Mine Forever [The Perrines 1]

Mayor, Mercy - Mine Forever (The Perrines 1) [Avidbook, Mainstream MF Conetmporary Romance] Chapter One Ronna Perrine reclined on a sofa in the living room of Perrine mansion, an aptly named home to depict the luxurious yet modernized self-sufficient family home in Baltimore, California. Soft music crooned in the background, drifting over the large living room from the speaker connected to her iPod as she flipped through a magazine. Dressed in a black cashmere turtleneck with shorts, which molded like a second skin, revealing every inch of her delectable shape, she sat with her legs outstretched before her and crossed at the ankle on the sofa. The Perrine family was the richest in all of Baltimore. They were as close to royalty as one could get, being on the highest totem of the upper echelon. The influence and affluence of the family was immeasurable as no one could compete with the power wielded by the family. They drew a lot of attention to themselves inadvertently, as every aspect of their lives were juicy information for the press. “Ronna, have you heard from Nick?” Ronna heard her mother’s voice from somewhere in their Victorian styled mansion. She turned her head and glanced over her shoulder and spotted her mother seated on the balcony. The early morning sun reflected on her mother’s blonde-gray hair, causing it to shimmer. At the age of fifty-two, Elizabeth Perrine was still a beauty with a slim figure and her eyes, a light shade of blue-green. Her only fault was that she was too trusting. She was sometimes too trusting for her own good but dearly loved by everyone who knew her. As the only daughter among four children, Ronna was an almost exact replica of her mother. She had straight blonde hair, thick darkish blond brow which curved in an arrogant shape, high cheekbones and a straight nose in her oval face. Her thick and long lashes concealed part of her violet eyes which had streaks of blue surrounding the iris. Ronna might have taken after her mother in looks but she was her father’s daughter through and through. They were both as stubborn as mules and equally as kind. Ronna and her brothers were the center of their mother’s life. Grown though they may be, Elizabeth took immense pleasure in meddling in their lives. Especially in the life of her second born, Tyler who was a confirmed bachelor. Elizabeth had fixed him up with every eligible date she could think of but none had appealed to him and despite the two children Trevor, her oldest brother had already given Elizabeth; she made it crystal clear that she wanted more grandchildren. Her thoughts went to Trevor. He always had on, a controlled façade but underneath it, she knew he missed his wife terribly. Dora’s death in an automobile accident had come as a blow to him, leaving pain in place of the love and joy he’d found with her. The two had been an ideal couple but after five years of marriage, the illusion of happily ever after had been completely shattered. Turning, Ronna flashed a smile towards her mother “Alright mom. I’m all ears now.” Elizabeth waved a hand for Ronna to join her. Sitting upright, Ronna pinned her mother with a narrowed gaze. “Oh no Mom. No!” “Come on. It’s not so bad.” The round balcony which was a good two feet from the ground had an alluring aura to it. It faced a breath-taking view of trees scattered on opposite ends of the building and a clear view of the ocean straight ahead where a horizon formed. The early sun stroked the surface of the water, giving off brilliant shades of color. “You know I don’t like heights.” Ronna thoroughly loathed the anxiety she felt whenever she was close to something high off the ground. No matter what, she couldn’t stop herself from picturing the incident of long ago. Her brothers had teased her constantly about her irrational fear but all she’d done was ignore their comments. Ronna had learned to accept and live with her acrophobia. She didn’t care what others thought of her reflex behavior, neither did she allow them to goad her into surmounting her qualms. “Honey, we built the balcony so we could admire the view.” Elizabeth said as she sipped coffee, nodding towards the magnificent view before her. Elizabeth adored beautiful things and therefore could not comprehend how anyone else would be willing to ignore it because of fear. She had raised her children to be in control of any situation regardless of the obstacles. Yet this one time with Ronna, nothing she did seemed to work. There was no breaking through the wall Ronna built around her feelings on the issue. Once Ronna said no to something, she meant it and nothing could change her mind. “Do you remember what happened on my nineteenth birthday?” Ronna inquired stretching out her legs before her then crossed them at the ankle whilst relaxing in sheer abandon. Elizabeth chuckled, “Hmm. It’s a little bit funny when you think about it.” She scowled at her mother’s amused look. “Funny? Mom! I nearly died!” Whenever she thought of what had occurred long ago, Ronna could still picture the whole thing as clear as yesterday in her mind. The celebration of her nineteenth birthday was supposed to have been a day of elation and very special day for her. Instead, it had ended up being the most humiliating and frightening day of her life. Against her better judgement accepting to dance with a smarmy looking dude on the balcony, she’d had to constantly lean back, trying to avoid his octopus hands and redirecting them back to her back instead of her derriere. Then on top of that, neither she nor