by Parker, Ali
I had to do something to remind myself of my rule to keep my feelings out of this arrangement. I headed for the living room and grabbed my tuxedo jacket. I reached my hand inside the pocket to get my cell and pulled out Hannah’s torn underwear. I looked at them before tossing them on the couch and pulling out my phone. I quickly scanned through the contacts and found Jack’s number.
“Hello?” Jack answered.
“Jack, it’s Grayson,” I said, feeling a little foolish considering he would have known who it was when he looked at the screen.
“Hey, big brother! Congratulations! You two sneaked off last night without saying goodbye.”
I rolled my eyes. He was only pretending to be nice. “We were tired,” I snapped.
“I bet you were. How was your first night as a married man? Wow, never thought I’d be saying that to you.”
“I bet you didn’t.”
“Excuse me?” he asked, trying to sound innocent.
“You heard me. Don’t try and play innocent and make small talk like we’re friends,” I snarled.
“We’re not friends, we’re brothers,” he replied, not rising to the bait.
I was itching for a fight. I wanted him to say something that would prove my suspicions right so I could get pissed at Hannah. I wanted to be pissed at her, so I didn’t fall in love with her. I needed to hear she was a lying, manipulating bitch and then I could walk away from her and never look back. I silently begged to hear the words I knew would shatter me. I could pretend all I wanted, but I was losing my fight to keep from feeling anything from her. I needed help.
“We’re brothers because I have no control over that. That doesn’t mean we have to like each other.”
Jack sighed. “When are you going to let it go? You are cutting off your own nose to spite your face.”
“What? What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked completely confused by his choice of words.
“I mean, you are looking for any reason you can find to be miserable. Why? Why can’t you let yourself be happy? Hannah is a good woman. I have no idea why she is with you, but she sees something in you. Quit trying to implode your own relationship,” he lectured.
“Really? Seriously, you’re going to sit there and tell me how to proceed with my relationship after you tried to sabotage it?”
There was a long pause. I knew he was still on the line. I could hear him breathing. “I did nothing of the sort. I asked her to lunch to catch up. I also asked her if your marriage proposal was real. I’ll admit, it seemed odd and very sudden for a guy like you, who can’t find it in his heart to love a goldfish let alone another human being. You’re shallow and I’m beginning to believe you are incapable of love.”
“You know nothing about me,” I shot back.
“Maybe not, but I know you don’t date the same woman more than a few times. You never let yourself get close to anyone, except for Mom. Hannah doesn’t deserve to be used by you. I know what you’re doing. I told you several times I had no interest in trying to take the company from me, but you wouldn’t believe me,” he said, exasperation in his voice.
“That’s because I know you too well. I know how you operate. You say one thing to my face and then turn around and do the exact opposite. You don’t have an honest bone in your body and before you go criticizing me and my dating habits, I suggest you take a look in the mirror. You have a thing for Hannah. That is plain to see. You had a crush on her and hoped you could win her over by promising her things you couldn’t give, like being the head of Bancroft Estates,” I hissed.
“Uh, that’s not true. Not even one bit of what you said is true. That is all fantasy. If your job as the CEO ever falls through, you could get a job as a fantasy writer,” he teased, pissing me off even more.
“That’s your answer to everything. You lie and manipulate to get your way. You have been doing it since you were a kid. No wonder you’re so good at it.”
“What are you talking about? Are you still pissed about that stupid go-kart? That was over twenty years ago! It wasn’t even what you made it out to be. You’re a fucking drama queen!” he shouted.
I had finally gotten a rise out of him. He was giving me the fight I had been itching for. “I’m not a drama queen and you did steal that go-kart right out from under my nose. That situation is exactly like this one. You said you didn’t want it and then you turned around and went running to Dad. He bought it for you. There was no way he was going to buy a second one for me.”
He laughed. “Are you comparing Hannah to a go-kart? That’s exactly my point, you are as deep as a shallow puddle. You have no depth. You are incapable of loving another human. To love, you have to trust. To trust, you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable, and we all know the great Grayson Bancroft would never let himself be vulnerable.”
“Just tell me what the two of you are up to,” I hissed, wishing he was standing in front of me so I could take a swing at him.
“Absolutely. Fucking. Nothing. You’re a dolt. An idiot. A complete moron. I cannot believe we are related. Mom must have dropped you on your head when you were a baby or maybe she stuck you in the deep freezer and that’s why your heart is ice-cold.” He seethed.
I raised my eyebrows. Those were good insults. Rude, but I liked that he was standing up for himself—finally. “Jack, you were never a very good liar. I started to see through you after that go-kart episode and then there was that girl in high school. You always want what I have.”
He laughed again, pissing me off that he found anything remotely funny about what he was doing. “You have the memory of an elephant. You can dredge up old drama better than any woman I have ever met. No wonder you’re always so angry. You remember every little thing that ever happened to you. The bad stuff anyway. You let it crowd out anything good—like Hannah.”
“She didn’t happen to me. I sought her out. I made that happen,” I snapped.
