Meant to Be Read online

  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  CONNECT WITH ME!

  Meant to Be

  Lucy Darling

  Meant to Be

  Leo Ridgeway has spent his life building an empire for the girl he’s always called his. She brings him to life with nothing more than a smile or a touch. A social butterfly, her wings are too beautiful to clip. He’s resigned himself to being her best friend and letting her grow... for now.

  Rochelle Jackson has been in love with Leo her whole life. He treats her like the little sister he never had. He runs his billionaire empire with an iron fist, but when it comes to her, he only gives her sweetness. Unbeknownst to him, she wants much more than that. She has to know if he’s willing to give her every part of him.

  But if Leo doesn’t stop keeping his distance, his brilliant butterfly might get away.

  “If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart… I'll always be with you.”

  – Winnie the Pooh

  1

  Leo

  I pull at the collar of my suit as I watch Ro throw clothes out of her closet. She really needs a bigger one. She has one actually but she just doesn’t know it yet. She knows of it but doesn’t know it belongs to her. When I had the Ridgeway Estate updated last year I’d listened to every suggestion she’d made as I worked with the interior designer. Whenever her eyes would go wide on something the designer showed me, I knew she really liked it and that one was the winner. I might not be able to have her yet but I sure as hell could get the life I plan to have with her started. If there is one thing I’m good at it’s always being prepared.

  “This.” She strolls out a moment later in a boxy-looking suit. It’s square and hides all her luscious curves. I know she is trying to look professional. It’s her first day and all. I’m not sure how I wound up standing in her bedroom. Oh that’s right. She texted me to come over and I came running, as usual. She said she was having a problem. I didn’t realize the problem was finding something to wear. If it were up to me she’d be covered in the finest of silks and diamonds.

  “So?” she prompts again when I don’t say anything because my mind has gone off to its normal dirty thoughts of her. I can’t shake the image of her in barely-there silky white panties and my ring on her finger. I try to concentrate on what she’s actually showing me but I’m distracted. I need to stop being selfish and give her the attention she deserves.

  She does a small turn. The suit hides every perfect inch of her. I wonder where she got the thing. She always wears sundresses full of colors. In the winter she insists on wearing them but she pairs them with leggings and a jacket. I’ve never seen her in a suit in my life. Let alone in such mute coloring. It’s not her.

  “Perfect.” If she picked it then it is. I don’t care what she wears at the end of the day as long as it makes her happy. In fact, that shapeless thing she has on now will actually put me more at ease. I hadn’t noticed how many swinging dicks worked for me until Ro asked if I was hiring. I wasn’t hiring, but when she asked, there was no telling my girl no. I’m not sure she’s ever heard me say those words to her before. To anyone else, all the fucking time. She is the exception to the rule and I’m pretty sure she knows that. No one else gets away with the things she does. I pretty much allow her to get away with murder when she’s around me.

  “You sure?” Her emerald gaze lands on mine. She tilts her head, sending her shiny locks of hair falling off her shoulder. She gives me a half smile, making her deep dimples show. That’s the one place I’ve actually kissed her a thousand times. It is also the only place. I probably shouldn’t even be doing that but every time she goes to leave I pull her to me and kiss one of those dimples before I say goodbye. It is the only thing I can have for now. Many nights I’ve stayed awake dreaming about kissing her plump cherry red lips but that’s not our reality at this point in our lives. In time hopefully it will be. Everything that I do now when it comes to Ro is in preparation for our future. She may not admit it yet but she’s meant to be mine.

  “Yep,” I clip out. I’m never sure with her. I think she needs more time before I spring on her that there is a her and me. This best friend crap is bullshit. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I am her fucking best friend but we are more than that. Pretty sure best friends don’t jack off to thoughts of each other. The only friend I had before my sweet angel was her brother.

  Like the bastard I am, I hired him to run my offices in New York after he graduated from college so that he wouldn’t stand in my way. I stayed here in Seattle where Ro is. The girl who has lived her whole life a floor below mine. I’ve known her for every part of her life. I’ve watched her mature from a girl to who she is now. A beautiful, funny, and caring individual. Someone like her only comes around once in a lifetime. Thank fuck she’s mine.

  She is eighteen now. That makes her a woman. Her body sure as fuck says she’s one too. I’ve been noticing that for longer than I should have been. It doesn’t matter though. She is destined to be mine. It is all a waiting game now. I am a few years older than her. Not many but enough that there is a small age gap between us. This has always been my hesitation when it came to Ro. I didn’t want her to get involved with me until she was ready. So I knew that I would need to settle for the best friend role. I took what I could get when it came to her. Whatever keeps me as close as possible and allows me to know every detail of her life.

  Soon she is going to be mine and I’ll take all of her. But I have to wait for her to finish growing up and making her own decisions in life. I remind myself for the millionth time. I was sure that I would have to wait another four years. It will be hell but I’d do it because I’ll do anything for her. If she wants to go to college then I’ll have to suffer through the next four years. I never want her to miss out on something she wants because I’m being selfish and want her here with me.

