Ending with Forever Read online

  “I understand but it’s hard to accept sometimes.”

  “Be patient. God is always listening. His timing isn’t the same as ours.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind and will try my best. Thanks Miss Polly,” I tell her and then kiss her forehead.

  “You better get going. It’s not polite to be late, especially when you’re trying to impress a beautiful lady.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Miss Polly called the valet to park my Bugatti at the front of the building, but I’m reconsidering. I think I might need a limo. That hour drive to my father’s place will shatter my resolve. I know I can’t sit in the same vehicle with Bridgette without touching her. It’s impossible. I’ll need room if she’ll allow me to have her before we get to our destination.

  “Will you call my driver and have him pick me up at my usual place?”

  “Sure thing,” she replies with a wink, making me blush internally which doesn’t happen often.

  I pace down two hallways to catch the elevator, hop in, and then descend into the lobby. Transparent through the glass frames is a black limo parked outside waiting for me. In twenty or so minutes, I will hopefully have Bridgette back in my arms again.

  ~~~~

  Past an intimidating, tall metal gate, the chauffeur drives up a semi-circle path leading to the Montgomery mansion. This is unimaginable luxury at its finest. It’s hard to miss the elaborate gas-burning urns on stone pedestals, one on each side of the entrance. Bridgette’s focus has been outside the limo the minute she stepped in and never once drifted her eyes over to me. I didn’t get the warm reception that I had hoped for. Her tone was distant and lifeless when she spoke just four Cantonese words to me at the bottom of her jet’s steps.

  “Wei. Lei hou ma?” Hello. How are you?

  She paid no attention to my response and rushed to claim her seat to the far left. Her tight ass has been glued to that spot until now as she disregards my every attempt to converse with her. By far, this is the most bitter treatment she’s ever given me. I thought the separation from her granddad would help loosen his grip on her, but it didn’t. In fact, it’s tightened his tyrant hold on her even more. Regardless of how shitty she’s behaving toward me, I’m still putty in her presence. In my heart, nothing can diminish her perfection or beauty. I’ve never been able to resist any part of her, especially her sexy signature red lips and sovereign light brown eyes. One look into them and I’m under her power without mercy.

  It’s time for us to exit. I fasten the bottom two buttons on my jacket and adjust my sleeves before stepping out. “Ready?” I offer Bridgette my hand as I force my absorbing eyes to relax. This is definitely not going the way I had planned it. I’ve either lost my appeal or maybe she’s really over me. Fuck. I can’t face either defeat.

  “Yes,” she replies and then tightens her ebony mink around her shoulders to shield her from the wintry weather. The rest of her slender frame is cloaked in a shimmery, black dress with leather accents around the bodice, offering the appearance of dragon scales. It’s obvious she’s making a statement with her extraordinary dress, flaunting her confidence. Though she may seem tiny in stature, she refuses to be unnoticeable. She commands attention and respect and will accept nothing less.

  As soon as our fingers fall into each other, her discipline is broken. Bits and pieces of my moon illuminate through her resilient dark barrier like a rare lunar eclipse. I call her my moon or yue because our secret rendezvous were mostly in the evenings. Instead of looking forward to a sunrise, I longed for a beautiful moon so I could have her by my side. Abandoning her need for my affection, she resumes her aloof demeanor and gracefully walks up a flight of white stone steps in killer heels. Elegance is what she exudes. Men gawk their ravenous eyes at her the second she enters the reception.

  Mimi, dressed like royalty in the latest couture, stands by father’s side greeting incoming guests. The phony smile on her stunning face matches the phony warm gestures she offers each attendee. I’m overly familiar with her cunning tactics. It’s killing me, forcing my eyes not to roll in disgust. She gravitates to Bridgette without delay. Mimi is aware of Bridgette’s influence and position in the chain of supremacy. She practically bows down like a servant before Bridgette showing her respect.

  “Mother, Father,” I nod and bestow Mimi an artificial sign of affection as I lean into her and then shake my father’s hand.

  “Wes,” they both acknowledge me briefly and then focus all their attention on Bridgette. “Miss Longley, it’s an honor to have you here. I hope your flight was pleasant,” Mimi flatters.

