Chapter 19 Aston
The night of the dinner ended just as I anticipated. My father drank himself into a stupor while calling me the biggest disappointment of his life. It’s nothing new, and frankly, I can take his drunken slurs. It’s better me than Mom or Madelina.
He knew better than to show his face the following day.
Mom stayed at the hotel, and he drove to Boston for a few days.
God knows what business he had there, and I did not care to ask.
It made sense to drive back to the city, given that remote work is much more complex than I thought, and Madelina was kind enough to fetch my keys from Everleigh so I could drive back.
And that in itself is a whole other mind-fuck.
Everleigh evoked something inside of me, something I can’t explain.
No one, and I mean no one, drives my car.
But it isn’t the car that made me question everything, far from it.
It’s how she made me feel that night. I lost control inside that bathroom, and afterward, she saw a side of me I wish she hadn’t.
The moment her hand caressed my cheek, I pulled away.
Scared of how a simple touch made me feel like I deserved better.
Hence my need to escape to Manhattan and back to where I thrive on my own.
Will sits across from me inside the boardroom after everyone leaves the room.
“What the hell was that?” he blurts out.
It was five hours of torture listening to plans of how we could come out on top after my father single-handedly destroyed my hard work from the past year.
The Beaumont Group is known for its property investments, and my father’s ego is causing our stakeholders to lose confidence in us.
This panic plan is not how I intended to spend the last five hours.
“That is the result of my father giving zero fucks,” I answer coldly.
I push the chair back and stand, facing the window. With my arms crossed, I give myself a much-needed moment to think.
“We need to come up with a game plan. Strategize against these old fuckers because this will not happen. You worked your ass off the last year, and those acquisitions will go ahead, mark my words,” Will responds sternly. “Your father has officially gone mad.”
“He certainly has,” I mumble, gazing at the tall buildings surrounding us. “I need some time to think about how to handle this.”
“But time is of the essence,” Will reminds me. “Look, I know you have your sister’s wedding, but do you really need to go back to Cinnamon Springs?”
“Yes, eventually. There’s other business I need to take care of.”
Will remains silent behind me, but then he can’t resist when I don’t offer. “What other business?”
I turn around. “Just someone.”
“Someone?” Will grins annoyingly, only to shake his head. “Are you getting laid in your small town?”
My lips press together into a grimace, refusing to answer his question.
Technically, I am not getting laid, despite thinking about how sweet Everleigh would be to fuck.
I’ve laid in bed every single night since I felt her explode all over my fingers, thinking about ways to forget it happened so I can move on with my life.
“I am not,” I state simply. “Things have gotten a little complicated with someone from the past.”
Will nods with an arrogant smirk. “I know that look, buddy. Been there, and hey, look at me now.”
My lips curve. “You’re married to the ball and chain?”
“Hush. You let Amelia hear you say that, and you’ll wish you’d never said a word.” Will grabs his phone and slides it into his pocket. “Let’s sort out this shit here so you can go back to your small town and get laid by whoever it is you can’t stop obsessing over.”
“I don’t obsess over a woman.” I’m quick to set him straight, clearing my throat and fixing my cuff links. “That’s not my style.”
Will rests his hand on my shoulder. “It may not be your style, but with the right woman, you’ll have no control. Mark my words, Beaumont.”
The week doesn’t get any better. I fly to DC to meet with an investor to ensure we still have them on board despite the legal proceedings surrounding my father.
Our attorneys are working around the clock, but assure me this will be settled in the next few weeks, and business will resume as usual.
I crave normalcy, wishing I could sleep at night without all this grief weighing on me.
I’m surviving on caffeine and adrenaline to get me through the back-to-back meetings.
It’s taking its toll on me, but I know I can’t slow down.
The moment I slow down will be the moment the wheels come off the tracks, and my father will have another thing to hold over my head.
I sit in another meeting, wired on my third espresso of the day.
A text message from Ramona, oddly, finds its way to me.
The random question surprises me, since I forgot all about Ramona.
I ignore the message, not wanting to meet for dinner.
Aside from the fact that I couldn’t think of anything worse, I’m in the city with far too much work on my plate.
Then, my phone pings again.
