When We Fall Read online

  When We Fall

  Book Thirty-Eight of The Forever and Ever Series

  E. L. Todd

  Chapter One

  Trinity

  The food was passed around and the champagne was flowing. Everyone mingled at the house as they waited for Conrad to walk inside with Lexie and the enormous rock on her finger.

  “You should have gotten hot wings,” Slade said as he came up behind me.

  “This is an engagement party. It needs to be more elegant than that.”

  “But it’s Conrad. He loves hot wings.”

  “Well, this party is for Lexie too and she has more class than that.”

  Slade wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. His lips found my ear. “I’m horny.”

  “And that’s my problem because…?”

  “It wouldn’t be your problem at all if you didn’t dress like that.”

  “Like what?” I turned around and gave him attitude.

  He brushed his lips past mine then squeezed my ass. “In a tight black dress with sky-high heels. When the hell is this party going to be over?” He kissed the corner of my mouth.

  “In a few hours. Be patient.”

  “But we’re trying to make a baby, remember?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “You can’t use that excuse every time you want to get laid.”

  “Why not? It’s a win-win. You get pregnant and I get laid.”

  I turned back around. “It’ll have to wait.”

  “Come on, let’s sneak outside.” He pressed his hard-on against me.

  I brushed him off. “Jerk off in the bathroom.” I walked away before Slade could argue with me.

  Skye and Cayson came to the party together and they were trying to act like everything was completely normal. Maybe they were fooling everyone else since no one had a clue what happened, but I could tell they were both miserable. I walked up to Skye. “Having fun?”

  Cayson had his arm around her waist but the affection was forced. She looked uncomfortable. “I guess.”

  It was clear Skye couldn’t stand letting Cayson touch her. “I’m excited for Conrad.” That only seemed partially true.

  Cayson eyed Skye but didn’t say anything.

  I despised Cayson and couldn’t even stand to look at him. He did an unforgiveable thing, and as Skye’s best friend I wouldn’t let it slide. Slade may believe his lies but I wasn’t a fool. “In a few hours you can be free of this dickhead.”

  Skye’s eyes widened. “Keep your voice down.”

  Cayson didn’t seem offended at all.

  “So, how’s the baby stuff?” I asked.

  “Good,” Skye answered. “We’re pretty much done with the baby’s room.”

  “Great,” I said. “You made good time.”

  “How’s operation baby?” Cayson asked.

  I blatantly ignored him.

  It was a little tense.

  Skye turned to me. “So…no baby yet?”

  “Not yet,” I said with a sigh. “ I think we need to see a specialist.”

  “These things take time, Trinity,” Skye said.

  “Do they?” I eyed her stomach.

  “This was a freak accident,” Skye said. “I’m not even sure how it happened.”

  “I do,” Cayson said.

  “No one was talking to you,” I snapped.

  Cayson clenched his jaw and looked away.

  Skye leaned toward me and lowered her voice. “My dad is onto us.”

  “He is?” I asked in surprise.

  “If he or your dad ask you about us, tell him we couldn’t be more in love.”

  “You got it.” But what was the point of that? “I think you should just be honest and tell everyone what a scumbag Cayson is.”

  Cayson clenched his jaw again.

  Skye lowered her voice. “You know why I can’t do that, Trinity.”

  “He’s lucky you’re willing to protect him,” I said. “If it were Slade I’d toss him quicker than a bag of garbage.”

  Slade approached us then wrapped his arms around my waist. “Baby, the bathroom is vacant.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Our entire family is here.”

  “In the living room—not in the bathroom,” he argued.

  “Just cool off, okay?” I said.

  He pulled my hair over one shoulder and kissed my neck. “Come on…loosen up.”

  I swatted him away. I didn’t like being affectionate with Slade in front of Skye. It might make her sad that her marriage had fallen apart.

  Roland was talking to Theo when his phone rang. “Conrad is calling me.”

  Everyone turned in his direction.

  “He is?” Mike asked. “They must be on their way.”

  Everyone tensed in excitement.

  Roland took the call. “Hey, man. Congratulations!” He drank his beer while he listened to Conrad over the line. Then he abruptly lowered his bottle and his eyebrows pinched together. His body language changed. “Wait…what?”

  “What’s going on?” I whispered to Slade.

  “I don’t know.” Slade’s eyes were on Roland.

  “Conrad, wait.” Roland raised his voice and sounded panicked. “Where are you going?”

  “Going?” Skye asked. “What’s he talking about?”

  “Conrad—” Roland stopped talking like the line went dead. Then he lowered the phone to his side.

  Everyone was dead silent.

  Mike spoke up first. “What is it? What did he say?”

  Roland shoved his phone back into his pocket and released a deep sigh. “They aren’t coming.”

  “Why not?” Cassandra asked. She stood by Mike’s side.

  “She said no…” Roland stared at the ground as he spoke.

  “Who said no?” Slade asked.

  “Lexie said no.” Roland finally made eye contact with everyone.

  “No?” Mike asked, confused.

  “Wait.” Skye raised her hand. “Conrad proposed and Lexie said no?” There was a hint of rage in her voice.

