Christmas with Boss Brothers

by Amy Brent

  “Why?”

  He looked her right in the eye, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Because if I never tried, I wouldn't know what my limits are.”

  Sharise frowned, studying the look on his face. He certainly seemed serious. She sighed. “Well, I guess some of us don't feel the need to push ourselves quite that hard. You'd better be careful, or one day, you'll end up going over your limits, and then you'll be in a lot of trouble.”

  He leaned forward, bracing his hands against the wall on either side of her head. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath. She swallowed a lump in her throat, trembling. “Maybe you should start learning to take some risks, Sharise.”

  She licked her lips. “I think I'm fine the way I am, thanks.”

  He chuckled and reached out to caress her cheek. “So, you never take chances?”

  “Not with my health, no.”

  “What about with your heart?”

  She blinked, taken off-guard by the unexpected question. The truth was, she hadn't taken any risks with her heart in years. She hadn't dated for most of the time she was in medical school, and she had been too busy since she started working in the emergency room to really think about romance.

  Ben stared into her eyes, waiting for an answer. She took a deep breath to steady herself. “I guess there's some risks that are worth taking.”

  “Good,” Ben said. “That means you'll have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

  Her jaw dropped open. “What? But I hardly know you.”

  “That's what dinner is for.” He took both of her hands in his, giving them a light squeeze. “A chance to talk. To get to know each other better. To find out if there's any risks we might want to take together.”

  Sharise's breath felt tight in her throat. She didn't know what to say. She felt like he'd cornered her, and there was no way she could say no. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to say no. He was certainly an attractive man. Though she normally didn't go for the athletic type. She preferred an intellectual man. A man who liked to read.

  But then, she realized she wasn't being fair to him. Just because he was into sports, that didn't mean he wasn't also intelligent. There was something to be said about his idea of taking risks with her feelings. Maybe she owed it to herself to give him a chance.

  “All right,” she said, a shy smile on her lips. “You've got yourself a deal.”

  “Good.” He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Give me your number. I'll come by tomorrow night to pick you up.”

  She gave him her phone number, part of her wondering if this was a good idea. But she realized that she had to take the chance. She would never find romance or happiness if she always played it safe. Just because she wasn't into extreme sports didn't mean she couldn't handle a little excitement and uncertainty in her life.

  Ben showed up at Sharise's house the next day in an expensive sports car. A very expensive one. She couldn't be sure of the price tag without looking it up on her phone, but she was sure that the car must have cost him at least six figures. It made her wonder what he did for a living and how well-off he was. So far, all she knew about him was that he like to run in the mud. But surely there must have been more to him than that.

  She met him at the door, wearing a midnight blue dress that accentuated her ample curves and complemented her dark skin tone. He was dressed in pressed black pants and a silk shirt with a few buttons undone at the top. He was handsome in a casual, uncaring way. Though she suspected that he had put a lot of time into making it look like he hadn't put any time into his appearance.

  He took her hand and kissed it. “You look lovely,” he said. “I hope you like Italian. I know a wonderful little place.”

  “I could go for some Italian,” she said, heading out the door with him. She had the feeling he wasn't going to be taking her someplace as quaint as Olive Garden.

  They drove over the bridge into Philadelphia, then navigated through the city streets until they reached a restaurant that was built into the ground floor of an elegant hotel. Ben pulled his car right up to the front door, where a man in a valet's uniform waited to open the door for Sharise. He helped her out of the car, then circled around to the driver's side. Ben shook the man's hand and whispered to him before he got in, and Sharise caught a glimpse of him pressing something into the valet's palm. A sizable tip, she was certain.

  “You really go all out,” she said as Ben took her arm and led her inside. She immediately felt under-dressed. The waiters were dressed in tuxedos, and even the hostess was wearing a more expensive dress than Sharise's.

  “I believe in living a life of extremes,” Ben said. “I don't like doing anything if it's only going to be an average experience.”

  As the hostess sat them at their table, Sharise asked, “Does that include me?” She had never thought of herself as anything more than average. The only thing she felt like she excelled at was her job, and that was what she devoted the majority of her attention to.

  “If I didn't know you were a woman who is above and beyond, I never would have asked you out.”

  Sharise hid her blush behind her menu. She noticed the menu didn't even have any prices on it. Apparently, this was the sort of place that only catered to people who didn't care about how expensive things were.

  “So, tell me about yourself,” she said as she looked over the menu. “What do you do when you're not breaking your leg in the mud?”

  He laughed. “Well, the old man owns the hotel chain,” he said. “I'm on the board, though I only show up for the big meetings.”

  “Owns the hotel?” Sharise asked. She looked around the restaurant and out the door into the hotel lobby beyond. “You mean this hotel?”

  Ben smirked as he unfolded his napkin and set it into his lap. “Among others, yes. Though I don't get involved much in the day-to-day affairs. Sitting around the board room talking about stock and investors and market trends bores the hell out of me.”

  “Not 'extreme' enough?”

  “Not by a long shot.” He winked at her, and she felt her face heating up.

  They chatted while they ate a meal that probably cost enough to pay Sharise's mortgage for a month. For awhile, Ben kept talking about sports. In addition to his obstacle course racing, she learned that he enjoyed mountain climbing, white water rafting, and snowboarding. He was a real sports nut. And it didn't end with the sports he took part in himself.

