by C. M. Steele
"Sorry," I whispered. Immediately, I wanted to kick myself. I apologized for looking out the window. Who did that? Did he own the view? He was the one who should apologize to me for being freaking hot as hell and a total asshole. I was already a bundle of nerves waiting to see Joseph. I didn’t need him sending my emotions into a frenzied mess.
"None of those men are available," he grumbled out, before taking a seat next to me.
"Excuse me," I said indignantly. "I can look wherever I please. Besides, I was only looking. By the way, I thought southern people were hospitable, not assholes." I stood up angrily. He may have had a swoon worthy look, but he was a total ass.
He reached out and gripped my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. "Now darling, I'd watch that pretty mouth of yours."
"Why would I do that?" I snarled back at him.
Chapter 2
Liam
I was about to pull into the lot when I saw my little brunette enter Nora’s café. I parked next door to the café and hopped out of my truck. Fuck, it was hot out. I checked for any visible sweat stains. Thankfully, I was still looking cool and dry. My palms were sweating, though.
I first saw her yesterday. We have cameras set outside the lot to prevent break-ins, and while passing by the screens, I spotted her. She had her long hair in a tight ponytail. I was frozen in place in front of the monitors, staring at the future Mrs. Harrison. Before I could react, she was rushing out of the café and jumped into a cab. Damn it, I wished I would have gone for the coffee instead of sending Joe.
I rushed through the door and gave Nora a nod before looking for my mystery wife. I didn’t know what it was about her, but the moment the camera caught her pretty face, it was like only she existed. When I found her, she was looking out the large front window and seemed to be staring at my building. I got a new emotion running through my strong frame. It was such a bold emotion; I felt it shaking me to the core. I was jealous. Moving to stand behind her, I waited for her to notice me. It took so long that I wanted to shake her out of her trance. Which one of my men caught her attention? Who’s going to get fired?
When she stood to look at me, I was even more angry. She was fucking more potent up close. My dick was stiff as fuck. I was ready to carry her over my shoulder to my truck then claim her like a wild caveman. It was clear that I pissed her off, but I didn’t have two fucks to give. I was pissed, too. She wanted a southern gentleman, but she wasn’t going to get that from me. Normally, I was the nicest motherfucker around and southern hospitality has been the way I work, but with her all bets are off.
“Why should I do that?” she asked. I was about to tell her that she was pushing me to do something I never thought I would, but we were interrupted.
“Joey! Joey is that you?” Before I understood what was happening, my best friend was pulling my woman into his arms. Joey. He called her Joey. Oh shit. The Joey. The child he raised until he came to work for me.
“God, how I’ve missed you,” he cried, squeezing her tight. I stepped back because even though he was holding onto what was mine, I knew it was a fatherly hug. One he has desperately wanted for almost three years. When he came to work for me, Joe told me about the divorce. I’d never been married, so I didn’t have any advice to give him, but we still managed to become best friends.
It took him almost a year to talk about Joey. He loved her so much and regretted abandoning her. I never gave any negative judgement for it because he was justified in his actions and tried to go back and take her from his ex-wife, but now that I saw her I wanted to curse his ass out. My beauty had been living in the system all these years. No wonder why she wouldn’t back down when I got on her about staring. She may have been afraid at first, but she shook that shit off. Little Joey was a tough thing. Good, I needed her, and I knew that because of how much I wanted her I had no intentions of going slow.
“So that’s her,” Nora said quietly as she moved to my side. Shit, I forgot about her. Joe and Nora were getting married in a couple of days. This could upset everything for them.
Without taking my eyes off Joey, I turned to Nora worried for her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am. I’m not threatened if that’s what you’re worried about. He’s waited for forever to see her again. He thought it would never happen and here she is. I have a biological son that Joe loves wholeheartedly. Katrina’s not biologically his, but he loves her like I love Aiden.”
