LOGINShare
It's Not About You
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Money Can't Buy Love He Knows the Truth
RaineyUpstairs, I settled Tanner in on the table, and he continued working on his art. I went to the refrigerator to get him a juice box when I heard a sound from outside. I stood up straight and looked at Tanner. None of his crayons had fallen to the floor, and he was still furiously working on his project.What did I hear? It sounded as if it came from the landing. Not wanting to scare Tanner, I walked over to the door and peered outside. I imagined seeing the two men from Michael’s place on my doorstep. My stomach sank, and my breathing roared in my ears. I didn’t see anyone initially, so I opened the door and looked out. There weren’t any hulking men nearby.I went back inside and locked the door behind me.Get a grip, Rainey, I thought to myself.I watched Tanner for a moment while I took several calming breaths. Nothing was going to happen to him. There was no reason for me to be paranoid. Especially now since I distanced myself from all of Michael’s drama.“Can I have my juice
Money Can't Buy Love It's A Trap
MichaelMy heart beat hard in my chest, and a whooshing sound took residence in my ears. I stared at the little boy in front of me, the echo of my words clung to the still air of the room.“You have a son?” I growled, flashing my teeth.Rainey stood there, her mouth falling open.Her resignation letter remained on the floor at her feet.“T-Tanner,” she said finally and ushered him out of the room.I took in the small apartment before me. No wonder Rainey never wanted me to come here. She lived in a place the size of my living room. But the biggest reason for hiding her life had been the pint-sized human that she failed to mention.I stepped into the room, needing to explore the life that Rainey so carefully hid from the start. This changed everything. For one, she lied to me. At the interview, she told me she didn’t have anything in her life that would hold her back from being on call, traveling, or being at my beck and call. Did she somehow have enough money to pay for a nanny? The c
Money Can't Buy Love It's My Business
Michael“What? Michael, no! How could you ever think that?”I shrugged. “I have a lot of money. Clearly, you don't,” I said waving my hand around her tiny apartment. “Was this some ploy to trick me into paying for your secret life?” As the words came out, I regretted them. But I wanted everything in the open. I’d been with gold diggers before, and while Rainey didn’t act like one at all, in fact, she acted quite the opposite most of the time, I had to get everything out in the open.“Wow,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you think that.”“I don’t, Rainey,” I said. “But what else should I think about this? What about those phone calls you’ve been avoiding when we’re together? Do you have an ex-husband? Why isn’t he helping out with your kid?”“While I don’t think any of this is your business—”“It is my business, Rainey!”“Keep your voice down,” she hissed.My blood pressure rose. I wanted to shove my fist through a wall or smash something. Rage built up within me, and I h
Money Can't Buy Love All Over Now
RaineyI flinched as the door slammed against the frame. I blinked a few times in utter shock. I couldn’t believe Michael accused me of those horrible things. For him to come to my house and speak to me like that was unprofessional and downright rude.I whipped around and checked Tanner’s room. The door remained closed. I’d promised him ice cream for dessert for him to stay in there. Good thing he had a sweet tooth.I sprinted across the living room and stood next to the window. Michael’s car was in the street, the warm exhaust creating a plume of smoke to come out of the back end of the black sedan. Michael appeared from the side of my house, and I leaned away from the window, just keeping him in view. But he’d never be able to see me if he looked back.My resignation letter was in his fist, half of it under his crushing fingers.If I didn’t know he was pissed when he left, I did now. His shoulders were almost at his ears, and I could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves, even
Money Can't Buy Love Phone A Friend
Rainey“I love you and Tanner. You’re family; I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Okay. Thanks. I needed to talk it out with someone.”“No problem.”“Alright,” I said, standing up, feeling a new resolve within me. I wasn’t going to let Michael get me down. “I need to make some phone calls tomorrow morning. Maybe I’ll be able to find something temporary to tide us over until I get something better.”“My offer still stands at the salon. The other hairdressers would love to have a competent front desk woman. And we can hang out all day!”I grinned. “Let me see if there is anything in my field first. If not, you’re the first person I’ll call.”“You better!”“I will.”“Call me tomorrow,” Tessa said. “I want to hear all about your job search.”“Love you,” I said.“Love you, too.”I hung up the phone and tossed it onto my bed. I laid face down on the bed, burying my face into the duvet. What the hell was I going to do? Tessa was off my back for a little whi
