She smiles sweetly. “Thank you. Would you like to come back to my office and we can have an impromptu interview?”
“Yes, thank you,” I say, following her back to her office where the baby is asleep.
“Don’t worry, he’s a deep sleeper. You have any kids?”
I shake my head. “No, no kids.”
“Married?” she asks.
“Nope, not that either.” I laugh out.
“Boyfriend?”
I press my lips together. “I hope this isn’t me failing your quiz,” I joke.
She laughs. “Not at all. I was just trying to determine how busy you are. Most people who have kids or are married prefer to work only Monday through Friday only so that they can enjoy a little time with their loved ones on the weekends.”
“I will take anything you have open. I’ll work nights, weekends, it doesn’t matter. I just really need a job.”
She smiles and holds out her hand. “You’re hired.”
I smile wide. “Really?” I ask, lifting my hand to shake.
“Really. Can you start right now? I can walk you through the register.”
“Yes, please,” I say, standing back up to follow after her.
I notice an envelope on her desk that reads: Destiny Slade. I can’t hold back my burning questions. “Are you related to Hudson Slade?”
She nods. “That’s my brother-in-law. How do you know him?” she asks, glancing back at me as she heads toward the register.
“Oh, he and my brother used to be really good friends back in high school. Which one are you with?”
“Wyatt,” she answers.
I nod. “I was so young, I barely remember Hudson,” I lie. “I never met any of his brothers.”
“How old are you?” she asks.
“Eighteen. I just graduated high school in Denver.”
“Any plans for college?”
I shrug. “I still haven’t made up my mind yet. I can’t really afford it right now, and I don’t want to worry about student loans. If anything, I might pick up some online classes or something until I make my decision.”
The rest of the day, Destiny walks me through using the register and how to open and close the store. We talk and get to know one another throughout the day. She’s super nice, friendly, and funny, and I can easily see myself becoming good friends with her. The store closes up at five, and she walks me through everything that needs to be done before giving me a key to open in the morning.
I get back to the apartment around five-thirty. I open the door and rush inside. “I got a job!” I cheer.
Brad is sitting on the couch, a beer in his hand. Another guy, I’m assuming the friend who’s looking at the apartment, is sitting in the chair with his back to me.
Brad’s eyes stretch wide. “What? That’s great news! Where at?” He rushes up to hug me.
“Destiny’s Boutique,” I answer, hugging him back.
When he pulls away, he says, “Dev, this is my friend, Hudson. You remember him, right?” He points toward the man, and he turns his upper body around to see me.
I’m face to face with Hudson Slade. His blue eyes stretch wide and his jaw drops as he looks over at me. I watch as his eyes take me in from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Finally, he stands and moves to Brad’s side. “This is Deven? Your little sister?” he asks, eyes bouncing back and forth between me and Brad while his index finger stays pointed at me.
Brad smiles. “Yeah, it’s been a while, I know. She’s really grown up, hasn’t she?” Brad puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side. “She just graduated high school and moved here to be with her big brother.”
“High school…” Hudson says, eyebrows skyrocketing. He holds out his hand to shake, a little smirk playing on his lips.
“Good to see you again,” I say with a knowing smile as I reach out and shake his hand.
He shakes his head so lightly that only I see it, and he lets out a little puff of air as the corners of his mouth stay turned up. “Yeah, you too. It’s been a long time. I didn’t even recognize you.”
“Hey, let’s celebrate. How about some pizza and beer?” Brad offers. He nudges my side. “As long as you won’t tell Mom that I’m letting you have a beer.”
I scoff, my eyes never leaving Hudson and his never leaving me. “I don’t even talk to Mom,” I reply.
“Good. I’ll be right back. Hudson, you good?” he asks as he starts to turn for the door.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Hudson says, finally forcing his eyes off of me.
Brad walks out and leaves the two of us alone. You could cut the tension between us with a knife. He watches as I slowly walk around the chair and sit on the couch. Slowly, he sits back down in the chair.
“Danielle, huh?” he asks, brows drawn together in anger or annoyance.
“Deven Danielle,” I say, trying to prove to him that I wasn’t exactly lying.
“Did you know who I was last night?”
This time, I do lie. “I knew you looked familiar, but I couldn’t place you. It wasn’t until later when I connected the dots.”
“And you haven’t told your brother?”
“Tell my brother that his eighteen-year-old sister has a fake ID that I used to get into a bar and then to fuck his friend? No, that must have slipped my mind.” I roll my eyes. How stupid does he think I am?
“Good. He can never know.” His eyes are wide. “Understood?”
I nod once. “Agreed.”
There’s a long silence between us for a couple of minutes. Finally, I feel so awkward, I have to break it. “So, you’re moving in here too?”
“Too?” he asks, eyes bouncing back up to me, surprise filling them. “You live here?” He points at the floor.
I shrug. “Well, I’m staying here for the time being. Just until I have enough money saved up to get my own place. Brad kind of saved me when I got kicked out of our mom’s boyfriend’s house.”
