Wright with Benefits, page 25
And now…here he was, offering to me on a silver platter.
Everything I’d ever wanted.
The residency. A cross-country move. The man of my dreams.
Except…was it what I wanted? Was it really?
“No,” I said softly.
Jordan’s brow furrowed. “No? You don’t want me to go?”
I laughed softly. “No. I think you were right last weekend.”
He looked cautious. “About what?”
“As much as I hadn’t wanted to hear it, Seattle was a pipe dream.”
“It can be real.”
I shook my head. This felt right. This felt more right than anything else. I’d wanted Seattle for no real reason except that I’d convinced myself that I wanted to get the hell out of Lubbock. But did I really want to go? When I stopped to think about it, it didn’t even feel real. My best friends were here. My parents and Isaac and Aly were here. Isaac and Peyton’s wedding was happening soon. And Jordan…Jordan was here with his family, too. If I wanted something with him, would he hate that I’d taken him away? As much as he thought I’d hate him for taking away Seattle? How could I leave when I had everything right here?
“I could,” I said carefully. “I can’t even believe that you managed to circumvent the ranking system. Is there anything a Wright can’t do?” He laughed, a real smile hitting his features. “But we’d just decided on Seattle because I’d always said I wanted to leave. At the end of the day, if I’d wanted to leave, wouldn’t I have done it a lot sooner? I love Lubbock. Everyone I love is here. So, when the choice came, it was so easy to change my order, Jordan. Too easy. I did it as soon as we found out about your mom. It was almost like I never really wanted to go in the first place.”
“Fuck,” he breathed. “That same night?”
“Yes. I’d been planning to surprise you the night of the party. To tell you that we didn’t have to move to Seattle. We could stay here with your mom and be happy. But then…”
“Then I went and fucked it up.”
“Yes, you did.” I laughed as he pulled me into a hug. “You fucked everything up.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything I said and did that day.” He tilted my face up to look at him. “I thought I was making it better by fixing the Seattle situation.”
“You were,” I said. “I’m not sure I would have known you were serious before then. That you really wanted this.”
“Of course, I want this to work. I’d do anything for you, Annie. I’m in love with you.”
“You’re…in love with me?” I whispered.
He nodded, drawing me a little closer and brushing a strand of my red hair off of my face. “Unequivocally.”
And I saw it for the truth. Jordan Wright loved me. He’d gone above and beyond to fix my future…our future. I said that I’d hear him out, listen to what he had to say. This didn’t sound like a man still in a temper. This sounded like the man who took care of me and adored all of my eccentricities and loved me…unequivocally.
And my own feelings were so clear in that moment.
So real and so raw.
Jordan Wright was the only person who had made me feel complete. If I didn’t hide from myself, I knew that he was the only person I wanted. The only person that I could imagine spending my life with. I’d run from him long enough. No more excuses.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said carefully. “But this week has been torture without you.”
I laughed softly. “You could have come in person instead of sending gifts.”
“What would have been the fun in that?” he asked. “I think I won your friends over before you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Was that planned?”
“It wasn’t. Just a bonus. My only concern was you.” He cupped my jaw. “I love you, Annie. I love you and I missed you and I want to be with you. What do you want?”
I smacked his arm as I tried to keep from crying. “I want to be with you, Jordan. Of course, I do. I just…I don’t want what happened Saturday to be my life.”
“Never,” he insisted. “I can’t promise that I won’t get mad again, but I would never risk losing you. I’m not going to shut you out. You get all of me.”
“I like that,” I admitted.
“Can you forgive me?”
“If you keep sending cupcakes,” I joked.
He laughed, bringing his lips down, almost hesitantly onto mine. “All the cupcakes you want.”
“I’m holding you to that, Wright.”
“Everything I am is yours.” The kiss deepened as he drew my mouth open, brushing his tongue against mine.
“I love you,” I whispered against his mouth.
“I love you, too.” He kissed me again, harder, full of promise.
And when he pulled back, he removed my ring from his coat pocket and held it out to me.
“Can I get back to guarding your heart?”
The tears came for real this time, and I nodded emphatically as he slid the ring into place on my hand. Where I never intended to remove it again.
Epilogue
The grand opening for Wright Vineyard was finally here. Everyone had been working day and night to get it up to tip-top shape. The new harvest of grapes wouldn’t be in yet, but the barn, cellars, and grounds were officially ready. Tours would be happening. Cosmere had one free weekend to come to Lubbock to perform. And the town was buzzing about the new venture.
Not to mention, Jordan’s attorney had made it perfectly clear to the Sinclairs what would happen if they did anything to mess with this opening. So, it was unlikely that the ghost of the vineyard would rear its head.
The front entrance was teeming with people for the exclusive Cosmere show. Apparently, people had started lining up hours ago. It was madness. I guessed the last show getting broken up by the police had really made everyone want to come.
