Fool For You (Made for Love Book 4) (63 page)

“Well, if you won’t tell me where we’re going, and we’re destined to be on the road for a a few more hours, then I suppose you’ll just have to play a game with me.”

“A game?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow as he gives me a sidelong glance.

“Mmhmm,” I hum with a nod. “Twenty questions.”

“And what if I don’t like your questions?”

“Too bad, mister. You’re stuck with me!” I tease. “Okay, I’ll go first.”

I start off easy, asking him what his favorite season is.

Winter
.

His answer surprises me, as the winter months prevent him from golfing and driving his beloved Porsche, but I don’t ask him
why
it’s his favorite season—not wishing to waste one of my precious remaining questions. Instead, I tuck that little bit of information away for another time.

When it’s his turn, he asks me what my favorite meal of the day is. My answer, of course, is breakfast—because that’s when I enjoy my coffee the most. For a while, our questions remain light and easy to answer. But when I get to number ten, I decide to dive a little deeper—to uncover a little of the mystery of my intriguing man.

“What is your biggest regret?”

A full minute of silence passes between us, and I wonder if he’s going to answer me at all. Just when I think he’s about to refuse to play along, he speaks.

“My biggest regret was giving Aubrey a second chance.”

“Why?”

He smirks and shakes his head at me. “It’s my turn, sweetheart.”

“Damn. You’re right. Okay—hit me.”

After a slight pause he asks, “If you could go back in time and change
one
thing—what would it be?”

I hum a sigh as I reach up and pinch my bottom lip between my fingers. His question is not an exceedingly difficult one. My past is full of things I wish I could change—but picking just
one
is the hard part. Regardless of the fact that I can’t actually change anything, I take a moment and give it some real thought before I come up with my answer.

“If I had to pick
one
thing, I would have reported Justin and gotten myself tested. I was afraid that people wouldn’t take me seriously; afraid that, since he was my boyfriend, people wouldn’t believe me. But I should have done it anyway. Rape is rape, regardless of the situation.”

He squeezes my thigh, and I take a deep breath, reminding myself that everything that happens to us in this life is for a reason; reminding myself that everything that happens can be used by God for our good—because
He’s
good and He loves us. I might not understand how the consequences of my actions four years ago, which led to an STI that turned into a PID, could be in any way, shape, or form
good
for me—but I know that my story is not finished, my future is not without hope, and the man at my side still chooses me in spite of all that I cannot change.

“It’s your turn, sweetheart.”

“Oh, right,” I mutter, shaking my head clear. “Why? Why do you regret giving Aubrey a second chance?”

“She had made her choice, and it wasn’t me. I was naïve and stubborn in my resolve that she was my choice, even if she
thought
that I wasn’t hers. When she changed her mind and told me she wanted to be with me, I fell for it. I shouldn’t have. The effects of that choice cannot be undone. The humiliation associated with that choice won’t be forgotten. It’s as they say: fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I was a fool, and I regret it.”

Before I can take a second to process everything that he’s said, he takes his turn, steering our conversation in a completely different direction. I get the hint that he doesn’t wish to dwell on the past anymore, and I respect his wishes, knowing that our ride home will be just as long as the ride to our destination. My opportunity to learn more about what makes my man tick is not lost.

After we’ve each asked each other twenty questions, I make him play the alphabet game. It takes us an hour to get to the letter
J
; whether that’s because the signage along our route isn’t conducive to our game, or because he keeps distracting me with his little touches, I’m not sure. Regardless of why we decide to abandon our game, I still find myself intrigued along the way. The further we drive, the higher in altitude we ascend, and I wonder where he’s taking me.

When we’ve hit the three-hour mark, I’m itching to get out my camera. The landscape of Beaver Creek, the town in which we’ve entered, a town I’ve never been, is beautiful; so beautiful that I’m sure I wouldn’t do it justice trying to capture it with my camera while in a moving vehicle. Instead, I take it all in. Then—the most
gorgeous
resort I’ve ever seen comes into view. My heart beat speeds up when I realize we’re driving right toward it. It’s huge, and it’s surrounded by trees on the middle of a hillside. I can’t take my eyes off of it.

“Judah…”

“Sweetheart?”

“Is that…is that where we’re going?”

“Yes.”

“Wow,” I breathe, not bothering to look over at him, my eyes still devouring our surroundings.

It takes us another fifteen minutes to reach the road that leads us to our final destination. When we drive by the welcome sign, I have to do a double take.

Holy shit.

We’re staying at The Ritz.

O
ur suite is on the eighth floor—club level, with a mountain side view. It’s at least twice the size of my apartment, furnished with plush, light fabrics, but with a warm, cabin feel. The bathroom alone is the size of my bedroom. That’s where I sneak away, excusing myself for a moment to call Harper. I’m freaking out, and I need someone who will appreciate the extent of my excitement.