Damn, I forgot about Aiden. He was only twenty-one and working with us for the summer before returning to college for his last year. I needed to keep her away from him. How was I going to do it? I didn’t know, but it needed to happen. I was almost twice her age—fourteen years older to be exact.
“That’s good. I know he’s felt terrible about what happened.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude,” I interrupted Joe and Katrina’s conversation.
Quick to huff in disbelief, she scoffed, “Yeah right.” Damn it, she was going to be a pain in the ass.
“Squirt, calm down,” I chimed back. The air changed the instant the words come out of my mouth and not in a good way. The look on her face blanched for a second. It set me back, but then the mean look came back on her face in full force. I had to get her on my side. How am I supposed to bury my seed in her if she hated me?
“Don’t call me that. It’s Katrina,” she growled at me. Now this wasn’t some wilting flower before me, but there was something about that word that instantly upset her. I’d known her all but a minute, but the change in her expression was clear.
Joe loosened his hold on her and grabbed Nora’s hand. I wanted to pull Katrina to the side and demand that she tell me why Squirt bothered her so much.
“Katrina, I know that we have much to talk about, but I need to introduce you to two very important people in my life. This is Nora, my fiancé, and this guy here happens to be my boss and my best friend Liam Harrison.”
“You’re getting married?” she asked. I could tell she felt left out. It was like his life went on without her. Like he wasn’t struggling when he lost her. “Excuse me.” She rushed out the door, freaking out. I waved off Joe and Nora. I’d bring her back.
She was no match for my long legs and I caught her before she got past my truck. “Yes, they are getting married. Can I have a word with you for a minute?”
“Why?” she asked as I pinned her against my truck.
“Because I asked nicely this time. The next you’ll be over my shoulder,” I warned her sweet ass.
“Okay. Hurry up so I can go.”
“Look, Joe has been broken since losing you. He came back for you, but it was too late. Then he couldn’t find your whereabouts. After pulling some strings, he learned that you fled the group home the state placed you in and no one had seen you since. He met Nora this year and he fell in love. It helped to deal with losing you.”
“He’s been looking for me?”
“Yes, I know because I hired people to look for you. Where the hell have you been?”
“All over,” she answered, her eyes refusing to meet mine. I wanted her to tell me more, but I saw Joe and Nora coming from the shop. I stepped back from her and gave her an arched look warning her to behave. “We’ll talk about this later,” I whispered. She didn’t answer me but didn’t argue with me either.
She lifted her chin and faced them both with resolve. “Joe and Nora. I’m sorry. I lost it. I shouldn’t have run away.”
Joe shook his head, and said, “No, sweetheart. It’s my fault. It’s all been my fault. Can we please talk?” He pulled Kat into his arms, which made me angry. I wanted to hold her and tell her it would be okay.
Turning to me, Joe added, “Liam, I’m sorry, but I need the rest of the day off. I can work from home as much as possible before the wedding. I know it’s not cool, but I have to spend time with Joey.”
“No problem. I understand.” I gave them a crooked smile. For the first time since I became the owner of my father’s company, I wanted to play hoo
ky for a woman. It was a shock to me, but I wasn’t going to let on that that was the case.
“Come on, Kat. Nora, we’re going to the house. I love you, and I’ll come pick you up before closing, okay?” I could see that he was conflicted. He’d like Nora to come with him, but this is very private healing for them.
“Don’t worry, Joe. I’ll drop her off.” He gave me a look that would get his ass dropped if I didn’t know his past. “Do me a favor and quit that shit. I’ll drop her off and you’ll deal with it, jackass.” I turned to Nora. “Call the office when you’re almost ready. Then I’ll pack up.”
“Okay, Liam. Thanks,” she said with a nod. Nora looked toward Kat and Joe with an anxious smile before saying, “Be careful. And Katrina, it’s a pleasure to meet you. It’s been a long time coming.”
“See you later, Kat.” I walked away without a farewell, leaving my truck parked by the shop. If I stayed, I’d try to find a way to steal her away from Joe.
