“I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you so much. I would be so grateful, and rest assured I have learned my lesson.”
I don’t doubt that. “I’ll get you something to put on and we’ll get out of here.”
“Thank you.”
I leave her and head back to my office to grab one of my old college sweatshirts.
When I return to her, and she puts it on, the thing looks like a little dress on her. Bree is five feet four a whole foot shorter than me and while she’s built like a Barbie Doll, she’s tiny, especially barefooted.
When I told the officers who raided Liev’s apartment to treat her like him, I never thought they’d let her leave the place with next to nothing on. While it was great to see more skin on her than I’ve ever seen, that was bad too.
I watch her shimmy out of the blanket she wrapped around herself.
“I really don’t want this. It smells my ointment.” She complains giving me the blanket.
I take it from her, thinking she’s right but I push away any explanation I could give her. Anything I say is going to make tonight worse than it already is.
“Let’s go.”
She follows me out to the parking lot, and we jump in my Ferrari. She looks it over in admiration like she did at Quinn and Logan’s wedding but doesn’t comment.
The silence follows us all the way to her little apartment, but I steal glances at her knowing she’s upset for a whole other reason than the scare of being incarcerated.
She’s upset about Liev. I haven’t spoken to him yet, but when I do, he’ll never forget my face and he’ll wish he never got involved with Bree.
I’m still wondering how a sweet woman like her could have been lured to a guy like him.
When I pull up in front of her apartment complex and I realize this is it until God knows when I next see her, the silence works my last nerve and I decide to ask the question.
“What the hell were you doing with a guy like Liev?” I blurt startling her. she was just about to undo her seatbelt.
“What?”
“You heard me?”
“Didn’t you ask me that already?” she wrinkles her nose.
“Not like that.”
“I thought the interrogation was over.”
“It is. I’m just curious.”
Those beautiful eyes stare back at me and just for a moment I see that momentary spark then it’s gone.
I’ve been in love exactly one time only and I thought I’d found the love of my life. But even she didn’t look at me like that.
“I don’t know,” her answer snaps me out of my daze and I find myself looking at her with narrowed eyes.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Oh please Ethan, I’m sure you don’t have an explanation for every woman who lands on your arm.”
“But they’re not there for all of six months, darlin.”
She looks irritated at my answer and my use of her accent.
“My cousin is marrying the Prince of Monaco.”
“No shit. Which cousin is this?”
“Lucille, the model and actress.”
“You have such a cousin?” I incline my head.
Her nostrils flair. “You met her, and asked if the beauty and talent gene pool skipped me.”
I have no memory of that but that does sound like something I’d say to piss her off.
“I’m sure that was a long time ago.”
“Whatever, can I go now?”
“Yes, Muffin, you can go.” I couldn’t resist. In for a pound, in for a penny and watching her lips curl into that sexy pout that’s supposed to be angry is worth it.
She huffs, schools herself and just cuts me a sharp glance as she steps out of the car.
I watch her rush away like she can’t get away from me fast enough. I also can’t resist staring at her fully rounded ass barely covered by my sweatshirt. At least something of mine got to touch it.
She must feel the weight of my stare because she glances over her shoulder and the lamppost just about gives me a glimpse of the scowl on her pretty face.
I know she can see me checking her out. She’s caught me before, but she never asks me about it because it’s confusing as fuck. I confuse myself too because I never usually check out an ass I don’t stake my claim to, yet I’ve been watching hers for years.
She looks away, pissed off and probably more pissed because now the pretty little southern belle has to be nice to me. She can no longer cast her fake as fuck ‘bless you heart’ comments to me and secretly wish a truck would fall on me and kill my ass.
We’re in that weird sphere of existence we were tossed in two years ago when Quinn came back to town after a ten year absence. Logan and Quinn were childhood sweethearts. When they got back together it dragged Bree and I back into that sphere where we implied an agreement to coexist because of our friends.
We did it in high school, but we were kids back then and I was in a weird place. After college I came back different. She doesn’t know that side of me. And we’re adults now.
I watch her open the main door to the complex and then she’s gone.
As the silence returns it feels like the night never happened and it doesn’t escape me, that this whole crazy night was the best idea I could come up with to spend time with Bree Dawson.
Chapter 5
Bree
I wipe away the tears that fall while Quinn hands me more tissue.
We work together when I’m not at my half dead salon. She runs her very own dance school on the grounds of her home where she teaches ballet, and I play the piano for the class.
Today I could barely hold it together.
The class just ended and as the last student walked out of the studio, I allowed the tears to fall.
Quinn already knew I was in a mood from the moment I walked in.
I managed to get through the night and the first part of the day without telling her anything until five minutes ago. I did speak to Logan earlier before I got here. it was sweet of him to check up on me. We didn’t talk specifics. We didn’t need to. He already knows what type of trouble I’m in. I assume he was possibly part of the unravelling because he works with Ethan.
