MyAlphaBillionaire New Adult Erotic RomanceARe

by Tawny Taylor

  Had he finally turned his life around?

  He watched me get out of my car. When I came toward him he smiled. His broken tooth, the front one--fractured in a fight when he was drunk--wasn’t broken anymore.

  “Branden. What a surprise. You look great.”

  “Thanks. So do you.” He shouldered the wall as I unlocked my door.

  I motioned him in. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ve been sober for almost a year,” he said, sounding proud. He followed me inside.

  A year? In the past, a week would have been something to celebrate. “That’s great! A year. Wow!”

  “I feel really great, better than I have ever felt.”

  “I’m so glad.” I kicked off my shoes and headed to my bedroom to change. I lifted an index finger, and he nodded. In my room, I closed my purse in a drawer (an old habit from his hardcore drinking days) and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. When I came out, I found him standing in the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Nope. I was just checking out your place. It looks great. Weren’t the walls white before?”

  “They were. But I didn’t think you’d noticed.” I brushed past him, grabbed a frozen dinner out of the freezer and unwrapped it. “Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

  “No thanks. I just had something on the way over.”

  “Where are you living?” I asked as I ripped open the packaging for my gourmet meal. Mushroom tortellini. Yum. I hoped.

  “I’ve been at a long term alcohol treatment center up in Muskegon.”

  “I’m so happy to see you looking so well.” After sticking the little plastic tray of frozen noodles in the microwave, I opened the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of diet cola and offered it to my brother.

  He declined. “No thanks.” He motioned toward the sink. “But I’d be grateful for a glass of water.”

  “Sure.” I grabbed a glass, filled it with ice and ran the tap for a few seconds to give it a chance to cool down. Then I filled it and handed it to him.

  “Thanks.” He sat at my breakfast counter and sipped. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately.”

  “I’ve been thinking about you, too.” I poured myself a glass of cola and sipped.

  He set the glass down with a light tap. “We do a lot of thinking in counseling. Thinking about what we’ve done, who we’ve hurt. I hurt you. A lot.”

  “It’s all in the past, Branden.”

  “I’m sorry.” Looking regretful, my brother shook his head. “I can’t offer any excuses. There are none for what I did.”

  “It’s in the past.” Talking to this man today, this healthy, sound-minded man, was so strange and thrilling. There’d been so many times when I thought it wouldn’t ever be possible for him to get sober, let alone stay sober. He’d stolen from me, physically assaulted me, threatened me. All while intoxicated. And no matter what program he’d been on, he’d failed to stay clean for more than a few weeks.

  But now…had it really been a year since he’d had a drink? Or was he lying? I did another head-to-toe. No, he couldn’t be lying.

  “I’ve forgiven you,” I added, hoping I would never see him drunk again.

  He took another swallow of the water and smiled. For the first time in ages, I saw an attractive, intelligent man when I looked at him. Not a walking, barely functioning, pathetic disaster. “You’re a bigger person than me. Thanks.”

  The buzzer on the microwave rang, and I pulled out the warm plastic tray and stirred the noodles and sauce. It smelled pretty good. I hoped it tasted good too. With my finances being in ruins lately, I’d cut way back on my food budget, sticking with super cheap meals. This frozen dinner was a luxury, one I really shouldn’t have splurged on. “What brought you to this side of town?”

  “A job interview.”

  Carrying my expensive tray of frozen noodles, I took a seat next to him at the breakfast bar. “Great! What kind of job is it?”

  “The company is Professional Delivery. I’ll be working in the warehouse, sorting freight.”

  “Sounds really great.” I caught the look in my brother’s eye as I stirred my meal. “Are you sure you aren’t hungry?”

  “Positive. Though that looks delicious.” He stood, his mostly full glass in his hand. “Thanks for the water.”

  Was he leaving? Already? He hadn’t asked me for any money. He hadn’t asked me for any favors. I couldn’t remember the last time we had just talked. “You’re welcome.”

