Hello lovely readers...I have to tell you, my heart is breaking. I can't believe that GMW will be airing it's last episodes. I think I had exhausted all kinds of emotions this past couple of days. How can they possibly leave things the way they are? Cliff hanger much? I mean c'mon?! Seriously?!
The only thing that keeps me grounded is the fact that there are stories out there that fills my RUCAS addiction...and the fact that I can write my own story. Only, I feel sooo depressed to even write anything. Well I did write something but I'm not really feeling it (wrote it the day I found out that the show was cancelled). Anyways, since I've written the story already, I figured I should share it in case someone out there may appreciate it.
Let me know what you guys think...
I posted this story earlier and I might have vented a bit but I can assure people that my life is not SAD.
Guest - What a mean thing to say to someone you don't know. And I'd like to point out that I have written multiple stories for RUCAS and anyone can write anything given that this is a fandom. I don't know where your comment came from but it was uncalled for.
Working for Love
"And the last bachelor up for bids is..."
Lucas tuned out the auctioneer's voice and wondered for the millionth time how he'd gotten roped into this. A bachelor auction was definitely not his style — even on Valentine's Day. But, he reminded himself, this was for a good cause.
Tugging at the collar of his uniform, he shifted uneasily as the auctioneer continued his sales pitch. Should he smile? Pose? He just didn't feel comfortable up on stage with a blinding spotlight shining on him. He hoped he didn't look as nervous as he felt.
The auctioneer was driving up the bids — but all Lucas could hear was the roar of the crowd as women yelled out numbers and cheered each other on. Squinting into the lights, he tried to make out who was bidding on him, but to no avail.
Then, before he knew it, the gavel sounded. He'd been sold! But to who...?
He'd given Riley specific instructions to outbid anyone else, but with the Rogers deal about to reach critical mass, she could have been on the cell phone arranging a last meeting. His efficient assistant might be capable of keeping his chaotic business affairs in order, but even she couldn't arrange his schedule and bid at the same time.
"Congratulations," the auctioneer said with a grin. "You went for the most money. Things got pretty heated there at the end." The older man glanced at Lucas' dark blue jacket. "Women have a thing for men in uniform."
Lucas didn't want to think about the scratchy nineteenth-century British naval officer costume he'd been forced to wear. A bachelor auction hadn't been enough for the charity organizers. Instead they'd offered a chance to bid on "Military Men through Time." He consoled himself with the thought that a heavy jacket and too-tight pants were far better than the toga he'd seen one poor guy in earlier.
Lucas stepped off the stage and into the crowd of women. He ignored them as he searched for a tall brunette with a cell phone in one hand and an iPad in the other. He found her by the side of the stage. As he approached, she tore off a check and handed it to the woman in charge.
He grinned in relief. "I thought you might be on the cell setting up the Rogers meeting and miss the auction."
Riley accepted the receipt and tucked it into her large shoulder briefcase. "I took that call while we worked our way through Christopher Columbus and Henry the Eighth. You're flying out to see Allen Rogers first thing Monday morning. I've arranged for Legal to review the initial offer and I've put off the press conference until Tuesday. If the meeting goes well, we'll have it. If not, there's plenty of time to cancel it."
She rattled off the rest of the arrangements she'd made while he'd been busy preparing to be sold to the highest bidder.
As always, her efficiency impressed him. When his assistant of four years had retired nearly nine months ago to spend more time with her husband and grandchildren, he'd doubted she could be replaced. But Ivy Lee's last act had been to find him Riley. At first he'd balked at the idea of a pretty woman in her twenties sitting in the office next to his. His assistant had to travel with him, be available seven days a week and generally keep his life in order. Foolish young women only interested in the latest fashions or finding a man need not apply.
But despite his misgivings, Riley had proved herself to be even better than he'd thought possible. Without her keeping his life running smoothly, Friar Industries would not be on the verge of closing a multibillion-dollar deal.
He glanced at the well-dressed crowd. "Let's get out of here before they rope us into staying for lunch."
Riley nodded and led the way to the waiting limo. As she walked, she stuffed her iPad and cell phone into her briefcase. She was shaking so much that she thought she might drop them.
What had seemed like a really cool idea at the time had instead turned into a nightmare. Knowing she only had herself to blame for the situation didn't make the knot in her stomach go away.
She could still get out of it, she told herself. All she had to do was tell Lucas that she'd used her own money instead of the company's and all would be made right. He would reimburse her and life would go on as before. Except then she might never get a chance at what she really wanted…to be seen as a person by the only man she'd ever loved.
Lucas held open the rear door of the limo, then climbed in after her.
"How much did you have to pay?" he asked as he began to unbutton his costume jacket.
"Four thousand dollars." Money that had just about cleaned out her savings account.
He raised his dark eyebrows. "Four thousand for twenty-four hours? Not a bad living." He shrugged out of the jacket. As he moved, his muscles clenched and released.
