by Hayes, Piper
I pull myself out of bed and shower. I shouldn’t have walked out on Blake like that, but I couldn’t help it. I remind myself that this is about more than just some argument. This is about deciding what kind of woman I’m going to be. Am I going to let the men in my life coddle me and push me around as they see fit? Or am I going to figure out what I want and find a way to get it? I want to be with Blake, but I have no interest in being a pushover. I have no interest in being a trophy. I want to be part of a team.
As I step out of the shower and pull a towel around myself, I feel awfully alone. I spend the rest of the predawn getting myself ready, getting my hair and my makeup and my dress all perfectly set. I’m going to this board meeting, and I am bringing Jacob down. The rest is up to Blake.
CHAPTER 19
CATHERINE
When I get to the office, Blake is waiting. He’s leaning against the wall holding two cups of coffee. He looks tired, like he didn’t sleep much either. I can’t help but notice his suit. It’s freshly pressed, and it perfectly hugs his frame. As soon as I see it, there’s no mistaking that it’s the suit he wore when we first met. Something tells me that it’s not a coincidence.
“How long have you been standing there?” I ask.
“Since about four in the morning,” he says. “I was hoping you’d join me in crashing one last party.”
“It’s not crashing a party if you’re invited,” I tell him.
“I’m sorry,” he says. He holds out a coffee. “About everything, but there’s something I need to ask you. Can we talk in my office for a minute?”
“What is it?” I ask.
As soon as we’re alone in his office, Blake wraps his arms around me and kisses me. I’m caught off guard by the warmth of his lips, and I feel weak in the knees. I let myself forget about everything else and lose myself in that kiss. When we part lips, Blake is smiling.
“Is that what you wanted to tell me?” I ask.
Blake laughs. “I wasn’t planning on that part, but I can’t say I regret it. I’ve been thinking about what you said, going away together. Would you leave this all behind if you could?”
“Right now?” I ask. Blake still has his arms around me, and he’s holding me tight.
“After we take care of everything here,” he says.
“Does this mean you’re not mad anymore?” I ask.
“I love you,” he says. “I know why you did what you did, and I don’t know how to thank you. Do you remember the night we met?”
“Of course I do,” I tell him. “It’s not like it was that long ago.”
“Last night, when you left, I was so angry. I didn’t know what to do or think, and then I remembered that first night we met. Specifically, I remember how I felt right before I met you. I was lost, Cat. I was fighting a battle I didn’t know if I could win, and I was running out of options. More than that, I didn’t know what I wanted in life. For years and years, I’d taken whatever step was open to me. There was no master plan. I was just reacting, but then I met you, and you changed everything.”
“By throwing your life into even more chaos?” I ask.
“No, you gave me something to build toward. You gave me a vision of the kind of life I wanted and the kind of man I wanted to be. You’ve changed me, Cat, for the better.”
“You’ve changed me too,” I tell him. “Before I met you, I’d never have dreamed of doing anything like this. I’d never have believed it possible.”
“I love you,” Blake says.
“I love you too. I just hate how everything seems to get in our way.”
“Would you leave this all behind if it meant a chance at true happiness? What if we didn’t have to worry about anyone else for a while, would you do it even if it meant giving up all of this?” He gestures to the skyline.
I’d give it up in a heartbeat. “And maybe we could get some gelato?” I ask. “We could go to Italy.”
Blake smiles. “I was thinking somewhere a little closer than that. What time will Ben and his friends get here?”
“They’re waiting for a bank transfer. As soon as they have it, they’ll take Jacob. With any luck, they have already.”
“Something tells me that’s not the case,” Blake says. “Before we go in, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What is it?” I say.
“I need you to trust me, too. There’s something I need to do, and I need you to go along with it.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“You’ll know when the time comes,” Blake says. “Let’s go to the conference room and finish what we started.”
Blake and I head into the conference room, and I wrack my brain trying to think of what he could have planned. There are a dozen faces, older men in expensive suits, a few women in pantsuits. There’s a gourmet spread on a table at the back of the room. Laid on the table are all kinds of breakfast foods. There’s also what looks to be about five gallons of the finest coffee money can buy. In short, it looks like the kind of board meeting at which nothing gets said, and everyone leaves happy, the kind my father used to describe as the greatest waste of time ever invented. Something tells me that everyone will remember this meeting for years to come.
Blake introduces me to several of the board members and explains that I’m my father’s second seat on the board. He’s more diplomatic than that, although I’m sure everyone knows that I wouldn’t be here if my father wasn’t Richard Carlisle and my boyfriend wasn’t Blake. I remind myself that half of the people in the room wouldn’t be here if they weren’t from wealth and privilege, but I still feel like I don’t belong.
