Return To Sender (The Hart Brothers Book 2) Read online

  Return To Sender

  J. S. Cooper

  Copyright © 2020 by J. S. Cooper

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Blurb

  When Savannah Carter takes a job as a personal assistant in upstate New York, she never expects to be working for a man like Wade Hart. With his sparkling green eyes and devious smile, he is a man she both hates and adores. When their professional relationship becomes more intimate, Savannah is ecstatic … until she hears a phone call that changes everything.

  “I never should have hired her, she can ruin everything.”

  Those words whispered by Wade on the phone shock her, but before she can confront him about what she's heard, he disappears, leaving only a cryptic note behind.

  Suddenly Savannah’s “too good to be true” job seems to be exactly that. What are the secrets that Wade is hiding from her? How is she a threat to him? And just who is her mysterious new friend Gordon, and why is he so insistent on being in her life?

  While Savannah’s heart is falling for Wade, her brain is telling her to run. Can the man who ignites her hidden passions be her happily ever after? Or should she heed the warnings and run back to New York City before she gets burned?

  To my Uncle Gordon, may your soul live on.

  Chapter 1

  “I’ve fucked up, Henry. I can never let her know the truth. This whole thing was a mistake. A huge mistake. I never should have created that ad. She can destroy everything. Absolutely everything. I never should have let Savannah Carter into our lives. If she learns the truth, our lives will be ruined.”

  I trembled as I stood there. I knew I should say something—anything. I needed to let Wade know that I was there and listening, but I was too scared. The lack of emotion in his voice made me shiver. What was he talking about? What did he mean by saying his life would be ruined if I learned the truth? What truth? And then I remembered his mother’s note. What had she said exactly? Something about me not knowing everything and not being good enough for her son. And had she mentioned bodies being buried in the forest or was I remembering that incorrectly? I chewed on my lower lip, wishing now that I hadn’t ripped up the note.

  I stepped back into the bathroom and walked back into the shower, allowing the water to warm my shivering body. My fingers went to my breasts and rubbed Wade’s dry cum off of my skin. Just moments ago, being with him had felt so sexy, and I had felt so wanted. Being in his arms had felt magical. Now, as my fingers moved to my thighs and between my legs, I wondered who this man was that I had let touch me so intimately. Already I could feel a hollow ache between my legs wanting to be filled again, but it now the feeling was tainted by unease. What secrets was Wade hiding from me? And how could I ruin everything?

  Memories and thoughts rushed through my mind as the water ran down my body. I knew the smart thing to do would be to leave, but I knew that I couldn’t. I was already too far in. I had given myself to him, and I wanted more. Wade was like a drug: dangerous but addictive. I wanted him in my veins.

  The very thought of him made me shiver with nervous anticipation.

  Wade poked his head through the bathroom door. “Hey, Savannah, are you coming out anytime today? I’m hungry.”

  “Feel free to start eating without me,” I shouted over the sound of the water. I stood very still, wondering if he was going to join me in the shower. I hoped he couldn’t tell from my voice that something had changed in the minutes we’d been apart.

  “I can’t.” His voice got closer and I trembled again despite the steam.

  “Why not? I brought the pizza into the room. You can go ahead and eat without me.”

  “That’s not what I want to eat.” He opened the shower door and stared at me, his eyes glittering with an odd intensity. I trembled under his gaze and wanted to roll my eyes at myself. Was I a fair maiden from the 1500s?

  “Now, are you nearly done or what?” His eyes ravished my body and the steamy air between us crackled with lust.

  Despite everything, I couldn’t help smiling at him. “I’ll be out soon. Is everything okay?” My small attempt to figure out what was going on felt weak, even to myself.

  “Why wouldn’t it be?” There’s a smile on his face still, but there was something flinty in his eyes. All I had to do was tell him I’d heard his conversation with Henry, but something held me back. Maybe it was because I didn’t think he would tell me the truth. Maybe it was because I was worried about what he’d say if he knew I’d been eavesdropping. Maybe it was because I was scared to hear something that would turn me off forever. Or maybe, and this was an even scarier thought, what he had to tell me would be awful and I still wouldn’t be able to bring myself to leave.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Did I scare you off by saying I loved you?”

  “You don’t love me.” He shook his head, the smile dropping for a few seconds. “That was post-coital bliss talking, that’s all.”

  “That’s it, huh?” I didn’t know whether to be offended that he was dismissing my feelings, though I almost hoped he was correct. I didn’t want to be in love with this man. No matter how good of a love maker he was.

  “Yeah, that’s it.” He blinked a couple of times and then he said softly. “I have to go away for a bit. I’ll leave you instructions on what to do while I’m gone.”

  “What do you mean, go away for a bit?”

  “I mean I have to take a trip. I need to take care of some business.” His eyes shifted away from me. “I’ll be gone a week or two, maybe more.”

