"Really?" he grumbled and leaned back in his seat.
The driver turned around and nodded. "To the office, Mr. Bryant?"
"No. The Omni hotel first to drop these two off and then the office." Damon let out a soft sigh, hating the fact that Beth wasn't going to be working in the office with him anymore, and yet totally understanding why. Maybe it was a good thing that they wouldn't have to behave in a specific setting. If all they had to be was engaged no matter where they were, then things had to get easier. It was the stress of having to be professional with his lover in the middle of the office setting that made things incredibly tense.
"You don't have to fire her if you don't want to, Damon. You need to make that call yourself." Beth squeezed his leg and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't do it for me, okay?"
Matt chuckled. "Yeah, do it for me."
"Stop." Damon gave him a look, though Matt let it roll off his broad shoulders just like he always did. "I'll deal with it when I get into the office. I want to make sure I have the proper documentation to let her go. She's a devious bitch and has already started to pull my team apart, but I honestly can't imagine why. What good would it do her? She's been wanting to work for the firm forever. She's ruining that opportunity right now."
"She doesn't give two shits about the firm, and you know it," Matt mumbled and turned to look out the window closest to him. "Don't be blinded by friendship, Damon."
He bit his tongue and shook his head, unwilling to attack his brother again. Matt was right in a lot of ways, but there were parts of Delilah that didn't at all resemble the woman she was slowly becoming. Where Damon belonged solely to Beth, it didn't mean that he didn't want to salvage whatever was left of his old friend. Sadly enough, there was probably not much to salvage, and even if there were, what would it cost him to do it?
"We're here, sir." The driver glanced back and nodded. "The Omni hotel."
"You guys be safe and stick together. I got Linda to get us two rooms." Damon turned his attention from Beth up to Matt. "Don't let her go to the beach alone. You know this place is nutty."
"Got it." Matt got out of the car and moved back, waiting on Beth.
"I love you." She leaned toward Damon, touching the side of his face and pulling him into a sweet kiss.
"Me more," he mumbled against her mouth and cupped her neck, kissing her a few more times.
"Hey. I ain't getting any younger out here." Matt chuckled.
"Be careful, okay?" Damon brushed his nose by hers. "Promise me."
"I promise." She nipped at his lips. "Do whatever you think is best with the situation at work. Don't let me or Matt sway you, okay?"
"All right." Damon waited until she got out of the car to pull out his phone. He texted Ben that he wanted everyone on the team pulled together for a quick meeting when he got there. Time to close down the job and have everyone sign off on what they'd done.
If there were issues, he would solve them.
If Delilah needed to be fired, he would do it, but it wouldn't be in Florida. It would be sitting in his father's office back in Texas where they should be for such an event.
Maybe after he fixed everything to be as it should be in the office, Bethany would come back. If not, he was okay with it, but there was still some small hope that his girl would be just down the hall from him. He spent too damn much time at work not to have her close by.
But even if she still decided that M&B wasn't the place for her, he'd take a page out of James Talling’s book and hire a few more strong executives. There was no way he was letting the momentum between him and Beth go.
Not then.
Not ever.
Chapter 14
Bethany
"Okay, so this was the best idea, ever." Matt glanced over and gave Beth a cute smile.
"Right?" She reached out and took his hand. "I know it might sound sappy, but I'm really glad you're in my life."
His expression softened as they stopped in the sand by the surf. "Me too. I've always wanted a sister, honestly. You're exactly the type of sister I wanted too, but I do wish we would have grown up together. I'd have loved to have someone to blame all the shit Damon, and I did on."
She laughed and released his hand before spreading out her blanket and lying down. "Tell me about your deal with Jonathan. Is he going to have a showing that features your work soon?"
Matt dropped down in the sand next to her and wadded up his towel. "Yeah. He said later this fall. I want to get excited about all the great stuff happening, but I can't seem to move past this lump in my chest." He rubbed his chest and glanced down at her.
"And that lump represents what?" She put on her sunglasses and cupped her hands behind her head.
"I don't know. I messed things up with Erica, and my indecision to call her has probably pissed her off something horrible. She's hostile like Damon when she's pissed, and I hate confrontation more than anything else." He turned to face the ocean. "I could fall in love with her so easily, Bethany. She's perfect in a million ways, and she has this artist inside of her that's starving for air. I want so badly to help her find an outlet for all of that."
"So stop being scared and call her." She reached over and rubbed his side with the back of her fingers. "She's totally into you."
"I asked her if I could paint a picture of her." He lifted his chin toward the sky. "She's nude in it."
"Oh. Wow." Bethany stifled the smile that rose on her face. Matt wasn't being silly or cheeky. He was hurting.
"Yeah. She's fucking magnificent too. I can still see her standing there with her back to me. It leaves my heart racing and chill bumps all over my skin."
"So tell her that. What the heck are you waiting for?" Bethany groaned and sat up next to him. It would seem a quiet afternoon of sunbathing was a pipe dream, not that she minded. Helping Matt get his life on track would be something to delight in when looking back ten years from the future.
