Loving the CEO (Whitley Brothers #7)

Chapter Four

Tory

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The B otherwise, I'd be tempted to check for missed calls. I was certain I had a few more from Walter, and maybe my mom too.

Debbie was amazing, as usual. I’d only texted her, Walter is a cheating bastard. I’m not going through with the wedding. Please tell Mom too , and she’d replied, I’ll grab a shovel. Want to bury him in Lafayette? No second-guessing me, no other questions asked. I told her that the only thing I needed help with was canceling the wedding. She assured me that she would take care of everything. I trusted my friend with my life.

A knock at my door startled me. I opened it and found Leo standing in front of me. With dark brown hair and matching eyes, he’d always looked like a superstar. Right now, his hair was completely ravaged, but that only added to his appeal .

"I’m going downstairs to start making dinner. I made a deal with the host to give us privacy in the kitchen."

"Leo, you don't have to cook."

"I'm making my world-famous risotto, and I promise you that I've gotten way better at it over the years."

I smiled, memories flashing through my mind. It truly had been a staple in college.

"I liked it back then too," I assured him. “I'm going to change into something more comfortable, then come down and help, okay?" Then a realization hit me. "Your stuff is at the hotel.”

“Don't worry, I've got it covered."

"How?"

He wiggled his eyebrows. "I've got my ways."

"Leo!"

"I've spoken with reception and asked them to bring my bag here. I didn't even start to unpack, so all they have to do is literally take it from the room."

"That's good. Did they tell you... anything about the wedding?"

"I didn't ask. And even if they had, I’d keep quiet."

“Leo!” I chastised, folding my arms over my chest.

He mirrored my stance, but it didn't look bad. In fact, he had a whole sexy bodyguard thing going on. Or just plain sexy.

He'd always been extremely attractive. But was he working out more now or...?

I carefully averted my gaze. What am I doing? He’s my best friend. I can’t check him out.

"I’m going to take a shower," I said. I’d completely forgotten what we were quibbling about before, too caught up in my thoughts.

"You do that. I'll be down here. "

I loved showers. They were my favorite form of self-care. I could feel all my muscles relax while the water ran down my body. I was careful not to wet my hair because Sophie’s hairdryer was tiny, and it would take me hours to dry my mane. Afterward, I put on a dress. It was extremely warm inside the B&B, so I didn't even have to put on tights.

Even though my chest was heavy and my heart felt like it had simply shattered, the rest of my body was surprisingly at ease. I felt as if I'd been straining every muscle for months, and now I'd finally let loose.

Downstairs, it smelled terrific. Not quite like risotto, though. I mostly followed the scent to find the kitchen. It was in a decent-sized room behind the staircase. It had only a small kitchen table but all the appliances you could need. I realized this must be their personal kitchen.

"It smells delicious, but this is definitely not risotto."

"No, Sophie doesn’t have the right spices. She gave me an earful, too, saying that the only way to properly cook that was to make a jambalaya. I have no clue how to do that.”

"I do."

"I guess I'll try my hand at my first jambalaya, then. Sophie insisted she has all the ingredients."

"Perfect, let’s get started."

I opened the fridge and grabbed a few ingredients. Leo had already grabbed the shrimp. I looked around in the drawers and cabinets until I found the seasonings. Of course she had everything necessary for jambalaya. Any self-respecting owner of a B&B in Louisiana would.

“The bread and butter of jambalaya are the Cajun spices and garlic.”

"Perfect. You want an apron?" He pointed to a stack of colorful cloths.

"Good idea. Can you put it on me, please?" I'd already started chopping tomatoes, and my hands were covered in juice.

"Sure." Leo grabbed one and moved behind me .

"It's easier to knot it at the back of my neck if you push my hair to one side."

He did just that, brushing it away with his fingers. My skin tingled at the contact. What on earth?

I barely had time to dissect my reaction before he moved to tie the apron at my waist.