  “Are you sure?” Lexie’s mom spoke up from Macy’s side.

  “Yeah.” Roland rubbed his temple. “Conrad said he’s about to get on a plane and take off. He wouldn’t tell me where he was going. And he turned off his phone.”

  “Oh shit,” Slade said.

  Mike stared at Roland and didn’t say anything.

  “She said no?” Cassandra asked. “But…why?”

  “He didn’t say,” Roland said. “But he asked us to leave him alone.”

  Cassandra’s eyes watered. Then she turned to Mike. “Get my son and bring him back.”

  “I will,” Mike said without hesitation.

  Everyone stood still, unsure what to do. We were all in shock, unable to believe how badly the night had ended. Conrad professed his undying love to Lexie and she had the nerve to say no? “I’m gonna kick her ass.” If Lexie thought she was going to get away with this she was wrong.

  Lexie’s mom turned in my direction, the protective side coming out.

  “No one is kicking anyone’s ass,” Dad ordered. “Leave Lexie alone.”

  “Hell no.” I stomped my foot. “No one treats my brother like that. How dare she?”

  Macy crossed her arms over her chest.

  Dad approached me. “That’s not going to solve anything. The damage is done. She’s not worth your time, Trinity.”

  Skye looked just as angry.

  “You got it?” Dad pressed.

  I chewed the inside of my cheek.

  “Mike…that’s pretty cold.” Slade spoke from my side. “Who does that to someone?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Mike said. “Our concern is Conrad, not her.” He walked away and headed to Sean.

  Sean was on the
phone. “I’m getting a signal from his cell. We’ll be able to trace it when his plane lands.”

  “But his phone is off,” Roland said.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Sean said. “As long as the battery is working we’ll find him.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Me neither,” Slade said. “If you turned me down…I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

  “I know,” I said. “And that’s why I want to rip out Lexie’s heart and feed it to a homeless dog.”

  Chapter Two

  Conrad

  I took a deep breath when I woke up. The sound of the crashing waves was distantly heard through the open backdoor. I hadn’t closed it since I got here because the temperature was perfect any time of the day. I moved my arm and felt a warm body beside me.

  When my eyes finally opened, I saw the sun peering into the suite. It flooded the room with light, making me realize it was several hours after sunrise. I yawned before I sat up, realizing another body was on my other side.

  Francesca stirred then ran her hand up my chest. “Come back to bed…”

  I eyed the clock on the nightstand. “It’s noon, baby.”

  “Noon?” Anna sat up and pulled her hair over one shoulder. Her eyes were distinctly sleepy. “We need to get started.” She left the bed then grabbed her bikini from the floor. She pulled the top over her boobalicious chest then pulled her thong over her long legs. “Franny, you coming?”

  Francesca sat up then kissed my neck. “I’ll be along in a minute…”

  Ana grabbed her towel and sunblock and walked out. “Don’t take too long…”

  Francesca yanked me back to the mattress then straddled my hips. Her long black hair framed her face and looked wild and untamed. “I know what my American likes.”

  I gripped her hips. “Yes, you do.”

  ***

  I sat by the edge of the pool and looked out at the Alfami coast just over the edge. My bottle of wine was in my hand and I drank it every few minutes. The girls splashed around in the pool.

  “You aren’t going to join us?” Francesca pouted her lips.

  “Not unless you give me a reason to.” I took another drink of my wine.

  Ana nudged Francesca before she removed her top. Her nipples were hard from the cold water, and her tits were firm and perky.

  A grin stretched across my face. “You’re getting there…”

  Francesca did the same and tossed her top on the deck. It splashed and made a few water drops. “How about now?”

  I downed the rest of the wine then set it on the pavement. “How am I supposed to say no to that?” I stood up and approached the stairs at the edge of the pool.

  “I don’t think so, Conrad.” Ana waved her finger at me. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  Francesca pointed at my shorts.

  I glanced down. “My apologies, ladies.” I undid the drawstring then yanked them off. I kicked them away then walked into the pool.

  Both of their eyes were down south.

  “So, I’m thinking of a game of Marco Polo,” I said. “You guys want to play?”

  “Sure,” Ana said with a giggle.

  I closed my eyes. “Marco?”

  Ana jumped into my chest and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Polo.”

  I chuckled then opened my eyes. “That was the quickest game of Marco Polo I’ve ever played.” Her tits were pressed to my chest, and her nipples rubbed against me every time she moved.

  “Well, I don’t like to play games.” She nibbled on my earlobe.

  “You don’t say…”

  Francesca splashed water on Ana. “Don’t hog him.”

  “You know he likes me more.”

  “Hey, ladies. No need to fight.” Actually, I loved every second of it. “There’s plenty of me to go around.” I moved to Francesca through the water and wrapped one arm around her. “See? We can do this together.”

  Francesca smiled like usual. “Our American man.” Her Italian accent was heavy. “What’s New York like?”

  “Exactly like it is in the movies. You should come visit me sometime.”

  “You’re leaving?” Ana asked as she pouted.

