Chapter 24

Birthday countdown: 34 days

Since meeting her: 12 days

Company takeover: 41 days

I wake up sweating in the comically small tent with Lexi’s body molded to mine. My hand is on her bare stomach, and her ass is pressed against me. My arm is asleep, and my back hurts, but I’m smiling. Based on how light it is, the sun must be rising.

“What time is it?” Lexi asks, clearing her throat. “So thirsty.”

“I’ll get you some water,” I say. “It’s five after six.”

“Don’t go,” she pleads. “You’re too comfy.”

Lexi wraps her warm arms around me, holding me tight.

I breathe her in. “Okay,” I say, not wanting to leave her. “Just a little longer.”

I’m a greedy bastard, and I don’t want to pass up this opportunity. As I’m falling back asleep, I hear the revving of an engine coming up the side of the mountain.

“Philip is here,” I groan.

“No. I’m so tired.”

I laugh. “Sorry. You can sleep as long as you want when we get home.”

She lifts her head to look at me. Her hair is a mess, but it looks cute. “Will you be joining me?”

“I might be able to arrange something,” I say.

I scoot from under the folded sleeping bag that barely covered us. All night, we held each other, keeping the other warm. It had to have gotten down into the forties, and it’s not much warmer now.

“I’m going to climb over you so I can meet him. You can stay here until it’s time to leave. Okay?”

She nods, and I roll on top of her, holding myself above her, but I don’t expect her thighs to part as I position myself between her legs. She arches up into me.

“You’re a bad fucking girl.” I shake my head, knowing exactly what she’s doing. Testing me.

“You have no idea,” she says.

I press my cock against her, bringing my mouth down to her ear. “Now, who’s playing with fire?”

She wraps her arms around my neck and brings my ear to her mouth. “Still you.”

“Remember, I wrote the rulebook for these games.” I look into her eyes, our mouths so fucking close that I could kiss her, like last night. But so far, I’ve let her decide where this goes. I haven’t initiated shit; it’s why I don’t know if she’s really anti-love.

Her mouth says one thing, but her body says another.

Instead of kissing her, I keep my boundaries and use every bit of willpower I have to continue crawling over her body. I unzip the flap and check my shoes for spiders, sliding them on.

The morning air is brisk, and when I breathe, my breath comes out like smoke. Lexi slides into the sleeping bag and lies flat on her back in a tent that was never meant for two people, especially not someone my height.

“I’ll wait here,” she says, smiling.

“Okay,” I say, adjusting myself as I stand and take a mental picture of her.

Hot coals still glow from last night, and I sit in the chair and try to enjoy the sunrise even though it’s cold.

The sky bursts into pinks and purples as fog floats in the valley below. I search the area for early morning wildlife, but don’t see anything. I’m sure the sound of the engine revving up the mountain scared them away.

Fifteen minutes later, a lifted truck on off-roading tires comes into view and parks behind the Jeep. Philip gets out and walks over to me.

He’s my height, and he’s known as the playboy cowboy. We met at Harvard, and his family owns cattle ranches in Wyoming. After graduating, he moved back to help with operations. We’ve kept in touch over the years, and sometimes, we catch up when I’m in town.

Philip greets me with a cocky grin, giving me a firm handshake. “Decided to camp?”

“No, the battery is dead, and I didn’t have cell service,” I tell him. “I should kick your ass.”

“You should be saying thank you. After staring at conference room walls all year, being outside is good for ya.” He looks around. “I thought you brought someone with you?”

I point at the tent.

He bursts into laughter. “Did you sleep in there … together?”

I’m not amused.

“Yes, we did,” Lexi says from inside the tent. The flap unzips, and she checks her shoes before putting them on. She stands and smiles as she smooths her dark hair down.

He places his hand over his heart. “Um, hello.”

“Hi,” she says. “Morning.”

“Good morning, gorgeous. One question: why are you with him? Blink three times if you need me to rescue you.”

She stares him down. “Oh, I chose Easton.”

No words come out of his mouth.

“Well, Lexi, you’ve officially stunned him speechless, which never happens.”

“Did it hurt?” he asks.

She tilts her head at him.

