Happily Ever After (4 page)

“You and I both know I don’t care about your money. I don’t love you because of it. If anything, I love you in spite of it. And secondly, I know you and I are going to last. If we’ve survived through all the bullshit so far, nothing will stop us. I have faith in us and I know you do too. So let’s just do it, Sean.”

He stared at me, hesitation in his eyes. “I will as long as you understand I didn’t
want you to sign it.”

“I know,” I said as I patted his thigh. “Don’t worry about that.”

He turned back to his parents. “There. You happy?”

Andrew looked down then met my gaze. “You know it’s nothing personal,
Scarlet. I love you like my own.”

I nodded. “Yes, I do.”

Diane looked at me. “We really have both of your best interests at heart.”

I didn’t believe that one but I nodded anyway.

“Can we get back to dinner now?” Sean asked.

It was still awkward for the rest of the meal. Ryan tried to break the tension by discussing the crazy characters that came into his shop.
Andrew asked him questions about the process of making a tattoo and he cringed when Ryan went into the details.

“You still want that tattoo?” Diane asked him.

“I’m a man. I can handle the pain,” Andrew said. “Ryan, do you have any tattoos?”

“Nope, not yet.”

“Is it because of the pain?” he asked fearfully.

Ryan laughed. “No. I just haven’t found something I like.”

When we were finished eating, we took our cocktails into the large living room. There was a strong hearth against one wall that wasn’t lit due to the summer heat, and a large flat screen was mounted on the wall. Sean sat down then pulled me into his lap. I moved away and crossed my legs, trying to be a lady.

Sean gave me the eye, irritated that he didn’t get his way.

Everyone formed their small groups, talking quietly. Diane talked about the rehearsal dinner with Ryan since he was the maid of honor, telling him what she needed him to do. I wasn’t looking forward to that part at all. Even though the day was about me, I just wanted people to ignore me.

After Cortland finished talking computers with Andrew, he stood up to get another glass of wine. I took advantage of the opportunity and made my move.

“Having fun?” he asked as he poured himself a glass.

“As fun as possible.”

He chuckled. “Sean’s dad is cool—really cool. His mom—eh.”

I smiled. “She’s not my favorite either.”

“How are you holding up? That prenup conversation made me angry.”

“Don’t let it bother you. I’ve forgotten it.”

“It doesn’t piss you off that they are forcing him to get one?”

“No. I know Sean
doesn’t want one. That’s all that matters.”

Cortland looked around the house, ey
eing the furniture. “This is a nice place.”

“Yeah.
It’s beautiful.”

He grabbed another glass and poured the w
ine. “I’m sure you need this.” He handed it to me.

“Cortland, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Sean is considering taking over the company.”

“Really? Since when?”

“A few weeks ago.”

“What’s stopping him? It sounds like a good gig.”

“Me.”

He stared at me, waiting for me to elaborate.

“Sean refuses to move because of Ryan. He won’t separate us.”

“That makes sense.”

“So I suggested he commute but he rejected that idea.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“I asked Ryan to move with us and he agreed if I could get both you and Janice to agree.”

He placed his glass on the table then leaned against the counter. “You want me to move to New York?”

“I want all of us to move to New York.”

“Scarlet, I have family, my job, and most importantly, I have Monnique. I can’t just move.”

“I realize that. But what if Sean
gave you a job at the company?”

“But I have a job.”

“A better job, better pay, better hours, and even a partnership?”

He looked into my eyes, gauging my features. “He said that?”

“No, but I know he would. It’s a big company. He needs all the help he can get. With his logic, the less he works, the more time he spends at home with me.”

He sighed. “I don’t know. It’s tempting, but the problem of Monnique remains. I can
’t just make her leave her family.”

“Talk to her about it. She loves you and wouldn’t want you to miss an opportunity like this. I know she wouldn’t.”

“Her mom passed away not that long ago…”

“I know. I don’t mean to be insensitive.”

“I think it would be too hard for her to be away from her family.”

“You can take a lot of vacation, Cortland. Two weeks for Christmas, two weeks for summer, two weeks for Easter. You could take a lot of time off and work from your computer. Whatever you want, we’ll make it work.”