"I don't know." He glanced over at her as a group of girls jogged by in front of them, kicking up sand and having far too much fun.
"I think you're being stubborn and trying to protect yourself from something that doesn't even exist. It's like being afraid of the monster under your bed." She pushed her shoulder against his. "You totally miss out on the comfort of slowly getting into your cold sheets and enjoying the peace that most people find there because you're full of fear and catapulting from the door into the bed like an action hero. The monster doesn't exist. Stop letting him steal your joy and your peace."
"Wow. That was deep. You come up with that on your own?" He chuckled.
"I did." She beamed. "You need to call her, Matt. You can't spend the weekend with someone and not follow up with them. She's not just the woman you're falling for, but she's an integral part of McKenzie and Bryant. What if she decided she'd had all she could handle of you jumping in and out of her life and left the firm?"
"Like you did?" He pressed his shoulder against hers, almost knocking her over.
"That is true." She pursed her lips. Had she left too quickly? It was almost childish now thinking back on it. So she had a problem with Delilah. So what? She loved working with Patrick, Ben, and Philip when she got the opportunity. Being down the hall from Damon was a dream come true when he wasn't acting like a dick, and the job itself was the type of job she'd always wanted. She'd gone to college to be an accountant in hopes of working for a prestigious firm like M&B one day.
Why had she been so quick to give that up? Was Damon being truthful in his hopes to have her come back and work beside him? It was the family business. Her family.
"Are you going to go back?" Matt asked before standing up.
"Are you going to call Erica?" She stood up beside him, smiling as a look of challenge moved across his handsome features.
"You join the firm, and I'll try and get up the nerve to call Erica and at least apologize for not calling. She knows I'm a flake and a half."
"That's no excuse. Did you guys sleep together?"
>
"Are you always this nosy?"
"Yes. I'm the little sister, remember?"
He snorted. "We did sleep together. It was honestly one of the best nights of my life. She's so good at-"
"Hey." Bethany held up her hand. "I'm good with no details."
He laughed deep in his chest. "I wasn't going to give them. I just thought it would be fun to watch you squirm a little, and I was right. It was fun."
"Why are we standing up?" She glanced around, enjoying the coolness of the Florida beach and the warmth of the sun on her skin.
"I'm going in the water. Last one there is a rotten egg?"
"What are you fifteen?" She smirked.
"In here, I am." He tapped the side of his head. "Come on. It'll be fun."
"It's freezing out there." She glanced toward the water, trying to calculate the perfect moment to bolt toward the water so she could get a head start. Matt had been running in the mornings with his best friend Sophie, which meant he probably had a better chance of winning between the two of them.
"So? You don't have nuts that crawl back up in your body when it's too cold. You don't-"
"All right." She bolted, running toward the water and kicking up sand as she did. Why there was something so freeing about acting like a child with Matt was beyond her, but there was. She might have been the sister he was hoping would show up someday, but she had no doubt that he would fulfill two roles in her life.
Brother and friend. There wasn't much more she could ask for.
***
"It's fine, baby." Bethany pressed the phone to her ear as she stood in the hotel room and watched the world outside of her window. The ocean was beautiful at sunset, so romantic and calming.
"I thought I would come in and sign a few things and go over the documentation with the team, but we have one more glitch that's looking more like a control issue. I have to help fix it. James is flying out and should be here any minute. You and Matt grab dinner?" Damon sighed, and she could tell that he was less than thrilled with the fact that he wouldn't be joining her for dinner or bed.
"We will. Just do what you need to do and come snuggle up to me when you get in. That work?" She moved back and let the curtains fall into place.
"Yeah. I love you, baby."
Warmth filled every part of her as she closed her eyes and smiled. "Me more. See you in a little while."
She wanted to ask about Delilah but figured it wasn't the right time. Hanging up, she tossed the phone onto the bed and changed into something more casual that she planned to wear for the evening. There was no reason for her and Matt to go to dinner at a fancy place. They'd be much more comfortable hanging out at the edge of the beach, drinking beer and eating fish tacos.
She turned to walk into the bathroom as her phone started to ring. A smile lifted her lips as she bounded across the bed and dropped down on her stomach to answer it. It had to be Damon.
No. It was Jake.
"Hey. You okay?" Fear rushed through her heart as she pressed the phone to her ear. Where she and Jake had been close all throughout their undergrad degrees, they hadn't talked too much since the situation with Krista happened.
"Yeah, I'm doing great. I got out of my wheelchair over and over today during therapy and the best part? I did it on my own."
"That's great news." Bethany rolled onto her back and let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "You were so brave during the trial yesterday too."
Was it just yesterday? It seemed like a week ago. Was the funeral for Amanda just that morning?
"Thanks, Bethany. It sucked to high heaven. I know I should be angry at Krista, and part of me is, but there's a much bigger part that feels sorry for her. She's not the monster she believes herself to be." He took a shaky breath. "That's why I'm calling."
She sat up. "You want to bust her out of jail?"
He snorted. "No, silly. I want us to take turns going to visit her. She needs to know that we care about her."
