Always and Forever

By Angela Flowers

Always and Forever (Silver Linings Book Six)

Eli has managed to keep the fact that he’s working for his best friend’s enemy a secret for months, and he is not looking for a relationship to complicate matters even more, so when he’s inexplicably drawn to a beautiful woman who moves in downstairs, he decides to keep things casual between them. Lucky for him, she’s okay with casual. Except casual turns serious and Eli realizes she’s the one. Now on top of protecting his secret, he has to worry about protecting the woman he loves as well.

Between Fiona’s father running out on her when she was just a baby and her mother’s constant warnings about men, Fiona vows to never let herself fall for a man. That is until she meets her sexy upstairs neighbor. No matter how hard she fights her feelings, they continue to grow. Just when she’s ready to accept the rare gift of happiness she’s been given, an unexpected confession brings her relationship with Eli to a grinding halt.

Will Eli be able to move past his own stubbornness? Can Fiona overcome her insecurities and finally let herself be happy? Or will they end up being just good friends after all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angela Flowers
• Release date: Feb 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005798109

Angela Flowers

Angela Flowers lives in Virginia with her husband, two sons, and four dogs. When she isn’t writing or homeschooling her two boys, she enjoys reading, listening to music, watching TV and spending time with her family.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Hallelujah, it was finally happening.

What are you smiling about over there? Eli’s sister Valerie asked.

Eli looked up from his phone, still grinning, and announced, Dylan and Erin set a date. Next month.

Didn’t they just get engaged? Valerie asked at the same time their mother said, It’s about time.

I agree, Mom, Eli said. It’s about damn time.

Valerie frowned. You two act like they’ve been together forever.

Eli scoffed at his sister. It sure feels like it.

What was her problem anyway? Weren’t women supposed to get super excited about weddings?

You can’t put a timeline on true love, their mother said. Besides, it was clear Dylan was smitten with that girl when he showed up here with Trevor. Call it mother’s intuition, but I knew this day would be coming sooner than later.

Isn’t Spencer’s wedding soon, too? Valerie asked.

Eli nodded. Next weekend.

So, one of your friends just got married two months ago and now Dylan and Spencer are both getting married within a month of each other? Valerie chuckled. I wouldn’t drink the water in Lakeford if I were you, Eli.

He snorted. Yeah, right. He didn’t even have a girlfriend.

I’m assuming the wedding will be in Lakeford, his mother said.

Where else would it be? Eli scoffed.

Even though Dylan had grown up in Chicago, there was no way he would ever consider getting married there. His parents were gone and he’d created a nice life in a small town in Virginia. Not only had Erin grown up there, but the place made Dylan feel connected to his mom. Not too many people knew that. Apparently, Dylan had discovered his mother’s family used to rent a house on the lake there when she was a kid, and his father had proposed to her on the shore of the lake as well.

Eli couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Dylan proposing to Erin on that same shore years later. If only Dylan’s parents had been here to witness it. Unfortunately, they had died in a car accident seven years ago. Which was also why Dylan wouldn’t get married in Chicago. His parents’ death was one of many terrible memories that city held for him.

However, his brother Spencer was getting married in Chicago. His fiancée Amber still had friends and family there. While Dylan wasn’t too happy about returning to the city, as he’d made very clear to Eli, he didn’t want to ruin Spencer’s day. Plus, it was what Amber wanted.

Speaking of Lakeford, Valerie said. Are you going there after Spencer’s wedding this weekend or coming back to Atlanta?

I haven’t decided yet, he answered.

For the past year, he’d been traveling back and forth between Atlanta and Lakeford. His computer game development team was still based here in Atlanta, so he spent most of his time here, which was nice because his family was here. They’d moved back home to Georgia after Eli’s father retired.

Dylan was his business partner and he worked remotely from Virginia, only coming down to Atlanta as needed. It was an unconventional situation but it seemed to work for Eli and Dylan.

