Chapter 5
Theo
Holland said she was good at lying. That may have been the understatement of the century. Her story execution is so flawless I start asking myself if I actually did ruin a relationship with her.
My grandmother sits down on the sofa beside Holland and studies her. It’s the same scrutiny she gives employees before deciding if they’re an asset or a liability.
“So, by coming here to meet me and telling me all this,” my grandmother says, “I assume that means you’re willing to give my grandson another chance.”
“Oh, no. Not at all,” Holland says. She folds her hands together and her shoulders droop. “I doubt his sincerity.”
What the fuck?
“And why is that?”
“His brother Locke let it slip about your ultimatum.”
I’m rooted to the floor in shock. This isn’t the story we concocted. Is she about to spoil everything?
Holland wipes the corners of her eyes. “Even though he says he wants me back does he truly want me or is it about the company?”
My grandmother narrows her eyes. “Has my grandson not been in contact with you before now?”
“He has. He’s sent tons of flowers and cards. And he visits when he can find the time.” Holland’s lower lip quivers. “He’s just so busy.”
Holland looks at me, her eyes swimming with tears. “You’re so busy,” she whispers.
I stare in disbelief.
“He’s handsome and he makes my heart flutter. I’ll admit I was tempted to forgive him,” Holland says, “but then just like before, I ask myself if he’ll go right back to standing me up on dates?”
“He stood you up?”
“Even on Valentine’s Day. I was left waiting in a restaurant full of couples for a man who never showed.”
I feel guilty and also like an idiot since the damn situation didn’t even fucking happen.
She pauses to draw in a breath. “It was humiliating and I’m just so wounded.” Her voice breaks on the last word and she thumps her chest. “Deeply wounded.”
My grandmother turns her attention to me with an icy glare like I’m holding an award about to give an acceptance speech as the world’s biggest asshole.
Holland is so convincing I feel like I earned that award.
“I’m just busy,” I say, feeling the need to defend myself for breaking a Valentine Day’s date I never had.
Holland sniffs and dabs at her eyes again. “I know how much the company matters to you, truly I do,” she says quietly. “But am I not important enough for you to make time for?”
Holland returns her gaze back to my grandmother. “I feel like I’m the only one who fought for our relationship. I fought hard. I don’t know if I have any strength left to fight or trust him again.” She puts her hand on her forehead.
My grandmother, the woman with a spine like a steel rod, the one who’s allergic to emotion, tenderly touches Holland’s shoulder.
Holland deserves a hefty bonus for her acting skills. I move to kneel beside her and take her hand tapping into the boyfriend-wanting-her-back act. “You are important to me and I’m sorry.”
Our gaze locks and for one wild moment, I feel like I’m apologizing about the future, not a fake past.
Holland jerks away from my touch and closes her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says to my grandmother as she chokes back a sob. “I need a minute.”
As soon as Holland steps outside, my grandmother zeroes in on me.
“Theo! Despite your awful father’s influence, I thought I taught you to be a decent human being.”
“You did. I was wrong.” I sigh. “But now you see what I meant about rejection? She may never forgive me. I think too much damage has been done.” I’m laying groundwork for what I picture as a spectacular breakup.
“Clearly. It sounds like you crushed that poor woman’s heart. If you do love her as you’ve claimed, you will prove it.”
“I would do anything to win her back,” I say, warming up to saying that it’s probably impossible.
Before I get that chance, my grandmother says, “Prove it by taking time off. Go somewhere exotic with her. Give her your full attention. Treat her like a queen. Or is it as she suspects and you’re using her to hang on as CEO?”
Well, shit. “I love Holland,” I lie smoothly. “And I would love to take time off and be with her. But it’s impossible. Locke can’t do the work I do.”
My grandmother smiles. “Perhaps not. But I can.”
Fuck.
I shake my head. “The doctor told you to take it easy. The workload at the company would be too much for you. I can’t ask you to do that.”
“The doctor is a worrier. I didn’t say I would do it for you. I’m doing it for Holland’s benefit.” She hits every point, then tips her chin toward the door. “Go make your plans with Holland. I’ll pack and travel back with you to Laketon Heights.”
Fuckity fuck with an extra fuck on top. This didn’t go in my favor. Knowing better than to argue once my grandmother’s made up her mind, I head outside to inform my fake ex we’re going on a real getaway.
Everything is spiraling out of my control and I hate it.
I find Holland in the barn. The scent of horses and hay immediately surround me, bringing back memories of my summers here.
“What the hell was all that in the house? Why’d you bring up the ultimatum?” I ask. “I thought you were about to blow our cover.”
“I sensed that your grandmother didn’t believe you and was about to start seriously grilling me. I couldn’t let that happen.”
“The problem is you played the part so well that my grandmother insists she’ll run the company while I take you on an exotic getaway.”
