His voice fell off as his eyes narrowed.
Uh oh. Lacey felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “Oh yeah,” she said. “I meant to tell you.”
“Oh yeah? You were going to tell me? When? Before or after you ditched me for a make-believe fiancé?”
“I didn’t—”
But he wasn’t done. “You let me stand here like an idiot thinking you were grieving over the man you love. You made me feel guilty for hating some guy who doesn’t even exist.”
“I thought Morgan told you,” Lacey said. Even to her own ears, it was a lame excuse.
She watched him warily. What was he doing here?
He’s come to win you back. She fought the desperate surge of joy that thought brought. She couldn’t let that happen. She’d already decided she couldn’t ruin his future. She wouldn’t.
“Why did you lie to me?”
She’d never heard his voice so gruff, and the pain she heard was nearly her undoing. She opened her mouth once, twice, but no words came out. She struggled to come up with a lie that would be convincing. But as much as her brain begged her to lie, her heart was pleading for her to tell the truth. She let herself imagine what would happen if she went to him and let him wrap her in his arms and tell her it would all be okay.
“It’s not a hard question, Lace.” His smile was bittersweet. “Just tell me the truth. If you don’t want to be with me, just say so. I can take it. But please, don’t tell me any more lies.”
She drew in a deep breath. “I can’t be with you,” she said. The words felt like shards of glass in her throat. Don’t do this.
He took a step to the side, his face as white as a ghost. “You can’t or you won’t?”
Lacey studied the wine stain on the rug at her feet. She heard him sigh as he turned from her to pace—not an easy feat in her tiny living room. She glanced up to watch him. She was torn in half. Part of her wanted to prolong this agony so that she could keep him near her a little while longer. But another part of her just wanted him to leave so she could stop pretending that she wasn’t heartbroken as hell over having to give up the first and only man she’d ever truly loved.
That thought had her sniffling all over again. Oh man, she must look like a wreck. One look at her reflection in the TV confirmed it. Red and blotchy, she looked like something out of a nightmare.
Which made it all the more impressive and painfully sweet that Alex was looking at her like she was the most stunningly gorgeous woman in the world.
“Tell me why, Lace. Give me one good, honest reason why you’re not even willing to give us a shot, and I’ll walk out of here and leave you alone for the rest of your life.”
Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it. Lacey forced herself to think about Arthur Wingate’s threats—everything he would take away from the man she loved. A man who deserved success and who shouldn’t be held back because he had the bad luck to fall into bed with the wrong woman.
She straightened her back and willed the tears to stay away for just a little while longer. “You know how important my career is to me,” she said. It was his turn to watch her pace around the room. She just needed to stay close to the truth and play on his insecurities.
“I never meant to hurt you, Alex, but when push came to shove, I just couldn’t walk away from the career opportunity that Ackland has given me.”
He was studying her closely, and she did her best to keep her expression blank. Just a little while longer. She just had to keep it together for a few minutes longer and he would be gone and she could cry until there were no more tears left to shed.
“So you chose Ackland then?”
She nodded, avoiding his hawk-like stare. “Yes, they offered me a promotion. A-and I couldn’t turn that down. After all the trouble Jess caused by calling my boss’s boss...” she gave a little shrug as she trailed off.
“So they gave you this promotion in exchange for giving up on me.”
There was a disturbing lack of emotion in his voice and when she looked up it was to find him watching her with a mix of confusion and…amusement? That couldn’t be right.
“Tell me about this promotion,” he said, leaning against the countertop that divided the living room from the kitchen and acted as a makeshift dining room table and bookcase.
Damn it. She had strayed too far from the truth, and now she had to make up a story about some fabulous new gig she’d scored. When oh when would she ever learn that she was a terrible liar?
“Well, I start next week. They gave me a new client…” Her voice trailed off as his gaze mocked her. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m lying.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I never said that. I just find it interesting that Ackland gave you a promotion right after firing you.”
Lacey gaped at him, her surprise quickly turning to anger as he burst out laughing at her. “You think it’s funny that I got fired?” She placed her hands on her hips. “It’s your fault I was fired, you know. You could, at least, pretend to be sympathetic.”
He stopped laughing long enough to walk over to her and pull her into his arms. “I’m not laughing because you were fired.” He reached out a hand and gently pushed a stray curl behind her ear.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Then why are you laughing?”
He gave her that cocky, half-smile that made her want to smack him and kiss him all at once. “If you were lying about the promotion, then you’re lying about everything. I’m almost positive that you do want to be with me, Lacey Ames. In fact, I think you’re dying to be my girlfriend.”
She tried not to laugh as she rolled her eyes. “You’re too cocky for your own good.”
