BOUGHT: A Standalone Romance (10 page)

“How long is the drive?” I ask, nerves creeping into my voice.

“About an hour, maybe a little over. We’ll get there before it’s dark, at least.”

I nod. The road seems to go on forever, but unlike on the plane, I’m unable to relax enough to doze off. Instead, I stare out of the window. As I watch the city fade away, it’s replaced by trees and large homes.

“I thought you were from Virginia?”

“I am,” Connor nods, “but my parents moved us out here when I was ten. More culture, more excitement.”

“Which place do you like better?”

“California. Where else?”

I know the feeling. I’ve been in several states trying to get away from my past, but California just feels like home. My mind briefly goes back to Nathan, standing in the door of the convenience store. I shudder. Of course I don’t want to leave my home, but I might have not have a choice.

We finally pull off the road and onto a stone-paved driveway. As soon as we get to the front doors, tall and imposing, a man jogs over to us and takes the car. Connor holds out his arm to me, and I take it gently. For a moment, I close my eyes. When I open them again, my “Angel” smile is in place.

“Ready?” he asks.

I nod. “Of course. Let’s go inside.”

Connor takes a deep breath as the door is pulled open for us. I pull my shawl a little tighter around my shoulders. As we walk through the house, a few people greet us and give Connor hugs.

“Where is everyone?” he asks a tall woman with frizzy black hair.

“They’re out back. Everything’s set up out there. The rehearsal isn’t for another twenty minutes or so, but you know your sister.”

“Always late.” Connor shakes his head.

We head outside. There are white chairs set up on an immaculate lawn, lanterns spilling warm light onto the ground, and people chatting lightly as they mill around. I start feeling overwhelmed. Everyone here is dripping with money. It’s easy to tell by the jewelry they’re wearing and the way they hold themselves. I begin to feel very out of my league.

Then Connor does something that brings me back. He holds my hand. I glance up at him, and he gives me a wink. He’s nervous too, of that I’m sure, but he looks cool, calm. I wonder that I’ve never noticed it before, how unsure he can look behind the calmness. I’ve always mistaken it for coldness.

“Darling!”

We both turn to the voice, and I see a woman walking over to us. I know from the pictures that she’s Connor’s mother. Her tall, elegant body is clothed in a delicate cream dress, with jewels dangling from her wrist, neck, and ears. She looks like a movie star. Her eyes are the same shade of startling green, her jet black hair sporting not a strand of gray as it flows around her shoulders. As she approaches us, the beauty pageant smile falters slightly.

“Connor,” she says as she wraps her arms around him, “you’re late. I thought you would be getting in earlier so we could do lunch.”

“I had to change flights. Angela had something come up.”

“Angela,” she says as she looks me up and down before extending a hand. “Lovely to meet you.”

Can you feel instant dislike? I swear the temperature has suddenly dropped by about twenty degrees. I wonder if my breath is coming out as clouds. Connor gives me a nudge, and I’m popped out of my daydream. I take her hand, widen my smile, and give a little chuckle.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just heard so much about you. You look amazing. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Who is this person? I sound confidant, sweet. Then I remember all of the practice I’ve had crafting my personality to meet my clients. This should be a piece of cake. I can do it. I hope.

“I’m sorry, but Connor hasn’t really told me much about you. I’m kind of surprised he’s told you anything at all about me,” she says with a raised brow.

Shit. Why do I feel like this woman can see right through me? Connor gives my hand a tight squeeze giving me a bit of my quickly crumbling confidence back.

“Don’t pick on her, Mom,” he says with a laugh. “Where’s Vanessa?”

“Oh, throwing a fit about something. Her fiancé is around here somewhere, hiding from her. I swear, those two are so dysfunctional.”

Connor shakes his head. “Mom, you can’t say that. What if they hear you?”

“Oh, I already told Vanessa.” She says it matter-of-factly as she scoops up a passing glass of wine from a waiter’s tray, “By the way, I just want to give you a heads up. Your ex-wife is here.”

Ex-wife? I’m lost. I think back to the binder filled with the faces of Connor’s family and friends, but there was never one for an ex-wife. Now Connor’s clutching my hand a little too tightly. I pull my hand from his as I glance up at him. He jaw is set, the glare in his eyes enough to kill.

“Why would you do that?”

Connor’s mom, Gloria, rolls her eyes. “Oh, don’t be dramatic. Our families are still friends, after all. Vanessa still sees her at least a couple of times a week.”

