by JA Low
“That’s an interesting concept,” Rhys states.
“Yeah. The conversations started off as a joke, but we have been talking about it more and more. I just don’t know how Nacho would feel about it.”
“He couldn’t say no if you married Nell and became family,” Stirling jokes. I turn my head and glare at him. “It’s a shame she hates your guts,” he says, laughing a little harder. Fuck, he’s annoying.
“Okay, so marrying the boss’s daughter is off the table. You need to come up with a business plan and present it to Nacho,” Rhys explains to me, trying to be helpful.
“You think it’s that simple?”
“You can try. The worst he can do is say no, the best he thinks it’s great. You won’t know unless you try,” Rhys advises. Maybe he’s right. Could it really be that simple?
“Sounds like you might have already made your decision, then?” Stirling questions, giving me a grin.
The girls are back from traipsing around Europe for the last week. Not that I haven’t been stalking their socials or jerked off to the bikini images Nell posted. Damn thirst traps get me every time. Thankfully, Rainn sent me a text inviting me to some party in the city and how could I possibly turn that down.
“Hey, brother,” I call out, jumping on him and nearly crash tackling him onto the table. I’m surprised to see him and Rhys here. They are not clubbing guys.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Stirling growls in my direction.
“What’s crawled up your butt?”
“Sorry, just have stuff on my mind. Why are you here?” he asks normally this time.
“The girls texted me, and I couldn’t say no to a party.”
“Remi, come dance with me,” Rainn calls from the sideline. She gives me a wink as she prowls over to me. What is going on? I go with it. I trust Rainn, she is definitely not interested in me, but I have a feeling she is trying to prove a point or make a point to her best friend. There they are, the daggers in my back, the ones Nell is mentally throwing at me.
“You better not be messing around with Rainn?” Stirling hits me in the chest with the back of his hand. Ouch. Dick.
“No. We’re just friends. Strictly friends,” I answer quickly, defending myself. “But it is making a certain someone jealous though.”
“Be careful. You’re playing with fire, and this could all blow up in your face,” he warns me. Whatever, Nell and I have played this game many times before, it’s our thing.
“I know what I’m doing, brother. Don’t worry about me,” I tell him and follow Rainn onto the dancefloor. I see out of the corner of my eyes that Nell gets up from the table looking upset, and Audrey follows her. I feel like a dick now. Dammit.
“She’ll be okay. She’s upset that I keep pushing her buttons,” Rainn assures me as we dance apart from each other.
“Seems like we have that in common.”
“How long do you think you two will keep dancing around each other?” Rainn asks.
“Who knows? We’ve been doing it for so long that it feels normal now,” I explain to her, shrugging my shoulders.
“Keep fucking about and you will lose her, Rem,” Rainn tells me seriously.
“I already have. She’s not interested in me other than my dick. She’d rather Saint Miles over me.”
“Your brother is worse than you,” Rainn chuckles. Thank you, and here I thought I was the only one that saw it. I knew I liked Rainn the most. “Deep down Nell isn’t interested in Miles, he’s just the safer option and she knows it annoys you. You are both as bad as each other.” Yeah, maybe we are.
Rainn meets some guys on the dancefloor and practically tells me to get lost, so I do. I head on over to the bar area and while I’m waiting, someone pokes me hard in the kidneys. Ouch.
“We agreed no friends, Remi,” Nell tells me angrily while still poking me with her sharp nail. “I knew I couldn’t trust you.” She shoves me hard in the chest. “You keep messing up, Remi. And I stupidly fall for it every single time.” Then she turns on her heel and storms off back into the club. Of course, I chase after her because she’s really got the wrong idea, not that I blame her because I keep giving her the wrong ideas.
“Nell,” I shout after her. “Wait, Nell.” I catch up to her before she runs into the women’s bathroom. “Nothing is going on with Rainn. I promise. She was trying to annoy you,” I explain the stupid plan. Nell stops wriggling, and her mouth falls open in surprise.
