“Only because I came back in your life. If you wouldn’t have helped me you would have married her. Then you would have been happy. Not planning ways to introduce your relationship in a positive light. No worrying about me messing things up.”
Byron rubbed his hands together. “Messing things up? How are you going to mess things up?”
“I don’t know how to be the perfect candidate’s girlfriend. My past isn’t perfect. I’m homeless. I’ve lied. You have to have sessions with your political team just to come up with a plan to introduce me without making things worse. While I can’t regret the decisions I made to protect Lilah, I also can’t help but realize you’d be better off if I’d never been in your life.”
Byron took a long breath. “Would it have been easier to marry Yolanda? Yes. That’s why I picked her. Would I have been happy with her?” He shook his head.
“You seemed pretty happy when I first saw you.” She remembered catching them kissing that first day at the estate.
“That’s the image we portrayed. We were always about making people believe we were a love match. I thought I was doing what was right. That not marrying for love would protect me from feeling the way I felt after you left thirteen years ago.”
Zoe was struck by the unguarded emotions in his voice. She remembered something else from that first day. The hurt he couldn’t hide when she’d said what he’d felt was attraction mixed with adoration. When she’d brushed aside his feelings as trivial.
“I would have married her, but I wouldn’t have been happy. When I asked her I thought it was the right thing to do. My mom said having all the money in the world didn’t mean a thing if you didn’t do something with that money. That giving back and helping others were the way to make things better.” He leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. “She volunteered for everything. Every cause out there she gave money, but giving money isn’t enough. When I told her that the people who made the laws were the ones who ultimately made the difference, she said then make the laws. I’ve been on that path since high school. Student council in high school, volunteering in college, going to law school and defending those less fortunate with my practice, and making it to the state house.”
“She was so proud of you,” Zoe said. She’d never forget the determination in Virginia’s voice as she laid out all the reasons Zoe should leave Byron. She wasn’t taking no for an answer, and Zoe saw the love for her son was the reason why.
“She was,” Byron said with a small smile on his face. “But I also learned from my father. My dad says if you want to succeed you have to win and you win at any cost. My grandfather married a woman he didn’t love but who had enough money to help him expand our tobacco production. My parents met young, loved hard, but they both were ambitious and stubborn. Their only goal was to raise kids who were strong enough to take over the business. They did, and that’s why I didn’t care about marrying Yolanda without loving her. The one time I let love rule me...” He sat up and met her gaze. “That’s when I was ready to deviate from everything I planned and marry you.”
Zoe rubbed her temples. “Gee, thanks.” She tried to laugh it off, but his admission stung. Loving her hadn’t been what he wanted.
Byron gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand away from her face. “I’m not saying this right. I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m telling you this because even though I hate the circumstances that brought you back in my life, I don’t regret having you back in it. I’ve done everything because it was expected of me or because that’s what I was supposed to do. Being with you was the first time I wanted something not for the family legacy or how it would further my career. I wanted you because of you and being with you made me happier than I’d ever been. It hurt when you left, and I never wanted to hurt like that again. I thought things would be better for me if I took love out of the equation, but having you back proved I can’t suppress those feelings. I don’t want to pretend to be happy with someone else when I have the chance to be happy with you.”
Zoe sucked in shallow breaths. Why was it that in all the fairy tales the heroine was lifted by the love of the hero? She didn’t feel lifted. She felt weighted. She wasn’t worth that much love. She couldn’t hope to live up to his expectations. How would her heart survive watching the affection in his eyes slowly die away as he realized she wasn’t as great as he thought?
Don’t let him find out.
She could try to be the woman he deserved. The partner he deserved. First, she’d have to make him understand she wasn’t Yolanda and didn’t want to be.
“I told you about my parents. How they fought and how I thought love was supposed to be that way.”
He nodded. She waited for him to tell her she was foolish for believing that. He just held her hand and waited for her to finish.
“I didn’t know how to do relationships. I still don’t know if I’ve got it figured out. I haven’t dated a lot of people since having Lilah. I was too afraid they’d turn out like Kendell and only make things worse for her. What I do know is that I’m ready to try.” She interlocked her fingers with his. “I’m ready to try with you.”
* * *
A WEIGHT LIFTED off Byron’s chest. He’d been unsure about where they stood ever since returning from the mountains. Time apart and the political realities of their relationships had done that. Then, when he’d seen her face as Roy rambled on about the right way to introduce her, he’d seen her withdraw. Saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He never wanted her to feel insecure when it came to him.
“Then we’ll try together,” he said.
She smiled, but doubt clouded her eyes. As much as he wanted her to trust him and see him as more than just someone who wanted her in his life to make winning easier, he also knew making the uncertainty in her eyes disappear would take time. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss away her fears, but that wasn’t why he’d kicked everyone out. He’d gotten rid of his team so they could spend time together.
“How about I order food.”
She laughed. “You just sent away the food you ordered.”
“That was the food for them. I’ll order us something. You pick out a movie or television show we can watch.”
“Any movie?”
