The Entitled

by Cassandra Robbins

  It’s late now. Tess is on her side, curled up against me, both of us laughing at Curb Your Enthusiasm. My fingers stroke her back, and I close my eyes and just be. I hear the TV and Tess’s laughter. I hear Manhattan with her horns and ambulances. But all I truly hear is my heart and how much I need her. My soul mate, my lifeline. As I tighten my arms around her slim body, breathing in her scent, my mind plays over and over what I want to do. Tess will say we are too young. I’m sure everyone will think that, but it doesn’t matter. I need her. It’s gone beyond obsession—it’s become my mission. I want Tess to have my name and legally be bound to me forever. Absently, I hear her switch off the TV. Her contented sigh brings me out of my zone. “Tired?” I whisper, kissing her head.

  “So tired, you wore me out.” She snuggles her face into my neck. She loves to fall asleep with her nose next to my neck.

  “Go to sleep, Kitten. I’m meeting my grandfather for lunch, and then I’ll be home. Are you going to your study group tomorrow?”

  She sighs. “Mm-hmm, Mr. Gifted. I will be going since I still have a year left. Also, I need to get ahead seeing how we are visiting Brance this weekend.”

  “You don’t have to finish. If you need a break, take it. We can do anything you want us to do.”

  “Hmm.” She rubs her cheek on my chest. “I need to graduate. I know I’ve been teasing you about graduating a year early, but I’m proud of you.” Her voice is sleepy and sexy. She lifts her head, placing a hand under her chin on my chest. “You know that, right? You are brilliant. And I am so in love with you it scares me.”

  “I want you to be happy. I know you’re excited about staying in Italy this summer. If that’s something you want to do longer than the summer, we can. We can do anything we want.” I tell our dark bedroom this while I imagine her face as she tries to decide.

  “Just something to consider.” My hand strokes her silky soft skin.

  She’s silent. “I’ll let you know.” Her even, soft breathing lulls me to sleep.

  REED

  I’ve been summoned by my grandfather. He’s asked me to come to his estate for lunch. Since I’m done with school, and Tess is busy most of the day, I accepted. He’s going to corner me about taking over some part of our vast businesses. Yet I can’t commit until Tess figures out what she wants. Of course, he is not going to want to hear that, but it’s the truth. Might as well get it out there.

  Pulling up to the massive gates, I punch in the code and use my thumbprint. Silently, they open. I speed up the long stretch of brick driveway to his mansion, turn off the engine, and sit a moment. Tess was the last one to drive the Ferrari, and her scent has been with me the whole trip.

  Christ, I’ve got it bad. Reluctantly, I step out. One of the immense wooden doors opens.

  There’s a moment of unease. In all my years of coming to visit my grandfather, he has never greeted me. One of his numerous staff always shows me in.

  “Hey, old man,” I say, taking the brick steps two at a time and giving him a big hug. At eighty-two, my grandfather Ian is tall and surprisingly fit.

  His wise green eyes take in my appearance. Obviously approving, he clasps my shoulder as we enter the mansion. He had it completely redone a couple years ago, still keeping the dark ornate carved woods but adding a lot of much-needed upgrades.

  I glance at him as we walk, so proud, commanding, intimidating. He has always been a hero to Jax and me. Even with his gray hair, he still gets women my age, and I chuckle at the thought.

  “Reed, I’m glad you came. We need to talk.”

  Wrapping my arm around his broad shoulders, I say, “Well, that’s what I’m here for. I’ve got all day. Tess has a study group lasting until late this afternoon.”

  He nods. “Good because she is one of the things we need to talk about.”

  That stops me. “What does that mean?” My blue eyes narrow on his green ones.

  “Nothing bad, Reed.” He chuckles, making his eyes crinkle and his whole face relax. “So protective.” He pats my shoulder with a tight grip. “Such a Saddington.” Unmistakable pride oozes from him.

  Sighing, I say, “Still working on that.”

  I relax, running a hand through my hair. “You know how I am with her. Actually, I have something I want to discuss with you too.” I take a deep breath. Even after three years of living together, any little remark or some guy looks at her and my temper goes off. “Sorry, Grandfather. Believe it or not, I am working on my… whatever I have concerning Tess.”

