Bad Boys & Billionaires: An Anthology

by K. L. Middleton

  “Don’t get me wrong, it’s interesting to sit along the sidelines and watch the game when you’re not a player.”

  “You’re just a fan?”

  “I’m more like the person dragged to the game and forced to watch. My parents know some pretty crazy people, and I have a feeling tonight is going to be nuts.”

  “Well, considering my life is pretty boring, I’m looking forward to a little craziness.”

  “That’s a shame,” he said, his eyes darkening. “I would think that Jesse would make it his mission to keep you from being bored. I know I would.”

  “He, um… he works a lot.”

  He drummed his knuckles on the table and sighed. “I’m also guilty as charged.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jesse coming toward us and relaxed. Reed made me nervous, tense, and incredibly horny. I still didn’t quite trust myself around him, either. “Speak of the devil,” I said.

  “You okay?” asked Reed as Jesse sat down next to me.

  “Just some problems at work,” he said, glancing my way. From the serious look on his face, it was clear that Alex was being difficult.

  “You don’t have to check in at work this weekend, do you?” I asked.

  He smiled, bitterly. “No, in fact, I think I may have just lost my job.”

  “Oh no,” I said, grabbing his hand. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah.”

  His eyes filled with tears and my heart went out to him. I squeezed his hand. “It will be okay, Jesse. It will.”

  He looked away. “Right.”

  “Shit, you’ll find a new job in no time,” said Reed. “I have connections all over. I’m sure we can get you another position by the end of the week.”

  Jesse turned to me, his face distraught. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to the house to figure things out.”

  “Of course,” I said, standing up. “Let’s go.”

  He sighed. “No, um… could you stay with Reed? I really want to be alone right now,” he said. “I might have to make a couple of calls anyway, and you don’t want to hear what I have to say.”

  “Oh, okay,” I said.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll just bring Sinclair back to the house with me,” said Reed, patting him on the shoulder. “You do what you’ve got to do.”

  “Appreciate it,” he said, standing up. “I’ll see you two back at the house.” Then he left us without a backwards glance.

  “Wow, he must have a lot invested in that job for him to be so upset.”

  “I think he’s going to miss the benefits, more than anything,” I said.

  ***

  Michael

  I watched them from the corner of the restaurant, and wondered why her gay friend had left and who, exactly, this other man was. Obviously, he couldn’t be trusted around such a tempting creature and would have to be dealt with accordingly.

  The waitress returned to my table and smiled. “Would you like another glass of wine?”

  “No, thank you.”

  She hesitated, as if she had more to say.

  I smiled up at her. “Yes?”

  She sighed. “You may not remember me, but…”

  I flashed her one of my most engaging smiles. Although I have met many people, I did not particularly recall this homely creature. “Of course I remember you,” I lied. “How could I forget?”

  She smiled back in pleasure. “It’s been a long time. In fact, I think the last time I saw you, was at camp.”

  Ah, yes, now I remembered. She’d been just as annoying back then.

  “Yes,” I said. “That sounds about right.”

  She relaxed. “You look good.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “So do you.”

  “Um, say… my shift is over now, would you like to join me for a drink? My treat?”

  “Of course,” I said, trying to hide my frustration.

  She nodded and smiled, again. “Good, I’ll be right back. Same thing?” she asked, pointing to my glass.

  “Actually, why don’t you bring me a cup of coffee? I have a large engagement that I need to attend to this evening.”

  “Wedding or funeral?” she asked.

  “Anniversary party.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Reed

  I thought Jesse’s reaction to losing his job was a little emotional for a twenty-four-year-old man, gay or not. From the silent exchanges between Jesse and Sinclair, however, I realized that there was something more to it, but didn’t dig. If my brother didn’t want to divulge anything about his personal life to me, I certainly wasn’t going to pry.

  I’d expect the same from him.

  “So, are you ready?” I asked Sinclair after finishing my lunch and second beer.

  She grabbed her purse. “Yes. Do you want me to drive?”

  I stopped abruptly, causing her to slam into me. “Excuse me?”

  She steadied herself. “Are you too tipsy to drive?”

  “First of all, I do not get ‘tipsy’. I am either drunk or just plain sober.”

  “Which one are you?” she asked, her mouth twisting into one of those sexy grins I was beginning to crave.

  Both, I thought, staring at her. As far as I was concerned, she made me feel inebriated. “I’m sober,” I said. “Remember, I’m a lawyer. I know when to stop drinking before I get behind the wheel.”

  She laughed. “Right. So, I’m supposed to trust a lawyer?”

  I put my hand on her back and guided her toward the door. “You watch too much television,” I said, opening it, “which gives us all bad raps.”

  “Television, huh?” she said, as we walked out to the parking lot.

  I raised the key fob and pointed it toward my car. “Of course,” I said. “Not all of us are crooked. In fact, a lot of my cases are pro bono.”

  “Is this yours?” she asked, staring at the silver Mercedes SLS. “Pro bono seems to agree with you,” she said.

  I grinned. “This is just a rental.”

  She shook her head and got inside.

