Page 44

Three months later…

Charlie

“God, you look so fucking sexy,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around Bailey from behind. She smiles, spinning around in my arms to face me.

“You’re making me blush,” she complains, though she’s laughing breathlessly.

“You weren’t blushing this morning.”

Before we came to Myrtle’s Books — the bookstore hosting a meet and greet for Bailey’s book, The Deal — I woke her with my tongue, then my cock, then chocolate chip pancakes that were not burnt, might I add.

“We can sneak to the bathroom for a quickie,” she whispers, her eyes flashing dangerously.

I pull her tighter to me before we’re interrupted.

“Charles,” Monica Parker, or my future mother-in-law, calls, her lilted voice ringing in my ears. I clench my eyes shut and force myself to release Bailey, who chuckles under her breath like a brat. “Can you retrieve another box of books from the back? Bailey is almost out up front.”

Surprisingly, Monica doesn’t hate me as much as she thought. She’s even lightened up a hair since she’s been here. She’s run around all day, helping Bailey any way she can with the book signing, getting her lunch, and otherwise doting on her oldest daughter.

“Yes ma’am,” I agree, planting a quick kiss to Bailey’s lips before nodding at her mother and making my way through the crowd of people in the small store.

Myrtle’s is located in the Quarter, close to Bourbon Street, and it doesn’t appear the small store was prepared for Bailey’s book to hit the shelves. There’s barely enough room to breathe and I couldn’t be fucking prouder.

Once she moved down here, it was a race to get the book finished and published, only I actually fucking enjoyed it. We stayed up late most nights, working until it was perfect — well, to me, at least. To Bailey, it will probably never be perfect, but like the woman that wrote it, there’s not a damn thing I would change.

The back of the store is quiet, almost eerily so when I step in to grab another box of books. The owner of Myrtle’s, luckily, was prepared enough to clear a decent-sized spot out for us to store the books. With two hours to go, we only have two boxes left. I don’t think it will last us.

It’s not until I round the corner to grab the last two boxes that I almost run face-first into Andi, who is just as startled as I am.

“Sorry,” she murmurs, attempting to walk past me, but there are tears in her eyes.

I grab her by the shoulder and turn her back to me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she mumbles, wiping her eyes with a tissue. “It’s dusty back here.”

I seal her with a look that has her sighing at me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t care.” Andi’s been strangely absent lately. I don’t even think Bailey’s seen her much since she got back. “It’s better to tell me now than to let me find out.”

She seems to think about that for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at the floor.

“Tom?”

Finally, she nods.

“Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want anyone to know until it’s over, but . . . we filed for an annulment of our marriage. It should be finalized this week.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

Why is it when things are going great, some bullshit like this has to happen?

“Why?”

She grimaces. “Because his ex-girlfriend just had a baby. They did a DNA test and it’s his.”

Anger rolls through me in black waves. I’ll fucking kill him. I warned him.

“Where is he?”

“No,” she snaps, grabbing my arm when I move toward the back door.

“I just want to talk to him.”

“No,” she says, an air of finality in her tone. She even stomps her foot. “I don’t want you to. It’s done. There’s nothing you can say or do that hasn’t already been said or done by me. Plus,” she adds, sniffling and squaring her shoulders. “This is Bailey’s day. You don’t want to ruin it, do you?”

“Of course not,” I snap, rolling my shoulders to alleviate some of the tension in my body.

“Me either. I’ll tell her this week, once it’s finalized. I don’t want her to think about it right now.”

I force myself to take a deep breath and not hunt Thomas Bennet down. I knew that spineless little prick wouldn’t be good enough for my sister. I fucking told her and she didn’t listen to me.

“I’ll be fine, Charlie.” Andi places her hand on my shoulder, forcing me to look at her. “I promise.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you and Bailey just got back to each other. You think I want to ruin that?”

Fuck, now I feel like an ass because I’ve been so caught up in my own life, I hadn’t noticed my sister’s was falling apart.

“How is she doing out there?” Andi asks, clearing the Tom subject off the table.

“Better than I expected. These are the last two boxes.”

Andi smiles. “I told her the book was great. What about Monica?”

“Monica is . . . Monica.” We both laugh at that one. I grab the two boxes and we start walking them back toward the front.

I stop, just inside the back door and turn back to her. “You sure you don’t want me to handle him? I know a lot of places no one will ever find him.”

She rolls her eyes, but smiles. “Yes, Charlie.”

“You’re my little sister, you know? I don’t want to see you cry.”

Her smile softens and she leans in, leaning her head on my shoulder since she can’t give me a hug.

“I know. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

She jumps back, staring at me like I’ve lost my fucking mind. “Charlie Coulter, did you just say you love me?”

“Must have been the wind.”

She snickers, following me back out into the busy store. “Bailey may have been the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

Across the room, I hear Bailey’s laugh and my chest clenches. I thought I would be used to what she does to me by now, but every time I see her, it’s like I was just shoved into a fucking electric fence. It’s hard to believe this what my life has become after years of being stuck in the same fucked up never-ending loop of numbness and anger. I contribute a lot of that to the woman in front of me forcing me to let go of my demons.

When we return to the front table where Bailey is set up, signing books, a familiar face is beside her.

Mason Carpenter nods at me, while his sister chatters on to a couple of women getting their books signed .

“Glad you could make it,” I say, setting the books down beside Bailey.

“Wait . . .” she interjects. “Did you know he was coming?”

I press a kiss to the top of her head, ignoring the awws from the crowd of women in the store.

“He invited me,” Mason says. “You know, since you didn’t.”

She looks between us, confused. “How did you even get his number? Do I want to know?”

“We’ve met before,” I reply.

She opens her mouth to question me, again, but it firmly clamps shut when realization dawns on her.

“You met in California, didn’t you?”

Mason chuckles. “You could say that.”

“Had to ask someone if I could marry you. I figured it had better be the person you looked up to the most.”

A smile warms Bailey’s cheeks before she throws her arms around me and kisses me fiercely.

“I hate to break up this love fest, but Bailey, your mom’s harassing the customers, again.”

Bailey groans and withdraws, but I put a hand out to stop her. “Relax. I’ll handle it. You have customers lining up.”

She smiles in relief and releases me with a kiss on the cheek. “What would I do without you?”

“You’ll never find out, baby.”

The book signing was a success, with us selling out, down to the last copy sold. Marion, Myrtle’s owner, told Bailey she could host a signing there any time she released a book because she brought in so much revenue.

After, we all retire to the restaurant, completely famished. I never knew what a hunger there was for love stories until now. We celebrate with drinks and every classic NOLA dish Dad can dream up in the back room. Everyone loves it, even Monica, who rips the heads off crawfish with much more gusto than Bailey ever did. She even takes a liking to Lionel, surprising everyone as they dissolve into an intense conversation about the cosmetic industry.

Finally, Dad brings out a cake from the back for Bailey to blow out the candles on while he makes everyone yell Happy book birthday! It’s cheesy, but it makes Bailey smile, so I’m glad.

When everyone else seems to be focused on each other, I lean in, pressing my lips to Bailey’s ear.

“Are you happy, baby?”

A smile spreads across her cheeks. “I’ve never been happier.”

I place a finger under her chin and tilt her face to mine. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she breathes. Nervously, she looks around us to make sure no one’s paying attention. “Can we go home soon? I need inspiration for my next book.”

I raise a brow at her, trailing my fingers up her leg under the table. A shiver rolls through her, urging me to move my thumb over her clit through the damp panties covering her.

“Say when, baby.”