“Rainn did it to annoy me?” she asks slowly. I nod, unsure if this is going to turn into a fight between friends. “That bitch.” Nell bursts out laughing. Oh, phew. “I can’t believe she did that. And then here I am yelling at you like a damn fool. Oh, my gosh, Rem, I’m sorry. I accused you of something you didn’t do,” Nell says, looking embarrassed over her reaction.
“Hey,” I say, reaching out and cupping her face. “No need to apologize it’s not like I don’t give you enough reasons not to trust me.” I let out a heavy sigh.
“You do, do a lot of stupid stuff.”
“Yeah, I do.” I smile down at her. “It’s not on purpose or to hurt you. Just thinking with the wrong head most of the time.”
“He seems to get you in trouble often.” Nell grins as her hand cups my dick in my pants.
“He’s a troublemaker. Most of the time he doesn’t listen to me.”
Nell bites her bottom lip as she continues to stroke me through my jeans.
“Is he up for a bit of trouble now?” She raises a questioning brow in my direction. Oh, hell yeah. As I grab her hand and pull her somewhere a little less exposed.
“Just what I needed.” Nell wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me softly.
“Always at your service.” I grin down at her. We hear a commotion and I wrap my hand around her shoulders and pull her to me protectively.
“What the hell is that about?” she asks me. I have no idea but can hear people yelling and screaming and security rushing through the club. Moments later, Nell’s phone is ringing, and she picks it up. I can tell by her face it’s not good.
“David just turned up to the club trying to win Audrey back. Rhys punched him. And everything’s gone to shit. I have to go,” she tells me not before she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. “I’ll see you when we get home, okay. I would like to hook up somewhere that doesn’t include a toilet.” She chuckles.
“Let me walk you out.”
It’s time to say farewell to London as I take a seat on the private plane. Thankfully, all my meetings wrapped up in time so I can cruise back with these guys.
“Surprised to see me, brother?” I grin, taking in his expression.
“A little. What are you doing coming back with us? I thought you were staying.” He takes the seat beside me.
“My meeting was pushed earlier in the week, so I was free to come home with you all. Wasn’t going to say no to the private jet.” The flight attendant hands me my whiskey while giving me the come fuck me eyes.
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
“Stop flirting with the staff,” Stirling grumbles beside me.
It’s been a couple of hours since taking off from London and the girls have all fallen asleep.
“You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, brother.” I’m noticing the extra tension my brother seems to be carrying.
“It’s nothing,”
“I think it’s five foot six of nothing.”
“What does that mean?” He glares at me.
“It means I know you and I know something is up. Plus, the way you can’t stop looking over at Audrey is a dead giveaway.” Stirling glares at me. “But in all seriousness. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m all good.”
My eyes narrow on him. “So, nothing’s happened between Audrey and you since arriving in London?” I know he went into full protective mode after David’s surprise visit.
“No. Of course not.”
“I can smell your bul
lshit a mile away.” I shake my head.
“I know you and Miles are closer and talk about this kind of shit together.” He pauses, mulling over his next words. “Fine. Something happened last night.”
“I knew it.” I punch the sky with my fist. “Sorry, continue,” I say, controlling myself.
“You heard what happened last night at the party?”
Stirling then tells me all about the intense moments he’s been having with Audrey. I mean, if he’s this shook up over kissing her, what the hell is he going to do when he does eventually sleep with her? His mind is going to explode. I explain to him he shouldn’t feel guilty about hooking up with Audrey because honestly, she seems way happier leaving London than she did arriving. Then my brother changes the subject and asks about Nell.
“Has something happened with Nell?” he asks.
I’m not in the mood to talk about it. I spoke to Miles last night and he was talking about how he’d been texting back and forth with Nell and telling me he didn’t realize she was so funny. Apparently, they ran into each other at a fundraising event before they left for London and exchanged numbers. Nell seemed to forget about that little tidbit.