her leering partner had noticed when she’d reached the very edge of the balcony or been able to do anything as everything had happened too fast. She had still been waltzing and trying to put as much space between them as possible, wishing the dance was over and done with so she could escape when she suddenly felt herself… falling! At the sound of her scream, people had rushed over to see what had become of her. Too fast, Ronna had watched the earth getting closer and closer as she tumbled towards it, giving in to oblivion the moment she hit the ground. She could still remember how it felt when she came to in the hospital. It was as though every bone in her body was broken. Her sprained ankle had been bandaged and suspended; her head had ached so badly she thought it was being hammered upon and what more, she couldn’t for the life of her move a single muscle without pain shooting through her entire body. “Alright. But, don’t you think it’s time you let it go? I mean it’s been six years since then.” But to her, time had done nothing to ease her feeling on the subject. Ronna grimaced at the thought of succumbing even to please her mother. “Thanks mom. But I think I’ll pass.” Smiling weakly, she indicated lifting the magazine. “Besides, I can think of a better way to pass the time.” Her mother sighed. It was always the same routine with the two of them. She urging her daughter with every excuse she could find and Ronna refusing with every breath. “Could you get in touch with Nick and ask him where he left my lucky bracelet?” “The one with the blue insignia on it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without it before.” Her mother grinned knowingly. Ronna took notice of everything down to the last detail except when she was otherwise preoccupied. Then, it was as though nothing else existed. “I don’t see why not since I’m always losing it.” It was all too true but Ronna had a lot on her mind lately, she simple did not have the time to settle back and give herself a breathing space. At times, she was even forgetful. “Why can’t you get in touch with Nick?” Elizabeth stared at her in disbelief. For Ronna to have thought to ask such a question was a dead giveaway that her mind was a thousand miles away from their conversation. “Why? My dear, you might have forgotten but Nick lives on a planet where there are no such things as phones.” Nick was forever losing his mobile and at times didn’t even bother with it. When he was working on a project, nothing could distract him to the extent that he sometimes forgot to take a break to have a meal. Due to the frustration, Trevor had given him a pager but still, it was no use. The big giant door to the Perrine’s home swung open as mother and daughter were laughing. “Something funny?” A familiar masculine voice interrupted them and they turned abruptly to observe who it was. “Nick!” Ronna exclaimed unable to veil her surprise. Her heartbreakingly gorgeous brother strode in to greet their mother bending to give her a kiss on the cheek, “Hello, mother, Ronna.” He inclined his head slightly at Ronna. Nick was the youngest Perrine and a workaholic. His chiseled face lined with the Perrine’s arrogance and lethal charms which made women fall all over themselves whenever he stepped into a room. Not that he did anything to further their advances, his look alone did all the work for him. His blond hair fell across his forehead in an almost disheveled manner and his tawny eyes were sheltered by thick blond eyelashes. He wore a white shirt which strained across his muscles and black khaki pants, revealing a lean athletic figure. “Well since Nick’s here now, why don’t you ask him?” Ronna suggested to her mother with a wave of her hand. He looked from his mother to Ronna with a frown. “Ask me what?” “About her lucky bracelet. The one with the blue insignia on it.” Ronna elaborated. “This one?” He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a silver bracelet of a simple design with emerald gems attached at regular intervals and a blue insignia at the middle. “I found it with my things so I decided to bring it over. You must miss it.” “Why thank you. I’ve been looking for it for a while now.” Elizabeth accepted the bracelet from Nick, examining it to make sure it was not damaged in any way before slipping it on. Nodding, Nick smiled fondly at his mother then turned and walked towards Ronna. It was obvious from his expression that he was glad to be home, surrounded by family and loved ones where he felt more relaxed and more at home with those he trusted. Especially since during the two months he’d been away, he’d kept so busy that he hardly had time for anything other than work. “Did you get fired?” “Ronna!” their mother exclaimed. “Nice way to say hello to your beloved brother, don’t you think?” Nick drawled with sarcasm. She winced then reached up to give him a kiss on his cheek. “What else was I supposed to say? You disappeared for two months without a single phone call. Dad ought to fire you for that, then maybe you’d remember your family, you know, the people who love you.” “I was busy.” His voice muffled with fatigue as he settled into the seat beside her. “And a simple ‘hello’ would do, thank you very much.” “You look so…” she couldn’t find the exact word to describe how he looked. There was something different about him. He looked older, his face was drawn, but most of all, exhaustion lined his feature. A lot of sleep would do him good but then, Nick didn’t permit himself to laze around. Although it wasn’t necessary for him to be, he was too