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

by J. L. Beck

There was just the whole personal belief that a child should be born as the result of love and not just lust.

  Julian stretched out. "Mi casa is su casa. I'll get a key made for you and get you all the codes and stuff you need—garage passwords, Wi-Fi info, you know, the works."

  I wasn't done staring at him and his audacity. Going along with all that as if it was nothing.

  He bent down and started gathering his clothes. "I hate to fuck and dash, but I still have business to attend to. All of this stuff with hiring you, you know, was just so damn sudden."

  So damn sudden. The whole fucking me pregnant thing.

  Yeah, it was sudden. Understatement of the year there.

  "Take it easy. I think Tiff is back. You should go introduce yourself and get to know her. Form a bond, a rapport. She's a playful girl, even if as her brother I'm also supposed to inform you that she's an utter brat."

  My head was shaking—or I guess more accurately, wobbling back and forth. It was just pure disbelief, really.

  "Her bedtime is drawing close, actually. You might have to wait till tomorrow to do proper introductions."

  Why was he going on about business when I was still stuck in a crisis of worrying if I was just put on the road to being pregnant?

  Again, if I had a lick of common sense, I should have turned away. Ran. Take the good fucking and run. Go get a morning-after pill. Just hope fate's dice dropped in my favor.

  Yet, I couldn't.

  I felt like a damn idiot.

  All the same, though, I would be a damn idiot if I tried to push Julian out of my life as soon as I found him.

  Ugh, I was getting a headache from all of this.

  Talking to an eight year old was a lot less difficult, and that was why I wanted to work with kids. They were simple. They didn't play eleventh-dimensional chess with you. It was refreshingly honest.

  Moreover, I needed something like this. A break from my own mess of a mind, my own pseudo-schizophrenic thoughts.

  There was a bit of a bro-code Julian and I followed.

  Bro in the sense of being close buddies, not so much actually being brothers.

  Although the blood relation certainly did intensify our bromance.

  Regardless, we had rules with one another. When we saw a target of seduction, and we needed the other out of the way, we gave them space and helped them out when possible.

  Thing is? The way Julian asked for space rubbed me wrong in a few ways.

  Like how the girl he was crushing on was meant to be Tiff's babysitter.

  Or how I had a crush on the same girl, despite my previous line.

  I wasn't out as long with Tiff as I'd expected to be. It was already pretty late, and Tiff was pretty solid at passing out at around 8:30 exactly and without fail. When I was riding the elevator up to the penthouse, she was already pretty much out, and I was carrying her.

  Then I got back in proper. I heard the unmistakable sounds of…well, fucking. I took Tiff to her bedroom and was thankful that part of having a super-nice place was also having decent soundproofing. At least enough that Tiff couldn't hear things that would wake her up and ask me questions about why Julian was screaming at Cassie and vice versa. I wasn't the world's best liar, and I didn't want to be the one to give my sister the birds and bees talk either.

  Me, though? My curiosity got the better of me.

  I approached, envisioning what must be going on. It might be weird to think of your brother fucking someone, but when he looks exactly like you, the rules change a little.

  That girl was screaming her tits off and having the time of her life.

  Judging by Julian, well, he was, too. God, just hearing it all made me hard.

  I couldn't think of anything lamer than jacking off to my own brother fucking a girl, and yet the temptation was still fucking there.

  That's how unbelievably hot Cassie was.

  So hot that I was incredibly surprised that Julian had given in so quickly.

  "You—you came inside me," I hear her say behind the door.

  I wasn't expecting that either.

  Their conversation goes on. I listen in, the snooping bastard I am.

  This was very unlike Julian. Very unlike him indeed.

  It also meant that they were likely almost done in there, so I had better scoot before I looked like the perverted bastard that I actually am.

  Heading for the kitchen, I poured myself a drink. Nothing too strong, just something to take the edge off, a nightcap I guess some people called it. I still had to do some studying and other stuff, so getting completely wicked drunk wasn't a particularly good idea.