Dylan had hired Erin as his personal assistant and she was a huge reason their arrangement worked so smoothly. She was a kickass assistant. Her brother Jared had started working with them as well. He’d started out working remotely in Virginia, but had recently been spending more and more of his time here with the rest of the team.

What had started out as a team effort was turning into a family business. Spencer had even assisted with some of the art design for the computer games they created.

When are you heading to Chicago? his mom asked.

Eli cringed. Tomorrow.

If he was being honest, he was looking forward to returning to that city about as much as Dylan was. Only for very different reasons.

I hope this trip doesn’t end up being like the others, his mom said.

Me, too. He glanced at the time and got to his feet. I have to go. Thanks for dinner. I’ll see you guys soon.

He kissed both women on their respective cheeks and paused on his way through the living room to say goodbye to his father before he left his parents’ house. As soon as he stepped outside, his two nephews bounded over to him, begging him to play football.

Sorry, guys, he said as he ruffled their hair. I have to go. Maybe next time.

Aww, man, Jonah, the seven-year-old whined.

Will you be back tomorrow? Micah, the five-year-old, asked.

No, I have to go out of town. My friend is getting married in a few days.

Jonah scrunched up his nose. Boring.

Eli chuckled. I’ll see you guys around.

He climbed in his car and drove back to the apartment he now shared with Jared whenever the younger man was in town. When he got there, he found Jared sitting in front of the TV with a beer in his hand.

Hey, he said as Eli went into the kitchen for his own beer. How was dinner?

Good. Eli twisted the cap off the bottle and took a drink. Then he joined Jared in the living room. What time did you leave work?

There had been some type of programming issue but Jared had assured him it wasn’t worth Eli skipping on dinner with his family.

About an hour or so ago. I told you we’d get it worked out quickly.

The boy was young, only twenty, but he was a whiz with computers and had a knack for gaming. He reminded Eli a lot of himself when he was Jared’s age. Eli had created their first game, Dusk Falls, while still in high school. In college, he and Dylan had decided to team up and send it out into the world. Now they had released two games and several expansion packs to go with them.

Good. Have you talked to your sister today?

Jared grinned. About thirty minutes ago. It’s about time those two made things official.

I know right. It feels like it’s taken them forever.

Yeah, well, can you blame them? Jared asked. They’ve had a lot going on the past couple of years.

It was true. Dylan had almost died, Spencer had almost died (again), and then there was all the drama with the Mitchell family. Not to mention Trevor getting kidnapped and the truth about his biological families coming out. Oh, and then there was the whole grandmother dying from cancer thing.

Are you bringing anyone to Spencer and Amber’s wedding? Jared asked.

Eli frowned. No. Are you?

The boy’s cheeks colored. Uh, yeah, I asked Heather.

Eli’s eyebrows shot up. Really?

Heather Randall was one of their game testers.

Yeah, Jared said. I hope that’s okay. We’re going as friends. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.

Yet. Eli recognized the signs but he decided to keep the thought to himself.

That’s fine, Eli said. I mean, as long as you two can be professional about it, I don’t mind you, uh, hanging out.

He’d almost said dating but caught himself. Given how red Jared’s cheeks were at the moment, that was probably for the best.

I thought maybe you’d bring Fiona, Jared said.

What? It’s not like that with us, Jare. I told you we’re just hanging out.

Jared snorted but didn’t comment.

Fiona had recently moved into their apartment building and Eli had helped her carry some of her boxes upstairs. Afterward, she’d offered him a beer, they’d ordered in, and then spent the rest of the evening together.

She was in IT, so she spoke his language, and they had clicked instantly. He’d ended up staying much longer than either of them had expected and by the time he left, he’d secured a date for the following night.

They’d gone to dinner and a movie before returning to her apartment to share a couple of bottles of wine. He hadn’t gone home until much later that night.

Well, I think you should bring her, Jared said.

And I think it’s too soon for something like that.

Jared looked like he was going to argue but instead, asked, What do you think about this trip to Chicago?