  I could start acting on my feelings now, my mind pushes. Or maybe that’s my dick. She’s graduated high school. Why can’t she be with me while she attends college? She’s going to try and start dating soon. I am surprised she hasn’t already. How the hell am I supposed to deal with that? I’d never felt such relief as when I’d asked her about her senior prom and she said she wasn’t going. I’d only asked because she never brought it up. It had me going insane for weeks while I waited for her to mention it. Finally I broke down.

  I toyed with the idea of making a giant donation to her school if they cancelled prom. Who knows if they would have gone for it but money talks and can get you a lot of things. I’m lucky that I haven’t had to pull that card. One thing money doesn’t get me is Ro. I don’t want to buy her. I want her to want me even if it’s only with a tenth of what I feel for her. I’ll take it. She is sunshine and warmth in my world. Everything I do revolves around her. I crave every part of her. Hell, I need her to live. No one makes me feel the way she does.

  “I want to do a good job.” She walks over to me, fixing my tie. I’ve been pulling on the damn thing because of her. Minutes ago she was naked in her closet only feet from me. I should be used to having a raging hard-on around her but I swear it gets worse every day. The inner battle I’ve been having with myself about waiting is starting to waiver. I’m not really sure how much longer I can cont
rol myself.

  She gives me those dimples again when she gets my tie right. This time I hadn’t meant to mess the thing up but I often do it so she can fix it. It’s a small way of getting her to give me all of her attention. I’ve always loved Ro but something started to shift over the years. My love for her grew into something more.

  I wasn’t used to someone doting on me since I’d lost my grandmother. Ro always did. Neither of us have mothers. We were both raised by single fathers. My dad was a bastard who is now six feet under and hers was more absent than anything. She was always looking after her brother and me even though she is younger than us. Then I went and took her brother away. I really am a bastard. I take a step back. Ro’s hands fall away from where she’s innocently placed them on my chest. I ache to grab them and put them back. I live for her touch.

  Maybe I am more like my father than I‘m willing to admit. Everything was always about him. It’s part of why I’ve been holding so strong on letting Ro grow up first. I wouldn’t snatch her away from the rest of the world for my own selfishness. I swear sometimes, though, she is baiting me to do just that. Here I am ready for her to be off to college and now she is going to be at my side every day. How the fuck am I going to make it through each day and get anything accomplished?

  “Wait! Do I need a dress or something for later?” She looks back to her closet. I grab her wrist, stopping her from going back into the closet. I need to get out of her bedroom. Everything smells like her. The scent of sweet sticky cotton candy lingers everywhere my Ro goes. It reminds me of how young she is. That I shouldn’t be doing this. I never should have agreed to hire her.

  “But I’m your buffer. I can’t go to a cocktail party in this,” she reminds me. I keep on pulling her from her room and down the hallway and out her front door.

  “I’ll send Cindy to get you something.” Her face scrunches at my suggestion. The same face she makes whenever she sees onions on something she is about to eat. The one that tells me she dislikes something. I know every expression that Ro has in her catalog. Believe me, I’ve studied them and I’m fluent in her facial expressions.

  “Do you not like Cindy?” I ask. The woman is good enough at her job but if Ro doesn’t like her then I’ll have to let her go.

  “She’s fine.” Ro schools her face. I can see her thinking for a moment before she finally speaks again. This time her voice is low, as if someone else is around to hear her. It’s only her and me in the elevator. Alone with that damn cotton candy smell filling up the space. “She dresses…” She trails off and I know whatever it is she wants to say is likely not the nicest. Where I have no problem being blunt, she is as sweet as she smells. “Different,” she finally gives.

  “Then pick something out online and I’ll have it brought to the office,” I offer. I try and think of what Cindy wears but my mind blanks. I never pay attention to the small details when it comes to others.

  “I guess.” She sighs. I start to rack my brain of what I can do to fix this because Ro clearly isn’t satisfied. “Then you can help me.” She perks up at that, fixing it herself. “I’m not sure what I should wear. I never get to go to these things.” She gives a small shrug and I’m not sure if it’s in disappointment or that she really doesn’t care. I hate that I have to wonder. Ro is changing lately. While her normal expressions have been the same as they have always been, there are some new ones mixed in that I can’t read. It’s driving me fucking insane. I don’t know what’s shifted in her but I feel like she’s hiding something from me or not giving me her all.

  I don’t go to these events either unless I have to. Since this charity is named after my family and I am the only one still alive and kicking, I have to go. It is the charity my grandmother started. This is how Ro came up with the brilliant idea of being my buffer. I complained about going to the event tonight. No one really wants to see me. I’d usually send a check; that’s all they really want.

  Ro reminded me I had to go. If people knew I’d be there it would bring others with big pocketbooks. They would think they’d get a chance to talk to me. That doesn’t help ease the fact I have to go. It only reminds me that everyone will be trying to talk to me. They will all be wanting something from me. I won’t have a team of people to keep the rest of the world at bay like I do at my office.

