The Naughty Billionaire's Naughty Fiancee
Page 8
“Can we have ice cream too?”
“Yes.” He smiled and turned her toward the living room. “Go. I’ll be right in.”
“Okay.”
This was good. Back to normal. She’d cry a little and eat junk food until she gained a few pounds. She’d start the new job next week, as long as Bran hadn’t taken that away from her. As for that other thing he had taken—she was smarter now for having lost it.
Time to move on…or at least move to the couch. But before she did, there was one thing she had to do. Inside her room Jen pulled out her cell phone one last time. She punched redial and listened to the ringing until the voicemail message played.
“Bran, it’s Jen. I just wanted you to know you can stop avoiding me. It’s fine. I understand. Last night was a mistake and I’m as sorry it happened as I’m sure you are, so don’t worry. We’ll finish up with our business deal and then part amicably.”
She disconnected the call and put the phone on the nightstand. After a second thought, she powered it totally off then dropped it back onto the table.
Resolved that it was done, Jen grabbed the comforter and a bed pillow and headed back to the living room. There was no way she’d get any rest lying alone in bed with her head spinning with thoughts of Bran all night. Snuggled on the couch in front of the television with her blanket and Tim, she might just get a few hours sleep tonight.
*
“How’s he doing?” Caroline walked into the hospital waiting room bearing two cups of coffee, and Bran had never been happier to see her.
“Same.” He ran his hand over his face, before taking the cup his sister handed to him. “Do you know how many times I wished that man dead. And now…”
Caroline shook her head. “You didn’t mean it.”
“Yeah. Really. I did.” Bran let out a humorous laugh. “Just last week, after all of his veiled threats insinuating if I didn’t settle down he’d yank everything out from under me.”
He’d hated his grandfather then. Now, Bran had trouble mustering anything but sadness and pity after seeing the man who’d been such an overshadowing force for his entire life not in a suit, but instead in a hospital gown, pale, unconscious, nearly lifeless and hooked to tubes and machines. His grandmother hadn’t left his grandfather’s side all day. Bran had always assumed the two tolerated each other and nothing more, but seeing her in there with him it was obvious, she loved the man.
It seemed Bran had been wrong. He wondered about what else.
Caroline rubbed a hand over Bran’s back. “Have the doctors said anything more?”
“The next twenty-four hours are the most important to determine if he’ll come out of the coma or not. They’re concerned with the extent of the brain damage. He was deprived of oxygen for a while.”
“Have Mom or Dad called with what time they’ll be here?”
Bran shrugged. “My phone battery went dead hours ago.”
“I’ll call them on mine.” As she dug in her purse for the phone, Caroline glanced at Bran. “Why don’t you get out of here? Go home. Take a shower. Get some decent food and sleep.”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Caroline emerged with the cell phone and glanced at Bran. “You know, Dad has power of attorney if Grandfather becomes incapacitated.”
“Meaning?”
“We better start sucking up to him now. You turn thirty soon, but I’ve got a few more years.” Caroline scrolled through her contacts, then hit the button to make the call. “Dad. Hi. I’m at the hospital with Bran and we thought you would want an update…”
God, was this family fucked up. In fact, the one normal thing in Bran’s life was Jen.
Shit. He’d never had a chance to call her today. He’d planned on it, but he’d gotten yanked right from an early morning meeting at work to the hospital. Now his battery was dead. How the hell late was it anyway?
He glanced at the clock on the waiting room wall. It was late. She’d likely be asleep by now.
Fuck it. He needed to see her. Or at least call and talk to her. Let her know what had happened.
Caroline hung up the phone. “They’ll be here in the morning.”
If his father didn’t feel the need to sit vigil all night, Bran didn’t see why he should. And he’d been here for hours already. “You know, I think I’m going to take your suggestion and get out of here. Come back in the morning. Would you mind?”
“Not at all. You’ve been here all day. I’m going to go in and sit with Grandmother for a little bit. See if she wants me to stay. If not, I’ll be heading out myself.” She pulled Bran into a one armed hug. “Love you, big brother.”
Bran hugged her back. If anyone in this family did love him, if this family was even capable of love, it was Caroline. “I love you too. Call me if there’s news.”
“Charge your phone and I will,” she called after him as he dug in his pocket for his keys and headed for the exit.
“Charger’s in the car.”
He’d retrieve his car from the parking lot, plug in his phone and then call Jen. Hopefully, she was awake.
As the cell powered back to life, Bran found one text from his friend Jon and two voice mail messages. He figured he’d better check those before calling Jen, since his phone had been dead for hours. He hit speakerphone, punched in his voicemail code and waited until her sweet voice filled the car. She’d checked up on him earlier. Now he felt even worse for not calling her.
In direct opposition, her second voicemail had Bran clenching his jaw. He threw the car into gear. Forget the phone call. He didn’t care if she was sleeping. He was going to her place and they were going to talk. Yes, he’d neglected to call, and she deserved an explanation for that, but to assume he would take her virginity and then dump her?
The first woman he’d felt anything for believed he was capable of that. Just because he’d neglected to call her for one day. Jen had no faith in him and that hurt more than he wanted to admit.
Bran held onto his hurt and anger, nursing it until he pulled up to her place, parked and then rang the bell. Having her shirtless roommate answer the door half asleep didn’t help.