A shiver ran through me when his fingers grazed my lower back. God, I was so sensitive today. I couldn't even explain it. Probably just my emotions on overload. Being around Leo was comforting and intoxicating at the same time. It had always been like that when we were together, which was another thing my ex hated. “I just don’t see how you can be best friends with a guy and not want to screw,” he’d said more than once.

Well, I’m not you, Walter.

"You’re done," Leo said, pulling me from my woolgathering.

"Thanks. I'm going to chop the onions and bell peppers."

"How about the shrimp?"

I wrinkled my nose.

"Still don't like to touch it when it’s not cooked, huh?"

I laughed, and it felt good. "No. It gives me the ick."

"I've got you, don't worry."

I truly wasn’t worrying. The world was crashing down around my ears, but Debbie had my back at the hotel, and I was with Leo right here. There was no other place I’d rather be.

Leo’s suggestion to come here was just what I’d needed. Honestly, when I left the hotel after hearing Walter on the phone, I really didn’t know what to do or where to go. I was so thankful that Leo was here with me. He was keeping my mind off everything that happened, and I appreciated that more than he could ever know .

After finishing with the onions, I put the pieces in the pot and stirred a bit, then added rice and water.

Leo threw the shrimp and garlic in a frying pan. While it sizzled, he said, "Sophie also introduced me to her ‘liquor corner.’”

"Wine?" I asked.

"No, but she’s got plenty of bourbons, tequilas, and even a bottle of absinthe."

"That sounds dangerous. If we're going to relive our college days, why not go with tequila shots?"

He grinned. "My thoughts exactly."

This was good. I was doing well, and I wasn't even faking it. It wasn't bravado. Leo simply put me at ease... and on edge at the same time. Was it because I felt safe with him?

Sexiness , a voice said at the back of my mind.

Yes, well, that was 100 percent true, but also completely beside the point. Leo was a sexy man—I'd always known that. I’d been dating a guy when Leo and I first met in college. But even after we broke up, nothing ever happened between us, maybe because we didn’t want to risk a very special friendship.

He gave the pan a shake, flipping the shrimp over as I took out a bottle of tequila from the cabinet next to the sink. Grabbing two shot glasses, I filled them up almost to the brim. There were plenty of limes in the fruit basket, and I immediately cut two slices. The salt was already on the counter.

I licked my left hand before pouring salt on it. Leo licked his hand and did the same. We each grabbed a slice of lime before clinking our glasses.

"For old time's sake," I said.

"And new beginnings. "

Our gazes crossed for a split second, and I nodded. Hell to the yes for new beginnings.

I licked the salt from my hand, then downed the shot without hesitation. Holy shit. It had been years since I’d had a tequila shot, and I felt like it was going to burn a hole through my stomach. I bit into the lime, too, but somehow that wasn't helping at all. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the burning sensation in my throat would stop.

Only the sound of Leo laughing made me open my eyes. He had his phone in front of him.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I snapped a picture of you. You’re insanely cute. You make the exact same face you used to in college."

"That's about the last time I had tequila. My tolerance for hard alcohol has plummeted. Let me see that picture."

He turned his phone around.

I gasped. "Leo, I look terrible!"

"No, you don't," he said quietly, then shoved the phone into his back pocket. "Let's get back to cooking before this goes to my head."

"Good point.”

We didn't have much left to do, though. Once we poured everything into the pot, we just had to wait. I kept glancing at the tequila bottle.

"You want another shot, don't you?" Leo asked.

I snapped my head up, smiling sheepishly. "Yup. I can't resist the siren call. It's so relaxing. You know, after you get over the feel of it burning your insides."

"I’ll pour a second round. It's not like we're driving tonight."

I shimmied my hips in excitement, grabbing both our glasses and putting them next to each other in front of the bottle. I swayed a bit.

Huh... am I already a bit lightheaded? I must be imagining it. Alcohol doesn’t work that fast .

Leo filled up the glasses again. This time, he was the one who poured salt.

"To best friends," I said as we clinked glasses.

He looked at me intently. “For you and me.”

