Unexpected Surprise

by Brooks, Sarah J.

  UNEXPECTED SURPRISE

  Sarah J. Brooks

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Special Invitation

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Preview: The Baby Package

  About the Author

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Copyright © 2019 by Sarah J. Brooks

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Facebook: Sarah J. Brooks

  Special Invitation

  Hey Sweetie,

  do you want to get THREE romance novels sent directly to your Facebook Messenger inbox? Simply click here and I will reach out to you personally!

  With love and talk soon,

  Sarah

  Good news: A mysterious stranger saved me at a Hollywood Halloween Party.

  Bad news: Now I’m carrying his secret and I don’t know who he is!

  My guardian angel wore a mask so I could only see his body.

  But that was enough to make me melt.

  A knockout sexy appearance with six-pack abs, irresistible strong arms,

  and a tattoo on his wrist I will never forget.

  It was the wildest night of my life.

  And it gifted me the most precious person in the world:

  My little daughter Arianna.

  Now I need to start working again, so we can make a living.

  That’s why I have a job interview with one of the most powerful billionaires in LA.

  Good thing: He’s a drop-dead gorgeous alpha male and wants to give me the job.

  Bad thing: The tattoo on his wrist…

  Would now be the right time to tell my new boss about his unexpected gift?

  Chapter 1

  Sinclair

  There was a time when I loved going to movie screenings. I lived for them. I didn’t really have as much enthusiasm for the one-hundredth screening of our most successful film, The Dark One. I’d seen it so many times I could recite the entire movie as a one-man show. This particular showing was a special sunset screening on Halloween with a producer’s Q & A afterward. I had to go. The sunset timing was important. Our marketing department had timed all the promotions at sunset because that’s when the Dark Ones would emerge from the sky. It added an element of scary to all things Dark One.

  “They always come just before the night when the sun retreats safely behind the horizon, leaving the rest of us out here on our own… their prey,” a girl’s voice-over grips us as winged creatures fly down from the heavens.

  On-screen dark-winged figures fly out of the dimly lit sky and descend onto the streets of New York City. “They’d come before. I’d seen them in my nightmares,” the woman’s voice continues as one very large black-winged creature approaches her.

  A heavily armed stranger stops in front of the woman and bears his weapons.“Don’t you touch her you filthy flying worm!” the man with thickly corded muscles and deep brown skin yells out to the creature.

  The woman dips back into his shadow as the hulking man brandishes a machete he unsheathes from a leather holster at his back. The dark angel steps towards him. “Out of my way, maggot.”

  Without any response, the muscled man stabs at the dark angel with valiant intent. The fallen angel merely waves his hand, and the machete flies out of the man’s hand and out of sight.

  Undaunted, the man has an arsenal of sharp implements strung about his body. He dislodges a knife and wields it with fervor as he dodges and moves around the angel kicking his kneecaps inward to throw him off balance. The angel curls his long pale fingers around the man’s throat. Squeezing with little effort, the man’s eyes bulge from his face. His tongue gapes, and he gasps for air. The knife drops from his hand as his body goes limp.

  The angel’s face stays peaceful, a complete juxtaposition to the horror he’s just inflicted. He slowly takes a step towards the girl shivering in the shadows.

  “These streets are dangerous,” the dark angel growls, his voice deep and husky. “You should be inside, locked up. Don’t you know there’s a war?” He laughs, making her nervous as he continues to approach.

  “Leave me alone!” she screams as she throws punches at the angel’s bare chest...

  “GO! GO! Girl go with him. He’s gonna give you the best sex you’ve ever had… toe-curling good,” a woman shouts from the audience.

  Her outburst is met with snickers and words of agreement.

  “And his fine ass is going to save the world!” another woman chimes in.

  Obviously, a few people at the Halloween screening had seen the film several times. They were right. Among the fallen angels, the Dark One is their vigilante justice, trying to keep them from obliterating humans. He has a band of followers who are trying to petition God to let some of them back into heaven for the good they’ve done for humanity.

  The lady in the audience is right; he is going to give her a night of unbridled pleasure. He’ll give her so much pleasure; in fact, the film initially had an NC-17 rating. We had to trim a few thrusts and cut away just before any male genitalia was revealed to get an R instead. I didn’t want to limit the film’s sexuality. Dante, the fallen angel, was going to be one of the sexiest heroes in action film history. The character straddled the line between good and evil in such a provocative and alluring way that he was already becoming a cult figure.

  All in all, the film was a controversial success. It garnered pretty high box office returns and decent critical acclaim. It was the first film of its kind to make an impact on the film industry and finally put my production company on the map.

  While I was already a multi-millionaire thanks to a trust fund my oil-rich grandfather had set up for me, I wanted to make my own money. I invested some of my trust funds into the company, which was just starting to turn a sizable profit after the success of the Dark One.

