This was different. He wasn’t protecting them as much as trying to handle everything his own way without interference. He worried that made him the asshole this time.
“So.” Spence made the word last for three syllables. “I think you left something out of our weekly phone call. We talked about Dad’s stupid business agreement, but I don’t remember you mentioning Ellie.”
That call was a tradition Derrick would not let die. Their father had tried to drive the brothers apart by making them compete over everything from sports to his affection. Derrick refused to let the bond break. He hadn’t always been a great brother. At times he’d outright failed at keeping the family running, but Carter and Spence mattered to him and losing them was not an option. Ever.
They were both welcome in his house anytime. He’d bought a five bedroom so they’d have a place to stay when they were in town. Carter rarely came in from the West Coast. Not since the huge falling-out with their father over the running of the family estate in Virginia—the Jameson property no Jameson currently lived in.
Spence had been bouncing around from place to place, but stopped in for a few days now and then. His timing kind of sucked this time because Ellie was moving in and the fake engagement was moving forward. Having Spence there and not telling him the whole story would only make that all the more awkward.
“Ellie was a surprise.” Derrick turned the words over in his head and decided that might be the most truthful statement he’d ever made.
“Women are like that.”
Derrick leaned against the sink, facing Spence. “Not for me. Not usually.”
“So, let me get this straight.” Spence balanced his palms on the counter behind him. “Right now you’re dealing with Dad and the business. He’s insisting you bring Carter and me home or he’ll sell it out from under you.”
That was the biggest of the moving parts. “About that—”
“Wait, I’m not done.” Spence paused, as if he needed more drama here. “Some kid has launched a campaign to paint you as a...what, bad boss? And on top of that and all the work you’re putting in you found time to date. And not just date, to seriously date for the first time in...ever, right?”
That about summed it up. “Yes.”
“Anything else I should know? Like maybe you invented something or cured cancer while I was gone.”
“Ellie is his sister.” That much Derrick could tell. Maybe Spence would have some ideas on how to shut down Noah without ticking off Ellie, because Derrick hadn’t come up with one yet.
“Now you’ve lost me.”
“The guy who worked for me, the one who stole, but insists I fired him out of spite and that I’m completely incompetent. His name is Noah and he’s Ellie’s little brother.”
Spence whistled. “You do like to make your life as shitty as possible, don’t you?”
“He’s how I met Ellie.”
“And now you’re going to be living together.”
“Yes.” Unless she killed him first, which Derrick thought was a strong possibility.
“You, who has only ever introduced me to the women you dated after you stopped dating them and once they’ve moved into friend mode.”
“I’m a complex guy.”
Spence shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use.”
“Ellie is...” Man, Derrick didn’t even know what to say next. Hot, special. Annoying yet energizing. He didn’t get her at all or understand her hold on him. All he knew was that she’d flipped his life upside down and had him scrambling, and that a part of him enjoyed the chaos. “Different.”
Derrick thought he found a nice, safe description until Spence frowned at him. And stared...then kept staring. “What?”
Spence made a groaning sound. “You should work on that.”
“What?”
“How you describe Ellie and your feelings for her. An orange car is different. Your girlfriend should warrant a better word.” Spence glanced at the very spot where Ellie had been on that counter. “If you plan to make out with her in the kitchen again, that is.”
Oh, that was definitely happening. Derrick didn’t even have to think about that. Forget hands-off and common sense. The next time he’d lock the door and strip her clothes off. “I was doing fine.”
“I think I arrived just in time.”
That’s not how Derrick saw the situation at all. “Two hours from now would have been better.”
Spence stepped away from the counter and headed for the living area off the kitchen. “Well, since neither of us is having sex tonight, you may as well fill me in.”
“On what?”
“Ellie. I want details.” Spence sank into one of the couches set up in front of the massive stone fireplace. “I can get them from you or I can ask her.”
“Subtle.”
“Start talking.”
* * *
Breakfast with Vanessa went great, as usual, until Ellie mentioned Derrick and dating and the whole big lie for good press thing. Amazing how that brought all of the other conversations to a standstill. Even now, twenty minutes later as they walked to Ellie’s apartment, Vanessa barely said anything.
Ellie was about to make a joke about how her timing of the news messed up any chance at getting more coffee when Vanessa finally piped up. “A fake engagement.”
They turned the corner at the end of Ellie’s block and headed toward her building. “I know it sounds ridiculous.”
“You mean like we’ve stepped into some weird novel? Yeah.”
“It’s the best option for Noah.”
Vanessa stopped stared at Ellie. The look on her face hinted at the confusion pinging around inside her.
“What about what’s best for Ellie?” Vanessa asked.
That wasn’t the reaction Ellie expected. Yelling, yes. Even a few well-placed “Are you out of your mind?” comments. But that? No. “What does that mean?”
“We need to talk about your propensity to look out for everyone but yourself.” Vanessa sounded furious at the idea.