They’d actually hired security this time. I flashed my staff lanyard and bypassed the line and went into the barn. The barn had gone fully minimalist to account for all the people. Jordan had gotten expanded capacity approved for the concert. Another precaution against the Sinclairs.
“Hey, Nora!” I called as I jogged up to her. “Seen my boyfriend?”
She graduated two weeks ago and had fully nose-dived into the vineyard. I could already see her touch everywhere.
“I think he’s backstage.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey,” she said, tapping my tank top. “Do you see that?”
I glanced over to where she nodded her head to find Jennifer with her camera around her neck and Julian standing in front of her. They were both laughing at whatever he was saying.
“Oh,” I said softly with a wide smile.
“Yeah. He went right over to her when she showed up.”
“Really?”
“Will report back on the adorable flirting.”
“Definitely. Let me know. I thought Jennifer was on her ninety days no guys kick.”
Nora shrugged. “She mentioned that to me after that abominable date last week. All about how she was—how did she put it?—focusing on loving herself first.”
“Yeah. That’s what she said to me, too. How long do you think she’ll hold out if Julian pursues this?”
“A week,” Nora said with a laugh.
“I’ll take that bet,” I said, winking at her as I disappeared to find Jordan.
I was happy for Jennifer.
This spring, she’d gone through a string of bad dates. Like really bad dates. She’d put herself out there, and it had backfired wildly. I didn’t know if she’d go for Julian again, but I couldn’t wait to find out.
I bypassed security to get backstage and found the entirety of Cosmere lounging around at a long table. I tried to suppress my flutter of fangirling. Campbell was a totally normal guy. Why wouldn’t the rest of them be the same?
“Annie!” Campbell said, jumping up from his seat and dragging me over to the rest of the band. He’d been back a few times since the last show. He claimed Lubbock brought him inspiration, and he was writing like he hadn’t in years.
“Annie, this is the band. Yorke on guitar.” He pointed to a tall, broad guy with hair pulled into a man bun and a full beard. “Vivian on bass.”
“Viv,” she corrected him. “Just call me Viv.”
Viv had electric-purple hair cut into a sharp bob. She was a stunner.
“This is Santi,” Campbell said, pointing to the drummer in a destroyed black T-shirt and a pair of drumsticks. “And Michael on keys.”
Michael had short black curls and honey eyes that the girls went wild for. Not speaking from experience…
“Nice to meet you all,” I said a little breathlessly. “I was looking for Jordan.”
“Oh, he just stepped out.”
I nodded at them all again, trying to ignore the fangirling, and headed to the back entrance. Just as I got to it, Jordan opened the door.
“Annie.”
“Hey, I was looking for you.”
He tugged me tight against him and pressed his lips against mine. “I missed you.”
“You too.”
Jordan was true to his word. There had been no repeat of what had happened. Not even a sign of his fury. It wasn’t completely gone, of course. Nothing could just disappear, but we were working on it together. He’d come a long way.
“I do have someone that I want you to meet though.”
“You do?” I asked in surprise.
He hadn’t mentioned that anyone else was coming to the opening.
“Yeah. It was unexpected for me. Julian doesn’t even know yet.”
I arched my eyebrows. “Who—”
But my question was cut off by the man who stepped into the back entrance of the winery with all the presence of a Wright. He looked so much like Jordan and Julian that there was no denying that this was their father.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
“Annie, this is my dad.”
Owen Wright stuck his hand out. “Annie, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s truly a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I’d heard a lot about Owen over the years. That he was a terrible father, tried to steal the company from Morgan, and generally ruined his sons’ lives. But since Jordan and I had gotten back together, I’d also heard all the good stories about Owen. The ones that he’d tried not to remember in all of his anger at his dad. I’d known that they were trying for some sort of reconciliation. I just hadn’t expected…well, this.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I said as I shook his hand.
“I think I have you to thank for this,” Owen said.
“Me?”
“Yes, I think you’re the cause for this all-new Jordan. I’m proud of how far he’s come and happy that he’s found someone so incredible in his life.”
I flushed at the compliment. “I’m just glad that he’s happy.”
“And I am,” Jordan said, slipping a hand around my waist.
“Well, we should do dinner while I’m in town,” Owen said. “Maybe Julian and his girlfriend could come, too.”
Jordan winced. “Julian isn’t seeing anyone right now. But the three of us would be great.”
“Agreed,” Owen said. “I’m going to go find him before this concert gets started and I miss the chance.”
Jordan looked conflicted about it but eventually let him go. His dad disappeared from backstage to find Julian.
“This is a huge step, Jordan.”
“Yeah. We’re really doing better. Julian still doesn’t want to talk to him though. So…I don’t know how that conversation is going to go.”
“It’s going to be fine,” I assured him. “The show is about to start anyway. So, they won’t have long to talk.”