  We were working on a sequel. The writer had a lot of mediocre ideas he was throwing around, but nothing was clicking with me yet. We needed to create a great next chapter for the Dark One saga. I wasn’t worried about finding a story, even if it meant discovering a new writer. He had let fame go to his head. He wasn’t working with the same passion he once had now that he was fielding six-figure deals for multiple projects. I was ready to move on.

  At the question and answer session with the audience, I answered several young women’s questions about Dragon Kensington, the film’s sexy star. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there because he’d conveniently come down with the flu. After an hour of answering questions I’d
answered a million times before, I promised the sequel was in the works. I then signed a few autographs and had a couple of conversations with aspiring filmmakers. I made it home in time to get ready for the hottest Halloween party of the season.

  My brother Sage, who was in the music industry, was able to get us invites. It promised to be a fun time with women, gourmet food, and discretion for those looking for a bit more of a rollicking good time. I was up for some noncommittal sex on occasion and tonight seemed right for it. Unfortunately, my older brother Shelton had also been invited by his law firm. He was the Shady Lawyer to the stars, so I guess he was there to cover tracks for anyone wanting to keep their missteps that evening a secret. Whatever the reason, he was deplorable at best. I was sure to avoid him and stay with my younger, cooler brother. Everyone who was anyone was going to be there, so it was the perfect time to promote my production company.

  Chapter 2

  Reyna

  I could’ve kissed my roommates Charlynn and Melody for agreeing to go with me to the Hollywood Haunted Mansion party. I was a temp working for the most notorious beast boss on the planet. There was no producer in Hollywood more lecherous or vile. A job was a job, though, and his company was the best indie production company in the industry. If I wanted an in to get my scripts read by people who could actually help me get them produced, I had to work for the best. Even if Regent Pictures didn’t pick up one of my films, an employee at the company would definitely know someone.

  It took months before I was hired to work for Christopher Regent, even as a temp. I almost died when Chris told me I had to be his plus one for the evening. I assumed it was because we were going to be working. Several well-known actors, actresses, and writers were attending, and I knew he had a list of people he wanted to approach.

  I refused to go. It shocked him, but he wasn’t surprised. He’d tried to invite me to dinner a few times, and I refused him then as well. He finally told me it was just a party, and I could bring some girlfriends along if I didn’t trust him.

  “I don’t trust you,” I flirted, knowing this was the only way Christopher Regent would ever listen to a word I said.

  “Why not? I’ve been nothing but a gentleman.” The lechy gleam in his eye said differently.

  “Chris, I have a life,” I complained as he followed me out to my cube with the invitations in hand.

  “You shouldn’t. You work for me. It’s well known that anyone who works for me doesn’t have a life outside of Regency Pictures. Besides, don’t you have a film you want to get made? Or are you an actress? I forgot.” He seriously was that heartless.

  “I’m not going,” I turned around and told him flatly. “It’s Friday night, and I’ve already been at work for eleven hours. You’ve had enough of me for one day.” I stood my ground as I grabbed my coat and prepared to leave the office.

  “Truce,” he cooed, blocking my exit. “My offer stands; I’ll let you bring a few girlfriends along. No men, though; this isn’t the kind of party that needs more men. Scantily dressed women are always welcome.” His eyes glazed over with sick carnal desire.

  “My friends don’t work for you,” I teased, trying to keep this light or I’d lose my job.

  While I mostly hated working for Chris, it did put me in contact with people who read my screenplays, and it was good for my resume. Anyone in the industry knew if you could survive a year under Christopher Regent, you were Hollywood gold.

  “Yet…” was all he said as he angled in closer.

  “Okay. I’ll go, but only if I can bring my friends and leave with them when we’re ready to go.” I couldn’t believe I was actually negotiating with him.

  I bartered with him because I had to make a solid escape plan. I didn’t want to end up in his bed. He was an expert negotiator. Our banter was meant to define for him exactly what he wanted… and I countered with what he’d actually get.

  “You’ll go with me and leave with me, or you might not come back to work on Monday.” His lightly veiled threat sent an icy shiver down my spine as his fingers caressed the cool metal frame of my cubicle.

  He wasn’t an ugly man; in fact, he was quite handsome for someone in his fifties. It was just his abysmal reputation for having sex with starlets and wannabees that made him repugnant. He also was rumored to use force. He was a demanding man who cared little for others. Combine that with a near predatory sexual pursuit, and you had one vile little man. If enough women dared to stand up to him, he would fall like a deck of cards. But not enough did. So far.

  “Really? You’re going to fire me? Just because I won’t have sex with you tonight? That doesn’t work anymore, or haven’t you been paying attention to the “Me Too” movement?” I had to just get it out there since this was what we were really discussing.