  I slid into the driver’s seat next to her and closed the door when the scent of Sinclair’s perfume engulfed me. A light fruity fragrance, reminding me of the kiss we’d shared earlier. I tried to push the memory away, but her close proximity was making it difficult.

  “Not quite a family car,” she said, snapping on her seatbelt. “You and Sela are going to have to invest in a minivan.”

  “Nonsense,” I smiled. “I’ll have a special luggage rack installed. The kids will love the view from up there.”

  She threw her head back and laughed. It was a beautiful sound – feminine and purely genuine.

  “Oh, my God, you’re a hoot,” she said.

  I raised my eyebrows. “I’m a hoot?”

  “Okay, you’re kind of nuts – is that better?”

  “Actually, you’re the one who got into a car with me. Now, tell me who’s nuts?” I said, giving her my most sinister grin.

  “Touché.”

  “What kind of music do you like?” I asked, turning on the XM radio.

  “Whatever you’d like,” she said. “I’m easy.”

  “You’re easy?”

  She rolled her eyes. “God, you’re a smartass, just like your brother. You know exactly what I mean.”

  “No, I don’t. Please reiterate what it is you exactly mean, Sin.”

  She pointed at the road. “I’m about as easy as you are hard-to-get.”

  “Are you saying I’m easy?” I asked, feigning a look of shock.

  She pulled her hair behind her ears and smiled. “Never met a guy who wasn’t.”

  “I’m sure you haven’t.”

  Her cheeks turned pink and I had an incredible urge to place them in my palms and feel their warmth. Instead, I found a song by Adele and settled with a few stolen glances of her profile as she stared off toward the ocean.

  “Beautiful,” I sighed.

  Sinclair nodded. “Yes. It’s incredible. Man, it must
have been wonderful growing up in this area.”

  “I can’t complain. My brother and I were very fortunate in many ways.”

  “So, what made you decide to move to New York?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “My career. I was offered a partnership by an old friend three years ago and jumped on it. I guess I wanted a change at the time, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

  She nodded. “I guess I can understand that. New York sounds fascinating.”

  “It is. You should come out and visit sometime, with Jesse.”

  “Maybe.”

  I turned up the music and we drove the rest of the way in silence while I cheated and took a much longer scenic route. When we finally reached the house, I was tempted to keep driving, just so I could enjoy her presence a little bit longer. She was definitely getting under my skin.

  “So,” I asked, as we pulled up to the house. “What do you usually do for fun when you’re not working?”

  She smiled. “For fun? Oh, I don’t know – read, go for walks, hang out with friends.”

  “Jesse works that much, huh?” I asked, smiling.

  She shrugged. “We go out when we can, but I usually have to be at the shop by six-thirty most mornings, so it’s difficult.”

  “I hear that. When I’m not at the office, I’m at home, working.”

  “Wow, looks like they’re already setting up for tonight,” she said, motioning toward the party supply and catering trucks.

  I looked at my watch, it was just after two-thirty. “I’m surprised my mother didn’t have them here at sunrise. She lives for parties.”

  “I keep hearing that both of your parents are so boring and straight-laced. I guess I’m surprised to hear that their parties are wild and crazy. At least that’s what Jesse says.”

  I nodded. “Jack’s in showbiz. Having outrageous parties is kind of mandatory when you’re part of Hollywood, no matter what age you are. Like I said, it’s all one big fucking show, and that’s why I don’t visit as much as I probably should.”

  “I guess I can appreciate that,” she said.

  I unlocked the doors. “You just wait until tonight. You’ll never be back.”

  She stared at me curiously for a few seconds and then smiled.

  “We’d better go inside,” I said.

  She laughed. “I guess we should.”

  As we slid out of the car, a dark sedan pulled up behind us.

  “Good afternoon,” smiled a thin, middle-aged man with light blonde hair, a thick moustache, and dark glasses. “I’m Pastor Richie.”

  I shook his hand. “I’m Reed Eddington and this is Sinclair –”

  “Jeffries,” she added, smiling at the pastor.

  He shook her hand, too. “It’s nice to meet you both. I’m here to speak with Mimi or Jack Eddington.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Is everything okay?”

  He smiled. “I believe so. I’m helping them renew their vows this evening.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  “Yes. I spoke to Mimi this morning about it.”

  “Well, follow us,” I said, walking toward the house. “I’m sure she’s inside somewhere, directing the pre-party chaos.”

  ***

  Sinclair

  I excused myself as soon as we entered the house, to go search for Jesse. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in his bedroom or anywhere else in the house. Then, when I tried texting him, he didn’t respond and I really became nervous.

  “Have you seen Jesse?” I asked George, who was carrying a box of booze into the house.

  “I’m sorry, I’ve been unloading some supplies for tonight. Have you checked the pool?”

  “No. I’ll go and see if he’s out there,” I said. “Thanks, George.”

  I found my way to the courtyard, where the large Olympic-sized swimming pool sat. Unfortunately, it was empty. As I was about to go back inside, I noticed a small building on the other side of the pool. It looked like a sauna or cabana and I wondered if he’d decided to unwind in it. I walked around the pool, and as I placed my hand on the door handle, I could hear moaning. Worried that Jesse was inside crying, I pushed the door open to console him, only to freeze dead in my tracks.

