The masquerade charity ball was the first time I found myself enjoying an event of this sort. Being groomed and raised around these sorts of affairs since my grandfather adopted me, I always found them mundane and used them as an excuse to possibly get laid. But even at times, that was a stretch for me.
This time, instead of bullshitting with everyone and drinking booze to help pass the time, I was lost admiring Breanne. Even wearing her dazzling mask, she was welcomed and appreciated by all in attendance. Instead of jealousy creeping up on me, I felt a swelling sense of pride that the auburn-haired beauty was mine.
I watched as Avery and Bree moved through the room with style and grace, and I was rendered speechless on more than one occasion. I knew words were being flung around the room about us, and whispers were made behind masks—a blatant excuse to gossip if you pulled off your attire well at one of these occasions. Regardless, my eyes were only on the gorgeous woman in her shimmering onyx dress, white gloves, and diamond-rimmed mask, and that gave the crowd a reason to gossip.
When the evening drew to an end, and the award was accepted on Brian Stone’s behalf, I finally had my girl to myself. I knew the time was at hand for me to be honest with Bree about why she needed to accept this money and donate whatever she wanted after fixing her finances. It was not a conversation I wanted to have, but it had to take place.
“Bree, as I mentioned earlier,” Jim said, “there couldn’t have been a better recipient for the award. Congratulations to you and your father for the achievements of making a remarkable contribution to society.”
Bree smiled. “My father was a very generous man. I plan on making sure this award, and the outrageous amount of money that was raised in his name tonight, go to an excellent cause as well.”
“Make sure it’s something your father would have wanted,” Avery added with a wink. “Love you both. Good night.”
With that, my cloaked best friend, his stunning wife, myself, and Bree split, quickly disappearing to our rooms to get out of the penguin suits and ball gowns. I couldn’t shed the damn tuxedo fast enough, but I paused when I saw Bree standing in front of the floor-length mirror Clay and Joe had brought to the room for Bree and Avery to see how they looked before we left for the event.
I walked to her and ran my fingertips over her bare shoulders. “I’ve thought of nothing all night but removing this gown from your sexy body, and now you’ve destroyed that,” I smirked at her as she smiled at me through the mirror, bringing my lips to caress the goosebumps on her skin.
“I’m sorry I ruined your crazy fantasy,” she teased. “Do mysterious and creepy masquerade balls turn you on?”
“No,” I smiled. “I’m only turned on by the one who received the money that was donated to them.”
“I knew there was something scandalous about you, sir,” she taunted. “My fiancé wouldn’t approve, you know?”
I smirked at her, using the sultry tone she teased me with while playing along at the event tonight. Once her mask was on, Bree had transformed into a more flirty and humorous date. I could easily sense she thought the masquerade was just as bizarre as I did, and I welcomed her fun way of engaging in all of it. Another enjoyable side of the evening was that I had experienced a different side of the woman I’d fallen for, and I staked a hard claim on loving her and being in her presence that much more.
“Your fiancé was a fool not to put a ring on this finger,” I said, sliding my hand up her arm and pulling her left ring finger to my lips.
She turned to face me and tugged on the bowtie I had hanging from my neck. She casually started finishing where I began to unbutton my shirt before I spied her standing in front of the mirror.
“Did you enjoy the night?” Her eyes lifted to mine, filled with passion and desire. “Or do I need to make up for hiding behind this mask, as you mentioned more than once while we danced?”
I wanted so desperately to take her right here and now, to do precisely what she’d reminded me of whenever I had a moment with her, and I stole her away for a dance or two. My cock was begging me to ignore my sense of reason about doing the responsible thing. Overruling my sexual appetite and craving that seemed to be endless with her should have been the hardest thing I’d ever attempted, but strangely, it wasn’t. I needed to fill her in on this charity money, and I wanted to do it correctly.
I wanted to say that I hadn’t had the opportunity to tell Breanne about her father until now, but it was more accurate to say that I hadn’t conjured the nerve to do so. Seeing her sparkling personality all night and that she seemed to enjoy the evening up until now, I was certain no one had mentioned why Brian Stone received the honor. The announcement was made that his benevolence was the reason for it—being selfless with his money, time, and architectural skills. It was obvious enough that they wouldn’t mention the man had become suicidal after losing his wife. Still, I suppose that was another reason my eyes were constantly on her throughout the night—watching for some miserable fuck to come at her sideways and tell her the painful truth.
