12. Crossland

CHAPTER 12

Crossland

“Ilove that place,” Aspen said, pointing out a quaint little tea shop as we casually strolled the streets of Manhattan.

“Let’s stop in,” I said, guiding her through the heavy foot traffic and holding open the door for her before she could object. Because she did always object, even though by now she should realize that I was more than ready and willing to indulge her every whim.

Still, it was cute as hell every time she insisted I didn’t need to.

“Fine,” she said as I followed in behind her. “Then I’m buying.”

I furrowed my brow at her as we stepped into line, the smell of freshly brewed teas and honey and citrus hanging in the air. It had been a thoroughly perfect day, one we’d spent at a business breakfast meeting, followed by a spontaneous round of shopping where I’d purchased more things than Aspen had even looked at.

“What?” she asked, grinning up at me as she nudged me with her shoulder. “What’s the point of having all this expense cash if I don’t get to spend it?”

She had a point there, and it wasn’t like I would ever tell her what she could and couldn’t spend her money on. I knew by now, after spending nearly two months with her, that it was hard for her to allow someone to take care of her. And I understood the reasoning behind it, with her parents never actually playing the role of parent and her having to take on the role herself for her baby sister at a very young age.

The two people she was supposed to be able to count on the most ended up betraying her in the biggest way possible. Naturally, she’d have a hard time allowing people in her life that she trusted enough to depend on. And as the days wore on between us, I hoped that I was getting closer to that category.

She certainly trusted me with her body. The thought speared through me like a line of fire. Ever since we opened that particular box, we hadn’t been able to stop. It had been a month of business meetings and events, charities and galas, hockey games and sex.

A lot of sex.

Really good, incredible, earth-shattering sex.

But it wasn’t just her body that had me absolutely content as we stood in line at a casual tea shop on a Wednesday afternoon.

It was her.

Somehow, by taking all the pressure off of a real relationship, I’d managed to be totally myself around her and her the same with me. It gave us the ability to cut through the bullshit and be real, and it turned out that we just absolutely got along.

Aspen’s energy matched my insatiable appetite, and her thirst for adventure was likely higher than mine, even though the circumstances of her situation didn’t allow her to indulge those whims as often as she’d like.

At least not until I came into her life. Not until I purchased the coffee shop she worked at in order to allow her full time off so she could hop on the jet with me whenever I needed.

And in the beginning, it had been a means to an end. A good business decision on my part, but now? Now I was just thrilled to see her thriving. Not that she hadn’t been before, but at least now the woman was getting decent sleep. Well, somewhat decent. I had to say I was guilty of keeping her up a little too late every other night, but I hadn’t heard any complaints so far.

“What’s good here?” I asked as we moved up in the line.

“They have incredible boba,” she said. “You have to try the lychee green tea with the lychee bursting balls.”

I nodded as we reached the counter and ordered exactly what she said. She ordered herself a mango boba, and we stepped off to the side after she paid for the drinks and waited for our order.

I wrapped my arms around her from behind, tucking my head over her shoulder as I dipped down to whisper into her ear.

“Thank you,” I said my lips grazing the shell.

She arched into the touch, leaning back against me with the ease that had been built between us in the last two months. I didn’t even know if anybody knew who I was in this tea shop or if there were any hiding paparazzi outside. I certainly hadn’t seen any, but I wasn’t holding her for show.

I was holding her because I liked it.

Because I liked touching her. Lived for that little grin that shaped her lips whenever I did.

I liked the way her signature scent wafted up to my nose every time I wrapped my arms around her, and I liked the feel of her against me.

I liked her.

I liked her in a way that I’d never liked anyone before.

And I still wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“You know you don’t have to thank me for buying you a tea,” she said. “Especially not after all you’ve⁠—"

“We’re not in a competition,” I said, trying to soothe the rambling concerns that I knew were about to spill from her kissable lips. We’d had the conversation before, many times. Despite me paying her for our contractual agreement, she still felt out of balance when it came to gifts and outings and everything extra that came with the gig I’d hired her for. She felt like she owed me, when I tried to explain time and time again, that she gave me more than I ever bargained for by just being her.

“I know it’s not a competition,” she said. “But you have to understand it’s hard when I can’t even pretend to keep up. I’ll never be able to treat you the way you treat me, which is like a freaking queen.” She shook her head. “Like royalty.”

I gently spun her around to face me, tipping her chin up as I met her gaze. “You are a queen,” I said. “My queen. One I happily get on my knees for whenever she wants.” I smirked at the little intake a breath that slipped through her lips. “And you make me feel like a king just by being you. Just having you around makes me feel richer than any number in any of my bank accounts.”

