The Exception

  “That’s too bad. I’ve made it very clear to him that I’m not interested in a relationship.”

  She sighed. “Okay. Okay. Let’s go wait outside.”

  Just as we stepped out the doors of Balthazar, Drew’s Bentley pulled up to the curb and Roland stepped out and opened the door for us.

  “Hi.” I smiled as I climbed in next to Drew.

  “Hi.” He grabbed hold of my hand.

  Kristen climbed in and I immediately introduced them.

  “Drew, this is my sister, Kristen. Kristen, meet Drew Westbrook.”

  “Hello, Kristen. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Likewise, Drew. Thank you for doing this for us.”

  “No problem. It’s my pleasure to help you in any way I can. How was your lunch?”

  “Lunch was good. The food was great and I ran into someone I know.” I smirked.

  “Really? Who?”

  “Jess.”

  “Fuck. What did she say?” He slowly shook his head.

  “She wanted to know why I was in New York and then asked me if you knew I was here.”

  Rolling his eyes, he sighed. “What did you tell her?”

  “That you knew because we ran into each other and then she said we should do lunch some time.”

  “You’re not going to, are you?”

  “Of course not. Why would I?”

  Roland pulled up to the Harmonie Club and the three of us climbed out and went inside. Drew told the lady at the desk to alert Lester that we had arrived.

  “Good to see you, Drew.” Lester smiled as they shook hands. “Follow me and I’ll show you what’s available.”

  He took us up to the third floor where the Harmonie Room was located.

  “Take a look around and let me know what you think. This room holds up to three hundred and fifty guests very comfortably. If you’re interested in having the ceremony here, we can accommodate you in the main dining room for an additional fee and you’re free to decorate it how you wish.”

  “Thank you, Lester. We’ll let you know.”

  Giving Drew a pat on the back, he stepped out of the room while we looked around.

  “Wow. This is beautiful,” Kristen spoke. “I’m afraid to ask how much this would cost.” She bit down on her bottom lip.

  “Don’t worry about the cost, Kristen,” Drew spoke. “Being a member, I get a discount.” He winked.

  After looking around, Kristen agreed to have the reception and ceremony at the Harmonie Club. Things were coming together and I couldn’t be happier for her. After we climbed back into the Bentley, Roland drove us back to Kristen’s apartment.

  “Are you coming up?” she asked me.

  “I think I’m going to head home. You, my tired sister, need to go take a long nap.”

  “True.” She smiled. “Call me later.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Thank you again, Drew. You are a lifesaver.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m happy you liked it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Drew

  After Kristen climbed out and shut the door, I placed my hand on Jillian’s cheek and stole a kiss.

  “I’ve been waiting to do that.” I grinned.

  A light smile crossed her beautiful plump lips. “Thank you.”

  “Can I see you later? I can come by your place and bring dinner.”

  “I was going to take a bath.”

  “You can take a bath.”

  The thought of her in the bathtub aroused me.

  “What if I’m in the tub when you arrive and I can’t let you in.”

  “I have a key. I can let myself in.” I winked.

  She laughed and laid her head on my shoulder.

  “Then by all means, Mr. Westbrook, come on over.”

  After dropping Jillian off at home, I headed to the office. As I was walking down the hallway, I stopped when I saw Jess standing in front of Lia’s desk.

  “What the hell is going on here?” I asked as I glared at Jess.

  “Oh. So you weren’t in your office. I thought your secretary was lying to me.”

  I sighed. “What do you want, Jess?” I walked into my office.

  “I ran into somebody today at lunch.”

  “And I care why?” I raised my brow at her.

  “I ran into Jillian. Remember her? The girl you met on the plane to Hawaii? The girl we had dinner with?”

  “Okay. And?”

  “She told me she ran into you the other day.”

  “Yes. So?”

  “Are you dating her?”

  “No. I’m not dating her. And even if I was, what business is it of yours? What part of ‘we’re over’ do you not understand?”

  “I know we’re over, asshole. My point is that I think you have a thing for her and I believe that’s why you broke up with me.”

  Rolling my eyes, I leaned back on my desk.

  “I broke up with you because you are a selfish woman, Jess. Now I refuse to get into this again with you. I have work to do. Please leave and don’t come back here again.”

  “What happened to you?” She glared at me. “You’ve changed so much since we first met.”

  “Maybe it was the toxic people in my life that changed me. You being the toxic person. If you want, I can call security and have them escort you out.”

  “I hate you, Drew Westbrook.”

  “So you’ve said a million times. If you hate me so much, why do you still come around? Don’t you see how pathetic that is?”

  “I’m leaving.” She turned on her heels and headed towards the door. “And for the record, I really do hate you.” She slammed the door shut behind her.

  It wasn’t too long before Lia knocked on the door and stepped inside.

  “Are you okay, Drew?”

  “Of course.” I smiled. “I can honestly say that I have never been better.”

  After finishing up some work, I had Roland stop by my townhouse so I could pack a small overnight bag. I had every intention of spending the entire night with Jillian. On the way to her apartment, I stopped by the florist and picked her up a small bouquet of lilies. I desperately wanted to get her roses, but I thought that roses right now wouldn’t be appropriate.

