Rewind & Go: A Blue-Collar Billionaire Romance (Sander's Valley Book 1) (9 page)

Levi stepped forward and enveloped Ronnie in a fierce hug. Kyle was glad he’d called ahead and warned his brothers not to make a big deal about her bruises. She didn’t like other people seeing her cry.

“Ronnie Axel. I never thought I’d see you again.” Levi kissed her cheeks. “I’m so glad you finally decided to wise up.”

“About?”

“Breaking that Axel curse.” She stiffened, but Levi didn’t seem to notice or care. He hugged her tighter. “You need to move back to Sander’s Valley and sign over your gallery to someone else.”

A pregnant silence descended over the room, everyone waiting to hear what Ronnie would say.

“There is no curse hanging over my family.” She slipped out of Levi’s embrace. “And I’m not moving back here. I’m just visiting for a few days.”

So much for getting Ronnie to see reason. Even if there wasn’t a curse, the gallery would suck the life out of her, exactly as it had her mom. Ronnie hadn’t talked about her mom much, but when she had, she’d described her as depressed and sullen.

His mom stepped forward. “And if you boys don’t give Ronnie some breathing room, I’m kicking you out. She’s had a rough couple of weeks. Now”—she pointed toward the dining room—“the food’s getting cold.”

The mention of dinner caught his brothers’ attentions. They retreated along with his parents, leaving Kyle alone with Ronnie. He took her hand. “Please don’t hold what I said against me. I’m angry about how things ended with us, and that’s as much my fault as yours. I might never have been to Virginia, but I can read a map. I knew where you lived. I could’ve come, talked to you, and worked things out. I didn’t. You hurt my pride and broke my heart.”

“And wasted ten years of your life.”

He closed his eyes and fought his frustration. She was clinging to their lost time like it was some kind of weapon or maybe a shield. Either way, he wouldn’t get behind her defenses tonight. He’d have to wait until they lowered. “Do you want to get out of here?”

“No.”

He studied her expression. She appeared genuine. The sadness had faded from her expression. So had the anger. “You’re sure?”

She nodded and led him to the dining room. “I’m sure. I’ve missed being a part of family dinners.”

He opened the door in time to hear his mama yell, “Stop licking the damn rolls! There’s enough for everyone.”

Ronnie glanced at him, a smile on her face. “See?”

Chapter Nine

Ronnie followed Kyle up the steps to her dad’s cabin several days later. Her hands trembled. She linked them behind her back. The sight of the beautiful log home overlooking Sander’s Lake brought back too many memories she’d rather keep locked away. All involved her dad, Frank Selenski, the man who might or might not be her true birth father. Either way, she loved him, and he’d treasured his house in the mountains.

He’d often told her the true natives of the valley always returned. The only reason he’d left in the first place was to attend the University of Virginia. The art scholarship he’d gotten had been too good to pass up. There, he’d met Ronnie’s mom, Vivien Axel.

They’d had a whirlwind relationship and married within six months. According to them, they’d lived happily, until Vivien’s father died and she was forced to take over the gallery. A few months later, Ronnie was conceived, and Frank moved out. He’d feared the curse and wanted Vivien to sell the gallery. She’d refused, and they’d parted ways.

The curse. Ridiculous.
Ronnie shook her head. There was no such thing as a curse. The Axel family had money. Lots and lots of money. It wasn’t that much of a stretch to see how violence would strike their family in greater frequency than most people.

No, it was stubbornness that had ruined her parents’ marriage. Her dad had never given a shit about money. All he’d cared about was Sander’s Valley and his art. Money, food, material things? They’d meant nothing to him. Ronnie was grateful for his grounding influence. Had she been raised by a different man, she might never have opened her heart to Kyle.

Over the years, there’d been days she wished she hadn’t. The past few made her glad she had. He truly was an amazing man. She was grateful to have known him, gotten the chance to love him, and been on the receiving end of his smile. She only wished she could’ve been worthy of him. She was too much an Axel, however, driven by the legacy and the need to succeed. She didn’t know how to be anyone else.

Kyle glanced over his shoulder. “You’ve got to unlock the door.”

She shifted her gaze from his eyes to the entryway. Her legs turned to lead.