Aspen tried to hide her smile, but it was impossible and breathtaking. “I think I’m about to swoon,” she teased pretending to have her knees go out.

I caught her easily, laughing as I hauled her against me. “You know I’ll never let you fall,” I said, dipping down to still a quick kiss.

She wrapped her arms around me, kissing me back, but then her name was called and we quickly pulled out of the embrace to grab our drinks. Her eyes watched me eagerly as I brought my lips to the straw and took a drink, instantly moaning around the burst of flavors in my mouth.

“That is good,” I said nodding at her.

She grinned clapping a little before she took a drink of her own.

“You have to try the mango too,” she said, offering me her straw. I immediately took a sip, enjoying that one as well.

“Can’t believe I’ve never tried this before,” I said, glancing around the little tea shop and noticing that it was crowded for a Wednesday afternoon. The gears in my mind started turning and I pulled out my phone to do a quick search before pocketing it again.

Aspen looked at me knowingly, arching a brow. “What are you up to?” she asked.

“I was just checking to see if they were franchised,” I explained, holding the door open for her as we continued our leisurely walk down the street.

Aspen chuckled, shaking her head as she continued to drink her tea.

“What?” I asked, wrapping my free arm around her as we pulled over to window shop at a boutique a few blocks down.

“I just love the way your mind works,” she said with a shrug. “Most people go into their favorite businesses just to enjoy the products, but if you see a good one your mind instantly goes to investing in it. You just landed the energy deal in India, you have a highly successful NHL team, and more franchises and investments than I know how to keep track of. And yet you want more?”

“You know the insatiable appetite I have,” I said, flashing her pointed look that made a beautiful flush dance across her cheeks.

“I do,” she said. “And that’s another thing that I’m very fond of. But…” She stopped herself, focusing more on the jewelry and outfits in the window than on me.

“But what?” I asked.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “I just wonder what it is you’re really searching for?”

“I have an empire to uphold,” I said easily.

She nodded. “No, I know that,” she said. “I understand that you were left with a giant responsibility at a young age, and that you have a sense of responsibility when it comes to filling your parents’ shoes and ensuring their legacy lives on, not to mention in the beginning you outdid yourself in order to ensure that Bristol was taken care of. It’s something I can totally understand, obviously. But have you ever stopped and wondered if you’re doing all of this because of the responsibility or because you want to?”

I swallowed hard, her words hitting me dead center in the chest. I’d never been asked something like that before, let alone took the time to think about it.

“And it can be both,” she hurried to continue. “It doesn’t have to be one or the other. I was just curious because I know that there are things I’ve thought about, those fun little dreams that happen late at night when you think about if your life was different. I can’t help but wonder if there’s something you really want that has nothing to do with your empire?”

“I...” Damn. I literally had no idea how to answer her question.

Something expanded in my chest, this flood of warmth that Aspen understood me on so many different levels in such a short time. It felt like we’d spent years getting to know each other versus the last couple months. And I had no idea if that was just because of the easy way we got along or if it was because of the crash course of getting to know each other we’d had in the beginning of our agreement. Either way, it touched something inside of me, stirring up a whole slew of emotions that I didn’t exactly know how to regulate.

“No one’s ever asked me that before,” I admitted. “I’ll get back to you when I find out.”

She turned and smiled up at me. “No worries,” she said. “I get it. You love your life, and you’re really fucking good at living it. You don’t need to want anything else. I was just curious.”

I nodded down at her, tucking her under my arm again as we continued to walk.

She wasn’t wrong. I did love my life, but I had felt restless recently. The little shots of dopamine of buying a franchise or winning a Stanley Cup had lost its allure, not because it wasn’t worth everything, because it was.

I was incredibly lucky, and lived a very privileged life that I was completely aware of. But I couldn’t deny the small itch that I hadn’t been able to scratch for a while now.

And I always tried to satisfy it with more businesses or more women, more parties or more trips around the world, but in the end, when I was home and alone, it was still there, plaguing me with its uncertainty.

Though lately—the last two months to be precise—I hadn’t been as bothered by it. Of course, I’d been incredibly busy, and more than distracted with Aspen.

Maybe that’s all it was.

I just needed distraction. Needed to stay moving forward and never stand still.

Or maybe it was because I was rarely alone now, with Aspen indulging my request to sleep over most nights of the week even though she had a perfectly good apartment in Brooklyn all to herself.

“We should get back home,” Aspen said after another hour of window shopping, and my heart did this weird little jump when I knew she was talking about my place, not hers. “I only have an hour to get ready.”

