The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max)

Dinner went by without too much calamity, despite Olivier glowering at Santiago Laredo and Prue occasionally taking cheap shots at Sawyer.

Ollie was uncharacteristically quiet, Max was flirting up a storm, and the triplets were supporting Fallon by constantly pointing out men in the restaurant beyond their private room she could probably hook up with and her parents not even realize since they were both stuck on the new girl. Needless to say, Everly wasn't impressed with the triplet's behavior and Bobbie was running interference.

Sawyer and Gracie appeared to be quite overwhelmed by the overall madness and by the time dinner was done, they were clearly ready to go home and process the craziness of the evening.

Lark pulled Gracie by the hand, "hey, can I talk to you a minute before you head out?"

"Sure." Gracie nodded at her father as followed Lark to a quiet section away from the crowd.

"How are you holding up?"

"They are a lot," Gracie whispered. "It's always only ever been me and Dad and occasionally my maternal grandfather."

"I'd like to say you get used to it, but you don't. The Villeneuves are wild, but they are our ride or dies. Ollie and Max would do anything for me, and the triplets and Fallon are the same."

"It's nice, I bet."

"It is. Johan is great." She watched the girl look at her feet and laughed, "he's my best friend since middle school. He joined our sleepovers and chaos when we were growing up. I've been thrown together into everything including being arrested with him and honestly, he's been the friend who commiserates with me when the twins are too much. We can talk for days about everything."

"Right."

"But he's my friend, Gracie. Never, not once did he and I ever consider anything more than friends." "Why are you telling me this?"

"You saw me kiss his cheek earlier and you don't have a very good poker face." She laughed when Gracie sheepishly looked away, "I'm biased because he's my friend, but he is a good man. I know you have a lot on your plate right now getting to know us all but if you need someone to talk to, he's a good one to talk to. He's a great listener."

"Lark, I," she took a breath, "I don't believe men and women can simply be friends. I've been cheated on in exactly this situation. I don't think it works."

"I'm sorry you were hurt like this, but you could miss on an incredible opportunity. I saw the way you looked at him. You find him attractive. It's a good thing. Also, you're being close minded, and you should open your point of view. Johan and I are friends. The same way LJ and Ronnie are Fallon's friends. My Dad and Bobbie Villeneuve are closer than siblings. None of us would ever cross lines." Lark watched the confusion on her newfound sister's face. "Look, I know I come across too blunt. They razzed me about how blunt I can be last weekend when I ripped a girl apart so I'm probably not doing this right but, I'm not trying to do anything but reassure you, Johan and I are only friends. Just think about it. Okay?" "Sure." Gracie didn't seem convinced.

"Good. Also," she held her phone out, "can you give me your number? I think it would be nice if we could chat. I would very much like to get to know you more. I feel like with everyone here tonight, we didn't connect as well as we could have. Maybe we could have coffee, you, me, and Fallon?"

"I'd like that."

"Hey Lark!" Johan called out, "did you tell your Mom yet how Max has been sleeping in your room instead of his own?"

"Who hurt you?" she hissed at him as he bounded up to them while her mom wheeled around to look at her with wide eyes.

"Hey Gracie, are you giving out your number? Can I have it?"

"Are you six?" Lark growled angrily at his lack of tact.

"More nine," he wiggled his eyebrows at Gracie, "inches."

Gracie gasped and Lark punched him.

"What is your deal?"

"My deal is, Max told me not to make his mistakes. He said not speaking his mind and confessing affection to you meant he lost out on too many years. So, I'm being brave and bold. Gracie, can I have your number so I can flirt with you and see where this thing goes? I asked Sawyer if you were single, and he said yet. Then he said if I hurt you, he'll kill me with his bare hands. I promised him all I want to do is make you feel good."

"Johan? You just walked up to my newfound sister and declared you're packing nine inches when everyone knows it's not true. Don't forget we saw you in your speedos in middle school on swim team and we made fun of you. If she has any common sense, she'll run for the hills." Lark mocked him and tried to help Gracie who was clearly freaking out.

"I'm simply saying, her father said her last boyfriend was a small-peckered meathead who didn't deserve to even breathe her air, so I wanted her to know I'm not small-peckered." He stepped closer to Gracie, "he also said you deserve to smile and have all the happiness of the world. Help me not make the same mistakes my two best friends did by keeping their attraction a secret. Am I wrong? Do you feel this too?" Gracie bit her lips together her cheeks bright red and then she whispered, "if it's not really nine, I'll be pissed. Starting something off on a lie is no way to start."

