The Baby Arrangement (A Winston Brother's Novel #1)

by J. L. Beck

  “Fuck…” The words came out in a hiss. I wanted the moment to last longer. Going without her touch, without hearing her voice, it made me crazy. I knew long ago that she had imbedded herself underneath my skin but I never knew how bad it was until I was forced to let go of her.

  The sex we shared didn’t seem to make it better either. It just encouraged the need to possess her. When I was deep inside her, my cock spreading her wide open and piercing her soul, I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I knew then that she was it for me, it was a shame she hadn’t come to that conclusion yet.

  I would make her see it though; that there was nothing her mother or my father could do to keep us apart, just like there was nothing Brooke or I could do to stop them from getting married.

  Reluctantly, I placed my car in drive and headed to the office across town, my mind remaining on the one and only thing I felt I couldn’t fully have– Brooke. I parked in the parking garage next to my father’s car and took the elevator up to the third floor. Working with my father wasn’t what I would call a fun job, really it was anything but that.

  “Should we just move the time that you’ll start work to a more acceptable hour for you?” My father’s gruff voice was the first thing I heard when I walked in the office. If only he knew what I had just spent the last twenty minutes doing.

  “I’m three minutes late Father…” I rolled my eyes, unclenching my fists.

  Think of Brooke. I told myself, trying to reel in my temper, the one thing that was growing hotter than the sun this morning.

  “No one else in this building is late, and just because you’re my son doesn’t make it acceptable for you to be…” I lifted my eyes to his, setting my briefcase on the floor next to my desk.

  “I’ll make note of that next time,” I scoffed. Gerald Master was what many would call The King of Wall Street. He had made his money doing dirty deeds for others, monopolizing on companies that were failing at one point in time. He put the work in and got the money out. Putting all your time and effort into work left you bitter and cold though, something I never wanted to be, nor would be, not with Brooke by my side.

  “I need you to take care of the account files I’ve left on your desk. Get in contact with them and make arrangements to meet up with them. It’s your job to close the deal.” The coldness in my father’s voice didn’t surprise me. Not as much as it did when I first started. I bit the inside of my cheek stifling the remark that burned at the tip of my tongue. It was always my job to seal the deal and I always came through. Ignoring his comment, I got right to work setting up dinner reservations for possible clients.

  No more than two hours had passed when my father reappeared in front of my desk. His desk was right across the hall. Our walls were made of nothing but glass, making it easy for him to watch me during the work day. Most would be frustrated with that, but I wasn’t. I wanted the asshole to know how much work I was putting in.

  “I see Brooke and you have grown closer since Sandra and I tied the knot….” His words lacked emotion but I could see the interest in his eyes. He wanted something to hold over my head. Brooke had one thing right when she tried ending things between us, our parents would shit bricks if they ever found out about us.

  I wrinkled my nose at him. “Brooke and I were friends way before you two ever met or got married.” No we weren’t as close as we are now since we are sleeping and living together, but that wasn’t any of his concern. Mine and Brooke’s relationship wasn’t his business.

  “I mean, it just seems that you’re settling into being brother and sister faster than I expected.” I narrowed my eyes at him watching him as he scrubbed at his greying beard with more curiosity in his eyes than I cared to notice. If he thought he was going to get any information out of me, he had another thing coming.

  “It’s not hard when you’re as close as Brooke and I are,” I deadpanned, all while thinking you have no idea how close we are.

  “Oh I’m sure…” He tipped his chin up eyeing me, watching for a crack in my lie. A crack he could shove himself into.

  “I have work to do, so if you don’t mind…” I lifted an eyebrow at him in question. I didn’t want to sit here and talk about my relationship with Brooke, the girl who was supposed to be my little sister. I had seen her as anything but that for as long as I could remember.