“I need to speak with Jen.”
“Keep your voice down. She’s asleep.”
Bran looked past the bulk of the man and saw into the living room. Jen was curled up on half of the sofa under one end of a comforter. The other half was where the bruiser had obviously been before he’d come to answer the door. That part of the comforter was flipped back and the pillow still bore an indent.
The cozy scene twisted Bran’s gut. It was probably innocent enough, but still, this time last night she’d been in his apartment. And there was nothing innocent about what they’d done there.
“There no bedrooms in this place? Are these the usual sleep arrangements? You and her, together on the sofa?”
“You don’t deserve an answer to that question. Why are you here anyway? You already got what you wanted. You slept with her and then you blow her off. You back for another round?”
That was interesting. Jen had told the roommate they’d had sex. “I didn’t blow her off.”
“You sure as hell didn’t call.” The brute crossed his arms over his bare chest. God, how Bran hated how this guy was half naked and curled up all cozy with Jen.
“Tim, is it? You’re right. I didn’t call and that’s why I’m here. To explain and apologize to Jen.”
“I’ll give her the message.” Tim glanced pointedly at the door.
Bran longed to tell this dickhead off, but thought better of it. For better or worse, Jen was attached to this man.
“My grandfather is in a coma in intensive care. I got the call late this morning and I’ve been at the hospital since. My cell phone battery went dead halfway through the day. I guess I was too busy last night to remember to charge it.” Bran waited for the last bit to sink in. He couldn’t resist the shot.
It wasn’t lost on Tim. His eyes narrowed just a tad, but enough Bran got the satisfa
ction he sought. “I’m sorry about your grandfather. But I still wish you’d called her.”
“I wish I had too. I’m sorry I hurt Jen. I certainly didn’t intend to. I left the hospital as soon as I felt I could.”
Tim nodded and took a step back. “Come on in.”
Was this a truce? If so, he’d take it. Bran moved farther into the apartment.
“You know, she was in pretty bad shape tonight.” Tim tipped his head toward the sofa.
Bran felt compelled to defend himself. “It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours.”
“And she was a virgin.” Tim set his jaw.
He sighed. “I know.”
Tim shook his head. “It’s not just that you didn’t call. You told her you wanted her to move in because of that stupid contract deal you have, but then you have sex with her, and then you don’t call. It’s fucked up.”
This guy knew she’d been a virgin, and about their deal even though she’d signed the confidentiality agreement. There was no fighting it. Like it or not, Tim was involved.
“Look, Tim, I know you and I got off on the wrong foot, but Jen is obviously close with you.”
“Yes, she is.”
Bran nodded. “Understood. That’s why I need you to know this. This thing between she and I did start out as an agreement. A business arrangement. But things changed. Pretty fast actually.”
Tim let out a snort. “You ain’t kidding.”
He ignored that and continued, “What happened last night had nothing to do with our deal. The more I got to know Jen, the more I wanted to know her. She’s amazing. She makes me want to eat hotdogs in the park and Chinese food while sitting on the floor. I want to be a better person because of her.”
“Asking her to move in with you to make your fake relationship look real doesn’t sound like she’s making you a better person.” The scowl backed up Tim’s already obvious opinion of that.
“I asked her to move in with me because of you.”
“Me?”
Bran nodded. “I was jealous. I didn’t like her living here with you, but I didn’t want to admit it to her. It was easier to say it was because of the deal then tell her I was staking my claim.”
Tim’s eyes widened at that. “Hmm.”
Bran didn’t know where all this honesty was coming from and why he felt he had to confess all to this guy, but he went on, “Even after our contractual obligations are complete, I want to be with her. Seeing my grandfather lying in that hospital bed today made me realize that. I don’t want to pretend to get engaged to Jen. When the time comes, I want it to be real. That’s what I came here to tell her.”
Tim’s glanced toward the couch. “You just did.”
Bran turned to find Jen’s eyes open and misty with tears. “Hi. You heard?”
“The important parts.” She sat up beneath the comforter. “I’m sorry about that voice mail I left. I just felt so crazy and irrational.”
Tim had taken his leave at some point. Maybe he wasn’t such a brute after all. When he realized they were alone, Bran sat on the end of the sofa and took Jen’s hands in his. “You’re going to have to have some faith in me, Jen. I’m new to this. I’m going to mess up sometimes. I need to know you’ll be there even when I do. For the long haul.”
She nodded. “I will.”
He pulled her closer and laughed. “This is crazy.”
“I know.”
“I’ve never been happier.” He held her face in his hands.
Jen smiled. “Me too.”
“That’s very good to hear.” Because though Jen didn’t know it, the engagement ring weighed heavy in Bran’s coat pocket. And one day soon, he’d get up the nerve to slip it over her finger.
That would be a very good day.
About The Author:
Cat Johnson is a self-proclaimed promo 'ho known for her creative marketing and research practices. Consequently, Cat has sponsored bull riding rodeo cowboys, owns an entire collection of cowboy boots and camouflage for book signings and a fair number of her consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living. She is the author of both full length and shorter works and is currently contracted with Kensington and Samhain. Visit her Website at http://www.catjohnson.net/ or email Cat@CatJohnson.net.
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Table of Contents
Title page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
About The Author:
Also By This Author: