THE KNOCK HAD me lifting my eyes to the opening door. Nash walked in with a smile on his face. He held a garment bag.
“Where are you going?” I asked, tossing the pen on my desk and arching a brow.
“I’m not going anywhere, but you are.”
I laughed. “No can do. I’m behind at work, and all those days you let me get trashed put me even further behind with shit.”
It was true. I was behind with everything except payroll, and the only reason that was okay was because I had an accountant who handled that shit.
Hanging up the bag, he turned to me.
“Dude, is that a suit in there?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said, sitting in one of the chairs in front of my desk.
“Okay, you want to tell me why you brought me a suit?”
“You’re going to a dinner.”
“I am?” I asked, my brow arched up in amusement.
“Do you remember what you said to me last weekend? When you came to my house upset and wanting a drink?”
“Yeah, I said I was never letting another woman into my life again.” Nash smiled and nodded his head. After seeing Charlie with that Darrell douchebag at the benefit, I left and started heading to a bar. I was ready to get drunk but turned around and went to Nash’s place instead. He gave me a glass of Coke, nothing else, and we talked for a few hours. He talked about Lily. I talked about Charlie. Both of them had broken our hearts and left each of us feeling lost in our way. I still couldn’t figure out what in the hell my sister was thinking. Nash confessed last weekend they had been seeing each other for about a year without anyone in the group knowing. All because my sister thought I’d be pissed. Hell, Nash was a great guy. The kind of guy who would work hard to give her the things she wanted. He didn’t make the type of money Lily made, and even though he thought that was why she ended things, I knew my sister wasn’t that way. It was something else. Something I had hoped to talk to her about tonight when we met Mom for dinner.
“Yes, you said that, but you also said you loved Charlie.”
“So?”
“So, I need you to trust me and get your ass in the suit.”
My brows pulled in tight. “What’s going on, Nash?”
“What if I told you that if you went, your life would change forever?”
With a gruff laugh, I asked, “How?”
Leaning forward, Nash placed his arms on his legs and stared me straight in the eyes.
“In the best way imaginable.”
The only way my life could change like that was if Charlie burst through that door and told me she loved me and she wasn’t marrying that dick.
“I doubt it.”
“Will you just go on faith here, Tucker? Please?”
“Nash, you walk in here with a suit, tell me to put it on, and say I’m going somewhere. Why? Where am I even going?”
The corners of his mouth rose. “I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Who did you promise?”
“Charlie.”
That made my breath hitch and my heart speed up.
“Charlie?”
The bastard leaned back, shot me a cocky grin, and answered, “Yep. Charlie.”
“When did you talk to her?”
He shrugged. “We talked a few times this week. She said she needed me to help her with something, and I’m helping.”
Leaning over my desk, I gritted my teeth. “Is this her way of getting me to go to her fucking wedding?”
Surprised by my words, Nash shook his head and laughed.
“Dude, will you please just put the fucking suit on and be out front at three? A limo will be here to pick you up.”
He stood and headed toward the door.
“And if I don’t go?” I asked, making Nash pause at the door before turning to face me.
“If you don’t go, you’ll regret it the rest of your life. I can promise you that. I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later. Three o’clock, dude. Don’t fuck it up.”
The door to my office shut, and I spent the next ten minutes staring at it, the suit bag, and my phone.
When I couldn’t take it any longer, I picked it up and sent Charlie a text.
Me: What’s going on?
She replied almost instantly.
Charlie: Nash drop off the bag?
Me: Yes. What’s going on?
Charlie: I know I don’t deserve this, but I really need to talk to you.
Sighing, I typed my reply, hitting each key a little too hard.
Me: And you need me in a suit to talk? I don’t have time for games,
Charlie. I’m tired of playing them because neither of us ever wins.
My phone rang, and it was her name flashing on the screen. I knew the moment I heard her voice, I’d do whatever she wanted.
“I’m busy at work. What’s this about, Charlie?”
“The voicemail you left me, where you said you loved me.”
My heart jumped to my throat, and I couldn’t find the words to speak.
“Do you still feel that way?”
Closing my eyes, I replied in a whisper, “Yes.”
“Then please do this for me. I’ll explain everything when you get here.”
She ended the call without even saying goodbye.
“Fuck!” I cried out, dropping the phone onto my desk. “Goddamnit, why is Charleston Monroe my fucking weakness?”
I had no idea who I was asking since I was alone in my office.
Glancing at my watch, it was two thirty. Nash said a limo would be out front at three. Standing, I headed over to the garment bag and zipped it open. It was one of my suits. Nash must have taken it from my closet.
With a heavy sigh, I took it out, headed to the private bathroom in my office, and changed. Luckily, Nash put shoes in the bottom of the bag. Once I was dressed, I took a look at myself in the mirror. I hadn’t shaved in two days and a good amount of scruff was on my face. My hair was in need of a cut and looked like I just rolled out of bed. But doing a once-over of myself in the mirror, I still looked pretty good. Had a bad-boy vibe going on, and I kind of liked that.
Grabbing my phone and wallet, I left my truck keys since I would be heading off in a limo. Where in the hell was I going, and what was going on?
As I made my way through the bar, I got a few whistles.