Little Brat
BTW, Everleigh made Ramona text you. Please don’t sleep with her then ghost. This wedding is already stressful enough.
The text catches my attention. It makes no sense that she would encourage me to date another woman unless, of course, Everleigh wants to date someone else.
That thought pushes me into action.
I need to be back in Cinnamon Springs.
“Gentlemen, I need to be somewhere important.”
Will observes me with a smug expression. As for Lex Edwards, his father-in-law, I expect him to question my decision to leave, but he glances at Will and something passes between them.
“We’ll resume this via video chat tomorrow, shall we?” Lex says, keeping his expression neutral.
I nod, then leave the boardroom without another word. Instead of going to my penthouse to pack a bag, I drive straight out of the city and onto the parkway.
The open road gives me too much time to think, so I put my foot on the gas, speeding through the mountains until the town’s lights appear before me. Night has fallen, and despite my reluctance to return, I’ll admit there’s something about being here that gives me a sense of peace.
I head straight to Everleigh’s apartment without stopping at home first. If she’s not there, I’ll wait for as long as needed.
I drive down Main Street without thinking, focusing only on two people standing outside the grocery store—Everleigh, laughing with the doctor.
My hands grip the steering wheel, slamming my foot on the brake to park the car in front of them. Everleigh turns and presses her lips together in a grimace.
What the hell is she thinking?
Anger spikes through me as I exit the car to confront her. Instead of looking surprised, she pinches her mouth with a stiff stance, and questions, “What are you doing here?”
It’s evident my absence has made her look elsewhere, which is why she so easily pushed Ramona to text me. I shift my gaze from Everleigh to her doctor friend, still unable to control the fury springing to life as my mind conjures up all these scenarios.
The thought of him touching her…
The thought of him being inside her…
Everleigh doesn’t hold back her feelings, once again losing her shit like I’m the one doing something wrong. She’s angry, insisting I leave her alone.
But that only makes me want her more, so I follow her all the way to her door despite her warning me to back the hell off.
Hastily, she turns to face me with a frown. “Why do you insist on making my life so miserable?”
Before I can respond, she swiftly turns around to enter her apartment.
I follow her inside without an invitation as she throws her keys onto the nightstand and then removes her wool coat in a mad rush. Upon placing her coat on the rack, she mutters, “Your new girlfriend won’t be happy you’re stalking me.”
Beneath the ivory coat, she wears a ribbed white tank. My body instantly reacts to the lack of undergarments.
Fuck, she’s wearing no bra!
And her nipples are… are… taunting me.
I bite down on my lip, but then the doctor circles back in my mind. Did she intend to hook up with him, which is why she’s basically going commando?
I’m unable to turn away, staring at her breasts with a stir inside my pants. They’re perfect. Nice, perky, and demanding to be sucked between my lips.
“Okay, great, now you’re not even paying attention to me…
” She trails off, only to glance down to see what I’m looking at.
Panicked, she quickly covers her chest by folding her arms, and at the same time, her cheeks turn bright red.
“I was getting Tylenol for a headache and couldn’t be bothered getting changed, okay?
A headache you don’t seem to be helping. ”
“And the doctor?”
“I ran into him.” She throws her arms in the air again, only to remember her bare chest, covering it up immediately. “Anyways, what does it matter? You’re seeing someone, right? It’s why you rejected Ramona, which is so not cool.”
I take a step forward, closing the distance between us. It’s too easy to hold her gaze and watch her panic. “Tell me, Everleigh. Why did you make her text me?”
Like a frightened little mouse, she inches her way back to the wall. “Who said I made her text you?”
“A birdie.”
“I have no idea who would have said that. Myles’s mother said you were a very handsome man and that Ramona should date you. That’s all that happened.”
“Interesting,” I murmur, placing my hand against the wall to stop her from running. “It’s nice for an old lady to admire my handsome looks.”
“Yeah, well… that’s what happened,” she barely manages to say.
I run my thumb against her bottom lip, observing her breathing as it falters. “Is that all that happened? You didn’t take Ramona’s phone and text me, asking me out to dinner?”
Her eyes are firm on mine. The flush of her cheeks makes me desperate to remove all her clothes and taste every inch of her delectable body.
But I hold back.
Teasing her is much more fun.