  Just like clockwork, though, Jack came strolling out, looking disheveled, and even if I hadn't heard him, it would have been pretty obvious he just finished fucking someone.

  "Hey there, little brother," I smugly said as he came into the room, pouring him a drink, too. "You look rough."

  "Two minutes does not a little brother make, Jack."

  "Just going with the technicality. It's not important though."

  "Why have you been reminding me constantly over these past twenty-three years then?"

  I didn't take the bait. "Not important. What is important? You having a bit too much fun with the babysitter in there."

  His expression turned dour. "You're going to give me shit about going after a girl I found hot? Are you that petty and jealous?"

  "It's not that, man. It's..." I paused a moment, realizing there was no way of me telling him things without revealing myself as a big ol' creep, but ultimately, this was too important. "The fact that I heard you apparently planted some seeds, if you know what I mean."

  He raised an eyebrow.

  I lied. "You didn't close the door all the way. You're lucky Tiff was already out for the count when I got back."

  "It's none of your business how I enjoy myself, Jack."

  "But it is. Dude, we agreed. We hit it big. We're going to be smart about it. No buying dozens of Lamborghinis, no high-class call girls who cost thousands an hour, no stupid shit like caviar. Just functional stuff, like a nice place, relief for Mom, and all that. We go to school, we learn how to manage the money. All and all, be smart about it."

  "And?"

  "Fucking the babysitter and knocking her up so she can baby trap you seems pretty counter-productive to all that, don't you think?

  He shook his head and poured himself another drink. "It's not like that, man. Cassie's not going to do that."

  "How do you know? We've barely known her for more than a few hours."

  "It's just this feeling. This intuition."

  I crossed my arms. "Really? Mr. Cold Logic Julian is going off the feels. Especially with a girl."

  "Man...she's different. I mean it. When I'm in the throes of passion with her, she feels like the one. Like I'm there with my soulmate. Like I want to build a future with her, all while doing dirty, nasty things to her."

  "So you're trying to knock her up."

  "Dude, when you get around to fucking her, I'd like to see you try not to do that."

  My eyebrow quickly raised. "When I get around to it?"

  "I'm not blind, man. You were fucking her with your eyes as hard I was. This? This is just jealousy. I'm betting dollars to donuts you won't be responsible either."

  "Man, I wrap it up."

  "You're not with her." He leaned in, whispering into my ear. "You saw her. Now imagine her swelling with my child. Your child. Our child."

  I thought about just that.

  I tried to envision it.

  It helped that she walked up right behind us, obviously looking as if she had been fucking just like Julian did. Seeing her walk with a little bit of waddle from Julian's spirited railings gave me enough of the fantasy to see it. To see her.

  "Where's Tiff? I guess she fell asleep already?" she asked, looking around the room, still blushing. Apparently, the evidence of what she just did was clear even to her.

  "She's pretty punctual about passing out ha
lf past eight," I replied, sipping some of the wine. "Mark eight-thirty as your quitting time with her."

  Cassie then looked at Julian. "I thought you had important things to do. Drinking is important?"

  "I'm just loosening myself up before I get to the stresses of the day, dear." Julian smiled, desperately trying to explain away what was clearly a celebratory drink for him. "But yes, I do have business to attend to. Trades and the like to confirm and deny. It never ends." He finished his drink and took off toward our home office.

  Leaving me alone with Cassie.

  "Does he usually work this late?" she asked me.

  I sipped the wine before responding. "I do too sometimes. The day gets a hold of you occasionally, but things need to be done. Today? Our whole Mom-freaking-out-and-taking-off thing ate a lot of what were going to do earlier. It's why we need you, you know."

  "Taking care of your little sister is unmanly, huh?"

  She sat down on the stool across from me.

  "Nah, it isn't like that. It's just a time thing. We grew up poor, our mother never having time for us just due to having to pay the bills. Julian and I just learned to fend for ourselves, and it was rough. The last thing we want is the same thing for Tiff. We want to her to have the caring upbringing we were denied."