  “It’s an esteemed opportunity to have you attend our dinner party,” Dad adds as his eyes admire her undeniable beauty. It’s no secret that he’s a womanizer.

  “The honor is all mine,” Bridgette replies unemotionally as she allows her mink shawl to glide past her toned shoulders, taunting me. “Thank you for having me.”

  “You’re welcome. Please do give your granddad my regards,” Dad insists and then seizes the opportunity to kiss the back of her hand.

  “I shall,” she replies and withdraws her hand from his grip in haste. She’s never cared much for my father. Marcus’ hatred for my family became hers. I was the exception, so I used to believe.

  “Wes, make sure Miss Longley’s visit is as pleasant as possible.”

  “Of course, Father,” I assure and then walk Bridgette to the opposite end of the room before she loses her patience with them. It’s not pretty when she’s annoyed, and it’s apparent that she can see through their intentions. “Can I get you the usual to drink?” I offer. She nods in response. Fuck. What will it take to loosen up her red pursed lips? I saunter away in frustration, leaving her to stand by the fireplace.

  Stewart and Andrew, his lover of several years, intercept me before I reach the bar. “Hey, Wes. When did you get in?” Stew inquires with a hard, brotherly pat on my back.

  “If you didn’t ignore my calls, maybe you’d know that I’ve been in town for a while,” I banter and offer Andy a handshake. “Your mom, my favorite aunt, has already come to see and spoil me.”

  “Wes, you’re full of shit,” he laughs. “What have you been up to? The last time we spoke your company was under some heat. Did you get that issue resolved?”

  “I’m working on it,” I reply vaguely. Stew and I are close but I don’t know Andrew well enough to discuss my business matters openly in front of him. And besides, for some strange reason I get this feeling that he’s checking me out like he’s making some kind of comparison. Talk about being uncomfortable. “I better get Bridgette her drink. You know how impatient she is when I make her wait on me.” Stew nods in agreement. “Call me. I want to see you before I go back to Hong Kong. I have some info I want to share with you.” Stew has always been in favor of me searching for my biological parents. Aunt Georgia, his mother, is nothing like Mimi, my mother. She’s the kinder and more loving sister. He understands that I was dealt the short end of the stick when it came to having my mother’s affection.

  “Hell yeah, I will,” he replies, “and you better not leave without telling me whatever it is that you’re supposed to tell me.”

  “Deal. Andrew, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Same here. I’ll have to cook up a mean meal and invite you over to our new place,” Andrew offers.

  “I look forward to it,” I accept and stride over to the bar. Bridgette’s glaring eyes are burrowing a hole in my back. I can sense it. Maybe if I piss her off enough, I can get her to talk to me. “Dirty martini with two olives and a neat bourbon,” I tell the bartender.

  With drinks in my hand, I resume my place next to Bridgette. “Here you go. Exactly the way you like it. Dirty with two olives.”

  “You still remember,” she replies with a subtle grin as she lifts the glass out of my grasp and wraps her red lips on either side of the rim. Jesus, she’s so fucking sexy.

  “There’s nothing about you that I’ve forgotten,” I admit bu
t she fails to respond to my comment, leaving me disheartened again.

  “Hey there, handsome,” a semi-familiar feminine voice calls out to me. I turn my head over my right shoulder to see a busty blond approach me. Shit. It’s Bianca. Damn it. Reaching for my arm, she smacks her cherry red lips right on my cheeks and whispers, “Ready for round two?” Bridgette’s expression turns dangerous as she glares at Bianca, watching her throw herself at me.

  “Bianca,” I greet. “This is Miss Longley, a business associate and very close friend of mine.”

  She tilts her chin up aloofly and directs a sneer rather than a smile in Bridgette’s direction before attaching both arms around mine. “Hello,” she salutes. Bridgette refuses to respond. Fuck. She doesn’t know who she’s snubbing. Bridgette can chew her down to the root and kill her at the source. I untangle my arm from her grip and sidle closer to Bridgette. “Wes, don’t play hard to get. I’ve already had you—several times,” she betrays me purposely to enlighten Bridgette, pissing her off even more.

