Captivating You (How to Marry a Billionaire #2)

Episode 57

EPISODE 57

SIENNA’S PHONE CALL

Sienna

I whisk past Emily and River on the way to the office on the third floor to take Leroy’s call. I have no idea what my ex wants, and honestly I don’t care...except he did say it was urgent, so I’m a bit freaked. I could have taken the call downstairs, but I figure I could use some privacy.

“Right there,” the staff member says, pointing to the landline. “It’s line two.”

“Thank you.”

He nods and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

I draw in a breath. Four orgasms in a day should have me boneless and ready for anything, but I’m far from relaxed when I pick up the receiver and hold it to my ear. “Hello.”

“Sienna, thank God.”

Leroy’s rich, low voice still makes my flesh react. My nipples pebble against the metal mesh of my dress. Damn my body for betraying me.

“What is it, Leroy?”

“Your mother wouldn’t tell me where you are, but she gave me the number when I begged. I need you, See. Please.”

I hold back a scoff. I’m determined to be mature. “Do you? This isn’t something your new woman can handle?”

“We’re no longer together.”

My heart flips a little.

And I hate myself for it.

I am not still hung up on Leroy. Anyone who falls in love with a stripper and blows a four-year relationship is not someone I want.

“Yeah?” I say. “Well, neither are we. What’s so urgent that you had to interrupt my vacation?”

“It’s my mother,” he says. “She’s been in an accident, and it doesn’t look good.”

My heart falls.

Leroy may be a jackass, but I did— do —love his parents. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

“A drunk driver hit her, and her airbag didn’t deploy.”

“Oh my God! What’s her prognosis?”

“She has facial lacerations, and she may lose her left eye. Multiple rib fractures with a punctured lung. There was damage to her liver and spleen, which they had to remove. They’re still watching her for internal bleeding. She’s out of surgery and conscious, but it’s touch and go. We’ve been told we should say our goodbyes.”

“Are you going to sue?” I ask, and then I berate myself. “I’m sorry. That was the lawyer in me. It’s the last thing you need to hear right now. What do you need?”

He clears his throat. “She wants to see you, Sienna. She... She wants us to get back together. It’s like her dying wish.”

Seriously?

I’d do almost anything for Lavonne Robinson. She was like a second mother to me, and we adored each other. But get back with her son after he dumped me in the most humiliating way possible?

That’s asking a lot.

But I’m not angry at Lavonne. She can’t help what she feels.

I’m not even angry at Leroy for calling.

I’m angry at myself because I don’t hate the idea.

“What do you want, Leroy?”

“Fuck, Sienna. Stephanie was a huge mistake.”

I could get nasty with him. I could remind him of what he said that night—that he didn’t know such a feeling existed before Stephanie, that their chemistry was undeniable. She was a damned stripper at a bachelor party.

It takes all my strength, but I manage to keep those things to myself.

“I could have told you that to begin with. But you’re not answering my question. What do you want?”

Silence on the other end of the line, until?—

“I’ve wanted you back for a while now. I just didn’t know how to approach you.”

“Sorry,” I say. “You blew it.”

“Please, See. Can you at least come see Mom? You know how much she loves you.”

“Your mother is a very loving woman, Leroy. I’m sure she loved Stephanie too.”

He doesn’t reply.

Corporate attorney or stripper? Which would she want for her only child? I hold back a scoff once more.

I draw in a breath and concentrate on Lavonne. This is about her. Not about me, and not about Leroy or Stephanie.

“I’m not in a position to leave,” I say, “but please give Lavonne my love. How’s your dad holding up?”

“He’s a mess.”

“I’m so sorry. They both mean a lot to me.”

“You mean a lot to them too, See. It about broke Mom when we split up.”

“You use the word ‘we’ pretty liberally, Leroy. I had nothing to do with that split-up. It was all you .”

“I know. I’ll do anything I can to make it up to you, baby. If you’ll give me a chance.”

I pause a moment. I’m making this about Leroy and me again, and I don’t mean to. “What can I do?” I ask. “I mean, from here.”

“The number your mom gave me contains the country code for Jamaica. Are you there?”

“That’s not telling me what I can do for Bob and Lavonne.”

“Come home,” he says. “I would never ask for myself. But this is my mom, Sienna.”

