Chapter Twenty-Six
Blake
Indi tapped me on the chest. “Are you awake?”
I grumbled. After cuddling, kissing, and screwing like rabbits all afternoon and all night, not even stopping to go down for dinner, I was tapped out. I felt like I’d barely had a wink of sleep, although the light creeping in through the curtains told me it was early in the morning. “I’m asleep,” I muttered. “Wait, no. I’m awake!”
Indi’s hand was trailing up and down my left thigh now, teasing and tormenting me. I groaned. “Keep going.”
“I thought you were tired.…”
“No, I just said I’m awake,” I said, fully opening my eyes and looking down. Indi was sliding down the sheets, clad in nothing but panties. She looked fresh and clean, and her face was bare. She must’ve showered while I slept, but there was no point to that, because I had a feeling we were about to get dirty and sweaty all over again.
I reached one hand out to squeeze her breasts, and she swatted me away. “It’s your turn to lie back and enjoy something,” she said in a sultry voice. “No touching.”
Heat seared through me, desire igniting within my belly like a fire. Indi moved even farther down the bed, and her tongue teasingly poked at my erection, one hand slowly wrapping around the thick base. I groaned, sitting up on my elbows and watching her every move.
She swiped her tongue out again, lashing at the very tip of me. Her eyes remained up on me, and then she pulled back and bit her bottom lip.
“Stop teasing me,” I growled.
She smiled and leaned forward, running her tongue back over my shaft before kissing the head. Then she opened her lips and slipped them over me, tasting me before closing her mouth tight around me. Her fingers wrapped even tighter around my shaft, moving up and down in sync with her mouth as she bobbed her head, tongue swirling as she stroked and sucked me.
“Fuck, Indi…”
Every lick, suck and stroke sent hot vibrations through me. My jaw tightened, and Indi brought her other hand to my balls, gently cupping them. Then she gave them a squeeze, drawing another groan from me.
She swallowed me as deep as she could, faster and faster, moaning and humming around my cock. Air hissed out of my mouth as I watched, unable to believe how good she was. “Jesus….”
I came with a shudder, filling her mouth with me. Indi swallowed and wiped her lips, and then she moved back and sat at the head of the bed with me.
“That’s the best wakeup call I’ve ever had,” I said, sighing with pleasure as I put my arms behind my head.
“I do have some talents,” she said, lifting one brow with amusement.
“I’m sure you have more than just ‘some’.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t seem to have any talent for business, that’s for sure,” she said, her face suddenly glum.
I pulled her close to my chest, frowning. “Don’t say that. You’re still young. I bet you’re great. You just need to wait for things to take off.”
She smiled in a self-deprecating way. “No, really, my bookstore is a disaster. It was a really bad idea to open one in this day and age.”
“But you said you had ideas on how to fix it. That’s why we’re here—so you can get enough money to do that. And you know… I was gonna give you my half of the prize money if we won. That’s why I told you I could use the money when you first came to me with your proposal. I wanted to let you have every cent.”
She smiled. “That’s so sweet. Thank you. But it’s not going to happen now,” she said softly. “With Yuri dead, Elise in the hospital, and a murderer still running around uncaught, the network has to cancel the show soon, no matter what Ed says. And I don’t even want to win anymore. I guess the guilt finally got to me. I lied my way in, and I don’t deserve to win a dime.”
Indi cast her eyes down to the duvet. She wasn’t exactly wrong about the sneaky way we got ourselves onto the show, but I didn’t need to say that, because she was obviously already feeling guilty enough.
I patted her on the back. “Tell me more about these ideas you have to fix your store.”
Her face brightened. “Well, part of it was inspired by my name, actually.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “Yep. People always think ‘Indi’ is ‘Indie’ whenever I tell them my name. And a while ago it got me thinking about how indie publishing is really gaining ground, while traditional publishing and brick-and-mortar bookstores are losing the pull they once had.”
“That’s true.”
“So I was thinking—instead of just being a plain old bookstore, I could turn the place into something more. Like a hub for indie authors and readers who are sick of all the traditional ways of doing things.”
She paused, and I nodded. “Go on.”