  “Strange. I don’t remember any of it,” I tell her nonchalantly.

  “Strange. Those scratches on your back didn’t just appear out of nowhere,” she counters with her arms folded under her oversized breasts, followed with a sigh.

  “Enough!” Bridgette roars. “I don’t give a fuck about what you two do in your spare time,” she reprimands and stomps off furiously, dragging her mink shawl.

  “Don’t fuck with me, Bianca. I can be very ugly when I’m crossed,” I warn her.

  “My bad. I didn’t know you were involved with anyone.”

  “It’s not your business. Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong,” I caution her one more time and dash after Bridgette.

  Where the hell did she disappear to? She can’t get very far in those damn killer heels. Stew lurks from behind and grabs my arm. “Bridgette is with Andrew. He’s trying to calm her down. What the fuck happened back there? Who’s the blond?”

  “That blond is a royal pain in my ass. I slept with her out of jealousy because I thought Bradley was fucking Bridgette.”

  “Hold on. Why would you think that and how did you find out?”

  “It’s complicated. I’ll tell you later,” I evade his question. Stew is one of the most righteous men on earth. He’ll be devastated when I tell him about his greedy uncle’s plan to conquer the world by stealing from Bradley.

  “Alright. You better chase after Bridgette,” he insists with a grin full of pity for me. “You’ll need God to back you up this time. She’s really pissed,” he adds.

  “Thanks for that, bro,” I tell him sarcastically.

  “Don’t worry. That just means she still cares for you,” he enlightens me.

  “I hope you’re right,” I tell him.

  Bridgette appears much calmer now as she lends her ears to Andrew, who must be telling her a humorous story. The start of a smile begins to spread at one corner of her mouth until her eyes catch hold of me. “Andrew, I’d like a word with Bridgette?” He nods and offers me a consoling grin.

  “Don’t leave, Andrew,” Bridgette asserts, folding her arms across her chest and narrowing her eyes at me. “I don’t want to hear anything Wes has to tell me.” This isn’t like Bridgette to behave so childishly. “And if you don’t mind, I’ll need a ride to my hotel.”

  “Hear him out and then I’ll come check on you before I leave,” Andrew suggests.

  “Fine,” she agrees, “but come back soon.” Andrew nods and rushes off.

  “I did sleep with her but it meant nothing to me,” I confess. Being a business executive, she doesn’t like anything sugar-coated. It’s a waste of her time. “You’re driving me fucking crazy. All I want is you but you won’t let me.”

  “I can’t. You know that,” she replies.

  “I don’t give a shit about losing my company. Let Marcus take it from me if I can have you.”

  “It’s not just about the company. He hates your family. He blames them for my aunt’s death.”

  “I have nothing to do with that,” I argue.

  “Your name is a curse to you. He can’t see past that connection. He believes nothing good can come from you.”

  “But you can. Don’t you love me?” She turns her face away and refuses to reply. “Bridgette…please. Give me something. I’m losing hope. It’s been more than three years and I’m still madly in love with you.”

  “Don’t make it any harder for me than it is,” she whispers.

  I reach for her waist, pull her into me, and force my lips on hers. “Don’t fight it. All I’ve ever wanted is to love you,” I murmur against her mouth. She’s breathless but not resistant to my touch or kiss. “Please. Let me make love to you.” Her eyes soften and she nods with approval, filling my heart with overwhelming pleasure.

  Chapter 10

  Lillian Ly

  The entire hair and makeup crew was flown to Fort Wayne to pamper Emi and her wedding party. François, Remée, Engelena and Jez were all present and ready to doll us up for the rehearsal dinner and then again for the wedding tomorrow. I was anxious to see all of them, especially Remée, who I’ve bonded with more closely over the past several makeup sessions. After the rehearsal dinner completed, which was spectacular, Belle brought out fancy gift bags with supplies for the bachelorette party. Hayden did mention that she had to pick up a few surprises before flying here. I was appalled when I pulled out my stripper outfit with matching feather boas, black thigh highs and heels in my exact size. Emi had a similar set in white and Belle’s ensemble was red. Carson wasn’t overly pleased when he realized we were going to party in those skimpy threads without him, but he didn’t object.