“You really want this, huh?”

“I really want to do this for Sean because he’s my husband. But I also really want to keep the family that we have. I can’t think of any other solution but this one. Ryan can open up another shop in New York and you can work with us. It works out for everyone.”

“Monnique will want to work.”

“Well, nursing is in demand everywhere. She’ll find something. Besides, you’ll be making more money than your current salaries combined. She won’t even need to work.”

He rolled his eyes. “Tell her that. She’s too independent not to contribute to the relationship.”

“Good. That’s how women should be.”

“As long as she stops working night shift I don’t care.”

“Cortland, she can take care of herself.”

“I’m not having this conversation with you. Women just don’t get it.”

“I’m not like other women, Cortland.”

He sighed. “It sucks having a girlfriend that’s so hot because everyone wants her. I feel like I have to constantly battle for her. Guys don’t seem to care that she has a boyfriend that she lives with.”

“You know what do to fix it?”

“What?”

“Put a ring on it.”

He smiled. “I would love to, Scar. You have no idea.”

“Do it. Propose to her the day after my wedding.”

“I think Ryan is going to ask. I don’t want to infringe.”

I rolled my eyes. “Who cares? Just do it, Cortland. I don’t think it will entirely solve your problem, but it’ll help.”

“I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Then make the plunge.”

“I can’t see the bottom.”

“Don’t worry. It’s there.”

“Thanks, Scar.”

“So, you’ll talk to her?”

“Yeah. I’ll see what she thinks. I really don’t know how she’ll react.”

“It doesn’t hurt to ask.”

He nodded. “And if she says no?”

I sighed. “Then it looks like Sean will have to work somewhere else.”

“You can’t revolve your life around Ryan.”

“I know. Now that he has Janice I feel more comfortable leaving hi
m, doing this for Sean, but Sean is the one who won’t allow it.”

“You’re both putting each other first. That’s what marriage is all about.”

“Yeah, but it’s annoying when it’s at a stalemate.”

“That’s amazing. He’s willing to give up his billion dollar company for you, and you are willing to give up Ryan. That speaks volumes.”

“I just hope we can both get what we want.”

Cortland sighed. “I feel the pressure.”

“You better launch your best moves.”

“I know what my big booty ho likes.”

“Good. Because I’m depending on it.”

5

Scarlet

When we walked back into our room, Sean sat on the bed and stared at the ground, like he was deep in thought or about to hurl.

“The chicken was undercooked,” I said.

Sean didn’t say anything, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his hands together.

“Sean, what’s wrong?”

“I’m waiting for it.”

“Waiting for what?”

“For you to leave me.”

My eyes softened when I heard his voice. It was weak and faint, like he didn’t want to say the words aloud. I came beside him on the bed and rubbed his back. “Why?”

“What do you mean
why
? The baggage of my life never seems to go away. It keeps coming back and it keeps hurting you. I’m waiting for the day that you throw in the towel, open your eyes, and realize you’re better than this.”

“Sean, I don’t care what your parents do. I care about what you do.”
\

“I still caved.”

“They didn’t give you much of a choice. And I made the decision for you.”

He shook his head and stared at his hands.

“Sean, I don’t care about a prenup. I really don’t.”

“You should. It’s insulting. It implies that you’re just a
fter my money or you’re going to leave me. It pisses me off.”

“Well, you know me better than anyone. Obviously, I don’t care about your money. Secondly, I’m
not going to leave you or cheat on you. We both know that. Who cares what they think.”

“I can’t help but smile at the irony.”

“What?”

“What you just said. You don’t care what they think.”

I shrugged. “I guess I give up.”

“I don’t want you to give up.”

“If it’s that important to you, let’s just say we got the prenup and don’t actually go through with it.”

“I’m not a liar, Scar.”

“Then let it go.”

“It’s hard for me. I feel like if I don’t fight, I’ll lose you.”

“You won’t. People are weird about money. Your parents invested everything they had to build their company into the corporation it is now. I can understand why they’re so concerned about it. A bad divorce can destroy it.”

“But we aren’t like that.”

“They are just being cautious, Sean. I know they would do the same thing to Mike.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“So let it go, okay?”