~~~~~
It had been a long day. Nora just called, so I had to pick her up and take her to Joe’s. Then I needed to find a way to get Katrina alone. As I got to my truck, Nora came out and locked the door.
“Ready? Did you call Joe to tell them you’re leaving?” I said before opening the passenger door for her.
She giggled and tilted her head in annoyance. “You know I did. You know he doesn’t think we would do anything to hurt him, but he still gets jealous.”
“Yeah. I can’t blame him. His ex-wife had a decade long affair with his best friend. It’s reasonable that he’s nervous,” I answered her after I jumped in on my side and started the engine.
It took her a moment to address the elephant in the room. “But we both know your interests lie elsewhere. Say toward Joe’s little girl, Katrina?” I whipped my head toward her in shock and in a rage that I didn’t really feel. I didn’t want Joe to know I planned to knock up his little girl and keep her locked away in bed—for at least the next ten years.
“No. What the fuck makes you think that shit? Have you lost your fucking mind?” I roared, trying to act like she was crazy. She just rolled her eyes like I was full of hot air.
“Liam, I’ll forgive that mouth of yours because I know you’re full of shit. Don’t bullshit me. You may be able to fool Joe for the time being because he’s so happy to see Katrina, but you can’t hide your dirty secret. You’ve got it for your best friend’s daughter.” We hopped on the expressway and the trip was only a few minutes from here. Traffic was light because it was already seven at night, but it seemed like it was taking forever to get to her. Nora was absolutely right, I wanted Katrina and I didn’t even care that she was Joe’s daughter. She was mine. I saw the exit and switched lanes with a lump in my throat. I’ve got to get this all figured out in the next short minutes before we get to Joe’s house.
Nora’s got me. What can I say, so I ask, “You’re not going to tell him, are you?”
She gave me a stern look when she answered, “No. You will. Are you planning on pursuing her?”
“Yes,” I answered quickly because I was sure of my answer.
“Then if I was you, I wouldn’t hide it from him. You know he hates secrets.”
“You’re right. But the wedding’s this week. I don’t want to make him angry before the wedding.”
“Then don’t act on your feelings until we leave on our honeymoon. By the way, you do know that she’s not eighteen until this Sunday?”
“What? The day after the wedding?” I couldn’t believe it. I thought back to when we talked about it before. That was right. Shit, I thought she was eighteen already. I might want to hold off on knocking her up for a couple of months at least.
“Yes. Granted…seventeen is legal here,” she offered.
“How do you know that?” Did she manage to look it up as we drove? She’d been fiddling with her phone while I’d been driving.
“I have a twenty-one-year-old son. It’s something you need to learn when your kid gets to the point he could get in trouble. In fact, I’m texting him now. He’s coming for the wedding and I want them to meet.”
“Makes sense.” I couldn’t stop thinking about her and Aiden meeting. He was much younger than me. That shit was not okay with me. “Just so you know, I’ll kick his ass if your kid takes a liking to his new step-sister.”
“I’ll warn him off. Besides, from what I saw at the café, the sexual tension between you was at an explosive level. He wouldn’t be able to compete. I don’t want him to have to learn the hard way like Joe and I had to with our exes.” We pulled up into the driveway, and I was going insane with nervous tension. It wasn’t like me to be a freaking pansy, but all of the sudden I was faced with a future I had to secure. She could already have a boyfriend, plus she didn’t like me. Sexual tension wasn’t enough. That’ll pass when she got used to me. I had to make her want me for more than lust. I wanted her love. How the fuck can I be in love so fast? All I knew was that I was hers. One day and a few words shared and I was hooked for life.
