Ten Reasons to Stay ((The Risky Hearts Duet) Book 1) Read online

  Sometimes, I just wanted to grab her by the waist and pull her down to me. Make her sit still so I could look at her.

  Though I’d only been with her for a handful of days, the hours we spent during those times elongated. It went from a few hours to half a day, and then from morning to near midnight.

  Bianca acted like I was losing my mind. I never took time off, but Thursdays were Corinne’s so long as she wanted them. Sometimes I’d go in for bit, just to keep up appearances, but as soon as she was available, I was out the door.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I passed off, taking a seat across from Gary. I pointed to the reports. “How does it look?”

  He stared at me, like he wanted to push me further, but he knew better. “You’re on point for the end-of-the-year goal.”

  “Good.” Focusing my attention on the laptop in front of me, I typed in the name of the florist just down the street. Roses. I wanted a bunch of them for tomorrow. I’d already played it out in my head. She’d meet me at the elevator. I’d walk her into my living room where a bed of roses would be waiting for her. Then I’d make her come until she couldn’t take anymore.

  My phone buzzed on my desk. It was my realtor. “Hey, Joe,” I said, pressing the phone against my ear.

  “Hey, Cole. I’ve got good news. A buyer is interested in the farm.”

  My heart thudded to a halt. I’d put the farm on the market years ago, after my parents passed. It was too hard knowing they were gone. That farm was their life. Their livelihood, producing honey and vegetables for local restaurants. When they passed, I sold the brand name to a nearby family that my parents had been friends with, then listed the house and acreage.

  “You there?” Joe asked.

  “Yeah,” I said, switching the phone to my other ear.

  “They’ve gone a grand over asking price. After sitting on the market for as long as it has, I say you should take the offer.”

  “I need to think about it.” I eyed the picture of my parents I kept on my desk.

  “Cole.”

  “Give me a day,” I said, and then hung up. A moment later, I picked up the phone. “Bianca, can you get me a car, please? I need to head out of town for a bit.”

  The roses would have to wait.

  “Sure thing,” she said as I stood from my desk. I put my jacket back on, and grabbed my briefcase. I needed fresh air, and a good meal for my stomach.

  Once I was downstairs, I headed for the car, stopping and starting through the ongoing traffic of bodies streaming like salmon up the river. I reached for the door handle, and that was when I saw her, across the street, glancing down at her watch.

  My heart slammed hard against my rib cage. Why did she have this effect on me every time I laid eyes on her?

  Talking to her in public was breaking the rules, but I couldn’t help it. She was right there. A friendly hello wouldn’t be too much…

  I told the driver to wait a moment, and then headed up the sidewalk. When the crosswalk said go, I started across the street, a smile curled around the corners of my lips. I’d come up behind her. Whisper against her ear. Revel in the way her body would react to mine.

  But then Jack appeared from the doorway to the small shop she waited in front of, and she stepped into his open arms. Their embrace appeared intimate. Sweet. The kind of embrace I longed for with her.

  I was stopped in the middle of the street, watching as he took her hand in his. Studying how close she let him get to her. I wasn’t supposed to be jealous. Had never been before.

  But it felt like a knife was being dragged down the middle of my chest.

  Someone honked behind me.

  I jogged back across the street, burying the acid boiling in my stomach. It tasted like resentment and possession. The truth was a hot iron pressed against my tongue. My thoughts.

  She wasn’t mine.

  I had to remember that.

  Getting into the car, I forced my gaze forward even though every part of me wanted to follow them. To see where she was going.

  “Where to?” the driver said.

  “Montour Falls.”

  I sat in the backseat of the car, staring at the house through the tinted window. It was as if I’d never left. I kept the grounds maintained through a lawn service, and the inside kept clean through a maid. My mother’s wind chimes made from broken glass still hung on the porch, swaying in the breeze.

  My dad’s old tractor sat next to the house, sad and unused. He built the house with his bare hands. Two stories of memories too painful to remember, but remember I did. My mother singing, a table filled with fruit being cut for pies. My father laughing as he came up behind her, twirling her around the kitchen.

  A porch wrapped around the house. I used to do laps. Used to play. Used to wait for Dad to come home.

  I opened the door, my shiny shoes kicking up dust from the dirt road, out of place. My mouth was dry, throat tight. The porch wood creaked a familiar song under my feet when I unlocked the front door and pushed it open.

  It was like stepping back into another time.

  The stairs that led up to the bedrooms. The eclectic furniture Mom collected every time she went to the flea market. All their pictures were still up from my childhood. Pictures of them dancing on their wedding day. Mom’s blanket hanging off the back of the couch. I left everything just as it was. I didn’t have the heart to box their things up.

  And I didn’t think I’d have the heart to sell their house.

  Not yet.

  I called Joe back. Left a message telling him to take the house off the market. And then, I went home.

  Pacing the terrace, I stared at the city below, wondering what Corinne was doing in that moment.

  I needed to get her out of my head. Needed to take back control over myself.