Now I’m sitting in his living room talking to Quinn and I hate myself because we should be talking about the baby. She had a checkup today and I want to hear all about it.
I just need to stop crying first.
“Oh sweetie,” she says covering my hand with hers. “I’m so sorry.”
“I just wish I wasn’t so stupid.” I splutter, dabbing my eyes. “You should have seen the way Ethan looked at me. Like I was a complete idiot.”
“You know what Ethan is like in the best of times,” she sympathizes.
“He was right though.” I never thought I’d live to hear myself say that. “Quinn when you met Liev, I saw your face.”
Quinn took one look at him and I knew she was wary, but he managed to charm her into liking him.
Her shoulders slump and she sighs.
“Yes, but it was because he seemed so…” she thinks for a moment then frowns. “God, I’m sorry Bree. There was something off about him. I’d be lying if I wasn’t straight with you.”
I blow out a ragged breath. “You could tell, why couldn’t I?”
“Because he came at a time when things were happening, and you had a meltdown.” She tosses her long dark hair to the side and her soft blue eyes take me in with warm adoration.
If anyone else said that to me I’d deny it. I’m so used to defending myself. I don’t have to do that with Quinn because she’s never judged me.
She’s not doing it now either, which I’m grateful for.
“Lucille had just gotten engaged,” I fill in. I won’t tell her that her and Logan’s marriage and baby news also woke me up to reality.
I think she knows. I don’t have to say anything.
Anybody in my shoes would know I had that meltdown because suddenly all my
friends were moving on with their lives and I was still stuck in a rut.
“Bree, you shouldn’t compare yourself to your cousin,” Quinn says.
“I don’t want to. I think I might not be inclined to either if my whole family with the exception of Aunt Shelby didn’t. It’s soul sucking. Not one of them can see me and appreciate me for who I am. It’s hard.”
More tears track down my cheeks. These ones are from the inadequacy I feel for being me.
Lucille is three years younger than me. She’s blonde, skinny as a rake with big boobs, and the epitome of beautiful. She has a degree in business but started her career doing pageants when she was sixteen. She then landed a modelling contract in L.A. eight years ago. That’s when life took off for her. Since then, she’s been the face of Dior, Chanel, Gucci, you name it they want her. And she’s had two small parts in Hollywood films.
Lucille is the highlight of the Dawson family, and she should be.
She’s achieved so much, and everyone is understandably proud. I am too even though I can’t stand the bitch. But what I hate is the comparison. Because we’re similar in age I’m constantly being compared to her. It’s always been that way.
This marriage thing threw me for a loop. I didn’t even think about her marrying a prince.
She has money, her career and love. All I’ve wanted since forever was one of those things—the career, and I don’t have that.
I was going to break up with Liev in a months’ time, but I was also thinking of closing down my salon and rethinking things.
I mentioned that part to Aunt Shelby only because we were talking about working together one day. Like me she’s a qualified beauty therapist and hair stylist. But she did further studies and has her own brand of homeopathic treatments.
Of all my relatives, as crazy as she is, I’m closest to her.
She moved to Wilmington earlier last year when she left husband number four.
“I have to get back on track. Right now, I want to think about my business,” I say.
“What are you going to do?”
“Think about the thing I can control the most. Kind of. I think I need to close the salon, Quinn. It’s not working.”
Quinn looks back at me with sad eyes. She inherited a lot of money from her late aunt, Lilly, who was like a mother to both of us. When she got it, she gave me some to help me. I used it to upgrade my salon but the problem in this town is there are too many of the same business.
We’re all in competition with each other and when you’re not part of the in crowd you’ve had it.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to look like I wasted the money you gave me.”
“I would never think that.”
“Thank you. I have some left. Enough for a deposit of sorts.”
“Sounds like you have some kind of plan already.”
“It was just a thought based on my original dream. I wanted to leave town. I don’t know if I should still do that. Lord knows it feels like if I stay I’ll just be stuck being the same old loser.”
“You are not a loser, Bree Dawson. You are a strong woman. A strong intelligent woman. Please summon the Bree I know. You need her.”
I nod with gratitude. “I really needed to hear that.”
“It’s true. So, tell me this idea.”
“A day spa. I wanted to set up a day spa. Down these parts the closest you’d get to anything like that is the resorts on the beach or you’d have to go to the city.” I find myself smiling when her face brightens. “I thought the serenity of the scenery here would be great. I wouldn’t be in competition with anyone if I did that. Even if another person or two were to come up with the same idea, it’s not the same as competing against twenty hair salons on one road.”
Okay it’s more like ten salons and the rest are scattered. The point is there’s a lot.
“That’s an amazing idea. I didn’t know that was the dream before.”
