by Lexi Lawton
Tanner shrugged. “There wasn’t any specific moment. I just didn’t want to be anywhere but with her. I thought about her twenty-four seven. Still do.” He grinned. “I’d die for her.”
His heart beat faster, and his mind swirled. That’s exactly how he felt about Kylie. He went to bed and woke up thinking about her. He wanted to be with her all the time. Hell, he was risking everything he had for her.
“Does she give a shit?”
Xander smiled and shook his head. “No. In fact, she acted repulsed by the fact I had a trust fund.” He laughed.
“Well, you know what Dad always says.”
“Yeah, I do.” And he knew what that meant, too. Deep down, he always knew; he was just afraid to let himself think it, let alone feel it.
…
Two hours later, they walked into his parents’ house. It was a few minutes past eleven o’clock, but his mom and dad were wide awake, sitting at the dining room table with Ryder.
“Mom? Dad? We’re here,” Tanner called.
“I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t make it.” His mom rushed into the foyer. She gave Tanner and Jules a hug before turning her attention to Xander. She gasped, her hands going to her mouth. “Alexander! What happened to your face?” She reached for him, but he dodged out of her way.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.”
She frowned and tsked at him. Then she noticed Kylie, and her face split into a smile. “Who is this?”
“Mom, this is my friend from school, Kylie Quinn. Kylie, this is my mom, Debbie.”
Kylie extended her hand. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Collins.”
“If you want me to answer you, call me Debbie.” She ignored Kylie’s hand and pulled her into a hug instead. Mrs. Collins held her out at arm’s length. “Well, look at you. So pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“She’s just a friend, Xander?” His mother turned to him but didn’t release Kylie.
He nodded, not sure what else to do because they’d never discussed a label. In his mind, she was his girlfriend, but he wasn’t sure announcing that to his parents before he discussed it with Kylie was a good idea.
“Hmm, such a shame.” Finally, Mrs. Collins released Kylie.
“Mom.” Xander groaned. Tanner laughed.
“That’s my dad, Ethan.” Xander pointed to his father, who’d come out of the dining room. “And my other brother, Ryder. This is Kylie.” He reached down and took her hand, praying no one said or did anything to embarrass him any more than his mom already had.
“It’s a pleasure.” His dad shook her hand.
“Likewise,” Kylie said.
“I’m sorry.” Ryder stepped forward. “I’m having trouble with the fact my brother brought home a real, live girl.”
“Dude, come on.” Xander gave him a dirty look.
“Why? Does he normally bring home fake girls?” Kylie asked.
The room fell silent and then erupted in laughter. And that quick wit right there was one of the many reasons he was head over heels for her. He gently nudged her hip with his and smiled.
His father nodded at Xander. “Hope the other guy looks worse.”
Xander shrugged, refusing to meet his dad’s gaze.
“Why did you drive here when I’d bought you plane tickets?” his father asked.
Xander’s stomach dropped. “It’s a long story.”
Dad crossed his arms and waited.
“You guys must be famished after the long drive.” His mom ushered all but Xander into the kitchen.
Left alone with his father, there was no more avoiding it. Xander took a deep breath and told his father everything, starting with how he and Kylie had become friends, right down to how he’d ended up driving home. He included getting into a fist fight with her father, being taken to the police station for questioning, and calling Tanner for help, but left out the part about spending the morning sitting in a jail cell.
“You hit her father?”
He nodded. “It was stupid. I shouldn’t have done it.” The best way to deal with this was to admit guilt and accept responsibility. He had a lot of other things to answer for, and he’d much rather focus on those than the fight.
His father crossed his arms and let out a disappointed sigh. “So, how many classes have you missed?”
“My Wednesday afternoon class, and then all my classes on Thursday and Friday.”
“Mm-hmm.” He tapped his finger against his chin. “Now you’ll have to drive all the way back to Florida, too, which means you’ll miss even more classes. At least another full day.”
Shoulders slumped, he hung his head. “Yeah, I guess.”
“And this girl is worth flunking even more classes?”
He clenched his jaw. “I’m not going to flunk. I told you I’d pass, and I will. I contacted all my professors and got the assignments—I’ll catch up. Kylie needed my help, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
His father’s posture softened, and he shook his head. “I don’t know if I should be disappointed or proud.” Grabbing Xander, he gave him a hug, patting his back. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but don’t let me down. I meant what I said about consequences for your actions. And don’t ever let me find out you hit one of your elders again. We raised you better than that.”
“Yes, sir.”
He nodded. “So, this girl…”
“As I said, her grandmother passed away, and she left Kylie with a large inheritance. She needs someone to help her manage it, and I thought of you. Can you talk to her?”
“Of course. Send her up to my office, and I’ll do what I can to help.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Xander returned to the dining room. His mom had plates of finger food and other snacks spread out on the table. He went over to where Kylie sat and whispered in her ear, “Come with me.”
She stood. “Where are we going?”
“Up to my dad’s office. He’s going to go over your inheritance with you.”