I wanted to duck out of this with everything that I was. Historically, I wasn’t the most empathetic person when it came to delivering such news—and that is putting it mildly. I was scared shitless that I would relay this vital information to the woman I loved, sounding like a cold-hearted bastard.
That was the man I really was when it came to handling situations like these. Even when I had to help Collin through the worst possible time of his life, I was strictly business with him, even though my heart broke for him and the uncertainty of Elena.
Fuck. I knew I could do this. I understood that Bree needed to know, but could I be the man she needed if this news was received horribly? I was throwing that damn word love around like I understood what it entirely meant. Hell, I pulled a marriage proposal out of my ass, and why? Because I trusted and cared enough about her to let her in a little bit on my fucked-up past?
“Alex?” Bree questioned, her hand brushing along the stubble on my face. “You look like you’re going to tie me up and have your way with me or something?” She smiled as I let out a breath. “Why the dark expression so suddenly?”
I chewed on the inside of my tightened bottom lip. “How’s a walk on the beach sound?”
She cocked her head to the side curiously. “I’d rather take my sexy lover to bed,” she grinned. “I’m down for a walk, but we missed the sunset by four hours or so.”
“San Diego beaches are beautiful with or without sunsets,” I smiled. “Go and change into something that will keep you warm. There’s something—” I stopped myself, knowing I was about to fuck it all up if I kept talking.
“What’s up with you? You better not be worried about the job. We fixed everything, and the permits are in the process of being approved.”
“I know,” I smiled. “You and I seem to have a grand way of fixing things and saving the Titanic while doing so.”
“The Titanic?” She looked at me as if I were the silly one to bring that idea into play the way she did when we saved the Sphere job.
“You don’t recall comparing the Sphere project to the sinking of the Titanic?”
“Oh, damn!” She laughed and ran her hand down the center of my chest. “Back when you were the asshole in a suit.”
“And now, what do you see me as?” I asked with a dry tone and an arch of my eyebrow.
“Sex in a suit?” She leaned up and kissed the hollow of my throat. “You’re really up for a walk on the beach?”
“You’re making it quite difficult…” I swallowed when her hand roamed over my cock. “Extremely difficult, I might add. Get dressed, dimples. If we truly believe we’ve both been shot in the ass by the cupid’s arrow, then tonight we’ll test that theory.”
“You’re acting stranger than that masquerade event.”
“Just get dressed,” I smacked her flirty ass. “Trust me, with the way you’re turned on at this point, I’m letting you tie my ass up and do whatever you want with it when we get back.”
“Shouldn’t tempt me,” she said, and then she disappeared into her closet while I put on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.
Bree’s laugh was contagious as we passed our friends, who were chilling with drinks in the lounge area of the pool. The guys had cocktails, and the ladies were in the jacuzzi, enjoying the freedom that came with having Jake and Ash’s nanny watch the kids.
“We’re being romantic,” Bree teased after Jake questioned where we were going as we headed to the pathway that led to the private beach.
“Can’t wait to report that two grown-ass adults are having sex on the beach,” Jake countered back.
“I’m sure we’ll be joining the club of doctors who do crazy-ass shit on the SoCal beaches, correct?” I asked with a grin.
Collin raised his gin. “Get it done, man.” He smirked.
Jim was the one to make eye contact with me, knowing that I was on my way to tell Bree the truth about her father. Part of me wanted to withhold this information, knowing that what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her, but there was no way in hell that my best friend and I could have this information and not tell her. I was holding back enough secrets from the woman, and I was certainly not going to add this one to the list.
“So, what is with this romantic walk, anyway?” Bree questioned once we reached the beach, took off our shoes, and allowed the soft, warm sand to massage our feet as we walked.
I brought my arm around her and held her close.
Please, Alex. Don’t fuck this up.
“I should have mentioned this the night Jim made me aware, but I wanted to make sure that I delivered this news in the best way I knew how.”
That stopped all forward progress, and now the only sounds were the waves as they softly crashed into the shore. “What news?” she questioned in a voice that was the most serious she’d used since she was busting balls on the job we had to fix yesterday.
