4. Laurene
CHAPTER 4
Laurene
“Yeah,” I whispered, eyes locked on his. “I’m back.”
He didn’t just occupy the space; he owned it. His energy… Fuck . It was wild, untamed, like a storm brewing in the distance, ready to tear through everything.
“Didn’t think I’d see you here again.”
“Neither did I,” I said.
God help me.
His eyes, blazing green, cut right through me. Pure rage, and something way worse that made my pulse jump.
Time had sculpted him into something raw and devastatingly destructive. His sun-kissed skin, richer and warmer than I remembered. Dark waves of hair, tousled and unruly. And those lips… The same lips that used to whisper my name like a prayer.
I hated him. But the ache between my legs didn’t give a damn.
Reese started pacing slowly, hands in pockets, a cigarette dangling from his lips. I couldn’t look at him, so I stared at everything else—the garden, the bench, the dirt, even the stars.
“You’re smoking again?”
“I’m smoking.”
I could almost taste that night before the engagement party. The back seat of his Mustang, the scent of salt air mixing with the leather, the hum of his engine as his arm pulled me closer. My fingers traced circles on his bare chest.
“It’s stopping me from wringing your fucking neck.”
My heart skipped a beat, but there was no way in hell I was going to show any weakness. Instead, my eyes locked on his, and for a moment, I forgot everything else—everything we’d been through. All I saw was the man who had wrecked me, the man who had damn near destroyed me, the man who made me betray my family for his love, the man whose love I then betrayed for my family.
And still, I wanted him. Bad.
I wanted to drag him back to that fire we burned in before, back to the madness, the raw need. Rip him open with my mouth and tongue until we both bled from the inside out. I wanted to make him feel what he did to me—the way he burned me, the way he left me to rot.
And I had no fucking idea what to do with all of that.
“You haven’t changed.” I kept my face devoid of any emotion.
His lips twisted in a faint, almost mocking smile, as though he knew exactly what I was trying to do.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been good at that,” he muttered. Then, after a long moment, he added, “But you? You’ve changed.”
“I know this isn’t the…ideal circumstance to meet again.” I straightened. “I didn’t come back to play games.”
“You fucked me over, and now, after six years, you just show up?” His voice shook, raw with something dark and dangerous. “You turned on me. We were supposed to leave together. Ran out on our plan like I was nothing?—”
“It was our plan, Reese. You were in on it too.”
“I know you, baby.” His hand shot out, gripping my wrist—not hard, but enough to keep me there. “Six years is a long time to disappear, and I know you have something up your sleeve. Come to finish the job? See your handiwork? Want to take the last fucking dime from me?”
“I didn’t come here for you ,” I snapped, snatching my arm from wrist away. “Don’t get flattered.”
“Is that right?” He was getting too close, and damn it, my body was betraying me.
“Let’s… I just… Before we go into that room full of people and pretend that we’re both happy with this.”
Four hours of staring at my bedroom ceiling hadn’t been wasted. I’d come up with a plan.
“We’re going to be married.” My words tasted like ash, yet my voice remained cold. “Maybe we can make the best of it. Together?—”
“No fucking way. I don’t want a damn thing to do with you.”
I didn’t need his trust yet. Trust was earned, but belief? That could be engineered. If I turned his hate for this marriage into something useful, he’d go along with it. Clueless.
“Let’s keep this professional. This is business.”
The plan wasn’t complicated, but it required finesse. Marry him—there was no getting out of that. Post-wedding, he was unnecessary. We’d have completely separate lives from day one—no shared bank accounts, no plans together. Reese had done well for himself over the years; I’d followed the news. I did need to stay with him for a certain length of time. California law would handle the rest. If I convinced him to agree to no prenup, then in the end, half of his wealth would be mine, along with my inheritance.
All money was good money, and I needed lots of it.
Then, when I had my inheritance and half from him, the first thing I’d do was get the hell out of this town. Disappear. Maybe fly to Switzerland and stash the money where Mama couldn’t find it and Reese couldn’t follow. It would be the biggest come up for me.
“We’re just going to treat this as business?” Reese’s voice cracked. “After everything between us? ”
“We both know what’s at stake now.”
You don’t love him anymore. Your emotions don’t matter. All that matters is your money.
“Is that the same conversation you had with Conrad?” He flicked his cigarette into my roses.
“Let’s keep it simple,” I said. “You don’t want to marry me, and I get it. There’s a way for both of us to get what we want without turning this into a war.”
Reese only stared at me. I didn’t have money, but he didn’t know that.
“When our parents check in, just say we’re following the rules. We can lie. We’ve done it before. You don’t want to live with me. I’ll make it worth your while—monthly payments, upfront, no drama. You play along, and eventually you walk away with money you didn’t expect.”
“You think I’d just roll over for some cash?” Reese looked at me in disgust.
“I’m not asking you to love me.” Again. Love me again. “I’m trying to find a solution that benefits both of us. We were friends once.”
“I also fucked you in the back seat of my car once, but that means shit now, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t be petty.” I shook my head. “We both know how this world can chew us up and spit us out. You think I’m asking you to play the good guy and sacrifice for my sake? Hell no. I’m asking you to do what’s in your best interest.”
I didn’t have a leg to stand on, and I was praying he didn’t bluff me out.
Reese flashed me a look of disdain. “Is that what you and Conrad secretly planned? Keep it strictly business? Marry the good son, but fuck the bad one? Did you not give a damn that the man who loved you would have had to watch from a distance while you married someone else? Never again able to touch you? Love you? ”
My breath hitched. I forced myself to hold his gaze, but the cracks were already forming.
I was trying to protect both of us.
“Wow,” he muttered, shaking his head. “How did I not see it before? You don’t give a fuck. None of your family cares for anyone but themselves.”
What if I had chosen differently? What if I had been brave enough to fight for us instead of running away?
“C’mon, Reese, it’s not a hard choice.”
Then, without warning, he was on me. At first, panic surged through my veins, but then—just as quickly—something else ignited. His fingers brushed my cheek, a soft touch, but the heat of it spread like fire, and for a second, I felt exposed in a way I couldn’t explain.
“Every time I look at you, I’m torn,” he murmured. “I hate you. But I can’t shut off what I feel. I guess that’s my flaw, huh?”
My heart pounded; it felt like hell not responding.
“I have a plan for you , Laurene.”
I tensed, recoiling inwardly.
“You’ll play the perfect little wife. I heard about our…terms and conditions. Let’s not forget, we were always good in bed. We’ll take care of the kid, and you’ll stay with me. Here in town . Holidays, weddings, and funerals—we’ll speak only then. I will get a cut of that money.”
I pushed myself up to stand, taking a few steps back from him.
His smirk was sharp. “I’m not the same man you left behind. What if I expose you for who you really are?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know damn well what I mean.” His smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We had a plan—our escape . You ditched me.”
I shook my head. “Conrad was a happy accident.”
Reese’s eyes grew cold, and I knew I said the wrong thing.
“My brother’s death was a ‘happy accident’? ”
“I didn’t mean it like that?—”
“I’ll tell her. I’ll tell your mom exactly what you’re up to. You tried to bribe me in the garden. That’s not a part of the rules, is it? Imagine what she’d do if she found out you were using her like that. That wouldn’t be good for you, huh?”
“If you expose me, you’re only exposing yourself.”
He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. “And? You think I care now? There’s nothing left for me to lose. But you? I’ll make sure every second of your life is hell for you with me.”
“Reese—”
“You’ll feel every ounce of the pain you caused me.” His grin was all teeth. “So smile, Princess. Cameras are watching.”