The Malone Brothers Boxed Set

by S. L. Sterling

  "When is the big day? With any luck, Mia will be expecting at the same time," Bryce said.

  "What big day?" I asked, picking at the label on my beer.

  "Really, Chase? You have to ask? When is the due date?"

  I let out a deep breath, continuing to pick at the already mangled label on my beer bottle. I could feel them watching me as I sat there trying to decide to tell them. "All right, let me level with you guys. There is no baby. She isn’t pregnant, and honestly, I'm devastated."

  The silence at the table was deafening. I watched them as they looked between one another, not really sure what they should or could say. "Don't you guys have anything to say at all?" I asked.

  "Why are you so devastated? I mean, you made her sign the contract, remember?" Hunter said quietly.

  "I remember," I said, flinching at the memory.

  "We're a little lost here, Chase," Bryce said, setting his bottle down and looking at the others. “You wanted nothing to do with everything after the deed was done. Your words, bro.”

  "Look, I haven't exactly been truthful with you guys.” I looked to my three brothers. “I haven't been with a woman since Sophie. There have been no dates. I've been hanging out at home watching TV, playing video games, and talking or texting with Sophie. So when I've told you I couldn't do something because I had a date, I was lying."

  The three of them exchanged a knowing glance, then looked back at me. "So, you want her because of the baby?" Hunter questioned.

  "No. I want her no matter what. I can't get her out of my fucking mind. She's everything. Everything about her is fucking amazing."

  There was the truth. It had finally moved past my lips and was now out in the open. I felt a ton of weight lifted from my shoulders for finally speaking the actual truth. I'd had a taste of her, and I didn't want to be without her, regardless of a baby. I wanted Sophie.

  "Have you told her?" Carter questioned.

  I shook my head. "Look, I saw the look in her eyes, that look of disappointment. I saw the look, and I know what that look means. She wants nothing more to do with me."

  "Yeah, well, you don't know that until you tell her how you feel. Give her a chance to respond to your feelings."

  All through dinner, I listened to each of my brothers do their best to convince me that I should talk with her and share my feelings. I also came up with every single excuse that I could think of as to why this was a very bad idea. Although, no matter what my excuses, they combated them with a reason why I was just being a coward. At the end of the night, accepting what I’d been telling myself, I’d come to the conclusion that there was no way I could tell her. I sat in the parking lot and watched as each of my brothers left.

  I sat in my car, alone, rethinking each of their advice while I waited for the engine to warm, my mind constantly racing back to her face this afternoon as she stood there telling me that there was no baby. I looked at the clock; it was close to midnight. I knew she would still be up. At least I hoped she would be as I put my car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. My brothers were right; I would regret not telling her how I felt for the rest of my life, and living with that would be harder than coming clean and telling her how I felt.

  I drove through the city thinking of what I was going to say to her when I finally saw her. Should I just swoop in, grab her in my arms, kiss her, and confess everything? I stood in the elevator of her building tapping my foot impatiently as I was lifted to her floor. I ran down the hall and stopped outside of her door, then I inhaled deeply and banged on it. I wasn't going to give her the chance not to answer. I banged again, and finally the door was abruptly opened and a red-nosed, tear-stained face stood before me.

  "Chase? What on earth?"

  I pushed my way into her apartment, grabbing her and pulling her into me. "You, you're what I want." I pressed my lips to hers and pulled away. "Marry me?"

  "Chase." She pushed her hands on my chest, trying to push me away. "Let me go."

  "Not until you promise me you'll marry me."

  "Let go of me!" she barked, finally pushing me hard enough that I stumbled. "You’ve been drinking! I don’t want you to only want me when you are drunk. I want you to want me sober."

  "I’ve had a couple beers, but I'm not drunk."

  "You are. I can taste it on you."

  "Sophie, I'm not. Fuck, I love you." Sure, I'd probably had too much to drink. I probably shouldn't have driven, and this was far from my smoothest performance to date, but what I was saying was the truth. It was how I felt.

