Maya had to admit the added benefit of being in Austin was that she was closer to Sophia. She’d already been able to make it to her mother’s last couple of treatments.
This time she wasn’t running from her problems. She was sticking around to spend time with her mother and develop some semblance of a relationship with Raven. Just that weekend, she’d met up with her sister at a baby store to shop for baby clothes and they’d gone for coffee afterward, which allowed Maya to coo over her niece. It was a small step toward mending their relationship, but one she never would have taken if she hadn’t come back home.
She wasn’t desperate for money, and was keeping herself busy until she could find a new job. Busy cleaning and decorating her new home. Grocery shopping to fill her refrigerator. Running in the early-morning hours. Focused on the books she read. Any activity she could think of that would take up room in her mind. Because if she didn’t, the memories would arrive. And what purpose was there in reliving the nights she’d spent making love with Ayden. Because that’s exactly what it had been. It hadn’t been sex.
She was in love with Ayden and had given him a part of herself, but he didn’t love her back. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she find a man who would love her? She’d thought Thomas had, but he’d chosen Raven over her. And now Ayden. He was everything she wanted and could ever need. She wanted to be his wife, the mother of his babies, but he didn’t want her forever. Just right now. It made Maya realize that she’d never really loved Thomas because he paled in comparison to Ayden, the man she’d secretly loved for the last decade. And she had to face the facts: she couldn’t force him to love her back. She had to accept that he was never going to love her like she loved him. Heck, he didn’t want to even try. She understood he’d been hurt, but would he ever allow love in?
Thoughts of Ayden were still invading her subconscious on Monday morning when she started a temp job a headhunter found for her. Maya tried to block Ayden from her mind and concentrate on typing. Tap, tap, tap on the keyboard. She could and would do what was necessary to move forward by keeping focused on the spreadsheets and reports she was assigned.
The elevator door chimed and Maya didn’t know what made her look up. Maybe it was the powerful force field surrounding Ayden that required her absolute attention. Because there he was, striding toward her desk. Maya’s stomach hollowed at the sight of him. She tried to quell the feeling, but there was no point. The effect of seeing him after weeks of going without was too much.
Ayden was standing in front of her in the flesh!
The man she’d loved, who’d once held her in his arms, kissed her passionately, made love to her tenderly, cuddled with her quietly was here. He’d been her entire universe that week in Jamaica. She would have probably continued to carry on their affair, grateful for whatever piece of himself he was willing to give her. Who knew how long she would have gone? “How did you find me?”
“An investigator.”
“Why? We’re over, Ayden. There’s nothing left to be said.”
“I disagree. I need to talk to you,” he whispered.
She chuckled to herself at his arrogance, but why should she be surprised? “It’s always about you, isn’t it? Well, no more, Ayden. I choose me and my happiness. You should go.”
“That’s fair, but I’m not leaving. If I have to, I’ll camp out until we have an opportunity to talk. I miss you, Maya.”
A tear slipped down her cheek at his honest admission. “All right, we can talk.”
She moved from behind the desk and walked toward the elevator. Ayden’s hand closed around her elbow.
“I miss you, too, by the way,” Maya commented, giving him a sideways glance, “but that changes nothing.”
Ayden snorted. “It changes everything, Maya. It means there’s still a chance.”
“A chance for what?” She sniffed.
“For us.”
They were silent as they waited for the car. Maya didn’t know what to say. She had no idea why Ayden had come. She still wanted love and commitment, marriage and children. The whole enchilada. And she wasn’t willing to settle for less.
The elevator arrived and Maya stepped in. She stole a glance at Ayden and found his eyes fixed on her. Watching her. She didn’t want to look too closely at him. She would hear what he had to say and then leave. The car dinged again and several more people entered, forcing Ayden to move closer. Far too close for her liking. Her breath tightened in her lungs at his nearness.
The ride ended several moments later. Maya walked quickly through the lobby toward the revolving doors and across the cascade of steps that led to a large courtyard housing a green space where workers came to eat their lunch. Since it was still late morning, it was deserted.
Maya broke away and sat on a nearby stone bench. She needed to put distance between them. It hadn’t been long enough for her to become immune to being near him. As it was, she’d had a hard time in the elevator because she’d felt his hard chest pressed against her back as it became overcrowded.
“What do you want, Ayden? I thought our conversation at your mansion and then again over the phone was pretty clear.”
“Not quite,” he responded, taking a seat beside her. “There’s a lot I need to say to you and you need to hear.”
She shrugged. “All right, I’m all ears.”
He turned to face her. “For years, I was used to not having any emotions because feelings equaled weakness. If my stepfather saw me have any kind of emotion whatsoever when he was verbally abusing my mother or smacking us around, he’d hit us harder. Yell louder. So I learned to control my emotions to show none. Become impenetrable so I wouldn’t get hurt.”