  “I should get going. They lock the house after eight, and it’s a long drive back home. I don’t want to get kicked out.”

  “I’m glad you stopped by.” I followed him to the door. “Let me know if you get the job.”

  “I will.” His expression brightened. “I just wanted you to see me like this for once. I always wanted you to be proud of me. Always. Even when we were kids.”

  “I am, Branden. I’m proud.”

  “Thanks.” He grabbed the doorknob, glanced at the door. “There is one favor I’d like to ask.”

  My mood dimmed a tiny bit. Now this was a little more like the old Branden, the one I knew all too well. The one I didn’t like, even if I did love him. “What’s that?”

  “I need a personal reference for the job. Can I use you?”

  “A personal reference?” I repeated as I pondered his request. This was a touchy subject. If I told a potential employer the whole truth, he might not get a job.

  “All you have to do is answer a couple of questions. Honestly. They know about my past. The program helped me get the interview.”

  I tried to hide the huge sigh of relief that puffed out of me. “In that case, sure. I’ll do it.”

  “Thanks.” He hugged me. It felt so strange. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d hugged me. Years and years. He twisted the knob. “I’ll let you know when I hear something.”

  “Good luck.”

  He stepped out, halted as if something or someone in the hallway had stopped him. He tossed a wave over his shoulder and headed down the hall.

  That someone, who turned out to be Jill, stepped into my line of sight, giving me a curious look as she approached. When she cleared the doorway, she peered back out. “Who was that?”

  “That was Branden. My brother. You’ve met him before.”

  Her eyes widened. “That was your brother?” She poked her head out the door again. “I don’t remember him looking like that before.”

  I waited until her head was safely inside before closing the front door. “Yes, well that’s because I don’t think he’s ever looked like that before,” I said as I returned to my cooling pasta.

  “He had some problems, right?” she asked as she followed me. “You don’t talk about him much. But I remember you said something about him being in trouble.”

  I sat at the breakfast bar and stabbed a noodle. “Alcohol. It was bad. At one point he was homeless.” I slid the pasta into my mouth, and it filled with delicious flavor. Cream. Garlic. A hint of bacon. Cheese. Ah, so much better than Ramen noodles.

  “Wow. Looks like he’s turning his life around.” Using her fingers, Jill helped herself to one of my noodles, popped it into her mouth and made a funny face. “What is this stuff? It’s nasty.”

  Nasty? Oh, how soon we forget. When Jill was going to school, she lived on food a lot nastier than this. I shrugged away her comment about my dinner. “It looks like my brother has finally gotten his crap together. He said it’s been a year since he’s had a drink.”

  “Was it a surprise, him coming to see you?” Jill helped herself to a swallow of my cola too.

  “Are you hungry? Thirsty? There’s a bottle of cola in the fridge. Help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” Jill hopped up and headed for the refrigerator.

  “While she filled a glass with ice and cola, I said, “I haven’t seen him in a couple of years. He’s applying for a job and wanted to ask me to be a personal reference.”

/>   “You are going to help him, aren’t you?” Jill returned to her seat next to me, where my brother had been sitting.

  “Yes.”

  “I hope he gets the job.”

  “Me too.”

  She pointed at the plastic tray that was already about half-empty. “Are you really going to eat that crap?”

  “It isn’t crap. It’s…” I studied it. “It’s… some kind of pasta meal with…some kind of meat.”

  “Yum. Mystery meat.”

  We shared a laugh at that one, an old joke. College cafeteria food.

  “Anyway, I have some information for you. My guy was able to track down a woman in San Marino who claims to be the legal wife of Shane Trant.”

  No surprise there. “Okay. Speaking of your guy--”

  “At this point, that’s all I have. He is doing some more digging.”

  I knew I should tell her that Shane himself had explained the whole situation. It would save her money, time, too. But I was too chicken to admit I’d talked to him. “Um, I don’t think I need to know any more. Really. You should just call him off now, save yourself the money.”