  "I can't do this, Chase. Please." Her hand covered her mouth and a tear escaped her eye. "Please, just go."

  She turned away from me, and her shoulders started to shake. I reached out to her to pull her into my arms to comfort her, but she was too quick and stepped out of my reach. I wanted her. I wanted her so damn bad, and I stepped forward and placed my hand on her arm, but she ripped herself away from me.

  "I told you to go."

  I didn't say anything. I just stood there looking at her. Looking at the curves I wished to touch, the hair I longed to run my fingers through, and the body I wished to hold and worship while she lay beneath me. I had committed those feelings to memory. I’d committed those memories to mine. There was no winning. She wasn’t going to change her mind, so, without a word, I walked out of her condo, shutting the door behind me. Behind us.

  21

  Sophie - 5 months later

  It was cold and blustery out. I glanced out my office window to see the mess of snow falling. I dug into my dish of Moo Shu Pork that Jenna had so kindly brought to me. She sat across from me rooting through her purse for her dental floss, finally finding the little blue container.

  "I should have had you bring me two of these—one for now and one for tomorrow night." I giggled.

  "I have no problem doing this again tomorrow night. I'll even grab two of those to-die-for cinnamon rolls from Aroma Mocha," Sophie said as she shoved the remainder of her egg roll in her mouth.

  "Well that sounds like a date that I’m not going to pass up!"

  "Have you heard from..."

  I was about to hold my hand up to stop her from asking when Carol popped her head into my office.

  "You lovelies have any hot plans for tonight?"

  "Hey, Carol!" Jenna said, waving, a big smile on her face. "How are you doing?"

  "I'm well, Jenna. It's so nice to see you. Please tell me that you are trying to get this girl out of here for Valentine’s Day?" she said, nodding towards me.

  "Well, yes, she doesn't know it yet, but I have a date lined up for her. It's getting Miss Stubborn to agree to at least meet us at the restaurant," Jenna said, pointing at me.

  "Listen, the both of you. For you it may be Valentine’s Day, but for me it’s Singles Awareness Day. I plan to work until seven, maybe eight, then head home and have a love affair with a bottle of wine and a pizza. Perhaps a chocolate cupcake."

  They both let out a loud laugh, but I was serious. I spent most of my days at the office, including the weekends. I had stopped going out for our monthly get-together. As a matter of fact, I had stopped going anywhere and everywhere that I could possibly run into Chase. I still went to Saturday-morning yoga, but afterward we either went to my place or Jenna's for coffee.

  "I'll do my best, Carol, but she is a tough one."

  "That she is."

  "Would the two of you please stop talking about me as if I am not sitting right here."

  "All right, I have to get out of here. I promised John I'd be home. He's taking me to a play. Good night, ladies."

  "Night, Carol," we both shouted in unison.

  I turned back to Jenna, who now sat staring at the engagement ring on her finger. Matt had finally proposed, and she was over the moon excited. I didn't blame her; they made the cutest couple, and I was so happy to see that they were finally taking the next step. I let out a loud sigh and set my fork onto the side of the container.

  "Are you sure you wo
n't join us tonight?" Jenna pleaded. "It will only be Matt and I, I swear. We miss you and really want you to join us. Plus, we are gonna talk wedding details, and you need to be there if you are going to take me up on my offer and be my maid of honor." She had invited me to join them for dinner, but I really didn't want to feel like a third wheel.

  I nodded. "I'm sure. Did you see that waiting room full of people out there? Someone must help them. Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day. You guys should be alone. There is plenty of time to go over wedding details."

  "It's just another day, Sophie. It’s fine. Matt told me when he made the reservation he had already asked for a table for three."

  "Well then you will have lots of room then. Really, it's fine. I chose to work tonight so everyone else could be home. Go enjoy yourself. Maybe we can do coffee at my place this weekend. I will cook brunch or something." I shrugged. If I knew Matt and Jenna, I knew that the table for three they were claiming to have would really be a table of four and Chase would probably be the other guest. "Seriously, I'm fine. Go."