“What? Now?” Her eyes widened. “It’s late. Doesn’t he want to wait until tomorrow?”
“I’m sure he will if you want, but tomorrow is Mom’s party.”
“That’s right. Okay.” She nodded.
Stopping in front of his dad’s office, Xander caressed her cheek. “I know all of this is overwhelming, but everything’s going to be fine.” He kissed her tenderly, then opened the door and left her with his father.
He headed back downstairs to find Ryder and Tanner had gone out to the car to gather their bags. “I’d best get another room made up for Kylie.” Mom hurried from the dining room, leaving him alone with Jules. He sat and popped a slice of pepperoni into his mouth.
“So…” She drummed her nails on the table. “Tanner said you needed my help with something?”
He nodded and chewed on another pepperoni.
“I assume whatever you need has to do with Kylie.”
He wiped his fingers on his jeans. “Yes, and I need your word that you won’t laugh or give me any shit for what I’m about to ask.” His voice shook, and he cleared his throat. He couldn’t believe he was ready to talk about this with Juliana, but he was desperate.
“Of course.”
“Okay.” He took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was headed back their way. “Kylie and I aren’t together, exactly, but it’s not because we don’t want to be. She’s a virgin.” He rubbed the weariness from his face. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I think I’m missing something,” Jules said, her tone confused. “Why is her virginity even an issue?”
“I had a bad experience with a virgin during my freshman year. My reputation took a massive hit, and she ended up dropping out of college. It was bad.” He lifted his head and looked at Jules. “I’m terrified of making the same mistakes with Kylie. I don’t care that she’s a virgin. I’m more worried I’ll do something to hurt her, or that she’ll regret bein
g with me, and then I’ll lose her, which is why I’ve insisted we take things slow. But we can’t stay where we are forever.”
“I get that.” Jules broke into a knowing smile. “I’m sure Tanner told you I wanted to take things slow at first, and it was because my ex had done a number on me emotionally. And Tanner was so patient. He never once pressured me, and when the time finally came, I knew I could trust him. And that’s what this all comes down to—trust.”
“I trust her.”
“Do you?” She folded her arms on the table. “If you trust her, then why haven’t you taken things to the next level? Sounds to me like you’re still letting this one bad experience fuck with your head.”
Was he? He thought about it too much, constantly playing the what-if game with himself, wondering if he’d inadvertently push Kylie away. The thought of losing her made his heart seize. “Trisha blamed me for ruining her first time. That’s what I’m afraid of. I need to know what to do so I don’t ruin sex for Kylie.” Xander shrugged, feeling like an ass for having to ask for this type of advice. It’s not like he didn’t know what he was doing in the bedroom.
“Well, for starters, you need to be sure you’re doing this for the right reasons.”
“Me?” He pointed to himself.
She nodded. “Yes, you. Do you want to have sex with her because you like her and want to have a relationship with her? Or is she just another girl to add to your tally?”
He flinched, hurt and slightly offended by her implied accusations. But what pissed him off even more was that it was a justified inquiry. He was known for sleeping around and not committing. He shouldn’t be too surprised his intentions were being questioned.
“I don’t mean to sound like a bitch.” Jules took a deep breath. “But you can’t take her virginity and then dump her.”
“I won’t,” he said quickly. “I mean…” He sighed. “She’s the one. I know it.”
Jules let out a squeal of excitement and bounced in her seat. “Oh my gosh, Xander!”
He rolled his eyes. “All right, let’s not make a big deal out of this, okay?”
“This is a huge deal.” Jules reached across the table and put her hand on top of his. “I’m really happy for you. Kylie seems very sweet. But I’m not sure why you think I can help you with this.”
“Because you’re a girl, and you’re a med student. I figured if anyone knew the ins and outs of something like this, it would be you. Plus, I trust you.”
“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She laughed.
“Kylie’s my future, which is why I need to make sure I don’t mess this up.” He shifted so he was leaning forward. “I want her first time to be perfect.”
She gave his hand a squeeze and smiled. “The first thing is to make sure she’s ready.”
“Oh, she is.” There were absolutely no doubts in his mind. Kylie wanted to have sex. With him. And while he still had some lingering doubts she might regret it later, it was a chance he had to take. Because what if he was wrong? What if she didn’t regret it and they could have the future together that he so desperately wanted?
“Have you two done anything?”
“Yes.” He leaned back and glanced around again to make sure they were still alone. “We’ve been…exploring.” He grinned.
“That’s good, because you can’t rush this. That’s the most important thing. Take your time. No matter what you do, it will hurt for her the first few times. There’s no avoiding that. So go slow. Let her decide how much she can handle.”
He nodded.
“There’s going to be some blood, too. Don’t freak out about that, and don’t embarrass her. It’s simple biology.”
Yes, he remembered the bleeding. That was how he’d known Trisha was a virgin.
“You really care about her, don’t you?”
“When I really think about how much she means to me, I break out in a cold sweat and shake. Losing her isn’t an option.” He propped his elbows on the table. “I’m scared shitless, Jules.”