  "People usually just say that about their kids, not their little sister."

  "The age gap is enough that she's sort of both, no?" I shrugged. "Like all brothers, we’re her heroes, but we take care of her like a dad. Life is just weird sometimes. It's not going to turn out like a storybook, so you take the good as it comes."

  "That's something very easy going coming from a guy in a collared shirt and khakis."

  "The collared shirt and khakis came my way, so I rolled with it." I shrugged. "I feel you'll get along fine here."

  "I haven't even met the girl I'm supposed to be taking care of."

  "Eh, Tiff loves everyone if you're not an asshole, and if you're getting along with my brother how you are, well, you're definitely no asshole. Julian usually has a stick up his ass."

  "Does he?"

  I nodded. "You know how we play Dad for Tiff sometimes? He plays Mean Dad sometimes, but actually aimed at me, as if he were my father. 'Oh, Jack, you shouldn't do that, or this, or we should do that. I'm the responsible one, you know. That's why I always play the older brother card when I can."

  "You're twins, though."

  "Two minutes older. I'm the expert at vagina escapes, clearly."

  She shook her head, chuckling. "You two…well, you're something." She grabbed her purse off the table and ran a comb through her hair.

  "Where you going?"

  "Well, I wasn't exactly prepared to get hired instantly. I didn't bring my things, and you guys don't have a place for me to sleep."

  "We have my bed, you know."

  She froze a moment. She was going to be a fun one.

  "Or a sofa. Or you can go home until we get you a bed delivered. It's all your choice."

  "There's more to me than just being in beds, you know…” she trailed off, walking toward the door. “Like all of my things. Personal effects. Hygiene stuff. You know, the disgusting lady stuff you really don't want to see."

  "Sure, sure. Keep in touch then. I welcome seeing your face around the house, Cassie."

  Our new babysitter really didn't know how to take that. She moved to the door, and I watched her go.

  I’d come back thinking I was going to condemn my brother for being an idiot.

  Now I thought I was in absolute agreement with him.

  Fuck, I wanted her, and I wanted her raw.

  I told a half-truth to get out of there.

  Yes, I needed my things. I needed to gather them and prepare to move in. I was meant to be a live-in nanny, and this meant I had to live. It was right there in the job title.

  The other?

  If I stayed in there for too much longer, I may have just jumped Jack's bone.

  Shortly after fucking his brother.

  When had I become Turbo Slut?

  The next morning came pretty easily. I got there in the wee hours to help Tiff off to school. She was a nice girl, just a bit confused to see me is all. I figured eventually we would get along well. Kids were always somewhat averse to sudden changes.

  When I got back to the apartment, I figured it was time to settle in. The guys were about, but luckily they hadn't yet made any moves on me.

  Hanging up my clothes, filling my cabinets, I managed to snag a backup supply of something from my mother's house before I came here.

  I knew I would be needing it, especially with how Julian acted.

  Setting them aside, I ran through some hygiene things—a shower, brushing my teeth, and the like.

  Honestly, it was nice having my own bathroom. They were also incredibly quick about ordering me a bed and other furniture. I guess when you have money you can really grease the wheels to get stuff done.

  I wasn't going to want for comfort with this job.

  There was just the matter of everything else.

  Looking at myself as I brushed my teeth, I thought, fuck. Turbo Slut indeed. There was no reason for me to fuck Julian so quickly. Now I was under the same roof as him, and I knew that wasn't going to lead to a happy, platonic friendship where we played Apples to Apples and innocently laughed with one another.

  I finished brushing my teeth, gargling some water and spiting it out into the sink.

  The way Jack was looking at me too...fuck.

  How could my so-called morality and principles be tested even more?

  Just when I thought that, the world decided that I needed a bigger challenge.

  Jack.

  "Hi there."

  I jumped, clearing what may have been a vertical leap of a good, solid meter.