  “I didn’t say anything about sex. You read too many tabloids. I want you to stay at the party until I leave, then I’ll take you home. I have to make sure we don’t let business slip through our fingers tonight. If you stray, you might blabber to the wrong people and lose us a deal. If the bidding war for Carmine’s Jungle goes up on the down-low tonight, say for example. You talking to someone about it will ruin my chance of getting the script at its rock bottom price.” His smile was smarmy and weak.

  I pushed him aside as I made my way out of the cube. “I’m not an idiot. I know not to blabber about deals. Sheesh. It’s a surprise you even know my name; you’re so clueless sometimes.”

  He grabbed my arm. “Even still. I’ll take you home.” His smile was genuine, but it sounded like a threat.

  “You promise you’ll take me home and that’s it.” I could see there was no way out of it other than to agree and hope to escape him later. “And my friends can come along and rescue me if I need it.”

  He laughed heartily. “I hardly think you’ll want or need rescuing tonight my dear. This is business.” Again, he gave me a warm smile, and I believed him as he released my arm and let me pass.

  “Fine.” I threw my head back in surrender.

  “I’ll pick you up at your apartment…” and before he could say more, I interrupted him.

  “I’ll leave when you leave, but since I’m going with my roommates, they’ll take me.” I knew it was a long shot, but I took it.

  “Nope,” he said, writing something on the invitation. “How many of them are you inviting?”

  “Two.” I looked down at what he was writing.

  Please add these two guests to my list… he wrote.

  “Names?” He was suddenly very businesslike; short and gruff.

  I much preferred this to the murky blurred line between business and pleasure he often liked to cross.

  “Charlynn Reeves and Melody Chambers,” I answered.

  “Sound like porn stars,” he said, not looking up from the invitation.

  “Shut up,” I huffed as I punched him hard on the shoulder.

  “Do that again, young lady and I’ll reconsider our terms.” His face smoldered, and his disgusting smirk was back.

  “Just be nice. They have lovely names. You just watch too much porn,” I scolded as I crossed my arms over my breasts; a protective reflex.

  He laughed. “I don’t have to,” he said as he handed me the invite. “Give this to your roommates, and I’ll pick you up in one hour. Look spectacular. The press will be there.” With that, he turned and walked into his office without saying another word.

  Our conversations always left me feeling so scrambled. I hoped I’d held my own and didn’t unwittingly agree to something I’d regret.

  I called the girls from the car as I drove home and told them about the party. They were pretty excited to go because it was going to be the A-list party of the year. If they wanted to meet someone famous, tonight was going to be their chance.

  I’d known Melody and Charlynn since we were roommates in college. We were all in our late twenties. Melody was a budding musician whose mother named her Melody because she wanted her to be a singer. Sure enough, that’s what
Melody ended up being really good at. Charlynn was an architect working for a small firm. She was nuts for sustainable development and using recycled materials. Her designs were pretty cool. They were both the kind of people who would fit right into a high profile Hollywood party: gorgeous, smart, and captivating.

  “It says here it’s a costume party. I hope I have something to wear,” Melody said, with a concerned tone in her voice.

  “Wait, we have those Cosplay outfits from Comicon we can wear. Sailor Moon is still pretty in; we can make those work,” Charlynn said, jumping off the couch. “This is going to be off the chain!”

  I was glad she was excited. I was battling butterflies in my stomach, which had turned into toddler-sized rodents with knives. I seriously thought I was going to throw up.

  “You should wear yours too, Reyna,” Melody chirped with enthusiasm.

  “I was thinking of the Fallen Angel costume I wore last year. It has a mask, so um… maybe Christopher will lose interest? The cosplay thing is too sexy.” I was hoping the mask would deter his attraction to me.

  “Girl, that dark angel dress, though… your body is on fire in that thing,” Charlynn reminded me.

  “Yeah, but the mask, the big awkward wings… weapons, you know.” I hoped.

  “Go with the sexy dark angel. Your Sailor Moon shows too much of your boobs,” Melody added.

  “Girl, that outfit, though… you sure?” Charlynn cautioned.

  “I’m sure. I’ll wear a jacket over it.” I smiled at her. I knew what she was talking about. The outfit was a bit revealing in places.

  “Like a jacket’s gonna do it, but okay,” she threw out as she walked into her room to get ready.

  “What does she mean by that?” I looked at Melody, confused.

  “She said your Fallen Angel outfit is hot as fuck. Be careful.” With that, Melody also retreated.

  Within the hour, we were all ready to go. The girls were going to take Melody’s car, which was big enough to fit all three of us in case we had to make a fast escape. We’d made a pact—if Chris did anything weird, they’d whisk me away. If he didn’t, and I gave them the thumbs up or texted them I was okay to go; they’d let Chris take me home.