  “Of course son, just checking in on you and Brooke. I’ve never had a daughter and want to make sure that everything is perfect…” He paused. “For Sandra you know.” I nodded. Sandra was Brooke’s mom. She made the devil look like an angel on a good day. I felt bad for Brooke up until the day her mother married my father. Now I didn’t though, because she had me to protect her from the witch.

  “We’re fine, thanks.” I once again dismissed him dropping my eyes to the paperwork in front of me. I pretended to be engrossed in the numbers until he got the point and walked away. Brooke was right, hiding our relationship was best, but what she didn’t know was that I had no qualms with going against the world to keep her as mine. Yeah we could hide what we had and not deal with everyone else’s opinion about us, or we could just come out with it and be together.

  I could feel my father’s eyes on me, watching me as I continued to pretend working. My cell phone chimed on my desk signaling an incoming text message. My eyes darted to it, seeing Brooke’s name flash across the screen.

  Excitement zinged down my spine. Had she finally come to her senses? From the looks of things, she hadn’t. Her message simply stated that we needed to talk, with our clothes on.

  My brows furrowed. Didn’t she know me in the least bit? Obviously not, but I was going to show her soon. I couldn’t let her end things between us before they got good. Not only was I attached to her at the hip but my heart was connected to hers as well. If she ended things, it would kill me.

  My eyes lifted gradually to my father’s desk across the hall. Dark orbs met mine, watching my every move. Did he know something was going on between Brooke and me but didn’t want me to know?

  The thought surfaced in my mind. We hadn’t drawn Sandra’s or my father’s attention in any way, so why was he so keen on knowing how Brooke and I were doing, and right out of the blue? The need to tell him to fuck off was burning at the tip of my tongue.

  I refrained though knowing that if I did make a big deal about a small question like that attention would be given, attention that neither Brooke or I wanted. I pressed the pads of my thumbs into my eyes in frustration. I had to focus on the task at hand and that was keeping Brooke and I together. She saw so much fault in us being together and all because she was afraid of what our parents would say and do. Her fears were real and I understood why she felt the way she did, but the truth was Brooke and I being together wouldn’t change anything for our parents.

  Her mom would still be a raging bitch and my father would still try and force me to remain here with his company. There was always something at cost when it came to our parents.

  “I’ve got to step out of the office early…” I didn’t care that it was two in the afternoon. I needed a beer and to talk to my best friend Sully. Things with Brooke were slippery, so maybe he could give me the advice I needed to get her to stay.

  I could feel the disapproval in my father’s gaze. I knew he heard me, but the fact that he didn’t acknowledge what I had said annoyed the hell out of me. Locking up my items and shutting off my computer, I shoved away from the desk my eyes falling on a photo of Brooke and me from our parents’ wedding.

  Brooke was so young looking, merely a senior in high school and me, I was well on my way to graduating from business school. Things had been less crazy then and our friendship was growing. Little did either of us know that in less than a year, things would change drastically between us.

  “I’m leaving,” I announced stepping out of my office.

  “Sure son, do what you need to do.” I rolled my eyes ignoring him as I headed toward the elevators. I had been in the office six hours, and even that was t
oo long to be around my father.

  He would never approve of anything I did. Working for his company was something that had been forced on me and if he ever found out that I loved Brooke, it would be yet another thing he would find a way to destroy.

  I sighed expelling my frustrations in the elevator. Sully would be able to help and would have too. If I couldn’t talk to Brooke about things, I could talk to Sully.

  There was nothing worse than trying to convince yourself that you were making the right choice when your heart was telling you that you weren’t. All my afternoon classes seemed to drag on, the professors’ voices drowning in and out as my thoughts drifted to Zane and back again. I checked my phone religiously wondering when I would receive a text back. After three hours I stopped checking and chalked it up to ‘I’ll talk to you later’.

  Zane wasn’t happy about me ending our secret love affair and as much as I hated to do it, we both knew it needed to be done. Not only did I not want to ruin our friendship but my mom is a bitch even on the days when she is nice. If she discovered Zane and I were sleeping together she would do everything in her power to ruin us.