Money Can't Buy Love Cooling Off
MichaelLooking out over the city through my floor to ceiling windows of my office, a sense of dread struck me. Not because the sky was gray with the impending snow storm, but because of what sat on my desk.I looked over my shoulder at the white envelope staring back at me. It signified the end of everything between Rainey and me. Even though she signed up for direct deposit, her last pay stub needed to be collected, along with a signature on the termination papers. There was a second non-disclosure agreement for her to sign and she was slated to come into the office today.With almost a week to cool off, I still woke that morning with snakes of anger slithering through my body each time I thought of her. At the same time, strangely, I missed her like crazy. Each day that passed without seeing her outside of my office, typing away at her computer made me much more upset than I realized. My feelings pulled me in opposite directions consistently and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to punch a
Money Can't Buy Love Seeing Her
MichaelSandra leaned over her desk to get a front row seat to what was happening with Rainey and me. When I caught her eye, she jumped and sat down in her chair.Rainey didn’t mention her last pay stub, so I imagined she thought we would mail it to her. I watched her for a moment, collecting the few items of hers in the desk. An extra sweater, a pair of sunglasses, a small glass paperweight that doubled as a clock. Those were the remaining reminders of her in my office. Could I let her go that easily?She seemed polite enough. I had a sneaking suspicion she had no idea about the extra money in her account. She hadn’t seen it yet. If she had, then I’d get an earful from her at that moment. At least we could start the conversation on a professional note, not an emotional one.“Your pay stub is in my office,” I said.“Oh,” she said, finally looking at me. Her gaze flitted between my chin and nose, our eyes never quite meeting. It was like a punch to the gut. Even though I’d never admit
Money Can't Buy Love An Offer She Can Refuse
RaineyThe feel of Michael’s skin against mine stole the breath out of my lungs. I fell into his gorgeous blue eyes one more time before tearing myself away from him. How could I ever come back to work for him? It was clear that we could never just be professional with each other. Not after everything we’ve been through and not with his life in constant danger with shady mobsters. I would be a fool to start something with him again, personal or professional.Though every cell in my body wanted to be with him every day, even if we could manage to be co-workers. I would miss the paycheck each week. I looked down at the envelope in my hands. It was the last one I would get for some time. Deep down I wished I could keep this going, but putting Tanner’s life in danger wasn’t an option for me.That was it. I made my decision.I glanced over my shoulder at Michael’s closed door and said a silent goodbye.I stopped at Sandra’s desk to say goodbye in person. I knew she had some idea that Micha
Latest chapter
Money Can't Buy Love Epilogue
MichaelA year ago, I never thought I’d return to Bar Harbor with a woman. Sure, I wanted my new assistant to handle the charity event up there, but not as my partner. Tanner took off ahead of us, dodging the cold Maine water as it slid up against the shore. He collected the shells under the muddy surface. Those were the best ones he’d said. The hidden ones.That little guy had something right. You needed to work for the things that were worth it in life. And I worked hard to get Rainey and Tanner into my life. While it didn’t take much convincing after we got everything out in the open, I thanked whoever was watching over us that I found what I needed in life to be happy.If anyone had asked me if my happiness involved a single mother and her child, I would have laughed in their face. But Rainey and Tanner were what I was looking for since Cynthia died. And I couldn’t be happier. Sometimes I thought about my life before them, and a sick feeling accompanied the thoughts. So I tried no
Money Can't Buy Love Let's Take a Trip
RaineyThat was so soon. “I’m not sure,” I said, glancing over at Tanner. He was pointing to the polar bear and saying something that I couldn’t make out from that distance. “As I’ve said, I’ve already been away from Tanner too long since we just got back.”Michael chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes.“What’s so funny?” I asked.Michael pecked me on the lips. “I want to take Tanner with us.”“Oh!” I said.Michael shrugged. “I could take you both skiing, or we can hang out at the lodge. There are some places in town I’m sure he would like.”“That’s so gracious,” I said. Tanner would love to come, especially since Michael had his own plane. Tanner would be so excited. I wonder if that would ruin him for commercial flights, but to be honest, it ruined me for them already. I didn’t say it aloud, but this reminded me of having a family vacation. A real one. And I could count on Michael to follow through, unlike Killian with his grand plans and no follow through.“We should go tell him then?”
