“We leave in a few hours,” he answered, and I saw the duffel he’d set by the door. I kissed Jane’s temple and stood up.
“I think that means I need to go pack.” Jane set the beignets down and knotted her hands together. I reached for them, pausing her fidgeting. “Why don’t you help me? Make sure I don’t forget anything necessary, like socks.” She gave me a faint smile and glanced over at Buster, who quickly held up his phone. “Got to make a few calls, lass. Won’t bother me a bit.”
She jumped onto the bed, crossing her legs under her as she watched me pull out a small carry-on. I was a master at packing after having moved and traveled so much over the years, but this was the hardest one yet. I dumped necessities into the bag, along with workout clothes and my normal attire. The suit was last as I tucked it in carefully, so it would hang correctly.
“A suit?”
She fingered the sleeve of my favorite cashmere suit, the dove gray standing out against the black garment bag.
“Yes, love. Armor, you could say.” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It never hurts to be well armed when dealing with one’s foes.”
“Is it okay that I’m sad you consider your parents the enemy?” Her expression was torn, and I knew it was because she understood the reason why I despised them, but she also wished it wasn’t so.
I crouched next to her, the flannel from her pajama pants soft on my hand as I cupped her knee.
“I think it shows how kind your heart is, love. There were many times I wished for a different outcome, but in the end, they chose the path that took them away from us, instead of closer to us.” I shook my head. “I’m thankful for my grandparents. They showed my brother and me what it means to have people care for you. Someone like you.” I swallowed as I remembered the warmth of my grandmother’s hugs. “They would have liked you.” I squeezed the knee I held to watch her squirm, and she grabbed my shoulders. “I won’t allow my parents vindictiveness to destroy someone as perfectly innocent as you. It’s why Michael and I have kept your presence in our lives from them. They would have found some way to cause you harm, and my only goal is to keep you happy and safe.”
“But you have to face them …”
“Something I’ll gladly do to be rid of them, once and for all.” My smile was vicious as I considered the reaction I was likely to get when my parents realized what was happening. “We will take the only things that ever mattered to them … money, power, and prestige.”
“What a lonely life they lead. To not know how special you and Michael are.” She looped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me. As I slid my arms around her waist, I felt myself come home. The second I laid eyes on her, she had a hold over me. Every moment since then had only cemented the bond between us, and now I understood she had been what I searched for, the woman who could finally satisfy the longing I felt. All the women, the one-night stands, the casual disregard I’d had for all of the women before her had brought me here, to her.
“You’re going to have to send me on my way, love.” I grasped her arms tightly as I spoke seriously. She gave me a soft smile and rubbed her hand against the bristles on my cheek.
“I’ll be right here when you come back. I promise.” She seemed to innately understand my fear that she would disappear while I was gone. “Now go, exorcise your demons, and come back to me a changed man.” Her lip curled up in a wicked smile. “But not too changed. I rather like the roguish version.”
I brushed my lips against hers, back and forth, and pushed to my feet as the temptation to do more overcame me.
“We should probably go back to the living room, my little vixen, before I show you exactly how little of a gentleman I actually am.” The flush on her cheeks, combined with the shaky little sigh she gave, had me forcing back a groan. “Yep, off with you.” I swatted at her behind as she scooted past me. “I’ll be there in a minute.” She cast a lingering look back at me as she slipped through the door.
I finished closing everything up and looked around. The changes were subtle, but there if you looked close enough. The lotion on the nightstand, the long hairs on the pillowcase, the tiny ballet flats she preferred next to my black leather shoes, all indicated how well she’d integrated into our lives, into my life. Our shared space reflected both of us, and for the first time in a long time, it welcomed me.
Glancing at the bed, only one side was slept in, but as I pressed my hand against the side that was still made, I remembered the nights I’d held her hand as she slept, the trust and acceptance she’d offered me from the first moment we’d met. Those had been things I’d craved, without knowing I craved them. She’d become my haven, my source of joy, and she’d given me a sense of peace in return.
I shuddered to think of what the summer would have been if she hadn’t been in my life when I was confronted with Audra again. Even in my worst moments, Jane had kept me afloat.
“Is there a reason you’re still wearing pajamas?”
Hours later, Michael’s sharp question had Jane flinching. We’d hung out in the room with Buster ‘til it was time to go to the airport. Michael had called earlier to say he would go with us, so we’d been waiting on his arrival.
“I …”
“You will get dressed. I understand your reluctance to see my brother leave, but that does not give you license to lounge around all day in your pajamas. Are we clear?”
“Yes, sir.” Jane was on her feet in an instant, and as she disappeared into her room, I turned a steely glare to Michael.
“Don’t look at me like that, brother.” Michael flicked his wrist at me. “She needs tough love. She’ll feel better if she’s presentable. I won’t allow her to mope around while you’re gone.” I bit back my retort about his version of ‘tough love’ as he continued. “I have a plan to keep her in New Orleans come fall, and I need her engaged, not depressed.”
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
“No, but suffice to say it will work.”