“I’m sorry, Ayden. I can’t even imagine how horrible it was. But I still don’t understand what this has to do with us.”
“A lot, if you’ll give me a chance to explain. When you walked into my office ten years ago, I sensed you were something special, someone different from the other women I’d met. You weren’t looking for anything from me, so you fit perfectly as my assistant. But as the years went on, you became less of an assistant. You became my friend.” When she began to speak, he held up his hand. “I know I made your life hell back then. Having you send flowers and gifts to my dates. I think in my own way I was trying to test you to see if you would crack and throw yourself at me, but you never did. You just quietly let me be myself. Soon, I was opening up to you about the childhood I’d endured. I know it wasn’t everything, but it was more than I’d told anyone.”
“I remember I was surprised when you shared your story with me.”
“You listened. You didn’t judge or offer platitudes. It meant the world to me. And I think part of me knew that I had to keep you at arm’s length. Otherwise, I would fall head over heels for you.”
“But you didn’t, Ayden.”
“Five years ago, you cracked my armor when you came to me distraught over Thomas. I honestly never meant for anything to happen between us. I wanted to comfort you. Make you see how beautiful you were inside and out. And then you kissed me. Leading to the most spectacular night of my life up to that point.”
“Yet you still showed me the door,” Maya pressed. She hadn’t forgotten the hurt she’d felt.
“Because I was scared. Scared of the feelings you’d evoked in me. Feelings I’d never felt before with another woman. So, of course, I did what I knew best. I pushed them down. Acted as if they didn’t exist. I hurt you immeasurably and you left, with good reason. But then you came back, and all those old feelings resurfaced, Maya.” He leaned in to cup her face with his large hands. “Don’t you see they’d never really left? They’d been buried this entire time. But that week in Jamaica brought them to the forefront. It changed everything. I could no longer hide how much I wanted to be near you, mouth to mouth, skin to skin. I finally had you in my life and didn’t want to let you go.”
> “Neither did I. You made me ridiculously happy in Jamaica and afterward. I thought surely you must feel something. Maybe even love me, just a little. But then you were willing to let me walk out the door, out of your life.”
“I’m sorry, Maya. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to give you everything you might need. Marriage? Children? It terrifies me because I never wanted to do what my father did to me, Maya. He ripped me apart. Destroyed our family. Took away my home. Abandoned me. Gave away my inheritance to his new family. Never acknowledged me.”
She touched his cheek with her hand. “Then don’t be that man, Ayden. Be better than him.”
He nodded and she saw tears glistening in his eyes. “It’s why I’m here. I took your advice. I met with Fallon and we talked. We’re going to try to make a go of this brother-sister thing. Hopefully, Dane will be on board, too.”
“And your father?”
He shook his head. “That ship sailed a long time ago, Maya. And I can live with that. What I can’t live without is you. I love you, Maya. And if you’ll have me, I want to be your friend, your lover, your partner, your husband.”
A sob worked its way upward and she let it out. Had she really heard him correctly? “Husband?”
“Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Maya. I don’t want my life to be consumed with work. I want it to be full and rich. I want someone to share it with. I want you. Please tell me it’s not too late. Though even if it is, I’m going to try my best to win you over.”
She placed her palm flat on his chest. “You don’t have to try to win me over, Ayden. You’ve had me from the moment I stepped foot in your office ten years ago and every moment thereafter. I love you. I always have and I always will.”
Her entire body swayed toward his and Ayden swept her into his arms, kissing her fiercely, passionately. His faint stubble teased her skin and she moaned at the realization of a dream come true. When they finally parted, he reached into his suit pocket, and before she knew it he was down on one knee, pulling out a ring box. “Will you marry me, Maya? Will you make me the happiest man on earth by agreeing to grow old with me and have lots of babies that look just like you?”
With the back of her hand, Maya wiped the tears that were sliding uncontrollably down her face. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you, Ayden.”
His mouth moved over hers, slow and warm. “I promise I will treasure you for the rest of our lives.”
“As will I. You won’t be alone anymore, Ayden, because we’re family.”
“And you, my dear Maya, are my home. I love you.”
Epilogue
“I can’t believe I’m going to meet the Dane Stewart,” Maya said when she and Ayden sat down to dinner at an exclusive restaurant in Austin known to cater to the wealthy. “And that we’ll be related!”
“That’s right.” Ayden smiled. He couldn’t wait to make Maya his wife. She would be his and vice versa. Since they’d gotten engaged several weeks ago, he’d been eager to get started planning their wedding. He was just sorry he’d wasted so much time, taking five long years before he’d finally admitted that she was the best thing to ever happen to him. But they were together now and that’s all that mattered.