Kyle’s beloved face filled her vision a moment later. He cupped her cheeks. “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“We don’t have to do this today. We can wait. Come back tomorrow or the next day.”

She wanted to take the escape he offered. She wasn’t ready to face her dad’s cabin. The last time she’d seen him was the same day she’d left Kyle. She’d even been too chicken to come to his funeral. Her mom had saved her. She’d piled tons of work on Ronnie so she didn’t have time to think about the years she’d lost or how her dad’s last words to her still echoed in her head.

“You’re making the biggest mistake of your life, Ronnie-girl. You walk away from Kyle, and you’ll end up a shell of a woman, just like your mama.”

The worst part was in knowing he’d spoken the truth, and she’d been too much of a coward to deal with it. Like with Kyle, she’d pushed her emotions aside and moved on, coming up with excuse after excuse as to why she couldn’t visit. Even on his deathbed, she’d found a reason not to see him. There’d been an exclusive showing at the gallery, and she hadn’t actually believed the doctors when they’d said his days were numbered. Her dad wasn’t going to die. He was too strong. That had been her reasoning. She’d been wrong. So very wrong. She never got the chance to say good-bye.

Sweet Jesus, she was the worst daughter…hell, the worst human being in the world.

Kyle’s face blurred. She couldn’t fight the tears. They poured out of her eyes as if somebody had turned on a faucet. He pulled her against him. She wrapped her arms around him and greedily took the comfort he offered. More guilt choked her. She’d forgotten the only man she’d ever loved too. None of her other boyfriends had ever touched her heart. They’d gotten her body only.

She cried harder. An apology sat on the tip of her tongue. She didn’t bother voicing it. In the face of what she’d done, it’d be lame anyway. She didn’t deserve his arms around her or his love. She deserved to be a shell of a woman, alone and bitter.
Just like Mom.

He urged her to turn around. “Come on, doll. Let’s go home.”

Home? A noose tightened around her chest, cutting off her air. Her home was the empty ten-bedroom mansion with its boathouse, Olympic-sized pool, and tennis courts. Home was an empty bed where she slept when she wasn’t in the gallery. Home certainly wasn’t in the arms of a man who must’ve been an angel in a past life. A wicked one, but still an angel.

“No.” She pushed out of his arms. “I need to do this.” Because she don’t know if she’d ever gather the courage to return to Sander’s Valley again.

He studied her a long moment. A pleased look spread over his face. Did he think she was trying to be brave?

He lifted the trunk and made his way to the entryway. She stared at his back and almost told him the real reason. The words got stuck in her throat. Weak. She was so weak.

She opened the door and stepped inside. Everything looked exactly as she’d remembered, minus the dust and sheets covering the furniture. The rocking chair where her dad had read a book every night sat in front of the fireplace. The wooden box full of toys she’d played with as a child acted as the end table next to it. His empty easel stood near the full-length windows overlooking Sander’s Valley. She half expected to see him stride through the room.

She walked toward the balcony, shoved the sliding glass doors open, and stepped outside. The breeze lifted her hair and cooled her skin, easing the pain in her chest. The breathtaking view helped. So many memories surfaced. All happy ones. More tears ran down her face.

“I was so happy here. Why did I leave?”

She hadn’t realized she’d spoken the question out loud until Kyle stepped behind her, his hands on the railing on either side of hers. “Because you were stubborn.” He laid his chin on her shoulder. “But so was I.”

“I still am.” The confession came out as a whisper.

“Me too.” He kissed her neck. “Only difference is what I’m fighting for.”

She knew what he referred to—them. He’d hinted enough over the past few days for her to understand he wouldn’t let her go so easily. She asked anyway. “And that is?”

“Us.”

Two letters, one syllable, and the greatest single word she’d ever heard. She only wished she could say wholeheartedly she felt the same. A large part of her did. She loved Kyle, always had.

“I have the legacy to uphold, a gallery to run, and obligations that don’t include Sander’s Valley.” She spoke the words stopping her from returning his love.

“I know.”

No condemnation. No arguing. No trying to change her mind. She tilted her head to look at him. “My car is fixed, and as soon as we hang these paintings, I’ll have no reason to stay.”