  Classes ended and I walked the short distance to our house just off campus, the one that Gerald, Zane’s father, insisted we get. That was back when Zane was still taking classes and not doing his father’s dirty deeds.

  A light rain fell from the clouds as I walked up the sidewalk and to the little two-bedroom cottage. It was a cozy house with all the amenities a college student could ever dream of. Yet I couldn’t wait to break away from the thing and go out on my own.

  Pulling my keys out to unlock the front door, I realized the door was already open. Was Zane here? He never left the door open, let alone unlocked. I shoved the door open, my eyes landing on Gerald who was sitting on our oversized leather sectional both arms extended along the back as if he was making himself at home. Knots of anxiety rolled around in my belly.

  If he was here it didn’t mean anything good.

  “To what do I owe this visit?” I forced an anxious smile, closing the door behind me and hanging my backpack on the coat hanger next to the door. Gerald’s dark orbs bled into mine. It was clear where Zane got his devilishly handsome looks. His father, I’m sure, was a stud back in the day. Now he was a man with greying hair and wrinkled skin.

  “Are you saying I can’t come and see my stepdaughter and son without needing a reason to?” The look on his face said he was being snide. There was always a reason if Gerald was here and the reason wasn’t a good one. He claimed to have married my mother for love but I wasn’t the only one who knew the truth. My mother and Zane’s father, their marriage wasn’t about love, it was about business.

  “Of course not. It’s just…” I cleared my throat smoothing my sweaty palms over the front of my jeans. “You invited yourself in and….” Gerald’s evil eyes narrowed at me. He didn’t care that he was breaking and entering, which was a crime.

  “I didn’t come here to make small talk Brooke. You’re a smart girl and you know that….” I suspected that this had more to do with Zane and me then I wanted to admit. Gerald never showed up or had anything to do with us, so when he did we both knew it was a big deal.

  “Well Zane isn’t here right now, so I can’t really help you with whatever it is you’re looking for…” Tension seeped into the room, taking all the oxygen with it.

  Gerald smiled. Standing from the couch, his large, feeble form overshadowed me. “I didn’t come here for my son. I came here for you Brooke. It seems things are taking a different route than what your mother or I ever expected.” I swallowed around the lump that had formed in my throat.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I lied through my teeth. I wouldn’t give this man the ammunition he needed to shoot me. I wasn’t as stupid as my mother. Gerald smiled, like he couldn’t be fooled.

  “Oh I’m positive you know sweetheart. I’ve watched the security cameras here at the house. I know you and Zane are sleeping with each other and honestly, I’m positive you’re the reason for his shitty attitude at work this past month.” I blinked slowly, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat. This was the exact thing I was trying to stop from happening. Zane had just given his father the one thing he needed to keep us apart.

  “You shouldn’t be watching this house. I’m an adult…” I snarled, not wanting to talk about the elephant in the room. Zane and my relationship was coming to an end so his father had no need to put his nose into our business.

  “Adult…” He mocked with laughter, covering the short distance that separated us faster than I expected, forcing my back to the wall. “Your mother and I provide everything for you and we will take it as fast as we give it if you do not end this with my son,” he warned.

  “Nothing is going on with us. It was only once or twice. It’s ended now….” Fear filled my belly. If my mother discovered that I was sleeping with Zane and that there was a possibility that her image could be tainted because of me, she would pull my school funds and ship me away.

  “You’re a liar…” Gerald grabbed my chin and dug his fingers into it, forcing me to look him straight in the eyes. “Zane wants you and I know how women like you are. He’s got a huge future in front of him and if you think you can take that from him, you have another thing coming. He’s my son,” he roared. Tears slipped from my eyes at his harsh words.

  “Please don’t tell her, please…” I pleaded. I had told Zane time and time again that we couldn’t be together; that if they discovered what we were doing everything would be taken away and now my nightmares were becoming a reality.

