fucking say that.” His pained expression and the way he clenched his fists at his sides almost broke me. “I never have or would treat you that way,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“But you did,” I responded with the same determination. “We spent five weeks sharing the same bed, same home, fucking, and my consolation prize was almost a half-million practically left on the nightstand as you walked away. Oh, how proud my parents will be when they hear why you gave me the money. I don’t want your gifts or your money, but keeping your promise would have been nice.” My muscles tightened as I threw my hand in the air.
“I did keep my promise. My intent was never to leave you. Besides, what was the difference if the money came from me or some stupid social experiment?”