“It’s about the award and why your father received it and all of the proceeds of the event tonight.”
“It’s because he donated his money. A lot of the work he did was charity,” she said.
The full moon lit the beach, and I saw her perplexed expression. I instantly wanted to leave our conversation at that.
“Correct,” I said as I reached for her face. “It appears that you’re a lot like him, being charitable and selfless.”
She sighed. “Alex, if you’re out here trying to use the ocean and a beach walk to get me to keep that money for myself, you’ve not learned anything about the person I am.”
I took her hand and led her over to an area to sit in the sand. “This isn’t easy at all for me to tell you, but I believe you have every right to know. I need you to understand that Jim learned more about the reasons that your dad helped create that center and why they’re giving back after all these years.”
“Go on,” she said, her hands defensively crossed in front of her.
“Well, first of all, when your father approached me to ask if Mitchell and Associates would invest and acquire his business, I was a ruthless asshole at the time. Since getting to know you better, I have changed my opinion about taking his business.”
“I was so angry with him for not telling me. The whole merge pissed me off too. It’s like my dad didn’t trust me, but in the end,” she laughed, “I couldn’t run that company right. I fucked it all up. I’ve moved on, though, and I am grateful for you and Jim’s company taking on my dad’s. I’m thankful to you for uncovering everything.” She brushed her hand on my arm.
“I am too. Your dad wanted to ensure you were taken care of. He demanded that we not mention anything to you and insisted that we keep the company going and allow you to keep his vision alive. I don’t believe he wanted you to run the company, and that’s only because he mentioned that your heart was in design, not the corporate affairs.”
“That sounds like something he’d say. I guess he was right,” she said with sadness in her voice.
“Were you happy running that business, or are you happier designing and keeping that part of his vision alive?”
“I just feel like I failed him.”
I took her hand. “Jim and I feel as though we failed him in his requests. You’ve seen me work, and I’m sure you understand that I’m all numbers, profits, and business. At the time, we were more focused on the fact that Brian Stone was handing his business to us, and we weren’t so concerned about keeping his daughter happy. I am now, of course. Jim and I failed him, letting it come down to the fact that we let you have too much freedom at Stone Company. I should’ve insisted you and I meet back then and that I audit the company to see why it needed regular donations.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “We should’ve been more involved, but we were assholes, and I’m sorry to you and your father for that.”
“Don’t you even think about taking on that burden,” she insisted. “I hid the real numbers, trying to prove a point to myself and trying my best not to fail. It bit me in the ass in the end, but I did what my prideful mind thought was best.”
“With that said, Jim is matching the donations from the event tonight. He and I both want you to take the money you need—even if it’s just the match from Mitchell and Associates—and use that money to recoup what was stolen from you. I’m not sure about the numbers, but I know that an anonymous person made millions in donations. That was you. That was the inheritance your dad left you. You had no idea the underhanded shit that Jim and I allowed by not being more involved as the parent company. We were looking at profits, and that was fucking it. We should’ve been helping you.”
“You trusted the company you owned was delivering the numbers you needed to see. Alex, I did this to myself.”
“Please, don’t fight me on this. Take the donations Jim is matching and fix things. Replenish the funds—it’s everything your father left behind to keep you financially stable.”
“Why are you so worried about this? More than that, why is Jim?”
I gripped the back of my neck. “Babe,” I said, using a word that was becoming more common when I spoke to her in more of an emotional way. “Your father had reasons for donating so much to the cause down here for those who needed help to solve problems they deemed unsolvable. To help those who sought counseling through stages of grief, and he did all of that because he faced horrific battles after losing your mom.”
Fuck. There, I said it.
“My dad never said anything to me about struggles or things like that when we lost my mom. He said he was thankful he had me, and because of that, my dad and I were extremely close.”
“Yes,” I said. “However, Jim has learned your father was not well after your mother passed. He knew that if he didn’t seek counseling through a place such as the one he funded, he might not have continued on. He knew that your mother may have left him too soon but that she gave him the best gift a wife could give the man she loved.”
Goddammit, Alex, you’re not making any sense.
Bree was quiet, and I watched her body language as she pulled her legs into her chest and leaned her chin on them.