“You could go as you are and you’d be perfect,” I said eyes trailing the length of her body, admiring the cozy cream sweater she wore that hung just below her luscious ass that was sheathed in warm black leggings, her feet tucked into a pair of black boots that were perfect for long walks like this.

She smiled up at me. “Thanks for that,” she said. “But I’d like to wash the city out of my hair before dinner.” A little flash of nerves shifted over her features, and I cocked a brow at her.

“Are you nervous?” I asked slightly shocked. She rarely showed that side of herself to anyone, and I was honored she trusted me with it, but she’d been in the room with some of the most powerful people in the world and hadn’t batted an eye. But tonight’s dinner? That was enough to worry her?

“No, of course not,” she said, but I could read through her assurance. “It’s going to be great.”

A little bit of apprehension skittered down my spine, as if I could feel her energy pulsing inside of me. I smoothed my hands down her shoulders. “If you’re not ready,” I said. “We don’t have to do this.”

It had been her idea, her insistence on this dinner happening, but if it was going to make her uncomfortable, we wouldn’t do it.

“Is it me?” I asked, my stomach twisting. Was she worried about me? How I would behave? Was she worried I would mess everything up?

Shit, would I mess everything up?

“No, not at all,” she said, placing her hand on the center of my chest. “Crossland, I would never be worried about you. It’s not that I’m even worried. It’s just...” She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, her eyes meeting mine with an open vulnerability that tugged at something in my chest. “It’s Brecken,” she said. “I’m incredibly protective over her. It’s kind of my tragic flaw. I’ve had it since she was born. And I don’t normally introduce people to her until I’m sure they’re going to be around. And I know we haven’t exactly talked about what’s going to happen in a month, but I want you to meet her. And I know she wants to meet you. And I’m probably making too big of a deal about this. We’re friends, right? That’s what we agreed to. Even after...”

There was a rock growing in my throat the more she spoke, something settling heavy in my gut.

She was right, we hadn’t talked about anything that would happen in a month when our contract was up, but I knew for sure I wouldn’t want to just pretend like she’d never been a part of my life. I wouldn’t want to pretend like this never happened.

But I didn’t know what to do or what to say.

This was all new to me. All paths I’d never navigated before.

“Aspen, I’m honored that you trust me enough to meet her. I know how important she is to you and I’m not going to take that for granted. I’ll do my best not to fuck it up. And who knows, maybe she’ll be as enamored by my charms as you are,” I said, flashing her the cocky smirk I knew she loved. Wanting desperately to get us back to a more common ground where things didn’t feel so heavy.

A month.

I had a month to get my shit together. To figure out exactly what to do when our contract was up. My friends already loved her, and were shocked that she was still around.

I couldn’t blame them. It’s not like they’d ever seen me in a relationship before. The bet was as good as won in my eyes, but what about after?

In the beginning, I’d never given any thought to actually missing the person I’d entered into a contract with. What were we supposed to do? Were we supposed to just be casual friends that met up once a quarter when she found time?

That didn’t sit right with me.

That didn’t sit right with me at all.

When I looked ahead at the future, she was in it.

Shit.

Aspen had become someone I found invaluable in my life.

When had that happened?

“She’s more immune than you think,” Aspen said, drawing my mind back to what I’d said about me charming her sister. She looked at me with a little bit of pity as we climbed into the elevator that would take us up to my apartment. “Are you prepared to be grilled?”

“I’m always prepared,” I said as smoothly as possible, not even hinting at the turmoil that was wreaking havoc on my insides.

I tried to calm my nerves by assuring myself I had a month to figure things out. Aspen wasn’t going anywhere until then. I had time.

“Good,” Aspen said. “Because while I had four of your very intimidating best friends grill me that first week, that’ll be nothing compared to what Brecken will bring to the table tonight.”

I smiled down at her, finally moving away from more complicated thoughts. I bent down and stole a kiss before pulling back as the doors opened and we entered my apartment.

“You know I’m always up for a challenge.”

“How does one make the jump from hockey team coach to investing in developmental research in the energy sector?”

I had just taken a sip of the iced tea I’d ordered, and nearly spit it out at Brecken’s bold question. Our drinks had only just arrived, the three of us barely out of the introductory phase of this dinner.

“I’m the owner,” I casually corrected her. “Not the coach. And honestly, it’s not that broad of a jump. I have investments in a variety of different commercial categories.”

“Yeah, I’ve read all about that,” she said, and my eyes flashed to Aspen for a silent vibe check.

Aspen was still smiling softly, sipping her drink, her eyes bouncing between her sister and me and back again. She was letting me choose how I responded to her little sister’s questions, and not doing me the disservice of trying to explain my choices for me.

