Yours Tonight

by Joya Ryan

  My stomach knotted. All of my emotions were torn. I didn’t think my father magically woke up and decided to be a decent parent out of the blue. No, he wanted something, and that was Jack’s business. But maybe he wasn’t in on this scaring me scheme like I thought. If he was worried about Brock? Tied with the fact that if it was him breaking into my car and house…

  I choked on the thought.

  I was back to square one. Wondering and worrying when he’d come after me.

  I couldn’t live like that. In constant fear. Especially with how hard it had been to move past it. If I had my dad on my side this time, and he saw that Brock had problems, maybe this could work.

  “If you get this account, Brock will be gone?” I asked.

  “Yes,” my father said, with way too much hope in his voice.

  I took a deep breath. Here, last night, I had felt safe, able to breathe for the first time in what felt like a lifetime without the weight of fear pressing down, but I couldn’t stay at Jack’s forever—even though that was just what I wanted. No, if I wanted a real chance with Jack, a chance to see where this could go, I needed to get Brock out of town as quickly as possible. Otherwise, I’d never know if Jack wanted me with him because he was protecting me, or because he loved me.

  “If I set up a meeting, it doesn’t mean he’ll invest with you.”

  “Of course, I just need the meeting, Pumpkin.”

  “If,” I said clearly, “I can get him to agree to sit down with you, and he still doesn’t invest, I still want Brock gone. Back to New York, no matter the outcome with Jack’s company.”

  He was silent. Not a good sign. I was gambling with something I valued very much, and that was Jack’s trust. But there was no other way. If I told him it was Brock who hurt me, he’d never sit down with them. Worse, he’d likely do something that only made Brock angrier and give him more of a reason to keep harassing me.

  Brock was a sociopath to his bones, and that’s what terrified me the most. Common sense didn’t dictate his actions. If I could get him gone, then I could finally move on, with Jack. I wanted my strength back. Strength Jack helped me find. Strength I’d fight for.

  “Those are my terms, Dad. One meeting. Regardless of the outcome, Brock leaves Denver.”

  “Okay,” he said finally.

  “You swear to me?”

  “Yes,” he snapped. “I swear.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  ~

  I quietly walked back into Jack’s bedroom, to find him sitting up and awake.

  “I don’t like that,” he said, those steely dark eyes fastened to my every move.

  “Don’t like what?”

  He put an arm behind his head, stretching those amazing muscles from his abs to his biceps, and I checked the urge to pounce on him.

  “I went to bed with this warm woman, and woke up to a cold, empty bed. I don’t like that.”

  “Forgive me,” I said, and shimmied a little with my walk toward him. “I didn’t mean to displease you.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “Harper texted to let me know she made it to Aspen, and my dad called several times.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, Harper’s just taking a week vacation. My dad actually keeps talking to me about you.” I wiggled my eyebrows.

  “He’s not my type.”

  “Oh, my God!” I put my hand to my chest in mock surprise. “Did you…did you just make a joke?”

  “No, that can’t be right.”

  I nodded and smiled wide. “You totally just made a joke!”

  I hopped on the bed and pinched his side, getting a smile to come out. “And you’re ticklish! This is the best day ever.”

  “Damn it, woman, you’ve gotten through my defenses,” he said with a chuckle, and finally won the battle, pinning me down with all his delicious weight on top of me.

  With the morning sun coming through the windows I couldn’t help but get lost in Jack’s handsome face. He seemed lighter today. Last night, we’d shared something. An honest exchange of trust, and he looked happier.

  “You were saying?” he asked. “About your dad?”

  “Oh, right.”

  My stomach hurt just bringing this up, but it was the best way to get over this issue. I wasn’t going to lie to Jack. I just wasn’t going to tell him the details about the possibility that Brock was stalking me and wrecking my stuff, leaving me in a state of panic and terror.

  “He wants me to try to convince you to meet with him and his company about investing.”

  “That so?”

  I nodded.

  He looked at me for a long moment, then finally, a playful grin split his face. “And how would you go about convincing me?”

  I raised a brow and shrugged. “Well, several things crossed my mind. The first of which was oral persuasion.”

  “I’m listening,” he said.

  “Then, I don’t know, present the best possible outcome.” I shifted my hips. Sliding my center along his hardening cock.

  “You seem to make a good case.” He kissed me quickly, then with seriousness asked, “Is it important to you? That I meet with them?”

  The way he asked me that tugged on my heart. Was it important to me? It was important that Brock moved back to New York, and stayed far away. But I didn’t care about my father’s business. I was beyond hoping that would ever work out with me in the future. I was actually excited about grad school, and looking at the world from a different angle. An angle free from the past and all the negativity that went with it. But first, Brock needed to go away.

  “I would really appreciate it. I know they’re a smaller company, but if you just had one meeting, I would be grateful.”

  “Okay.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Is there something else you’d prefer me to say?”

  “I just thought that would come across weird or…”

  He kissed me again, his nose brushing mine briefly. “It’s a meeting, and you asked.”

  “Yeah, but you’re busy.”

