The Faithful One: Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Read online

  Zander was much too serious as he ran his hand along her cheek and through her hair. “It’s like silk,” he muttered.

  “Are you okay?” she whispered.

  He shook his head. “Do you know how long it’s been?”

  Okay, this was getting really awkward. “What?” If they were going to compare the last time they kissed someone, she was out.

  “Since someone has touched me?” he murmured.

  Really, really awkward. “You had women all over you on The Bachelor. You probably have women all over you everywhere you go.” She’d seen photos to prove that.

  He shook his head. “No, I mean, yes, those women tried to touch me, but you touch me.” He placed a hand over her heart. Her pulse skyrocketed and she knew he could feel how fast he had her heart thumping. Zander cupped her face with both hands and lowered his lips so close she could almost taste the mint he’d popped in after dinner. “I’ve never let anyone touch me like that,” he whispered.

  In the next breath he was kissing her and the world completely disappeared. Zander’s warm lips commanded every ounce of her attention. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his biceps and she clung to him as he communicated what he’d been trying to tell her. He touched her in a way that she’d never been touched either. It wasn’t just physical, even though the physical part was amazing. It was deeper, more meaningful, something you didn’t feel with just anyone.

  “Ahem.” A throat was cleared loudly and they pulled apart, both breathing hard.

  “The missus wanted a cup of tea.” Mr. Gunnell was clearly enjoying this. “Don’t let me interrupt you folks.”

  Zander chuckled and wrapped his arm around Trin. “Don’t mind us.” He directed her back through the swinging door into the kitchen. They both started laughing. “I thought Mr. Gunnell had my back, but apparently not.”

  “I’ve got your back,” Trin said.

  His eyebrows arched. “Yeah?” He pulled her close again. “I’ve got all of you.”

  “Don’t let me go,” Trin whispered.

  “Not a chance.”

  His lips descended on hers again and she didn’t care about their differences. Most people never found a connection like this in their entire lives.

  Chapter 8

  Chapter

  Zander stumbled as he walked down the hotel hallway. He grinned, remembering the girl who’d been all over him at the bonfire. She hadn’t even realized he was only a senior in high school. He looked older and he could hardly wait for college life. The women were going to flock to him when he played football for Auburn University.

  He pulled the key card out of his pocket and stared at it for a few seconds. Which way did it go in? How to open the door quietly so he didn’t wake his mom? He felt a slight flush of guilt as he pulled his phone out to check the time. Two-thirteen in the morning. Had his mom gone to sleep okay? She was so nice to him, but sometimes he got annoyed with her. Dad had spoiled her too much and without his dad here, Zander felt like he had to be there for his mom every second. He shouldn’t feel guilty because he’d gone to a bonfire on a recruiting trip. He hoped his mom was asleep though. She’d be upset if she found out he’d been drinking. Her oldest brother had ruined his liver and died a pathetic alcoholic, with Zander’s dad and mom the only ones who took care of him. Now she preached to Zander constantly about how some people were more easily addicted than others. Blah, blah, blah.

  He finally got the key card inserted properly, the green light flashed and he pushed down the handle and quietly swung the door open. He shut it behind him, listening for his mom’s soft breathing, but there was nothing. Weird. He flipped on the bathroom light and his world upended. Blood covered the mirror, counter, toilet, and shower. His mom lay on the tile floor, her head tilted at an angle that Zander knew wasn’t natural. Her eyes were closed, her clothes were ripped, and blood and cuts covered her once-smooth skin.

  Zander screamed and dropped to his knees. He shook her. “Mom! Mom, please!” She was limp in his arms like there was no substance to her anymore. “No, Mom, wake up!”

  Sobs worked their way up from his chest and out his throat. He tasted salt and saw his own tears splash onto his mom’s hair. He gently laid her back on the cold tile and felt for a pulse, for some sign of life. There were slash marks all over her body. Zander prayed like he’d never prayed in his life, even though he was the last one who had the right to pray. Please, let this be a dream. Don’t let it be real. My mom. Not my mom.