  “You’re taking this well. Better than I would.” Jill tipped her head. “You’re really moving on, aren’t you?” When I didn’t respond, she gave me a nudge. “I’m proud of you. I figured by now you would crumble and go back to him.”

  I had. I’d crumbled worse than a cookie crushed under a brick.

  Jill’s smile widened. “You’re finally getting on with your life, putting that jerk behind you. You deserve so much better than him. There’s this guy at work who wants to meet you--”

  Oh God. “Jill, no offense, but you’re a better lawyer than matchmaker.”

  “But he’s a great guy. Insanely good looking. Smart. Funny. Super sweet.”

  Crap. I had to tell her. She wasn’t going to stop trying to fix me up. “I saw him today. I saw Shane.” Inside, I cringed. I knew what was coming.

  “Did you speak to him?”

  “Actually…I did a lot more than that.”

  Getting the gist of my hint, Jill thinned her lips and slanted squinty eyes at me. “You screwed him.”

  “I…we…he asked me to marry him.”

  “He did what?” Jill’s eyes widened to at least twice their normal size. “Please tell me you laughed in his face.” She lifted a hand. “No, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to know.” She gave me a pitty-filled look. “Dammit, you just can’t do it, can you? You can’t get that asshole out of your life.”

  I shook my head. “There’s something between us. It’s hard to explain.”

  “I just hope you’ll be okay when he breaks your heart. Because he’s going to.” She heaved a big, exaggerated sigh. “I’ll be here. When it’s over. You can count on me.”

  Just the way I wanted to go into a marriage, with my best friend already talking about when it would end.

  I hadn’t even started planning the wedding.

  The knock on the door had my best friend scowling. She clamped her lips tight and eyed the door.

  I told her, “I’m not expecting Shane tonight.”

  “Hmph.” She grumbled something else. I couldn’t make it out. That was probably a good thing.

  Wondering if it was Shane knocking, I went to the door and opened it.

  That wasn’t Shane. “Branden.”

  “My car died. I’ve called the auto club. They’ve towed it to a shop, but the shop won’t get to it until tomorrow morning. I hate to impose, but…”

  “Of course you can stay here.” Stepping aside, I waved my brother inside. Leaning close, I whispered, “But what about the home? Will you get into trouble?”

  He smiled at me. “Taken care of. I called in. All I have to do is show them the receipt from the garage and a short note from you, stating that I stayed with you.”

  “Sure. I can do that.”

  Jill cleared her throat, and his gaze shot to her.

  Jill’s eyes twinkled.

  My brother’s eyes twinkled.

  It seemed I was witnessing some chemistry.

  I hoped Branden really was sober, for Jill’s sake.

  I motioned toward Jill. “Branden, I’m sure you remember my friend Jill.”

  “Jill?” Strolling over to her, he extended a hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Yes. Good to see you too.” Her gaze wandered up and down his tall frame as they shook hands. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Yes. Years.”

  He was still holding her hand.

  Feeling like the third wheel, I grabbed my half-eaten dinner and quietly headed to my room. I wasn’t convinced my brother had completely turned his life around yet. Even if what he said was true, he was only one year sober. Plenty of addicts went back to drinking after just a year of sobriety. He couldn’t be ready for a serious relationship, which was what Jill was looking for. But I wasn’t going to get in the way if they wanted to get reacquainted.

  Jill’s high-pitched laughter echoed in the hall. When Branden had been sober, he had been a lot of fun. He had a silly sense of humor and was intelligent. I had not only loved the boy he had been before he’d taken that first drink. I had also liked him. I liked spending time with him, laughing, playing, sharing secrets and dreams. Although I loved the man he’d been after, I didn’t like him. All the good things about my brother had been swallowed up by his addiction. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could finally have him back the way he was?

  In my room, I poked around on the internet on my phone, checking out bridal registry information and wedding chapels and ate my dinner.

  It hit me then, as I was looking at pictures of happy couples, brides and grooms. I was going to get married.