He sighed. “As long as you still marry me, I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“How about a backrub?”

His eyes widened. “I can do that.”

“A
real
backrub.”

His smile fell. “Those are boring.”

I crawled on the bed and lay on my stomach. “I’m waiting.”

He pulled off my dress then rubbed his hands into my flesh, massaging the tension away from my shoulder
s and frame. It felt so good that I closed my eyes. Sean stopped for a moment then walked away, turning off the lights before he undressed himself at the foot of the bed.

“I don’t think so,” I said in a teasing voice.

He pulled down the covers and tucked me in. “I’ll rub your back in bed.”

“I know what you’re doing.”

He lied beside me and rubbed my back with one hand, the other wrapped around my stomach. His face was buried in my neck, smelling the scent of my hair. “I want to hold you while I touch you.”

“I’m sure.”

“Where did I get this label for being a gigantic pervert?”

“Is that a serious question?”

He chuckled into my ear then sighed deeply, his nose against mine. “Scarlet, I need to make love to you.”

“I’m getting a backrub right now.”

“This is the last chance I’ll have before we get married.”

I felt his hand slide down to my ass and rub the muscle. His hand slid to the area between my thighs.

He kissed my neck, his tongue gliding across the skin. “I want to make love to my fiancé one last time.” He picked up my right leg and placed it on top of his, moving to my backside. He gripped me tighter as he moved inside me, sliding in with no resistance. “I knew you wanted it.”

I was
n’t listening to him. I turned my head and grabbed the back of his neck, kissing him while he moved inside me slowly. I liked it when we did it like this. It was lazy but intimate. His breathing was loud in my ear and the excitement in his breath always made me more charged. It felt deeper than usual.

His hand moved down to the apex of my thighs, rubbing my clitoris in a circular motion.
Every touch combined together and made me moan loudly. Sean sealed his lips over mine and silenced me, thrusting into me harder.

I gripped his forearm as I
rocked into him, enjoying the explosion between my legs.

“You just go so wet,” he whispered into my ear. “I wanted to last longer but now I have to come.”

The headboard rocked slightly as he finished, moaning the entire way. The air left his lungs as he came inside me, his dick throbbing. He pressed his face into my neck, catching his breath and clutching me to his chest tightly.

“I love you forever,” he whispered.

“I love you too.” I turned to look at him but his eyes were closed. I was certain he had already fallen asleep. I lied there and cuddled next to him, letting his scorching body keep me warm. His skin was always on fire, as hot as the sun. When I pictured our life together, I knew it would be this way. We would cuddle every night after we made love, we would argue and bicker about things out of our control, and we would fight then makeup again. It sounded so perfect. But why was my heart beating so fast like I was frantic? Why was I scared?

I fell asleep, but opened my eyes when my phone vibrated on my nightstand. I didn’t know what time it was. I grabbed it and looked at the screen. It was Cortland.

U awake?

I looked at the time. It was only ten. Now I felt old.
Yes
.

Can we talk?

Now?

Why else would I ask if you’re awake?

Is this Ryan?

LOL.
Outside?

K. Be there soon.

I returned my phone to the nightstand then slid from Sean’s embrace. He was so tired from the heat and the sun that he didn’t stir. He hugged the pillow instead. I pulled on Sean’s basketball shorts and shirt that he left on the floor then walked into the hallway.

Cortland was
standing there, difficult to make out in the darkness.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Do they have an alarm?” Cortland asked.

“I don’t think so.”

“Let’s go in the back, then.”

He
turned down the hallway and I followed him. We walked through the living room, careful not to knock anything over, and made it outside to the back patio. The sound of the ocean played on my ears. The wind blew through my hair.

“So, what’s up?” I asked.

“I talked to Monnique.”

“And?”

“She said yes.”

“Are you serious?” I jumped on my heels and almost screamed. “That’s so great.”

“Yeah.”

“
I’m surprised she went for it.”

He shrugged. “I can be very persuasive.”

I rolled my eyes. “No, what really happened?”

“Hey. I have some good move
s. You’ve seen them in action.”

“They weren’t good enough to persuade me to move across the country.”

“Well, maybe if I had a few more tries…”

“Spill it.”