Beyond that, I’m nervous. I know I should be getting myself ready for the moment when Jacob walks through the door, but I can’t stop thinking about what Blake said. I wonder if he was truly serious about running away or if that was just more wishful thinking meant to remind us what’s at stake. I keep watching Blake. I don’t expect him to be nervous. That’s not how he is, but I guess I’m surprised by how casual he seems. Casual is the wrong word. He looks relaxed, relieved. He’s shaking hands and smiling, and he looks completely at ease. He looks like a weight has been lifted.
Me? My heart’s in my throat. I’ve already considered every way this morning could go wrong, but now I’m trying to figure out why Blake seems to calm. What exactly does he have planned for this meeting? I run through every possibility, and I’m so lost in thought that I almost don’t notice when my father walks in with Jacob Fletcher.
I expect everyone present to gasp at Jacob’s arrival, but then I remember none of them know who he is. None of them knows a thing about Blake’s past, and none of them have any idea what’s about to happen. If anything, they seem more interested in my father. I hear his name muttered under more than one breath. Everyone in the room knows who my father is and how Carlisle Capital collapsed.
My father makes a slight gesture with his hand to let me know not to do anything yet. He’s waiting for something. Jacob still hasn’t made the deposit. That must be the delay. If Jacob doesn’t put money toward the plan against Blake, then he can worm his way out of any charges.
Blake places his hand on my shoulder. “Everything’s going to be fine,” he says. “Just remember, everything is going to work out.” He steps up to the head of the table.
Blake glares at Jacob across the room and then looks to me. “It looks like everyone is here,” Blake says. “And we even have a guest. I’m sure all of you know Richard Carlisle. It appears he’s brought a plus one. Unfortunately, this is a closed meeting, sir. If you could wait in the lobby, I’m sure Mr. Carlisle will be glad to see you once he’s done.”
“I don’t think that will take that long,” Jacob says. “And I don’t think what you say will hold much weight around here after this moment.” Jacob grins as he crosses his arms and leans against the glass wall of the conference room. He watches Blake for a moment and then pulls out a phone. I watch as he taps something in and hands the phone over to my father.
&nb
sp; By now, the other board members have noticed that something is more than a little off, and they’re looking at Blake for guidance. Instead, it’s my father who steps forward. He walks around the table and hands the phone to me. I can see the record of the transfer. “Do you mind if I sit next to my daughter?” he asks. “I was hoping to discuss something with her.”
“Of course,” Blake says. He looks out toward the elevators. I have a clear line of sight to them, too. I can see the light above them lit up. Someone is headed up; the only question is whether or not it’s Ben. This is it. The moment is almost here. My heart is racing as I think about everything Blake and I have gone through to get to this point. Then the doors open and Ben and three federal marshals in blue jackets march into the lobby.
“This should be fun,” my father says as he reaches over and grabs my hand.
“I think we have company,” Blake says when Ben steps into the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to my good friend, Ben. He’s joining us today from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As many of you know, the FBI has been investigating this company and me personally for financial malfeasance. I am excited to announce that the company has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Ben, how can we help you?”
Ben nods towards Jacob and the marshals surround him. “Jacob Fletcher, you are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and the attempted bribery of a federal judge.” The marshals spin Jacob against the wall and handcuff him. Two of them rush him out of the room and out of sight. It’s over. It’s done. The plan actually worked. My plan actually worked. I sigh a deep sigh of relief, but then Blake speaks up again.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have been assisting the FBI in their investigation of Jacob Fletcher as part of a plea bargain. I regret to inform you that I am resigning from this company effective immediately. I am very proud of what we’ve built here, and I believe in the team we have in place. I hope to return one day, but I must do so only once I have told the whole truth to each and every one of you. My name is not Blake Bennett. It never was. I took that name when I first moved to New York in an attempt to shed my past, but now I understand that you can’t run forever. You have to face the facts and take a stand for what you believe in. It took someone special to make me see that. I can’t live a life that’s based on a lie.”
Blake holds up one finger like he’s telling Ben to hold off for just one minute. Blake walks over to me, turns my chair around and leans in to kiss me one last time. His lips are sweet and soft, and I don’t know for sure what’s going to happen when this kiss stops, so I pull his tie and hold the kiss for as long as I can. When he finally does pull back, he quickly kisses my temple and whispers, “I think Italy will have to wait.”
Ben and the marshals lead Blake out of the room, and everything erupts into chaos. The dozen board members are either yelling at each other or shouting on their phones, trying to make sense of the scene that just unfolded in front of them. I’m stunned. I don’t know what to think, I go to get up and chase after Blake. I want to demand to go with him wherever he goes, but my father stops me. He grabs my wrist. “Catherine,” he says, “Everything is going to be fine, but you have to let him go.”