“It would have been nice if you’d told me all of this before I came.”

“You wouldn’t have come. Darling, you’ll be fine. Go say hi to your father,” she says with a soft smile. Glancing at me, her grin widens. I can only describe it as wicked. “And your fiancée.”

As she walks away, I’m struck stupid. What the hell does she mean, fiancée? Slowly, I turn to glare at Connor. The look on his face says it all. This isn’t news to him. What the hell has he gotten me involved in? And me, I’ve been sleeping with an engaged man. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Angela,” he says slowly, “it’s not what you think.”

“I’m sorry, but did you not just hear your mother say ‘fiancée?’ I think it’s exactly what I think.”

“Look,” he says, putting his hands on each of my shoulders. “This is exactly what my mom wants, for us to fight.”

From behind gritted teeth, I manage to get out, “She’s about to have that wish granted.”

Connor sighs. Before he can say anything more, he glances up and smiles. My eyes follow his to a man. I can see where Connor gets his height from: his entire family look like giants. The man in front of me is Connor’s father, Mark. There’s gray on his temples, and he’s made no attempt to hide it. His thick blond hair is short, neat. As he reaches us, he takes Connor’s hand and shakes it before he pulls him into a hug.

“Where the hell have you been? You too important to call your own father now?”

Connor chuckles. “I’m sorry. I should do it more often.”

“Damn right you should. We’re going to have to get caught up before you have to fly back home.” Mark’s eyes catch mine. I’m expecting the same treatment as before when his smile widens. “You must be Angela. My son is an awful man for keeping you a secret for so long. It’s nice to meet you,” he says as he shakes my hand.

“Nice to meet you too,” I say with a smile. I can’t help it; he’s so sweet that it’s infectious.

“Have you seen your mother yet?”

“Yep,” Connor says flatly.

“Damn, she gave me the slip when I was cornered by that bore Jackson. She tell you about Charlotte and Lilly?”

“Yep,” Connor says again.

Mark turns to me. “I assure you, there’s nothing to worry about. Even if my wife tried to act like there was. Charlotte and Connor are long divorced, and Lilly and my wife think they can conspire to get Connor married off again, to her. I’ve only just met you and like you better than Lilly, and I’ve known her since she was a little gold digger.”

Connor chokes on a laugh. “What is wrong with you and Mom today? You guys have just given up on being nice people?”

“Since when has your mother ever been nice?” he says with a raised brow. “Oh, there’s your sister. It looks like she’s chewing someone out, again. I better go smooth things over. I’ll see you two later. And Angela?” He grins. “You’re a beautiful woman.”

I feel my cheeks turn red. Both Connor and his father seem to think this is hilarious before he walks off. When we’re alone again, Connor shakes his head.

“Yeah, they’re strange. And there’s nothing I haven’t told you,” he says with a smile.

“Ex-wife.”

“Okay, that I didn’t tell you.”

I settle in for the wedding rehearsal, and Connor goes off to join the rest of the wedding party. Vanessa looks stunning in a short white dress covered with lace and white heels. Her hair is blond, like her father’s, and pinned up in a bun. Beside her is her fiancé. He looks nervous and timid, but handsome.

As they begin, a woman sits next to me. She sweeps long, chestnut hair over one shoulder before she looks at me. I don’t know who she is; there hadn’t been a picture of her in the book.

“You came with Connor, didn’t you?” she asks, her voice husky and almost demanding.

I nod. “Yes, he’s my boyfriend.”

The woman scoffs. Again, she flicks her hair. “It’s not serious. He’s never serious. Well, not after me, anyway.”

Right away, I get what’s going on. This must be Charlotte. She gazes at me intently with narrowed blue eyes, as if she’s expecting me to reply. What do I say? I don’t care about some silly jealousy.

I shrug. “It feels pretty serious.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll get tired of you. He’s never been much good on his own, not since we divorced. He probably pushes you around, doesn’t he? He’s always been strong-willed. I’m the only woman to ever be able to get him in line.”

Ouch, that hurts. I glance up at Connor. He’s smiling at his sister, but I can see the edge of uncomfortableness there too. No wonder he likes being in control, though. I can just imagine how demanding she must have been when they were married. No wonder he didn’t ever bring her up.

“I’m sorry, but I have no idea who you are,” I say to the woman with a smile. “Connor’s never mentioned you.”