“I would still have books, of course. But not just that. I could turn the back corner into a coffee and cake shop with cute little chairs and tables. I could also set up computers around the place that can only be used to surf online book stores for e-books that they can instantly download to their devices. Sure, they could just do that at home, but I also want to have cool little book signings and readings from authors, especially indie authors, every week, or maybe even every day. It’s way more fun going out to grab a coffee while you hear from new and exciting authors in person, rather than sitting around alone on your computer at home.”
She bit her lip nervously, then spoke up again. “I’d make most of my money from coffee and food sales rather than print books. I would also charge the authors a certain amount to host their events and get their books ‘out there’ but it wouldn’t be a huge amount. Is that all really dumb and shortsighted?”
I shook my head. “No. I think it’s a great idea.”
“Are you just saying that because I gave you an early-morning BJ?” she said with a wry smile.
I grinned. “No. I really think it’s a good idea. Believe me, I’ve read enough business books to recognize a fresh and innovative idea when I see one. People these days are tired of feeling isolated and disconnected from the community, and that’s what happens when everything is done online at home. The business idea you’re describing would open things up, help people feel like they’re participating in something again.”
She sighed with relief. “I’m really glad to hear that.” She looked at me curiously. “Speaking of you and business… you didn’t tell me how you went from doing odd jobs in Lakewater to heading up Marsden Shipping in Seattle. How did no one ever know? I mean, I would’ve thought people back home would get all gossipy if they knew. Pretty big deal, after all.”
I sighed and turned away. This was the part I hated talking about. Hated even thinking about.
“I don’t talk about it much,” I admitted, turning back to face Indi. “And I don’t really have any contact with any of my old friends now, so they don’t know because of that. They’d have to specifically look me up online to find out, and I guess no one ever felt the need to.”
She nodded. “I get it. You don’t have to tell me either. Sorry for prying.”
“No, I want to tell you,” I said. I took a deep breath. “Remember how I said my mom passed?” Indi nodded and fingered the white gold wedding band on her left hand. I went on. “Well, it wasn’t just her. She and my dad died in a car accident. About six and a half years ago. Probably just after you left for college, so you wouldn’t have heard unless your parents mentioned it to you.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Blake,” she said softly, squeezing my hand. “No one told me.”
“That’s not the whole story. Guess I should start at the beginning. My dad was born and raised in a wealthy family. They owned Marsden Shipping. When he was twenty-five, he met my mom, and his family didn’t approve of her because she didn’t come from an upper class family like theirs. Dad told them to get fucked, as he very well should have. They told him he’d lose his entire inheritance and stake in the company if he made that choice. He said that was fine. So they moved to Lakewater, where things weren’t as expensive. And then they had me. They didn’t have much money, but they were happy.”
“That’s a really beautiful story,” Indi said with a small smile.
I nodded. “I know. As long as my parents were together, they were happy. So I guess it’s kind of fitting in a way that they died together. At least neither of them ever had to be without the other.”
“That’s a silver lining, I suppose. Still, I’m sorry you had to lose them so early.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know. Anyway, when my parents died, the Marsden side of the family heard what happened. The whole lot of them suddenly decided they wanted to meet me. So I did it, because I was grieving, and I thought it might help. They were nice; actually really helped me through what happened, and they welcomed me into the family right away. They seemed very remorseful for what they did. Apparently Dad’s mother regretted it every day after he left—she was just too proud to reach out until it was too late. I guess it never really occurred to them that one day it would be too late.”
“That’s awful. But at least you managed to reconnect with the family in some way, I guess. Even if it was too late for them to earn your parents’ forgiveness.”
“Yeah. What they did to my parents was terrible, but I got the impression that they truly regretted it,” I said. “Anyway, just four months after that, they decided we should go on a vacation to try and bond with me even more. I couldn’t go. Can’t even remember why. But yeah, I canceled at the last minute and sent my apologies. They decided to go anyway, seeing as it was all arranged.”
I paused, and Indi frowned. “What happened?”
“The plane crashed, and every single one of them died. You might’ve heard about it—it was that private plane that crashed in a forest down in California. It was on the news for a few days at the time.”
Indi’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. No, I didn’t hear about that, but oh my god… I’m so sorry. You lost your parents in a car crash, and then that only four months later. That’s so terrible.”