  “You asked,” he said again, like this explained everything away. The look in his eyes was so tender it made me reach out and hold tight.

  “You said Harper is gone for the week?”

  I nodded.

  He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “How would you feel about staying with me for the week then?”

  “Really?”

  This made my anxiety lessen, because honestly, the thought of going back to the house, especially empty, was terrifying.

  “We can go pick up some of your stuff.”

  “I brought that small bag, it will last me a couple of days.”

  “Well, we’ll figure out the details later then.”

  Jack kissed me, and I got lost. Content to stay in our world just a little while longer.

  ~

  Between school staring up in fifteen days, my job winding down, and staying at Jack’s the past week, life was moving quickly. I’d taken half the day off to go get my textbooks and run a few errands. When I had shown up to my house a couple days ago, I saw my car, parked where I’d left it, with brand new tires on it.

  My hope was that it was my dad, but the sight just redoubled the notion that the VanBuren clan, which now included my father, no matter that his last name was Case, was one I wanted to stay away from.

  My life was under a microscope when it came to them. Now that my father got what he wanted, hopefully, things could get back to normal. Only this time, I was moving past everything, including him.

  Jack was set to meet with my dad—I glanced at my watch—right now. Opening my front door, I put my books down and unloaded some of the groceries. I had been staying at Jacks, but the weekend was approaching. Harper would be home, and if my father stuck to his word, Brock would be packing up and heading back to New York.

  Time to get this arranged.

  “Isn’t this charming?” A staunch voice came from the front porch.
I spun around to find my step-mother hovering in the entryway. It was daylight out, but I hadn’t gotten back to shut the door all the way, with my hands being full. Something I was really regretting now.

  “Is there a reason you’re here, Anita?”

  She pursed her lips in a venomous smile. “Just to check in on you. Your father said something about you running into some bad luck with local vandals. Thank goodness no one broke into your home or anything like that. Frightening thought.”

  My stomach dropped. Anita just stared at me, her thin lips and beady glare masked by money and pure evil.

  “I know what’s going on. You think your father is noble? Brock isn’t going anywhere, and he never was.”

  “I spoke with my father, and—”

  “Yes, and he made you promises. But I didn’t think you were foolish enough to believe him. Who do you think told him about you and Jack Powell? Pushed him to lean on you?”

  “Why are you so awful?” I asked. Nothing else seemed to make sense other than that.

  “Going around accusing someone’s son of heinous things can do that to a woman.”

  “I understand he’s your son, and it’s hard for you to believe, but it happened.” I tried to stand tall and hold my ground. “I don’t need you or my father to believe me anymore. I just want Brock to stay away from me.”

  “Oh? And where has all this fire come from? Surely not the man you’ve been seeing and set up to meet with your father? If so, that may prove difficult.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I had a lovely chat with Mr. Powell today. Wanted to thank him on behalf of the company for meeting with us.”

  My stomach lurched.

  “I also thought he should know that one of his employees lies about rape, and was using him for professional gain. Perhaps not someone to trust, much less continue to employ.”

  “I didn’t lie,” I said, the words shredding my throat.

  “I’m not the one you have to convince of that anymore. But Jack seemed a bit upset when he learned that you stood to take over his account if he signed with Case-VanBuren.”

  “My father offered that to me, and I declined. I only wanted Brock gone.”

  “Yes, well, good luck with that endeavor. But you’d be wise to keep your mouth shut about my son.” She hit me with a glare. “Have a good day, dear.”

  With that, she left, and my stomach dropped to the floor. I had to get to Jack.

  ~

  I raced into Jack’s office, bypassing his secretary, and barged in. He sat behind his desk, everything about him calm, aside from the look in his eyes.

  “You just missed your father and step-brother,” he said.

  “Jack, I have to talk to you. Anita VanBuren came by, and said—”

  “Yes, she had plenty to say earlier today.”

  I stepped toward him, and he stood, walking around his desk to face me.

  “I can explain,” I started.

  “Oh? Then please do. And start by telling me that you didn’t just lie to my face.”

  “I told the truth, just evaded some details.”

  His eyes narrowed. “And which details are those? How about the one where you were going to work for your father’s company, handling my assets, if you landed me as a client?”

  “My father offered me that, but he lied. I didn’t accept it anyway.”

  “But you pushed for this meeting.”

  “Because it was the only way to get rid of Brock. Someone has broken into my home, my car, slashed my tires—”

  “And it’s Brock?”

  “I think so. I’m not certain, though.”

  “What about the rest?” he growled and stepped toward me.

  “The rest what?” I whispered, looking down. I knew what he meant, but I hoped to God he wouldn’t make me say it.

  “You said you were raped.” The word had a power that stung. “Who did it?”

  I shook my head.

  “Tell me, Lana. Tell me what that woman said to me isn’t true. Tell me you didn’t have me sit down and talk business with the man that violated you!”

  Tears gathered, and all I could do was stare at the floor.

  “Jesus fucking Christ! That’s sick. After everything you begged of me. You kept this piece from me?”