Tall, lean and strong, Lucas played as hard as he worked. Three mornings a week he spent an hour in the company gym. Riley knew, because she was usually there with him, going through her own exercise routine, with a small tape recorder tucked in her pocket. She took verbal notes, sometimes breathlessly, depending on her level of exercise and whether or not Lucas took off his shirt.
"Set up a brunch with the lawyers for Sunday," he said.
Nine months and fourteen days after she'd walked into his office for her initial interview and had been struck by lightning, Riley was finally prepared to do something about her completely foolish, completely inappropriate feelings. Because she couldn't go on like this anymore. Because she had to know if there was chance. Better to find out the truth, even if it was bad, than spend the rest of her life wondering.
"No," she said quietly.
"And then you can—" Lucas stared at her. "What did you say?"
She squared her shoulders. "No. You won't be having brunch with the lawyers on Sunday. You'll be with me. I didn't use the company check you gave me, Lucas. I used my own money and bought you myself. Starting Saturday at noon, you're mine for twenty-four hours."
Lucas couldn't have been more surprised if the limo had spoken. "You what?"
Riley's steady gaze never left his face. "I bought you myself. You're mine. I can schedule the brunch for Saturday, if you'd prefer." She reached for her cell phone.
Saturday would work, he thought, then mentally stumbled. Riley had bought him? "Why?" he asked.
He'd seen his assistant go without sleep when helping him close a big deal. She'd worked with the flu, through holidays and during an earthquake. He'd shown up at her apartment in the middle of the night, where she'd accepted the invasion with good grace and an offer of coffee. But he'd never seen her blush or look away.
She placed her hands on her hips — accentuating the generous curves usually hidden by her trademark boxy suit jackets. "Your work ethic is admirable, Lucas, but you really need to get out of the office and get a life."
"I have a life."
"You don't have a life," she said. "There is nothing for you but Friar Industries. You have no family, no social life. I want to show you that there's a whole world out there you need to acquaint yourself with."
He had a life. A good life. Yes, work consumed him, but what else was there?
"A nice thought," he said, "but not necessary. I'll reimburse you for the money."
"No."
No argument, no persuasion, just a simple refusal. He'd known Riley long enough to understand that when she dug in her heels, she couldn't be budged. That was one of the things he liked about her. She wasn't afraid to push back when she thought he was wrong.
"Riley, this is a busy time for me."
"It's always busy. That's how you like it. It's just twenty-four hours, Lucas. It's the weekend, and the markets are closed. Everyone else is going to be taking it easy, so you don't have to worry about the business."
"What if I promise to take a vacation in a few months?"
She shook her head. "We both know you'd be lying. I'll pick you up tomorrow at noon. Dress casual."
"You make me sound like a workaholic."
She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, not answering.
Lucas valued and respected Riley's opinion. She was a big reason for his success. She might be on the shy side when it came to social situations, but she had keen business insights. He didn't know what he'd do if he ever lost her. Together they were working toward a goal. "You really think I'm a workaholic?"
"When you aren't working, you're thinking or talking about work."
"My job is important to me." Growing up he'd worked to escape the confines of his hometown in Texas. Unlike his brothers, he never felt as if he fit in at his family's horse ranch. Lucas had always had dreams of striking it rich and finding success in the city. Once he started Friar Industries, he knew he'd found where he belonged and set to work. That wasn't being a workaholic. That was persevering toward a goal. "It takes hard work to succeed."
"No one questions the amount of work you do or your success, Lucas."
"I hear a 'but' coming."
"But there's more to life than a job."
His gaze met her clear, caramel eyes. "You're at the office almost as much as I am."
"Someone has to look out for you." She looked away before he could respond.
Riley pulled up in front of Lucas' building with her own—for the weekend anyway—sleek silver BMW convertible.
She'd moved from simply shaking to feeling nauseous—definitely not an improvement. Her best friend Maya might applaud Riley's tactics, but she would take her to task for lying.
"But I couldn't tell him the real reason I bid on him," Riley murmured as she waved at the doorman and made her way to the elevator. "Lucas sees me as a piece of office furniture, not a woman. Telling him I care about him would be as interesting to him as if the fax machine declared its affection. Telling him I'm doing this for his own good is better. Really."
Had Maya been there, the woman would have looked upset, even though she wouldn't have said anything. Maya was a firm believer of blunt honesty is the best policy.
Riley exited the elevator on the top floor and made her way to Lucas' penthouse. She was still rationalizing the decision to keep her feelings to herself as she pushed the bell.
She half expected him not to be there. After all, he'd grumbled under his breath the entire previous afternoon, complaining about all the work he would be missing. But he'd never actually refused. She tried to tell herself that was a good thing.