  He tried to remember CPR, breathing into her mouth then compressing her chest, but there was so much blood everywhere. The salt from her blood mingled with the salt from his tears and he choked down vomit.

  He had no clue how much time had passed when he finally admitted that he was too late. She was gone. He leaned against the toilet and pulled her head into his lap and the sobs and tears kept coming as he held her. This was his fault. How could he have left her alone? She needed him and he’d failed her so he could flirt with girls and drink.

  He worked his phone out of his pocket, trying not to disturb her head and pressed his dad’s number.

  “Hello?” his dad’s voice was scratchy with sleep.

  “Dad!” he screamed into the phone, cradling her head against his stomach. He couldn’t let her go. Why had he let her go? “Someone killed her,” he moaned out.

  “What?”

  “Dad,” his voice cracked and he had to force out the words. “Someone killed Mom.”

  “No, no!” His dad let out a scream that wasn’t human.

  Zander could hear his dad crying like the world had ended and knew that their world had. The weight of his failure crashed down on him. His beautiful mother. Had she suffered? Looking down at her, he knew she had. It was all his fault.

  Zander flew upright in bed, screaming like his dad had that night. Sweat poured down his chest. It took a few seconds to remember he was in Montgomery. His mom was still gone. He and his dad were still alone. It was still his fault. He couldn’t hold back the sobs. It had been ten years and the nightmare made him bawl every time.

  * * *

  Trin struggled coming out of sleep. When she did, she tried to remember what had awakened her. She could’ve sworn she heard screaming coming from the main house. She slid into a tank top, shorts, and Sanuks, and crept out her door and across the lawn. It was chilly tonight, but the full moon reflected off the shiny grass and made it so she didn’t need any light. She hugged herself for warmth and wondered if she should call 911, but that seemed silly. She didn’t even know what she’d heard, just that instinct that something wasn’t right and she needed to investigate.

  She unlocked the back door with her key and slowly eased into the kitchen. A large shadow was standing next to the open industrial fridge. She screamed and the man whirled to face her. Zander. She placed a hand over her quickly beating heart.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He swung the fridge closed and stared at her. The moonlight coming through the windows gave enough light to see that his expression was guarded and unsettled. His body was shaking. It wasn’t cold in here, but he was only wearing some silky shorts.

  “Are you okay?”

  He shook his head and looked around the kitchen as if searching for something.

  “Zander.” She stepped closer to him. Did he sleepwalk or have night terrors? That was how he was acting, like he wasn’t quite awake or quite himself. “Was it you who was screaming?”

  “Screaming? Me? How do you know?” Zander clenched his hands together, but she could still see them trembling. He paced back to the white cabinets and opened one, staring inside it blankly.

  “Can I help you with something? What do you need?” Trin felt like she was in a scary movie where you weren’t sure why someone was acting the way they were.

  “Help?” He startled as if he’d forgotten she was there. “I need, um.” He paced and bumped into the counter. “Sugar. Maybe sugar can help.”

  Trin was cert
ain this suggestion of sugar was not any kind of flirtation on his part. She stepped next to him, grasped his elbow, and directed him onto a barstool. He allowed himself to be manipulated like a small child. “Sit. I’ll get you some chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa.”

  “Hot cocoa? No, I need something stronger.” His eyes got a far-off look then he sighed sadly. “Coffee.” He swallowed hard and muttered, “Coffee might help.”

  Trin could see he was deeply disturbed and was ready to slam something much stronger than coffee to help with the pain. “No way. As strung out as you are at the moment, coffee would keep you up all night.”

  “Won’t sleep anyway,” he muttered. He stared out the window. The oak tree leaves gently swayed in the breeze, but Trin didn’t think he was seeing the picturesque grass and trees.

