How awful would it be to have the entire world know your business—both the good and the bad?
It had to be worse than what she would face come Monday morning at school.
“Maybe so, but I knew you back in the day before your legendary skills with women had been honed.” She smiled widely. “The stories I could tell about you, Connor...that time we got into poison oak and ivy and had to spend two weeks in the infirmary together.”
“Our first kiss was special,” he said quietly.
She almost played it off, almost laughed and made a joke, but there was something in his face that wouldn’t allow her to. “Always will be, just like you are to me.”
“I’m going to show you the best time of your life tonight,” he said.
Before he could climb down, she ran to him, giving him a tight hug. He felt like a man would, all muscular and huge. There wasn’t much left of the boy. “Thank you for being my knight in shining armor.”
Slowly, his arms came around her, and she could feel him touch his lips to the top of her head. “I’ll always be there for you, Faith. That’s what friends are for.”
THE HIGH SCHOOL GYM had been decorated to resemble a palace, specifically Versailles, or at least a small town public school budget Versailles.
Faith smiled nervously as she and Connor walked through the double doors. Okay, so she walked, and Connor swaggered inside with all the confidence that not only money provided, but was part of his natural personality as well.
“We’re supposed to wear masks, but... you totally don’t have to,” she said, directing her “date” to the check-in table.
“You’ll get the full experience,” Connor said. “But you’re not going to wear one. I want the creep who stood you up to see you in my arms and regret his pussy move.”
The ladies at the table gasped, even as their eyes slid appreciatively over Connor.
She winced. “You can’t talk like that at school. We’ll get kicked out.”
“My apologies, ladies.” Connor flashed a charming smile. “I’m sure you won’t penalize Faith for my mouth. The things it does... I mean, says, is enough to make a—”
Faith slammed her hand over Connor’s mouth and with her free hand, grabbed a black mask for him. “Thank you so much. Have a good night.”
Connor stepped back. “I was only trying to help.”
She all but shoved Connor towards the line of people waiting for their turn to have their pictures taken. “Just smile and look pretty.”
He laughed. “Whatever you say.”
The line moved quickly. Soon, they were in the proverbial and literal spotlight as the photographer directed them.
Connor put his hands on her waist, the move startling her. His head dipped, lips resting near her ears. “Is he here?”
Was who here? She couldn’t think with him touching her like this. “Um...?”
“You can show me when we get out on the dance floor. Been saving my best moves for you.”
She snorted. “This is not your first prom.”
“It’s my first one with you.”
“Next,” the photographer said, waving them on. “You’ll get the pictures on Monday.”
“Thanks,” Faith murmured. Her heart sped up as Connor put on the black mask. He looked like a stranger, a handsome, sexy stranger in a tux who couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. “What?”
“You look so different tonight.”
“So do you.”
He pulled her onto the middle of the dance floor and looped her arms around his neck, one of his arms went around her back, almost cradling her to his chest like they were lovers.
Whispers started.
People stared.
The whispers grew louder.
Faith flushed.
They had to be talking about her. And since she wasn’t normally talked about, it had to be all Dylan’s fault. The Jerk.
Connor smiled down at her. “Relax. Smile.”
“I’m trying.” She exhaled thickly. “Everyone is talking about me.”
“Whatever. They’re talking about me.”
Faith rolled her eyes. “Not everything is about you.” Dylan popped into view, dancing with Donna. “Oh. Ugh. He’s here. With his real date.”
“Is he looking at you?”
Faith stood on her tiptoes, peering over Connor’s shoulder. Dylan’s shocked gaze met hers. “Yup.”
“Good.”
Suddenly, he dipped her, his mouth near her chest, right where her breasts swelled against the tight corset top. His lips grazed her bare skin, and a jolt of desire made her gasp, made heat pool between her thighs.
But when she looked at Connor, he had a smirk on his face, and he wasn’t even paying attention to her. Somehow he was managing to look down on the guy who stood her up and at the same time like he wanted to devour her.
Connor’s hand splayed wide against her back as they straightened. He took her hand in his and held her close again. “That should do it.”
Her mind spun, and with it, thoughts of telling Connor how she felt about him.
“Next time he’ll know not to mess with my girl.”
Did he mean it? Was she really his? “Your girl?”
He gave her a look of mild annoyance. “Of course. You’re always my girl, my best friend... there’s only one you, Faith.”
My best friend. The phrase repeated in her head over and over again. That’s all they were. That’s all they’d ever be. A part of her despaired at the news, but the pragmatic, logical side of her knew that it was for the best.
Women already came and went in Connor’s life, in migration patterns that depended on his mood. She was constant, never-changing, and –
“You’re the one real person in my life. Nobody could ever take your place.”
She gazed into his hazel eyes, the truth stark between them. “No one could ever take yours, either.”
His mouth twisted. “I’d make you swear it, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t like who I’d become if that were to happen.”
“If I swore it or found someone else... a different best friend?”
“Either.”