  “I just wanted him gone.”

  “You could have told me.”

  “I didn’t know if you’d believe me.” Because no one, except Harper, ever has. But my words looked like they slapped Jack in the face.

  “I’ve been on your side from day one,” he growled. “The fact that you’d rather have me ignorantly sit down with a criminal man, shake his fucking hand, then tell me, is…” he looked disgusted with me. “You played the naïve card well.”

  “I wasn’t playing anything. I love you.”

  “And I’m supposed to believe that? You let me sit down with a man that assaulted you, threatens you, and you wanted me to invest with him? Who are you? You plead for my secrets? Want me to bare all, and you’re the biggest liar of them all.”

  That broke my heart into two brittle pieces.

  “No one believed me with Brock before. I didn’t think they would now—”

  “I would have.”

  I looked up, and his eyes cut through me. The mixture of rage and sadness tore at my heart.

  “I wanted to help you from the beginning. The moment I saw that look in your eyes at the bar that first night, I had to make you mine. Make you safe. Because that fucking look haunts me.”

  “What do you mean the beginning?”

  His eyes stayed on mine. “I made sure you got the payroll job for the resort.”

  “That’s impossible. I went to a temp agency Harper told me about.” He didn’t say any more, just let my mind run with that bit of information. Which it did. “The night I met you, I texted Harper. You got her number didn’t you? Reached out to her and told her to tell me about the job?”

  “Yes.”

  My entire chest was going to explode. It explained why Harper kept trying to warn me about Jack not being long-term and his possible ulterior motives.

  “And when I asked you about it being a coincidence, you made me feel like a fool.” I shook my head “And you call me the liar?”

  “I put you in my path. The means are irrelevant.”

  “Everything we had was a set up. A manipulation from the beginning.” I’d known about certain things, like the jam and the toothbrush, and I thought it was him being thoughtful. Thought it was romantic even that he wanted me. Just me. But he had an agenda from the start.

  “Maybe it’s better this way,” he said. A face of stone would have shown more care than what I saw on Jack’s face. Gone was the man that smiled, touched me with gentle or rough hands. Gone was every emotion from his face.

  “What’s better? Nothing about this is better. It’s falling apart.” I placed my hands on his chest. “We are falling apart.”

  He covered my hands, then pushed them away.

  “I’m going to London to oversee the new resort.”

  “When?” I breathed, but it was difficult.

  “Monday.”

  I frowned and stepped back. That was a few days away. “You weren’t going to tell me?”

  “I was going to do a lot of things.”

  His words cut every ounce of hope I had. Every sign that we were more, moving forward, was shattering before me, along with the trust we built. Trust we never had. Because I stood there, realizing I was a pawn to him. Just like I was to everyone else, and he was convinced I used him.

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “Long enough for us to end this now.”

  Tears spilled over, and there was nothing I could do. My ribs split in half and the pressure of this moment, of losing Jack and realizing that we were doomed from the start, was too much.

  “I just wanted to be strong on my own,” I whispered. Something he had wanted to help me with. Something he did helped me with. Y
et, I stood there, crushed beneath the weight of what was slipping away. I just wanted Brock gone. I wanted a fresh start with my life. And I wanted that with Jack. Yet, all the emotions we’d shared were frosting over.

  “You promised you’d never hurt me.” I looked him in the eye, and he had the decency to at least show some anguish. “You should have clarified that you meant only physically.” Though, in that moment, my entire body ached.

  “Lana,” he whispered my name, and the faintest touch of his hand brushed mine.

  “Ten,” I said and stepped back. We both knew ten was my limit. He didn’t have to ask for the last part, but I gave it anyway. “Ten: Cold.”

  His brows sliced down, and his hands balled into fists at his sides, as if wanting to punch the wall, or maybe keep from touching me. Either way, I couldn’t stay. Couldn’t handle the look on his face any longer.

  I turned and walked out, his presence as always, engulfing. And it was swallowing me whole. Leaving nothing left of the woman I was, or could have hoped to be.

  Chapter Twenty

  I sat on my couch, which had been my spot over the last couple days, and took a break from crying, only to fall asleep and wake up to find my life was the mess I’d left it in. It was Sunday. Tomorrow, Harper would come back, and Jack would leave.

  “I can come home today,” Harper said. I pressed my cell against my ear.

  “No, you stay. You’ve earned every day of your vacation. I’m fine.”

  “When Jack got ahold of me to offer you the job, I didn’t think of it as a manipulation. I thought I was helping.”

  “I know.” And I did. She was looking out for me, like she always did. Only this time, she’d lied to me too, and suddenly I felt as though I had been betrayed by every last person I’d ever known.

  “He’s right on one thing though,” I whispered, fighting back the tears for the millionth time. “I messed up. I should have told him it was Brock. I never meant to use him. I wouldn’t use him.”

  “You were trying to get rid of an asshole,” Harper said. “You were handling it the best way you knew how. The situation was fucked up. You were being used by your dad and that bitch wife of his. It’s over now. You’re still strong.”