Sadness filled his eyes. Instead of responding, he linked their fingers and led her inside. With steady and gentle hands, he unpacked the trunk she’d brought. The wrapping paper and packing got tossed aside, and the contents he spread on the floor.

She covered her mouth to stifle her sob. All of the paintings were of her parents, only in each successive one, they’d aged until the last portrait of them seated in rocking chairs showed them exactly as they’d looked before they’d died.

Kyle handed her a letter. She opened it but couldn’t make out the words. Tears made them fuzzy. He took it and read:

To my darling husband,

Although our fingers never again touched, I held you in my heart. You were always with me through the years. I only hope that when we meet in heaven, I will have the courage to forgive myself as you had forgiven me on earth.

All my love,

Vivien

Kyle wrapped his arms around her while she cried for her parents and for them. She really was just like her mom. She couldn’t forgive herself. The sin committed had been different, but both Ronnie and her mom had hurt the men they’d loved.

Her feet left the floor. Kyle cradled her in his arms and strode from the cabin. He was being her hero again. She only hoped she could deal with her weaknesses and be his heroine before it was too late.

Chapter Ten

The ringing of a cell phone jerked Ronnie awake a couple of days later.

Kyle grumbled and tugged her against him, dropping a leg over hers. “Let it ring.”

“Can’t.” She shoved his leg off her. “That’s the ringtone I personalized for the PI.”

He peered at her through cracked lids. “And you did that because…?”

“Just a habit. I tend to ignore the generic tone. Important people get their own song.” She crawled across the bed, bent over the edge, and dug the phone out of her shorts pocket. It stopped ringing. She sighed. A moment later, a light blinked, informing her of a new message. All was not lost. “He told me he wouldn’t be able to start looking until Thursday or Friday. I’ve been expecting a call.”

“About where your mom hid that letter.”

She nodded. “Once I have it, I can begin to put this mess behind me. Well, after Mom’s killer is sentenced, I can. I’m not looking forward to facing the asshole who shot her and attacked me.”

He knelt behind her and kissed her neck. She bent her head to give him better access. The tiny shivers of awareness only he could stir within her flared to life. She leaned into him, letting him support her weight.

“Not alone. I’ll be there with you.”

She wasn’t sure she wanted him there. The days they’d spent together had been the best she’d had in a decade. They’d made love whenever the mood struck and spent the rest of their time hiking and swimming in the lake, exactly as they used to do.

The love and peace she found in Kyle’s arms felt right, but it didn’t change the facts. Her life was in Virginia. His was here. Even if he did agree to move in with her, he’d grow resentful. She didn’t care what he said. He was a Sander, and their tie to the valley was too strong. Both Levi and Jack had left. Levi had gone to cooking school in Europe, and Jack had enlisted in the Marines. Both had returned and sworn they’d never leave again.

Kyle might’ve forgiven her for hurting him, and she was trying to put the past behind them too and move forward, only she didn’t know how. No, that wasn’t quite true. There was one way—hand the gallery over to someone else and return to Sander’s Valley. Her ancestors would likely roll over in their graves if they knew what she’d been contemplating.

It sickened her just thinking about it—not the decision itself but her hesitation. She loved Kyle. Why couldn’t she do the right thing?
Because I’ll be sacrificing everything for a man who will always hold the anger in his heart over our ten wasted years.

She sighed. That was the sticking point. She knew it. He’d said so himself: he would never forget.
“Doesn’t mean we can’t start over.”
He’d said that too. But could she? It’d be so much easier to just move on.

“Well? You’re going to call me, right?”

She answered automatically. “Of course.”

“Good.” He kissed her, slowly and lovingly, until her body hummed. He finally eased back. “Deal with the PI, but then we need to get up. We’ve slept in again, and I promised we’d take the horses out today.”

“You know I can’t stay here forever.”

He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. “I know, doll. I want…” A long, weary sigh escaped his lips. He squeezed her a little harder. “I want breakfast. I’ll go make us bacon and eggs, okay?”

“Sounds wonderful.”

He grabbed a pair of sweats from the floor and walked naked from the room, giving her a wonderful view of his tight ass.

