Forever Branded (Billionaire Love Series #1) (30 page)

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she said, glancing down.

“Listen, I want you to know Jeremy’s not going to be a problem anymore. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.”

She nodded as she looked back up, pain and suffering seared in her gaze. “Thank you for saying that.”

I nodded. “I need you to know something. I am not with Ashley and I never will be. I pushed her away, but I don’t think you saw that.”

“No, I didn’t see that. I was too busy getting attacked by your friend.”

I frowned fiercely. “He isn’t my friend anymore. I can’t believe he’s such an asshole.”

She nodded. “You need better taste in friends.”

“You’re my friend, aren’t you, Sunshine?” I asked, putting my heart on the line.

“Yeah,” she said as she stared into my hopeful gaze. “I’m your friend.”

“That’s good to hear,” I said, reaching into my pocket. “I wanted to make sure and get this back to you.”

I handed the locket back to her as she inhaled in surprise. “What? You fixed it?” Her doe eyes pooled with fresh tears, her look so tender I wanted to scoop her up and love her forever.

“I did. I know how much it means to you. So I figured out how to reattach the chain.”

More tears poured down her face. “That’s really sweet, Beau,” she said, putting the locket around her neck and closing her eyes for a second. “I thought I lost it for good. I’m so glad you brought it back to me. It makes me feel like my mom is close, especially on a night like tonight.”

“I bet.”

“How are your hands?” she asked as she grabbed my right fist and gently opened it.

“They’re okay,” I said, but winced as she ran her fingers tenderly across my bruised and bloody knuckles.

She gave me a small smile. “Come inside. Let me help you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Marla:

I was most at home in the garden.

Its rich, ripe bounty was one of the absolute delights of my life. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere without being surrounded by plants, flowers, and herbs.

That’s why my backyard looked like a gardener’s paradise. Large flower beds full of blooming flora spilling over, while rows of herbs and vegetables made the air fragrant with the spices of basil, sage, and lavender.

My garden was a little wild, a little cultivated, but all me.

It was Sunday morning and I pulled out my gardening tools then headed to the backyard. I was in the mood to do a little digging. Wearing a white tank top and cut-off jean shorts, I put on my neon pink gloves and went to work adding some organic soil to some of my new flower beds.

Last summer, Micah had painted the fence white and filled some of my flower beds with cedar mulch in his quest to prove his love to Emma. I had watched him toil away in the hot summer sun, determined to win his beloved back.

A month later, we had celebrated Micah and Emma’s wedding back here. They had said their vows in the middle of my yard on the bridge that arched over a koi pond I had built a couple of years ago.

I had never seen my sister so happy.

It had been a beautiful night.

I hoped one day to have my own magical wedding back here, but that was a pie-in-the-sky dream at best.

The sun bathed my shoulders, the heat soaking into my bare arms as I used a rake to blend in the new soil with the old. My soul sang a little brighter as I absorbed the sweet aroma of fresh dirt, the pops of yellow from the daffodils, and the rich soil beneath my rake.

My beautiful garden.

Peaceful, lovely, nurturing.

It was my oasis and creative muse.

There were endless uses for plants, herbs, and roots, so I took full advantage of the summer to experiment with different remedies. I cut off some calendula for its anti-inflammatory properties as I thanked the flower for its bounty.

I was working on a new mask that would soothe the skin. I usually tried a hundred variations before I found the one which worked best. Emma was often my guinea pig, but she’d been busy with her family these days. For this mask, I was just going to have to figure it out on my own.

Before I headed into the house, I gathered some lilacs. I loved the way they infused the whole house with the delicate, calming scent of fresh summer. The floral smell clung to the air and reminded me of the night Beau came over after that stupid party I went to with Stacy.

I sat alone in the dark apartment, crying my eyes out after being brutalized by that thug, Jeremy. A knock at the door disrupted my crying jag. I sat still for a second, wondering if I should acknowledge my visitor.

“Marla, it’s me,” Beau’s low voice carried in from outside.

I didn’t know what to do...I really didn’t want to see anyone. But he knocked again and I gravitated toward him like a ship looking for a lighthouse in the dark of night. I threw open the door and found him filling the doorway.

He smiled softly, his blue gaze full of concern. He was a safe harbor, a refuge from the storm. I wanted to jump into his arms and make all of my pain go away as the sweet smell of lilac perfumed the warm night.

He sweetly asked me if I was okay and tried explain what had happened with Ashley. I didn’t really care about that vicious bitch. If Beau couldn’t see that she was awful, that was his problem.

Then, he sheepishly dug into his pocket and showed me my fixed necklace.

I just about melted into the floor, I was so touched.

I put the delicate chain around my neck and breathed a sigh of relief. It was as if my mom put her arms around me and gave me a big hug.

Beau had made a bad night just a little bit more bearable. Glancing down, I noticed his knuckles were bloodied and battered, so I invited him in to clean his wounds. It was the least I could do.

He looked around as he stepped inside the apartment, soaking in the old tan sofa and love seat as well as the beige braided rug under the coffee table and the tiny L-shaped kitchen which still had seventies decor with green laminate countertops and yellow cabinets.

“Take a seat at the table. I’m gonna get some stuff for your hands,” I said, pointing toward the kitchen.

I walked down the hall and grabbed some alcohol, cotton balls, and a few Band-Aids.

I took a seat next to Beau at the table as I smiled at him. “This may hurt a bit, but it’ll kill any nasty stuff you picked up when you beat the crap out of Jeremy.”

“I can handle it.”

