Page 54 of Charm (Billionaire Buck Boys #7)
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Greer
I place my tote on the seat of one of the chairs next to Holden’s dining table. After Martha left my bedroom to head down to the kitchen to make her nightly cup of tea, I took her advice. I slipped a fresh pair of lace panties in my bag along with a blouse.
I’m currently wearing a light blue T-shirt and white jeans. I have no idea how the night will go, but if I do stay over, I’ll be able to walk out of here in something slightly different than what I arrived in.
It’s not that I’m worried about an early morning walk of shame. There will be absolutely no shame attached if I spend the night in Holden’s bed. It’s what I want. I can’t speak to what he’ll want, but I’m hoping it’s the same thing.
“Can I get you anything?” he asks from where he’s standing near the door.
He greeted me with a hug and a soft kiss in the lobby of the building. I was grateful to see him waiting for me when I got out of the rideshare. As we rode the elevator up, he reached for my hand, weaving his fingers in between mine.
It was contact I wasn’t aware I needed, but it gave me strength and courage.
Very few people in my life know my story.
I’ve kept it that way for many reasons, including the need to protect Olive. She knows most of what happened before and after she was born, but I’ve shielded her from the majority of the details surrounding my divorce from Aaron.
“I’d love a glass of wine,” I say without hesitation.
I won’t indulge in more than one, but I know the alcohol will calm my nerves a bit. I could use that right about now.
“I’ll pour one for each of us.”
He breezes past me. His cologne lingers as he does. I inhale deeply. There’s just something so comforting about the small details. His glasses, his cologne, and the sound of his laughter have all become a part of who he is to me.
I smile when I spot the friendship bracelet on his wrist. I’m wearing mine tonight, too.
As soon as he’s back in front of me, he hands me a glass half-filled with deep red liquid. I smell it with my eyes closed because it’s just that good. I can’t help but smile when I have my first taste because it’s a notch above anything I would ever buy for myself.
He sips, too. “It’s good, isn’t it?”
“Very.”
Nodding, he takes another drink before placing his glass on the dining room table. “You’re nervous, Greer.”
He’s right, so I don’t argue the point. “I am.”
“Talking about the past isn’t easy.” He tilts his chin down. “I know that from experience.”
“Because of your divorce?” I whisper.
“Yeah.” He moves a step closer to me, stopping to rest his hand on the back of one of the chairs. “Finella and I were on and off for years before I asked her to marry me.”
I shouldn’t feel even a bite of jealousy since we didn’t know each other then, but I do. It’s irrational, but the thought of him loving someone else enough to ask her to marry him stings.
“How long were you married?” I ask, placing my hand next to his on the back of the chair.
His hand inches forward until his fingers brush against mine. “Until I caught her in bed with a friend of mine. It wasn’t that long after we got married.”
Shocked that any woman would cheat on him, I shake my head. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
“It was rough,” he says curtly. “In other ways, it wasn’t. To be honest, we probably shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place, but there was some family pressure.”
I didn’t have to deal with that. I married Aaron because I loved him, or I did until the day it all fell apart.
“I’m sorry you went through that, Holden.”
His gaze finds mine. “I appreciate that, but it was for the best. Finella wasn’t right for me.”
I want him to say I am, but we’re not there yet. He doesn’t even know the details of my divorce.
I take a deep breath. “I was married to a man I met in high school. On the day we got married, I thought Aaron and I would go the distance.”
“Aaron,” he repeats my ex-husband’s name. “What happened with him, Greer? What went wrong with you and Aaron?”
I take another sip of my wine. “Maybe we should sit down before I tell you about that. It’s going to take a while.”
He finishes the last of his wine in one swallow. “I’ll meet you on the couch after I grab a refill. Do you want more?”
I want to get this conversation over with, but I’m determined to do that without too much alcohol. “I’m good.”
He starts to walk away, but stops to curl his hand around the back of my neck. Looking into my eyes, he kisses me softly. “You have no idea how glad I am that you found me naked in that pool.”
I can’t help but smile. “I feel the same way.”
“We were both right where we needed to be that night,” he says matter-of-factly. “We’re right where we need to be tonight, too.”
I believe that with every fiber of my being.
“I’ll be right back.” He kisses me again. “Go sit down and get comfortable.”