Eli tensed. I think we’re going to have to do our best to get through it.

It will be nice to see Carolyn. I miss her.

Clenching his jaw, Eli nodded even though he was not looking forward to seeing Carolyn Floyd again. Shit. She was Carolyn Mitchell now. The realization made the beer in his stomach turn to acid. He didn’t care that she’d married someone else, just that she’d married Nick Mitchell. That man and his family had brought so much pain to Dylan and Spencer and yet Carolyn had still married him. Eli didn’t understand the way some people got sucked into the Mitchell’s world.

Spencer still struggled with staying away. In fact, Eli was pretty sure the boy was working with them again. Dylan suspected the same. Eli was going to have to keep a closer eye on Spencer during this trip, for sure. But hopefully, Spence would be too busy with the wedding to have time for anything else.

However, much to Dylan’s dismay, the Mitchells would be in attendance so there was no telling what could happen.

Fiona Wellington walked into her new apartment and plopped onto her sofa while kicking her shoes off. What a day. There had been a minor crisis at her new job that had required her to stay an extra two hours. She hadn’t even had dinner yet.

Groaning, she thought about the contents of her fridge. There was probably some leftover pizza in there. Blah. She should have stopped on the way home and grabbed something. Too late now.

Feeling frustrated, she got up and went into the kitchen to heat up the leftover pizza. While it was heating, she poured herself a generous glass of red. As she sipped it, she looked around the apartment, noting how bland it still looked. She needed to stop being lazy and make time to spruce the place up. After all, she’d been here almost three weeks already.

The microwave beeped, she retrieved her pizza, and she carried it to the counter where she sat on a stool to eat. She had just finished when her phone vibrated. Seeing Eli’s name, she smiled.

Eli: Whatcha’ up to?

Fiona: Just finished eating. Got home about ten minutes ago. Work crisis. People are dumb.

Eli: Want me to come down?

Fiona: Yes please.

She tossed her paper plate in the trash and poured another glass of wine and carried it into the living room. Then she made a quick trip into the bathroom to freshen up. Eli knocked on her door as she walked out.

She opened the door and swallowed a sigh when she saw him. They’d been hanging out together for a few weeks now and the sight of him still sent a little thrill through her. Of course, it helped that he was not only extremely sexy with his black hair and golden-brown eyes, but he also knew his way around a woman’s body. She’d learned that their second night together when they’d ended up in her bed after sharing two bottles of wine between them.

Hi, she said.

Hey.

I didn’t expect to see you tonight, Fiona said. I thought you had plans with your family.

I did.

I poured you some wine. You look like you need it. What’s wrong?

He came inside and went to the coffee table and picked up the glass. After taking a sip, he said, Nothing is wrong.

Even though they’d only known each other for a few weeks she could tell he was anxious. He clearly didn’t want to talk about whatever was bothering him though, so she waited and watched as she drank her own wine.

Eli sighed and said, Things never go well when we go to Chicago.

I thought you grew up there.

I did but it’s complicated. He dragged a hand through his hair. Spencer has a gambling problem and he got involved with the wrong people there before he and Dylan moved to Virginia. He almost died, Dylan almost died, and it seems like every time he goes back there, Spencer gets sucked in.

Oh, wow. Eli hadn’t talked much about his friends before now. They were keeping things casual between them.

Well, maybe he’ll be too busy this time, she suggested. "After all, he is getting married."

I hope so.

He drank more wine, almost chugging it this time. There was more to the story, Fiona could sense it. Normally, Eli was relaxed with a smile at the ready. Right now, he was tense and his smile was forced.

Stifling a yawn, she shifted in her seat.

You’re tired, Eli said. I should go.

No, you’re fine.

As tired as she was, she wanted to be there for him.

Tell me about your day, he said.

So she did. While it felt good to unload the day’s frustration, especially to someone who understood, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Her problems felt trivial next to his even if he didn’t make it seem like it.