“When you fell from Heaven?”

“Okay, stop flirting with my future wife,” I say, patting him on the shoulder.

He grins. “I don’t see a ring on that finger yet.”

“Keyword is yet,” Lexi says, wiggling her ring finger, then glances over at me. “But very soon.”

She’s not acting. She’s aware of the timeline and how things will move fast. Getting to know her on a personal level before we make it official is necessary.

Alexis clears her throat. “Anyone have a she-wee handy?”

I glance at her. “A what?”

“You know what? Never mind. Can I have the bear spray, please?” she asks.

“That’s expired,” Philip says.

“It’s better than nothing,” I tell him, grabbing it from the camping chair and handing it to her.

Lexi heads into the woods.

“Hey, bear!” she yells, her voice echoing as she claps.

Philip turns back to me. “Some of us have all the luck in life. I wish I knew how you do it,” he says. “Speaking of, how’s your sister?”

“Still off-limits to you,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

Philip smirks as Lexi rejoins us.

He glances between us, grinning. “Let’s try to jump this thing so you two lovebirds can be on your way.”

I don’t have to pretend in front of people. Wanting her close to me comes naturally; wanting everyone to know she’s mine is instinct.

After last night and this morning, we’re in a weird limbo; some might even call it purgatory. But I’ll be patient, and I can wait until day fifteen to make sure I’m not going to fuck this up.

“Let’s pick everything up,” Lexi says, pulling the sleeping bag from the tent.

She rolls the mattress pad, and it only takes a few minutes to take down the tent. We load everything in the back as Philip douses the coals. It doesn’t take long for the Jeep to start, and we climb inside.

“I’ll follow you down,” Philip says, removing his jacket and handing it to Lexi.

“Oh my God. Thank you,” she says, sliding her arms into it with a smile.

“Thanks, man. See you at the bottom,” I tell him, flipping the heat on high and clicking on the seat warmers. Even though the top is off, it helps some.

Lexi leans her head back against the seat, smiling. “I have a hangover.”

“I do too. It’s why I don’t drink shit like that,” I admit, keeping my grip on the steering wheel, taking it at a steady speed.

By the time we make it down, the sun is up and the temperature has risen, but it’s still below fifty. It looks like it will be another beautiful day. Lexi returns Philip’s jacket and I give him a handshake.

“I hope to see you two again,” he says.

“You will,” Lexi confirms, grabbing my hand.

“Hot damn,” Philip says, grinning.

I give him a wave as we turn to the helicopter.

When we’re back at my place, I brew coffee, and my phone rings.

Lexis sits at the breakfast nook, and I answer.

“I’ve been trying to call you since yesterday,” Weston snaps.

“I’m on vacation,” I remind him.

“I understand, but this is important. Remember how I told you I would review the contracts again?”

“Yes,” I say. “Did you find something useful?”

“No other loopholes.” He releases a breath.

“Okay. What’s the fucking point of this call?” I pull two mugs from the cabinet.

“I found another clause. In a roundabout way, without all the legal jargon, it states that if fraud has been committed to take control of the business, the party responsible will lose all stakes in the company and inheritances.”

“Of course,” I whisper. “Somehow, I knew it wouldn’t be this easy. I think it will be okay.”

“Oh, I’m not concerned. I’ve seen the two of you together, but I know Derrick is up to something. I’m watching him, so be prepared for anything. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay. Thanks for the warning,” I say, and he ends the call.

I shove my phone back into my pocket. After filling two mugs, I set one in front of Lexi and take the stool next to her.

“I need a shower.” She lifts her hair and smells it.

“Fuck, me too,” I say while my coffee cools down.

When I glance at her, she’s picture-perfect with her hand on the mug, blowing to cool off the steaming hot liquid. A small smile touches my lips as I pull the notebook and pen from my pocket and set it on the counter.

“Shall I pose?”

When I turn to the next blank page, she holds her fingers under her chin.

“I could draw you from memory, darling.” I smile, and she looks at me over the mug’s rim.

She reaches for her phone and turns it on as I start my sketch. Nonstop messages feed through, and I watch her expression change from happy to frustrated as I draw her.