Anger flashes across her face. I can tell that she wants to say something, but she stops herself short. I grin. Turning back to watch the rehearsal, I can’t help the small amount of satisfaction that pissing her off has given me. It serves her right.

By the time the rehearsal’s done, Charlotte has disappeared into the crowd. For that I’m thankful. Connor joins back up with me, and I loop my arm around his. Everyone makes their way inside, where amazing smells are filling the rooms around us. We settle in at a long table next to Connor’s father. My stomach growls. I forgot I haven’t eaten since the night before.

The plates put in front of us are course after course of works of art. I resist the urge to sneak out my phone and snap pictures. I’m supposed to be one of these people. As dinner comes to dessert, Gloria clears her throat.

“So, Angela, what is it that you do again?”

It takes a moment for me to remember, but all of the practicing has paid off. “I’m a relationship counselor.”

“Really?” I can see the fake interest. “Have you ever been married?”

“Once,” I say. “A long time ago.”

“Sounds like it didn’t end very well. I’m just curious how you can give other people relationship advice when your own marriage wasn’t successful.”

Connor clears his throat. “Mom…”

“That’s okay, honey.” I grin at him. “I like to believe that we can learn from our mistakes. My marriage might not have lasted, but I learned a lot from it.”

That seems to effectively shut Gloria up. I can just imagine the smile on Connor’s face is one he wore often as a mischievous child. Under the table, his hand grips my thigh, and I can tell that he’s trying not to laugh.

Dinner isn’t over soon enough. As everyone goes their separate ways, I yawn. I’m ready to go to sleep. It’s exhausting pretending to be someone you’re not for the whole day.

“Would you two like a drink?” Mark asks as we follow him out of the dining room.

Connor shakes his head, and the tension leaves my body. “I’m sorry, but we’re really tired. Do you think we could do it tomorrow evening, after the wedding?”

Mark nods before he smiles at us. “Sure, that sounds fine. Goodnight, you two.”

I follow Connor out to the car. After we’re safely inside, he loosens his tie and sighs. I can see the exhaustion on his face.

“Drink?”

“Yes,” he says. “I could use a drink.”

Our hotel isn’t far, and for that I’m grateful. As soon as we’re checked into our room, I kick off my shoes and plop down on the bed. Connor pulls off his jacket, loosens his shirt sleeves before rolling them up, and pours each of us a glass of whiskey. He hands one to me.

“That was a brutal night.”

“Yeah,” I agree, “your family is kind of overwhelming. No offense.”

“None taken, they are overwhelming. Thankfully, my sister is too busy being a control freak, or you would have gotten to know her too. She’s like my mother, times ten.”

I shiver. “Is it over yet?”

Connor laughs. “Almost. I love them, but I couldn’t stay in that house tonight. My mom offered, but there’s just no way. She’d be knocking on the door every five seconds, and I need to relax, just for a moment.”

I nod. “Well, the wedding’s tomorrow, and your father’s really sweet.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how he and my mother get along.”

Connor sits next to me on the large, plush bed. Kicking off his shoes, he pushes a hand through his hair. As I look at him I realize that I might not agree with it, but I can kind of understand his problems with control now.

“What was it like?” I ask, trying to take his mind off of the day. “What was it like growing up with your family?”

“Now there’s a story of dysfunction if I’ve ever told one.”

“Tell me,” I say, poking him gently in the shoulder.

He laughs. “Okay, but I’m telling you, we’re all weird.”

I listen to Connor as I sip on my drink. Each story he tells is more outlandish than the next, and I’m not totally sure he isn’t making it all up. The more he talks, though, the more animated he becomes, the more his face lights up. I can tell he’s pretty drunk; I’m not far behind.

“You sound like you had a lot of fun growing up,” I say as I flip over on my stomach.

“Yeah,” he grins. “My sister and I were the worst. She may seem all uptight now, but we’ve always been pretty close. Even if she can’t boss me around anymore.”

“It’s nice seeing you like this,” I blurt out.

Connor raises a brow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, normal. It’s nice to see you normal. You can be kind of intimidating sometimes, but right now, you seem like a normal person. Same problems and past as the rest of us, just more well-funded.”

He chuckles before he finishes his glass. “Things weren’t always easy. Money doesn’t change much, if I’m honest.” He looks contemplative before he smiles again. “You did great tonight, though.”

“I was a nervous wreck.”

“I know the feeling.”