I rolled my eyes at his certainty, but if it involved Jane remaining in our lives I was all for it.
Jane bounced in a few minutes later, blush on her cheeks, her hair piled high on her head, and wearing a sundress with low heels. She looked presentable enough for dinner, and Michael gave her an approving smile.
“Now, we may go.”
“Yes, lord and master.”
“I’ve had quite enough of your snark, Jane.”
Buster drove to the airport with Jane in the seat next to him. Our late arrival didn’t leave much time for goodbyes, but I hugged Jane tightly to me and whispered in her ear, “Only a couple of days, love.” I felt her sharp nod against my shoulder as she clung to me. Finally, I let her go as Buster cleared his throat, and she stepped back before darting to Buster to give him a quick squeeze as he patted her back.
“Be careful,” she admonished us, and we nodded like proper lads. She waved us away with a quick motion. “Ok, go. Don’t be late for your flight.” We headed inside and, as I gave a quick glance back, I saw her watching us, her hand gripping Michael’s.
Chapter Twenty-Two
As he disappeared from my view, I turned back to the car, my hand still in Michael’s, and was confronted with a conundrum. I glanced between Michael and the car a few times before hesitantly asking, “Do you want me to drive?”
He flicked a glance at me and said, “Don’t be absurd.” He opened the passenger door and motioned at me to get in. “I’ve made reservations for dinner.”
I slid in and put my seatbelt on. I’d never ridden with Michael when he drove, and after glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, I also realized I’d never seen him in the front seat.
After a few heart stopping seconds of his driving, I understood why. I closed my eyes as my hands clenched around the seat and prayed I’d live to see another day.
“You can open your eyes now,” he told me drily. I blinked them open slowly to see we’d stopped in front of Brennan’s. A valet hovered next to my
door, and I pried my fingers from the seat to unbuckle my seatbelt. He opened the door, and I leaned a little more heavily on his arm than I normally would as I forced my shaky legs to hold me.
“You didn’t die,” he observed as he escorted me inside.
“Only because I prayed the entire time,” I retorted, making the sign of the cross to his amusement. “Someone could have warned me.”
“I’m an exceptional driver.”
“Which is why you never drive.”
“I never drive with a passenger,” he corrected, flashing a smile at the host, who took us back immediately without even asking Michael’s name. I shook my head, still impressed by how many people seemed to recognize Michael and instinctively gave him whatever he wanted.
“You are spoiled,” I told him as we were seated at the best table they had.
“Perhaps. But it comes at a cost.”
I bit my cheek, knowing he was correct. I’d seen firsthand the people that constantly asked for favors, the invasion of privacy, and the expectations that came with such wealth. They were privileged, but I wasn’t certain it always outweighed the cost.
“So, they took your offer for the company?” I asked, after we’d placed our orders.
“Yes, Ian and I are now the proud owners of a severely mismanaged corporation whose parts are currently worth more than the whole.” He smiled wryly at me. “When presented with the option of being bought out and salvaged, or being bought and reorganized, they took the reorganization option. A smart decision.”
“Because you were buying them either way.”
“Correct.”
“So, you’re going to manage the company then? And Ian?”
“Ian will be attending university. A stipulation I made when agreeing to partner with him. I’ll manage the company myself and hopefully have it turned around within the next four years. It’ll be sold, probably back to the prior owners at a significant profit for Ian and I.”
I nodded, impressed with his plan and the idea that the company would remain intact.
“You saved a lot of jobs.”
“We did. It has always been Ian’s dream and without an influx of his money, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to make happen,” Michael admitted candidly. “He possesses a rare insight; one that will make him an excellent investor one day, once he’s learned to apply himself.” He smiled at me. “I think he may have finally found his initiative in you.”
The talk of money made me shift uncomfortably. They spent a great deal of money and living at the hotel wasn’t cheap, nor were last minute flights to London. Include my presence in their life, and I wondered about their financial situation with the purchase of this company.
I drummed up my nerve and asked him, “Do we need to move? Somewhere cheaper?” I scanned the expensive restaurant. “Eat somewhere less expensive? I can cook you know.”
He blinked at me silently as the waiter placed steaks in front of us. He opened his mouth and then shut it, and it occurred to me this was the first time I’d ever seen Michael at a loss for words.
The food sat in front of us, untouched, as I waited for his response. I fiddled nervously with my utensils, but didn’t attempt to take back my words. I needed to know. It didn’t matter to me if they had money or not. I’d spent most of my life around incredibly destitute people on mission trips, and when we were home it wasn’t luxurious by any means. My dad was a preacher. We depended on the generosity of the congregation quite often.
I didn’t think the brothers were anywhere near as poor as my family, but if money was tight, we could be more frugal.
Finally, he pressed his thumb to his forehead as if rubbing away a headache.
“I can assure you that will not be necessary.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but he waved a hand at me giving a soft sigh as he peered at me.