“It won’t take long for my dad to screw it up. Maybe I should…”
“Let Julian deal with his own problems. You can’t protect him from everything.”
“I know,” he said finally. “Still hard.”
I pressed another kiss to his lips, and he pulled me back out of the barn. Cosmere was set to go on any minute. I could hear that they’d let in the massive crowd from outside. I giggled as Jordan pushed me into the side of the barn.
“Hooking up behind the barn. So original.”
He laughed and buried his head into my neck, as his hands roamed under my tank top.
“Hey,” he said, leaning his forehead against mine.
“Hey,” I breathed.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“What do you think of this?”
“Of what? Us?”
“Sure.”
I ran my hand down his chest and tugged him closer by his belt. “I like us.”
He kissed me again. “What do you think about moving in?”
My eyes rounded. “To the barn?”
He laughed and kissed me again firmer. “Move in with me, Annie.”
“Well, I need to talk to Jen. She’d have to find a new roommate or get a new place.”
“Is that a yes?”
“I’ll think about it.”
He kissed me again. “Move in with me.”
I giggled. “Yes, yes, yes. Of course, I want to move in with you.”
“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
“Pushy,” I said as a joke.
He winked at me and then pulled my hand up to his lips. He pressed a kiss to the claddagh ring he’d gotten me, which I still to this day never took off.
“Going to have to get used to that, love.” He looked down at the ring. “And maybe get you another ring.”
My eyes rounded. “Jordan! One thing at a time.”
He chuckled as he pulled me back to him while the first notes of Cosmere’s hit song “I See the Real You” started up. He wrapped an arm around me, and we started slow-dancing to the upbeat music.
“Fine. One thing at a time. But I want everything with you, Annie. I want you in my house, in my bed, wearing my ring, with my name.”
“You want me to be a Wright?”
“With benefits.”
“Of course,” I said with a laugh. “I might find this acceptable.”
“Good. Annie Wright has a nice ring to it.”
“It sure does.” I shivered at the words. “Should we go back inside?”
He just held me closer. “I think I’ll stay out here and enjoy this dance with my future wife.”
I snuggled closer to him, still unable to believe that after all that we’d gone through, we were right here, in this moment. This unimaginable moment of utter perfection.
Jordan Wright was mine, and I was his.
Benefits and all.
Thank you so much for reading WRIGHT WITH BENEFITS! I hope you enjoyed Annie & Jordan’s story. I loved my feisty redhead and the man that finally got her to settle down.
Next up is Julian & Jennifer in SERVES ME WRIGHT! “When Julian Wright asks me to be his fake date for a charity function, who am I to say no? It serves me Wright to think that I won’t fall for him.” Turn the page for a sneak peek!
* * *
More Wright on the way:
Julian & Jennifer: Serves Me Wright
Hollin & Piper: Wright Rival
Campbell & Blaire: Wright that Got Away
Nora: All the Wright Moves
See where the Wrights started in The Wright Brother, available for FREE! USA Today Bestselling author Jillian Dodd said it was “hotter than a Texas summer.” I’d dated his brother. He didn’t remember and I wished I could forget…
Or if you want something more like Cruel Intentions meets Gossip Girl for adults, try CRUEL MONEY. “I don't care that I'm Manhattan royalty and she's the help. Only that she's living in my summer home. With me. And I want more.”
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TURN THE PAGE TO READ A SNEAK PEEK OF MY NEXT BOOK SERVES ME WRIGHT…
Serves Me Wright
Chapter One — Jennifer
My smile was fake. I’d perfected that look of a perfectly pleasant exterior as my insides roiled and I wondered how the hell I could escape this guy. Why had I ever agreed to go on a date with him? It had clearly ruined everything.
New rule: don’t date anyone that you work with.
“Oh, that’s nice Evan,” I said, taking a step backward.
Evan moved forward again, swinging his Canon around as if it hadn’t cost him a small fortune. He’d been my second shooter on a dozen wedding all over the country, and it had seemed like a great idea to ask him to shoot the grand opening of Wright Vineyard.
That was before I’d agreed to go on a date with him. The worst date of my entire life.
“Maybe after we’re done, we can head out for a drink,” he suggested.
I bit my lip. I’d decided after our last date that I was going to go cold turkey no guys for ninety days. After a string of horrendous dates, truly horrendous dates, I just couldn’t stomach it. I wanted the summer all to myself.
But saying no was easier said than done when I’d spent my entire life doing what everyone else asked of me. It was time to be more like my best friends, Annie and Sutton. They got what they wanted. I wanted that too.
“I don’t know, Evan,” I hedged.
“Ten o’clock downtown?”
“I…”
“Perfect.”
My eyes were wild with alarm at the stupid word that wouldn’t escape my lips. How hard was it to just say no to a guy? No, I don’t want to date you. No, I don’t want to sit through another dinner where you talk about yourself. No, I don’t want to hear how much better you think you are than me. Just no.