When the door opened, she braced herself for more complaints. Then she was glad she was braced because while Lucas in a suit made her heart beat faster and Lucas in workout clothes made her want to throw herself in front of him, Lucas in jeans and a snug-fitting polo shirt took her breath away.
Soft worn denim hugged strong thighs and narrow hips, while the deep red shirt emphasized broad shoulders. Her gaze rose to the set of his square jaw, to his firm mouth that smiled ever so slightly. Finally she looked at his eyes—mesmerizing and today filled with questions. As usual, his dark blonde hair was short and layered, with a single lock drifting onto his forehead.
How many times had she wanted to lean close and push that wayward strand back into place? How many times had they worked late, pouring over schedules, planning meetings, all the while sitting shoulder to shoulder, his masculine scent invading her body and making it nearly impossible to stay rational?
"Right on time," he said. "You told me casual. Does this work?" He lightly brushed the front of his shirt.
She nodded because speaking was more than she could manage. She'd been planning this day since Lucas had walked into her office and tossed the charity request for the bachelor auction on her desk and announced his intention of having her buy him so he could be charitable but not lose time. So much rode on these few hours. If lucas could finally see her as a person rather than a machine—as a woman—then maybe there was a chance. If not she would have to find a way to collect the bits of her broken heart and move on.
"So what's the plan?" he asked as he stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. "I've been thinking about this and figured you'd want to get back at me for all the nights I made you work late. Are you going to have me wax your car? Paint your living room?"
She thought of the elegant and expensive day and evening she'd arranged. "Not exactly."
Not exactly was right, Lucas thought as they pulled up at the marina and Riley led the way to a beautiful seventy-foot yacht.
On board the captain greeted them. The boat was theirs for the next five hours. Where would they like to go?
"How about cruising up the coast?" Riley asked. "All right with you?"
As she spoke, a crewman opened a bottle of champagne and poured them each a glass. Lucas took in the luxurious cabin, the elegant furniture and the tray of hors d'oeuvres beside the champagne and frowned.
As he'd already told Riley, he'd expected her to force him into hard labor for their twenty-four hours together. He'd never thought she would come up with something like this.
"Lucas? The cruise?"
"Whatever you'd like."
He accepted the glass of champagne then followed Riley onto deck where they watched the crew cast off.
While their yacht moved through the maze of boats, Lucas found himself more interested in the woman standing next to him than in the spectacular view. She looked different. For once her long hair was loose, rather than up or in a braid. She wore tailored cream slacks and a matching blazer, while her silky shirt exactly matched her caramel eyes.
Had she been anyone else, he would have done the math. One yacht, one bottle of champagne and an entire night together. It equaled seduction to him. But that wasn't Riley's style…was it?
He realized he knew nothing about her personal life. Nothing about her, save the fact that she made his world rotate smoothly.
If she had seduction in mind, did he want to participate?
She turned and caught him staring at her. One corner of her mouth curved up in a smile.
"What?" she asked.
"You're a surprise," he said.
"You mean the boat and everything."
"No. I mean you."
Lucas' voice rubbed against her like warm velvet. Riley had to consciously hold in a shiver, while she attempted a cool, sophisticated expression.
"I'm who I've always been," she told him.
His gaze never left her face. "Funny, I didn't notice."
Hardly news. "I'm like one of those multifunctional printers. Except I do more than print, copy and scan." Sad but true.
He chuckled. "If you're trying to make me forget work, you're doing a great job. All right, Riley, now that you have me here, what do you plan to do with me?"
She hated that her mind instantly flashed to the large master suite she'd seen when she'd toured the yacht before reserving it. The bed was large, and the amenities impressive enough to dazzle a prince…or a tycoon.
But she'd never been one to make the first move, and buying Lucas for the day had used up all her moxy.
"I plan to show you a good time."
"What does that involve?"
"A few hours here on the water. You told me once you used to crew on sailboats in the summer and that you missed it."
He frowned. "How could you remember that?"
Because she remembered everything he said, everything he did. He was her world. Either she evened the score and became his world, too, or she had to make a clean break and start her life over. That was the other reason she'd carefully planned their time together. If it wasn't going to work with Lucas, then this was goodbye.
"You painted such a vivid description of racing on those boats," she said instead, leaning against the railing. "So that's our afternoon. Tonight we're having dinner at a very exclusive restaurant. We have reservations for a surf-side table, followed by dancing at a club. Tomorrow—"
He threw her off by moving close and resting his free hand on top of hers. There was the cool brass railing beneath her fingers and his warm skin on top.
"What about after dinner and dancing?" he asked. "Where will I spend the night?"
Her mind chose that moment to seize up. Fortunately fate was smiling, and she was saved from answering by the appearance of a pod of gray whales directly in front of the boat.
"Aren't they beautiful?" she murmured as one whale blew water into the air.
Lucas leaned close. "If you're not going to tell me, you're going to have to show me eventually."