Meant to Be (Forever and Always #12) Read online

  “It’s for a few months, maybe a year.”

  I couldn’t hide my dismay. “I guess I’m just really excited about having a baby.”

  She patted my hand. “And that’s incredibly sweet. But maybe now isn’t the best time.”

  I sighed. “Okay.”

  “Sean, it’ll happen. And after the…miscarriage…maybe I should wait anyway.”

  That was a valid point. I hooked my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to me. Together, we looked at the ocean as it moved up the sand with the rising tide. The wind moved through our hair.

  “How’s my dad?” I asked.

  “Moopy.”

  “When we went to the gym the other day, this twenty-five year old woman hit on him. And she was hot.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. She gave him her number, but he just threw it away.”

  “Wow. Andrew is a stud.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t get it. He’s not with my mom anymore.”

  “It’s only been a few weeks, Sean. Give him some time. Plus, he doesn’t seem like the type who would be interested in someone half his age.”

  “I guess not. Be could still tap her.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think Andrew is into that either.”

  “I just want him to be happy. I thought fooling around with a younger woman would put some bounce in his step.”

  “He’ll move on when he’s ready, Sean.”

  I sighed, not sure when that would be.

  “Have you visited your mom?”

  I’d been dreading the task since my father asked me to see her. “No…”

  “Sean, you need to go.”

  “I know. I know. I will.”

  She gave me a firm look.

  “I will. Don’t worry.”

  10

  Cortland

  Monnique was coming over for dinner, so I made steak, potatoes, and asparagus. They were the only things I knew how to make. When I was alone, I usually ate out or stopped by Scarlet’s place and devoured her food like a black hole.

  When she came over, she was wearing a strapless dress with a cardigan over it. A golden necklace and match bracelet highlighted her features. It didn’t surprise me that an owner of a fashion magazine noticed her. They’d be stupid not to. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks.” She put her purse down and gave me a slow kiss. It was purposeful and carried all the desire she felt for me. I immediately got hard at the touch. I wondered if she did it on purpose. “What’s for dinner?”

  “Steak, potatoes, and greens.”

  “Yum. Do you need help?”

  “No. I got it.” I placed the dishes on the table and two glasses of wine. She sat across from me and folded her napkin in her lap.

  “This looks good.”

  “Thanks. It’s the only thing I know how to make.”

  She smiled. “It’s better than cereal.”

  “Well, that would just be embarrassing,” I said with a laugh.

  She took a bite and moaned. “And it tastes good too.”

  I cut into my steak and took a bite. “Looks like I know more than just computers.”

  “One point for the geek,” she said.

  “So, what did you do last night? You said you had plans.”

  “Oh. I got coffee with Hazel.”

  Did I hear her right? “What?”

  She continued to eat like the conversation was totally normal. “She and I had a talk to clear the air. We’re fine now.”

  I was still confused. “Clear the air?”

  She finally looked at me. “Basically, I apologized to her for being so…possessive of you. I asked her if we could be friends and she said yes. There’s no problem between us anymore.”

  I was speechless. “You did that?”

  “Cortland, I’d do anything for you. You said she’s important to you and I trust you. So I just did it. And honestly, she’s very sweet and easy to get along with. And when she told me the story about her boyfriend, I felt so terrible for her. Now I understand why you were so protective of her.”

  I suddenly lost my appetite. I never expected Monnique to make such an effort to get along with Hazel. I thought their relationship would take months to form, and only after Monnique realized nothing was really going on between Hazel and I. All that time had been saved. “I can’t believe you did that…”

  “It’s really that surprising?” She gave me a playful smirk. “I want you to be happy. After everything I did to you, you deserve that.”

  The gesture went straight to my heart. She really made an effort toward this relationship. I knew how uneasy she felt around Hazel, and going out of her way to break the ice with her was totally selfless and difficult. The significance was not lost on me.

  She sipped her wine and I blatantly stared at her. I thought I should say something but my look was enough. She knew how much that meant to me. Words were unnecessary.

  She put her glass down then met my look. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

  I had one thing on my mind. I left the table then lifted her from the chair. She was light in my arms, weightless like a feather. Her arms immediately wrapped around my neck, and her lips moved to my cheek. She read my thoughts easily.

  When we entered my room, I placed her on the bed then gripped her dress. I wanted to speed this along and get right down to business but I also wanted to take it slow, treasure the moment with her. We were finally healed from the pain we both experienced those past three months. I wanted to be back to the way we were, trusting each other implicitly. I undressed her slowly, kissing her skin as it was unveiled. The distant taste of coconut was on my tongue. I missed that. She was exactly the same as she was before.

  She didn’t undress me. Instead, she ran her hands over my body as I got her naked. I kissed every inch of her skin. My hands glided across every surface and I held her tightly. Her body was a perfect ten. I could see her being a model for Sports Illustrated. It wouldn’t surprise me.

  Impatient, her fingers moved to the hem of my shirt and gripped. She slowly pulled it over my head, her lips moving to the skin of my chest. She kissed me and massaged me with her tongue. I watched her praise me like a work of art. It aroused me to see the excitement in her eyes.