She shook her head to clear it of the lusty thoughts. Focus. She needed to keep her mind on one thing at a time. Before she could even contemplate breaking the tradition and obligation that had rested on the shoulders of the eldest and often only Axel heir, she had to uncover the mystery surrounding her parents’ failed marriage.
The big secret.

She dialed and steeled herself for the truth she knew in her heart but refused to accept. Her father had called Russia home, not Sander’s Valley.

* * * *

Kyle turned at the sound of Ronnie clearing her throat. Dressed in a pair of cutoffs and a white tank top with her straight blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, she looked like his woman. The past week had reaffirmed his belief. He’d never love another girl. The sight of Ronnie standing in the doorway of his kitchen with her tote bag and car keys in hand, however, reminded him he still had no clue how to make her his wife.

The only way he could see them getting married was if he moved to Virginia. He’d sworn he didn’t care, and he was almost positive that was the truth, but a tiny part of him feared it’d be a mistake. Here, he had a life. Not a rich one, but it was good. He had his friends and family, a house, his cat. There, he had nothing. He’d be living in her house and associating with her friends, the same ones who hadn’t even cared enough to check up on her when they’d realized she’d been missing for a week. Or maybe they hadn’t even noticed her absence.

She raised her chin. “He found the letter in Northern California.”

Kyle swallowed hard. She’d said the farther away her mom had stashed stuff, the more it had hurt her. “That’s good he found it.”

She licked her lips. “There was also a message on my phone from the lawyer. Apparently Gerald’s daughter had been going through her dad’s things and found several paintings all packed and addressed to me. There was a note attached to them, asking her to send them after he died.”

He cursed. “He thought you were his.”

“Looks that way. I’ll find out soon enough, I guess.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. “Either way, the paintings are mine. I have to meet with the lawyers about it and arrange the shipment and stuff.”

He took in the tremor in her hands and the tic on her jaw. She was lying. He was certain of it. “You have to go now?”

She nodded a little too quickly. Her hair danced around her. “Yes. There’s a…a time limit on when I can file for…” She swept the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip. “To complete the legalities.”

He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “Your lawyer works on Sunday?”

She jerked her head up. Wide-eyed, she stared at him for a moment before a carefully neutral mask slipped over her features. “Of course not. Gerald’s daughter, Iona, wants to talk to me.”

“Why?”

“Probably because she thinks the same thing I do.” She gave him a wan smile. “That Gerald’s my real dad.”

“Call her from here. That way—”

“No, Kyle. I have to do this on my own.”

He wanted to argue. She’d need a shoulder to cry on, someone to hold her up when reality pushed her down.

She blinked rapidly. “So, I’m going to take off now. The sooner I deal with the great big secret, the sooner I can get on with my life.”

Hell no.
She was not going to just walk away. He strode toward her. She backed into the hallway, dropping her bag to hold a hand up. As if that would stop him. He caged her in, palms flattened against the wall by her face.

“And the sooner you can forget about us.” He leaned closer, her widened hazel eyes confirming his guess. “That’s the real reason you want to leave now, isn’t it?”

“I’ll never forget about us.”

He bent so his breath mixed with hers. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“So what, I’ll star in your secret little fantasies? Be the man you think of when some other guy is fucking you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

No, she’d only implied it. Or maybe it was his suspicions rising to the surface. Either way, he wasn’t letting her walk away without some kind of commitment. Goddammit, he needed her to tell him she loved him, or he might go mad.

“Am I overreacting, then?”

“Yes. I have no intention of replacing you.”

Didn’t mean she’d hold on to him. He tipped up her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I’m not letting you go this time. We’re going to figure out how to make this work between us.”

“Kyle, I—”

He took her mouth on a rough kiss, stopping her denial. It was written on her face.
No.
He wouldn’t let her voice it or spew her doubts. He’d erase every one of them. Somehow. Dammit, somehow he’d make her his wife.

She resisted for a moment before matching him, kissing him harder than she ever had before. Their teeth banged and tongues dueled, a battle for dominance they both fought to win. At the moment, he didn’t care who did as long as he got her passion.