“I know you can,” I said, leaning over his hand as I ministered to his wounds. I cleaned them out and put some pink Care Bear Band-Aids on his knuckles.

I smiled, enjoying how silly they looked on his strong hands. “Sorry, they’re the only ones I had.”

He grinned back. “That’s okay. I’ll wear them with pride.”

“Thank you, by the way. If you had been two minutes later, Jeremy would have really hurt me,” I finished quietly.

His beat-up hand cupped my cheek. “I would do anything to keep you safe, Marla. Anything.” His blue eyes glowed with an affection that mirrored my own.

“Really?” I asked in a hushed voice.

“You’re safe with me, Sunshine. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

I raised my hand, covering his big paw with my own as I turned my face toward his palm and slowly kissed it. He shuddered as my mouth brushed his skin.

Our eyes met again and his glance was so tender, tears filled my eyes.

“Ah, Sunshine. You don’t need to cry,” he consoled.

“I know. But you’re being so sweet, I can’t help myself,” I admitted softly.

“Let me make it better.” His gaze turned heated as his handsome face came toward mine.

Butterflies fluttered in my tummy as I melted toward him. It was the worse timing ever, but it felt so right as we drew close. Gasping as his lips hovered over mine, I trembled as our mouths touched for the very first time.

So sweet.

Moving slowly, he captured my lips with his, giving me a chance to adjust to his soft rhythm. I put my hands on his chest as a tender ache filled my veins.

The kiss opened up as he claimed my lips more forcefully and his tongue swept into my mouth. I moaned, letting myself go as our lips met more insistently.

The slow burn exploded between us as our need took over. His mouth was hungry against mine as months of simmering sexual tension erupted into serious, hardcore passion. Our lips locked again and again as we consumed each other. So many sensations were flowing through me.

I was…

Heady.

Breathless.

Smitten.

Our first kiss was better than I could have dreamed. I didn’t want it to end.

We pressed in as he curled his arms around me. “Ow!” I cried as my ribs reminded me of the pain I was in.

“Oh, shit! I’m sorry, Marla,” he exclaimed, pulling back.

“It’s okay,” I said, trying to relax from the discomfort.

“It’s just that I’ve wanted you for so long,” he explained.

“You’ve wanted me?”

Truth flickered in his steamy gaze. “Yeah, almost from the moment I met you.”

“But, we’ve never even been on a date before.”

“You want me to take you out on a date?” he asked in disbelief.

“Well, yeah. Why is that so difficult to believe?”

“I just thought we would bypass all that.”

“Why? Don’t you think we should get to know each other?” I asked.

“I do know you. Enough that I know I want to be with you.”

“That’s very sweet, but you’re still gonna have to prove it.”

He shot me a charming, lopsided smile he knew I couldn’t resist. “So if I ask you out on a date, you’ll say yes?”

“You’re just going to have to find out when you ask me out,” I threw back playfully.

A long stare passed between us as I held my breath in anticipation.

He finally shrugged, diffusing the flirtatious standoff. “Okay, sure. You want to go out on a date with me, Sunshine?”

“Why I would be delighted,” I agreed in a Scarlett O’Hara voice as I batted my eyes and put my hand over my heart.

He laughed at my imitation. “What should we do for our first date?”

“I don’t know. You’re the one who asked me out.”

He chuckled again. “All right, all right. I’ll plan something. Next Friday? Seven o’clock work for you?”

“Yep as long as Ms. Adelaide can watch Emma.”

“Who’s Ms. Adelaide?”

“My neighbor.”

“Good to know, but who’s going to stay with you tonight? I don’t like the thought of you being alone, Sunshine. You need someone to watch over you,” he said, stroking my cheek tenderly.

Warmth and safety poured over me. “Are you offering to stay?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Then you can sleep on the couch,” I offered.

“Does this count as a date?” he asked as he winked.

I let out a small laugh. “Nope, you’re still gonna have to plan something.”

“Okay.”

We spent the rest of the evening watching TV as we cuddled up to each other, but he acted like a perfect gentleman and kept his hands to himself. When it was time for bed, I got out blankets and a pillow for him.

“Thanks again for doing this,” I said as I gingerly tucked a sheet into the corners of the couch.

“I’m happy to keep you safe,” he said, coming up behind me.

I stood back up as his arms went around my shoulders. I leaned back, feeling the protection of his arms as I remembered how he saved me from nasty Jeremy Brockman.

The next morning, after I fixed us pancakes, we went down to the police station and filed a report about my attack. It was hard to do, but Beau stuck by my side as I relayed what had happened the night before. With the physical evidence left on my body and Beau’s witness account, an arrest warrant was issued for Jeremy.

When Emma got home, I pretended everything was normal. But I was really nervous about heading back to school the next day. All night my stomach was tight with apprehension.

But things turned out differently than I expected.

On Monday morning, Beau drove me to school. The big news was Jeremy Brockman was in jail for assaulting me. Walking into the school, I was nervous, but Beau put his arm around me, shooting anyone who dared a sly glance in my direction, a dirty stare of his own.

The rumor died down swiftly. I got back to my life as I tried to put the attack behind me, which was easier said than done.

I had a few nightmares where I relived Jeremy’s assault. I would awaken, sweaty and breathing hard from being terrorized. Then I would remind myself it was just a dream and try to fall back to sleep.

I completely understood I needed time to heal. But I wasn’t about to let my trauma ruin my first date.

I was going, no matter what.

That Friday, Beau delivered on his promise. He showed up at my door with a small plant he claimed was a rose bush.