  Trin made the cocoa and got him a couple cookies. She set it all down in front of him, pulling a barstool up close. She touched his hand when he didn’t move or reach for the food. “Your hands are freezing!” Taking one of his large hands between hers she rubbed them trying to warm them up.

  Zander studied her in the dimly lit room. Suddenly, he stood, pulled her to her feet and tugged her against his chest. Trin was surprised, but she didn’t resist. He was still trembling. She rubbed his bare back gently and rested her head in the crook of his neck. He clung to her, the strong muscles of his chest rubbing against her shoulder. For the first time, she ignored the romantic longings his touch stirred. He needed her and she could feel it.

  Gradually, he seemed to calm down. When he finally pulled back, he muttered, “Thank you.”

  “Sure.” It wasn’t like the hug had been difficult for her, quite the opposite, but she didn’t need to be thinking how attracted she was to him when he was obviously shaken.

  He sat again and she gestured toward the food. He picked up the hot cocoa and sipped it. “Thank you, again.”

  “Are you okay? Can you tell me about it?”

  Zander studied his mug. “I don’t know if you want to hear it.”

  “Hey.” She nudged his knee. “We’re friends, remember? Friends help each other when they wake up in the night screaming.” Kissing friends, if earlier today was any indication. They’d had a powerful connection. He wasn’t going to shut her out now, was he?

  He gave her half a smile then shook his head. “How much do you know about me?”

  “What do you mean?” She felt like she knew far too much yet not enough.

  “You said you watched The Bachelor and you know my dad pretty well. Have you Googled me?”

  “Not on a weekly basis.”

  He did smile at that.

  A few seconds ticked by then she asked, “Why?”

  “Have you read the stories about my mom?”

  Trin inhaled sharply. “A few. She was killed in The Hotel at Auburn University.”

  He nodded. “Did you know I found her?”

  “I’m so sorry.” Oh, my. She knew his mom was murdered and didn’t even want to picture a young Zander finding her bloody and unresponsive. No wonder he’d turned to alcohol.

  “It gets worse. It was my fault.”

  “What do you mean it was your fault? They found the murderer and convicted him.” From what she’d read it was pre-meditated. The guy stole all her valuables, tortured, and killed her. It was horrific.

  “Yeah, but … I should’ve been with her, protected her.” He studied his mug, not drinking it or touching the cookies. “My mom was, almost childlike. I mean, that sounds like she wasn’t smart. She was, and she was great to be around, but Dad spoiled her. He took care of every little thing and he was a gentleman to the T. He always opened her door, paid for everything, escorted her everywhere like she was some fragile princess.”

  Trin smiled at the image. She wondered what her dad had been like. Her stepdad used to treat her mom like that, but he’d turned to other interests and definitely didn’t exude gentlemanly behavior.

  “I was recruited to some of the top schools in the nation to play football.”

  “I didn’t know that.” The abrupt conversation change didn’t make sense, but Zander definitely wasn’t himself tonight. “Did you play college then?”

  He shook his head. “My parents came with me on recruiting trips all over the nation the fall of my senior year. When we got the invite to Auburn it was the same weekend as a real estate conference where my dad was the keynote speaker. I really wanted to go to Auburn, so my mom agreed to fly down here with me. She’d never been on a trip without my dad. He had to talk her through how to pick up a rental car.” He smiled sadly.

  “When my dad asked me to come back here a few weeks ago I couldn’t believe it. I haven’t been back since that happened. I just couldn’t do it.” He exhaled then continued his story, “I was too young to drive the rental car and Mom was scary behind the wheel. Luckily the Montgomery Airport was small and the university had everything set up for us. I loved the campus, the coaches, the other players. One night they were having a bonfire. My mom said she was fine to go back to the hotel by herself. I … I let her go because I was so selfish I wanted to go to that bonfire. Then when the guys asked me to go have a beer, I did that too. I didn’t get back to the hotel until pretty late.” He hung his head.