  Gerald smiled, his false, white teeth shining at me. “I won’t.” He released me with a push, my face twisting in agony as my jaw throbbed where he had gripped it. “Telling her would only make more problems for me but don’t think I won’t tell her if I don’t have to, because I will.”

  I wanted him to leave. I wanted Zane to come home and I wanted to be able to tell him what was going on. I wanted his strong arms around me, telling me that everything was going to be okay.

  “What do you want?” I questioned. Gerald stared down at me with an evil glint in his eyes.

  “Move. I want you gone. You and Zane cannot live together anymore. You will not give him any explanation, nor will you tell him where you’re moving. If I discover you’ve done either of those things, I will tell your mother everything.” His admission slammed into me, forcing the air from my lungs.

  Zane would never approve of me moving out, nor did I want to. Still looking at Gerald I knew I had no option. I would have to follow through with his orders or face my mother’s wrath. They would break me like they broke Zane, taking away my degree and life.

  “What will I tell Zane?” I gasped, feeling like I was losing a piece of my identity. Gerald merely stared at me, his face void of any emotion. He didn’t care if his son was unhappy; all he cared about was doing what he needed to do to stay ahead.

  “Tell him whatever you want but do not mention my name…” He exhaled, his strong cologne filling my nostrils as I sucked fresh oxygen into my lungs. I could feel the onset of a panic attack coming right as Gerald’s old grubby fingers wrapped around the doorknob.

  “We don’t have to do this Mr. Masters…” I pleaded, begging him to understand where I was coming from. This wasn’t how I wanted to live my life, hiding in the shadows waiting for the ball to drop. Even if I did hold up my end of the bargain, he would use the matter as leverage against me for the rest of my life.

  “Yes we do Brooke…” Gerald swiveled around, his eyes burning into mine. “Because whenever my son decides to get married and have children I want it to be with a respectful woman, a woman that sees his hard work and understands the business I’ve strived so hard to create.” I shook my head, forcing the tears to stay at bay as Gerald opened the door and slipped outside. Every step he took away from the house made me feel safer but also reminded me of what I had to do to keep things okay.

  I sq
ueezed my eyes shut, slamming the door as soon as he was out of sight. Tears slipped through though no matter how hard I tried to stop them. This was what I was trying to stop. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone discovered what we were doing and used it to blackmail us.

  We were dumb, so fucking dumb to think that we could get away with this and come out unscathed on the other side. I backed up my back slamming into the wall behind me, the tears blurring my vision.

  “How are you going to do this Brooke?” The question came out in a whisper to no one but me. How was I supposed to let go of Zane? All I wanted was to hide what we were doing better, not lose him. My vision seemed to blur more as I slid down the wall, my ass slamming into the wood floor as I tried to breath through my anxiety attack. My chest constricted, every breath becoming harder and harder to take.

  I can’t lose him…

  Black spots formed beneath the tears and before I could stop myself or the silent monster in the room, my body slipped deeper succumbing to the pain I knew I would endure.

  I couldn’t tell Zane why I was leaving but I knew for a fact he would blame himself and that I couldn’t handle.

  As soon as I opened the door I knew something was wrong. Not only wasn’t it closed all the way, but it wasn’t locked either. I shoved it open a bit, the shots I had consumed not long ago finally hitting me causing my movements to be jerky and less smooth than usual.

  “Brooke baby…” I called out but got no response. My eyes scanned over her shoes and backpack, which were in their usual spots. When I fully entered the house and closed and locked the front door behind me, I saw her. She was curled up in a ball on the couch, her head buried deep into the pillows.

  My chest ached, cracking wide open as I walked over to her, resting my hand gently on her shoulder. Electricity shot up my arm and made its way down my spine. I was connected to Brooke and on a much deeper level than just sex. Feeling her now I could tell something was up.