The Billionaires Love Curves Finale - a BBW BWWM Billionaire Romance (4 page)

Chapter4

“You wanna tell me what that little game of charades was all about last night?” Elaine was at the table in the kitchen eating toast when a very tired Lacey walked in, still in her pajamas.

“What?” Lacey croaked as she reached for the coffee.

“Don't play games. You've been looking like death these past few days and you're no fun anymore. What's up? If this is about the wedding, you know everything will be all right. I'll be right by your side and if you forget your wedding vows, you can always do a dance routine.”

Lacey laughed.

“Seriously, Lacey. Who were you talking to downstairs last night?”

“It was Nate.”

Elaine dropped her toast onto the plate. “You're kidding me, right?”

“I wish I were.”

“Don't tell me, he's still claiming to be in love with you?”

“That's right.”

“So what you gonna do?”

“Marry Cole.”

“Okay, that's what I hoped you'd say. You can't trust Nate, he let you down. Even if he realized after you guys broke up that he loved you, he's too late now. Isn't he, Lacey?”

“Yes, he is.”

Lacey got up with her coffee cup and walked back to her bedroom. She looked into her full length mirror at the creased pajamas, messy hair, dark circles under her eyes. She smoothed her pajamas, running her hand over her tummy and remembering her pledge to Cole to try for a baby straight away.

She had come off the pill. But what if she did get pregnant and found out that Nate had been telling the truth all along? Having Cole's baby would make it all the more difficult to leave him.

“What are you thinking?” Lacey said out loud to herself.

“I don't know, what
are
you thinking?” Elaine had put her head around the door without Lacey even noticing. “I'm off to work. And Lacey, you don't talk to yourself when I'm at work do you?”

“No,” Lacey smiled.

“Good. Anyway, you ought to go into the office once in a while, take your mind off things.”

“I would if I could feel useful there. I'll go back after the honeymoon, Cole has promised to give me my old responsibilities back.”

“Okay then, babes, see you later. What are you doing today, anyway?”

“I don't know.”

Elaine left, but Lacey had figured out exactly what she would be doing. She was going go back on the pill, as a precaution, so she would go see her doctor. She was still unsure about everything, the last thing she wanted to do was bring a baby into the equation.

                                                                     ***

“It seems like ages since we've been on a proper date, Cole. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were taking me for granted.” Lacey put her wine glass to her mouth, but Cole frowned at her.

“Should you be drinking?” he asked her.

“Why not? I always have wine with my meal.”

“But not now, you shouldn't.” Cole had raised his voice without meaning to. The reason the couple had gone out for dinner was because Lacey insisted they kick back and try to relax.

Telling her she shouldn't be drinking surprised her but speaking at such a volume also made several guests at other tables turn around and stare at them. The restaurant where they were dining was small, very expensive and usually there was a three-month wait to eat there. Cole had called them that afternoon and, as a valued customer, they were happy to oblige.

The maitre d' looked at them. There was no background music and you could hear a pin drop. Cole leaned in closer to Lacey. He rested his hand on her arm so that she was not able to take another sip of wine.

“What's gotten into you?” she hissed across the table.

“You said we were going to try for a baby. Isn't it a bad idea to drink alcohol?”

“You sat there watching me order this, are you going to confiscate it in front of all these people? You know a lot of the folk here, don't you?” she said, looking him straight in the eye but smiling so sweetly, no one would know she was as annoyed as hell.

Cole smiled back, twice as widely and being just as false.

“Sweetie, we'll talk about this later, okay?” he said.

“Why don't we talk about it now?”

“Because I think we should go,” Cole said. “Don't make it obvious by turning around, Lacey. I'll get the bill.”

Lacey had barely touched her meal and was so frustrated with Cole she wanted to find a way to get back at him. She waited until they'd left the restaurant and were heading back to his car. She dragged her feet.

“Let's go back to mine, shall we?” Cole said.

Lacey did not answer.

“Don't tell me you're mad at me?” he asked.

“It isn't that, there's something I needed to tell you.”

“Oh?” he said, searching for his keys as they approached his car. “What is it?”

“I saw Nate.”

Cole's eyes went steely and he unlocked the passenger door. “Get in,” he said to her.

She took a seat and fastened her seatbelt. Cole took his time getting into the car. Finally, he took his seat and turned on the ignition. They pulled off slowly.

“When you say you saw him, did you go to his office or something? I mean, I didn't get a report back from...”  

“From my prison guards?”

“Lacey why are you being like this?”

“I'm not being like anything. If you must know, it was the night I asked you to get rid of security. He showed up just after, pretty freaky, but he did.”

“Freaky or suspicious.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, it's weird he shows up when you asked me to call the boys off.”

Lacey turned sideways to face him.

“And if I was sneaking around like that, why would I tell you I saw him?”

“True.” Cole swallowed hard, kept his eyes on the road. “And what was it he had to say? Was it what I expected? Him trying to win you back?”

“He said he doesn't want me back, Cole.”

Cole's head shot around to face her.

“Keep your eyes on the road. You want to get us killed?” Lacey exclaimed.

“I'm sorry. Keep going. What else did he say?”