  “Yes…” moaned Sela, who was on her hands and knees, the top of her swimsuit pushed away from her breasts, the bottoms lying on the ground next to her. Kneeling behind her was Jack, his white ass pumping furiously as he held onto her tan hips.

  Stunned and horrified, I quietly shut the door and hurried back to the house.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sinclair

  I went straight to my bedroom and sat down on the bed, wondering what the hell I should do. Obviously, it wasn’t any of my business. I was just a guest in Jack’s home.

  What about Reed and Mimi? Shouldn’t they know?

  Reed wasn’t exactly innocent, however. Not after the way we’d attacked each other in my bedroom.

  I still felt sick to my stomach as I thought about Sela and Jack together. He was obviously a sick bastard – to not only be cheating on his wife, but to be doing it right in his house and with his son’s fiancée.

  Just like Jesse mentioned, he was an asshole.

  And Sela…

  Well, it just substantiated my already negative feelings about her.

  Sighing, I got out of bed and tried calling Jesse again, wondering where in the hell he was.

  ***

  Reed

  After leading Pastor Richie to my mother, who was in the kitchen making plans with the caterer, I went upstairs to check on Sela. Unfortunately, she wasn’t around. I called her cell phone.

  “Hello,” she answered, sounding slightly winded.

  “I’m back. You still by the pool?”

  “Yes, I’ll be right up.”

  “Okay, I’m in your room.” I hung up, collapsed onto her bed, and turned on the television. A few minutes later, she breezed into the bedroom, engulfing me with the smell of coconuts and mango.

  “Hi,” she said, leaning over to kiss my lips.

  “Hi. How’d it go?” I asked.

  Her eyes widened. “How did what go?”

  I yawned. “Relaxing, swimming, working on your tan… how did it go?”

  She walked over to her suitcase and started rifling through it. “Okay. I’m full of chlorine and tanning oil. I’m going to take a shower.”

  I started flipping through the channels. “Good idea.”

  “Reed, I’m starving,” she said, grabbing her shampoo. “Let’s go someplace and eat.”

  I glanced at her. “I’m sorry, I just went to lunch. I’m sure Gretchen can fix you something. We’ll go check with her when you’re finished with the shower.”

  She put her hands on her hips and gave me a venomous look.

  Oh shit.

  “You went to lunch without me? I thought you were just doing a couple of errands,” she snapped.

  I shrugged. “I met up with Jesse and Sinclair. It wasn’t something I’d planned to do without you, it just happened. Besides,” I smiled. “What’s one less salad in your life?”

  “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  I turned off the television and stood up. “You hardly eat anything, Sela. Even if you would have joined us, you probably would have nibbled on vegetables and crackers.”

  She raised her chin in the air. “At least I wouldn’t have been stuck here.”

  I stared at her incredulously. “I asked you if you wanted to join me today, but you declined.”

  Her lips thinned. “Well, you should have asked harder.”

  Jesus Christ.

  Her phone started vibrating and she grabbed it. After reading a text message, she looked at me. “Fine, if you’re not going to take me anywhere, then could you find me something to eat while I’m in the shower?”

  I nodded. “Sure, how about a sandwich?”

  “I’d prefer a salad, tossed in vinaigrette dressing.”

  Sighing, I walk
ed toward the door. “I’ll see what I can find.”

  ***

  Sinclair

  I finally got ahold of Jesse, who had driven all the way back to Alex’s. Apparently, Alex had given him an ultimatum – either tell his parents about the two of them, or move on.

  “He wants to marry me, Sin,” he said. “But, the truth is, I’m not really ready for marriage. I mean, I care about him, a lot. But…”

  “What are you going to do?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, yet. He’s actually giving me a week to decide.”

  “What about your job? Are you going to have to leave the company?”

  “He said I could stay, but our relationship would have to be totally platonic.”

  “But that would be…”

  “Awkward,” he said.

  “Obviously. Well, at least he’s not being a total asshole about it.”

  Jesse sighed. “He’s a good guy but he just doesn’t understand, I’m only twenty-four and he’s thirty-six. I’m not ready for that kind of commitment yet.”

  “Then you’d better not do it,” I said. “If you do it just to make him happy, it will never work. You’ll both be miserable in the long run and you’ll end up hating each other.”

  He sighed. “My thoughts exactly. I just needed to hear it from someone else.”

  “You’re um… driving back to your parents’, right?”

  “I’ll be back before the party. I want to try and talk to him a little more. Try to somehow reason with him.”

  “Okay. Don’t forget, you still have my dress and shoes for tonight’s party in your trunk, though.”

  He swore under his breath. “Okay, I’ll be home by six at the latest.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “Hey, there’s something else,” I said.

  He paused. “What?”

  I thought about everything he had on his plate at the moment, and decided to wait. “I’ll tell you later, it’s not important.”

  He snorted. “My dad didn’t hit on you, did he?”

  “I… ah… no,” I said.

  “Good. If he does, you have my permission to slug him.”