Forever You (5 page)

liked it here. She smiled at me and told me how much she did. I knew she’d like it.

I was intrigued by her and the fact she volunteered at the soup kitchen. I wanted to know more, so I

asked her why she volunteered there. She lightly smiled and cocked her head.

“I like to help people in need; you should know that by now, Mr. Black.”

Of course she likes to help people in need. I was in need of help last night, and she didn’t think

twice about getting me home safely. Although, I’m still pissed about it because what she did was very

unsafe, and she could have gotten hurt. I apologized for asking such a ridiculous question. She smiled

at me as she cut up her chicken and started telling me personal things about her family. I stared

intently at her and listened to every word she said.

“I had a rough childhood. Let’s just say there was nobody there to help me.”

“What about your parents? Didn’t they help you?” I asked as she looked down and away from me.

“My mother died of cancer when I was six, and my father was an alcoholic who passed away right

before my 18th birthday.”

Jesus Christ, what the fuck has this poor girl been through?

“Is that why you helped me last night? Because you think that I’m an alcoholic?” I asked.

“No, my father choked to death on his vomit during one of his drunken nights. I found him dead in

his bed the next morning. I didn’t want that same fate for you. What people don’t realize is how easy

it is for something like that to happen. I spent my entire life taking care of my father who absurdly

drank himself into oblivion almost every night because he couldn’t get over my mother’s death. So,

it’s just second nature for me to help people.”

I wanted to look away from her, but I couldn’t. I wanted her to know that I was listening to every

heartbreaking word she spoke. I lightly smiled at her as I held up my glass and motioned for her to do

the same.

“Well, thank you for your help last night, and as mad as I was this morning to find you standing in

my kitchen, I do appreciate it.”

She smiled as our glasses touched one another. Damn that smile.

As we were sitting and continuing our conversation, my phone went off. I pulled it from my pocket

and there was a text from Kendall, another one of my casual flings.

“Connor, I just wanted to tell you that I’m leaving the door unlocked, so just come in and head

straight to the bedroom. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Shit, I forgot all about Kendall and tonight. We’d arranged this last week. I sighed as I looked at

Ellery. She asked me if everything was alright.

“Everything’s fine; it’s just business,” I said as I put my phone back in my pocket.

After we ate and finished our wine, we got up and headed out of the restaurant. As soon as we

stepped outside, Ellery asked me if I wanted ice cream. I looked at her with a puzzling look because I

thought it was odd she would just blurt that out.

“No, I don’t want any ice cream. I’m taking you home and then I have somewhere I have to be,” I

said.

She kept insisting that we go for ice cream, and to be honest, I was beginning to get irritated

because I didn’t want any.

“Miss Lane, I don’t want any ice cream, now get in the car so Denny can take you home.” My tone

was adamant, but she wasn’t listening to me, and I wasn’t used to that.

Before I knew it, she turned her back and started walking down the street. She put her hand up and

waved.

“Thanks again for dinner, Mr. Black. I’ll see you around sometime.”

I stood there and watched her walk away. What the fuck is this girl’s problem? Why the hell

doesn’t she listen?

“Miss Lane, get back here!” I yelled.

She kept walking, so I hastened my pace to catch up to her. “Miss Lane, I will not tell you again to

get in the car,” I said in an adamant tone.

I think I pissed her off because she abruptly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, turned around,

and pointed her finger at me.

“I don’t take orders from anybody, Mr. Black, especially people that I’ve only known less than 24

hours. I’m not your responsibility. You thanked me for my help with a nice dinner, and now it’s time

for us to part ways. I’m going to get some ice cream, and then I’ll call a cab to drive me home.”

Wow, this girl doesn’t take shit from anyone. She continued walking away from me. I took out my

phone and called Denny.

“It looks like we’re getting ice cream. I’ll call you when we’re leaving.”

She told me that I didn’t have to come if I didn’t like ice cream. I tried to explain to her it wasn’t

that I didn’t like it, but I just didn’t want any. It didn’t matter because Ellery Lane was getting ice

cream with or without me. I think that I’ve just met my match.

We continued walking down the street, and I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t safe for a

beautiful young woman to be walking the streets of New York alone at night. I noticed her smile when

I called her beautiful. It made my heart do something weird which I can’t explain because I’ve never

felt anything like it before.

We sat down at a small table in the ice cream shop, and she asked me when the last time I had ice

cream was. I found that odd, and why was it important to her?

“I don’t know; since I was a kid, I guess,” I answered.

“Are you kidding me? You haven’t had ice cream since you were a kid?”

“No, is that a problem?”

“No, I’m just surprised,” she said.

“I think you’d find a lot of things surprising about me,” I grinned.

I didn’t want her to know how I live my life. She was a nice girl, and she didn’t need to know

about all the women I see. She didn’t need to be exposed to that.

“So, where are you going later?” She asked out of the clear blue.

“Miss Lane, I don’t think you really want to know the answer to that,” I said as I raised my

eyebrow.

As we were finishing our ice cream, I called Denny to come pick us up. I went to open the car door

for her, but Denny beat me to it, and Ellery seemed very pleased he did. I slid into the seat next to her

as she looked at me and lightly smiled. She seemed to be either nervous or uncomfortable as she

didn’t say a word the whole way to her apartment. Denny pulled up to the curb and got out to open the

door for her. I leaned over to take a closer look at her apartment and simply asked about her having

her own private entrance. I think she took offense to that because she responded in a sarcastic tone.

“I don’t live in a fancy apartment building with a doorman and private elevator. This is it, Mr.

