CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
LEXI
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I climb into the Uber after my bags are loaded into the trunk and wipe the tear that leaks out.
I wanted so much to say goodbye to Mason, but the truth is, it would’ve been much harder.
Saying goodbye to Emily was difficult enough, but I’ll speak to her every day.
I can’t be here another minute.
In this city.
In this country.
In a world where Mason looks at me with a million feelings and does nothing. Where I see him moving on with his happy life one day soon, believing I’m some criminal who is a threat to his finances.
I want his heart.
Also, that lovely cock...but mostly his heart.
I want him to look at me like I’m the person who will wear his ring, summer in his Hamptons house, hold his hand at weddings and go home to make love.
Instead, all I see is desire and regret.
When I was saying goodbye to Emily and Sebastian privately a little earlier, Seb offered to help me fight to clear my name.
In other words, pay for some fancy lawyers.
I can’t take it. He’s doing it out of obligation to Emily, and while I appreciate it, I guess I’m too proud.
When I get back to England, I’ll find a job quickly, deal with my parents' judgement and connect with some other friends. I’ll piece my life back together.
I’m a survivor.
I won’t quit.
I won’t let this destroy me.
Perhaps in six months I’ll reach out to Mason and ask if he’ll be a referee so I can get a personal assistant role again. This might just be a big lumpy bump in the long road of my life.
I’ll survive.
The driver closes his door, and we start to pull away from the entrance of the hotel when I take one last glance.
Mason.
He appears suddenly in the doorway looking frantic, his eyes darting around. My mouth parts and then our eyes lock. If misery were a picture blended with fury, that’s what I see.
The car turns, breaking our connection, and tears pour down my face.
I drop it into my hands and let them flow.
It’s over.
I’ll likely never see him again.
Mason Kingsley.
Whether I am happy about this or not, I think he’s the love of my life.
The one I could never have.
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CHECK-IN IS fast, and people keep staring at me like I’m some runaway bride in my gown, sneakers and backpack.
The streaky mascara probably doesn’t help.
I buy a burger and Coke and sit down on one of the uncomfortable seats outside customs to eat. I want to buy a book to read on the plane. I doubt I’ll be able to sleep or focus on a movie.
I glance at my phone, which is already on airplane mode, and hover my finger over the option to turn it off.
Mason has likely messaged.
Don’t.
It will just hurt. He’ll be mad. Then I’ll have to think about it all the way home.
Licking my fingers and drinking down the last of the soda, I stand and toss the rubbish into the trash. Then I grab my backpack and carry-on luggage and head toward the Barnes & Noble.
I roam the shelves until I find a mafia romance, The Darkest King. A CEO billionaire who’s also a former US Marine. He’s met a pretty event planner who is secretly a mafia princess. A fake relationship, enemies to lovers.
Perfect.
A gritty, spicy romance by Juliette N. Banks.
This will keep me occupied.
I buy it, slide it into my backpack and head toward the customs entrance.
A sign announcing you are leaving the United States makes my heart thud.
Bye, Mason.
“Lexi!” A loud growl from behind me has me spinning around.
The most beautiful man in the world stands several feet from me, panting, with his white shirt undone, his navy jacket loose on his shoulders. His hair is ruffled and his eyes wild.
A sob escapes, and he begins to stride toward me.
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MASON
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I PULL LEXI into my arms, and her bags drop to the floor.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I rasp into her hair while crushing her.
She tries to shake her head, but I’m holding her too tight.
“Rhet mwee gwo,”
Shit.
I loosen my hold and take her chin.
“Mase,”
Tears pour down her face.
“Someone assaulted you and then set you up. Lexi, I could have helped you. Fuck the gag order.”
Her forehead falls onto my chest.
Good god, she’s been through hell, and I did nothing to help. It’s typical of her not to ask for help, but I imagine she was terrified.
“I want to help you.”
Her face lifts. “I don’t want your help. I want...all I wanted was...you.”