  “Not anytime soon.” I grabbed her bottom lip with my teeth and sucked.

  “Good,” Francesca said. “Paradise isn’t quite so lovely without you.”

  And it definitely wasn’t as lovely without them.

  “Conrad Michael Preston.”

  I stilled when I heard my father’s voice. At least I thought it was my father’s. But there was no way he was here. I was on the other side of the world and hadn’t turned on my phone since I got here. Every day was spent longing by the pool or in bed with my two friends.

  I turned to the deck and saw him standing there, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His usual scowl was on his face, and his jaw was tense like he was beyond irritated with me. We hadn’t spoken since I took off. I guess he wasn’t too thrilled I hadn’t bothered to call him. “Yo, Dad. What’s up?” I kept Ana against me while Francesca hung on my other arm. “You want to go for a swim?”

  He didn’t look amused. “Get your ass out of the pool.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. “The water is nice.”

  “Really nice.” Ana batted her eyelashes at him. “You should feel it yourself.”

  Francesca leaned toward Ana. “His friend is really cute.”

  Gross. “That’s my dad.”

  “Ooh…” Ana giggled. “I see where you get your good looks from.”

  Dad acted like he hadn’t heard a word of that. “Get out of the pool, Conrad. Don’t make me ask you again.”

  I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Don’t spoil the fun. The day just started.”

  “It’s noon,” Dad said in irritation.

  “Well, that’s how we do things around here.” I moved Ana off of me then ascended the steps of the pool. I was naked from the waist down but didn’t care if my dad saw. “How did you get in here anyway?”

  The only response I got was his stare.

  “Fine. Keep your secrets.” I found my swim trunks and pulled them on. “So, what do you want?”

  “What do I want?” He said it like he couldn’t believe my audacity. “I’m taking you home.”

  “What?” I blurted. “Taking me home? Dude, I am home.” I extended my arms and looked around at the amazing resort I’d crashed at. “This. Is. Home.”

  “Don’t call me dude.”

  “Whatever,” I said. “I’m not leaving.”

  “You bet your ass you are.”

  “I guess you’ve forgotten that I’m a grown man and can do whatever the hell I want.” He still treated me like a child sometimes even though I was his height and size. People thought we were brothers most of the time.

  “Good luck paying for this place without a job.”

  He had me there. “I got your credit cards.”

  He didn’t even smile. “Use them and see what happens.”

  “Come on, get off my case. I have enough to last me awhile.”

  “You’re going to spend your life savings staying here?” he asked incredulously.

  “What else am I supposed to do with it?” I snapped. “Buy a girl an expensive ring and a fucking house?”

  It was the first time Dad flinched. His anger passed. “Come home, Conrad. All your friends and family miss you.”

  “Well, I don’t miss them.”

  “You’re full of it.”

  I turned to the pool, where Francesca and Ana were watching us. “Why the hell would I miss them when I got my two favorite people in the world?”

  “Hi.” Francesca waved and her tits shook. “I’m Francesca. But you can call me Franny. Actually, you can call me anything you want.”

  Dad didn’t even glance at her.

  “See?” I asked. “They’re great. Thanks for checking on me but I’m fine. You can head on home now.�
��

  “I’m not leaving unless you come with me.”

  “Then grab a beer and join us in the pool.”

  The anger returned to Dad’s face.

  A bikini bottom flew through the air then landed with a splash at our feet. “And I’m Ana. Please to meet you.”

  Dad didn’t seem amused.

  “Come on, Dad. I’ll let you take your pick of the two.” I leaned toward him and lowered my voice. “I’ll tell you a secret. Francesca has nicer tits but Ana—”

  Dad punched me so hard in the face I stumbled back. “I don’t give a shit what you’re going through. Talk to me like that again and I’ll break that stupid face of yours.”

  I rubbed the side of my face and smiled through the pain. “Touchy subject, huh?”

  He looked like he wanted to hit me again. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Be ready then.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. What don’t you understand?” My teasing nature had evaporated. Now I was just irritated. “Go home where you belong. I’m not done here.”

  “You. Are. Coming.” Dad stepped closer to me, threatening me with his look.

  “Make me,” I challenged. “I’m an adult. I’ve been an adult for eight years now. If I want to say there’s nothing you can do about it. Make your peace with it.”

  “You have a company to run.”

  “It’ll be there when I get back,” I snapped. “There’s three of you for crying out loud. You’ll be just fine.”

  Dad clenched his fists like he wanted to slug me in the mouth. “Conrad, don’t make me embarrass you in front of your whores.”

  “Whores?” I asked. “I didn’t pay for them. They’re with me because they want to be.”

  “I’ll be back tomorrow. You better be ready.”

  “How did you find me anyway?”

  “I found you eight hours after you left. But I decided to give you space. You’ve had enough of it.”

  “I’m not going back.” I stood my ground. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  “Oh really?” he challenged.

  “Yes, really.”

  “We’ll see.” He gave me a final look before he walked off.

  Francesca’s eyes were glued to him. “Call me…”

  Dad didn’t look back once.

  Chapter Three

  Skye