“Damn, look at you, boss!” one of the bartenders called out.
“Sign me up for a piece of you, honey.”
That one I had no idea who had said it, and since the only people in the bar were my employees, I chose not to look around.
Before walking out the front door, I tossed over my shoulder, “I’ll be back later.”
“Have fun!” a few voices called out as I stepped out of the building and headed toward the black limo that was already parked out front. The driver stepped out, opened the back door, and motioned for me to get in.
Once I got in, the man was in the driver’s seat and talking to me over an intercom.
“Mr. Middleton, there is champagne chilled if you’d like some.”
“No, thank you,” I replied.
The limo pulled out and started down the road. He made a few turns and went through downtown Austin and down Guadalupe Street. He turned left on Twenty-Fourth and finally pulled into the Neill-Cochran House.
After he parked, he got out and opened my door. “We’re here, Mr. Middleton.”
I stepped out of the car and smirked. “I see that. What are we doing here?”
He frowned, then simply pointed for me to head up the stairs of the old grand house. It was now a museum of sorts.
Stepping into the house, I stopped in the foyer and looked around.
“Hello? Charlie?”
I glanced up to see Charlie standing at the top of the staircase. She was dressed in a beautiful light blue dress that made her eyes pop.
“Did you know they say this house is haunted by a woman named Anna?” she asked as she descended the stairs.
The corner of my mouth rose in a slight smile. “Really? I never pegged you as a believer in the paranormal.”
She smiled and my legs felt like jelly.
“I’ve been known to surprise you a time or two.”
I chuckled. “That’s true.”
The way she gracefully moved down the staircase had me holding my breath. My heart pounded in my chest so hard I heard it in my ears.
Stopping at the last step, she looked me over, her eyes dancing with lust.
Digging her teeth into her bottom lip, she softly said, “You look handsome.”
“And you look beautiful, as always.”
Her cheeks flushed pink.
Damn, I wanted to tell her how much I missed her. Longed to have her in my arms, be buried inside of her.
“Want to tell me why you had me get dressed up and had me brought here?”
A sexy smirk moved across her face.
“To the point. I like it.”
She stepped off the last step and walked past me down the hall. Glancing over her shoulder, she motioned with her index finger for me to follow her.
As I walked behind her, I couldn’t help but stare at her perfect ass. My dick jumped in my pants, and I tried to think of something other than squeezing it and hearing her call out my name when she came.
Charlie walked into a room and stopped in front of the white fireplace. Above it hung a picture of an older woman dressed in a beautiful ball gown.
“When I was a little girl, my pappy and grammy brought me to this house. I fell in love with everything about it, especially this room. Something about the pink walls in here and fancy decorations. I remember telling my grammy that something amazing was going to happen to me in this room, but I really never knew what. My mother always told me I’d get married in this house.”
I swallowed hard as I kept my eyes on Charlie while she walked around the room.
“I’ve been to a number of weddings here over the years and every time, I remember that day, but I never thought the idea of a wedding here would come true.”
“Charlie …” I started to speak, but she faced me and held up her hand.
“Please, let me talk first.”
My mouth snapped shut and I nodded.
She took in a deep breath and moved to the window. “I never thought it would come true for two reasons. One was my father pounded it into my head that I needed to focus everything on CMI Consulting, and that meant there was no time for a man in my life. But then I met a man who changed everything.”
Her hand lifted and she ran her finger over something on the window.
“When I walked away from him, I knew I would never get married because he was the only man I’d ever loved and would ever want to marry.”
My eyes widened and I tried to speak. Tried to move. All I could do was stand there and watch her trace the same pattern as she spoke.
Charlie turned to face me.
“These last couple of weeks I’ve been going over the time we spent together. Each moment I’ve replayed a hundred times in my head.”
She looked down and took in a deep breath, and then her eyes lifted to meet mine.
“I love you, Tucker. I’ve always loved you and only you. And I’m sorry I lied to you.”
Taking a step forward, she held up her hand.
“That weekend, I was going to tell you the truth. I swear to you, I was.”
“It doesn’t matter, Charlie. I fucked up too. I hid the truth from you as well because I was so damn afraid you’d leave and find someone else to marry you.”
She shook her head. “The only person I want to marry is you. There’s no life after you, Tucker. You are my life.”
My heart slammed in my chest. “I’ll marry you right now, right here, if you want.”
Smiling, she finally made her way over to me, stopping just short of me.
It didn’t take me long to reach out and pull her to me. Slipping my hand into her pinned-up hair, I pulled her mouth to mine. The kiss was slow at first, until she opened her mouth to me. Then I lost all self-control. My hand dug into her hip, pulling her against me. Charlie groaned in delight when my hard length pressed into her.
After kissing for what felt like forever, we pulled apart.
“Would you really marry me right now?” she whispered, our foreheads pressed together and our breathing labored as though we’d just run a marathon.
“Yes. I love you so much, Charleston. I’ve been a shell the last few weeks. Losing my father and then you.”
She pressed her lips to mine while wrapping her arms around my neck.
“I love you too,” she spoke against my lips.
“Is that why you had me get dressed up? Are we getting married?” What came out of her mouth next nearly knocked me off my feet.