  Entering her apartment, I called out to her.

  “I’m in the bathtub.”

  A smile crossed my lips because seeing her naked body right when I walked through the door was what had been on my mind all day long. Walking into the bathroom, I leaned against the doorframe, holding the lilies in one hand and a bottle of Prosecco in the other.

  “Hi.” Jillian smiled as she lay there in a tub full of bubbles with her hair twisted up in a clip.

  “Hi.” I held up the flowers and Prosecco.

  “You shouldn’t have.”

  “I wanted to.” I stared intently into her blue eyes.

  “Thank you. There’s a vase in the cabinet in the living room.”

  “I’ll be right back,” I spoke.

  I placed the flowers in a vase of water and opened the Prosecco, pouring some into two wine glasses.

  “Here you go,” I handed Jillian her glass and set mine down on the bathroom counter.

  Kneeling down on the floor in front of the tub, I took the loofah sponge sitting on the edge and began softly rubbing it across her shoulders.

  “I forgot to ask you. Did you and Kristen find a wedding dress today?”

  “Yes, and the lady at the bridal shop called a friend of hers that is a seamstress and she’s going to do the alterations.”

  “Good. I’m happy it’s all working out for her.”

  “Yeah. Me too.” She brought her hand up to her face and wiped her eye.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Everything.” A tear fell down her cheek.

  “Talk to me, Jillian.”

  “God, I feel like such an idiot right now for crying in front of you like this.”

  “Don’t feel that way. You’re not an idiot and I think you’re be
autiful when you cry.”

  She let out a light laugh. “Thanks.”

  I stood up, kicked off my shoes, and climbed in the tub with her.

  “What are you doing?” She grinned.

  “Comforting you the proper way.” I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in to me. “We’ll sit in here for as long as you need.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jillian

  I couldn’t believe he climbed into the bathtub in his clothes. My arms were wrapped tightly around his neck as my head lay on his shoulder.

  “Everything is happening so fast and before you know it, she’ll be gone. To be honest, I don’t know how I’m ever going to get over that.”

  “You’ll never get over it. But as each day passes, you’ll heal and you’ll accept it and you’ll move on with your life holding on to the memories that the two of you shared.”

  Lifting my head from his shoulder, I stared into his eyes.

  “It sounds like you’ve lost someone before.”

  “I have. My best friend, Scott, was killed in a car accident when he was sixteen years old. It really hit me hard because we were like brothers. He was an only child like me. We went to school together and had planned to go to MIT together. We hung out every day working on projects, playing basketball, working out, and just talking about life and our future. We had this plan to backpack through Europe the summer we graduated high school.”

  “I’m sorry.” I hugged him tight. “He’d be so proud of you and what you’ve accomplished at such a young age.”

  “I know. You’ll survive, Jillian. I know it’s unfair that this shit is happening to Kristen at such a young age, but you’ll be okay, and after you’ve grieved, you’ll be able to smile at the things that remind you of her.”

  “I’m worried about Noah. He loves her so much and I don’t know how he’s going to get through it.”

  “You’ll help each other get through it and I’ll be here to pick you up when you fall and I’ll be here when you smile again.”

  I pressed my lips into the side of his neck. I had never felt so supported as I did at that moment.

  “We should get out of the tub now.”

  “Good idea.” He smiled as he kissed my lips.

  Drew climbed out first, grabbed a towel, held it open for me, and wrapped it around my body when I got out of the tub.

  “You better get out of those wet clothes. Did you bring extra, by any chance?” I smirked as I unbuttoned his shirt.

  “I may have.”

  “Did you bring food?”

  “No. We’ll order in. We can do that now that you have plates and silverware.”

  “Good. I don’t feel like going out.”

  “I don’t either.”

  “So a casual night in it is.” I smiled as I walked out of the bathroom.

  After changing into my cotton cami and matching short pajamas, I walked to the kitchen and took in the scent of the beautiful lilies Drew gave me.

  “These smell so pretty.” I smiled as he walked in wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He was just as sexy and hot dressed down as he was in his suits.

  “I’m happy you like them. Now, what’s for dinner?” He placed his hands firmly on my hips from behind.

  “Whatever you’re in the mood for. I really don’t care. I like just about anything.”

  “How about Mediterranean?”

  “Mhmm. Sounds good to me.”

  Drew pulled up the menu on his phone for a Mediterranean place a couple of blocks away. I took a sip of my wine as I stood and stared at him while he placed our order. I didn’t want to admit to myself that I enjoyed this. Him. His company. Us, in our pajamas, ordering in food was something that relaxed me. He relaxed me, and being with him made me feel things I’d never felt before. I couldn’t explain it. I was myself and I didn’t need to hide behind the mask that had become attached to me for a better part of my life. I didn’t need to pretend to be happy. I could be sad and he’d be there to hold me and tell me that it was okay. I couldn’t do that with my parents. The moment a tear fell from my cheek, my mother would place her finger under my chin and tell me that Bell women didn’t cry and that it was a sign of weakness. If I cried in front of Grant, all I would get was, “Why are you being so hormonal?” So I learned not to cry. But the day I left my family was the day the tears started to come back without shame.