  “I do, Reed. I see an incredible change in you. I have never seen you happier.” His eyes sparkle with delight.

  He opens the French doors leading out to the west side patio. It’s cooler out here, peaceful. Birds are chirping, and I let my mind unwind having left behind the horns and cursing of Manhattan. We sit down and are instantly served some sort of kale and cranberry salad, with bread that still has steam rising out of it.

  Arching an eyebrow, I look at him. “What’s up, Grandfather? You hate salad. Where’s the steak?”

  “Can’t an old man try to fit in? I know you and Tess eat this rabbit food. And we’re having steak next.”

  Laughing, I hold up my hands. “I’m not complaining. This looks amazing.” Since I’m starving, I dive right in. It’s fresh and crisp. He’s right—this is one of our favorites.

  “So, you going to tell me why you’re not at work?”

  He grimaces slightly. If I didn’t know him so well, I wouldn’t have seen it. He’s hiding something.

  Ignoring my question, he says, “First, I need to tell you how proud I am of you. Graduating a year early. Being with Tess…”

  I take a sip of the sweetened ice tea and look at him for a moment.

  “What’s wrong?” I demand.

  He starts to laugh. “Nothing. I’m genuinely happy for you.” He looks down at his wedding ring, which he still wears. “And… it’s time I step down. Hand everything to your father, your brother, and you.”

  Putting down my fork, I lean back in my chair. “Why?”

  “Because I have been running an empire my entire life. I’m tired and I’d like to enjoy myself. Which is why I pushed so hard for you to go to Columbia. I wanted you to get your degree. I know you don’t need it. But you did it, and in record time.” His eyes gleam with what looks suspiciously like tears.

  I frown. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I’m fine, Reed, but it’s time.” He motions to someone in the corner.

  “Whiskey please, Rebecca. Reed, I assume you’re fine with iced tea since you are driving?”

  I cross my arms. “That, and it’s barely noon.”

  “See, once I retire, I can drink any time of the day.” He grins at me.

  I shake my head. “Whatever makes you happy, Grandfather.”

  “You and Jax make me happy.” He clears his throat. “Do you want to take over the London office? You and Tess can live overseas for a while.”

  I reach for the bread, considering if I should tell him. Fuck it—he’s being somewhat honest with me. Might as well tell him the truth. “I’m thinking about asking Tess to marry me.”

  He exhales, staying quiet as he takes a sip of water. Putting it down, he looks me straight in the eye. “Nothing would make me happier.”

  I’m stunned. I was all ready to defend myself, convinced he was going to say we were too young.

  “You have no idea how happy that makes me.” I almost reach over and hug him, but I stay seated. “To be honest, I was hoping I could get into the safe. Use one of our grandmothers’ rings?”

  “You can have whatever you want. Marry her, settle down, have children.” Again I see tears in his eyes.

  “One step at a time.” I laugh. “First, I have to get Tess to agree. She has this idea that we should wait. Worried that people will judge us for being too young.”

  “That’s absurd.” He thanks Rebecca as she sets down his highball filled with whiskey.

  Taking a sip, he p
onders for a moment. “We’re too rich for her to worry about that.”

  “She seems to care.” I shrug. “We are going to Los Angeles this weekend. I was thinking about maybe proposing there if the time is right.”

  He smiles as they bring out our rare Kobe beef fillet with asparagus.

  “You weren’t kidding, steak for lunch.” Taking a bite, I moan. It’s that good.

  “You don’t even need a steak knife to cut this.”

  Realizing I’m the only one eating, I look at him curiously. He seems satisfied with watching me and enjoying his drink.

  “You sure you’re okay? I’m not going to lie. You saying you want to retire when you are a workaholic…” I’m pressing the issue because he is behaving differently.

  “I’m fine,” he says, his voice gruff. I decide to drop it, knowing if he hasn’t said anything yet, he’s not going to.

  “Anyway, I have complete confidence in your father and you to take over. What I want to talk about is Tess.”