“Any movie.” He leaned in and kissed her quickly. Zoe followed him when he pulled back. The doubt in her eyes now erased with a playfulness that he loved seeing in her eyes.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
She grabbed his tie. “Where are you going?”
“To change clothes.”
Her eyes lowered to his chest. Desire flashed in them. He wanted to push her back on the couch, rip off her pants and make love to her until the stress of the campaign washed away. Byron took a steadying breath before he did just that. He wanted to reassure her of his feelings. Not jump on her or make her think he wanted her body.
Zoe licked her lips. “Don’t take too long.”
“I won’t.” He kissed her quickly then jumped up from the couch before he pushed her back and did exactly what he wanted.
Spending time together. That was what they needed right now. He had to build her trust in him. In them.
He went into his bedroom and jerked the tie over his head. He tossed it on the bed as he headed to the closet. Once in there he pulled off his shirt and slacks and put them in the basket of clothes for cleaning. He’d slipped out of his underwear and was opening a drawer for a pair of shorts when there was a knock on the closet door.
Byron spun around. His hands instinctively covered his dick at the unexpected interruption. Zoe leaned against his closet door. Her full lips were lifted in a devilish grin.
“Sorry, but I’m hungry,” she said.
Her gaze slowly traveled over his naked chest, stomach and stopped where his hands covered himself. The heated look in her eye said she was hungry for some
thing other than food. Blood rushed to his groin. His hand wouldn’t cover his reaction for long.
“What do you want me to order?” His voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat. Tried not to look as if he was ready to pull her to the floor of his closet.
She strolled through the door. The tip of her tongue dipped out to the corner of her mouth. Her gaze had once again dropped to his hands. A vision of her tongue gliding across the head of his erection flashed in his mind. Making it harder to hide it.
“You’ve already got what I want.”
She’d made her way across the closet to him. She stopped in front of him. The heat of her body and the sweet, fruity smell of her perfume intoxicated him. “You can’t just say stuff like that and kiss me then walk away.”
“Zoe, I—”
“You’re trying to be a gentleman and I appreciate that.” She ran her fingers across his chest. “Except you forgot one thing.”
Her touch reverberated through his body. “What’s that?”
“I’ve never been into gentlemen.”
The words made Byron pause. No, she hadn’t been into gentlemen. Zoe had gone for the bad boy. Is that what she wanted from him? To not be the nice guy?
Before the unsettling thought could sink in and fertilize his insecurities, Zoe pushed his hand aside and wrapped her fingers around his dick. She lifted on her toes and kissed him softly. All reasons to stop and talk this out fled. Byron went with his instincts. Tonight he’d give Zoe what she wanted.
His hands cradled the sides of her face. He slid his tongue over her lips. She opened to him without hesitation. He’d forever feel blessed to have her trust. The fabric of her T-shirt and jeans brushed against his skin. He wanted her naked. Just as naked as he was so he could feel as much of her as possible.
Zoe wrapped her arms around his neck. The heavy fullness of her breasts pressed against his chest. He wanted more than just to feel her; he had to see her. His hands slid down the sides of her body to rest on her hips. In a quick motion he lifted her up. Zoe’s long legs wrapped around him. The heat of her sex seared him through her pants.
The urgency of too many days on the campaign trail and too many nights without her in his arms had him hurrying across the bedroom. He wanted to gently lay her on the bed and savor every inch of her body.
I’ve never been into gentlemen. Maybe she hadn’t been. But this was one night, and he was the one gentleman who’d change her thoughts on that forever.
He tossed her on the bed and grinned as she bounced. Her delighted squeal made him harder.
“Get naked,” he said. His voice was unrecognizable. Deep and rough with the desire coursing through his system.
Excitement flashed in her eyes. Byron stood next to the bed. His pulse raced harder with every article of clothing she pulled off. He thought he’d drop to his knees and worship her when she wiggled out of her jeans. By the time she was naked he was ready to explode, but Zoe had other things on her mind. When he moved to get on the bed, she came forward and wrapped her hand around his erection. A wicked grin lifted her lips before her lips closed around him.
Byron’s mouth fell open. Words wouldn’t form. His brain turned to mush as her mouth took him to places he’d never been before. His fingers dug into the loose curls of her hair. He started to pull back, but Zoe moaned deeply and renewed her efforts. Emboldened, Byron gripped her hair but didn’t pull. He looked down to gauge her reaction. Any hint she needed him to pull back and he would; it would damn near kill him, but he would. Zoe looked up at him. Desire and devilment bright in her gaze.
The look in her eye almost took him over the edge. His toes curled and his leg shook. Byron pulled back before he climaxed. He placed a hand beneath her elbow and helped her to her knees. Then he kissed her long and thoroughly. He may not be the “bad boy” Zoe once craved, but he would find a way to become the man she deserved.
He grabbed a condom from the nightstand. His hand slid between her thighs. She was slick, hot and ready. Byron laid her back on the bed, covered himself and slid in deep. Zoe’s tight heat hugged him. His heart beat so hard he thought it would explode in his chest. He brushed the hair back from her forehead and looked into her eyes.