I nearly break. My eyes fill, and my chest tightens so hard I think I’m about to break into pieces.
“You have me, Lexi Grant. You had me from the moment you shook my hand in the lobby of Obsidian Nexus.”
Disbelieving eyes study mine.
“I love you. I’d already decided I was going to make you mine.” I slide my thumb over her jaw. “Waiting for the wedding to be over was my biggest mistake.”
“You love me?”
“I loved you before I knew you were innocent. Nothing was going to change that. Not even my paranoia and trust issues.” I shake my head. “You have me, Lexi. Now tell me you will stay and be mine.”
Another sob escapes her, but she’s not sure.
“Emily told you.”
I nod.
“Don’t worry about the legalities. We will do everything we need to protect you and ensure the motherfucker who set you up is put away for life.”
Lexi falls apart.
I wrap my arms around her again and let her cry.
“Not even my parents believed me.” She sobs quietly as I run my hand over her hair.
I’ll deal with them when I meet them.
Then again, I was just as guilty.
“He told me he was locked out of payroll and couldn’t pay anyone. I stupidly gave it to him. That was my crime.”
Jesus.
“That’s your crime?” I lift her face to mine again, shocked now that she’s sharing more details. “Why didn’t they believe you?”
“Digital trace. It looked like I moved the fifty thousand pounds into a Swiss bank account.”
What the actual fuck?
“Opening a Swiss bank account isn’t something you can do online like a fucking Wise account. Have you been to Switzerland?”
“No.” She shakes her head.
“We will destroy this piece of shit.”
“Mark is your customer now, Mase. You can’t.”
My eyes widen.
“Is that why you didn’t say anything?”
When she averts her eyes, the last piece of the puzzle snaps into place.
She’s been protecting me.
Lexi has been the scapegoat.
I lead her over to a seat, taking her bags, and we sit.
“Do you love me?” I ask, feeling like my heart is made of glass and could be shattered with a single word.
“Yes. You know I do,” Lexi replies, sniffing. “I don’t want your money. I really need you to know that.”
I do now.
Smiling, I take her hand. “Listen, we all know it’s my cock you want, so I believe you.”
Lexi snorts, her nose snotty.
“Nice cock, terrible sense of humor. We can work on that.”
“Will you stay?”
“I can’t. I need to get home and sort this out. Get a job and—”
Lexi is not listening. She doesn’t understand what I’m saying.
“No.” I shake my head. “I’ve never told a woman I loved them before, beautiful. If I thought it wouldn’t freak you out, I’d fucking propose right now.”
Her mouth falls open, proving my point.
“Are you crazy?”
“Crazy about you. I think we’re both the kind of people who need some time, to have some long conversations and have a lot of sex.”
Her smile returns, those green eyes starting to sparkle again.
“When you put it like that.”
“Move in with me. Let’s give them a chance. I’ll find you a position in one of our companies so you have your independence, and the rest we will work out.”
Sniff.
I see her reluctance.
“Beautiful, I’m pushing through my fears. Meet me halfway.”
“So, this is a relationship.”
“You bet your sexy ass it is. You are mine. Do you want me to get down on one knee and make this very clear?”
The giggle that escapes almost makes me follow through.
“No!” She grabs my arm, spotting the temptation in my eyes. “When—if—you propose, I want it to be very romantic. And I want you to be sure that you mean it.”
I pull her onto my knee, and she wraps her arms around my neck. My lips find hers, our tongues hungrily rekindling the spark we’ve both been missing for weeks.
“I mean every word. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that. Now, let’s go home.”
When we step outside the airport, I glance around at the options.
“No driver?”
“He had the night off because of the wedding,” I tell her, pulling out my phone and shifting her bag into my other hand.
“Man, you’re really slumming it now that you’re with me.” Lexi shoots me a cheeky grin and takes her bag out of my hand.
“How do you feel about spanking?” I ask, booking an Uber and pocketing my phone.
Then I turn and pull Lexi into my arms and kiss that cheeky grin right off her beautiful face.