“Breanne?” I ran my hand over her back, wanting to kick myself for what probably sounded like incoherent rambling to Bree. “Am I fucking this all up?”
“He was going to kill himself?” she asked through a cracked and broken voice. “I—I can’t—Holy shit. I would’ve never believed that my dad could fall into a depression and end it all even though he still had a little daughter who depended on him—who was suffering too. What was he thinking? What would’ve happened to me then? I would’ve been forced to live with my aunts?” she said, anger dripping from her voice. As quickly as she flared up, she deflated again, hanging her head. “I want to hate him for considering that. It’s such a selfish fucking thing to do.”
“Grief is an unpredictable emotion, and depression can cloud even the clearest of minds. Sometimes people see no other way, and I can’t pretend to know how low you have to feel to think about ending things, but I imagine it’s the most difficult thing anyone can ever face.” I may not have been overly in touch with my feelings, but I knew the darkness, and I knew what it was like to do almost anything to stop feeling like you were drowning. I wasn’t world-renowned for my empathy, but I knew about struggling with the darkness inside that made you feel like the worst person who ever lived. I knew that all too well. “Some people don’t realize they’re struggling with depression until it’s too late. That’s why that center is such a blessing, and you heard tonight how many lives were changed and are now better because of it because that building was funded and went up so quickly.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Her voice was riddled with anger, which was precisely where I expected this whole damn thing to go. My heart ached for her, and she was right; why the fuck did I have to tell her this?
“Bree, even though the event was a beautiful thing for your father, people talk. When donations are involved to honor someone, people like to dig up dirt. There was no way in hell Jim and I would allow you to find this out from anyone but us. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your father was a brave man. He sought out help instead of giving up. After he did, he didn’t take the rest for granted. He used his experience, knowing it could happen to even the strongest of people. It took therapy to help him realize he would find that healthy life and light, and it was through you. That’s why he didn’t want to leave unless you were financially cared for.”
“He was a beautiful soul,” Bree said with a sniff. “A beautiful man.” She looked at me. “Thank you for telling me this.”
“Come here,” I said, pulling her rigid body into my arms. “I’m here for anything. I know this isn’t easy to hear, and God help me, I wish I never knew it so I wouldn’t have to tell you. But I will say that Brian Stone was brave beyond words, and I can look back on that day with him in my office and remember the humility it took for him to ensure you were cared for. The man loved you, and I only hope I can love you as well as he did.”
She leaned into me and kissed my chin. “I love hearing you say that.”
I held Bree on the shoreline, both of us quiet and watching the surf without speaking a word. I was running everything through my head and hoping to God that I’d said it right, not twisting up the memory of Brian Stone for his daughter. I had to believe I’d delivered the news the right way, the compassionate way, and that she understood I was here for her.
After we got back to the hotel room, Bree seemed numb in thought, and that’s when I knew for sure that love was more than sex and more than admiring a woman from across the room, or while she worked, or hearing her call out my name. All of that was a fantastic addition to being attached to a woman, but what love was proving itself to mean to me was entirely different. It was allowing this beautiful soul to curl up around me and let me hold her as her broken heart shed tears until she fell asleep peacefully at my side.
I didn’t interrogate her. I didn’t try to fix her sadness. I didn’t do all the shit I always did when I delivered shitty news. I just held her and loved her with every ounce of my being. I knew now that Breanne Stone was mine to love, care for, and adore until she either pushed me away or I left this life.
There was no other woman for me but her. No other woman I could ever hold and give a damn about. When you were with her, you saw sincerity and love that went deeper than anything on the surface.
Now, it was a matter of getting her to accept that we were meant to be together. To accept that even though it had only been a couple of weeks, when this strong emotion swarmed you, you felt it, and you knew it. I knew it now. If this were all surface romance, I know I wouldn’t have pulled her tightly into me and kept her in my arms as I drifted off to sleep, knowing that I would protect this woman with my own life.
What a beautiful feeling. This love beat all of the horrible things I was told growing up—that I was too damaged ever to understand this emotion, rendering me useless and unable to love or feel compassion.
Fuck everyone who tried to tell me that. Fuck all of them. I was capable of being more than an iron-fist bastard who ran businesses like a ruthless son of a bitch. I could do all of that, and I could still hold the woman who was sent to prove everyone wrong about who I really was.