Money Can't Buy Love At The Zoo
RaineyIt took me almost a week to get used to the weather back home. The vacation with Michael was the perfect escape, and I never wanted to go back. Michael remained professional in the office. At least during office hours. It took him until Tuesday at six, when Sandra had left, to christen our relationship over his desk. While I did prefer the comfort of bed, making love with Michael in more public spaces really turned me on.There was no more hiding, and I could finally be completely honest with him about every aspect of my life. I never did that with Killian. Maybe I thought I did, but after being with him for a while, I started to keep secrets from him. Secrets about how I felt and what I did when he wasn’t around. I opened up to Michael like never before, and that led to a comfort in our relationship that rivaled my feelings toward my flesh and blood family. Michael integrated himself into our family in such a short amount of time. Mom and Tanner loved him. And while Dad tried
Money Can't Buy Love Back Home
MichaelAfter spending the entire day on the beach, I was wiped by the time dinner came around. Rainey and I packed our things after making love one more time that morning, so we were ready to leave after the last glass of wine was poured. There wasn’t a moment during the car ride, boat ride, and flight that we weren’t touching each other. I held her hand as if it were my life vest in a vast choppy ocean. Even though we declared that we wanted to be together, I still felt a little unsteady. I wanted to test our capability as a couple when our lives were back to normal at home, but at the same time, I didn’t want to jinx anything.Rainey brought out a lot of first-time emotions from me. I actually felt nervous when we departed the plane and headed for my car. Constantine waited for us with the back door open.“Hope you had a nice trip,” he said to me. Then he smiled at Rainey.“We did,” Rainey said and took my hand.Immediately, my fears were squashed. She had a way of anchoring me and
Money Can't Buy Love Waking Up Together
MichaelI woke the next morning with the best feeling inside of me. A ball of hope and happiness filled my insides. I couldn’t remember the time I felt this much at peace with someone other than Cynthia. Her memory was still strong within me, but Rainey was a new chapter of my life, and I had to allow her to take precedence over my previous wife. I had to. It was the only way I could commit to her completely. I said a silent final farewell to Cynthia, knowing that we were both in a better place. Me, here with a perfect woman, and Cynthia in a place without pain and suffering.I slowly turned over, careful not to wake Rainey. She looked peaceful. Her thick blonde eyelashes fanned over her eyes, and her mouth was open slightly as she breathed deeply. She was still sound asleep. I doubted she would wake if I touched her, but I didn’t dare test that theory. She deserved to rest. After everything we put each other through and the heavy fucking session we participated in last night, I wante
Money Can't Buy Love Testing Out the Bed
RaineyMichael lifted one of my legs and scooted closer. His tip pressed against my lower lips and I sucked in a breath as he entered me. He filled me quickly, and I gritted my teeth as my body adjusted to his length. He slowly moved inside of me, pressing deeper with each thrust.He trailed a finger over my face, moving my hair away, tucking it behind my ear.His eyes locked on mine and I couldn’t help drawing my lip into my mouth, sucking on it as he continued to move inside of me.His gaze fell to my mouth, and he leaned forward, sucking on my bottom lip.I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the tensing of his back muscles under my fingertips.He kissed my neck, slowly pressing his lips against my skin. The movement of his tongue on me made me shiver.I pulled back, wanting to see his face. I felt his pleasure when I sucked him off earlier, but I loved seeing him turned on. The usual blaze his in eyes was like an inferno, burning me from the inside out.“Touch yourself,” he said.
Money Can't Buy Love The Taste of Him
RaineyMichael’s kiss seared me inside and out. I was happy he removed the covers, I was already on fire from his touch. I came into his room to tell him how I felt, and for once, he was the one to speak first about his feelings. He wanted more than just sex. We were on the same page with everything. That’s all I needed to hear from him to make my choice.The weight of his body on me squeezed the air out of my lungs, but I didn’t want him to move. Every part of him was hard. He was the strong man that I’ve always wanted, inside and out. We had our differences, but they were petty compared to the passion we had for each other.Michael’s hands roamed my body as if he painted every part of using his hand as a brush. Heat licked over my body at each place he touched, creating a pool of molten lava in my center.He tugged at the thin straps of my night gown, one at a time, exposing each of my breasts. The cool air in the room touched the peak of each one, tightening and hardening them.My
Money Can't Buy Love Room For One More?
MichaelI debated pushing the envelope. What did I have to lose? We already kissed so I knew she felt something for me. She might not be ready to commit, but with Rainey, it seemed she needed a small shove in any direction to go anywhere beyond her comfort zone. And then the words tumbled out anyway. “Is there any more of your heart to spread around?”Her eyebrows drew together. “Why do you ask?”“You, Rainey,” I started, locking eyes with her. “You’re the first thing I think about each morning.”Her eyes widened.“I think about you all day. And you’re the last thought I have before bed.”“You do?”“Yes,” I said. Why did she think so little of herself? How many times did I have to remind her of my affection for her? “I wanted you back at work so I could be close to you even if that meant we weren’t together. I want to be with you. So badly. You have no idea what you do to me. I had to work extra hard just to be your boss, but I want so much more. And I have a feeling you do too. I wan
Money Can't Buy Love Something Special
MichaelAfter our kiss and discussion about Rainey’s past, while we were on the private beach, the gap in our relationship had lessened. Though afterward, we shared a relaxing dinner by the pool and didn’t mention any progression for ourselves within that relationship. After putting myself out there, I felt a little exposed, but I didn’t push her. Sure, she had told me her ex was a dick and that her son was the light of her life, but she had to work on her issues before we made ourselves official. She knew my feelings. I had to trust that she would come back to me when she was ready.When dinner was over, Rainey stood up and excused herself.She kissed me on the cheek, an apparent rejection after the kiss we had in town, and went into the house.I sat by the pool, finishing my whiskey and contemplating life. I hadn’t remembered feeling this way since I first dated Cynthia. The anticipation of what the other was thinking drove me insane. I could have drunk the rest of the night, but I