serious and too focused for his own good. He needed to take a break, to cut back from everything and allow himself the luxuries of several days spent lazing about. He ran a hand over his face. “Tired? Yeah it’s all the travelling stuff. But, you can chalk it up to work.” “When did you get back?” “Last night.” Ronna pressed her lips together, biting back a sharp retort she knew he would not appreciate. Sighing, she asked, “How was the trip?” Sighing, he told her it was a success albeit stressful. “I’m getting extremely tired of travelling for business.” He said, eyeing the magazine in her hand, “Are you doing anything today?” “Other than my normal routine, and a little bit of work, no.” Staring at him, she knew there was something behind his question. Nick wasn’t the type to beat around the bush. He was a straight-forward type of guy but when it came to asking for something which was very dear to her, he had a penchant for delaying tactics. He usually went on and on, trying to soften her up before dropping the bomb and she constantly fell for it. It was downright devious of him but he never minded playing on her all too generous heart as long as he got his way. “Alright, what do you want?” she asked as she dropped the magazine beside her and folded her arms across her chest. “Why do you assume I want something?” he feigned incredulity. Cocking her head slightly to the side, Ronna relaxed back against the cushion and regarded him silently with raised brows. Her steady perusal kept him on edge. Something only Ronna had been able to achieve with just one look as she did now. “Okay.” He said nervously. “Before you say no, just hear me out okay” “I’m listening.” She said in a placating tone. “Your Ferrari…” “Is untouchable.” She said with as much finality as she could muster. “Come on Ronna. Just hear me out.” Getting up from where she sat, she strolled to the kitchen “No. And I mean it.” She said over her shoulder. He went after her. “Come on give your small bro a chance. Besides, it’s just for a day.” Nick had always tried to take advantage of the fact that he was a year younger than Ronna to obtain whatever he wanted but when it came to her red convertible Ferrari, she was relentless. “I don’t care if it’s even for a second.” She gave him a puzzled look. “Why don’t buy one?” “I don’t need another car. Yours is perfect for the occasion.” Taking out a bottle of soda from the refrigerator, she relaxed her body against the kitchen counter, her arms folded over her chest. “The occasion?” she grinned broadly. “Nah. It’s just a casual business trip.” “Why” ─ she sipped the cold drink─ “am I not surprised?” The kitchen was decorated with every available modern appliance. It was painted egg-white with stripes of brick red at each corner. At the center of the wide kitchen sat a well-crafted antique wooden table surrounded by high stools with a vase of freshly cut flowers at the center of the table. Cabinets fashioned with glass doors were firmly planted on the wall above the cooker whilst a long and fully stocked refrigerator of gray exterior stood at one end of the kitchen. She tilted her head to the side and glanced out the window towards the magnificent view outside for a second, not saying a word whilst silently contemplating the issue. “Is that a yes?” Nick asked hopefully. “I haven’t said anything yet but I think you’ve got a long shot.” She nodded her head empathetically. Getting irritated, he shoved a hand through his hair. “Look it’s not like I’m going to be using it every day. I’m just going to need it in Vegas for a few hours.” “Vegas? Did you get fired?” “Will you quit asking such a ridiculous question?” She raised both hands in surrender. “Hey, you’re the one who said it’d be the first place you went if you ever got fired and besides, it’s just a question.” Ever since Nick had been involved in the family business, he made it known Vegas was the place he’d go if he ever retired to spend all his hard-earned money and there wasn’t a single person in the family who didn’t know it. The computer industry which belonged to the Perrine family was headed by their father and kept strictly within the family. All the shares in the business belonged to family members within and outside Baltimore who met annually for general meetings. Apart from the IT Company, the Perrine family also had their hand in every other industry. They enjoyed a share of the pie of every business, ranging from Fashion of which Ronna was the sole owner of a well-known fashion line to hotels headed by other relatives in the states and worldwide. In competition, her three brothers, Trevor, Tyler and Nick broke free and established their own IT Company which was a passion of theirs. Though they were the founders of Bright Computers, they also took contracts with their father’s company from time to time. Despite this, Nick divided his time between being the Vice President of his father’s company and an active member of Bright Computers. “Not a very funny one and no, I did not get fired.” “Lucky you.” “Meaning?” Nick asked with a frown. Ronna placed the soda bottle down onto the counter then refolded her arms in front of her chest “Dad ought to have fired you by now. I don’t understand why he chose you as the Vice President.” “I guess I have potential.” “Yeah? You’re overworked as it is and not only that, I’d say a schedule practically runs your life.” “That’s not true.” “Yeah right. Tell me the last time you did something spontaneous.” “I can’t remember and besides, it’s really not the point at all.” “So what is?” “I’m actually good