“Are you nervous?” Maya asked, peering up at him from under thick lashes.
Maya was intuitive. She must have noticed him tapping his foot underneath the table. “I would say I’m anxious,” Ayden responded evenly. “Fallon has always been open to accepting me as her brother while Dane, up to this point, has steered clear of the family, same as me. So I don’t know what to expect.”
“You can expect that I won’t judge you for our parents’ shortcomings,” a deep male voice said from behind him, “like you did Fallon.”
“Dane!” Fallon muttered from behind him, swatting him on the arm. “You promised to behave.” She wore a scowl that didn’t match the vibrancy of her orange midi-dress, which was tailored to perfection on her slender figure.
“I was just joking,” Dane said, laughing as he turned to face her.
Ayden rose to his feet and faced his baby brother. Dane Stewart was as tall as Ayden, well over six feet, with an athletic physique hidden in all-black attire: jeans, T-shirt and leather jacket. He had the same caramel complexion as Fallon, but didn’t share Ayden and Fallon’s eye color. His were dark brown and mischievous. Ayden could see why he was America’s favorite actor.
“Dane.” Ayden offered his hand and Dane snorted.
“We’re brothers, Ayden. I think a hug is in order.”
Ayden was stunned when Dane walked toward him and wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug. He’d never had a family before. Never thought he’d ever have one. Or even needed one. But now that they were here, Ayden wondered how he’d ever survived like that. He patted Dane’s back. “Yes, we are. Yes, we are.”
They parted, and a surge of emotion welled in Ayden. He could feel tears at the back of his eyes. Sensing he was overcome, Maya came and stood beside him, sliding her hand into his. It was a simple act, but meant the world to him. He smiled down at her and she rewarded him with a beaming grin.
“Where’s the champagne?” Dane glanced around for the waiter. “I believe there’s an engagement to celebrate.”
“Bring it on,” Fallon concurred with a grin. “It’s time we welcome Maya into the family.”
As champagne soon followed, Ayden sat back in his chair and thought about how thankful he was to finally get to know the brother and sister he’d once refused to claim, with the woman he loved by his side. Life couldn’t get any better.
* * *
Don’t miss Fallon’s story,
coming soon
from Yahrah St. John
and Harlequin Desire.
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Rancher’s Bargain by Joanne Rock.
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The Rancher’s Bargain
by Joanne Rock
One
It is okay to say no to unnecessary crazy.
Lydia Walker repeated it like a mantra while she read the digital headline from a story that had run in the Royal, Texas, newspaper earlier in the week while she’d been out of town.
Local woman boosts charity bachelor auction with $100K bid!
Seated at her tiny kitchen table with a cup of coffee grown cold, Lydia hovered her finger over the scroll button on her cell phone. She wished she could just swipe right and not worry about the “loca
l woman” who happened to be her irresponsible sister Gail. The impulsive sibling who did not have $100,000 to her name. What had Gail been thinking?
In spite of herself, Lydia started reading the article again.
Gail Walker, a local entrepreneur, made the surprise bid on Lloyd Richardson, a local rancher. Ms. Walker could not be reached for comment while she is out of town on a romantic getaway with her chosen bachelor, but the Great Bachelor Auction master of ceremonies, James Harris, said he’s grateful for the generous donation that benefits the Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation. “This is what the event is all about...”
Closing her eyes, Lydia flipped the phone facedown on the table to stop herself from going over the story a third time.
Definitely unnecessary crazy.
She had just gotten back into town after a visit to her mother’s home in Arkansas for Thanksgiving, a trip she’d been guilted into since she hadn’t been home in almost two years. Her mom had used the time to corner Lydia about being in Fiona’s upcoming wedding to a fourth husband, making the holiday a total disaster. Lydia had wanted her sister to make the long drive with her, but Gail had insisted she needed to stay in Royal and personally oversee her fledgling grocery delivery service. An excuse Lydia had accepted, proud of Gail for doing something fiscally responsible for a change.
Ha! Apparently, Gail just wanted to stay in town to bid on a sexy bachelor during the event at the swanky Texas Cattleman’s Club. Had the word already gotten out around town that Gail didn’t have the money? Lydia scanned the Royal paper for more news but found only stories about the auction’s lone bachelorette, Tessa Noble, and her date with a local rancher. There was no follow-up article about Gail’s date or her outrageous bid.
Yet.
Lydia’s stomach knotted. How could Gail do something like that to a charity, for crying out loud? Furthermore, they shared the same last name. How did it look for the Walker women, both trying to start their own business, when they didn’t pay their debts?
At the CEO's Pleasure Page 16
