“Hey,” I say, leaning against the door.
“Hey,” he says, glancing over his shoulder at me.
“Hard day?” I ask, walking further into the room.
He nods. “My father came to see me today.” He tips up the glass and finishes it off before pouring another.
“And?” I ask, sitting down on the leather couch.
He turns and looks over at me. “He said if I want to keep my job, I have to fire you.”
“Oh,” I mumble. I hate myself for causing all this mess. “I was planning on quitting anyway,” I say with a shrug.
“I’m not doing it, Maddie.”
I look up and see him shaking his head.
“What?”
“I’m not doing it. I won’t fire you. This whole thing is crazy. I’m a grown man. He can’t tell me who I can and can’t date.”
“Bennet,” I whisper, shaking my head. I stand and close the distance between us. “I won’t let you do this. I quit. That’s it. You don’t have to fire me. Now, you can be rid of me at the office like your dad wants, and you can keep your job. That’s what he’s holding over your head, right? Your job?”
He nods. “I don’t want that job anyway. I want you.”
I back away, shaking my head, unable to stop. “No, Bennet. I won’t let you do this. I won’t let you give up your career. All of this started because of me. I’m going to end it.” I turn to run from the room, but he grabs me and pulls me back, his lips finding mine.
I don’t break our kiss. I can’t. I want him too much. I need him too much.
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself closer, deepening the kiss. Somewhere inside of me knows that this is our last night, even though I refuse to think about it at this moment. I don’t want him to treat me as if this is the last time, but for me, it is. I’ve already ruined my life. I won’t ruin his too.
I hear him set his glass onto the bar cart, and then his hands are on my ass, lifting me against him. My legs wrap around his waist as he carries me across the room and sets me onto the desktop. Our hands are traveling at the speed of light, ripping and pulling one another’s clothes away. When we’re both completely bare, he slides into me, claiming me as his forever.
Even though I never want to part from him, I know I have to. For his sake. I won’t let him lose everything because of me.
He pumps into me over and over, making me call out his name and shudder with my release. I feel his cock throbbing inside of me, and he lets out a low growl just as his hips buck uncontrollably.
When his release ends, he doesn’t pull out or leave me. Instead, he kisses me softly and carries me to bed. The room is dark, and I’m wrapped up in him. His fingertips are gently moving up and down my back, and I find myself reveling in his every touch, every breath, every word. Just as I’m drifting off to sleep, I hear him whisper.
“I love you, Maddie.”
It causes the corners of my mouth to turn up slightly. But then I remember that I have to leave him, and my heart begins to break.
16
Bennet
I watch her sleep for as long as I can. I tell her how much she means to me, how much I adore her, how much I love her. I’ve never in my life said those words to another person, but when it comes to her, I know that they’re true. She makes me feel freer than I’ve ever felt. I don’t need my job, money, or this mansion. All I need is her. If she’s by my side, I know we’ll get through anything.
While she sleeps, I run my fingers up and down the soft skin of her arm. I brush her hair from her beautiful face. She’s captivating. The way her eyelashes fan out across her cheeks, the way her lips pooch out in a pout, the soft whimpers and deep breaths that escape while she sleeps, it’s all so breathtaking. I don’t want to sleep. I want to spend the rest of the night lying here, holding her, touching her, making her promises that she’s not even aware of.
When I can no longer hold my eyes open, I drift off into a deep sleep. But even then, all I see behind my lids is her.
I wake in the morning and roll over, wanting to hold her, touch her, kiss her, but she’s gone. Suddenly, I’m fully awake. The bathroom door is closed, so I wait several long minutes for her to come out. When I hear no signs of the water running, I get up and open the door to find the room empty. I quickly pull on a pair of boxers and go into the room across the hall, thinking maybe she’s already up and getting dressed. But that room is empty too. Finally, I rush down the stairs, check the living room, dining room, and kitchen. She’s not in any of them.
As a last resort, I go into my office and sit at my desk, pulling up the security footage. At three in the morning, she appears on the camera. She’s walking down the dark driveway with her purse and her gym bag. Instantly, I know she’s left me.
I pick up my phone and dial her number. It rings several times until it goes to voicemail.
“Damnit, Maddie,” I curse, dialing her number again.
Seven more times I try calling, but all the calls are rejected. Finally, I slam the phone down and head back to my room to dress. It takes me only a few minutes to throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Within fifteen minutes of waking, I’m driving away from the house.
I’m stuck in morning traffic when my phone rings. I grab it and answer it without thinking, hoping it’s Maddie, but my dad’s voice rings out over the phone.
“Where are you?” he demands an answer.
“I won’t be in today,” I tell him, checking my watch to see that it’s only five after nine. I want to laugh. I can’t even be five minutes late without him calling and hassling me, but any amusement I may have gotten from this was taken away when she walked out on me this morning.
“What do you mean you won’t be in today? We have a very important meeting.”
“What meeting?” I ask, confused. I don’t remember any meeting being on the schedule.