“I can see why my brother adores you. You are nothing like the women in our life.” He smiled fondly. “I take that back. You remind me quite strongly of my grandmother. A woman raised similarly to you. She worked hard her entire life and saw no point in living lavishly. She instilled a sense of responsibility in my brother and me, one that seemed to skip our mother entirely. Make no mistake, Ian and I both appreciate the finer things in life, but we invest our funds wisely.” He reached for his knife and fork, and I followed his cue. “When I stated it wouldn’t have been possible without Ian’s investment, I was referring to liquid assets. Quite a lot goes into purchasing a company, and you need to show certain funds. Combined, Ian and I had what was necessary, hence his investment. That, however, has zero bearing on this.” He gestured to the restaurant with his fork. “Your concern … well, to be perfectly honest, it invokes a feeling I’m unfamiliar with. A warmth, you could say, and I’m gratified by it, but it is completely unnecessary. We can easily afford our current lifestyle indefinitely.”
I relaxed at his words, and the meal in front of me became much more appetizing. I had popped a bite of steak into my mouth when Michael surprised me yet again.
“It is good to know you can cook, though.” He smiled and took a sip of wine. “We’ll need to see about getting you a kitchen.”
I nodded, but didn’t reply, reaching for my glass of water to clear my suddenly dry throat. Michael implied I would be around long enough to need a kitchen, and it occurred to me that I wanted to be around.
I’d been eager to attend college and gain independence from my parents, but the thought of leaving to go to a school Ian could never attend left me depressed. I hadn’t missed Michael’s stipulation. Ian would be going to university, but where? I knew instinctively he would rather not leave Michael, and as I thought about going back to Georgia, to a house strangers lived in, while my parents remained in Africa, I frowned. There was nothing holding me to Georgia anymore. Not now. But I had three very good reasons for remaining here.
My parents would come back eventually, but even then, I wasn’t sure I’d ever return to their home. As I glanced at Michael, I knew the three of them had won my heart, and I’d stick around as long as they would have me. We’d become a family, and family stuck together.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next morning, I wandered out of the bedroom to see Michael sitting at the table, a full breakfast in front of him. I blinked and then rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. I’d assumed he would be gone all day in business meetings or whatever you did when you bought big corporations.
“About time you woke up, sleepyhead.”
I tilted my head and pinched myself. No way was Michael smiling at me and calling me affectionate terms like ‘sleepyhead.’ I was obviously still sleeping and having the oddest dream ever. He rolled his eyes and gestured for me to come to the table.
“Eat. We have a busy day ahead of us.”
“We do?”
“Yes. Ian normally takes you on tours, correct?”
“Yes,” I answered cautiously. “But I don’t think there’s anything left we haven’t seen.”
He chuckled as he poured me a glass of orange juice.
“I have no doubt he’s shown you a great deal of the city, but knowing my brother as I do, I doubt you’ve seen the places we will be touring today.” He glanced at my pajamas, and I tugged uncomfortably on the edge of my t-shirt. I remembered his admonishment from the day before, but he didn’t comment on my current attire, only saying, “Wear something comfortable today. We’ll be doing a great deal of walking.”
A million hours later, we finally returned to the hotel room where I collapsed on the sofa.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to walk again,” I moaned as Michael flicked my legs off the sofa so he could sit down.
“I admit that was more intensive than I thought it would be.” He leaned back with a small groan. “Sitting in business meetings all day has made me soft.” I snorted, attracting a glance from him. My snorts didn’t manage the same elegance Michael’s did. “You disagree?”
I
rolled my head to look at him.
“I’ve seen you fight. You’re brutal and ridiculously fit. An all-day walking tour of every university in New Orleans shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
“I would think you could have handled it as well then. You’ve been touring this city with Ian every day for weeks.”
“We had breaks!” I shifted, so I could glare at him without holding my head up. “You know, lunch, snacks, air conditioning.”
“I miscalculated the time it would take.”
It was so unusual to hear Michael admit his failings; I lost my glare in sheer disbelief.
“Did you just admit you made a mistake?”
“I said I miscalculated,” he sighed. “Who knew it would take so much time to tour each school? And really would it pain them to have a golf cart available for our use?”
“Right?”
“I’ll make a note of that for the dean. Whichever school you … Ian chooses will be outfitted with golf carts for visitors to the school.” Michael’s slip didn’t escape me. He’d used Ian as an excuse for the tours, saying he wanted my assistance in persuading Ian to go to one of the universities located in New Orleans. The only way I could successfully do that was if I were familiar with them myself. So, we’d toured them all, or at least the ones Michael deemed acceptable.
“What did you think of them? There were only two I thought would suffice.”
It didn’t take a genius to know which ones he was referring to.
“Tulane and Loyola.”
“Yes. You agree?” His pleased smile had me chuckling.
“It wasn’t difficult to decipher which ones you would consider suitable. They are expensive and somewhat exclusive.”
“Yes. I felt Tulane had a bit more rigorous acceptance policy.”
“Wouldn’t that be an issue with a last minute enrollment?”
His face clearly stated I was being ridiculous.
Charming Jane_A Reverse Harem Romance Page 24