  Her hands moved to my jeans and yanked them off. When I only had my boxers left, she pulled them down and let my cock be free. It twitched as soon as it made its appearance. Monnique placed a gentle kiss on the tip then lay back, her legs hooking around my waist.

  I gripped her legs then placed them over my shoulders, pulling her hips closer to me. I wanted us to be completely connected for our reunion. I placed my face against hers the moved inside.

  I forgot how damn good it felt.

  I moaned while I reached as far as I could go. She gripped my arms and gasped at the familiar stretching. Even though we’d been apart for so long, it was like time had never passed. I moved into her and she rocked back, meeting my thrusts. I wanted to tell her I loved her but that was unnecessary. Words were pointless. My actions spoke clearly enough.

  We never finished our dinner. It remained at the kitchen table, abandoned and forgotten. Monnique was wrapped in my arms, her leg hooked around mine. I held her while I stared at her face, missing the sigh more than I could say. She met my gaze and gave me gentle kisses every few minutes, unexpected and spontaneous. My fingers laced through hers, and I imagined her wearing the engagement ring I bought for her. It was sitting in my nightstand, still in the original box.

  “Have you called that magazine guy?” I asked.

  “No. I’ll call him tomorrow.”

  I rubbed my nose against hers. “You’re really going to pursue this?”

  “I’ll see what he has to offer, if he offers anything at all.”

  “He will,” I said firmly.

  “And I hope it’s something good.” I saw the excitement in her eyes.

  “Would you quit nursing?”

  “Duh
,” she said with a laugh.

  “But I thought you were passionate about your job?”

  “I am. But I love free clothes more.”

  I chuckled. “I’m sure it will be a lot more work than that. They’ll probably make you eat five nuts and a piece of fruit for your food for the day, and you’ll probably have to model clothing at fashion shows and magazine shoots. It won’t be fun and games. It will be work. And they’ll own your face and body.”

  “But you already own all of that,” she said with a smile.

  “Well, that’s true. But they’ll own the surface.” I placed my hand over her heart. “And I’ll always have this.”

  “So, you’re okay with me doing this?”

  “As long as you know it’s what you want.”

  “I think so.”

  “Then I’m very happy for you.” I meant it. She deserved to get whatever she wanted.

  I decided to go with her the following day. She said she appreciated the support and my business mind. Honestly, that’s why I came too. The last thing I wanted was for her to sign a contract that was unfair and skewed. I’d look over her shoulder when she couldn’t.

  When we arrived at the building, we were asked to wait almost a half an hour before we were allowed to enter Shane’s office. When we did, we marveled at the portraits on the wall. Most of the models in the photographs were barely clothed.

  I didn’t like that.

  “Welcome,” he said. He stood up and greeted Monnique with a kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you considered my offer.”

  I shook his hand. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Yes, indeed.” He leaned against the front of his desk while we took our seats. “So, is a career in modeling something you’d be interested in?”

  “It depends on what you have to offer,” Monnique said politely.

  Smart girl.

  He eyed her then rubbed his chin. “Brazilian?”

  “What gave me away?” she said with a smirk.

  “You’re sitting on it,” he said with a laugh.

  I tried not to get defensive or jealous. It was his job to inspect the curves of women. If she went into this career, Monnique would be eyed on a regular basis. Getting mad wouldn’t change that.

  Monnique chuckled lightly but didn’t comment.

  “Well, I’d like to see you take a few modeling photos and a few runway walks before we talk business and numbers and blah blah. What do you say?”

  “Sure.”

  He raised his hand. “But before we begin, there is something you should know. Some women are very sensitive about this and that’s their own right. The last thing I want to do is waste your time.”

  Where was this going?

  He stood up straight then beckoned to the pictures on the walls. “As you may have noticed, the women in these images are…hardly covered. There will be a lot of lingerie modeling and risky images. While you’ll never be naked or disrespected or purposely made to feel uncomfortable, showing your body will be expected of you on a regular basis. If that’s something you’re unwilling to do, then our discussion stops here.”

  I was hoping she’d model jeans and ball gowns, not thongs and bras. The inner jealous man inside me pricked with unease. I didn’t like random strangers seeing her picture everywhere, pretty much naked. I didn’t like the idea of them…doing anything while looking at the images. But I needed to grow up and hold my tongue. If Monnique was comfortable doing that, I shouldn’t stop her just because it made me a little uneasy. She made it clear she wanted her independence and I wouldn’t take that away from her.

  She looked at me, her eyes asking the question her lips couldn’t.

  “It’s up to you,” I said quietly.

  Monnique seemed uneasy.

  “If you’re uncomfortable, don’t do it. But if it’s something you want, don’t let me stop you. I’ll support whatever you want to do.”

  “Really?” she asked with soft eyes.

  “I want you to be happy.”

  Shane gave me a look of approval. “He’s a good guy. I like him.”

  Not that I gave a shit.

  “A lot of women say goodbye to their modeling career because their men outright refused. I guess they prefer to flip burgers for a living than show a little skin.” He snapped his fingers. “Which reminds me. While this is a full-time position with benefits and all that good stuff, models don’t typically have a long career. They are lucky if they last until they are thirty-five, so you may have to find employment afterwards.”