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you, and trust me when I say you’re overthinking this. That’s the thing with sex. It’s very physical, obviously, but for us girls, it’s all in here”—she put her hand to her heart—“and here.” She pointed to her head.
“Thanks, Jules.”
Chapter Thirty
Ethan Collins had dark hair and blue eyes, which initially took her by surprise considering all of his sons had dark eyes. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and had a couple days’ worth of stubble on his chin.
“My son tells me you need my help.”
“Yes, sir.” She swallowed hard.
“Well, c’mon in.”
“Thank you.” She stepped into the office. The room was much bigger than she expected, decorated with plush furniture and a huge mahogany desk. Bookshelves lined the walls, and the only light came from an overhead fixture. There wasn’t even a window.
“Please, have a seat.” Ethan nodded toward one of the armchairs.
She sat and rubbed her palms on her jeans.
“So, Xander filled me in on some of your situation. Why don’t you tell me everything?”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “I will, but first I feel like I need to apologize. Xander told me about his classes last year and the trouble he was in for failing. I tried to convince him to stay on campus, but he wouldn’t listen, and well…” She paused to take a breath. “I don’t want him to get into more trouble because of me.”
Ethan smiled warmly, and she relaxed a little. “Xander is definitely the most stubborn child I’ve ever known. But we raised those boys to always help others, and I know he wouldn’t have missed classes if it weren’t important.”
“I’m very smart,” she blurted and then cringed. “I mean, I’m on an academic scholarship, and even though we’re in different programs, I can help him study. Actually, we have been studying together two or three times a week, and he’s been going to open study almost every night. I’ll do what I can to make sure he passes.”
He patted her hand. “That’s very kind of you. Xander knows what’s at stake, and I’m confident he’ll do the right thing. He usually does.”
“Thank you.”
He sat back in his chair and folded his hands on his lap. “Now, tell me about you.”
After spending almost an hour talking with Mr. Collins, Kylie felt much better about her inheritance and how to handle it. He’d explained everything in terms she could understand, and he laid out a plan to help her manage her new wealth.
“You know you don’t have to do this.” Ethan handed her a client agreement and a pen. “I’m happy to help you as a favor to my son.”
“I know, and I appreciate that.” She smiled, took the pen, and signed her name on the agreement. “I want to do this. You’ve been so helpful. Besides, I’m sure I’ll mess something up. It makes me feel better to know I can call on you for help when that happens.”
Ethan nodded and signed his name above hers. “Okay, then. As soon as I get all the information I need from Mr. Stanton, I’ll get to work setting up a trust and a high-interest–bearing account for your stock dividends.”
“Thank you.”
He set the signed client agreement on top of his keyboard, then folded his hands on his stomach. “Before you go, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Oh, uh, okay.” She glanced around, wondering what else he could possibly want to talk about. Hadn’t they covered everything? Her stomach knotted, and she clutched the arms of the chair.
“I’m probably overstepping my bounds here, but Xander mentioned the situation with your father.”
Bile rose hot and thick in her throat, and she swallowed hard against the nausea warring inside her. “With all due respect, sir, I don’t want to talk about my father, and I really don’t see what he has to do with any of this.”
Ethan stood and came around the other side of his desk, taking the seat be
side her. “He specifically has nothing to do with this, but people like him do.”
She tilted her head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m sure Xander has told you about his trust fund.”
“Yeah, he said he had one, but he didn’t tell me how much. And I didn’t ask. I don’t care.” Her face heated with embarrassment. “I mean, I care. About Xander. I’m glad he has a trust fund. I just don’t care how much. It’s none of my business.” Shut up already. She sighed.
His eyes crinkled with a bright smile, and he patted her hand. “Let me give you the same advice I gave my boys. Be careful who you tell about your wealth. Money has the potential to bring out the worst in people, and even though you might not want to believe it, there are far too many people out there who will try to get close to you for that reason alone.”
Kylie nodded, and her stomach settled enough that she didn’t feel like she was going to throw up all over the office floor. That would suck. She’d bet this carpet was worth more than one year’s tuition.
“Now, I don’t know what’s going on with you and Xander, but—”
“Oh, we’re just friends,” she said quickly.
He smiled knowingly, like he didn’t believe her. “Well, regardless of what’s going on with you and Xander, be careful. I’ve always told my boys to find the woman who doesn’t care about the money and hold onto her. And now I’m telling you the same: find that one man who doesn’t care and don’t let him go.”
She had no idea what to say. Her throat burned with the threat of tears, and she inhaled sharply. He not only gave her his professional help, but he also gave her fatherly advice, which was something she’d never had growing up. Xander had no idea how lucky he was. She fought against the tears and nodded.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Of course.” He stood and opened the door for her.
She left his office to find Xander waiting for her. “Hey, how’d everything go?” he asked.
“Great. Your dad was so helpful.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Come on, I’ll show you to the guest room Mom fixed up.”