I did my very best to down my shot with dignity, no grimace. When I opened my eyes, Leo cocked a brow. "See? I can do it without the funny face."

"Tory," he said in a low voice I wasn't used to. Then he put a hand on the side of my face, planting his fingers wide so his pinkie was on my neck. My skin was piping hot where he was touching me. "You don't have to pretend with me. I like you exactly the way you are, with all your quirks. I always have and always will."

I swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump in my throat. "Thanks, Leo," I murmured. "I needed to hear that."

"I know." Then he stepped back, giving me a half smile and winking. "Let's check on the jambalaya. I'm starving."

"So am I."

***

Thirty minutes later, we were sitting at a small table. I was stuffing my face even though I'd also had beignets today, but I was suddenly extremely hungry.

"I don't want to sing our praises, but our cooking skills have vastly improved since college."

"You mean my skills?" Leo said. "Yours were always good."

"I was trying to be nice," I confessed .

I ate faster than usual, only stopping after my plate was empty. "I'm so relaxed!" I put down my fork and leaned against the backrest, closing my eyes. "I feel at peace. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Fuck no," Leo exclaimed. His voice was so determined that I startled a little and opened my eyes. He was pinning me with his gaze.

"I'm not even sure how I'm going to face everything."

"Why should you?" he said. “He fucked things up.”

"I can't hide and leave Debbie to deal with everything."

Leo pulled his chair even closer to the table and leaned over. Was it the shots, or were his eyes even darker than usual? "I have a proposition for you."

"All right."

"You're still working for the online magazine, aren't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"So, you can work from wherever?"

“Yes. The magazine headquarters is in New York, and I haven't set foot in the office since they hired me."

"Come to Boston with me," he said. I started to laugh, but Leo didn't. "I'm serious."

"And do what?"

"Take a time-out from everything."

I opened my mouth to protest but couldn't. The idea sounded appealing.

"That kind of feels like running away," I said after a few moments.

"You've just been dealt a very heavy blow, Tory. You deserve to take a step away from it all and find your footing. Am I wrong in believing that this would be easier for you if you weren't here?"

"Of course it would be easier. I wouldn’t be afraid of running into Walter or his family every time I left the house. Not to mention I have to look for another place to live. I can’t live with Mom." I groaned. "I don't want to think of any specifics tonight."

"Then don't," Leo said. He moved his chair around the table so he was closer to me. "Just come to Boston for a while. You can sort out accommodations and everything else you need in New Orleans from there."

"Ha, but see, there's a flaw in the plan," I said, then promptly forgot my train of thought. Had I always been oblivious to how soulful his eyes were? Why was I fixating on that tonight? I blamed the alcohol. "I don't have a place to stay in Boston either."

"Yes, you do. I live in a huge-ass house. You're more than welcome to stay there for as long as you want."

"Leo, you haven't changed at all. You've always been very generous and kind. But this is crazy." Then why did it sound so appealing? For some reason, being so close to Leo made it hard to come up with cons.

The last few months with Walter had been strained—of course, now I know why. Did I suspect his infidelity? I really didn’t know. I’d been consumed with the wedding and put all my focus into it. But it was more than that. I’d been feeling distant from Walter for a while... and now I knew it was because we weren’t meant for each other. Maybe I really didn’t want to marry him either and was just too wrapped up in the wedding to admit it. Too cowardly to admit it to myself, much less to him.

"Just think about it." He put a palm on my upper thigh.

Oh yeah, it burned me good. And the heat was traveling to other regions of my body as well.

Holy shit, tonight is insane. I couldn't trust my own body, let alone my mind.

"Thanks, Leo. I'll think about it."

The doorbell rang the next second, and I startled .

"That must be my bag," he said. "I'll go get it."

"Oh goodness. Who could that be at this hour?" our host shouted from the corridor.

"It's just a delivery for me,” Leo replied. “Don't worry, I'll get it."

"You do that, dear. I'll go back to my room."