“And that’s what you love about me,” he teased.
“I don’t—”
“You do.” He pulled her closer so she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She was inches away from being pressed against him, happily cradled in his arms. So close but so far away.
“You do,” he said again. “You love me.”
She let out a sound between a gasp and moan, but he kept talking, his voice firm with belief. “You love me,” he repeated. “And I love you. More than anything.”
She struggled to find her voice, but it was impossible to fight the overwhelming emotions his words stirred up in her.
He loved her. He loved her. Nothing in the world seemed as important as that monumental realization. For a moment, the rest of the world did not exist. The only thing that mattered was this man standing before her. This man who loved her.
He took her silence as acquiescence and nothing in the world could bring her to stop him as he leaned in slowly to capture her lips with his own.
“Mmm.” Lacey couldn’t help the blissful sigh of surrender as he kissed her like she was the only woman on the planet.
He pulled away for a second, just long enough to tell her he loved her again. Now that the words were out there he said it over and over in between kisses and nibbles and long, frustratingly clothed caresses.
“I love you, too.” The word slipped out in a whisper, and they both froze.
“Say it again,” he said.
Lacey let out a sigh. “I love you, Lawrence Alexander Newsom the third.”
He pulled away slightly so he could look into her eyes and cupped her face in his palms. “So then what is the problem?”
Lacey let it all come out. All of her lies exposed and their words still ringing in her ears, she caved and told him everything—about her initial lie about Sam, the threats Jess had made and finally, the vow that Arthur Wingate had made on her last night in New York.
By the time she was done he looked so furious she thought he might burst a blood vessel. After pacing the room while cursing Arthur, Jess and their entire bloodline many times over, he turned to her. “You should have told me,” he said.
Lacey shrugged. “I wanted to prot
ect you. I don’t want to be the reason you fail—I won’t.”
For a moment, he looked at her like she was crazy and then he started to laugh. He took her hands in his and pulled her close. “I have spent the past two weeks hearing you go on and on about what a great leader I am and how I am the one who should be heading this company. Was that all a pack of lies?”
Lacey frowned, “No, of course not. I meant every word.”
He leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. “Then trust in me, Lace. Believe that I can defeat Arthur Wingate at every turn. Know that we have nothing to fear.”
Lacey was silent for a moment.
“The only reason I won today is because you had faith in me. From the very beginning, you believed I could win this election and prove to everyone that I’m the best leader for the company. If you have faith in me, I cannot fail. So tell me, do you still have faith in me?”
Lacey’s heart had melted into a puddle and she gave him a wobbly smile. “I do.”
“Good. Then let’s go to New York and kick some Wingate ass.”
Lacey’s head fell back as she laughed. “I’m in. But what are you going to do? What are you going to say?”
Alex opened his mouth to speak and then stopped, apparently stumped. “I have no idea,” he said with a laugh. “But luckily for me, my girlfriend is a world-class coach.”
He drew closer. “We’ve got a couple of hours before the plane is ready. Why don’t you show me your apartment?”
She looked around her tiny home pointedly before turning back to him. “The only room you haven’t seen is my bedroom.”
His wicked grin took her breath away. Leaning over, his lips brushed against her ear sending a shiver down her spine. “Then let’s start there.”
Epilogue
LACEY WAS RUNNING late. Again. Like always.
“Lace? My love? My one and only?” Alex’s teasing voice called from the living room.
“I know, I know, I’m coming,” she shouted. She shoved clothes into her new luggage—a Christmas present from Alex. He’d decided that if she was going to travel as much as she was—which was a lot between her new coaching business and her long-distance relationship—she needed luggage that didn’t topple over every five feet.
But sadly, new luggage did nothing to calm her nerves. The executives she was working with these days weren’t as high up the food chain as Ackland’s clients, but they were her clients. So far her business had been building steadily thanks to word of mouth, but the company was still new. She was still terrified of blowing it.
And missing her first meeting would definitely be blowing it.
When she finally finished packing and rolled her bag into Alex’s living room, her breath caught in her throat. There were times she wondered if she’d ever get used to his good looks or if she’d find herself gasping with unadulterated desire in the nursing home.
He moved toward her to take the luggage from her. “What were you doing in there?”
She squared her shoulders and sniffed. “Preparing for my meeting.”
“Liar. You were spoiling Freddy with treats.” Dammit. She’d been caught. Freddy, an adorable cocker spaniel, had been Lacey’s Christmas present for Alex.
“How did you know?”
He held up his cell phone. “You butt-dialed me…again.”
“Oh, for the love of…” her grumbling trailed off as he pulled another cell phone out of his back pocket.