  "Sophie, it’s been five months. You can't keep ignoring the outside world. How will you ever meet someone?"

  "Ha, Jenna, don't even start that. I'm perfectly good with staying single, okay." I turned my attention to the file that sat on top of the pile. I didn't want to be hounded. I wanted my friend to leave me in my misery and go and be with her fiancé.

  "All right then, on that note, I guess I will be going. I've taken up enough of your time."

  I hugged Jenna, and as she left, I wandered down the hall and grabbed another cup of coffee and went out to call in my next client. I'd been in the meeting going over the client’s tax return for twenty minutes when I heard Marie raise her voice. I did my best not to pay attention to it, but when I heard her raise her voice again, I quickly excused myself.

  I opened my office door and was smacked in the face with the aroma of a freshly cooked pizza. My stomach let out a loud groan, even though I'd already eaten.

  "Marie? What is going on? Who ordered pizza?" I called as I walked around the corner to see a room full of people and Marie guarding the entrance of the hallway with her life from Chase. I stopped in my tracks at the sight.

  "There she is. I told you I knew she was here. Now let me in," he bit out, trying to push his way past Marie. When she blocked him again, he stepped into the first boardroom and threw the pizza box down on the table. "It’s okay, you don’t want to let me in to see her. It’s no problem. The meeting can be done in here as well. It doesn't need to be held in her office. Oh, and it’s not a problem. I have nowhere to be, so I'll wait," he said, setting my favorite bottle of wine down beside the box and turning to hand me a dozen long-stemmed red roses.

  "Chase, what are you doing?" I whispered, shocked, but took the flowers from his hand, bringing them to my nose.

  "I have brought you your Valentine’s Day dinner." He flipped open the pizza box, exposing a heart-shaped pizza. "Double cheese. No pepperoni. And wine because I know you love wine with your pizza."

  My eyes began to burn, and within seconds, they were filled with tears that I tried hard to blink away, but they spilled over the edge of my eye and ran down my cheek. I wiped at them instantly to hide them, but it was too late. Chase had already seen.

  "My God, I am always making you cry," he said, taking a step closer, reaching out and cupping my cheek, wiping away another tear with his thumb. “I’ve got to work on that,” he mumbled.

  "Chase, people are watching," I whispered. I knew the door to the boardroom stood wide open and many sets of eyes were watching from the waiting room. "Let me close the door, okay," I said, trying to step around him, but he blocked me.

  "So, let them watch. Let them all watch." That was all he said before he dropped to one knee and pulled from his pocket a little box. "Sophie, I can't stop thinking of you. You're actually all I think about."

  "Chase, what are you doing?"

  "Shhhh..."

  I watched through blurry eyes as Chase cracked open the little box he held to reveal a diamond solitaire surrounded with tiny blue sapphires.

  "Chase..." I mumbled through tears.

  "No, you are going to listen. I want to be with you. I want to make babies with you—many, many babies. If we can't make them, then we will adopt. I even know someone who might be able to help us out with that. Even if we don't, I honestly don't care, as long as you will walk through the rest of my life by my side."

  He reached behind him and pulled from his pocket an envelope. "What is that?" I asked.

  "This,” he said, looking to the envelope in his hand, “is that stupid NDA and contract that I made you sign. I was very stupid to even think about bringing it to the table. Stupid and naive to think that I would have been able to be with you and not fall head over heels in love with you. I want to be with you forever, Sophie, and if I have to I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove it to you."

  He ripped the envelope in half, and then those halves in half, throwing them to the ground. "It's done, it's over, they are gone," he said, smiling up at me. “Besides, they were never legal anyways. I didn’t have the heart to have them notarized.” He chuckled.

  "You do know I have a shredder in my office, right? It might be easier." I smiled down at him.

  "Well, what do you say?"