  “Are you okay?” Drew asked as he placed his phone on the counter.

  “Yeah.” I smiled.

  “How about we watch a movie while we eat,” I spoke, placing my hand on his chest.

  “Okay. What do you want to watch?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s see what’s on.”

  I took hold of his hand and led him over to the couch. Picking up the remote, I turned on the TV and searched under the movie section.

  “We can do sappy, thriller, comedy. It’s your choice.” I smiled.

  “Nope. I picked what we’re having for dinner. So it’s only right you pick what we watch.”

  “Oh look. Magic Mike is available.” I grinned as I looked to see his reaction.

  “Magic Mike, eh? Never saw it. So if that’s what you want to watch, then turn it on.”

  Narrowing my eye at him, I spoke, “Really? Are you sure?”

  “I told you that it was your pick.”

  Just as I clicked “watch,” there was a knock at the door.

  “Saved by the knock.” Drew winked and I playfully smacked his ass as he walked away.

  Drew grabbed two plates and brought the food over to the couch. I pressed play and the movie began. This was one movie I would never grow tired of. We ate and finished off the bottle of Prosecco while we watched the movie.

  “You like when he does that?” he asked as he pointed to Channing Tatum.

  “Maybe.” I chewed on my bottom lip.

  Drew got up from the couch and stood in front of the TV. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor while his hips moved back and forth. Cupping my hands over my mouth, I smiled in delight and could feel my panties getting wetter by the second. His tongue swept over his lips as he seductively moved towards me. Hooking his fingers in the waistband of his sweatpants, he slowly took them down with a smile. I had never been so turned on as I watched him dance in front of me. He approached me and took my hand, lifting me from the couch, grinding his body against mine as his eyes stared into mine.

  “Perfect.” I smiled. “Thank you for the show.”

  “Oh, baby, it’s not over yet.” His lips pressed against mine. “It doesn’t stop here.” He swooped me up in his arms and twirled me around, then carried me to the bedroom.

  ****

  The riveting feeling that flooded my body from my third orgasm seemed to stay with me longer than it should have. Some serious mind-blowing sex had just taken place and left me feeling breathless. His fingers lightly swept over my ass as he held me under the sheets.

  “You’re something else, Mr. Westbrook.” I softly stroked his arm.

  “Thank you, Miss Bell. I aim to please and I hope my performance went way beyond your expectations.”

  “Oh, it definitely did.” I laughed. “Way beyond.”

  I should have been happy as I lay there in his arms, but something took its place. It wasn’t sadness, but confusion. What was I confused about? I had this generous, kind, loving, sexy-as-fuck man who was attracted to me and wanted me. He occupied every area of my body and mind. He comforted me. He gave me strength when I thought I already had it and he was there for me in more ways than one. Even when he didn’t know me from Adam on the plane, he was there for me. I wanted to love him, and a part of me already did. But there was another part of me, deeper inside, that told me no. It was the stranger that I saw in the mirror every day.

  Chapter Thirty

  Jillian

  Friday had come and Kellan had to cancel his flight to New York because he was sick with a 102 fever and a bad cough. When he skyped me, I
knew the moment he appeared on the screen something was wrong. He had been sick for a couple of days but didn’t feel the need to tell me because he thought he’d get better. Stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around me, I walked into my bedroom and stared at the long red, sleeveless, deep v neckline, with a cut out back evening gown I was going to wear tonight to the charity event.

  “So, are you excited about tonight?” Kristen asked me as she stood in the doorway holding a glass of water.

  “I think it’ll be fun.”

  “You hate these things.”

  “I hated them with my parents and Grant. I’ll be with Drew, so it’ll be fun.” I walked into the bathroom and started applying my makeup.

  “You’re in love with him. I can tell. You don’t have to hide it from me.”

  “I’m not hiding anything and I’ll admit, I do like Drew.”

  She cocked her head at me as she sat down on the toilet.

  “He’s a good man, Jill, and I know he loves you. I can tell just by the way he looks at you.”

  “Maybe it’s lust on both our parts. He doesn’t want marriage. I don’t want marriage. So why get heavily involved? If I wanted marriage, I would have married Grant.” I shuddered.

  She sighed. “You never loved Grant to begin with and the marriage was just a way to get revenge on your parents. You knew you’d never go through with it. But it’s different with the man you love.”

  “I’m not in love, Kristen. I need to love myself and the person I am before I can love another.”

  “Well, I love you for the person you are and you can’t tell me otherwise.”

  I looked over at her with a small smile. “I love you too.”

  “I have a feeling Mr. Westbrook is going to get his heart broken.”

  I didn’t reply to her comment. After my makeup was applied, I curled the ends of my hair and pinned my sides back into an elegant style. Slipping into my dress, I stared at myself in the mirror.

  “You look sexy.” Kristen smiled. “I hope you have matching panties on underneath that dress.

  “I do.” I winked.

  “Oh, by the way, Noah and I mailed out the invitations today and I posted a ‘save the date’ on Facebook. I apologized to everyone for the short notice, but time isn’t exactly on my side.”