No, I can never let him go.
CHAPTER 20
CATHERINE
“House arrest?” I ask. It’s been two weeks since Blake resigned from the company and turned himself in. His story made national news. Somehow, the whole story got out, his past in Florida, the fight with Jacob, the plan to start a new life. People went wild. Overnight, Blake became a household name. Not the name he had chosen for himself all those years ago. His real name. Since the story broke, the media has been portraying him as a hero, but Blake wants none of it. According to him, the only thing that matters is our relationship.
Blake is sitting on the edge of his couch. He’s just gotten back from finalizing his plea deal with the government. He crosses his leg so that his heel is against his other knee. He pulls the cuff of his pants up and taps his ankle. “Tracking device and all,” he says. “Eighteen months house arrest followed by two thousand hours of community service,” he says.
“And the company?” I ask.
“Damien will keep me informed of the day to day, and my friends on the board will help to represent my interests.”
“I hope you don’t mean me,” I tell him. “If you’re stuck here, I want to be stuck here with you. I can be your connection to the outside world.”
“You’re halfway there,” he says. “The only person I’m interested in connecting with is you, Cat. I meant what I said about going away together. I want to use this chance to be together, just the two of us. I want to build our life.”
“I really have you all to myself?” I ask. “No mysteries, no obligations?”
“I’m yours and yours alone,” he says. “Besides I can’t leave the property,” he adds, “so it’s not like it will be hard to tell what I’m up to.”
“Is that much of a distinction?” I ask. “The only way you’re leaving is if you step out into thin air. Either way, you’re all mine. You’re my kept man.”
“I’m yours to keep,” he tells me. I like the way that sounds.
“I guess I can agree to being yours, too,” I tell him. I feign annoyance. “I mean I guess if I have to.”
Blake gives me that look, like I really am the only other person in the world. “You should start packing your stuff,” Blake tells me. “We should probably hit the road soon.”
“What do you mean? You’re under house arrest for the next eighteen months. It’s not like we’re going anywhere. Unless you found a way to get put on house arrest on vacation somewhere.”
Blake flashes a wicked grin. His eyes light up, and I know he has something he can’t wait to tell me. Or maybe it’s my reaction that he can’t wait to see.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I say. I give him a little push into the couch.
Blake throws his arms into the air. “It’s not my fault you never asked.”
“Tell me now, or I swear I will find a way to extend your sentence.”
Blake wraps his arms around me and pulls me back with him, kissing me as we fall against the cushions. His lips are smooth and soft, and the stubble on his chin rakes against my skin as he kisses me. A shiver of excitement runs up my spine as his tongue slides against my lips. Eighteen months of this sounds pretty good to me. “I am under house arrest. As part of my deal, I was able to stipulate which house.”
“If you got yourself eighteen months on a tropical island…”
“Well, not tropical, that’s for sure,” he says. “Do you remember how I sold your father a partial stake in the company? He didn’t have the cash for the deal, so I made him a trade. He sold me a few properties, including one on the water in Maine.”
“No,” I tell him. “You didn’t.”
Blake reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small jewelry box. “I want you to have this,” he says.
I open the box and pull out a key. The worn brass of the teeth and the shape of the end, I’d recognize it anywhere. “You bought my summer house? I swear if you give me another small box… one of these days I’m going to think it’s a ring.”
“It’s going to be our house, and I thought that you and I could try our hand at some renovations. I’ve always enjoyed getting my hands dirty, and this way, we could build a home together. ”
“It wouldn’t hurt that it’s an enormous secluded mansion with acreage and incredible views, would it?”
“I’d like to think I negotiated a good deal. As long as I stay on the property, we’re good.” He taps his ankle again. “This thing’s waterproof, so we can even go swimming once it’s warm enough.”
“You’re kidding,” I tell him.
“About swimming with you?” he says. “Never.” He gives me a wink. “Aside from the tracker, clothing’s optional. There is one other thing I was hoping you’d wear.”
“What’s that?” I ask. I can only imagine w
hat kind of outfit Blake has in mind. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring, a platinum ring with detailed engraving and the most beautiful diamond I’ve ever seen. “This,” he says. “Catherine Carlisle, will you marry me?”
“It depends,” I tell him. “Am I marrying Blake Bennett or Blake Warren?”
Blake laughs. “I thought we could give my real name a shot for a while. But as long as you say yes, you can call me whatever you want.”
“Yes,” I tell him. “My answer is yes.”
Thank you for reading His to Keep, Part 3 of the His to Have series.
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Thanks again!
-Piper