“The meeting we’re having about approbate workplace behavior.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you serious, Dad? I think everyone in the building knows what’s going on. You think we need a meeting to catch everyone up?” My grip on the steering wheel tightens, causing my knuckles to turn white. Why the fuck can’t he leave it alone? Is he so controlling that he can’t let me live my life without his input? Of course he is.
“This is exactly what I’ve been warning you about, Bennet. Did you fire that woman?”
“No, she quit. But I have news for you; if she isn’t welcome in your precious company, I’m not either.”
“Bennet!” he yells.
“No, Dad. This isn’t just about your company. This is about my life. I’ve finally found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. And you’re not taking that away. I’ve let you take away every piece of what makes me me, but I won’t let you take her. It’s the both of us or neither of us.” I hang up the phone without another word.
Traffic moves a few feet, and I hit the gas, too excited to wait any longer. My mind fills with images of last night: the way she held me close to her body, the sounds she made, the way she promised she’d love me for the rest of her life. She planned this. She knew it was our last night together. She knew what she was doing.
I know Maddie, and I know she was leaving in order to protect me. She thought I’d be better off alone, keeping my place at the company. But I don’t want anything to do with that company. I want the dream I created with her by my side. The one where we lived in the suburbs with our children, working normal jobs, and getting to spend every single day together. That’s what I want. And there’s no way I’m going to let her walk away.
Finally, traffic starts moving, and I speed by as many cars as I can until I get off the highway and into her part of town. When I pull up to Damon’s house, I wonder how I even got here safely. I don’t remember a moment of driving since I got off the highway. All I saw was her. I pull up the parking brake and shut off the engine in one swift movement. I run from the car and to the front door, knocking over and over, but no
body answers.
I bend down and peek into the window. There’s a small sliver that’s not covered by the curtains, and I scan as much of the room as I can. The tv screen is black, and no lights are on. I look at my watch and realize that Damon and Jazz are probably at work. But where’s Maddie?
A deep breath leaves my lungs in a rush as I crumble to the ground. I sit on the step, elbows resting on my knees and my head hanging. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go to look for her. She has that check; she could be anywhere.
After minutes of sitting and feeling sorry for myself, I force myself to stand and walk back to my car. My immediate response is to drink, to drink and drink until I can no longer hold the glass, but I keep telling myself not to do that. I need to stay sober, just in case I do find her. I need to have a clear head to explain things to her, to make her see that I need her, not some stupid job that makes me feel like dying every day.
Instead of going home, I go to the gym. I don’t pay attention to anyone or anything. I just go to the locker room where I know I have a spare set of clothes in my locker. After changing, I walk into the boxing ring with Phillip.
“Don’t hold back today,” I tell him, popping my neck and stretching my arms.
“You sure?” he asks as his brows raise, a little unsure.
I nod. “I need to feel some pain.”
“Rough day?”
I laugh. “You could say that. Come on,” I say, throwing a punch that he blocks.
I throw another hit, but he bobs and weaves until he’s advancing on me. He swings, and even though I see it coming, I don’t move. I stand still and take it. His fist lands on my jaw hard. It makes my ears ring, and my vision gets slightly blurry, but I shake it off and step toward him, swinging again. I land a hit to his chin just as he leans back to escape my punch. It didn’t have much power, but I try again and again. I land several hits, and so does he. By the time we pull away, I have blood oozing out of my busted lip, and I can feel my jaw swelling.
“That’s enough, man,” Phillip says, leaning against the ropes to calm down.
“Thanks for kicking my ass,” I say, stepping out of the ring.
He doesn’t say anything as I walk to the locker room, but I feel his eyes on me the whole way. I strip out of my clothes and step into the shower to rinse off the sweat and blood. I hear the metal door open and slam closed.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” he asks loud enough for me to hear him over the water.
“She left,” I reply.
“She wanted more, and you didn’t?” he asks.
“No, we both wanted more, and we agreed to take it to the next level, to commit. But then my dad and the rest of the company found out. People were giving her shit, saying she only got the job because she was sleeping with me. My dad freaked out and is worried about the company image. He wanted me to fire her. So I basically quit, but she left so I could keep my stupid fucking job that I don’t want anyway.” I shut off the water and wrap a towel around my waist before stepping out to find him sitting on a bench.
“If you don’t want the job, what’s the problem?” he asks, raising his hands out to the side, palms facing upward.
“She won’t answer her phone, and I don’t know where she is.” I shrug, letting my arms fall to my sides.
“So, find her, explain, and live happily ever after. What’s so hard about that?”
I walk over to my locker and start pulling on my clothes. “I don’t know, man. It’s not that simple. I thought she’d stick by my side, you know? I don’t want a woman that runs away as soon as something gets tough. She obviously didn’t want to talk about it anyway. She got up and left while I was asleep last night.” I pull on my shirt and slam my locker closed. “I’ll catch ya later,” I mumble, leaving the locker room. I’m tired, sore, and not in the mood to talk to anyone but Maddie. I hope Phillip doesn’t take it personally. I’ve never been this way toward him. Right now, I feel Mr. Windsor coming on—the guy that’s cold and harsh and doesn’t want to hear shit from anybody.