“What I’m trying to understand is the why?” Brecken continued.

“I was given an empire, and I wasn’t going to let it die just because having it grow would be a lot of hard work. I’m always on the lookout for the next opportunity at growth, or expanding my wealth⁠—"

“Because being a billionaire isn’t enough?”

“Brecken,” Aspen said, her tone chiding.

But I laughed, nodding respectfully toward her little sister where she sat across from me at the table. This kid had even more unapologetic confidence than her sister, if that was possible. And yeah, I knew she was nineteen and technically an adult, but to me she was just a kid. I admired her for her lack of sugarcoating. She had questions, and she wasn’t beating around the bush before asking them.

“It’s more than enough,” I answered. “But inheriting wealth doesn’t mean you just sit there and live off of it for the rest of your life. Not for me anyway. My parents left behind a legacy, and I’ve committed my life to expanding it. The more I have, the more successful I am, the more I have to give.”

Brecken tilted her head, sizing me up from where she sat. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a braid, and I wondered if that was what color Aspen’s hair would be if she didn’t dye it.

The two looked a lot alike, but there was an even more identical look of shared love and protection between the two that I’m not sure they noticed.

“What charities do you give to?” Brecken asked, after we placed our orders with the server, and I couldn’t help but notice that Aspen was practically chugging her drink at this point.

“My friends and I predominantly donate to Doctors Without Borders, but I also have a particular interest in hospitals and the services they provide,” I said. I could see the gears turning behind Brecken’s eyes as they softened just slightly with my answer.

She was hunting for another question, another bold ask in the hopes of tripping me up and revealing my true nature, no doubt. I couldn’t blame her; I did the same thing to all of Bristol’s romantic interests back when she was single. Hell, I’d almost been the cause of ruining her now husband’s career back when I’d caught him kissing my then seventeen-year-old sister.

The years that had passed—and a hell of a lot of education from Bristol—had taught me that I might have overreacted by kicking him off of my team back then, and thankfully it all worked out for them in the end.

“How are you liking NYU?” I asked before she could come up with another question, genuinely interested in how she was getting along at the university.

“I love it,” she said the answer rolling off her tongue easily. “My courses are still introductory, but I’ll be going into family law.”

“Brecken took on a double caseload this year,” Aspen said proudly. “She doesn’t even make the extra coursework look challenging.”

Brecken waved her sister off, but there was a glimmer of happiness shining in her eyes. “I can never get enough,” she said. “Plus, I want to make sure to put as much coursework as I can into each semester so I can reach my goal as a family lawyer that much sooner.”

“That’s no small major,” I said just as the server brought our food to the table. We all took a couple bites before I continued. “And you’re still so early in your college career, what makes you so certain that’s what you want to do?”

I opted to ask the questions that I would ask Bristol if it was her sitting across from me, hoping that it would help me prove to her that I had no bad intentions when it came to her family.

“I picked my major years ago,” Brecken said determinedly. “Watching your big sister struggle with the courts to gain custodial rights will do that to a girl.”

I flinched, grinding my teeth as I nodded. “I hate that you both had to struggle with the system for so long before finally being free of it. It’s super admirable that that’s the career choice you would go for, no doubt to help people who are in similar situations.”

Brecken smiled softly, nodding as if she’d made up her mind about me, but I couldn’t tell if it was favorable or not yet. “That, and I’ve always been fascinated by the justice system,” she continued.

“And she’s always been the top of her class in everything,” Aspen added. “School has always come naturally to her, which is why I wanted her to be able to go to her dream college when she got out of high school.”

“And you never had any interest in attending university?” I asked Aspen, generally curious since the topic had never come up.

Brecken laughed, and Aspen flashed her chiding look, but it was purely playful.

“That’s one thing that’s entirely different about the two of us,” Brecken said. “Aspen hates school. What was it, junior year?” she asked. “You were absent like a hundred and eighty days or something?”

Aspen chuckled. “A hundred and eighty-two, if we’re trying to be precise. I still managed to pass all of my classes, which kind of sealed the deal for me on how pointless it was.”

“In your opinion,” Brecken said. “Some people love school. Some people see the value in education.”

“I see the value in education,” Aspen countered. “There’s no denying how important it is. But some of the classes that you’re required to take are completely pointless when it comes to the real world. Now, had junior year in high school offered classes on budgeting, taxes, and basically being able to survive on your own as an adult, then I absolutely would have showed up. I’m not missing anything because I skipped out on a few gym classes.” She reached across the table and squeezed Brecken’s hand. “And of course I appreciate that there are universities with incredible professors who are dedicated to giving you the specific skills you need for your dream career as a family lawyer. I appreciate education, I’m just saying it’s not for everybody.”