“Everything okay?”

Her nostrils flare.

“Alexis,” I say, grabbing her attention.

“It’s begun.” She flips her phone around and shows me the headline of an article.

ALEXIS MATTHEWS AND EASTON CALLOWAY.

NEW HOT COUPLE OR FAKE RELATIONSHIP?

“Who sent you this?”

“Carlee,” she whispers. “She keeps up with it.”

“Let me guess. They wrote about your upbringing, where you went to college, and how we met?”

Her eyes scan over it. “And they interviewed my ex.”

“And what did he have to say?” My jaw clenches.

She already has trust issues because of him. Fuck him.

“He gave a shit sandwich comment. He started by saying I was a loving and caring partner. And anyone would be lucky to have me.”

“That’s true.”

“And then …” She shakes her head, her jaw clenching.

I unlock my phone, find the article, and wait for it to load. I don’t typically scout this shit out. Weston tells me what I need to know because our image is essential. That’s why it was so devastating when his divorce was announced to the world because he wanted it to stay private.

I read the headline and continue down the page. When Lexi finishes reading it, she locks her phone and puts it on the counter. She’s mad. Hell, I am too.

Alexis is a kind and caring partner. We’ve known each other since we were thirteen, and we often discussed marriage. I don’t see her ever being with a man like Easton Calloway. He’s not her type.

At the bottom, it ends with:

People who have known Alexis Matthews since she was a child aren’t convinced this relationship is legitimate.

“I’m sorry.”

“I can’t believe he said we’d planned to get married. He failed to mention he was a cheating bastard. He has no idea what he’s talking about.” She scoffs.

“Do you agree with him?”

“Not what he said about you,” she says, her green eyes meeting mine. “Ten out of five,” she whispers the rating that she gave me before any of this was released.

It’s music to my fucking ears.

She picks up her phone and texts someone.

I focus back on my drawing as she flips her hair over to one side with frustration.

“I cannot believe these people went all the way to Valentine and all they could dig up was my shitty, cheating ex who lives in the next town over. People in my hometown are like one big family, and they’ll protect me from outside gossip. But outside of town, I’m fair game.” She shakes her head. “It’s a blessing and a curse.”

I smile. “We should visit.”

She searches my face. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Do you trust me?”

She nods. “You never welcome a vampire inside. Ever heard that? They’ll meddle.”

“We’ll leave tomorrow.”

She takes a drink of her coffee. Steam still rises from the top. “Do you think it’s necessary?”

“Yes. Weston reviewed the contracts again. If committee members suspect I’m committing fraud, I will lose my promotion and inheritance,” I explain. “We need to squash doubts. Control the narrative.”

She glances at me. “You could lose it all, Easton.”

“I’m betting on us with everything I have. It’s a gamble, but my intuition about situations or people is always right. When it comes to us, I have no doubts.”

Something is sizzling between us; it might take her a year to see that, but I have time. And in the end, maybe I’ll have everything I want.

The silence drags on.

“Your confidence about visiting does it for me,” she says. “We’ll leave tomorrow then.”

I pull my wallet from my pocket, pluck out a black aluminum credit card, and slide it across the counter toward her. “This is yours.”

“Really?” She looks down at it in her hand. Her name is etched across the front in a shiny gold font.

“Buy whatever you want. There’s no limit,” I explain.

“On the card or for me?”

“Both. I have more money than you could spend in five lifetimes. Purchase whatever you want, darling.”

She taps it against the counter and flips it around. “A month ago, I’d have said this would fix everything. I realize that’s not true.”

“Over the years, many people have said they’d be happy if they had my money. It doesn’t solve the problems here.” I pat my heart.

She sighs. “I’m learning that.”

“What can I do to help?” I ask, smoothing my hand over the page and placing the ball of my pen where I left off.

“Help me repair a broken heart.” She finishes the rest of her coffee.

“Ahh, only time can do that.” I meet her gaze. “But I’m working on it. Trying to convince someone they’re worthy first.”

“Well. Good luck,” she tells me with a smile.

It’s the anti-love coming out to play, the self-doubt her past relationships have created.

“Thanks. I’ll fucking need it.”