Blended (Redemption #1) (18 page)

If she actually meant what she said to me before the medication took her from me, then I’m not letting her out of my goddamn sight.

She’s still asleep by the time I’ve showered and gotten dressed. Fuck, I don’t want to leave her alone, but I cannot miss this final meeting with the CEOs of the Australian companies and properties that I will be taking over. I’ve had three of them specifically flown out to add a few addendums to their contracts before I make my trip down under to visit and secure each property individually.

As far as the properties go, the majority of them will be turned into offices, shelters, homes, and clinics for Mothers of Brass. I cannot risk losing them because I am unable to leave Hadley alone. I pick up my phone from my nightstand while I watch her. This sudden possessiveness has dug its claws down my spine and locked around me completely.

I need a favor.
I send the text before moving around to Hadley. My fingers brush her hair out of her face and I press my lips to her temple.

Thirty minutes later, Isla is standing at the foot of my bed with me, watching Hadley.

“I’m still having a difficult time trying to figure out why you actually let a woman sleep in your bed.”

“She’s not just any woman, Isla. Please, just do this for me today. I know that you don’t have to be at Blended until later this evening.”

“Listen, just because you are technically my boss does not mean that you can creep on my schedule or interrupt it for that matter.”

I smirk and rest my hand on her shoulder. “You should start making a list of what you want to see while we’re in Australia. I’m sure that I can make it up to you.”

“Fuck you and your bank account.”

“You have, and I don’t believe my bank account has anything to do with our friendship.”

“It doesn’t, and you know that. Fine. I’ll hang out here for the day, but I’m drinking your whiskey.”

“Go for it,” I say and walk over to Hadley’s side. Isla walks out of the room before I have to ask her to. I kiss Hadley’s temple to say goodbye, but she stirs, and her deep turquoise eyes flutter open and closed again.

“Rye, wake up for me for a minute?” I ask, and her eyes flutter open once again.

“Hi, Whiskey,” she says with a small raspy voice.

“How are you feeling?”

She stretches out on my bed. The sheets slip below her breasts, and I dare a glance at her perfectly pale white skin. She seems to notice, and her nipples harden under my gaze. “I’m okay. I’m tired, though, and my throat is sore,” she says as she takes inventory of her body.

“I’ll get Isla to bring you something for your throat once you’re dressed.”

“Isla?”

I sit down next to her and cup her cheek. “Yes. I’ve asked her to stay here today while you’re ill. I have a couple of meetings that I cannot miss, and I wanted you with someone that I trust implicitly.”

“Oh,” she murmurs and pushes herself to sit up.

“God, you are beautiful.” The words unwantedly spill from my mouth. She cannot know how she affects every inch of my body yet. Not when I haven’t had her.

A warm blush kisses her cheeks as she leans into me. I take her lips, not giving a fuck if I get ill because of kissing her. I’d rather risk my health than not kiss her at this moment.

I feel her smile cross her lips before I pull away and hand her phone to her. “Text me today when you’re awake. I need to know that you’re all right.”

“I will.”

“Good. Feel free to grab anything from my closet to wear. I’ll see you later, Rye.”

“Bye, Whiskey.”

I haven’t been able to check my phone all morning, and it’s burning a hole in my desk as I finish up this meeting. I’ve heard it vibrate more than once, and as tempting as her texts are, I cannot risk losing these properties.

It starts to vibrate again as I’m going over the last contract for the day. Instead of a short vibration it keeps going, making itself known to the man across from me. He glances down at my desk before looking back up at me, and I’m waiting for him to say something, but he keeps his words to himself. Smart man.

I ignore it and finish up this damn meeting. By the end of it, my phone has gone off another three times. I’m sure it made me look fucking pathetic to the man in front of me, the man whose business I am purchasing, a small clinic, for the charity I am setting up in Sydney, Australia.

I walk back into my office once I’ve seen him out and I notice that Adriana is not at her desk. I glance at my watch, and it’s almost one in the afternoon.

I walk meaningfully to my desk and pull open the top drawer where I have my phone charging. There is a couple of missed calls from my mother and one from Isla. I chuckle to myself when I pull up the one text from Hadley.