“It was. I just didn’t have the finances to do it.” And my mother stopped me in my tracks because she told me I wasn’t capable. “I won’t go into that though. Because you helped me so much I was able to put some money aside for a rainy day. Since it’s raining now, I think I should use it before things get more out of control.” I have fifty thousand dollars I’m glad is still safe in my savings account. I think if I’d told Liev about that I wouldn’t have it anymore. “I don’t have much for what I have in mind, but it’s a start and if I do this, I’d want to buy a place.”
“Oh my gosh.” Her smile radiates enthusiasm. “You have to do this.”
“I’m going to try. I spoke to Shelby about it and she’s still excited to join me. I think that’s what’s pushing me.”
“I think you would do so well. A day spa is exactly what’s missing from this area.”
“I thought so too. It’s taken me a while to accept I’m not going anywhere with the business I have.” Accept and suck up the consequences. “The first thing my mother is going to say is if I’d gone to college I’d have better options like an office job.”
“You can’t worry about your mother now. You have find strength to focus. This whole Liev thing is a big deal. Try to move past that so your mind is clear for your business venture.”
“I don’t know where the strength will come from, but you’re right. I have to find it.”
“Did you love him?” she looks curious.
“No.” It’s bad I can answer that question so effortlessly.
“Well, that’s good.”
“I guess. I just feel like a fool and damn it the one thing I did need him for has been blown to smithereens. The engagement party is on Saturday. We’ll all get to meet Prince De Longsell.”
“Sounds like fun. Do you need me to go with you?”
“No, I couldn’t do that to you. I want you to rest.”
“Bree, I’m pregnant not sick.” She laughs. “And I’m only a few weeks in. I can do stuff.”
“Okay.”
“So, I’ll go with you. and I would love to help you set up business too. The way you helped me set up mine.”
I smile the first real smile of the day. “Would you, really?”
“Of course. Does this mean I’ll have to find myself a new pianist?”
I shake my head. “No. That’s special to me. I’m only here a few evenings anyway.”
“All right. Looks like we have a plan.”
“Looks that way. Now I just need to find the right building.” And pray this whole thing with Liev blows over.
I don’t really want any more contact than I do with Ethan for more reasons than one.
He confuses me way too much. One moment he’s the asshole from high school, and the next he’s checking out my ass.
I know that’s what he was doing last night. It’s not the first time I’ve caught him looking but then he always does something to throw me off his scent.
Confusion is the last thing I need now so the best thing to do is avoid him at all costs even when we have events where we have to be around each other.
He was borderline nice to me last night but that doesn’t change anything.
The only thing coming up is Quinn and Logan’s anniversary barbeque. After that I won’t have to see him again for a very long time. That’s assuming Liev hasn’t truly screwed me and I end up in prison.
Chapter 6
Ethan
“I think this business venture will be great for you,” Mom says with a firm nod as we turn on to the country road.
I glance at her, meeting her blue eyes that mirror mine, and offer a smile. I know she’d celebrate if I called her up and told her I wasn’t a cop anymore because she worries about me so much.
“I think so too.”
Today is the big day when we meet with my grandfather, and he transfers the business to me. He wanted my mother to be there too. When it comes to business, Grandpa McKenzie is
all about being professional, so we have to be there at nine a.m. sharp at house and he wanted me to wear a suit. I am, but it feels weird because whenever we meet, we’re usually dressed up to go sailing.
I have the whole morning booked off for it and for spending time with my mother after. She wants to have our monthly lunch in Charlotte, so I’m humoring her.
“I’m nervous. I really am. I felt awkward taking over property development business when your dad died, but this is different.”
“I know. I never expected this. I guess we didn’t expect what we got from Dad either.”
“No.”
She got the business which brings in a steady six figures a year and I got a few properties. Most of which I’ve sold off or fixed up to sublet. That too makes me a decent six figure sum I invest in stocks and shares.
Mom didn’t want anything to do with my father’s assets after he died. I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t want anything either, but then I realized we were being foolish.
My grandfather all but forced us to take what his son left behind and I’m certain that was out of guilt. Not on his part. My grandfather was nothing like Dad and sometimes I used to wonder how it was they were related.
Dad used to beat me and Mom every chance he got. I could take the beating once I got older, but it was years before I could stop him from hurting my mother.
That’s when the cheating really took off. Mom loved him. That’s why she stayed and never thought to leave. She kept hoping he’d change. I don’t know what kind of good she must have seen in him but he never changed. It was those same bed habits that killed him.
He had a heart attack while he was in bed with Mom’s best friend’s daughter who was two years younger than me. She came home and heard the girl screaming. When she went up to her bedroom, there they were. The girl naked and my father dead on the bed with his dick in his hands.
“What will you do?” she looks at me again.
“I just want a break. It’s about time I took that trip to Cape Cod and scatter Amelia’s ashes.” I don’t look at her as I say that, but she doesn’t stop looking at me.
Out of Bounds: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Sinful Bachelors Book 2) Page 3