Connor’s hand squeezes my shoulder. Before I know it, he’s trailing his fingers down my body. The touch of his warm skin against mine sends tingles rushing down my spine. Biting my lip, I gaze at him, and I can see that familiar hunger in his eyes.

He leans down, his lips brushing mine before his tongue slips inside. Then, he’s on top of me, possessing me. There’s a fierceness between us that feels as though all of the frustration we’ve bottled up has finally boiled over. Now we’re relentless, angry, hot.

Connor doesn’t bother to be nice to my clothes. He rips the dress from my body. I can hear the fabric tear, feel it pull against my skin. He pulls the remains of it off of me before carelessly tossing them to the floor.

“That was really expensive,” I mumble.

“I’ll buy you another one,” he says as his mouth trails to my throat.

As he leaves a trail of kisses and bites down my body, his hands work quickly to make my lacy white bra and panties disappear. Sliding down farther, he hooks his arms beneath my knees, and I’m suddenly engulfed in pleasure.

My fingers grip the blanket as his tongue travels over my pussy. A tantalizing tingle courses the length of my spine, makes my back arch. He starts slow, teasing me, tracing my pussy, but not touching my clit. The anticipation is killing me; I can feel the wetness between my thighs. I try to reach down a hand, brush my clit with my fingertips, but my hand is swatted away, his only response a deep growl that delights me to my core.

When I feel as though I can’t take another moment of the teasing, he runs his tongue over my clit, and he doesn’t stop. My breath catches in my throat, and moans pour out of me as he licks me over and over again. Panting, I push my fingers into his hair. It isn’t long before I’m moaning, twisting, cumming without holding back.

There’s nothing I’d rather do at that moment than feel more, but I want to show Connor that I can drive him just as wild. I push myself up, pull off his shirt before I start going for his pants. His wide eyes are a welcome surprise. Pushing him back onto the bed, I work feverishly on his pants.

The sight of his rigid cock is enough to get me going again. I move to my knees, engulf his waiting flesh with my mouth. Every swirl of my tongue, every twist of my head makes a deep moan pour from his mouth. Before I know it, he’s gripping my hair and thrusting into my mouth. I feel his cock twitch, throb.

I refuse to let this be over quickly. Sliding up, I run my tongue over his cock, teasing him with long, languid licks. Going slowly seems to rile him up even more. His fingers brush over my nipples, squeezing them as I moan. Slowly, I pull my mouth away.

Connor groans, but I’m quick to keep moving. I straddle his body, running my hand up the length of his cock before I lower myself onto him. The feeling of him filling me up inch by inch is enough to make my toes curl. When he’s buried inside of me, I twist my hips.

It’s almost enough to send me over the edge, just that simple movement. I plant my hands on his chest, raising my hips before I bring them back down. Connor glances up at me. Unlike many times before, this isn’t an act. I’m not some made up persona. I’m me, and it makes me blush the way that he’s gazing at me. My hands instinctively cross my breasts. Connor pulls them away.

“Don’t,” is all he mumbles, but it’s enough to make my confidence come flooding back.

His hands are gripping my hips now, fingers digging into my skin. I know there will be little bruises left there tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see them. Suddenly Connor’s patience with my slow grinding disappears, because he’s thrusting up into me, forcing me to ride harder, faster. His hands grip my ass, slap it.

I can’t hold back anymore. Wave after wave of orgasm hits me, makes me shiver, but Connor’s not done yet. He keeps thrusting into me, the moans pouring out of him spurring me on, making me hot again. My sensitive clit throbs as his body brushes against mine, and I’m cumming once more, my fingers digging into his arms.

Connor rolls us over. He’s on top of me, pushing deeper and deeper. I can feel all of his muscles contracting. Burying his mouth against my throat, the sounds of his moans in my ear are enough to drive me over the edge again. He shudders, moans, and then he’s sliding out of me, his warm cum painting my body. Panting, he looks down at me and grins.

“I’ll get something to clean you up,” he says as he walks away.

Now incapable of speech, I can only nod. I watch as he walks away to the bathroom, my heart still pounding against my chest. There’s something else there too, something beneath the initial attraction. What’s going on with me?

Connor comes back with a warm, wet towel. Once I’m all cleaned up, we hop into the shower together before we stumble back out and into bed. As I start to drift off to sleep, I feel Connor’s arm snake around my body. He pulls me close to him, his body pressed up tightly against mine. I smile.