2
FAITH
THREE YEARS LATER
Faith quietly entered Connor’s apartment, not that it mattered how loud she was. Music blasted from huge speakers set up against the wall by a DJ’s booth. The ultra-modern apartment was nearly empty of furniture while filled to the brim with people—famous, notorious, and rich... and of course the wannabes.
Some she knew; others she was making an educated guess.
They were dressed for seduction, for a night out, and to impress while she wore black leggings, an oversized college sweatshirt, and a pair of sneakers. Even her hair was basic college co-ed, pulled up in a high, slightly angled to the side ponytail.
Connor stood in the middle of it all, a bottle of champagne in one hand while his other grasped the waist of a gorgeous supermodel. His shirt was open at the throat, the gleam of his tanned skin mouthwateringly sexy. His pants rode low on his hips and the supermodel... her hands were possessively tight on the Vs on either side of his waist. The light seemed to shine down on him specifically, making his thick, coffee-colored hair gleam.
This was so going to suck, not only because she hated seeing him like this, in his element that seemed so contrary to the man she intimately knew, but because of the reason she was there.
His mother had lost her battle with breast cancer. She’d been buried days ago, but Connor hadn’t been heard from since she passed at home, with her family surrounding her.
Connor’s dad and older brother had sent security to her dorm, saying that she was the only one who could talk some sense into Connor, minutes before taking her to where a private jet flew her to New York City.
While she appreciated the vote of confidence, she didn’t think she could reach him at all right now. He looked so out of it—drunk as a skunk and most likely high as a kite, too. And while she didn’t wan
t to judge anyone for the life choices they made—as long as they weren’t hurting anyone else in the process—she couldn’t help but think that this new version of Connor would not be easy for her to handle.
The music changed, the base hitting so hard that she could feel it vibrate in her chest. The lights lowered. The mood of the party shifted. The air became thick with seduction.
Connor pulled the woman at his side in close, his head dipping to whisper something in her ear.
Faith’s lips parted. Her heart twisted in her chest. Please don’t kiss her. Please, please don’t do anything with her in front of me. It was one thing to see him in action on the Internet, but it was quite another to witness it personally.
She plunged through the crowd, determined to get to Connor before he could disappear.
A hand grabbed her ass, and she attempted to swipe it away. “Let go.”
“Don’t be in such a hurry, babe.”
She glanced up at the jerk cupping her, his brown eyes liquid and unfocused. “I said you need to let go of me.”
“Oh, I like the ones with a bit of fight in them.”
She shoved at his chest, making him stumble into a table. A lamp crashed to the floor, but even as close as she was, it barely made a sound. “Just stay where you are.”
The man laughed, lunging for her, catching her by the waist. “You look so sweet with those big blue eyes, but those tits are fucking dope. Porn star?”
Yes, because a woman’s body type determined her career. “Cop.”
“Fuck, that’s hot. I bet you could beat my ass.” He grinded against her. “Cuff me, baby.” Suddenly, he raised his head and shouted, “Montgomery. Did you hire a stripper for the party?”
“Great. I’ve gone from porn star to stripper.” With a growl of frustration, she attempted to wriggle out of his grasp, but the man held her tight.
“Be still,” he said. “I’m going to give you to Montgomery if he didn’t already pay.”
Bile rose in her throat. “Do you normally give women to Con—Montgomery?”
“Only on special occasions.” He laughed, alcohol wafting over her and making her want to puke even more. “He never takes ‘em though. Makes me play nice, too... but there’s something in those big blue eyes of yours tells me he won’t turn down this offering.”
Sending up a silent prayer of thanks that Connor hadn’t turned into a creep that made her blood boil and her stomach turn in disgust, she replied, “Super.”
“Connor Montgomery. Get your ass over here.”
Resigned to her fate of being given to her best friend (which also meant she was safe), she relaxed her stance and quietly waited for Connor to appear.
“And if he doesn’t want you...” His hand moved from her waist, stopping just shy of one of her breasts. “We can go have our own fun.”
The crowd parted.
Her gaze crashed with Connor’s.
At first, he merely stared at her, as if he saw a ghost, but then his mouth lifted at the corners, the wicked smile that made her pulse race fully on display.
“Faith,” he said, although she couldn’t actually hear her name over the steady beat of the music. His gaze narrowed in on his friend’s hand and his smiled faded. He all but pushed the supermodel away and tossed the bottle to the side as he charged them like a bull. “Get your fucking hands off my girl, Sutton.”
It wasn’t the first time Connor had called Faith his girl, but each time he referred to her that way, she got a little forbidden thrill from it.
However, she knew not to read into it at all.
Sutton shoved Faith toward Connor. Automatically, her arms shot out, trying to keep from falling and get out of her best friend’s way. Connor, however, hauled her up against his hard, muscular chest. He radiated heat, strength... and anger, but she wasn't scared for herself.
Sutton on the other hand...
“She’s your girl?”
“Yeah. What about it.”
Sensing that this would not end well if she didn’t intervene, she placed her hand on Connor’s chest, right over where his heart was beating what seemed like a billion miles an hour.