“New phone. It has flip cover since you can’t seem to manage touch screens.”
She rolled her eyes at his teasing. “Yeah, but every once in a while it comes in handy.”
It was Alex’s turn to roll his eyes as Lacey smirked. Because it was true. Her butt-dialing had saved the day.
All hell had broken loose when Alex returned to New York—and to Newsom Industries—with Lacey at his side. They both knew the Wingates wouldn’t sit idly by so they were on guard. But no one had foreseen how Arthur Wingate would shoot himself in the foot.
Like the snake he was, Arthur chose to attack Lacey when she was alone in her office at Newsom. Or at least he thought she was. He hadn’t realized she was in the midst of a telephone interview with a Wall Street blogger. Thanks to her ridiculously sensitive, mind-of-its-own, infuriating phone, the blogger had heard every word of Arthur’s rampage. And he’d promptly printed what he’d heard.
It had all worked out for the best…for once. But still. Lacey pocketed the new phone with relief and turned off the devious device for good.
“You ready?” she asked. Alex was going to join her on this trip and visit the Newsom Industries office in Houston.
“Almost.”
She looked up in surprise to see Alex shifting nervously, wiping his hands on his jeans in a gesture she’d come to know well. Before she could ask what was wrong, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a set of keys.
“I know it hasn’t been long and we’re both focusing on our careers at the moment but….”
Lacey held her breath.
“Lacey Ames, will you move in with me?”
A burst of giddy joy left her temporarily speechless and he barreled on. “I know you love San Francisco but we could visit. You could see Morgan whenever you want. But I want more of you. I want to spend every moment I can get with you. Whatever you’re willing to give—”
She cut him off with a kiss. She paused long enough to say, “Yes” before leaning in to kiss him senseless.
When they came up for air, he grinned at her. “Yes? That’s it? I thought you were supposed to be a speech expert, and all I get is a one-word answer?”
Lacey was laughing as she pulled him in for another kiss. “Oh, shut up and kiss me.”
“I have to tell you, that’s terrible advice from my coach…”
She cut him off with a kiss that had him groaning, his hands pulling her to him until they both forgot about the plane that was waiting and the meetings that were scheduled.
Oh yeah. She was going to be late.
Thank you for reading Less Than Three! If you enjoyed it, reviews are greatly appreciated. Want more books by Maggie Dallen? Get a FREE novella, Heiress at Sea, when you sign up for her monthly newsletter here: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/n6uux
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About the Author
MAGGIE DALLEN IS a big city girl living in Montana. She writes romantic comedies in a range of genres including young adult, historical, contemporary, and fantasy. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bFEVsL
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Check out Maggie’s other books:
Barely a Fairy Tale Series
Cinderella Blackmail
Snow White Espionage
Rose Red Rebellion
Beauty & The Heist
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Love Is in the Air
Starting from Zero Bonus Novella
Chapter One
Alison
The guy beside me could not take a hint. “So, where you headed?”
I should have worn earbuds like every other person on this goddamn plane. But no, I’d forgotten mine so instead I’d buried my nose in one of those backseat magazines and pretended to be absorbed in an article about where to dine when in Omaha, Nebraska.
I’ve never been to Omaha and I had no plans of going, but the guy sitting next to me didn’t know that.
I thought about ignoring him outright. I’d done little more than give him a quick glance when I sat in the seat beside him when I’d first boarded. I’d seen enough to know that I needed to steer clear.
What had he done to turn me off? Simple. He was hot. I only got a glimpse, but a gIance was all it took to see that he was sex on a stick. I couldn’t handle a hot guy right now. I mean, I wasn’t very good at dealing with excessively attractive men on the best of days—they kind of scared the crap out of me. But today of all days?
I was incapable of feigning cool.
“Linwood, Pennsylvania,” I said. Apparently I was also incapable of lying. I didn’t have the brain capacity to come up with a lie, not when I was mid-panic attack. This crisis state had been underway ever since I’d bought my ticket home. No, that’s not true. This monumental anxiety attack had been brewing ever since I’d received my invitation to Linwood High’s reunion.
But now when I would be arriving in a matter of hours?
Yeah, I was going to lose it any second now.
I hadn’t lifted my head from the magazine and I thought maybe, just maybe, the hot stranger with the low, sexy voice had gotten the message.
“What brings you to Linwood?” he asked.
I sighed. Nope. He definitely did not get the message.
“High school reunion.” My clever brain blurted out the truth. But really, what did it matter? This was a stranger and I would never see him again, right? Hot or not, he would be out of my life the moment we touched the ground.
The Morning After: Starting from Zero Box Set Page 46