  “Okay…” Hesitating to say anything, I wait to see where he is going with this.

  He swirls his glass. “You are young. You need to trust me when I say there is nothing worse than losing your soul mate.”

  Uncomfortable with his grief, I look away from his tortured eyes. He rarely mentions my grandmother; the few times have always been painful. She died in a car accident before Jax and I were born. He’s never fully recovered from the loss.

  He looks up at the blue skies. “Let’s go back to your future with Tess. I think she would love living overseas. You both can travel, and you can take care of our European market.”

  I start to eat my lunch again. “That’s the thing, Grandfather. I have to wait and see what she wants. As of yesterday, she was adamant about finishing her last year at Columbia.”

  “Hmm, well, whatever you think is best. You can easily help your father here and we can leave our overseas people alone. We have a good team in place.”

  “Don’t worry. You will be the first to know. I mean, we are spending the whole summer abroad. That could change her mind.”

  “What about Jax?”

  Arching an eyebrow at him, I say, “What about Jax?”

  “Well, do you think he wants in on the family business?”

  I snort. “Grandfather, Jax seems pretty determined to do what he is doing. He’s happy at Harvard.” Pushing back my plate, I turn my face to the sun, closing my eyes and letting my food digest.

  “I love it like this: warm yet still able to sit outside without the bugs eating you.”

  “Yes, it’s very beautiful… Reed?”

  I open my eyes and look at him. “Listen to an old man. Men like us, we love only once.”

  I swallow, getting that ominous feeling again. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I love her. She will be my wife. There is nothing she could do that would make me not love her, nothing!”

  Silently he nods raising his glass to drink. “Good, because life throws things at you unexpectedly. You need to think before you let the famous Saddington temper get in the way. Take it from an old man who wishes he could have a redo.”

  “She’s my life. It shouldn’t be hard. I never lose my temper with Tess.”

  He laughs, his eyes far away. “You’d be surprised,” he says, swallowing a huge sip of his whiskey. “I fight for my family, Reed, always have. We’re hotheaded. Just remember to love her. All the other stuff falls into place.”

  I don’t know what to say, so I stand up. “How about you show me the family jewels. I know whose ring I want to give her.”

  That seems to have lightened his mood. He stands, smiling as he walks us into the house, hand on my shoulder again, and we make our way to the vault.

  TESS

  I’m running around like an idiot, grabbing way too many clothes for our four-day stay in Los Angeles. We both overslept, and I didn’t pack last night after I spent extra time studying.

  Reed decided that I can miss a couple of days, and at the time that he mentioned it, I happily agreed. What was I thinking? Finals are coming up. I’m not a genius like him. I have to put the work in to get the grades I want. So I was up late finishing a paper and now I’m dead tired.

  “Jesus, Tess, we’re going for four days. What the hell are you packing?”

  Lifting my hand, I say, “Don’t start, Reed Saddington. I’m a nervous wreck. Brance is going to be all over me because I look pale and skinny. So, I need a lot of options.” I say it like he should know all this.

  “In other words, you are making yourself sick, so that you don’t upset Brance because you’re not tan and fat?”

  “Yes! I mean, not entirely. We’re going to LA. They have the most beautiful people in the world there. I want to… you know, look good.”

  He laughs at me. “God, I love you.” Pulling me in tight, he kisses my neck.

  “Even at your worst, you look better than everyone at their best. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

  “Reed, let me go. I still need to pack my cosmetic bag.” He does but follows me into the bathroom.

  Crossing his arms, he says, “Kitten, all kidding aside, we need to get a move on. I have the pilot and staff waiting for us.”

  Huffing, I turn to him. “I know, so let me do this.”

  “Tess! We are going to LA, not a third-world country.” Closing my bag, he takes my hand. “Anything you need we can buy in Los Angeles. Let’s go. You know Brance is going to make you go shopping anyway.”

  Taking a breath, I stop my preparations. “You’re right. I’m excited, that’s all. It’s been so long since we’ve seen him. And now he has a boyfriend. I hope it’s not going to be… different.”

  “Well, he sounds serious about this one. I know you aren’t used to sharing him, but I think you might have to adjust.”