  “I see.” Though I really didn’t. Why hadn’t he mentioned this trip before? He was my boss— surely it would have slipped that he had a business trip today? What was going on here?

  “Are you going to miss me?” he teased as he took a step into the shower.

  “Hmmm, I’m not sure.” I splashed him with some water. “I’m trying to shower, Wade.”

  “Don’t you mean, The Wade?”

  “No, there is no way I’m calling you The Wade.” I rolled my eyes. “Or The Wade Hart, either.” I gasped as he pulled me toward him and kissed my neck. “Don’t you think you should take your boxers off?”

  “I thought you could do that for me.” He chuckled as his hand slid around my waist. “And then there are a few more things you could do for me as well.” His hand moved down to my ass and squeezed. “Though maybe we should get you some real food first. We need to ensure you’ve got enough energy.”

  “I think I’d like that.” My stomach growled in agreement.

  “Are you hungry or just really excited to see me?” He chuckled and brushed back the wet hair that was plastered across my face so that he could stare into my eyes. “Sometimes I look at you and I can’t quite believe how beautiful you are.”
>
  “I’m not beautiful.” I reached up and touched his face. “You’re the beautiful one.”

  He grinned. “I prefer the term handsome.”

  “Why? Don’t you like to be called beautiful?”

  “Ruggedly sexy, yes. Handsome as sin, yes. Sex on legs, yes. Beautiful, no.” He wrinkled his nose. “Beauty is delicate and sweet, like you. I’m anything but.”

  “So, you’re saying you’re not delicate and sweet?”

  “Would you say that I’m delicate and sweet?”

  “No.” I chewed on my lower lip and pressed myself against him. “Is there anything you want to tell me, Wade?” I asked softly, praying he would laugh and say something like, Savannah, I never intended on falling in love and you’ve ruined my lifelong dream of being a bachelor. That would make everything okay. That would mean that he wasn’t messed up in anything bad.

  “Tell you?” He looked confused. “You mean like what I want to eat tomorrow?”

  “No.” I grabbed the soap and looked away from him. Did he really think I cared about what he wanted to eat tomorrow? As if feeding him were the first thing on my mind after giving myself to him for the first time in my life. Thanks for taking my virginity, Wade. Oh, and would you like fries with that?

  I bit down on my lower lip to stifle a giggle that threatened to burst out of me. It wasn’t funny, really, but I felt like I was on the verge of hysteria. My body was still buzzing from what Wade and I had just done, and I wanted a moment to enjoy it before I started to analyze the conversation I’d just heard. So much had happened, so many thoughts and feelings were rushing through me, and I felt like I needed a chance to catch up.

  “Savannah, are you okay?” Wade’s voice was soft, but there was a strange harshness to his expression. “Are you upset? Do you regret what we did?” He sounded sad. “Do you think I took advantage of—”

  “Not at all.” I stepped forward and touched his chest. “I wanted you. I wanted you to be my first. I wanted it all.”

  “Good.” He leaned down and kissed me. “You’re a special girl, Savannah.”

  I wanted to ask him if that was really true, but I didn’t dare. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answer. Sometimes it was better to not ask questions if you weren’t sure if you’d like the answers.

  Chapter 2

  The warm sunlight on my face woke me up, and I stretched happily in the luxurious sheets before turning on my side. I frowned when I noticed that Wade’s side of the bed was empty.

  I listened for the sound of water running in the bathroom, but I heard nothing, so he wasn’t in the shower. I sat up in the bed and carefully pulled down the sheets to study my naked body. I looked the same, even if I didn’t feel the same. There was a slight ache between my legs, a fullness and a roughness that I’d never felt before, but it wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, it just reminded me of the fact that Wade had been inside of me the night before. My face flushed red as I thought about the fact that I’d lost my virginity to Wade Hart. In the light of the day, it almost felt surreal to think that we’d made love. It had been magical. Even though it had initially hurt, the pleasure I’d experienced was definitely something I could get used to.

  “Wade!” I pulled the sheet off of the bed and wrapped it around my naked body as I got out of bed. “Wade, are you in there?” I peered into the bathroom, but it was dark and empty. Maybe he’d gone to the kitchen to make me breakfast in bed. I grinned at the thought. I hoped he was making pancakes. Blueberry pancakes. That would be delicious. I opened the door and poked my head into the hallway.

  “Wade, are you in the kitchen?” I waited for a response, but none came. Frowning, I walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. It was empty. “Damn it.” I made my way to the French doors and went outside to see if he was swimming. I pictured Wade and I making love in the pool but soon realized he wasn’t there either.

  “Where the hell are you?” I mumbled to myself as I walked back into the house. I made my way to the fridge to grab some orange juice and it was then that I saw an envelope with my name on it on the table, propped up next to a glass. A sense of foreboding filled me as I and picked it up. I ripped it open and pulled out a letter.