“Connor,” she said, looking up at him. “I’m fine. It was a case of mistaken identity.”
His jaw hardened, and his full lips thinned. “This isn’t the first time you’ve tried shit with women. Get out.”
Sutton merely smiled. “Whatever you want, man, but if I go, I’m taking the party with me.”
Faith blinked in confusion. This wasn’t Connor’s party?
“Fine by me... in fact, let me help you.” Connor cupped a hand around the side of his mouth. “Sutton’s taking the party to midtown. Drinks are on him.”
“Not cool, man,” Sutton said as a cheer went up. He pivoted, hoisting his arm in the air, giving Connor and probably her, too, a one-finger salute. “Let’s go, everyone.”
Abruptly, the music stopped, and people started filing out of Connor’s apartment, reminding her of the children who followed the Pied Piper.
Connor grabbed her hand, tugging as he moved out of the living room. “Come with me.”
She had no choice but to follow him or have her shoulder yanked out of the socket.
“What about us?” the supermodel called out as they passed by her.
Connor barely spared her a glance. “There is no us.”
“That wasn’t very nice,” Faith said.
“I don’t feel very nice.”
Her heart pinched for him. She knew he was suffering. “I know.”
They walked down a long corridor, her sneakers barely making a sound on the polished concrete floors. She’d been to his apartment enough that the staff who worked for him knew her by name. She’d also been to his apartment enough times to know that this hallway led to his bedroom and three other guest suites.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“I could go for some pizza.”
He laughed bitterly. “Feed her, and she’ll always come back to you.”
“You don’t have to feed me for us to stay friends.”
Connor opened a door, walking inside a completely dark room. He flipped a switch, nearly blinding Faith until her eyes adjusted. They were in his bedroom.
“Um. What are we doing here?”
“Whatever you want.”
“How about we watch a movie and order in?” she suggested, wriggling out of his grip to sit on the lone sofa in a room that was dominated by a massive bed with silver and white bedcovers.
Connor toed off his shoes and sat on the bed, his back against the headboard. “Come here.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He gave her a hurt look. “I’m not going to fuck you, Faith. I need you as a friend. As my best friend.”
Her heart pinched. “Fine, but I get to pick the toppings.”
“As you wish.”
“Don’t you Princess Bride talk me, Montgomery.”
He smirked. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Buttercup.”
She stood and moved to the bed, taking off her shoes along the way. She hesitated at the edge of the mattress, but Connor gave her another look.
With a sigh, she climbed into bed with him. Immediately, he hauled her against his side, his head coming to rest on her shoulder. He laced their hands together, his large one engulfing hers as he used his free one to open an app.
“Only pizza?”
“And some breadsticks.”
“And?” he asked.
“Chocolate cake?”
“I could take you out.”
Turning, she caressed the side of his face. “You don’t want to go out.”
“No, I don’t.” He placed their order and tossed the phone on the bed. “I didn’t forget your toppings.”
“We’ll see.” She grinned. “You’ve tricked me before, remember?”
“Who doesn’t like pineapple and onions?” He poked her in the side, hitting her ticklish spots.
“I like them separately
and not on pizza,” she said, giggling.
Connor grew quiet. “Who sent you here?”
“Your family, but it was my decision to come.”
“Hmm.”
“It was,” she insisted. “Just because y’all are billionaires doesn’t mean I jump when the Montgomerys come calling.”
“Good.” He tipped up his chin, hazel eyes sad. This close she could see flecks of gold in them. “Marry me, Faith.”
Her heart lurched, twisting painfully. “What have you done tonight?” she asked, desperate to distract him. “Do we need to go to the ER?”
“Not enough to make the pain go away.” He moved, pressing her down into the soft covers of the bed as he loomed over her, his body heavy against hers. She allowed it, not only because she trusted him, but because he needed to feel in control right now. “Only you can make it go away.”
“I don’t have those kinds of superpowers.” She cupped the side of his face. “I wish I did.”
He turned his face into her palm, kissing the center of it. She should be used to his affectionate ways by now, but he could still make her world go off its axis. “You didn’t answer me.”
“I didn’t need to. You already know what I like on my pizza,” she said, purposefully obtuse.
“I’ll take you to every place on your Pinterest travel board for our honeymoon. We don’t ever have to come back. You won’t have to deal with your dad’s gambling. No more middle of the night calls. No more strange men showing up at your dorm.”
“That was one time, and they never came back.” She flushed hotly. “Besides, it’s not that bad anymore.” It wasn’t any better either. As soon as Faith graduated from high school, her parents thought it was time to let her know that they wouldn’t be able to pay for any part of college.
So she’d abandoned her dreams to go to State for the first two years and gone to the local community college while working her tail off and saving up to finish her degree at State.
Only, her dad always needed money. Always had a sob story. And for someone who had idolized her father growing up, this new-to-her side of him broke her heart.
Seducing the Billionaire's Brother Page 2