  “She hadn’t used the deadbolt or the chain because she was waiting for me to come back.” He stopped and finally muttered, “I guess the guy recognized who she was and followed her. When he knocked on the door she opened it, maybe she thought he was an employee or me.” His voice cracked and he cleared it. “He took her money and jewelry and …” The silence stretched on then he finally muttered, “You can imagine the rest.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she repeated. Trin’s voice felt tight with emotion. To find someone you loved murdered.

  “That’s what the nightmare is.” His voice was hollow. “Me finding her.”

  “Oh, Zander.” Trin didn’t know if it was her place, but she put her arms around his broad shoulders.

  He laid his head against her shoulder and she held him like a very large child. Things were clicking into place quicker than she could do one of Turk’s twenty-piece puzzles. The alcohol. The despair in his face. The inability to cope with real life. This man was very damaged and she was falling hard for him. She wanted to help him, but therapy for someone who’d been through this kind of trauma was miles above her pay grade. Selfishly, she wondered if a relationship with Zander was even possible.

  Chapter 9

  Chapter

  Trin didn’t see Zander the next morning. He’d been planning a hundred-mile bike ride so she didn’t expect him until later that afternoon. She was kind of nervous about how things would go between them now. Would his revelations of last night bring them closer or make things awkward between them? He’d walked her back to her room and hadn’t said much as he gave her a brief hug goodnight.

  “What are you daydreaming about now, girl? That hunky man?” Moriah pushed the housekeeping cart into the closet and came out into the kitchen where Trin was making herself a turkey sandwich.

  “Maybe,” Trin admitted.

  “Well, daydream away. Don’t let me stop you.” Moriah whistled. “If a man like that came knocking on my door I’d be all, yes, please and can I have another?” Moriah swayed her hips and Trin couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Do you go out dancing every weekend?” Trin asked.

  “I wish. Turk’s not much for the dancing scene.”

  “You have moves that put the rest of us to shame.”

  “Thanks.” Moriah beamed. “I was on the dance team in high school. They had me do the solos. Always wished I could’ve had training, but no money for that. Had to pay Harrison’s football fees.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “You haven’t heard? He is rocking Auburn U.” She raised her hands like a ref signaling a touchdown. “I’m so proud. We’re going to a game this weekend. They give him four free tickets to every home game. You wanna come?”

 
“I wish. Who would watch this place?” She took a large bite of her sandwich. Moriah’s homemade bread and fresh veggies from her garden made it heavenly.

  Moriah gave her a strange look. “Mr. Zander told me you were going to hire us some more help so you could take a break sometime.”

  “Oh, did he? I’m thinking about it.”

  “Well, don’t think too hard. You’re going to waste away in this old house.”

  “No more than you.” She slowly chewed another bite. She supposed it was sad that she didn’t get away more, but she was needed here. A football game would be a lot of fun. If only Zander could go with them, but that thought was shot down quickly. Football at Auburn University would dredge up all kinds of awful memories.

  “Yeah, well, I ain’t got a choice,” Moriah said. “Need the moolah so my boy can be having a fun Christmas. Hey. Speaking of money. Mr. Zander said he’s going to start my overtime early if I work a little later today and watch the front desk for you. You two got hot plans?”

  “Not that I know of.” Her stomach filled with excitement and a little apprehension. Had Zander made plans for them? She didn’t like leaving her house for very long. “How late are you staying?”

  “He said until after dinner. I’m going to go pick up Turk and bring him here. That was part of the deal too. I could bring Turk to work.”

  “If you’re bringing Turk here, I’m not leaving.” Maybe that could be her excuse to hang around. Why couldn’t Zander just pickup takeout and they could stay at the house together? They could make it a party with Moriah and Turk.

  “Hey, I know my kiddo is stinking cute, but if a handsome, rich man makes arrangements to get you away from work, you bet your skinny buns you’re leaving.”

  She was right, but there was still a knot in Trin’s stomach at the thought of not being here. “Go get Turk now so I can see him.”