“Exotic?” Holland exclaims. “How exciting! I’ve never traveled out of the country.”
“Exciting? I can’t take time away. The company is at a crucial juncture, and I have to be there. I’m the only one who—”
“Theo,” she interrupts, “It’s important that you take time off. Otherwise, you’ll burn out and end up getting dumped by your girlfriend.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“That hurts,” Holland says with a grin.
And though I’m irritated, I laugh.
Then Holland yelps and yanks off her shirt.
My brain goes into standby mode.
“There’s a wasp in my shirt! Where the hell did it go?” She thrusts her hands into the cups of her bra and runs them over her tits, lifting them up out of the cups.
And I, mover and shaker of the business world, billionaire and respected CEO stand rooted to the spot like I’ve never seen a pair of tits before.
“I think it’s in my bra.” Her eyes widen and she starts to panic.
I move to help her. A wasp emerges from one of the cups and targets my face.
“Don’t swat it, you’ll make it angry!” she shrieks.
“Like it was happy before now?” I fucking hate wasps. They’re the mafia of the insect world. Fattest fucking lip I ever got was from one of those little bastards. Locke laughed his ass off and said my lips looked like a folded donut.
I move to the middle of the barn and Holland moves with me. We’re allies now, wary of an insect with the skills of a sniper. We stand back-to-back as the wasp dive-bombs us.
Holland yelps as it grazes her ear and spins to face me. With her body flush against mine, I have a great view of her tits from my height advantage. The way my cock reacts you’d think he got a peek, too.
“I didn’t mean to be so good with your grandmother,” she says, her voice slightly husky.
“She believes us, so we’re still okay.” I don’t know why it’s important to assure her, but it is.
“I can feel you,” she says in that same husky tone.
“I can see you,” I respond.
My heart races. I wonder what it would be like to touch her. To stroke her body. To enter her. Heat surges through me.
She glances down at herself. “I should put my shirt back on.”
The sooner the better.
I clench my jaw and step away to adjust my throbbing cock. “I’ll take you clothes shopping before we go on our trip,” I say as we walk toward the barn doors.
She stops right outside them. “I don’t need or want you to buy my clothes. I’ll just steal them from your company.”
I laugh at her unexpected remark.
My grandmother motions from the front porch.
“It’s showtime again,” I say.
After the luggage is stored in the trunk, we head back to the city. I expected the trip to be mostly silent but Holland and my grandmother chat like they’re lifelong friends.
They talk about traveling and cooking. Movies and books. Favorite foods. Funny things. My grandmother laughs heartily and I’m well aware this shouldn’t be happening.
The way it should have played out is like this. We show up in Lucky River. My grandmother is polite but adamant that Holland isn’t suitable. I expected her to tell me to give up.
When we finally reach Holland’s apartment, my grandmother says warmly, “I want to take you to breakfast tomorrow.”
“I’d like that,” Holland says. “But you’re also welcome to have breakfast at my place. I’m a great cook.”
I didn’t know that. But then again, I don’t know much about my girlfriend other than what I read in the information I dug up. Ex-girlfriend. No. What the fuck? Hired girlfriend. Ex, ex, ex. Shit. I’m tired.
“Sounds delightful, my dear.”
I wait for Holland to get safely inside her building before leaving.
“My dear?” I glance at my grandmother. “You’ve never addressed anyone that way.”
“I like Holland. I like her very much.”
“She’s easy to like.” I speak those words truthfully.
“She’ll make a wonderful addition to the family.”
Internal alarms go off. “She hasn’t forgiven me or agreed to give me another chance.”
“I’m sure you can change her mind during your trip. I’ll expect to hear good news after your return.”
I nod because I need the ruse to continue unfolding. “I’ll do everything I can.”
Keeping my position as CEO is important to me.
As I head home, I think about Holland. The way her face lights up when she laughs. How quick witted she is. She’s unpredictable.
I think about how she looked and felt against me when we were in the barn and I get hard again, my cock straining against my zipper. I press the palm of my hand over the head.
I’m looking forward to taking Holland on this unexpected trip. To being alone with her where it’s just the two of us. And I’m not going to lie to myself and say it’s just because I think she’s fascinating.
I want to show her beautiful parts of the world. And I want to spend days and nights with the taste of her pussy on my tongue.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Thoughts of her are already captivating my mind and her body calls me like a siren’s song. But I can handle it if we do have sex. I’m in control so there won’t be a problem.
I can acknowledge that I want that woman with a hunger no one else can satisfy. So this is what’s going to happen. We’ll go to the island. We’ll have sex. My hunger will be quenched, and I’ll get her out of my head.
I won’t even want her a second time.
Sure, that’ll happen, Theo. Good luck with that. Fuck. Fuck. Okay. Alright. Maybe there might be a problem.