The alarm clock goes off way too early and much too loudly. I nearly fall out of the bed as I stumble to shut it off. Slamming my hand against it, I yelp in pain. That wakes Connor up.

“What’s wrong? Oh, fuck,” he spits as he grabs his head. “Close the curtain.”

“I smashed my hand,” I mumble as I pull the drapes closed quickly.

“Let me see,” he says.

I show my hand to him. “It might bruise a little, but you’ll be okay. Shit,” he groans as he lies back down. “My head feels like someone’s kicking it…with a knife.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Neither does my head.”

I groan as I crawl back into bed next to him. The covers are still warm from his body. The last thing I want to do is move. I curl up against him, and he pushes hair out of my face.

“You know we have to get up, right?”

“Shhh,” I whisper, pressing my finger against his lips. “Five more minutes.”

Connor smiles. We lie like that until we can’t possibly prolong the inevitable. Pushing himself up, Connor goes into his bag and finds a bottle of pain pills. He shakes out some for both of us, and we swallow them down with water.

“I can’t believe I’m hungover,” he mumbles.

“Well, we did finish this.” I pick up the bottle from the table.

“That would explain why my stomach feels like I’m dying. No food for me today.”

Even the thought of food is enough to make me feel sick. I go through my suitcase until I find the lavender dress that I’m wearing for the day. The soft fabric against my skin somehow makes me feel a little better. I work on my makeup, taking a little extra time to be sure I don’t look like a hungover idiot.

I examine myself in the mirror. The dress hugs me in the right places, and my back looks nice. I slip on the necklace, and it trails down my spine, diamonds sparkling as they reflect the lights. Matching long earrings are slipped into my ears, and a diamond bracelet goes around my slender wrist. I glance over myself. Not bad. A small smile spreads on my lips. Once my hair is pulled up, I walk back out into the room.

Connor is slipping into his shoes. When he looks up at me, I’m reminded that it never ceases to amaze me how handsome he is. The grin on his face just makes me want to melt. Standing up, he pulls on his jacket as I slip into my shoes. As we’re about to leave the room, he stops me. His hands run up my bare shoulders, fingers trailing down my neck. A shiver ripples through me. How does he always know just how to touch me?

“You look amazing. Are you sure we don’t have time for me to rip that dress off of you?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll come up missing if we’re late,” I mumble against his mouth.

“Damn. I don’t know if I can look at you all day and
not
rip it off.”

A giggle bubbles from my lips. Playfully, I slap at Connor’s hands. “Stop it! We have to get going.”

“Okay, okay. I suppose I’ll behave, for now. Hey,” he says, grabbing my hand before I leave out of the door.

“What?”

“Thank you for doing this for me. I know you think I’m an asshole sometimes, but I really do appreciate this.”

I’m at a loss for words. Happy that Connor doesn’t wait for a reply, I follow him out of the room and downstairs. When we get to the wedding hall, people are talking softly. Connor kisses me on the cheek before he goes to meet up with the rest of the wedding party. I find a seat in the immaculate hall.

Everything is decorated in red and white, but the people around me are an array of colors, all pastel and soft. All of the dresses seem like something you’d see at an awards show; each seems more daring than the last. I spot Charlotte, sitting alone. Our eyes meet before she turns up her nose and turns around. I’m glad I’m sitting so far back; the woman makes me want to punch her. The realization of that emotion surprises me, but I push it away for now.

It doesn’t take long for the wedding to start, but I’m already on a different planet by then. I keep hearing Connor telling me that I look amazing, thanking me. Is he finally changing for the better? I know he won’t completely change, it seems like it’s simply part of his personality, but he seems to at least be trying.

By the time the wedding is over, my hangover has gone away and been replaced by the need to eat. Connor poses for a few photos with his family before he comes over to me. A plate is placed in front of each of us, and we don’t speak until they’re empty.

“I was starving,” he says, patting his belly. “You should have seen the glares my sister was shooting me during the ceremony. My stomach was almost as loud as the vows.”

I laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“It’s true.” Connor holds out his hand. “Want to dance with me?”

I hesitate. Although we’ve worked on dancing a little, I’ve never been very good at it. Connor keeps his hand out, though, insisting. Shrugging, I smile as I take it. Why not?

We join the people already on the dance floor. As he wraps his arm around me, I’m struggling to swallow. Again, I feel it, the slight quickening of my heart. I try to will it to stop, but I can’t as he moves with me. I could get used to this, that’s for sure.