“I know. By that point, the Marsdens had already written me into the family trust and so on. I got…” I hesitated. “Well, I got almost everything. I was the last remaining direct relative, after all. So ownership of the company passed on to me as well, along with full control, seeing as it was always a family-run business at the top level.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Some of the board members weren’t too happy about it given my age at the time, and my total lack of qualifications and experience. They wanted to make it so that I couldn’t actually have any say in how the place is run—so I’d be owner in name only, and a CEO they brought in would take care of the actual work.”
“What happened then?”
“I thought I owed it to the family to give it a shot. It seemed lazy to just own a company and sit around doing jack-shit for it, letting other people do all the work. So I offered them a compromise. I’d work for the company, learn as much as possible while also studying my ass off. No pay—although of course I don’t really even need to be paid given how much I inherited. I’d have a few people there doing some of my work, mostly just showing me what needs to be done. So I’d only have partial control. If I wasn’t doing a good enough job at management after a certain period of time, I would let them go through with their idea of getting someone else in. Give up control of the company, but still retain ownership.”
“I see.”
“It’s been hard. Really fucking hard. But I’ve spent the last six years trying to make it work. And it has. They trust me now. I still have a bunch of people helping me, but nowhere near as many as I used to.”
“But you’ve risked a lot taking all this time off to come on the show,” Indi said with a frown.
I nodded. “I know. Like I said yesterday—in the end, it’s still just a job. Some things in life are more important. I’m allowed to take time off every so often. Doesn’t mean I’m throwing away my family’s entire legacy.”
“True,” she said. She hesitated for a few seconds, then spoke up again. “I remember you saying a while ago that you don’t go to Lakewater all that much. Is the company part of the reason why?”
I nodded. “Yes. It’s not that I don’t want to go back. I loved that town when I lived there. I guess I’m just worried what people would say. What they’d think. That I don’t deserve everything I have now, given what I was like when I was younger. I was an asshole back then, wasn’t I? And then suddenly everything gets handed to me on a silver platter. It doesn’t seem fair. I feel so guilty so often.”
Indi gave me a sad smile. “You weren’t that bad. And besides, you’ve worked hard. You deserve it. Screw what people think. You should be proud to admit who you are and what you’ve done. Obviously the family thought you were worthy, or they wouldn’t have changed their wills at all. I mean, I’m sure they weren’t expecting that all of them would suddenly die at the same time, but still, they trusted you and wanted you enough that they were willing to include you like that.”
I sighed. “I’d give it all up if I could have my family back, though. My parents, and the rest of the Marsdens too. I’d give up every cent, every piece of property….all of it.”
“I know.” She snuggled up to me and squeezed me tight. “I really am sorry, Blake. You gained so much but also lost so much. All at the same time.”
I nodded, glad she understood me so well. “Exactly. Within one year I gained ownership of a massively successful company but also lost my entire family. How is a person even supposed to feel when shit like that happens?”
Indi’s brows drew together in concern. “It must be pretty confusing and lonely.”
I nodded. “Yep. On the one hand, I’m pretty reluctant to form new relationships with people or even maintain the old ones. It’s hard when you’re always wondering if they just want a piece of you. But on the other hand, it’d be nice to have a family again. Or even just people in my life who I can fully trust, so I don’t feel so empty.”
“Yeah, I get that. See, I’m the opposite. Don’t have any money, but I’m lucky enough to have a lot of great friends.”
I gave her a wry smile and squeezed her shoulder. “Gotta say, I’m pretty envious of that.”
We sat there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, just listening to each other breathe as we cuddled. It felt good to get that off my chest with Indi. Usually I kept it bottled up, never told anyone about my secret pain, but it was cathartic to actually say it all out loud to someone I truly trusted.
Indi suddenly sat up straight, as if something else had just occurred to her. “For the record, Blake, I’m not a user. Just because I know you’re rich now doesn’t mean I’m going to ask for anything from you,” she said, an earnest light shining in her pretty eyes.
I nodded. “I know.”
“I’m going to fix my business on my own. Even now that the show prize money isn’t an option anymore, I’ll find a way, even if it means taking out a bank loan and paying it back over the next five years. My store, my responsibility.”
I smiled at how fiercely determined she was. Then I winked. “I never doubted that for a second.”