The sound of the door opening filtered in all the way to the kitchen, followed by my mother's voice. "Where is she?"

I immediately jumped from my chair.

"Good evening," Leo said.

"Don't ‘good evening’ me. You know, I always knew you’d be bad for her," Mom replied.

Darting out of the kitchen, I hurried to the front door.

Mom glanced at me, wrinkling her nose. "You're drunk. What has gotten into you?"

I turned to Leo. "Can you please give us some space to talk?"

He set his jaw, his fists balled tightly as he turned toward Mom. “Don't disrespect her."

"Don't tell me how to deal with my own daughter."

"Then I'm not going anywhere," Leo said.

A rush of affection filled me. God, this man. I’d missed him so much.

"It's okay, Leo. I can deal with Mom."

Sort of. I could barely deal with her when I was sober and hadn't just had my heart cut in a million pieces. But I was going to do my best.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," he said, walking away with quick steps.

I waited until he was out of sight before focusing on Mom.

"You get back to the hotel right now," she said.

A strange kind of pain filled me at her words .

"Debbie told you what happened, right?" I asked. There was a small chance that Mom just thought I was a runaway bride. Maybe she didn't know how deep Walter had cut me.

"Yes, she did. Forget that nonsense."

The knife twisted even deeper. Why did I think she'd be on my side for once?

"My fiancé, who's been treating me like shit for a while, is actually cheating on me. He was planning on spending the night before our wedding with another woman."

Mom blinked. There was no sign of horror or even pity on her face.

She shrugged. "Many men like to dabble around before they're married."

"We've been in a relationship for years, Mother. I doubt this was his first ‘dabble,’ as you call it."

"That's what men do. They cheat. That's what your father did too. At least Walter has status in the community and money, so you'd have every comfort you need in life to make up for it. He's a doctor. He's from a good family."

I'd heard this a million times. Mom and I were poor as dirt after Dad left us. She’d been a housewife before that, then suddenly had to take on multiple jobs to keep us afloat. All my life, she’d told me I needed to find a husband with a “good name” who had lots of money. She seemed to associate those things with safety.

This was always Mom's supreme argument.

"He's a liar and a cheat," I pointed out. "I'm not going to marry someone like that."

"Wake up, Tory. You think another man won't do the same?"

"Then I'll be single. I know you don't think much of my job, Mom, but I have one. I make good money, and I definitely don't need a man to take care of me." I instantly felt bad for saying that. Mom would take it as a jab at her, which really wasn’t my intention.

"Where did I go wrong with you?" She shook her head. "And what are you doing here with this good-for-nothing Leo? Do you know how that looks?"

Mom had disliked Leo in college, after I made the mistake of telling her that we had having a cheating dad in common. “ That means he’ll be a cheater, just like his dad. That’s where men learn it from, their fathers . ”

She also disliked that “the silly boy” wasn’t embracing the Whitley name at the time.

"Stop talking like that about Leo. He's the best person I know."

"Really? You know what they’re saying, right? That you ran off with him."

My eyes bulged. "Who's saying that?"

"Everyone."

I swallowed hard. "I don't care."

She scoffed. "I doubt that."

"Has Walter been spreading that lie?"

"I don't know," Mom said, "but there’s still time to make this right. We can say you simply didn't feel well tonight, and Leo took you to the hospital or something."

"Mom, I'm not going to marry Walter. Not tomorrow or ever. I don't even want to see him again. I don’t love him anymore." As I said the last part, I realized it was true. I felt free, released from something that had been weighing on me .

Interesting ... I’ll have to ponder this more later.

"That is just silly." There was real fear in her eyes. Until now, she’d probably figured she could just boss me into doing what she wanted.

"I’m very serious.” In that moment, I knew Leo was right. I needed to get away. "In fact, I plan to spend some time in Boston. "

I heard a sound coming from the kitchen, like a chair being scraped across the floor, and smiled to myself despite everything. Leo was eavesdropping.

"With him? Goodness, Tory. Come on."