  Grabbing my new Marni bag, I push my straightened hair out of my face.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I couldn’t be more excited about meeting Logan.”

  And I mean it. I have never heard Brance this into someone ever. Reed is right though. I can’t help but feel a slight prick of jealousy. After all, Brance has been mine for years now.

  He smiles. “Keep telling yourself that, Kitten. Now let’s go.” I scowl at him while he smirks. Clapping his hands, he guides me to the door.

  He motions for the guy waiting for us to grab our bags while we make our way into the elevator.

  Squeezing his hand tightly, I whisper, “Do you think we should have flown commercial? After all, Brance says Logan comes from a very middle-class family. I don’t want him to think we’re rich.”

  “You’re kidding me, right? We never fly commercial. And I don’t give a shit what Brance’s boyfriend thinks about us. We are what we are. You can’t get any more ridiculous than Brance. He’s a complete prima donna.”

  Leaning into him, I breathe in his scent. “You’re right. We’ll look like regular Joes compared to him.”

  The elevator opens, and Reed grabs my hand, signaling for the driver to stay put. He reaches for the car door handle and I slip into the back seat.

  We make great time. By the time we pull into the private hangar, I have relaxed enough to stop torturing Reed’s hand.

  “Why don’t you go settle in. I need to have a word with the pilot.”

  “Okay.” I climb the steps and look around. This is one of the newer Learjets. I don’t think I’ve ever been in it. It’s pretty much all white besides the dark tables and chairs. I’m so excited to see Brance and LA, I’m hoping this will entice Reed to want to move to the West Coast.

  Settling into the comfortable chair, I cross my legs and wait for him. I hear the doors close.

  Reed pulls me onto his lap. Sighing, I cuddle up in his arms.

  A flight attendant stops by to ask us if we need anything. Reed orders some Cristal and strawberries while his strong hand caresses my hair. She smiles at him then leans forward, giving both of us a clear view of her large breasts.
>
  “Will that be all you want?” she purrs at him. I stiffen and lift my head, glaring at her. Yes, my boyfriend is hot and rich, but come the fuck on! In front of me? Seriously?

  “No, we’re fine,” I snap. She nods and goes in the back.

  “Unbelievable! That was entirely unprofessional.” My eyes narrow on his turquoise ones, his dark hair curling around his ears.

  He winks. “I think she likes you, Kitten.”

  “What? Stop it. She was eye fucking you completely.” Hearing the engine roar to life,

  I don’t bother moving to another chair. Reed reaches down and pulls the seat belt over both of us. As the jet races down the runway and takes to the skies, I sigh into his neck.

  When we reach altitude, the flight attendant returns with our champagne and fresh strawberries. Again, I give her the death stare. She is average height with long blond hair. Pretty but nothing special. I relax back into Reed’s arms. She ignores me, opens the bottle, then smiles at him again.

  Gritting my teeth, I watch as he grins back. “Thanks, Julie. We’ll call if we need anything.”

  “Perfect.” As she walks toward the kitchen area, her ass sways so much it’s almost comical.

  I jump off his lap. “You know her name? Did you fuck her?” I hate when I get like this. Sometimes I have no filter.

  “No, Tess. I don’t fuck around on you.” He sounds pissed.

  “I meant years ago.” I wave my arms around.

  He’s silent for a moment and examines my face. “You look tired. Why don’t you go into the bedroom and take a nap? I’ll join you shortly.”

  I stand there stunned. Did he order me to bed like a spoiled child?

  I march into the bedroom to use the bathroom only. Sitting at the edge of the bed, I kick off my heels, cross my legs, and wait.

  Then I sigh dejectedly. What the hell am I doing? This is not a good start to our vacation. So, the skank wants Reed. It’s not like this is unusual.

  “God.” I flop back into the puffy, comfortable pillow. My head pounds, and I shut my stinging eyes and wait for Reed. I’ll apologize. It’s not his fault he’s perfect. I must be getting my period any day now. It’s hormones—that’s why I’ve been all over the place. As soon as I start, I’ll be back to normal.