Cars whizzed by and Ellie could see the stoplight in the distance. She wanted to focus on all of that and drown out the voice inside her head that told her she was getting in deep with Derrick. That she would never be able to keep sex and her attraction separate from her growing feelings for him. That, most troubling of all, she was starting to like him and was desperate to spend time with him.
She focused on the practical instead. “I need a job, security and some relief from the ongoing Noah drama. Derrick provides that.”
“At the risk of violating the Bechdel test and talking only about men, isn’t Derrick the reason Noah is spinning right now?”
“I used to think so.”
“And now?”
“As Derrick keeps reminding me, Noah is an adult. He’s had therapy and needs to figure out how to control the frustration when it tries to overtake him. He won’t be able to survive in the work world otherwise.” Ellie hated to admit that.
After all these years of guiding him and handling the oppositional defiant disorder so that it didn’t morph into something even more serious, she had to start to back away. Not completely. She’d always be there for him, but he needed to be in charge of his behavior and take responsibility for his actions. It was time to let him make mistakes like everyone else.
Even now he texted and called every day. He insisted he was about to break some new story about Derrick. Something awful that would make her see the man he really was. She begged him not to and so far he hadn’t, but she sensed it was only a matter of time.
Vanessa exhaled and some of the concern seemed to leave her face. “Well, if Derrick convinced you to give Noah some space, then I might learn to like him, though I’m not promising.”
Of course Vanessa liked the comment because she’d been suggesting
the same thing for a while now.
“Derrick also went after Joe Cantor.”
Vanessa smiled and started walking again. “I know. I read the Insider.”
Ellie almost choked. “Good grief, why?”
“It’s wildly entertaining. If I had known the business world was so full of gossip and sex, I might have traded in some of my art history classes for economics.”
They dodged a group of men loading boxes into a truck and jogged up the steps to the front of her building. Kept going past the mailboxes and the elevator that seemed to be stuck with an open door and not moving.
“Derrick keeps planting stories. And now someone else is.” She could barely handle Derrick’s PR campaign, though she had to admit he had eased off a bit. Photographers weren’t lurking around capturing pictures of them every second, as she once feared. But the Insider still churned out tidbits about their dinners and her movement every time she stepped outside.
“Who else?”
“Joe, more than likely.” And that was the bigger concern. Someone wanted to discredit her. Derrick had vowed to stop it. But what happened to her once he was done with their fake arrangement? She still had to work. To eat. To find a real job.
Her stomach tumbled and a wave of nausea battered her. She wanted to think it related to the very real fear of not being able to support herself in the future, but she sensed it had something to do with the idea of waking up one day and not seeing Derrick again. Of losing the talking and arguing and zap of attraction that struck her whenever she saw him.
“The men in your life are exhausting,” Vanessa said.
They turned the corner and moved into the hallway leading to her apartment door. Ellie reached for her keys and nearly dropped them. “Tell me about it.”
Vanessa stopped in midstep. “What’s going on?”
Ellie’s head shot up. Her front door was open and two boxes were piled right outside in the hall. Panic surged through her as she ran to the doorway. “Hey!”
She didn’t go in. There really was no reason to since the room, her studio, stood empty except for a few stray pieces of paper and what looked like a community of dust bunnies she’d missed living under her couch.
“Did you get evicted?” Vanessa asked, her gaze zooming from one end of the room to the other.
“No.” At least she didn’t think so.
Her mind flashed to the van outside. To the packed boxes. To the movers.
Derrick.
“Good afternoon.” Jackson stepped out of her bathroom, carrying her robe.
Ellie wasn’t sure what stunned her more, him being in her apartment or the sight of him holding a ball of pink fluff in his arms. “Jackson?”
“You know him?” Vanessa asked.
“He works for Derrick. They’re friends...” Ellie didn’t know how to describe their relationship. She knew Jackson was loyal to Derrick but there was a part of her that viewed him as an ally. Or she had until this. “It’s complicated.”
“Most things with Derrick are.” Jackson put down the robe and shook Vanessa’s hand.
Vanessa stared at their joined hands then at Jackson. Finally she shrugged. “What’s happening?”
Jackson frowned. “Ellie is moving in to Derrick’s place today.”
He said the words slowly, as if he thought they were true at one time but now wasn’t sure. Ellie blamed Derrick. He had that effect on her, as well. “I didn’t agree to do that now.”
“He said...” Jackson’s frown deepened. “Wait, you guys didn’t agree today was the day? Then where did he get the key he gave me?”
“Good question.” If Ellie had to guess she’d bet he somehow convinced her landlord to turn one over. Or he bought the building and now was her landlord.
“I figured you weren’t here and weren’t packed up because Derrick told you I’d handle it.”
Yep, this was definitely Derrick’s fault. He ordered and manipulated. Looked like Jackson got stuck in his trap this time, too.
“I’m going to kill him.” Ellie had threatened it before but this time she just might do it.
Jackson swore under his breath. “I’ll take that as a no. Derrick did this all on his own.”