“The job opportunity is what convinced her. When I told her what you and Sean would be offering me, she said it would stupid to turn it down.”

“Yes!”

“Then we had the marriage talk. She said she wouldn’t move with me unless I was intending to pop the question.”

“That sounds like an awkward conversation.”

“It wasn’t. I just didn’t want to give anything away. I said I was excited to get married. I was just waiting for the right time.”

“So this is really happening? We’re moving to New York?”

“It looks that way.”

“I’m so happy. Everything is working out perfectly.”

“Did Ryan tell Janice yet?”

“I don’t know. Text him and tell him to meet us.”

“Okay.” He pulled out his phone and sent the message. “I have a feeling he isn’t going to be so eager to leave his room in the middle of the night.”

“He’ll get over it.”

Ryan opened the back door a few moments later, a look of murder on his face. “What’s so important? I have a naked girl waiting for me upstairs.”

“She’s always naked,” Cortland said.

“And she’s always waiting for you,” I said.

Cortland elbowed him. “If you’re important, she’ll wait. If not, well…she might get started without you.”

Ryan shook his head. “She knows I can do it better.”

“Did you talk to Janice?” I asked.

“That’s what this is about? It really couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

“Did you?” I pressed.

“Yes, I did.”

“What did she say?”

“She says she’ll do whatever I want, but she would like to live closer to her family.”

“I knew it,” I said triumphantly.

Ryan looked at Cortland. “Did you talk to Monnique?”

“Yep,” he said with a smile. “She said yes.”

“She did?” Ryan asked, surprised. “I thought she would say no.”

“I did too.
”

Ryan nudged him. “You’re going to have to show me your moves.”

“They are guarded secrets that have been passed down my family for centuries. I aint telling you nothing.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Dude, that’s creepy. I would never want to learn my bedroom moves from my grandpa or something.”

I shook my head. “Enough with that. That means we’re really doing this. We’re moving!”

Ryan shrugged. “I guess it’s cool.”

I rolled my eyes. “Could you guys show any less enthusiasm?”

“We’re just moving,” Cortland said. “It isn’t that crazy.”

“You guys don’t understand how much this means to me. Everything worked out. I get to keep my family and I get to put my husband first.” I wrapped my arms around both of them and hugged them. “Thank you so much.”

Ryan patted my back. “I’m glad it worked out, Scarlet.”

“Yeah,” Cortland said. “I’m sure Sean will be happy.”

“Scarlet?”

I turned around when I heard Sean’s voice.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he came forward. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable.

“We were just talking,” I said quickly. “Nothing to worry about.”

“In the middle of the night?” he asked.
“About what?”

I grabbed his hand and pulled him next to me. “I have something to tell you.”

He looked at me, waiting for me to explain.

“You know how you said you wanted to take over your parents company but you wouldn’t make me leave Ryan?”

“Yeah.”

“And you s
aid you wouldn’t commute either?”

He nodded.

“Well, Ryan and Cortland have agreed to move to New York with us. So, problem solved.”

“What?” he asked as he looked at my brother and Cortland.
“For real? You would do that for Scarlet?”

Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, Janice is from New York
and she wants to go back anyway. I’m sure a new shop in the city will be just as profitable, if not more so than Seattle. I’m not giving up much.”

Sean looked at Cortland. “But you’re giving up a lot.”

Cortland shrugged. “Scarlet made me an offer Monnique and I couldn’t say no to.”

“What was that?” Sean asked.

“I told him he could have a job with the company. He could work with the computers, have a great salary, great vacation time, and great hours.”

“We aren’t even married yet,” Sean said with a smile. “You’re already handing out freebies?”

“What’s yours is mine, right? I also said he would have an opportunity to move up and be a partner one day.”

Sean looked at Cortland. “I will uphold the promises my wife made to you in my absence.”

“Thanks,” Cortland said.

Sean looked at me. “I can’t believe you did all of that.”

“I had to make sure you got what you wanted, Sean. You’re my husband. You come first.”

He kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Now we can tell your parents. They’ll be so happy that they’ll stop pissing me off.”

Sean laughed. “My parents will never stop pissing you off.”