  Pulling out my phone, I opened Tinder and pulled a chair near the ledge, propping my feet up on the glass banister. Taking a sip from my tumbler of whiskey, I swiped right on the first woman suggested. She was blonde. Legs for days. Crystal-blue eyes with thick, long lashes. Her about me said Netflix and chill. She was a hookup girl. Roxanne was her name. Probably a fake.

  I messaged her.

  An hour later, she was on her way to my place.

  Heading inside, I took a quick shower, and then lit the fireplace. I’d fuck her on the couch, right where I’d fucked Corinne.

  After another glass of whiskey, I headed down to the lobby where I’d meet her. She strolled in like she’d been there a thousand times, wearing a white fur coat and bare knees. I’d put money on it that the only thing she had on underneath was lingerie.

  My dick got hard.

  “Hi,” she said, fluttering her lashes as her fingers traced the edges of my collared shirt.

  “Hey.” I clicked the button to the elevator.

  “You live at the top?” she asked once we entered and I put the key in.

  “Yep.”

  She moved closer. Kissed my neck. Women loved that I lived in the penthouse. The dollar signs practically danced in their irises.

  I pushed her against the wall, kissing her neck, her collarbone, as I slowly parted her coat.

  Bingo.

  A black negligee, her rosy pink nipples pressing hard against the see-through material.

  Her hand dropped to my dick. Started rubbing through the fabric. “A big boy,” she purred. “I like.”

  I ran a thumb over her nipple, and then took it in my mouth.

  She moaned, her hands digging through my hair.

  The door slid open, she followed me inside, and then I fucked her senseless.

  After she left, I went straight for the drawer I kept full of spare clothes for them, and dumped them all into a garbage bag. I was twisted up. Screwed in the head. I couldn’t even fuck Corinne out of my thoughts. All I could think about was how much I wished that woman had been her. About Corinne’s mouth and hands. The way she moaned when I made her come.

  I was addicted. Fully and co
mpletely. Treading in dangerous water.

  What the hell was wrong with me? She was married.

  To an asshole.

  I knew guys like Jack. They were the kind who fucked their secretaries while on business trips, leaving their wives behind. They didn’t answer their phones when their wives called. They put everyone before the woman waiting for them at home.

  What the hell did Corinne see in Jack?

  It didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter.

  She’d remain my Thursday girl, and I’d do everything I could to keep her out of my head every other day.

  Chapter 12

  Cole

  “Can I get a shot of whiskey?” I asked the bartender, and then I leaned against the edge of the bar, facing the ballroom. Everything was in place. The waiters were putting the last of the silverware around the plates. The DJ was testing the lighting system.

  The vibe in the room felt like we’d stepped back into another era, when everyone wore their finest jewels, and the music had a smoky edge to it. When the thrill of sipping on alcohol felt dangerous and wrong.

  This was my pre-game ritual. Loosen the limbs before the formalities began. I was good at this. Charisma made up forty percent of how I got to where I am today. The rest was built on my intelligence and wit. I’d work my way through the room. Greeting my employees. Asking them a little about themselves. It made them feel appreciated. Cared for. Noticed.

  The first wave of guests arrived, trickling through the double doors with anxious chatter. It was black suits and sparkling dresses. Slicked back hair and curly updos. They’d already visited the mini-bar set up just outside the doors. They needed it just as much as I did.

  I was shaking hands. Making jokes. Connecting as the DJ played soft music, setting the atmosphere.

  And then there she was.

  Corinne.

  I was mid-conversation with a fellow competitor, talking about a deal we were going after when my gaze gravitated toward her. She had this pull. Even if I didn’t see her, I felt her.

  She was in a red dress. I grinned because she wore it for me. Her legs were impossibly long in heels, and all I could think about was the next time I got her alone, I’d fuck her while she wore them.

  A second later, her eyes caught mine. A healthy blush bloomed in her cheeks, and then she skirted away, drawn by Jack who was introducing her to one of his colleagues. I’d seen plenty of beautiful women, but when she smiled and batted her lashes, I felt like I only just learned what true beauty was.

  “Did you hear me?” Andrew asked.

  I shook my head. “I have to go. I’ll get with you soon,” I said, leaving him standing there.

  I made my way across the room, still shaking hands with those who stopped me, glancing at her every few seconds.

  She wore red like the sun wore yellow. She shined in it.

  She didn’t realize the magnet that she was. The way the room seemed to part for her. Anyone with a dick between their legs noticed her, and it woke a sort of territorial feeling inside me. I wanted her on my arm, so I could make sure they knew just who they were dealing with.

  “Jack,” I said, coming up behind him.

  Corinne hid a small smile as I shook Jack’s hand, and then I reached for her.

  “You’re stunning,” I said, meeting her gaze. She felt what I was feeling. Like we wished for nothing more than the room to disappear. The electricity was there between us, buzzing, humming, waiting until we connected again.

  “Thank you,” she said with a small nod. A slow blink.

  Jack put his arm around her back. “I told her red was a bit much, but she does wear it well, doesn’t she?”

  My eyes still on hers, I said, “Effortlessly.”

  “Where are you sitting?” Jack asked. The brown-noser.

  I pointed to the front left side of the room. “Over there with both of you.”