  Ro said it would be part of her job. She’ll be my buffer. Ro enjoys talking to people. She can talk forever. Her small talk game is second to none. I rather enjoy when she does it. I find it soothing to listen to her talk about anything and everything. It doesn’t matter what it is. It is the sound of her soft voice that calms me. It always has, even as a boy.

  “I’d love nothing more,” I tell her as the elevator dings. She can sit on my lap while she searches for a dress on my computer. Too bad that isn’t how this will play out. The elevator doors open and I pull her out with me. I still haven’t let go of her wrist. I’m not going to until she makes me. Even as I usher her into my waiting car, I hold on to her as I slide in behind her before my driver closes the door. I’ll take all the touches I can. I tell myself it’s the only thing that is keeping me from taking her too soon. It’s a lie because as my fingers start to stroke her wrist I know this is only adding fuel to the already raging fire inside of me.

  2

  Rochelle

  I close my eyes for a moment enjoying the feel of Leo’s touch on my skin. When he touches me my mind often blanks. A soothing feeling falls over me. He’s always done that for me. Maybe it is his stoic demeanor that has a calming sensation over me. He seems to have everything together, which calms me. Even when I feel as though I’m a train wreck, a simple touch from him puts me back on track. Many people think he is cold but I’ve never felt that from him. Even now, as his fingers drift back and forth on my skin, all I feel is his warmth. He is always kind and caring with me. It’s why I’ve grown to love him. It started when I was a little girl. I loved him then like I loved my own brother. Then my teenage years hit and I crushed on him so hard. I thought it was only a stage but every year that has passed has only made me fall deeper. I’ve never even considered anyone else because I know they’ll never measure up to my Leo.

  Oh, I know without a doubt that the man can be cold. He keeps most people at an arm's length and doesn’t speak unless he wants to. People find him rude because of it. I don’t. It is who he is but I also know that I can always get him to talk to me. Leo doesn’t talk much because he’s always listening. You can’t get anything past him. Maybe If I didn't talk so much I would catch more small details myself. My friend Noal says I miss things that are right in my face because I’m too busy carrying on about everything else. I have a ton of energy and I use talking to get rid of it. Sitting still is not in my skill set. I’m always moving and talking about something. I used to get offended when people would point it out but now I embrace it. The only time that I get a little more quiet is when I’m with Leo. It’s those times that I find myself relaxing and enjoying being near him. It’s either that or my attraction to him gets me tongue-tied.

  I do talk a lot. It annoys my father more than anyone. Over the years I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut for the most part when he is around. When being the key word here. It isn’t often that I see him. Especially over the past few years. Those thoughts sadden me so I push them to the back of my mind to revisit another time.

  I try to pull it back with other people because I can see how it can be annoying but I often wind up rattling on anyway. I have a need in me to fill the silence. It’s different when it comes to Leo though. When I do it with him it’s because I want to tell him every detail. I need him to be a part of everything I do even if he didn’t experience it with me.

  A car horn sounds, breaking me from my stolen moment of enjoying his finger stroking my skin. I look over to Leo, who is staring at me with his dark eyes. He always is. “What?” I reach up and wipe my mouth, thinking I have toothpaste on my face or something. His eyes are homed in on my lips so I automatically assume t
here’s something there.

  “Did you eat?”

  “I forgot,” I admit knowing he isn’t going to like that answer.

  “I’ll have Cindy get your favorite.” He pulls out his phone, firing off a text one-handed because he still hasn't let my wrist go. He has to know he’s still holding it. I guess it’s not like holding hands. Friends don’t hold hands, right? But a wrist. What level is that? That could be sister level, which I'm pretty sure is where he’s put me.

  I feel like we’re more than best friends at this point but I can’t get Leo to budge. He and my brother Colden are close but I think I’m closer to Leo than anyone else. Colden lives all the way in New York now and the distance has caused them to drift a bit. Leo is my best friend, and with how grumpy he is with everyone else I think I’m his only friend here. There is his personal assistant, Hillary, but she gets paid to put up with his crap. Wait; there is Cindy, too. I fight an eyeroll at the thought of her. I know that she’s only an employee and Leo definitely doesn’t consider her a friend.

  Leo is always sending Cindy out to do things for me. I can tell she hates when he asks her to do it. If he has an inkling that I want something, she’s the one he usually sends to get it for me. Him sending people to get me things never bothered me before but his two previous assistants were men. Cindy is a different story. I’m not sure of her intentions toward Leo. Hillary, on the other hand, has worked with Leo the longest as his main PA. Leo made her hire additional staff to help get the smaller things done like running out to get menial stuff. Hillary is busy enough and Leo was adamant about her delegating the smaller tasks. I love Hillary because she is the only other person that I know who will put Leo in his place. I wouldn’t put it past her if she told Leo to do things himself. I'm almost positive that’s what happened at some point. That’s why there are all these random new assistants coming and going. They were Leo’s way of keeping Hillary happy while still getting what he wanted.