Lark gave a happy shout. "Welcome to the dark side, Gracie." She stepped up to Johan, "she's, my sister. Chicks before d***s and all that. I'll murder you where you sleep if she gets hurt by my best friend." "You sure you two never," Gracie asked trailing her words off as she wiggled her fingers between them. Johan laughed, "truthfully, I'd rather sleep with Max than Lark. She's very judgy. I bet when Max finally hits it, she gives him a report card." He draped an arm over Gracie's shoulder and walked her away from Lark. "So, tell me, what's your favorite kind of food. We can go for dinner this week."

"Is Johan putting the moves on Gracie," Ollie came up behind Lark.

"Yes."

"Weird."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Three girls in a week?"

"Don't judge him, Ollie. You scratched an itch too."

"Shh," Ollie smacked her. "We do not need to divulge such things ever." She shot a glance at the man standing talking to her father. "Dad is pissed off. I guess Santiago has done multiple jobs for Dad over the last couple of years and not once mentioned our relationship."

"Your Mom?"

"I told them about the miscarriage. Mom cried. She doesn't understand why I didn't confide in her." "Why didn't you?"

"Talking about it makes it real. Crying on Santiago's shoulder this afternoon brought it all back and it hurts today as much as it did then, but I think I needed to do this. He was hurting too."

"You love him? Even after all this time?"

"You would know better than anyone, time doesn't make it go away."

They shared grins and then hugged.

"Olivia," Santiago's voice spoke from behind them. "As lovely as your father's hotel is, I would much prefer my condo. Can we go home now?"

"My home is in Dallas," she snorted. "If you're asking me to come to your place for the night, I will but I don't live in Houston." Her words trailed off in a shriek as he shook his head, threw her over his shoulder, smacked her ass loudly and then walked her out of the restaurant not caring for anyone in the room's opinion.

"Dude has pizzazz." Max laughed as Ollie kicked and screamed at him to put her down but instead, he landed a second smack to her bottom which silenced her, and they were gone.

"If you ever did that to me, I'd rip your balls off," Lark shook her head at the departing couple. "Thankfully, my girl is far more rational than my sister. My sister is nuts."

She saw her parents waving at her and she nodded. "My parents want to sit down with me, Fallon and Nana to chat before we go our separate ways tonight."

He grinned, "I'm going up to shower and get ready to seduce my girl. Your room or mine?"

"Mine. I keep my vibrator there. Johan said something about you being too excited and tonight being over before it started so," she teased before giving a startled yelp when he pinched her bottom. "Sassy. Don't worry. You won't need any toys when I'm done with you but," he smiled, "I'll bring the massage lotion to give you a good massage when we're done because my love, I'm going to give you the f*****g workout of a lifetime. Take your time with your parents this evening but make sure they know you're not making breakfast." He started to step backwards," and maybe not lunch either."

She shook her head at his antics and walked over to her parents despite feeling she was aflame. Fallon smirked, "Dad was telling Johan to back off Gracie and Johan decided to take the heat off him, it would be fun to blurt out you and Max are going to seal the deal tonight."

Grady gagged, "stop it, Fallon. I don't want to know."

"I want all the details in the morning." Fallon clapped excitedly.

"Max told me to tell you I won't be able to make breakfast or lunch."

Nana Prue gave a loud shout of laughter, "get it Lark!"

She giggled at her grandmother, "I intend to. After meeting with Doug this morning, I realized I'm done being careful. Max said something to me a while back. We were talking about how his life goals adjust and adapt yet I've been stuck in this plan I drafted when I was ten. It's time to shake up my world. I'm working with Dad now. I'm reconnected with Ollie and Johan the way I should be. I have a new sister. I'm with Max now and I want to be with him. My life today is so much different than it was a few weeks ago but if I'm honest with myself, Doug cheating on me was the best thing to ever happen to me. I really feel I'm exactly where I need to be."

Everly smiled and pulled her in a hug. "I'm very proud of you Lark."

"Thanks Mom."

"Sawyer had plenty of nice things to say about you," Grady added. "He said the way you opened right up for Gracie made her feel so much better. She was worried you'd be bitchy or hate her and you immediately accepting and offering her support eased her mind. He is grateful for you."

"How do you feel Dad?" Lark asked as they all sat back at the table.

"Still reeling to be honest." Grady wrapped his arm around his wife who rested her head on his shoulders. "But, can I say, seeing everyone at this table tonight. My girls, my mom, my best friends, and their kids made this a hell of a lot easier. I don't quite have the same connection to Gracie and maybe I never will because of all the time we lost but I do know she's mine. I don't know how I would do this and build a relationship with her if it weren't for your support." He kissed Everly's forehead.

"Aren't you glad it's not like Olivier's situation though?" Everly grinned up at him. "Imagine if instead of the sweet woman Gracie is, you ended up with the Villeneuve terrors."

Grady's shudder had them all laughing.

Lark settled against her sister and decided for as crazy as her day started, sitting here surrounded with her family, the ending wasn't going to be too bad at all.