I studied the way the two spoke to each other, instantly being warmed by their connection and their love for each other. They accepted each other for who they were even though they were starkly different. And, as usual, I was happy to discover this new little detail about Aspen’s preferences, always gobbling up the information about what made her her like a starved man.

“And how do you feel about my sister not going to college?” Brecken asked, bringing the attention back to me. “How do you feel about her working double shifts at a coffee shop?”

“Ohmigod,” Aspen muttered under her breath, cutting into her roast chicken a little harder than necessary.

“I’m of the mind that as long as you find joy in your work, then you’re doing life right.”

“So it doesn’t bother you that she’s a barista and not some trust fund heiress or wealthy oil tycoon?”

Now that made me laugh, but I reeled it in because Aspen looked like she was literally trying to disappear behind her food.

“Aspen could be unemployed and I’d still adore her. You don’t need me to list all the reasons why she’s amazing, and while I am a huge fan of her flat whites, I’m not dating her for her job. I’m dating her because I feel better when I’m around her,” I said, the truth flying past my lips before I could even think to stop myself. “She makes me feel like the best version of myself, not to mention she’s incredibly funny and I enjoy laughing almost as much as anything else in this world.”

I took a bite of my steak, needing to put something in my mouth that would stop me from waxing poetic. Especially since when the fuck do I do that? I wasn’t a dishonest person, so it’s not like I was going to make up some lie about the reason why I liked being around Aspen, but saying all that… fuck, I just hoped it didn’t make Aspen uncomfortable.

I spared her a glance after another bite, and found her eyes on me, curious and questioning and maybe a little hopeful? I smiled at her, then continued to eat my dinner, answering more questions from Brecken as the night went on.

“Okay, then,” Brecken finally said after we’d finished dessert, and I hadn’t shied away from even the boldest of questions—which included my questionable dating history.

Aspen had excused herself to go to the restroom, leaving Brecken and myself completely alone at the table in the restaurant, the hushed chatter flowing all around us from the crowded space.

“I’ve decided that I’m going to like you,” Brecken said, folding her arms over her chest. “But know that my opinion can change on a dime. Aspen is the kind of person who would literally give the shirt off her back to someone in need, and she has a habit of allowing people to take advantage of her good nature. I know that she’s outspoken and confident, but she’s still vulnerable. We’ve both had a lot of growing to do, but she suffered through my parents ten years longer than I did, and so she has more trauma to heal from than I ever did.” Brecken sighed. “And yet, she’s still the one who feels responsible for me.” She leaned forward a little, her eyes unflinching as they met mine.

“If you’re only here for another one of your notorious flings that I’ve read so much about, you better make damn sure my sister knows that up front. I’ve never seen her act the way she has with you before, so if you’re not in this, be honest. I’d hate to have to bury a billionaire, especially one who donates to charities I like.”

Holy shit, I was actually a little intimidated by this nineteen-year-old blonde who couldn’t be over five foot four.

She held her ground and spoke her opinions better than some of the best business people I’d ever gone toe to toe with, and I had to give her credit for that.

“So, what you’re saying is, you like me?” I gave her my most charming smile and relished the pride that sliced through me when she laughed. A real laugh, one that I had earned all by myself.

There was a sense of accomplishment, coupled with just a hint of dread.

“I’ve never been anything but up front with your sister,” I said, making sure she knew that. It was the truth, even more than she understood. We had a contract for fuck’s sake, one that outlined everything to do with our relationship.

Everything except for every intimate moment we’ve had since. But we discussed that beforehand too. I wasn’t taking any steps was Aspen that weren’t crystal clear, unless you counted the feelings that I was no doubt catching for the woman, and had yet to tell her about.

But that had everything to do with me knowing that I needed to sort them out before spouting off at the mouth and not really knowing what I was saying. She deserved more than that.

When we discussed the parameters of our future beyond the contract, beyond the bet and the deal and the arrangement, she deserved to hear my side and my proposal when I knew exactly what I had to offer. And as of right now, I had no clue. Everything was new with Aspen, and I wouldn’t burden her with my thoughts until I could understand them myself.

“Also,” I continued. “I meant everything I said. I just like being around her. I like having her in my life. And I’m pretty sure she likes being in mine.”

Brecken nodded, smiling as Aspen returned to the table.

“All good here?” Aspen asked, eyes dancing between the two of us.

I glanced at Brecken, wanting her to be able to answer for both of us.

I already knew that I adored her, just as I adored her sister.

Now it was up to her to lay the final results.

Brecken grinned at Aspen. “Yeah,” she said. “We’re all good here.”