The light glistened off her dark skin. Her lips were parted and swollen from his kisses. The trust in her eyes the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
He’d been a fool for thinking he could have married Yolanda with Zoe in his life. Zoe was perfect for him. The only person he’d ever wanted. The only person he’d ever loved.
Everything he felt was too hard to convey with words. He just knew he’d move a mountain to keep her safe. “Making you happy is all I want to do.”
Her eyes glistened. Her soft hand cupped his face. “I don’t deserve you.”
Byron slid his hips back then pushed forward. Zoe’s lids lowered. Her mouth fell open and she sucked in a breath. “You deserve everything I can give you and more, Zoe. Never forget that.”
Her leg trembled and she bit her lip. He repeated the movement until he pressed against the sweet nub of her clit. “Do you hear me?”
She nodded. Her entire body shook. Her eyes lost focus. His hips shifted back and forward but not as far. “Say yes. Tell me you believe me.”
Her hips lifted and tried to pull him deeper. “Yes. I believe you.”
He gave her what they both wanted. Thrusting in and out with long, slow strokes. Byron buried his head in her neck and breathed in her scent. A contentment he’d never known before infiltrated all the way to his bones. He’d be happy to remind her at any time.
Her eyes closed and her hips rotated. Byron shuddered and lost himself in the rhythm of their lovemaking. He wouldn’t get caught up in her believing him now. He had time to convince her that his feelings were real.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“LET’S DO SOMETHING different today. Just the three of us,” Byron said to Zoe the next morning.
She glanced up from her cell phone and raised a brow. She looked so damn beautiful sitting at his kitchen table, wearing nothing but one of his T-shirts and a pair of his boxers. Her thick hair was pushed away from her face with a black band. She had one leg bent with the foot in the chair and the edge of the boxers rode up, giving an enticing glimpse of smooth skin.
“The three of us?”
He jerked his eyes away from her thigh and met her eyes. “You, me and Lilah.”
Zoe sat up straighter. “I thought we agreed not to get Lilah’s hopes raised too high. She already has fantasies of us becoming a family.”
Byron didn’t have any problems with Lilah’s wishes. Zoe wanted to ease into things, and he didn’t blame her for being hesitant. Convincing her he wanted more than just political benefits would take time. Time he was willing to put in. Coming on too strong too soon would only push her away. He had to play things cool.
“She’s been cooped up in the house with my family all night,” he said. “This isn’t about getting her hopes up, but about getting her out of the house.”
“Don’t you have campaign stuff to work on? I did interrupt your plans.”
“That stuff can wait. I want to spend some time with you. Both of you.” He did have a lot of campaign stuff to do. The plan to introduce Zoe as his girlfriend so soon after breaking things off with Yolanda was going to be tricky, but today was part one of showing Zoe he was willing to put her first.
Zoe studied him for a few seconds before she nodded. “Okay. What do you have in mind?”
“I’d like to show you around Jackson Falls.”
She chuckled. “Why? We’ve been here for a while.”
“You’ve been in town for weekends to help with the campaign and to relocate, but have you really been around the town? Seen what makes it great?”
He wanted her to fall in love with it the way he had. Maybe if she saw his hometown as something more than
the location of his campaign headquarters, she’d also begin to see herself there long-term. In his life long-term.
She lifted a shoulder. “I guess you’re right.” She looked back at her phone. “Especially since I’m going to be working with Elaina.”
Byron froze in the middle of turning to get a cup of coffee. He slowly spun around to face her. “Come again?”
She looked up and her eyes widened. “It was one of the reasons I came over last night. Elaina mentioned buying a company, but she has some concerns. I offered to do a risk assessment for her.”
The same company Elaina had mentioned to him weeks ago? The one that might cause a stir during his campaign? “Did she tell you what company?”
“She doesn’t want the family to know.”
Byron closed his eyes. That couldn’t be good. “Is she about to fire hundreds of people?”
“What? No! She’s looking at one of your dad’s companies. I told her I wouldn’t say anything, but I can’t do this without letting you know.”
Byron pinched the bridge of his nose. Just the thought of the fallout between Elaina and Grant was almost enough to kill his happy mood. “Why go after one of Dad’s?”
Zoe lifted her shoulders. “She said she wanted to build her own legacy. I don’t know the reasons, but I do know I need something to do. Working with Elaina could be fun.”
“Elaina fighting with my dad could prove deadly.” How was he going to handle them fighting in the middle of the campaign? Maybe he could convince Elaina to change her mind. Or at least wait until after the election.
“Please, Byron, stay out of it.” Zoe’s voice interrupted his mental strategy session. “Let them fight out whatever they need to. I’m tired of sitting around the estate waiting for someone to call me back. I can do this.”
“I can make some calls for you.” He’d offered to do that before. She hadn’t said anything, and he’d assumed she was taking the time away from work to get thing straightened out with the house. He didn’t want her in the middle of whatever Grant and Elaina had brewing.
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