“A lot of things. He told me how you manipulated his wife into thinking he was some kind of creep so she would leave him for you. Then you go and break her heart?”

“Lacey, that's not how it was. Didn't I tell you he'd come and lie to you? Didn't I? You know me better than anyone, Lacey.”

“Do I?”

“What, you think he's telling the truth?”

“I don't know. No, I guess not. You know I can't stand being in the middle of all of this. I suppose when he said he didn't want me, that was true enough. He's made that pretty clear, the way he treated me. But...”

“But what?”

“He tells it so convincingly. He made you out to be a monster. I couldn't handle it if I knew any of this was true.”

“And you think I would ask you to marry me if I didn't love you?”

“Of course not.”

“You've seen my parents, Lacey. That's what I want, for us to last, like them. Their relationship was built on trust. I have to know you trust me. I can't get burned again the way my so called best friend burned me. If you want to believe him then you just say and I'll walk away now, Lacey.”

“I don't want that. I know you love me. You've proven yourself. But I had to let you know what Nate said.”

“That damn Nate Horwood. I hate him.”

Cole's foot pressed harder on the accelerator. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter until Lacey could see the knuckles of his hands turn white. She said nothing at first, watching Cole's car overtaking every other car on the road, weaving in and out of the lanes to get ahead of them all.

The scene outside the car window zipped by her faster and faster still. Lacey's foot pressed the floor of the car, feeling for invisible brakes.

“Cole,” she said quietly. “Cole.” A little louder this time. “Cole you need to slow down...Cole! Slow down!”

Her words didn't seem to filter into his ears because he was gaining on the car in front of him and not looking like he was going to overtake but as if he wanted to go straight into the back of it.

Closer and closer until Lacey threw out an arm and pressed Cole's chest.

“Slow down! Cole, what are trying to do to us?” She shouted at the top of her voice.

He hit the brakes, swerving to overtake the car and then turning sharply into a side road, eventually bringing the car to normal speed.

“Jesus, Cole. You had me scared.”

“I'm sorry, my mind was working overtime.” He turned to look at her. “If he comes round again, you call straight away, you hear?”

“Yes, now just concentrate on the road, please.”

“All I ask for is trust, Lacey,” his voice was calm. “That's all I ask of you. Trust and honesty.”

“Me, too, Cole. Me, too.”

“I'm sorry about that, Lacey.” He put a hand on her thigh. “I guess I'm getting stressed about the wedding, too. I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you.”

They continued the journey in silence.

Chapter5

“Are you sure you didn't want me to invite a few more ladies for our bachelorette night, Lacey? Three bachelorettes are going to make for a pretty dull evening.” Elaine was in the living room putting on an extra coat of lipstick.

“This is all I wanted, Elaine. A nice drink, a meal with people I know, not some rent a crowd bunch of your loud friends, screaming, getting drunk and, God forbid, a male stripper turning up on the scene.” Lacey raised an eyebrow as she watched Elaine tuck her lipstick into her purse and zip it up.

“You are absolutely no fun at all these days. And what is this Ali Russell like? Why invite your ex-boss?”

“Because she's a really nice person,” Lacey said. “She's been kind to me and apart from you, she's the only other person I can call a friend. I've got no one from the old neighborhood and Ali is one of the few people I've invited to a wedding of almost two hundred people.”

“Well, let's get going, I think our taxi is here.”

Having a bachelorette party had been all Elaine's idea. Lacey had resisted until she could no longer handle the desperate pleading, sulks and puppy dog eyes that Elaine had resorted to. In the end, Lacey had compromised, insisting it take place two weeks before the wedding, in case of any mishaps and under no circumstances was it to be wild and crazy. Elaine had accepted, it was the closest she was going to get to having a night out with Lacey.

Since the incident with Cole, driving like a mad man after at the very mention of Nate Horwood's name, Cole had insisted that Lacey move in with him on a full time basis until the wedding. He didn't want to take the chance of Nate turning up at Lacey's door again.

“I don't trust him and I can't trust what I'll do if he shows up again,” was what Cole said and Lacey agreed to move in with him. She'd taken most of her clothes, along with several other personal items, to Cole's apartment. It was her way of trying to keep the peace. She was sick to death of the constant battle and being at the center of it.

For her bachelorette party, she wanted a night to unwind and not have to talk feuds and jealousies, revenge and rivalry, and watching Cole mope around the apartment whenever something reminded him of Nate.

Lacey had chosen a nice, out-of-the-way restaurant which had an upstairs bar and a cozy restaurant. The food was said to be outstanding and when they walked in, she felt relaxed straight away by the atmosphere. She hoped it would be the perfect night.

A waiter showed them to their table after they had been up in the bar drinking cocktails.

“We should get some champagne,” Ali said.

“And why not?” Elaine agreed, still waving a Bloody Mary in her hand. “Cole is paying for all of this.”

“Agreed,” said Lacey. “He said not to hold back.”

“In that case,” Elaine said, “why didn't you let me hire a male stripper?”

“Please, let's not go there again.” Lacey shook her head.