  To Ms. Savannah Carter,

  I have to go away for a week or so. My mother will also be gone. There is a stack of files on the desk in the library for you to deal with. I will email you soon with some more tasks.

  Sincerely,

  The Wade Hart (or, as you called me last night, Big Daddy)

  “I never called you big daddy, asshole.” I dropped the letter onto the table. Why hadn’t he told me that he had to go out of town first thing in the morning? Wasn’t that something you would have told your assistant? I chewed on my lower lip. Maybe he’d left because of me. Maybe he regretted having sex with me. Or rather, regretted the fact that he’d had sex with me and I’d been a virgin.

  “And you told him you thought you loved him,” I groaned. “Why, Savannah, why?” Tears pricked the back of my eyelids. Had I been used for a night of hot sex? Was Wade now scared that I might have developed real feelings? “Ms. Savannah Carter” didn’t exactly sound intimate.

  I took a deep breath and headed to my room. I would not let myself cry. I would not allow myself to wallow and feel sorry about what had happened. I had made a decision and I had enjoyed that decision. Wade hadn’t promised me anything and I hadn’t promised him anything. In fact, he had been nothing but honest about what we were doing. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He hadn’t been completely honest. Not if his words of the previous night had been correct. What had I heard him saying again? “I’ve fucked up, Henry. I can never let her know the truth. This whole thing was a mistake. A huge mistake. I never should have created that ad. She can destroy everything. Absolutely everything. I never should have let Savannah Carter into our lives. If she learns the truth, our lives will be ruined.”

  I wished now that I’d marched into the room and demanded to know what he’d been talking about. It wasn’t as if I’d been deliberately eavesdropping on him. And it wasn’t as if he could lie about the conversation if he’d known I’d heard him. But whatever it was, Henry knew as well. And Henry was a sweetheart. He wouldn’t be involved in anything nefarious, would he? But as I opened my bedroom door, I realized I really had no idea if Henry could be involved in anything bad. I barely knew the man.

  I decided to have a shower and call Lucy. She’d be shocked, of course. I mean, I’d been shocked as well. I felt slightly guilty and slightly giddy as I thought about my call with Lucy. What would she say, and would she hate Wade when I told her about the conversation I’d overheard?

  “Stop overthinking it, Savannah,” I lectured myself as I walked into the bathroom. “It is what it is, and what it will be is up to you.”

  “Lucy, are you sitting down?” I knew I sounded melodramatic, but if there was ever a time in my life that I could justify being dramatic, it was now.

  “No, I’m walking Jolene and I’m not about to sit down in the street. Why?”

  “I’m about to tell you something absolutely crazy.” I could have been Lady Macbeth the way my voice was carrying across the room. “Sorry, let me speak a little bit quieter. How’s Jolene doing, by the way? Shall we Facetime?”

  “Like I said, I’m in the street.” Lucy laughed. “I know there are many things that pass in New York City, but I don’t want to be one of those rude people carrying on a video conversation while I’m walking down the street with my dog that is stopping to piss every few seconds.” She paused. “Also, I thought it was only male dogs that marked their territory? Jolene is trying to piss on every pole we see.”

  “She’s an alpha.” I laughed. “And she’s probably horny. She wants all the male dogs to smell her.”

  Lucy groaned.

  “Erm, talking about horny …” I knew my segue wasn’t the smoothest, but I was dying to tell her about my night.

  “I didn’t know that we were talking about horny—” Luc
y gasped. “Jolene, no! Jolene, come here! Ugh, this dog!”

  “Sorry, Lucy, but thank you for taking care of her.” I felt guilty as I knew that Jolene wasn’t the easiest dog to walk. “I totally owe you. When I get back to the city, I’ll buy you a Cartier watch or a Gucci bag or something.”

  “Actually, I’d love a Ferragamo studio bag in pine green. This actress came into the office and she had one, and it was to die for. It’s made from ostrich leather. Did you even know there was such a thing?”

  “Ostrich leather? What?” I laughed. “Do they have to skin the ostriches? I can’t imagine it looks good. They’re such ugly creatures.”

  “No idea, but it is to die for, I tell you. Absolutely gorgeous, and it’s only ten grand.” She burst out laughing. “Can you believe I said it’s only ten grand, what world am I living in?”

  “I slept with Wade!” I burst out, not able to hold it in anymore.

  “You what?” It was Lucy’s turn to shout. “Did I hear you correctly? You had THE SEX with Wade Hart?”

  “Well, technically I had the sex with The Wade Hart.” I giggled.

  “Oh, my days, I do need to sit down.” Lucy sounded shocked. “Tell me all. Did it hurt? Was it amazing? Do you feel different? Do you love him?”

  “Yes, it hurt a little but not for long. Yes, it was so amazing. I feel kinda different, and ugh, I don’t want to talk about love.” I paused and lowered my voice. “So now I have the exciting bit out of the way, I need to be more serious. There’s something weird going on here.”