  I was marrying Shane.

  A little niggle of something in my belly made me pause. Was I making the mistake of a lifetime, like Jill thought? As much as I suffered when I was away from Shane, would that be enough? Would that inexplicable draw be strong enough to last a lifetime?

  God, was I scared.

  My phone rang. It was Shane’s ringtone. I poked the button.

  “Hi, minx.”

  Ah, that low rumbly voice. Just like that, I felt all the tension and unease melt away. Maybe I was worrying unnecessarily. Perhaps we had more going for us than some transient emotion.

  “Shane.” I felt myself smiling.

  “I have something for you. Can I bring it over?”

  Last time he’d come to my place, he’d let himself in uninvited. By calling ahead of time, he was showing me some respect. “Sure.”

  “I’ll be there in five.”

  Five minutes.

  I hustled into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, fluffed my hair and cleaned up a bit. By the time I was done, Shane was knocking on the front door.

  I scurried past Branden and Jill making out on the couch. They worked fast.

  Quietly, I opened the door.

  Shane looked amazing, as usual. It blew my mind, how quickly I forgot how handsome he was. He beamed at me then slid a glance at the action going on behind me. He scowled. “Maybe we should go somewhere else, where we can have some privacy? This won’t take long.”

  “Sure. Let me grab my purse.” I went back to my bedroom, got my purse from the drawer and crept out. Jill and Branden were oblivious to my leaving. I locked them in.

  As we headed out, Shane took my hand in his. It was a sweet gesture, one he hadn’t done before. I glanced down at our joined hands.

  “I missed you,” he explained.

  “It hasn’t been that long.” Stopping beside his car, I turned my back to the vehicle.

  He leaned into me. “An hour is too long. Fifteen minutes is too long.”

  He was being corny. I liked it. “Where are we going?” I asked as I slipped into the passenger seat of his zoomy black car.

  “Just taking a little drive.” After closing my door, he hustled around the vehicle to slip into his seat. He shot me a bone-melting smile
then started the car. Off we went. Westbound. Shane placed a hand on my knee as he drove. The touch felt right. Better than right.

  I tucked one leg underneath my butt and turned to face him. “You’re quiet. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. Absolutely.” The car turned. We weren’t far from my mother’s old place. “I thought you’d like to see the progress on the house.”

  “I saw it not too long ago.”

  “The crew has been working hard.” We pulled into the driveway, and he cut off the engine. He lifted an index finger then got out and opened my door. Acting a bit strange--tense and anxious--he took my hand in his again and led me up the front walk. He unlocked the door, opened it.

  I stepped inside.

  It was different.

  It was beautiful.

  “Ohmygod,” I said as I gaped, my eyes jumping from one thing to another. The foyer and living room were still in the same place, but everything else about them was changed. The floor in the foyer was some kind of stone tile. White with grey veins, maybe marble. The walls were a crisp white. The intricate staircase railing was stained a dark brown, almost black. Overhead hung a crystal chandelier, not too big, not too small.

  “What do you think?” Shane led me to the left, into the living room. There were some walls missing, making the space feel more open. I could see straight back to the open concept kitchen.

  “This is gorgeous. How did you get it done so quickly?”

  “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you hire the right people. Just tell me you like it.”

  “I love it. Love, love, love it. Wow.” I meandered into the living room, letting my hand run across the back of the couch. The fabric was soft. Really soft.

  “I want to show you something else.” Gently, he pulled me toward the kitchen which didn’t resemble the old kitchen in any way. Where the old one had been tired looking and slightly dingy, the new fixtures, appliances and finishings were sparkling clean, gorgeous. The counter was a stone of some kind, smooth, cool to the touch. “This way.” Continuing on, he headed for a set of French doors. We stepped outside into an oasis. I was standing on a deck that hadn’t existed just a few short weeks ago. Above my head was a wood pergola structure, and stretched out in front of me was a well-manicured garden, newly landscaped with trees, flowers and lush grass.