  Corinne’s eyes widened. I enjoyed making her nervous. Loved watching the heat spread along her skin. Heat that I put there.

  “Excellent. Want a drink?” Jack asked her.

  “Please.” Her hands were clasped at her waist, the air around her timid.

  He left us standing there. The room was filled with a mixture of voices and music. Brimming with excitement and loosened tongues.

  “Hi,” she said, smiling. It was a small curve. Secretive.

  “Hey.” I wished I could touch her. Show her how good she looked with my hands and my lips.

  “You look handsome.”

  “You…” I shook my head. “You wore it for me, didn’t you?”

  I didn’t think her cheeks could get any pinker.

  Someone walked up behind me. Patted me on the back. I gave them a quick hello, and then turned my attention back to Corinne. Time alone with her was limited with Jack here. I wouldn’t waste a single second of it.

  I wanted, so badly, to pull her into my arms. Kiss the color into a deeper hue of passionate red. I couldn’t shake her. She was there, beneath my skin.

  “Cole,” someone else said behind me.

  I spun around, prying my gaze from Corinne. It was Dennis.

  “Dennis,” I said, taking his hand with a huge smile.

  “You have a nice setup here,” he said before noticing Corinne. “And who is this beautiful flower? You didn’t tell me you had a woman on your arm.” Dennis took Corinne’s hand and added, “This bachelor is a hard one to keep.”

  “I found it rather easy,” she joked, grinning playfully.

  I grew hard for her, loving when she took control. When she owned herself.

  “Well, then,” Dennis said, chuckling. “Looks like you got yourself a keeper.”

  I gazed at her proudly. “If only.”

  She felt those words. The meaning I put into them. I could tell by how she dropped her gaze, tucking hair behind her ear.

  “I… um… I should go find Jack.” She paused, facing Dennis. “It was nice meeting you.”

  She left a moment later.

  “No Sally?” I asked, wondering where his other half was.

  “She’s wandering around here somewhere,” he said with a small chuckle. “Probably gossiping about me as we speak.”

  Silence slipped between us.

  “So… who was she?”

  He wasn’t going to let it go.

  “An employee’s wife. Jack’s.”

  “You’re sleeping with her?”

  He didn’t miss much.

  “It’s complicated,” I said, feeling a sort of protectiveness over her. I didn’t want her to be portrayed wrong. Didn’t want him thinking she was the type.

  “She’s a beauty. Seems sweet.”

  I didn’t say anything for fear of admitting how I really felt. Hadn’t even admitted it to myself. Dennis had a way of pulling information out of me. It was his strong suit. Why he was my biggest competition.

  He continued with chatter about work. The standard shit talking we always did. The DJ called everyone to their seats as the hostess took to the stage. Corinne was leaning into Jack as he whispered something in her ear when I found the table.

  I tried not to watch them. Busied myself by chatting with Bianca and my publicist. As the night moved forward, we were served our four courses. Waited for the auction to take place that would help the charity my company supported, and then moved on to the fun part.

  Dancing.

  After I slid my jacket off, I put it around the back of my chair. Corinne barely glanced at me the whole night. I knew why. It was a little awkward for me, too, especially with Jack wedged between us.

  As I headed to the dance floor, I peered back, finding Corinne staring at those dancing with a sad longing. Jack was nowhere to be found.

  I twirled Bianca around the floor, and then a few other women who were out there all alone. Every once in a while, I’d check on Corinne. She was playing with her phone, still alone.

  How could he leave her there?

  I searched the room. He was near the back, talking
to a couple of gentlemen I recognized from Dennis’ company.

  She was too beautiful to ignore. Too gorgeous not to dance. I headed to the DJ, asking him for a favor, and then strode over to the table.

  She raised her head, the sadness in her eyes carving scars into my heart.

  “Come on,” I said, insisting with my hand held out to hers.

  She hesitated, but then took my hand. I spun her around on the dance floor, and then pulled her against me as Can’t Help Falling in Love played.

  Suspicion weighed in her gaze.

  I grinned. “Presley fan, right?”

  She shook her head, laughing.

  “There it is,” I said.

  “What?”

  “Your smile.”

  When the song ended, I steered her to the bar. Ordered her a drink, and then one for myself. We stood off to the side, watching the room move around us. It was weird, being on the other side of things. Usually, I was in the center of it all. Controlling the crowd.

  But I didn’t want that tonight.

  I wanted to be normal. On a date with the prettiest girl in the room.

  “You know, when I was little, I used to love dancing with my dad. He’d stand me on his toes and twirl me around, and I always felt like I was a princess at a ball.”

  I leaned in and whispered, “You’re the most gorgeous princess in the room. And… I want you. Badly.”

  Jack was somewhere on the other side of the room. He’d yet to check in on her.

  “Same.” She took a healthy sip from her drink.

  We stood side by side, tension rolling in waves off us. The desire to steal a touch pounding heavy against my chest. We were a breath away from one another. I brushed my pinky against her hand that hung by her side. Felt her body tighten, sending shockwaves throughout my own.

  “I should… I should freshen up,” she said, setting her drink on the bar top before disappearing.