Hi, Whiskey.

I type out a reply to her:
How are you feeling, Rye?

It takes her a few minutes to reply and when she does I’m finalizing my Australian itinerary.

I’m hanging in there. I think that it’s just a cold, but your bed is keeping me warm.

I glance at the document in front of me before making an instant decision. I call her instead of texting her back because I need to hear her voice instead of reading it. She answers on the fourth ring. “Hi.”

“Rye. I need you to answer two questions for me, all right?”

“Uh, sure.”

“The first one is in regard to us. Did you mean what you said last night? That I don’t have to share you with another man?”

“Uhm, yes.”

I turn my head away from the phone and let out a breath of air. “Good, so then I can call you mine, correct?”

“Yours?” I hear the hesitation in her voice, but I keep pushing her regardless.

“Yes. You’re
my
girl. Do you agree to that?”

“You’re asking me this over the phone?”

“Not entirely. I’m simply clarifying.”

She giggles and I cannot wipe the smile off of my smug face. “Okay. Well, I hope that it’s clear now.”

“It is. Now for my second question, Rye.”

“Hit me with it,” she says. I can imagine she’s smiling.

“What are you doing in three days? And the week that follows it?”

“I guess I’ll just be getting into the swing of my new job. Why?”

When the fuck did she get a job? I ignore my controlling ego and take a seat at my desk.

“Do you have a passport?”

“I do. What’s going on?”

“Cancel anything you have planned for the next ten days. You’re coming with me.”

“Oh? And where, pray tell, are you dragging me to? A sex dungeon?”

“Sydney, Australia.”

“What?” she squeals loudly into the phone, causing me to pull it away from my ear.

“I’ll pay for anything that you need to get there, and we’ll fly out on Friday.”

She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before I hear her clear her throat. “Okay.”

“Okay? I was expecting a fight about how little you know me.”

“I told you that I would try, Wade.”

The excitement that I hear in her voice is something that I haven’t heard before, and the knowledge that I put that there lights me on fire.

“Thank you. I have to go, and I’d like to see you later if you go home.”

“Goodbye, Whiskey.”

Seventy-two hours pass in the blink of an eye.

We’ve just boarded my private jet and Isla seems pissed as fuck at me. I’ve been all too consumed with Brass Global and spending my evenings talking to Hadley to remember to call Isla and inform her that Hadley would be joining us on this trip.

Isla takes a seat in one of the leather chairs and Hadley takes the one next to me. “Brass, when did this become your big idea?”

I glare at her, daring her to do this in front of Rye. “Big idea?”

“Yeah, bringing some woman you know next to nothing about on an overseas trip. These trips were supposed to be
our
thing.”

Hadley shifts uncomfortably in her seat, and I reach for her hand. I don’t need Isla’s bullshit right now. “Listen up, Madden. It was my fault for not telling you about her coming, but she’s with me, and you are well aware of that.”

“Mmm-hmm,” is all I get in return from Isla.

“It’s okay, Wade,” Hadley offers, carefully speaking without emotion lacing her words.

“The fuck it is,” I boom, anger rolling off of me in waves. “Isla. Quit your shit and accept it. Pull the dildo out of your ass and enjoy the goddamn trip.” The muscles in my neck strain as I fight the spat of words that I’d like to shove down her throat.

“Fine, but you owe me . . . again.”

“All right,” I say and reach for Hadley’s hand again, intertwining my fingers with hers. She’s looking out the window in an attempt to separate herself from my and Isla’s argument. Rage consumes my body knowing that Rye is now uncomfortable being here with us. It’s easy to tell: the subtle way that she angles her body away from me, and the fact that the corners of her lips are downcast.

I’ve been patient with Isla giving me shit regarding Rye, but enough is enough of this hot and cold behavior. I will not stand for it any longer. This onslaught of fury reminds me just how much I need Isla to support my decision to be with a woman. If I’m going to fight my battles, then she needs to be my goddamn cheerleader. The tension is palpable in the cabin; suffocating might be a better way to describe it.