“Exactly. You’re using her to try and get the company. You don’t have to hurt her. I’ll sign whatever you want to prove to you I have no interest in inheriting.”
“Bullshit,” I retorted.
He took another deep breath. “Grayson, please don’t do anything to upset her. She doesn’t know you like the rest of us do. I saw her yesterday. She’s fallen for you and you’re going to stomp all over her heart. Why couldn’t you have picked some floozy from the bar to marry you so you could inherit? Why did it have to be her?”
“Because she’s who I wanted. Are you going to tell me or not?” I asked again.
“I’m not going to tell you shit because there is nothing to tell. You’re paranoid. You know they have medicine for that. You should seriously consider getting some. It might make your life a little enjoyable while saving the rest of us a lot of grief.”
I hated that he could be such a smart-ass. I was seething. I wanted to hit something, preferably him. He was acting like it was no big deal. It was a big deal.
“Mark my words, Jack. When I find out what the two of you have been trying to plan behind my back, you’re going to pay. I’ve given you every opportunity to come clean,” I hissed before ending the call.
I took a deep breath, as my shoulders slumped forward. The fight wasn’t what I wanted. In the moment, it had worked to distract me from the bigger problem at hand—my feelings for Hannah. Now, I was left feeling frustrated and a bit like a fool.
I heard a sound and turned around to see Hannah leaning against the doorframe that led to the bedroom. The sheet was wrapped around her body, clamped shut with her fist. I had to believe she had heard the entire conversation or at least the worst part of it. That had not been my intention at all. I had called Jack with the hopes that now that I was legally married, he would tell me what his plan had been. That had backfired in my face.
“Hannah,” I said her name and nothing else. There was nothing else to say.
She was staring at me with a look of horror compounded by tremendous pain. I stared back at her. What could I possi
bly say that would make it better? I wasn’t sure I wanted to make it better. This may be the best outcome to the situation. She could be hurt and mad and stay far away from me.
“Why?” she mumbled. I knew it was a rhetorical question. She wasn’t actually expecting me to answer and if she was, it was too bad, because I didn’t have an answer to give.
Her eyes were brimming with tears and I felt like an ass, but it had to be done. I had to do whatever was necessary to keep myself from falling for her. I walked around the couch, bent down, and pulled on my underwear, giving her my back. I couldn’t look at her knowing what I had done. She didn’t say a word. She simply closed the double doors, effectively closing herself off from me.
I had fucked up.
Chapter 47
Hannah
My heart felt like it had been shattered. I had let myself believe there was something special happening between us. He’d been playing me. I couldn’t believe I had fallen for it … again. He had gotten me to the hotel and now I was stuck. I was pretty sure that had been his plan all along. I didn’t even have my damn phone or ID. I had no credit cards—nothing.
“Asshole,” I muttered.
I looked at the phone sitting on the hotel bedside table. I wasn’t even sure if I remembered Amber’s phone number. I was going to have to walk out of the hotel in either my sheet or my wedding gown. Neither was very appealing.
“Hannah, can we talk?” Grayson said from the other side of the door.
“Go away.”
“No.”
I stomped toward the door and pulled it open. “Give me your phone.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m hoping like hell you have Amber’s number in there,” I growled.
“I don’t,” he said in a quiet voice.
“Of course not,” I grumbled and slammed the door shut.
I stalked back to the bed. My dress was out there. I felt trapped and needed to escape. I heard the door open behind me and I stiffened in his presence.
“Hannah, please, I want to explain,” he said again.
I spun around, clutching the sheet to my chest. The man was never going to see my naked body again.
“I don’t want you to explain. I don’t want you to talk to me—ever.”
“We have to talk,” he said.
I shook my head. “No, we don’t. I heard all I needed.”
“You didn’t hear all of it,” he protested.
I laughed. “Really? I’m glad I didn’t hear the whole thing. Please, just leave me alone. Last night was a mistake. I should have learned my lesson the first time around. You don’t respect me.”
“I was very clear with you about what this was from the very beginning.”
I nodded. “You’re right, you were. But you know what, I thought you trusted me. I didn’t expect you to trust me completely, but you don’t trust me at all.”
“I don’t trust anyone at all,” he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
“That’s sad. I pity you,” I said, meaning every word. He was a sad man. He would never know what it was like to love someone and that was a tragedy.
He sneered. “Don’t pity me. I’m doing just fine.”
“Ohh, I see, it’s all about you. You never trusted me. You pretended to care and got me to go along with that big fancy wedding. I spent hours planning that stupid thing all so you would have the perfect wedding. You wanted that wedding to show off for your friends. I was dumb enough to go along with your little dog and pony show. I won’t do it again. You got your wedding, now I’m done.”
He raised an eyebrow, folding his arms over his naked torso. I had to remind myself to keep my eyes up. I couldn’t let myself get distracted by the man’s gorgeous body.
“Hannah, you signed an agreement,” he reminded me.
My eyes went wide. “I don’t care about the fucking deal!” I shouted.