"I need a change of scenery for a while."

The more I spoke, the more convinced I was. Why the hell not? I had a suitcase full of clothes. Instead of just trying to find someplace here to stay and hole up for months, I’d go to Leo's.

"Stop with this nonsense. You can talk things out with Walter. I'm certain he’s sorry."

"I assure you, Mother, he is not. He made it very clear to me on the phone."

"You're throwing your life away."

I took a step back, taking a good look at Mom. She was a quintessential Southern belle, even in her late sixties: hair perfectly coiffed, makeup spot-on. She was wearing a beautiful dark blue sequined dress that we'd chosen together. She was even more put together today than usual, but appearances were always important for her.

"I’m not. This is my decision." I hesitated because Mom would probably not understand, but then I decided to fess up anyway. "I’d been having second thoughts for months because things between me and Walter weren't going well. He wasn't being nice, and he was losing patience and in general not treating me well. He... hasn't touched me in months." Not that I wanted to share that tidbit, but it was true. Our sex life was okay at best, so I wasn’t that put out.

"Well, there you go. If you haven't been doing your duties, no wonder he had to look for fun somewhere else. I didn't take you for a prude."

A loud clang came from the kitchen. I swallowed hard.

Shoot, that’s the last thing I wanted Leo to hear .

"Mom, I love you, and I respect you, but I won’t let you treat me like this and blame this on me. He's the one who cheated. He should deal with the fallout."

"You embarrass his family, and all the opportunities in New Orleans will be closed to you. Hell, in all of Louisiana."

Mom still seemed to live in a century where you needed to have a good last name to be accepted in the world. She always blamed her station in life from not having come from the “right” family. I knew things were tough for us as she raised me on her own, but I hated that she couldn’t celebrate all she’d accomplished rather than being bitter about what had happened.

"I'm my own woman. I don't need anyone's name for anything. Now, please leave."

"You're kicking me out? Your own mother? We aren’t done with this conversation. My God, I raised you better than this."

"No, we are done, and I’m asking you to leave. This conversation is simply over, and I would like to rest."

"Tory—” Mom pleaded.

"Mom, no, really."

I walked past her, opening the door for her to leave, and noticed a small suitcase right next to the entrance. It was probably Leo's carry-on. The hotel had sent it over, which would explain how Mom even got the address of the B&B. She probably coerced someone at the front desk for the info.

"Darling, you know what? Don't make any decisions now. I won't tell anyone we spoke. If you change your mind, I'm sure that you can still make amends with Walter. He doesn't want to look bad either. And no matter whose fault it was—"

"His! Damn it, Mom. His . Can you be on my side for once?"

"Darling, it's better to hear the truth from me than a stranger. "

I scoffed. "Thanks, Mom."

"I’m telling you this for your own good. A mother’s prerogative is always to tell her children the truth."

I didn't want to argue with her on her parenting skills. She'd always had very strict ideas about what a parent's role was and wasn’t. This wasn't the time or day to bring that up.

"I haven't done anything wrong. This is on him. I won’t go anywhere near the hotel ever again. I’ll call you before I leave for Boston." I gesticulated around with my hands, and it felt so good not to have Walter berate me that it wasn’t “elegant.”

Mom frowned. "I wish you’d think about me, too, not just about yourself."

My eyes bulged. "Good evening, Mom."

The second she stepped outside, I closed the door firmly.

I pressed my forehead to the door, drawing in a deep breath as I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. I turned around when I felt Leo’s warmth behind me. "So, you like to eavesdrop?"

"Your voice carries, and it wasn't possible to shut it out."

"As you can see, Mom hasn't changed much."

"What was that about Boston?" Leo asked. A smile was inching onto his face.

I rolled my shoulders back and clasped my hands together. "Let's book my ticket."

Mom's visit was all it took to convince me that this was the right decision. I'd catch shit from absolutely everyone except Debbie, but I wasn't running away. I was putting up some very strong boundaries, and being miles away would help.