  Graciously, Devan invited Hayden and Carson to join his bachelor party, which seemed pretty tame compared to Belle’s wild bash. They’re going to a local brewery to have a few beers and then shoot pool and maybe see a strip show. Carson didn’t care to participate. I could see resistance in his dull eyes, but he accepted and rushed off with the men in a Hummer limousine. His stipulation for me was to text him every so often to let him know that I was fine and that I missed him. I agreed and assured him that Fort Wayne is a safe little town. “Go. Have a great time with the boys,” I encouraged as he sped away looking out the window of the Hummer with a jaded expression.

  Makeup is fresh and heavy with our hair sleeked back in high ponytails. Our first stop is Naughty Confessions, a sex shop with a pole dancing studio on the second floor. This place is renowned to locals as the largest adult toy store with a huge selection of movies and everything you want to make an ordinary night in bed extraordinary. The blushing from my face spreads down to my body as I walk through the entrance with my hooker outfit hidden under a long winter coat. Oddly, the store is completely empty, but I’m still embarrassed. Emi, Belle and the makeup crew, who we asked to join our party, are all giddy with laughter as they point to the varying sizes of dildos and odd contraptions for pleasing both men and women. I’ve never seen so many unusual things and have no idea how some of them even work. Jez volunteers more personal information than I care to know. “My boyfriend likes this one,” he tells us as he showcases a rubber wand with balls or beads running along it. Nothing like that will ever go inside any orifice of mine. I cringe at the thought.

  “Come guys. We better head upstairs. Belle booked us for a 9:30 intro class for striptease and pole dancing,” I hustle the group. I want to get this done and over with. Honestly, this isn’t my idea of a good time, but I didn’t want to be the lame friend who was a drip at her best friend’s bachelorette party.

  “Someone’s in a hurry to learn how to strip,” Belle harasses me.

  “You know me. I’m always in a hurry to get naked. Prego, are you ready? Let’s show what a sexy pregnant momma can do with a pole.” I hook my arm around Emi’s and we hike up the steps with Remée and Engelena behind us. François and Jez are sitting out. They both agreed their bodies aren’t agile enough for this kind of fun.

  The stud
io isn’t what I had in mind. There are seven poles attached from ceiling to floor, three in the front and four along the back side. Mirrors covered all the walls with stage lighting beaming down on us. Chairs for an audience, if there was one, are arranged a level below us. Thank heavens all the seats are empty. I could never do this in front of a crowd. A slender woman, toned from the neck down, approaches the stage and introduces herself in a husky voice that doesn’t match her sweet face. “I’m Brenda, your instructor for the evening. Who’s ready to flaunt their sexy?”

  “Me! Woot! Woot!” Belle volunteers with her palms in the air as she shimmies her slender model body, making the rest of us roar into laughter.

  Brenda grabs the pole in front of her, wraps her muscular legs around it and takes her body for an elegant spin. Wow! She makes it look so easy. I’m floored as I watch her skillfully move up and down her pole. “This is what you’ll be able to do after a few classes with me,” she tells us with a playful wink. Are you kidding me? I could practice a lifetime and still not be that nimble. Yeah, right. I’ll be lucky if I can escape tonight with minimal bruising on my thighs and calves or a concussion.

  One by one she assigns us to a pole. Belle, Emi and I are at the front of the stage while the other two try to conceal themselves in the back. I stare at my pole, terrified. How will I do this without looking like a total idiot? Emi darts her eyes over to me with a mischievous grin on her face. I wonder what she’s up to. I read online that pole dancing isn’t recommended for pregnant women. She better not try anything crazy. My maternal instinct is to protect her baby.

  “Ladies, may I have your attention. Before we begin, I need to go over the safety guidelines, especially for the pregnant one,” Brenda yells out, pointing her index finger at Emi. “After that I’ll show you a few key moves. The music will come on and then I’ll leave you to create your own routines.” Say what? Did I hear her right? I’m the most uncoordinated person on this planet and she wants me to come up with my own routine?