He ran his hand over her ass and gave each cheek a rough squeeze. She gasped, a shocked sound he greedily swallowed. It fueled him as much as the way she tugged at his sweats, trying to yank them down. He pressed his hips to hers, pinning the cotton in place. He wasn’t ready. He wanted her crazed, aching for him. She had other ideas.

She dug her nails into his ass and yanked him closer. He groaned, and his little vixen rubbed against him, stimulating him more. The ache in his cock grew. It pushed at her belly, demanding to be touched. He ignored the tingling only her wet core would cure. His plans didn’t involve freeing his erection anytime soon.

With more effort than he’d like to admit, he tore his mouth from hers. Dilated, lust-hazed eyes met his. He let his gaze roam over her and committed every detail to memory. Even if he did garner her commitment, it’d be days until he saw her again. One was too many. At the moment, he was facing five. Felt like a lifetime.

“I love you, Ronnie.”

Her gaze drifted to his lips. “I know.”

“And you love me.” He waited a moment. Anger rushed up. She was going to pretend that what they had could be forgotten or replaced. “Say it!”

She raised her gaze to his. “Please, don’t—”

“I love you, Kyle Sander.” He leaned closer. “Say the words.”

He hated his anger, but he couldn’t let her just walk away. He’d lose her. He knew it as well as he knew his name.

She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I—”

He pushed her shirt up, exposing her chest and stopping her words. The hard tips of her nipples poked the lacy white bra. He ran his thumb over one. She arched her back on a rough intake of air.

“I’m not letting you ignore what you feel for me.” He dragged the cup down, exposing her flesh. Using the nail of his forefinger, he circled her nipple. She sucked in another breath. “And I’m not letting you ignore what made you stay away for ten years.”

She grasped his wrist. “I don’t want to talk about our past or our future.”

“Fine. We’ll talk about now.” Then he’d get you to admit the truth.

He tweaked her nipple and swallowed her gasp on another kiss. While he loved her mouth, he worked the button on her shorts free and tugged the zipper. The denim slipped, pooling at her feet. She kicked it away. Pulled him closer.

The satin of her panties felt cool against his fingers. He slipped his fingertips beneath her waistband, and she widened her stance, inviting him lower. He took her up on her silent offer and slid a finger over her soft skin until it met her slickened folds. Quick flicks to her clit tore those soft little mewling sounds from her throat. He took them in and worked her sensitive button until she squirmed, her orgasm building.

Her greedy core squeezed around his finger. She sucked in a breath. She was ready to come. Had he not wanted to make a point, he would’ve given her the relief.

Not yet. Wouldn’t make it easy. He yanked his hand away, denying her the orgasm, and dropped to his knees. With a rough tug, he drew her panties down. Her arousal glistened on her cleft. He licked his lips, needing to taste her, needing to hear her moan his name.

Today, tomorrow, for the next sixty years.

“You’re my addiction, Ronnie.” He looked into her face, letting her see the possessiveness riding him. “I want to fuck you, lock you to my side, hold you. Every day. Not just now. I won’t give this up. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you, but—”

“But nothing.” He dragged his thumb over her slick folds and pressed his fingertip to her opening, not breaching her but with enough pressure that she wouldn’t be able to misinterpret his intent. “Your body is mine. So is your heart. I claimed both years ago.”

He glared at her, challenging her. She didn’t deny his words. She held his gaze.

Good. She knew to whom she belonged. It was stubbornness that stopped her from acting on the truth. If she thought he’d stand for it, she was in for a surprise. A Sander learned from his mistakes.

“I should never have allowed you to leave me.” He clenched his jaw and fought the dark emotions choking him. “For a decade other men have touched what was mine.”

She shook her head. “We weren’t together. You can’t—”

“Never again, Ronnie.” He pushed his thumb into her body and stroked her. Her eyelids drifted shut, and her mouth opened slightly on a shaky exhale. “You won’t ever take another loser to your bed. I won’t allow it.”

With his hands on her ass, he tilted her hips and licked along her cleft, not giving her the chance to deny his claim on her. It would only be stubbornness that would make her say it. Her fingernails biting into his scalp, holding him in place so she could rub her drenched sex over his face, proved him right. He was the only man for her. She knew it. He knew it.