Black; my little apartment with its own outside entry.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it; I just think it’s unsafe, and anyone can break in,” I responded with an

irritated tone. She didn’t need to be so sarcastic with her answer.

She thanked me for putting that thought in her head as she surprised me by giving me a light kiss on

my cheek. I flinched because it caught me off guard, and I hadn’t expected her to do that. She got out

of the limo, winked at me, and told me to have a pleasant night. Denny pulled away and looked at me

in the rearview mirror.

“She’s a great girl, Connor, and I think you just met your match,” he smiled.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “She is a nice girl, Denny, and I’m going to make sure she stays that

way.”

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Kendall.

“Sorry, but something’s come up, and I can’t meet you tonight. We’ll have to reschedule for

another time.”

I didn’t want to see Kendall tonight. I just wanted to go back to the penthouse, have a drink, and try

to get Ellery off my mind.

Chapter 5

I spent the next few days burying myself in work. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get Ellery off my

mind. This was killing me because I needed to focus on the business acquisition that my company

would be making soon. I sat in my office chair and turned so I was facing the window. I looked out

onto the streets of New York, hoping that I may see her walking down the street. She got under my

skin somehow, and I couldn’t get her out. I picked up the phone and made an appointment to see Dr.

Peters this afternoon. I needed to talk to him about the clusterfuck that was going on in my head.

I walked out of the building and hailed a cab to Dr. Peter’s office. I wasn’t looking forward to this

session because I already knew what he was going to tell me. I walked in his office and sat down in

the leather chair across from him.

“This is a pleasant surprise, Connor. I didn’t expect you to be back so soon,” he said.

I took in a deep breath and looked at him. “Something happened, and I can’t get it out of my head.”

Dr. Peters looked at me and cocked his head. “What happened, Connor?”

“I met a girl, Doc.”

He let out a light laugh. “You meet girls every day, Connor; this is nothing new.”

I looked at him in irritation, “You don’t understand; this girl’s different. She’s beautiful, kind,

giving, sweet, strong, stubborn, and quite a smart ass.”

Dr. Peters leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. “Are you telling me that you have

feelings for this girl?” he asked.

I shifted in my seat and sighed. “No, I don’t have feelings for her.”

“Then why are you here, Connor?”

“Dr. Peters, I pay you $1,000 an hour to tell me what’s going on in my head, whether I want to hear

it or not.”

He leaned back in his chair and removed his glasses. “You want my honest opinion? I think you

like this girl and that you’re starting to have feelings for her. Let me ask you a question. When was the

last time you saw her?”

“I saw her a few days ago; why do you ask?”

“I want you to tell me what you’ve been doing and thinking since you last saw her.”

I got up from my chair and walked over to the window. I put my hands in my pocket and cleared my

throat.

“I’ve been burying myself in my work because I’m trying to acquire a company that’s up for sale.”

“Have you been thinking about her as well?” He asked quietly.

“I can’t get her out of my mind. She’s all I keep thinking about both day and night. I haven’t been

able to concentrate on anything else. I’ve cancelled all my dates because I only want to see Ellery.”

“Ellery is a pretty name,” He said.

“Ellery is a beautiful name, and she’s a beautiful woman,” I replied as I stared out the window.

Dr. Peters got up from his chair, walked over to me, and put his hand on my shoulder.

“It sounds like the right woman just walked into your life, Connor. Just don’t screw it up. Become

friends with her. This is the first time you’ve opened up since you’ve started coming to see me. If you

start falling for Ellery, the first thing you must do is tell her about your past and the women you see.

There can be no secrets, Connor.”

I sighed as I looked at him. “I know, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

He patted me on the back and asked me to make an appointment to see him in a couple of weeks. I

walked out of his office and out of the building. I headed towards the Starbucks down the street and

called Denny to pick me up. As I climbed in the back seat my phone rang.

“Richard, did you get it?”

“Yes, Mr. Black, I got Miss Lane’s phone number.”

I asked Denny to hand me a piece of paper as I took a pen from my pocket and wrote down the

phone number Richard obtained for me. “Thank you, Richard; that’s a job well done.” I hung up the

phone and looked at the numbers on the paper. Denny was looking at me and shaking his head.

“What?” I asked him.

“Don’t you think it would’ve been better just to ask Miss Lane for her phone number?”

“Do I ever do anything the easy way, Denny?” I smiled.

Just as I got out of the limo, I see Ashlyn’s name appear on my phone.

“Connor Black here?” I answered.

“Why do you always answer like that, Connor?” she said with an irritation in her voice.

“What do you want, Ashlyn? I’m very busy at the moment.”

“Let’s have dinner together,” she said.

“Not tonight, I’m working from home.”

“You’ve been working a lot lately, and we haven’t been together in over a week,” she whined.

I stepped into the elevator hoping that I’d lose service and our conversation would come to an end.

I smiled when the other end went quiet, and I looked at my phone to confirm that the call was

dropped. As I stepped out of the elevator, I walked over to the bar and poured myself a glass of

scotch. Claire emerged from the kitchen with a smile on her face.

“Good evening, Connor, I have your dinner warming in the oven should you be staying in tonight.”

“Thank you, Claire, I’ll be staying in tonight. Have a good night, and I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Thank you, have a nice weekend,” she smiled.

I nodded my head as I drank my scotch. I held my phone and stared at Ellery’s number, debating

whether or not to call her. I wanted to hear her voice, but it was too soon, and I’m pretty sure she

wasn’t thinking about me. After all, I was kind of a prick to her that night. What the fuck is wrong with

me? Why can’t I get this girl out of my head? I brought my laptop into the kitchen and set it on the