Chapter 3
Katrina
My dad and I talked all the way back to the house. It wasn’t a long drive from his job to his house, but I held onto the moments like it was a life line. After all this time, we finally got to see each other. It was cathartic in a way, but a whole new tension replaced the old tension of losing his love. I wanted his boss. I craved him in a way I’d never wanted anyone else before. Living on the streets for a year wasn’t conducive to having a boyfriend and I sure as hell didn’t want to be a whore like my mother, so I stayed away from romantic relationships. I read about love in so many of the novels I picked up through the years, but I knew they were pure fantasy. There was no man out there that’ll worship the ground I walk on, spoil me rotten, do dirty things to my flesh, and be forever faithful to me. Oh, and top that off by being wealthy. Yeah, it was just fantasy. I was going to have to stay strong and avoid the chemistry between Liam and I. I doubted it would work, but I had to stay strong. I wanted a happily ever after. Hell, I’d settle for the faithful and orgasm master. The rest of the fantasy wasn’t necessary.
“I want to apologize for Liam today. He can be an ass when it comes to women. Don’t think it’s just you that he’s rude to,” my father said with an apologetic smile.
“Why, did he have a bad ex or mother?” I asked, trying to milk anything about Liam out from my dad.
“Neither. He’s just too serious to play nice with strangers.”
“Didn’t his mama teach him any manners?” I teased.
“She’s part of the problem. She wants him to settle down and have a family.”
“And he doesn’t want to give up the player lifestyle,” I answered, feeling like I got punched in the gut. He was the typical hot, wealthy bachelor.
“Ha. Liam a player. Yeah, just like I should win father of the year. He hasn’t been on a date since I met him. Just don’t tell him I said that.” Everything about him screamed I could have any woman I wanted, so why is he not getting any? Did he have performance issues? I didn’t actually know how old he was. So maybe he did or maybe it was because he was little down there. Is that why he was grouchy with me?
Once we get to my dad’s place we talked for another two hours. It was emotional and mostly about how he felt back then. Maybe it was the years of learning to be independent or maybe it was because I always had his love, whatever it was, I felt a little more complete. Every few minutes he would hug me. I tried to hold back the tears, but it meant so much to have his love. Although I had him back in my life, I didn’t really need him like I thought I would. We decided to grill some food and talk some more.
“Where have you been all these years?” he asked, placing burgers on his badass grill in the backyard.
“All around. At first, I was at the home but left to find myself. Then I lived on the streets or shelters until I could find a job. I lied on an application and paid for a fake ID with the last of the money you gave me. Since I didn’t have a phone,
I asked the employer to email me. Then I went to the local library to check my emails and started less than a week later as a mail clerk. I had that job for six months until I got promoted. By then I was no longer living in a shelter, but got a small studio apartment in Detroit. After another six months, I got a raise and started to save my pennies. A month into my new raise, they learned I lied on my application and I was let go. It was then that I moved to Chicago. It’s a big city and I could easily land a decent job there. It was interesting working at the museum, but the pay wasn’t great. I had to find a second job, which was fine. I had enough money saved to quit one job after a year. It’s been a struggle, but then I moved further south. I lived in Houston for six months before coming here.”
“I wish you didn’t leave the home. I missed you by a month. If I would have found you your life would have been different,” he says sadly as we eat burgers he made on the grill. I always loved when we barbequed back home in Michigan. We only got to grill in the summer or on crazy days when we were trapped under four feet of snow. Those were the times I missed. We couldn’t go back to the past for so many reasons, but we could be in each other’s future.
“I had to leave.”
“Do you want to tell me why?”
“Not really, but it’s probably for the best.” I took a drink of my pop and placed the can on the table before I got into the gory details of the night I left.
I’m sitting in my room that I share with four other girls, but they’ve snuck out for the night. Being the nerd I am, I decide to stay in and be a good girl. It’s the biggest mistake I could have made. It’s only been an hour after they left when I hear the door to our room unlock. I got a sick feeling about it because I didn’t hear a bunch clicking heels or drunk girls trying to be quiet. It’s so silent that I can hear the locking mechanism click closed. I’m in deep shit. I close my eyes to pretend I’m asleep, but it’s no use with my jailer or that’s what I call him. He’s one of the home’s supervisors and caregivers, and he’s had his eyes on me for a month now. I knew what he had in mind the first day I got there.