  “I have a degree in nursing.”

  “Wow.” His eyes widened. “Beautiful and smart.” He winked at me. “You picked a good one.”

  You think I don’t know that?

  He clapped his hands. “Let’s get started, then.”

  We headed down the hall and into one of the photography rooms. Two girls, wearing five-inch heels and upbeat outfits were chattering away about the office gossip.

  “Girls,” Shane said as he clapped his hands. “I need to do a quick shoot for Monnique. Lingerie configuration.” He eyed Monnique and walked completely around her. “34B for the bra and extra small for the bottoms. Get to it.”

  Wow. He knew that just by looking at her?

  The girls took Monnique behind a shade and changed her into a different outfit. When she came out of the room, she was wearing a robe. I knew she was wearing just lingerie underneath. I felt a little uncomfortable knowing Shane was going to see her, but he was a professional and I tried to keep that in mind. I desperately hoped he was gay.

  They did her make up in a chair then styled her hair. Monnique seemed calm the entire time. She still held her elegant posture and perfect poise. When they were done, they pulled the robe off her shoulders and she stood to a stand. Wearing nude pumps and black lingerie, she looked like a million bucks even under all the lighting. My cock got hard and I adjusted myself in my jeans.

  The camera flashed as pictures were taken.

  Shane rubbed his chin as he watched her move back and forth. He was staring at her so hard, I thought he was trying to count her skin cells. “Keep your shoulders back.”

  She did as he asked and smiled for the camera.

  “Don’t smile,” he said simply.

  She stood awkwardly for a moment before she turned and looked over her shoulder. The photographer took a few pictures then changed the angle. Monnique was a natural. If I didn’t know her, I would say she’d done this before.

  “We’re done,” Shane said. “Get her dressed,” he said to the two girls.

  I watched Monnique body disappear under the cotton. I felt a little saner when her goodies weren’t exposed. I examined Shane closely to make sure he wasn’t a sick bastard that would turn on her as soon as I was gone, but he seemed fine. If anything, he seemed indifferent to her.

  Shane looked at the pictures the photographer captured. “Wonderful,” he said as he nodded his head. “Wonderful.”

  He seemed impressed.

  He pointed at Monnique. “You’re beautiful. Now we can talk numbers.”

  “Okay.” Monnique’s cheeks blushed.

  I stood up then grabbed her hand. She kicked her heels off then returned her shoes to her feet. Together, we walked down the hall until we returned to Shane’s office.

  “Alright,” he said with joy. “That was wonderful. You’re a natural.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know where I get it from.”

  “You carry yourself like a classy woman. That’s where you get it from.” He leaned against the desk again. “My assistant is preparing the paperwork. So, while we wait, let’s talk reality. Once you sign that contract, you’re mine. By law, you are not allowed to be photographed by anyone else, especially if it’s for a profit. I take this very seriously.” He gave her a firm look.

  “I understand,” she said quickly.

  “There will be a lot of travel with the job. We go to Paris every year for the fashion shows, Milan too. There will be
several weeks out of the year when you won’t be in America. And these days can’t be rearranged. There’s no such thing as asking for a day off. If that’s something you can’t handle, I suggest you leave.”

  She looked at me. “What do you think?”

  “What’s a reasonable approximation of how long she’ll be out of the country every year?”

  Shane rubbed his watch on his wrist. “I’d say two months.”

  Two months? Like, sixty days? “Oh.” I turned to Monnique. “Is that something you can handle?”

  “I don’t know… Can you handle it?” she asked.

  A silent argument passed between us. Shane picked up on the tension. “I’ll give you two a moment.” He left the office.

  Monnique sat quietly for a moment. “If you don’t want me to do it, I won’t.”

  “I’m not asking you to do that.”

  “But if you aren’t okay with this, it’s not worth it. I don’t want to lose you again.”

  “You can’t,” I said firmly. “I’ll only leave if you walk away first.”

  Her eyes softened. “I don’t know what to do…”

  “Life is too short to not do what you want.” I knew those words would hit a soft spot for her. Her mom passed away quickly and tragically. It was so unexpected that Monnique couldn’t grieve properly. She knew time in this life was limited. “If this is something you need to do, then do it.”

  “Why are you so sweet to me? After everything I did to you?”

  “It’s in the past. Let’s not talk about it again.” In that moment, I realized I finally let go of what happened to us. I forgave her for walking out on me. It was ancient history.

  Her eyes welled up slightly. “Cortland…”

  “Now make your decision. I’ll support whatever choice you make.”

  “You aren’t lying to me, Cortland? This has to bother you, at least a little.”

  “No guy wants the world to see his girlfriend half naked, and no guy wants to be apart from their girlfriend two months out of the year, but a man truly in love will do whatever it takes to make his girl happy. Stop thinking about me. Do what you want to do.”

  She rubbed her palms together. “This is what I want.”

  “Then do it.”

  “I just don’t know if I can be apart from you that long.”