And he didn’t. He was attentive to every word coming out of her mouth. He smiled as needed, rolled his eyes as needed, and commented as needed. In other words, he was pretty perfect.

And that right there should worry her. Perfect guys didn’t exist.

What just happened? Eli asked.

Huh?

You just got all tense. What’s that about?

Nothing, she lied and shook her head.

He started to speak and then pressed his lips together. Not pushing.

She muttered, Perfect.

Startled, he asked, Did I do something wrong?

Not at all.

Squinting now, he searched her face as the air around them grew heavy. Too serious, too fast. Maybe it was a good thing he was going out of town. She needed some space.

Sex she could handle. It could be purely physical and nothing more. It was when things started feeling intimate that she got nervous, and this conversation was beginning to feel too intimate.

As if he could sense her unease, Eli rose to his feet. I’m going to go. I have an early flight in the morning.

Wait.

What was she doing? He was giving her exactly what she wanted, so why wasn’t she letting him?

He looked down at her with confusion-filled eyes. Behind the confusion, she saw the shadow of desire. Her own desire stirred in her gut.

Stay, she whispered even as a little voice in the back of her mind told her this was a bad idea.

His eyes brows arched. What?

She swallowed. Don’t go yet. Let’s …

His eyes narrowed and his lips curved into a slow smile. Taking her hands, he pulled her to her feet. You’re sure?

Isn’t this why you really came?

No.

Yep, she should definitely send him on his way.

But she didn’t. She moved closer, rising on her toes, and pressed her lips to his. His arms came around her and he pulled her against him as his lips moved with hers. She draped her arms on his shoulders and threaded her fingers through his hair.

This she could handle. All she had to do was focus on the physical aspect of their relationship.

Relationship? Yes, she definitely needed some space.

His hands slipped under the edge of her blouse and cupped her sides. Then they slowly rose to tease the silky fabric at the underside of her breasts. She shivered. Mouth curving under hers, he brushed his thumbs over her already tightened nipples. A moan slipped past her lips and she scratched her nails lightly along his scalp, causing him to hiss.

He took a step back and drew her blouse up over her head. Desire burning in his eyes, he slid a finger under one strap and slipped it from her shoulder. Then he did the same with the other one. Following his lead, Fiona reached behind her and unclasped her bra before dropping it at their feet.

Eli groaned and ducked his head to pull a nipple into his mouth.

Yesss, she hissed as her head fell back when he began to suckle.

His hand went to the top of her slacks, popping the button and tugging the zipper down. Then his fingers plunged into her panties and between her slick folds. She arched her hips, silently begging him to move a little higher. When he did, she moaned and her legs wobbled.

Chuckling, he released her nipple and caught her by the waist with his free arm. She growled in protest when his mouth had left her breast and then in delight as his finger pressed exactly where she’d wanted. Gripping his shoulders, she bit her lip as his finger began to circle her clit.

Easy, he said as he held her in place.

He moved to her neck and pressed a gentle kiss there before drawing small circles with his tongue. He’d discovered early on that her neck was one of her hot spots, and he used it to his advantage. Or was it her advantage?

Her breath came in quick gasps as her insides tightened, preparing for the impending orgasm that was building deep at her core. This was why she’d agreed to his visit. After her day, she needed this release.

She moved her hips and the coil inside her snapped. Crying out, she slumped against him as her muscles constricted and then went lax. Chest heaving, she buried her face in his shoulder.

When she’d recovered, she raised her head as he slipped his hand from her pants.

Sit, she huffed as she began to shimmy out of her pants.

Before he did, Eli pulled a foil packet from his pocket. Once he was seated on the sofa, she straddled him and went to work on releasing him from his pants. Once he was free, she ripped the foil, rolled the condom on him, and sank down onto him.

He hissed; she sighed.

She gave herself a minute to adjust to him before she began to move her hips, riding him slowly at first, and enjoying the groans of pleasure he breathed into her ear.

God, Fi, he murmured as she increased the speed of her hips.