Ellie shouldered part of the blame. A very small part. She’d let Derrick lure her in. He did nice things for her. He kissed like he’d been born to do it. All that stopped now. She needed some control and she would wrestle him for it, if needed. “I’ll handle this.”
“Are you sure?” Jackson looked as skeptical about her statement as he sounded.
“Yeah, really?” Vanessa gestured toward Jackson. “Listen to him.”
She got it. Vanessa was fighting a bout of friendly concern. Jackson likely thought this was one step too far, even for Derrick. They were both right and she appreciated it, but she and Derrick had an agreement. She also thought they had an understanding and possibly something bigger that might lead to getting naked.
“If Derrick wants a showdown, we’ll have one.”
This time Vanessa looked skeptical. Also a bit worried. “Is this a good idea? Derrick isn’t exactly a lightweight. I’m guessing he barges in and gets his way a lot.”
Ellie couldn’t deny that, but he wouldn’t hurt her. His yell didn’t even scare her that much. No, this was about Derrick Jameson understanding how far he could push her. And he’d gone too far. “He needs to learn.”
Jackson hadn’t moved. It was as if he were rooted to that spot on her floor. “True, but...”
“I’m looking forward to meeting Derrick,” Vanessa said. “Sounds like the guy needs a good kick.”
Vanessa wasn’t wrong on that, either. Ellie vowed to be the one who administered the blow.
“You will soon enough.” Ellie looked at Jackson. “I need your help.”
“I almost hate to ask what for.” But he smiled.
“You’ll see.”
Nine
The DC Insider: Living together? Why, Derrick Jameson. You are a fast worker. And, Ellie? You’re our hero. Tame that rowdy billionaire.
Jackson didn’t sound an alarm unless something was really wrong. So, when he called from Derrick’s house, insisting there was a problem, Derrick got his butt over there and fast.
Driving up outside, everything looked normal. The usual cars on the street. Nothing odd in his driveway. It wasn’t until he got out of the garage and reached the bottom of the stairs to the main living area that he heard the deafening thumping. He didn’t know how he’d missed it earlier.
Music. Blaring music.
After marching upstairs, he turned the corner and stepped into the open kitchen and living room area...and stopped. Both the television and stereo were on, and at what sounded like full power. Magazines were strewed all over his usually clutter-free space. There were open boxes and balled-up piles of clothes. Books everywhere. He couldn’t see an inch of his hardwood floor.
Ellie sat in the middle of it all, sprawled on his couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table. She wore a pink robe and matching slippers. Ate potato chips right out of the bag. Drank...was that red wine? One wrong move and his light gray couch, the one he’d owned for less than a year, wouldn’t survive the alcohol bath.
It took a few seconds for her to stop her off-key singing and look up at him. “Hey, roomie.”
So that’s what this was. Payback. He had to give her credit because little surprised him and this did. He’d expected a series of nasty texts or an office visit. Not this.
To avoid yelling over the song he didn’t recognize, he went to the stereo and turned it off. That left the talk show, which raged in a circus of screaming. He scanned the stacks of crap for his remote and didn’t see it. Realizing he had no idea how to turn the television off without it, he gave in. “Any chance you could take care of that?”
She pretended no
t to hear. Put her hand behind her ear, leaned in and everything. Apparently full drama mode had been activated.
He tried again. “Turn. It. Off.”
“Oh, sure.” She reached under the chip bag and produced the remote. The noise clicked off a second later. “I’m recording this, anyway. Actually, I’m recording a lot of programs.” She studied the remote and its buttons. “Did you know your DVR is empty? There’s plenty of room for my stuff.”
He inhaled, trying to hold on to the fleeting sense of control he’d had when he’d started the day. “I don’t watch much TV.”
“Then it’s good I rented a whole bunch of movies. Your on-demand options are impressive.”
He could hardly wait to see that bill. “Are you done?”
“Enjoying the house? Not even close.” She continued to sit there with one leg crossed over the other, her pink slipper bouncing up and down.
The robe slipped, treating him to miles of toned thigh. When she didn’t rush to close the material again, a new sensation hit him. She was making a point but she might also be making a play.
Now he needed to know what she had on under there and how long it would take him to peel it off her.
But he forced his mind to focus. He looked around again, wondering how long it had taken her to make this much mess and how many days it would take him to undo it. “I’m assuming this is your way of saying you don’t appreciate the manner in which I moved you in here.”
Even he had to admit he’d crossed a line, but he wasn’t up for a debate about something he thought should be simple. Today, Spence had agreed to come into the office for a few hours, and Derrick knew Ellie had made plans to spend a few hours with Vanessa. It struck him as the perfect time to get the job done.
He’d taken care of it all, which meant delegating to Jackson. The bigger benefit—he thought—was shutting down Ellie’s attempts to stall by complaining about packing.
The plan may have worked if he hadn’t gotten tied up in a meeting that ran long. He’d planned to meet up with Ellie before she’d headed to her apartment. To warn her. That had failed.
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