He leaned back, my outrage had the desired effect. He looked shocked by my cursing. Good. I was glad I could still shock him. I wanted to turn the tables on him. He’d been screwing with me for so long I had lost all sense of who I was. I had turned into a simpering female. I was a strong woman who didn’t bend to any man’s will.
“This isn’t something you can walk away from,” he said.
“Give me your phone,” I said, holding out my hand.
He sighed and walked back to the living room, then returned with his phone. “Here.”
“Thank you,” I said, snatching the phone from his hand.
I prayed like hell I could remember her number. I dialed, thinking it was right but not entirely sure. When Amber’s voice answered on the other end, I nearly collapsed with relief.
“Amber!” I gasped.
“Hannah?”
“I need you to come and get me—right now,” I ordered.
“What are you talking about?” she asked groggily.
“Amber, I’m not playing. I need you to come to the Four Seasons right now and pick me up,” I hissed.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“No, please hurry,” I whispered, turning my back to him.
“Hannah, don’t run away. It solves nothing. We have to work through this. You can’t just run away and think it all goes away,” he said, his voice stern.
I spun around and glared at him. “Don’t use that tone with me.”
I knew what he was doing. It was the alpha thing he knew turned me on. I was not in the mood to be turned on. I didn’t want anything to do with him.
“Hannah, you have to understand, I know my brother a lot better than you do. I blame him, but if you were a willing party in all this, I want to know,” he said, stepping toward me.
“In this? Do you know how crazy you sound? There is no this! There is no one plotting to overthrow you. There isn’t a coup. Whatever you think is happening is all in your head,” I told him.
“We have—”
I cut him off. “No, we have nothing. You can have my job. I don’t care. I will not spend another minute with you. You are not worthy of my time or attention, and you are certainly not worthy of my love. I can’t believe I was so stupid to think you actually felt something for me. It’s impossible for you to love anyone. You are so worried someone is out to get you, you keep everyone away. What a sad, miserable life you must have.”
“I know you want your job. You’re pissed, I get that, but you’ll get over it. You’ll soon realize you want your job and your company, and you’ll come back,” he said arrogantly.
I had to resist the urge to hit him. The only reason I didn’t is because my sheet would have dropped. I would not give him a peek at my body.
“Move out of my way,” I growled, stomping past him and heading into the living room to get my discarded wedding gown.
I picked it up and groaned. It was a wrinkled mess. The looks I would get as I strode through the lobby of one of the most prestigious hotels in the city were sure to scar me for life. I didn’t care. I’d walk through the lobby naked if I had to. I had to get away from him. I couldn’t stand to look at him. It hurt too much.
I stomped into the luxurious bathroom, a little bummed I wouldn’t get the chance to soak in the massive tub. I put the dress on, doing my best to smooth the wrinkles out. I looked in the mirror and caught a glimpse of my hair.
“Oh shit,” I mumbled, not sure if it was better to leave it up or take it down. Taking it down would surely leave me with a worse problem.
I turned on the sink and stuck my fingers under the water, doing my best to push the wayward hairs back into place against my head. It was only slightly better. My makeup, that was actually not bad at all. The makeup lady hadn’t been joking when she said I would need a sandblaster to get it off. It was as good as it was going to get. I smoothed one last stray hair down. My wedding ring caught my eye in the mirror.
I dropped my hand, looking at the big diamond glistening under the overhead lights and felt a remarkable sadness wash over me. Once
again, I had found myself unlucky in love. I wasn’t sure it was in the cards for me to ever find real love. At least I would have the memory of the wedding. I’d block out the man at the end of the aisle, but I would always treasure the romantic scene.
I pulled the ring off and set it on the bathroom counter before walking out. He was standing outside the bathroom door waiting for me.
“This doesn’t have to end like this,” he said in a harsh voice.
“It already ended,” I said, sadness filling my very soul.
“I’ll talk to Jack,” he said.
I shook my head. “I don’t care if you do or don’t.”
“Hannah, we have to work together. We need to be able to be civil to each other.”
I burst into laughter. “Grayson, I quit. I don’t want to work for you. I can’t work for someone who doesn’t trust me. We don’t have to work together. We never even have to talk to each other. I’ll call my lawyer on Monday and see about getting this whole disaster annulled.”
“No!” He gasped.
“Goodbye, Grayson,” I said walking to the door and doing my best to hold my head high.
I made it to the door when he called my name. I turned to look at him, furiously blinking the tears back. I wouldn’t let him see how badly he had hurt me. Our eyes met, but neither of us said a word. That was his last chance.
I walked out of the room, getting into the elevator with a young couple who were openly staring at me. I prayed Amber was close. Her apartment wasn’t too far. It was an early Sunday morning, which meant traffic should be somewhat decent.
My heels clacked across the floor, making my escape impossible to ignore. The concierge couldn’t hide his look of shock as I passed him. The people milling about the lobby were likely to know who I was. The Bancroft wedding had been a big deal. We had actually invited several news publications, which meant my face was probably all over the papers.