I close my eyes.

Any other time, despite what Leroy put me through, I’d go running if Lavonne needed me.

But I’m in the middle of trying to snag a billionaire.

And I’ve got two on the hook.

Well, one. I don’t for a moment think that Brett is serious about me. But Alex and I had something I thought might be real—or at least the beginning of real.

“I’ll give it some thought, Leroy,” I finally say. “I’ll let you know in the morning.”

“All right.” He sighs through the phone. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, and if it were just me, I wouldn’t. But it’s for Mom. And I...” He chokes back what sounds like a sob. “If I could take the last six months back, I would. I don’t know why I was so damned stupid, See. Maybe it was a midlife crisis or something. Mom hasn’t forgiven me.”

“Leroy, do you want me back for you? Or for your mother?”

“How can you even ask that?”

“It’s a valid question, and one I deserve an answer to. Why didn’t you come to me before now if you wanted me back?”

“Because I was fucking embarrassed, Sienna! I broke your heart, destroyed the best thing in my life, yet I loved you enough not to pull you back into my drama. I loved you enough to let you go.”

“And now?”

“And now I see that life is fragile. I could lose my mother because of some drunk idiot and a malfunctioning airbag. I should let you go. Let you find a life without me, because God knows I don’t deserve you. But I have to try. And it’s not just for my mother, See. It’s for me, damn it. I love you. I don’t think I ever stopped.”

“Only when you saw a woman take off her clothes at Greg’s bachelor party.”

“I deserve that.”

“You sure as hell do. We’re not getting back together, Leroy. I’ve moved on. But I’ll consider coming home to see Lavonne.”

“It would mean a lot to her.”

“It would mean a lot to me, too. I’ll see what I can do.”

“All right. Good night, Sienna.”

“Tell Lavonne I love her.”

“I will. Goodbye.”

After I hang up, I draw in a breath. This is unreal. I’m not even sure what time it is. Is Evangeline still up? I need to talk to her about this.

I leave the office, head back to my suite, and take off the metal-mesh dress. After all, Brett isn’t expecting me back. He said he needed to talk to the guys.

Tiny indentations mar my flesh from the fabric. I scrub my face clean of makeup, take a quick shower, and slide a short silk robe over my shoulders. After combing my hair, I leave the suite and head down to the second floor to see Evangeline. I knock on her door.

She doesn’t answer.

“Evangeline?” I say. “Are you in there? It’s Sienna.”

Nothing.

“Crap.” I turn and nearly run straight into Sebastian.

I have to stop myself from gaping at him. He’s not wearing a shirt, and his hair is unbound around his broad shoulders.

“She’s not there?” he asks.

“Nope.”

“I’ll fucking find her.” He pounds on the door. “Evie! I need to see you. Now!" He raises his hand to strike the door again. “Damn it, I?—”

The door opens, and Evangeline stands here, her long black hair in a bun. She wears black silk pajamas. “Sebastian? You again?”

“Yeah, me again. You want to explain why you let Misty into Heather’s room?”

“And why you didn’t answer the door when I knocked?” I add.

Then I lean into the wall—wallflower once more. Who do I think I am? Evangeline works for Sebastian, but she doesn’t work for me.

“Did you need something, Sienna?” Evangeline asks. “I was told you got a phone call.”

“Take care of Sebastian first, of course.”

“It’s okay,” Sebastian says. “What do you need, Sienna?”

“It’s just... Someone I love has been in an accident, and her prognosis is sketchy. I may need to leave the island to see her. So I wanted to check to see how that would affect everything if I decide to go.”

Sebastian turns to me. “Whatever you need, we will work it out. But I hope you’ll come back.”

“Of course.” I turn to walk away. “I’ll check in tomorrow morning once I make a decision.”

Sebastian and Evangeline go into her suite and close the door.

Just then, a staff member walks down the hallway toward me. He’s tall with black hair and striking blue eyes.

I think of Brett’s tongue, Alex’s cock...and damn it, in spite of myself, Leroy’s everything .

But mostly, I’m worried about Lavonne.

I need a distraction.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Marc,” he says.

I do a quick scan of his left hand.

No ring.

“You up for some fun, Marc?”

“What’d you have in mind?”

“Follow me.”