“So,” Ali said, after the main course had been served. “How is it working for the enemy?”

“She's not working.” Elaine interrupted, waving to the waiter so he could bring more champagne.

“You're not?” Ali said.

“What Elaine means is, I'm taking a bit of a back seat while I get this wedding organized. There's just so much to do.”

Again, Elaine cut in. “I thought you said it was because Cole was giving you less and less to do?”

Lacey gave her a look.

“What?” Elaine tutted. “Why you looking like that? That's what you said, right?”

“Is that true, Lacey?” Ali was concerned.

“In a way, but come the end of the honeymoon, it'll be business as usual.”

“You sure about that?” Ali asked.

“Of course, now drink up. We have to try this chocolate dessert I hear they do. It's supposed to be divine.”

“Divine?” Elaine teased. “Since when did you start using words like 'divine'?” Elaine laughed out loud and was causing a stir at the nearby tables.

“Shit,” she exclaimed.

“Elaine, keep it down will you? This is a respectable place.” Lacey put an arm around her.

“Not anymore,” Ali said, raising a glass and knocking back the rest of her champagne.

“No, it's not that.” Elaine slurred her words now. “It's him, it's lover boy. The other billionaire boyfriend.” She pointed an unsteady finger at a seat on the other side of the restaurant. Sitting beside a large tropical plant and eating with a middle aged gentleman, was Nate.

Lacey and Nate locked eyes almost immediately.

“Shit!” Lacey said under her breath, turning back. “Did you tell him you were coming here with me tonight, Ali?”

“Me? No. Why would I? What's it got to do with Nate? Wait,” Ali said. “Did Elaine just say Nate was your boyfriend?”

“It's a long story, Ali, but I've got to go. If Cole finds out I was in the same place as Nate, there'll be hell to pay.” Lacey searched on the floor for her purse.

“Wait, Lacey.” Ali held her arm. “You trying to tell me, Cole tells you what to do and where to go...as well as stopping your work?”

“It's not what you think, Ali.” She called a waiter over and handed over Nate's credit card. “Please, could we pay?”

“Well, what is it Lacey? Why all the cloak and dagger?” Ali insisted.

“I've got to go. Please Ali, I'll explain another time.”

Without waiting for the credit card to be returned, Lacey rushed out of the restaurant and looked up and down the street for a passing taxi.

“Lacey!” It was Nate. He'd followed her out.

“Nate please, you have to stay away from me.” She raised her hand and waved as a taxi sped by.

“Lacey, I thought I would have heard from you by now.”

“Listen, we can't be seen together, it's for your own safety, Nate.”

“This is insane. Can we talk for a second?”

“No! Taxi!” She waved frantically as another taxi flew by.

“He's watching you now, is he?” Nate said trying to grab her elbow. She pulled away.

“Please, Nate. You're going to ruin everything for me. Please. Just walk away.”

Nate backed up. She heard him retreating back to the restaurant. Seconds later, she was joined by Elaine and Lacey.

“There you are,” Elaine said. “Can we go out to a club?” She made a little dance move on the sidewalk.

“No, baby, I don't think anyone would let you into any club, not in the state you're in. I'll go back to the apartment and stay over,” Lacey said.

“Won't lover boy want you to report back?” Elaine asked.

“I'll send him a text, he'll understand. Ali, it was so good to see you.”

“I guess the next time will be at the wedding.” Ali still had a serious look on her face.

“We can share a cab.” Lacey suggested.

Elaine whistled through her fingers and a taxi pulled up.

While the three of them sat in the back, Elaine rested her head on Lacey's shoulder.

“I'll have to carry her upstairs,” Lacey said.

Ali, who had remained quiet for the entirety of the journey, called out to the driver, “You can let me off here.”

As she got out, Lacey took hold of Ali's hand.

“Ali, could you do me a favor?” she said.

“Absolutely.”

“Please don't mention anything you heard me say about Cole to Nate. He'll probably ask, but please don't say a word.”

“I won't. I'm just still so shocked you two were dating and nobody knew.”

“I'm sorry. I wasn't the one who wanted it to be a secret,” Lacey said. “Anyway, I'll see you in two weeks.”

“See you in two weeks,” Ali smiled. “But Lacey, you sure about this? The wedding I mean. To me you don't seem like the old you. You were so happy at Holden-Taylor. I don't see that in your eyes anymore.”

“Like I say. The stress of organizing a wedding. Wait until you see my dress. I'll be a different person when you see me next. Don't worry so much.”

Ail waved goodbye and was out of sight when Lacey turned back to see about Elaine. She had slipped over on to her side and was still completely out.

As they approached the apartment, Lacey felt for her keys. In her purse she picked up a small cardboard box. It was from the drugstore. As a double assurance that she would not get pregnant she had gotten some Plan B pills.

Strange that Ali had picked up on the change in her. And Ali was right, she had changed. She had always been an honest person and now she was lying to Cole about wanting a baby, going back on the pill behind his back and then the Plan B pills, carrying them with her everywhere she went in the hope that Cole would never find out. Why was she finding it so easy to lie?

Her biggest struggle of all was the fact that she needed to lie in the first place.