I walk through the gym and am opening the door when someone bumps into me. I look down, and my eyes lock on icy blue.
“Maddie?” I whisper, surprised to be bumping into her. My heart starts to pound, and my lungs suddenly feel like they can’t get enough oxygen.
Her eyes are wide with fear and her lips part. She shakes her head and turns to leave without a word.
“Hey!” I yell, but she keeps going.
“Madeline,” I call after her again, but she still doesn’t stop. I quickly jog up behind her and grab ahold of her wrist, spinning her around. When I look at her face, she has tears filling her eyes, and that causes me to freeze.
She looks at me, and I look at her, unable to move.
“Come with me,” I plead in a whisper.
She shakes her head slightly. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Let’s talk. Explain this to me.”
“Explain what, Bennet? That I slept with my boss and the whole company found out? I can’t work there anymore. I refuse to go to that place every day and deal with the backlash of my mistake. But you, your name is on the building. You have to go.” She jerks her hand away and starts back.
I follow after her. “I don’t have to go, Maddie. I can do whatever I want. I want you, not that job.”
She doesn’t stop walking, and neither do I. “Maddie, you can’t ignore me forever. I won’t give up.”
Finally, she stops and turns to face me. “Just let it go, Bennet. I won’t be the reason your family disowns you. It won’t work for us anyway. I’m going to find a new apartment, find a new job, and put all of this behind me. You should do the same. Go back to your office in the sky and taking home different women every night. Forget you met me.”
“Goddamn it, Maddie. I love you,” I yell.
Her eyes grow wide with fear and acknowledgment.
“I love you. I want to marry you. I want to have children with you. I don’t want my old life. I want the one we created that day on the beach. If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t want that too, I’ll let you walk away right now and never bother you again.” My heart is pounding crazily in my chest. My stomach tightens with anticipation. Fear pumps through my body at an alarming rate. Is this it? Will she finally walk into my arms so we can fight this war together, or does she really want nothing to do with me?
Her blue eyes lock on mine, and she takes a deep, clearing breath. “I don’t want that, Bennet. Now, please, just leave me alone.”
She turns and leaves, and I can’t do anything but watch her go. I can’t call out to her. I can’t reach out and touch her, make her feel me and my need for her to stay. I’m frozen in pain, in sadness, in anger.
I thought she was the one. I thought she was it for me. I guess something like that is impossible to know. But she made me feel so much more than any other person I’ve ever been with. Losing her, it’s like losing the best part of myself. I don’t know how I’ll ever get over her, or if I ever will. Maybe I’m not meant to. Maybe Madeline Strickland was nothing more than a lesson. God’s fucked-up way of telling me to keep living the life I had been up until I met her. Before her, I was dead set on staying single, enjoying my life and my money. All I wanted was someone to keep me company on lonely nights. I knew I should’ve kept my distance.
I turn and slowly walk back to my car. I slide behind the wheel and drive to my favorite restaurant. I have my usual medium-rare steak with a glass of scotch. As I sit at the table, waiting for my food, I look around at all the people near me. They’re all smiling, laughing, carrying on conversations with the people they’re with. They all seem like they have life figured out, like everything is simple and comes easy. I shake my head and scoff before finishing off my drink.
A waitress walks up to my table and places my plate in front of me. My vision is already doubling, and I can’t help but look her up and down. She’s wearing a knee-length black skirt
, a white dress shirt, and a black-tie. Her long, dark hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, and her blue eyes sparkle as her red lips turn up into a smile.
“Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?” Her tongue slides across her bottom lip, wetting it as her eyes take me in.
I pull out the chair next to me. “Why don’t you join me for lunch?”
She quickly looks around. “I really shouldn’t. I could get in trouble and lose my job.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I assure you, you won’t lose your job.” I hold up my hand, and a waiter stops.
“Please, bring Ms.…?” I look up at her.
“Stacy. Stacy Reddington.” She sits in the chair.
“Please, bring Ms. Reddington whatever she wants and add it to my bill.”
He nods before moving around the table to take her order. I pick up my fork and knife, slicing into my steak with a smile.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
17
Maddie
“Okay, I’m here,” Jazz says, walking into my new apartment.
“I’m in here,” I call out from the bare living room.
She walks into the bright white room and freezes. “Man, you’re lucky your co-worker needed someone to sublet this like yesterday. Haven’t furnished yet, huh?”
I shake my head. “Yeah no kidding. Nope not yet.”
She walks across the hardwood floor and sits next to me, leaning her back against the wall like I am. “Are you going to tell me what happened now?”
I take a deep breath, then pick up the bottle of wine, taking a long drink. “We broke up,” I confess.
She inhales sharply. “What? Why?”
I shrug. “I just can’t.” I shake my head and another tear leaks from my eye. You’d think at this point, I wouldn’t have anything left to cry.
She turns her body so that she’s looking directly at me. “Madeline Michelle Strickland, spill it, every last detail. NOW!”
Billionaire With Benefits: Make Her Mine-Book 2 Page 13