  "I say you should pick yourself and that paper up off my office floor," I said, not giving away exactly how excited I was. His face dropped, and he reached for the ripped pieces and stood up. He lifted his head and met my eyes. "Now I think you should kiss me."

  Chase smiled and pulled me into his arms, kissing me deeply. As soon as we parted, he took the ring and slipped it onto my finger. I looked down at my hand and back to Chase.

  "I love you too," I whispered.

  The people waiting in the waiting room broke out into a loud applause, some yelling words of congratulations. I had completely forgotten they were standing there behind me watching us. I buried my face into Chase's shoulder to hide my embarrassment.

  "Give us a few minutes, folks," Chase called out before closing the door to the boardroom. His lips met mine as he pushed me up against the door, kissing me hard. "I say you close up shop, come home with me, and let me worship you all night long."

  "I think that sounds perfect."

  22

  Chase

  The second that boardroom door clicked closed, I shoved Sophie up against the wall. I kissed her deeply, but it wasn't nearly enough. I wanted to rip her clothes off and screw her right there on the boardroom table. It had always been a fantasy of mine, one I'd not fulfilled but knew that within time we would celebrate a first for both of us. I tried, but she begged me not to, insisting that she needed to get back to the clients, especially the one she had forgotten about in her office. So, reluctantly, I let her go, and I sat waiting in the lobby of her office, my cock straining against the zipper of my jeans for an hour while she dealt with the remaining people who had insisted on seeing her before we left for the night.

  I had never been so happy to see the last person leave, and shortly after Sophie came walking out of her office, her briefcase in hand, and her coat flung over her arm. She gave me a sexy smile as she walked across the lobby to where I was waiting.

  "It's about time," I kidded, knowing just how important her business was to her.

  We stepped out into the cold night air and I took her hand in mine as we walked across the parking lot. I stopped at my car and opened the passenger door, looked behind me and saw Sophie walked towards hers. "Where are you going?" I questioned.

  "To my place," she stated.

  "No, you are coming with me." I walked over, guiding her back to my car.

  "Okay, but I need to stop and get a few things first then."

  "Like?"

  "Well, I need a toothbrush, hair care products, shower products, clothes." She looked up at me innocently.

  "I have an extra toothbrush, I do have a hairdryer, and I do shower, so I hav
e products, and there is nothing that I plan on doing with you this weekend that will require a tremendous amount of clothes. I promise." I smiled.

  "Chase, don't be ridiculous."

  "I'm not, trust me. What I plan on doing with you over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours does not require clothes."

  She covered her mouth as she laughed and climbed into my car. I raced through the city, and twenty minutes later, her briefcase and coat were in a pile on my floor by the doorway and a trail of clothes led the way to my bedroom.

  My cock ached as I sank into her tightness. Sweat poured off my body as I pounded into her. Her cries were loud and echoing through the room. I loved the sounds she made because of me. My one hand gripped her hip and the other gripped her shoulder, holding her close to me. The harder I thrusted, the deeper I went, and the louder she became. I could already feel her tightening with every thrust and knew she was on the boarder of her release. I stopped and pulled out of her. I watched as her head dropped to the mattress, breathless.

  "Why...why did you stop?" she asked breathlessly.

  "I want to be able to see your face as you come." I leaned over, whispering in her ear, "Roll onto your back."

  When she didn't move right away, I quickly flipped her over. She let out a laugh. I pulled her closer to the edge of the bed and quickly sank back into the heat and tightness I so loved. Her moans sent chills through me as I knew I was the one causing her to make them. It only took a second to get her right back where she had been, and I stroked her clit to help her along.

  She forced her head back, lifting herself off the mattress, and let go. Her cries were louder than before, and I began to worry if my neighbors were going to hear. That worry went away quickly as I felt my balls tighten and I gritted out her name, pouring myself into her.

  Minutes after cleaning her up, she lay cradled in my arms, staring down at the ring that she now wore. "What are you thinking about?" I asked as I ran my fingers through her hair.