at my job.” Nick responded his tone matter-of-factly. This was true. No one knew computers the way Nick did. He could hack into any system no matter how hard it might seem. Even where other hackers reached a dead end, he knew how to find his way around to obtain what he wanted. “I’m still right you know.” She turned to face Nick. “About what?” he asked feigning innocence. Pinning him with a glare, Ronna said. “You know what I mean.” He shrugged indifferently. “I think my life’s pretty great.” “Well, I on the other hand think it can be better.” He looked at her skeptically. “Ha! You wish.” “You want to bet?” Her word stroked a sour chord in him. As children, Nick had always enjoyed adventure. He was always on the lookout for something new. The one time he’d been made to do something horrible had put him off wagering for good. Now, his adventurous streak had been channeled into his work as he put work before pleasure. Ronna had a tendency of distracting him causing him to lose and engage in horrible things he wouldn’t have otherwise done. Nick still felt raw about the time he had to shave all the hair from his head. He had looked so horrible that going out was painful. It had taken a long while for his silky hair to grow again and it was then he knew with a certainty, that Ronna did not play fair. “I’m not going to wager with you Ronna so get that idea out of your mind.” He declared in a tone which would have made others back down. “You’re scared.” Even if he was scared, he didn’t show it. He shook his head, desperately trying to figure out a way to get Ronna off the subject. Whenever an idea entered into her mind, nothing could make her back down. It was the one particular trait in Ronna he did not find amusing. She played dirty to obtain whatever it was she wanted, and he knew it but he had a penchant for falling into her traps. He always had the bad luck of exchanging wits with her and coming out on the short end of things. “You’re scared I’ll win.” Ronna said deliberately biting out the words slowly for it to sink deeply into him. “I’m not.” He said his expression devoid of all emotions. “Then you have nothing to worry about so, you’ll agree, right?” She looked at him innocently, knowing he wouldn’t dare refuse. Quietly turning the issue over in his head, he furrowed his brow, ready to reject the bet but instead, the words that came out of his mouth completely opposed what he had been thinking of saying. “Fine!” “See, that’s what I love to hear.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling dangerously as she ignored his frown. Groaning, Nick tried immediately backing out and rescinding his words but the best he could do was try to use logic to deflect what he’d unintentionally agreed to. “You know, this is really ridiculous. I could be spontaneous if I wished.” Nick said folding his arms over his chest and leveling her with a narrowed stare. “Can you? We’ll just see about that.” Ronna gave him a disbelieving look. “I’ll tell you what. We’ll both go someplace different. I’ll pick the place. You leave behind your schedule and anything work related. For the duration of our stay, everything you do will be spur of the moment. No checking with your to-do list for what you’ve got to do next. If you’re able to do that and you win, you can have my Ferrari which you so desperately want for a week. But, if I win, you’ll be at my disposal for one day and I get to use your credit card for a week” She said clasping her hand together, her grin positively devious. He eyed her dubiously. “My credit card in your hands? I don’t think so.” “You don’t really expect me to give you my baby without getting anything in return, do you?” she asked, one brow raised. He contemplated the idea for a while then shrugged. “I’ve changed my mind. The deal only seems fair to you. But, I’ve got to have your Ferrari for two weeks then it’ll seem fair to me if I’m to cut down on the time I devote to work.” “Fine. Two weeks. Same goes for the credit card too.” “And I’m free to ride it anytime, anywhere during those two weeks?” Nick asked with a devilish glint in his eyes and a challenging grin spreading across his face. She couldn’t think of a come-back. She didn’t like the thought of him sitting relaxed in the one place she’d marked as her territory much less having it at his disposal for two full weeks. She would just have to wait and see. She knew Nick well enough to know that the temptation to work would drive him bat-s**t crazy and he’d end up succumbing at some point. It was a waiting game and if there was anything she could do, it was to wait until she won. After all, if there was anything she hated, it was losing. “Not thinking of changing your mind now, are you?” Nick drawled. “Good. I’ll accept based on certain terms I’ll lay out. Do we have a deal?” “It’s a deal and I’m going to win Nick. Like I always do.” He smirked at her self-confidence. “Then we’ll just have to wait and see now won’t we?” “We leave on Monday and so help me, if you’re not here by nine a.m. sharp, you forfeit.” she said with an unpredictable gleam in her eyes as they both walked back into the spacious living room. Elizabeth looked up at her son questioning him. “Are you staying for dinner?” Nick turned to regard his mother who was still seated on the balcony, flashing her a smile. “No thanks mom. I’ll be on my way now and I’ll see you on Monday.” He said with a wave of his hand over his shoulder, making his way towards the door. “Stay safe.” Elizabeth called out. “You know I will.” And with that, he left, shutting the door behind him.