“Same thing that always happens. I rock her world when she needs me to then when the sun rises, she goes back to hating me and lusting after my brother.” Nell has ignored me this entire plane trip. I raise my glass toward the flight attendant and ask for another refill. Stirling doesn’t look impressed as I flirt with the flight attendant.
“Does Miles even like her?” Stirling asks.
“He has no idea she wants him.”
“Then speak to him. Let him know what’s going on between you and Nell.”
“Does it matter…” I sigh, “she will only ever see me as the player she thinks I am and the convenient dick ready and willing for her.” Damn, these whiskeys are going down nicely. My eyes drift back over to the flight attendant with the come fuck me eyes.
“If you like Nell, then why not fight for her?” He thinks I haven’t been. Fuck him. He doesn’t understand.
“Who would want me over Saint Miles?”
“I thought you might be hungry.” The flight attendant comes back with snacks and places them in front of us.
“How did you know how hungry I was?” I flirt with the flight attendant. I know I have a reputation, but sometimes that reputation can feel like a noose around my neck.
“A big man like you must be hungry,” she quips back. A choking cough comes from the other side of the plane from Nell, who I thought was asleep.
“How long do we have till we land?”
“About two hours, sir,” she answers me.
“Might be enough time for you to help me with something, don’t you think?” The flight attendant’s eyes widen in understanding as her cheeks turn bright pink with lust. I’m going to hell, might as well make the ride fun.
“Yes, of course. I’m willing to help. I’ll leave your snacks here while I tidy things up down at the back of the plane for you, sir.” She gives me a knowing look as she turns on her heel and walks to the back of the plane.
“You’re not seriously considering doing something, are you?” Stirling looks at me in disgust.
“Why not? She seems rather helpful.” I chuckle, popping a peanut into my mouth.
“What about you know who?”
“I’m the wrong brother, remember?” I remind him as I stand up and stride off into the back of the plane. The flight attendant stills when I come back to where she is working. I can see the excitement on her face that she might go a couple of rounds with the notorious playboy Remington Hartford. Her red lips would look nice wrapped around my dick. But I hesitate. For the first time, I hesitate in front of a beautiful woman. I sway a bit unsteady on my feet and reach out and grab the wall.
“Are you all right, Mr. Hartford?” she asks.
“Yeah. I just need a moment,” I tell her. She looks over at me curiously. “Look, I’m sorry about earlier, I shouldn’t have led you on like I just did,” I tell her, taking a seat in the chair and rubbing my face with my hands. “I’m trying to get over someone and it’s not working,” I confess. Her brows raise in surprise.
“If you need to talk, I’m all ears,” she tells me, taking a seat beside me, no level or flirtation at all. And so I do. I tell her how I’ve fallen for Nell Garcia, and I don’t know what to do about it.
34
Nell
I can’t believe Remi did that. With the flight attendant right in front of me. I’m so angry at him, I’m currently knocking on his hotel door. I think he forgot we had arranged to meet up tonight after his little mile high action.
“Remi, I know you’re in there. Open up!” I yell at the door.
Eventually the door opens, and Remi is standing there dripping wet with a white towel wrapped around his waist and one drying his hair. Oh shit, did he bring her to the hotel with him? Is he not alone?
“Where is she?” I ask, storming past him as I enter his hotel room.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The girl from the plane, is she here?” I’m losing my mind as I storm through his suite, trying to find a naked woman hiding somewhere.
“Nell, what the fuck?” Remi curses behind me. “I’m alone. You’ve lost your damn mind, woman.”
“Because you did this to me.” I thump my chest. “You’ve made me crazy.”
“Me.” He raises his voice while pointing to himself. “You’re the one that’s made me fucking crazy. So crazy that I turned the advances down of a woman who was prepared to get on her knees for me,” I spit back. “Because all I can think about is you, Nell. You. It’s always you every damn minute of the damn fucking day!” he yells at me.
Oh. I’m taken aback by his words.