Her lips curved into a knowing smirk. He wouldn’t last long like this, which was fine with her. He had an early flight and she wasn’t in this for hearts and flowers. He’d given her one orgasm and she was about to take another. She could already feel the pressure building again.

His hands gripped her waist as a growl rumbled deep in his chest, rolled up his throat, and ended as a final groan as he stiffened beneath her. Her own body followed his lead and they both came together.

Fiona took a couple of seconds to catch her breath, but when he leaned forward to kiss her, she was already moving away. She got to her feet and began to dress. Avoiding his eyes, she raked a hand through her hair and turned back to the coffee table to pick up her drink.

Eli cleared his throat and disappeared into the bathroom to toss the used rubber in the trash. When he returned, he watched her from the doorway of the living room.

When she didn’t speak, he said, So, uh, it’s getting late and I have that early flight.

Nodding, she said, Okay.

Fiona.

You don’t have to make excuses, Eli. It’s fine. Have a safe flight and enjoy your trip.

Fiona.

She finally raised her green eyes to meet his. It’s okay. Really. This thing between us is casual. Have a good time and don’t worry about me.

I’ll call you.

Don’t. There’s no need.

His face hardened and he nodded. I’ll see you later then.

Goodbye, Eli.

Goodbye, Fiona.

He moved to the door and was gone. Fiona settled back on her sofa and blew out a heavy sigh. She missed him already.

Chapter 2

The next morning Eli and Jared boarded their plane and were on their way to Chicago. They were barely in the air when Jared brought up Fiona. He knew about Eli’s arrangement with her and while he thought it was cool, he didn’t understand it.

I don’t know why you don’t make it official with her, Jared said. You’ve been ‘hanging out’ for weeks now.

It’s been three weeks and she doesn’t want anything more. She’s made that clear.

And you’re okay with that?

Why wouldn’t I be? I get all the sex I want without all the hassle.

Jared stared at him in disbelief. And you’re okay knowing that while you’re gone, she could be fucking someone else?

Eli’s insides turned to stone at the thought but he said, So could I.

Jared shook his head. "Fiona is like super hot and she’s a computer geek. Do you know how hard it is to find that combination?"

Chuckling, Eli said, You think I don’t know that?

Then why are you risking it?

Because neither of us is looking for anything serious right now.

Why the hell not? You’re perfect for each other.

Frowning, Eli shook his head. We don’t know really know each other, Jare.

"So get to know her."

If only it were that simple. There were things in play that Jared knew nothing about that made Eli getting seriously involved with anyone difficult right now, and he didn’t need the complication of a serious relationship.

Look, Eli said, Fiona has made it clear that she doesn’t want serious right now and I’m okay with that.

In that aspect, Jared was right about Fiona being perfect for him.

Whatever, Jared grumbled as he popped his earbuds in.

Grateful that the boy had given up, Eli settled back into his seat and closed his eyes while he mentally prepared for the next week. Dylan had arranged for Spencer’s bachelor party to be held at one of the local bars owned by one of his good friends, Roxanne Thurston. Personally, Eli didn’t think it was a good idea to have the party at a bar at all, but Spencer had insisted, claiming he wanted everyone to have a good time. Eli didn’t understand why Spence would want to put that kind of pressure on himself.

While Spencer’s main weakness was gambling, he also struggled with alcohol and drugs. The young man put up a good fight, but he was known to slip up occasionally, especially when he was in Chicago. This city had some kind of weird hold over the guy that Eli would never understand.

Hell, who was he kidding? It wasn’t the city itself that had a hold on Spence, it was that damn Mitchell family. Even after everything that had happened, Spencer couldn’t stay away from them. It drove Eli crazy but there was nothing he could do about it.

He still couldn’t believe that Spencer had invited the whole Mitchell family to his wedding. Even Kyle, the man responsible for killing Spencer and Dylan’s parents. Dylan still hadn’t come to terms with it, and Eli didn’t think it was fair to throw Kyle in his face like that. And then there was the whole Trevor situation. While Kyle had given up all rights to the kid, the fact that he was Trevor’s biological father had been a hard pill for Dylan to swallow.