As I pace back and forth across the marble tiled floor, I whisper a prayer, hoping that she’ll answer. It’s almost seven, which means she might already be out for the night, but I’ll call her over and over if I have to. When she answers, I sigh in relief before a fountain of words fall from my lips.

“Oh, my god, Harper! You
will not
believe where I am right now,” I whisper shout, attempting to speak loud enough for her to hear me, but quiet enough that Judah won’t. “Judah surprised me and picked me up early from work. He told me to pack a bag for the weekend, and then he drove me to Beaver Creek. Harper—he brought me to The Ritz! The freaking Ritz! I’m in the bathroom right now. There’s a fireplace next to the bathtub. A
fireplace!
”

“
What?!
”

“I know! I know! And the view—oh, my god,” I sigh, turning to look out of the large window just above the tub. “It’s…I don’t even have words. It’s
so
pretty. Last night, I dropped by to say hi, and I mentioned that I wanted to go on a hike tomorrow and…holy shit, I think he brought me up here because he’s going to take me on a hike.”

“Wait—stop! You told him you wanted to go on a hike, and he took you up a fucking mountain?”

“Yeah,” I breathe, a new wave of shock and awe overwhelming me.

“I’m looking this shit up. Hold on.”

I resume pacing, impatiently waiting for her to speak again.

“
Fucking hell
,” she mutters. “Teddy—do you have any idea how much it costs to stay there for even just one night?”

“Don’t tell me!” I insist. “I don’t want to know. I’m not looking this gift horse in the mouth.”

“God. You lucky bitch. I sort of hate you right now.”

I giggle, sitting on the edge of the marble tub. “That’s allowed. I’d hate me, too.”

“Here I am, at home, in my pajamas, on a Friday night—and you’re at a five-star hotel, about to have the most romantic weekend of your life. I think we should switch brothers.”

“Not a chance in hell,” I assert, my love for him making me irrationally possessive at her comment. It lasts only as long as it takes me to acknowledge what she’s
really
saying. “Wait a second, where’s Ben?”

“Working late. Again. He’s got this case—I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it. At least not now.”

I frown, unsure of what to make of her tone of voice. “You two are okay, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re fine,” she assures me. “I’m sorry. I’m just grumpy and jealous. Don’t listen to me. You should get back to your man.”

“You’re right, I should go.” I say the words, and yet I can’t help but feel a little guilty. It sounds like she might need me right now. Then again, it’s probably just Ben that she wants.

“Oh—just one more thing,” I gasp, my thoughts of Ben suddenly reminding me of something.

“What’s up?”

“Have you met their mom?”

“Not yet. We haven’t done the meet the parent thing. I still can’t believe you took Judah home with you,” she says with a little laugh. “I wish I could have seen the looks on mom and dad’s faces.”

“I can’t believe you
haven’t
taken Ben home,” I admit, knowing just how much he means to her. “You two have been seeing each other for months.”

“He didn’t want to rush into anything. I’m sure we’ll do it soon, though.”

“Like, maybe next weekend, soon?”

“Uh…”

“I’m going down to meet his mom and stepdad next Saturday. I’m nervous. Seriously, I don’t know how Jude was so calm and unfazed about meeting mom and dad. I wish I could be like that. Anyway, maybe if it was a group thing—”

“Teddy?” I look toward the closed door when I hear Judah’s voice followed by a soft knock.

“Harp, I’ve got to go.”

“No problem, babe. Listen, I’ll talk to Ben about next weekend, okay? Don’t worry about it. Enjoy your weekend—I mean it, sis. Let him spoil you. You deserve it.”

I smile, wishing I could give her a big hug right now. “Thanks, Harper. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye.”

Judah knocks once more, and I hurry my way across the room to answer. When I open the door and see him standing on the other side, I don’t give him a chance to speak before I reach for him and pull him down for a kiss. He comes willingly, gripping the back of my neck as he returns my affection. When he pulls away, it’s before I’m ready, and a small whimper of disappointment slips out.

“Let me feed you first, sweetheart,” he replies with a sly grin.

“Okay,” I concede.

“We’ll go to dinner in an hour, after we’ve both had a chance to freshen up. If you want anything pressed, I’m sending my clothes down now.”

I lift my eyebrows in surprise before I ask, “They’ll iron our clothes?”

“Yes,” he states matter-of-factly. “Your bag is by the bed if you want to grab something.”

I nod and he leans down to kiss me again before he lets me go. As I make my way to my suitcase, he closes himself into the bathroom. I dig out one of three dresses that I brought, relieved that I packed somewhat of a variety to choose from. I hand it to the attendant waiting at the bedroom entrance, and he assures me that our items will be returned in no longer than thirty minutes. He offers me a nod, and then he’s gone.

As soon as I’m alone, I reach for my phone again.

I promised my best friend a text.

As we ride down the elevator, Teddy fidgets with her little, black handbag. I reach up and wrap my fingers around the back of her neck, giving her a little squeeze. She looks up at me, reminding me just how fucking exquisite she really is, and I kiss her forehead.