“I can’t do this anymore; it’s not healthy. I’m exhausted,” he tells me, running his hand through his wet hair again. “I think you were right earlier. I should have listened. Sex complicates things. It complicates everything.” Hang on, I’m the one that came over upset. How is he turning it around and being the one upset over all this? “I’m done competing with my brother for you, Nell.” Those green eyes glare at me seriously. “I know you and Miles have been texting.”
Oh. That.
“It’s nothing,” I tell him.
“Nothing? You have had a crush on my brother for years. I don’t call that nothing.”
“And yet I’m always in your bed.”
“Only because I’m convenient, not because it means anything,” he argues with me. “If Miles asked you out on a date, would you say no?” he questions me. I don’t know. That isn’t even in the realm of possibilities that would ever happen. But he takes my hesitation as my answer. “I’ve been so fucking stupid. I thought I would sit back and bide my time and maybe, just maybe, you would finally see me and realize I’m the man for you.”
Huh? Remi has stunned me with his words. What the hell is he talking about? That’s bullshit. He’s been dating and hooking up with people. He’s hardly been sitting at home pining for me.
“I think you and I need a break,” Remi explains softly.
“You can’t break up with me, we aren’t even dating,” I shoot back at him.
“Then you won’t notice when I stop answering your calls then.”
My jaw hits the floor at his callous words.
“I’m tired. I think it’s best you should go.”
“You’re kicking me out?”
“Guess I am.” He shrugs his shoulders.
“Fuck you, Remington Hartford!” I scream at him, shocked, hurt, and confused, as I stomp out of his hotel room.
After spending the next twenty-four hours crying my eyes out over a boy that doesn’t deserve it. Remi’s pseudo breakup made me reassess my life and what I want in it. I picked myself up and got to work, figuring out what I wanted. And that’s how I found myself back home, presenting my mom with my book full of sketches with a business plan. It was a tense
time watching my mother look over my creations.
“Sweetheart, I am so proud of you,” Mom tells me. “These sketches, this business plan, is everything that I had hoped one day you would bring me.” She looks at me with tears in her eyes. “I am so proud of you, sweetheart. So very proud.” This is everything I have always wanted to hear from my mom.
“I met up with the designer Yvette Sanchez in Paris, and she wants to work with me on this first collection,” I tell my mom, hopeful that she might think it’s a good idea.
“Oh, sweetie, that is wonderful. Yvette is the nicest, kindest woman. What a privilege it would be. I trust her. She is a good egg in this business. Of course we will get our lawyers to look over any contracts which is standard practice.”
“You’d be okay if I went over there for the summer.”
“Let me tell your father because you know what he’s like.” My mother rolls her eyes. Latin fathers are a little crazy protective of their daughters. “But of course, I want you to do this. It’s such a brilliant opportunity, Nell. Yvette wouldn’t offer this to just anyone. You are so talented, I just needed you to believe it. And I know I’ve been hard on you, kiddo, but it’s only because I wanted to strengthen you,” she explains to me. I stand up and hug my mom. Finally after all these years, she takes me seriously.
Nell: Meet me at Saks tomorrow for champagne. I have news.
“I’ve missed you, girlies.” I squeal when I see them. I haven’t told them about the blow-up between Remi and me. I’m not sure why, maybe because I’m embarrassed, maybe I just don’t want the Spanish inquisition on my ass, or maybe I’m worried that they might side with Remi on this one. Forget about him. I have more important things to worry about.
“I have some news for you both.” I am practically jumping out of my chair.
“Tell us, woman.” Audrey huffs.
“I pitched my design ideas to Mom for her equestrian clothing brand, and she loved them.” The girls scream. They have been on this journey with my mom for years and they understand how much this means to me. “I explained how I wanted to expand her brand from out of the traditional equestrian scene and move into a more contemporary one—starting with outfits fit for polo parties. We all know when polo season hits, the calendar is jam-packed with events and some events have a strict traditional dress code. Yvette and I will be working on this first line together as a collaboration until I can take over full time.”