  Clad in only a towel and fresh out of the shower, I turned around to face him. "What are you doing in here? Do you think you just have a right to barge into my room like this? Even if you technically own it? You know, expectation of privacy is a thing!" I ranted at him.

  "Yes, yes, I know, I'm just here to check on one thing, and then I'll leave you be. We did take you quick without vetting you, you know."

  "That's your problem, isn't it?"

  "Look, Julian and I just want to make sure it's a child-friendly environment for Tiff. You seem fine, but you know how it is sometimes. People are really good at hiding it."

  "Hiding what."

  "Regular use of illicit substances?"

  "You think I'm a druggie?" I raised an eyebrow at him, almost insulted.

  "Oh no, just making sure, though. It's my dear little sister, okay?"

  Shaking my head, I sighed. "Sure, fine, whatever."

  "Unfortunately, I see one of those illicit substances right there."

  He was just confusing me more and more. I looked down at my bathroom sink and the stuff I was going to cram into the medicine cabinet.

  Aspirin. Some allergy stuff. Birth control, and a few other prescriptions. Some pink stuff, and some antacids. You know, just equipping myself for life's little annoyances.

  "I'm not following? None of this looks like cocaine or meth or whatever else you might think I'm on. And I got legit prescriptions for that, and it's not even the stuff people really abuse."

  "No, no, not anything like that." He urged me to the side, and I obeyed. Stepping forward, he reached into my medicine pile and pulled out the disc-shaped package—the birth control.

  "What? You think that's drugs? Did you not get sex ed and learn what birth control looks like?"

  "This is the illicit substance, Cassie."

  More staring and even more confusion. "Did I miss something? Are you guys super religious?" I didn't exactly see crosses everywhere or medieval paintings of Jesus. I saw a Bible, but that was just on a bookshelf, not seemingly held in any particular high reverence.

  "Nope, nope, not that. We just can't have you taking these. Sorry. House rules."

  "I can't be on b
irth control? What kind of psycho boss are you to be trying to regulate my body?" I'd worked with Christian parents before, and even they didn't have the audacity to suggest what I did in my personal life, as long as it didn't affect them.

  He laughed, setting them down and turning his attention to me. "The kind of psycho boss who wants to see your nubile little body swell with my child."

  I glared up at him. There was determination. Ferocity.

  That same assertiveness Julian had. Confident.

  For some reason, sexy.

  Insane, but sexy.

  Why was I attracted to all of the bad ideas?

  Then, to make it even more insane and sexy, he kissed me.

  Like the insane person I was, I accepted it. I kissed him back.

  God, I really was Turbo Slut.

  I staggered back, and he unhooked my towel; it fell to the floor. He paused only briefly to see what his brother had seen but he had not—my totally naked body.

  "Fuck, Julian was right. You are ludicrously hotter like this."

  Julian had told him about what we had done? What the hell was I dealing with here? What was I coping with? Did they both want me? Was I being shared? Or was I cheating on Julian?

  Were we a couple?

  After one fuck session? Where he was my boss? Or was he? I didn’t know!

  My head was starting to hurt, but with how Jack was kissing me, pushing me toward the wall, I wouldn't need any of that aspirin to feel better.

  Jack wasted no time taking full advantage of my nudity. He ran his hand down my chest and quickly reached to my sex, shoving a pair of fingers in, forcing me to gasp for him. He found my nub so easily, tickling it, making me yearn for him. God, were they some sort of duo of super skilled sex gods?

  His kisses left my lips and rained down my body, bit by bit. He suckled on each of my breasts, the surge through them taking on a whole new meaning, making my nubile little body swell with his child. Did he mean it?

  Did Julian mean it?

  What the hell was I doing here?

  I couldn't stop it. I didn't want to. Not with how he was touching me. How he was taking his shirt off to reveal that he was a twin, absolutely ripped just like his brother.

  Jack wasted little time dropping to his knees and spreading my legs apart, making me put my back against the wall and kissing my nub. He was voracious right after in devouring me.