He hangs his head, shaking it as he rubs his eyes. “This is just fucking great,” he says under his breath.
“What is?”
“You. Me. Both of us living here with this huge secret between us.” He balls his hands into fists, causing his knuckles to crack. “He’s going to find out, you know?”
I laugh. “How’s he going to find out? I’m not saying anything. You’re not saying anything.”
“I’m going to have a guilty look on my face every time you walk into the room.”
I shake my head. “Oh, come on. What’s to feel guilty about? I’m legal. It was consensual. Nothing has been broken here. It’s not like you were my first.” I flash him a quick smile. “You were my favorite though. I can’t wait until we do it again.” I’m only teasing him, partly.
He jumps up and paces the floor. “Oh, no! It can never happen again.”
“Why not? Didn’t you enjoy yourself?”
He scoffs. “Of course I enjoyed myself.” He comes to a stop as he slides his hands into his jean pockets. “You’re…I mean, look at you.” He pulls one hand out and gestures toward me. “Any guy would be lucky to have a night alone with you. But me…us, it can’t happen again.” He shakes his head just as Brad walks back in with a box of pizza and a six pack of beer.
“Time to eat,” he says, passing us to head to the kitchen to set everything down.
I get up and walk past Hudson, shaking my ass a little more than necessary. I open the box and grab a slice of pizza. I take a bite and let out a long moan as the cheese pulls into strings from my mouth to the slice in my hand. I look over at Hudson and his eyes grow in size as he watches me.
I set the pizza down onto a paper plate that Brad hands me and grab a beer. I twist off the top and take a long drink from the bottle. When I look back at Hudson, he’s swallowing something down, his Adam’s apple bobbing in this throat.
“Help yourself, man,” Brad says, stepping past him and taking his plate and beer to the living room.
The three of us a
ll sit in the living room, watching TV and talking while we eat. Brad and Hudson have a lot to catch up on, and I sit back and listen as they talk about what each of them have been doing since they last saw one another. Hudson tells us about his time in the army, and Brad tells Hudson about living in Denver, finishing school, our dad passing away, and having to stick around to support Mama and me until she ended up with the loser boyfriend she has now—the one that kicked me out.
As their conversation comes to an end, I look up at Hudson. “So, you have a girlfriend?” I ask, putting him on the spot.
He looks like a deer in the headlights. “Oh, ummmm, no. No girlfriend. I haven’t been home long enough for all that.”
“Shit, man. All you gotta do is say the word and I can hook you up. There’s plenty of single women that work at the brewery with me,” Brad offers.
I watch Hudson closely. He looks at me then back at Brad. “Nah, I’m good, man. Thanks. I think, right now, I need to get my life in order before I bring anyone else into it.”
Brad nods. “Alright. Just say the word when you’re ready. I can have them lined up outside the door.”
I stand up. “Think I’m going to head in for the night. Gotta open the store tomorrow.” I dispose of my trash in the kitchen trash can before heading for the bathroom to shower. Now that the guest bedroom is going to be occupied, I’ll have to sleep on the couch. I hope that they clear out of the living room soon. I really do need some sleep. I haven’t had to get up early since I lived back at Mama’s. I have a feeling my life is about to change in more ways than one.
* * *
GRAB Best Friend’s Sister HERE!
READ THE REST OF THE SLADE BROTHERS
Billionaire’s Unexpected Bride
Baby Secret
Off Limits Daddy
Best Friend’s Sister
Also by Alexis Winter
Castille Hotel Series
Hate That I Love You
Business & Pleasure
Baby Mistake
Fake It
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South Side Boys Series
Bad Boy Protector-Book 1
Fake Boyfriend-Book 2
Brother-in-law’s Baby-Book 3
Bad Boy’s Baby-Book 4
* * *
Mountain Ridge Series
Just Friends: Mountain Ridge Book 1
Protect Me: Mountain Ridge Book 2
Baby Shock: Mountain Ridge Book 3
* * *
Make Her Mine Series
My Best Friend’s Brother
Billionaire With Benefits
My Boss’s Sister
My Best Friend’s Ex
Best Friend’s Baby
* * *
**ALL BOOKS CAN BE READ AS STAND-ALONE READS WITHIN THESE SERIES**
About the Author
Alexis Winter is a contemporary romance author who loves to share her steamy stories with the world. She specializes in billionaires, alpha males and the women they love.
* * *
If you love to curl up with a good romance book you will certainly enjoy her work. Whether it's a story about an innocent young woman learning about the world or a sassy and fierce heroin who knows what she wants you,'re sure to enjoy the happily ever afters she provides.
When Alexis isn't writing away furiously, you can find her exploring the Rocky Mountains, traveling, enjoying a glass of wine or petting a cat.
You can find her books on Amazon or here: https://www.alexiswinterauthor.com/
Loves Me NOT: A Small Town, Second-Chance Romance (Slade Brothers Book 4) Page 22