Chapter 9 Fiona
Fiona
Groaning, I try not to move too quickly the next day. My thighs feel like I’ve been riding a damn bucking bronco. Or a bull.
I can’t stop the grin that breaks out though. I mean, Monroe is fucking perfect. The man is a demon in the sack and woke me up at least two more times to fuck me into oblivion again.
I got up this morning and had to head to the diner to pick up food. He was still sound asleep and I know that he doesn’t open as early as me so I left him there with a note and a muffin for breakfast.
I’m not sure if I did the right thing. I’m not sure I should have told him anything.
But I couldn’t help myself. I wrote the note and kissed it gently before I left.
I hope it doesn’t freak him out. But then again, Monroe Stephens doesn’t seem like a guy that scares easily.
Harper eyes me and I can see the judgement in her eyes. It’s like looking in my own. Like I’m judging myself for my own happiness.
“I know what you’re thinking. There’s nothing wrong with being happy.”
“I think it’s called sleeping with the enemy, cuz? You sure you want to do that? You remember what happened in the movie? It wasn’t fucking pretty.”
She slams her cup down on the counter and glares at me.
“Stop it! He’s not the enemy.”
“All Stephens are.”
“Get over it. It’s something that happened over fifty years ago. And it has nothing to do with any of us. You sure?”
Her eyes dart over to the side and my brows lift as the door opens and Mr. Stephens comes inside, leaning on a cane. His face is pale and sweaty but he stomps over to me.
“You!” He hisses angrily.
“It’s me!” I smile and nod at him. “Can I help you with anything? Should you be out of the hospital so soon?”
“I wouldn’t be if I hadn’t heard that my damn son was fucking up again.”
Chills run down my arms. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“He was supposed to talk you into selling the other part of the store to me.” His dark eyes run up and down me and I flinch, fighting to keep my head up. “He definitely wasn’t supposed to let you seduce him into forgetting his family obligations.”
“What are those?” I whisper, feeling Harper coming up behind me, her hand resting on my arm. I feel fucking sick.
Was it all fake? Did he not care at all? Or was it a trick to get the shop?
He made that joke….was it a joke?
“He knows that I need space to build the kind of store that I want. I can’t get that until y’all are gone!
” His lips twist and he snarls, “We should have had this space anyway. It doesn’t belong to the Murphy’s.
It’s Stephens property. Or it should have been if your family hadn’t broken the betrothal like they did. ”
“They weren’t right for each other. And my grandmother knew it. She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t have any choice.” Tears spill down my cheeks. I can’t seem to stop shaking and crying.
“She had a choice,” he spits out, some of it clinging to his lips like a crazy person.
“She should have stayed and married a man she didn’t love.”
“She should have honored her word.”
“They would never have been happy,” I gasp, tears strangling me. I wipe my cheeks and he growls under his breath.
“There are more things in this world than being happy.”
“That’s a horrible way to look at the world.”
“That’s the only way to look at the world. Bite it before it bites you.”
“Monroe didn’t have anything to do with your plans.” Desperation colors my voice and he hears it. His grin isn’t happy. It’s cold and knowing.
“You fell in love with him, didn’t you? Monroe knows what he’s supposed to do. Not his fault if you fell for him.”
Harper snarls and steps in front of me. “You better get the hell out of here before he gets here. I don’t think he’d like how you’re talking to my cousin!”
He smirks but it’s still damn cold. “He wouldn’t give a flying fuck how I’m talking to her.
Not if he’s got any sense.” His gaze runs down my body and I shrink in on myself, choking on tears.
“You Murphy women are all the same. Not worth a damn dime. Do yourself a favor and sell this place to me. Get the hell out of town while you can. Before you have to watch him meet some other woman and fall in love. Real love.” His cold eyes run down my body again. “Not whatever this is.”
Then he turns on his heel, dragging his one leg behind him, the cane thumping angrily.
Turning around, I wipe the tears from my eyes. “I shouldn’t have let him get to me.”
Harper pats my shoulder. “You have every right to react like this. Cry as long as you want. But if that fucker was using sex with you to get what he wants, I say we tar and feather his gorgeous ass!”
Choking, I turn into her shoulder and sobs wrack my body. I love that man and it’s almost certain that he wasn’t joking. He was seriously trying to maneuver me into giving his family what they’ve always wanted.
And I fell for it hook, line and heartbroken sinker.