"Have you lost your mind? Where I agree totally about her not being a monster, I still don't think it's a good idea to have you go up there. I'll go if you want me to, but you're just going to give her a false sense of hope."
"I don't think so." He paused.
"I do. She's in love with you, and even if she attacked you because of not being on her meds, she still has that desire inside of her. Seeing you isn't going to help anything. It's going to hurt. Believe me when I say this, I know what it's like to have to come face to face with someone you're in love with but can't have. It feels like a form of death. We're not doing that to her."
"Interesting. I didn't think about it like that."
"I'll go." She moved to the edge of the bed, not sure she was comfortable going to visit her old friend or not. "She's not in love with me, and maybe if she and I grow close again, it would help her to heal."
“She's going to be in the mental hospital forever." He let out a soft sigh. "I hate that so much. I feel like part of it is my fault."
"It's not your fault, and the hospital is better than jail, right?"
"I guess so."
"I'll go see her soon."
"Come see me too?" There was hope in his voice, but she couldn't tell if it was a friend needing a friend, or a man still in love with a ghost from his past.
"Yeah, absolutely, and call anytime, okay? I'm here for you."
"I know you are. Thank you for that."
Someone knocked at the door, and she got off the bed and wrapped her free arm around herself. "I have to run, but we'll figure this out together, okay?"
"Thanks, Bethany. I knew I could count on you."
She dropped the call and walked to the door to find Matt in a nice shirt and slacks. A chuckle bubbled up inside of her as he handed her a white rose.
"My brother called and said I was your date for the night. What do you fancy, my lady?"
She snorted and took the rose. "Beer and fish tacos at the bar down the street."
"Oh thank God. I'll be back in five. I'm going to change." He winked, turned around and walked back to his room.
She couldn't help but stand there and watch him go. Life was good, but it was about to turn the corner toward great.
Chapter 15
Damon
"Do you have a minute?"
Damon glanced up at the sound of Delilah's voice. The innocence on her face caused him to stiffen. She was up to something. What the fuck happened to the girl he grew up with? Bridget was always the one getting into shit and causing problems for everyone around her. She'd come between him and Delilah so many times over their teenage years that Damon finally relented and asked the bitch out. It had been a wild ride, and his profession of love was more from not understand at all what love looked like. His mother and father being the guide left a little to be desired.
"Only a minute." He stood from the makeshift desk the client had set up for him.
She walked in and sat down in the chair across the desk from him, leaning back and crossing her legs as a seductive look moved across her face.
"I honestly think if we worked on the report a little more that we could sell more services to Mr. Talling. We have that new adviser group opening up soon. Why not utilize it?" She brushed her hands down her thighs, but Damon made sure to keep his eyes locked onto her pretty face.
"What services are you referring to specifically?" He sat back down and leaned back, clasping his hands over his stomach.
"If we offer them a just-in-time inventory system from Pollock in Dallas, I could get us a kickback from them, and we could offer to consult on the project. I know the system Pollock put together backward and forward. I helped to consult on the project when they built it a few years back." She smiled. "It's a great product. They'll benefit from it and we will too."
"You know as well as I do that we're not legally able to recommend a system that we're going to get a kickback from. There's no way I would put the firm in that position. I'm honestly wondering why you thought I wou
ld." He pressed his fingers to his lips, knowing that he had enough to fire her. Maybe she wanted to be released. No, that wasn't her end game. Not by the look on her face.
"You chose Bridget over me when we were kids, Damon. You'd probably still choose her again. Why?" Her expression tightened. Fuck if Matt wasn't right. "It has to be because she's ballsy because she lives on the edge."
"It was a mistake." He stood and walked to the window. "You've been making a lot of mistakes yourself lately. What happened to the sweet girl I grew up with?"
"Lots of things." She stood up and moved to stand beside him. "You being one of them."
He glanced down at her as she reached over to touch him. "Don't. I'm engaged and very much in love with the woman wearing my ring."
"What?" She jerked back like he'd slapped her. "Since when?"
"I don't share my private life at work much, Delilah." He turned to face her. "I'm not sure why my father thought this was a good idea. I know your resume is heavy in the areas we needed most, but this thing between you and me doesn't exist. It's a toxic memory for you, obviously. I can't let it continue. It's not fair to you, and I can't ignore the way you've behaved lately. This shit you just tried to pull was too much."
"Is this about Bethany? Your sister caused this, didn't she?"
"She's my fiancée, not my sister." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You caused this. Pack up and take an earlier flight back. We can meet next week to talk about your exit strategy for leaving the firm, and don't plan on using us as a reference."
"You can't be serious." She narrowed her eyes, making her as ugly on the outside as she was on the inside. How he hadn't noticed it before was beyond him.
"Close the door on your way out." He walked around her and sat down at his desk.
"Damon. It was just a suggestion."
He glanced up. "You're fired. Collect your things and get Linda to put you on an earlier flight. We'll talk next week."
"Your father isn't going to let you do that." She walked to the door and stopped before walking out. "He knows how valuable I can be. You just wait."
Mister Big Stuff_A Single Mom Friends to Lovers Novel Page 82