At least Dylan didn’t have to worry about Trevor being taken from him anymore. Eli had seen to that, although his friend was unaware that he’d been the one who had gone to Kyle with the truth. Thinking about it now made Eli cringe. Going to Kyle had been a huge risk, but it was the only way Eli had known how to put a stop to his friend’s misery.

And if he was being honest, it was a way to stick it to Nick Mitchell as well. That man had been lying and covering up the truth for years. His reign of manipulation, not only over Dylan but Kyle as well, had needed to come to an end and Eli had found a way to do just that.

Everyone was quick to blame Kyle for the misery his friends had suffered over the years but Eli knew the truth—that Nick Mitchell was the one behind it all. If he hadn’t covered up Kyle’s accident and then coerced Spencer into living with him, none of the other stuff would have happened. Spencer wouldn’t have gotten sucked into Kyle’s bullshit, including that damn poker ring, and Kyle wouldn’t have been a threat to any of them.

Carolyn also wouldn’t be married to Nick. God, she deserved so much better than someone like that. Eli didn’t know how she couldn’t see it. People thought he was jealous and hurt because she’d chosen Nick over him but that wasn’t true. Okay, it was partially true, but the real reason he couldn’t stand the thought of Carolyn being with Nick was that Eli honestly thought she deserved a better life than the one that Nick could give her.

Sure, Nick Mitchell was crazy rich and had a lot of power, but he wasn’t a good person. None of the Mitchells were. And Carolyn was. It was ridiculous how much better she was than those people. None of them deserved to have her in their life. None of them. She was everything they weren’t: honest, pure, good. Carolyn Floyd was a bright beacon of hope in an otherwise dark and forlorn world.

At least she had been. Now that Nick had gotten his hooks into her, Eli knew that was going to change and that made him hate Nick even more. Carolyn deserved someone who could make her shine brighter, not snuff out her light.

But there was nothing Eli could do about it now. Carolyn had made her choice. Just as he’d made his when he’d gone to Kyle.

Eli opened his eyes and looked at Jared, who was bobbing his head to the music only he could hear. There was a time when the boy had been his ally against Nick, but now that Carolyn had married him, even Jared’s resistance was wearing down.

Jared glanced up and saw Eli looking at him. He pulled an earbud from his ear and said, What?

Nothing.

You’re thinking about seeing Carolyn and Nick, aren’t you?

What? No.

You’ve got your ‘disgusted with Nick’ look on your face.

Damn, was he that transparent?

She’s happy, E. Isn’t that enough?

It should be. Eli knew it, but he couldn’t change his feelings.

Jeez, it’s not like I’m going to cause a scene, Eli said.

Jared’s eyebrows jumped on his forehead. Are you sure about that? From what I hear, you can’t help it whenever he’s around.

She told you about that?

Of course she did. We’re friends.

And Nick is okay with that?

Why wouldn’t he be? She’s like my sister, E. You know that. He knows that, too.

Eli found that hard to believe because he was pretty sure Nick viewed anyone with a dick as a threat when it came to Carolyn.

"They’re married, Jared said. That changes things. The sooner you accept that, the better. His brown eyes widened and he sat up straighter. Wait, is Carolyn why you won’t you won’t give things with Fiona a shot?"

What? No. The Carolyn ship sailed a long time ago for me, Jare.

Are you sure? Because—

I’m sure, Eli insisted.

So you just genuinely hate Nick then?

Pretty much.

Why? Why won’t you give him a chance?

Eli shook his head. Nick and I have history. Let’s just leave it at that. Also, my issues with Nick have no bearing on my arrangement with Fiona. None.

That was only partly true, but Jared didn’t need to know that. Erin had done a great job of shielding her younger brother from the Mitchells, and Eli was not about to ruin that. Erin Grayson was not someone he was willing to cross, especially when it came to someone she loved. She was fiercely