  “So, who do you like for the Superbowl?” he asked, after a long tirade about his opinions on the recent NFL draft picks.

  “I don't pay much attention to it,” Sharise said. “I'd rather sit at home with a good book.”

  “Ahh, excellent,” Ben said. “What was the last thing you read?”

  Sharise pursed her lips, wondering if she would find out there was something deeper to this man than his fixation on sports. “Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell. It was one of the more interesting things I've read lately.”

  Ben nodded. “I've heard of that one. It jumps around a lot, between different timelines and characters? Pretty impressive, if you ask me. I can't imagine how someone could weave together so many different story lines and do it so effectively. Though I'm always interested in authors who challenge the traditional narrative structure.”

  Sharise stared at Ben, her eyes wide, trying to keep her jaw from dropping open. It had been a long time since she'd met a man who could actually discuss literature with her. “So you're not a fan of traditional structure then, I take it?”

  “Oh, I enjoy a good traditional literary work as much as anyone else. But the old formula gets stale after awhile. It's nice to see books that play around with the format, moving between different timelines and perspectives, or weaving together multiple character arcs. When it's done well, it can be really compelling.”

  “Well.” Sharise leaned her elbows on the table, looking at this man in a whole new light. “I must say, I'm impressed. Most people I know say they'd rather wait until the mov
ie or TV show is out instead of reading a book.”

  Ben waved a hand dismissively. “I don't watch TV. Except for ESPN.”

  They chatted for awhile longer, sharing a bottle of wine. Sharise started to relax, glad that she had given this unusual, yet compelling man a chance. She was genuinely enjoying the evening, and after dinner and dessert were over, she found she didn't want the night to end.

  After he finished his last glass of wine, Ben stood up and offered her his hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

  She arched her eyebrows, curious, but took his hand anyway. He led her to the elevator, then inserted a key into a slot near the bottom. The elevator started to rise, going up past the highest floor listed on the buttons. When it opened, she stepped out into a spacious room and her breath caught in her throat. They were in a luxurious penthouse suite, with broad floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the entire city. The lights of the city sparkled below them like a sea of stars, and she started to get just a bit dizzy from the feeling of being up so high.

  “Beautiful, isn't it?” Ben asked.

  “I bet you ask that of all the girls,” Sharise said.

  Ben chuckled and slipped his arms around her. “I don't bring just any girl up here. Like I said, I don't care for anything or anyone who's just average.”

  He pulled her close and leaned down, pressing his lips against her mouth.

  Sharise hesitated at first, but his lips felt warm and firm against hers. She let her body meld against his, while his hands caressed her curves. His hands were warm and strong against her soft, caramel skin. Her head felt light, either from the wine, the altitude, or the lust. She couldn't believe that this night was real. But Ben's body felt very real pressed against hers.

  He led her over to the sofa and laid her down on it, lowering his body atop hers while he tasted her lips. She wrapped her legs around him, eager for more. He reached up and pulled down the straps of her dress and bra, exposing her full, firm breasts. He took them in his hands, kneading her soft caramel flesh. She gasped and whimpered. It had been a long time since anyone had touched her like that. She didn't want him to stop.

  He pressed his body closer against her, until she could feel his hardness through his pants. She reached down and grabbed it, squeezing it and rubbing her fingers up and down its length. He groaned and leaned back, unzipping his pants to give her full access. She rubbed him in firm, quick strokes, getting him even more worked up. He started pulling down her dress, and she knew he wouldn't be able to wait much longer before he got what she wanted. Part of her still wanted to hesitate, to wait and save this for another night. But her sensible objections were lost in the waves of arousal passing over her. She needed him, needed a night of passion. And she knew that this was a situation where Ben was right: there was no point in accepting anything average when she could embrace the extreme pleasures that life had to offer.

  She pulled off her panties and spread her legs for him. Ben grinned and knelt on the couch, then slid himself inside of her. He took her hard and fast, driving it in deep and pinning her down on the couch. She clung to the cushions, biting her lower lip as moans of pleasure erupted from her throat. The man had the stamina of an athlete and he knew exactly what he wanted. He didn't stop until he'd driven her over the edge and she floated in wave after wave of orgasm, then he leaned down closer and held her body tight against him as he was driven to the edge himself.

  Right at the end, he almost pulled out, but she grabbed his face and held it close to hers. “No. Inside me.”

  He didn't hesitate, and they clung to each other as his seed filled her. Then he collapsed on top of her, sweaty and breathless, and they held each other until their bodies cooled down and the euphoria passed into a tender, comfortable silence they shared together.

  In the morning, they had breakfast together while looking out at the cityscape that spread out below them. They at in a comfortable silence, though Sharise couldn't help wondering about the question that had plagued her mind since they first woke up. Towards the end of the meal, she finally asked him, “So, Ben, what was this to you?”

  He paused with his knife and fork in hand. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean last night. Us. Was this just about experiencing another thrill? Or is there something more to it?”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “You mean, was this just a one night stand?”

  She nodded, a slight pout on her lips.

  He got up and moved around the table to kneel beside her. He took her hands in his and kissed them. “I told you, I don't do anything half-assed or average. I'd never get involved with a woman just for a quick, easy experience. Whatever I do in life, I commit myself to it fully.”

  “So that means you want to see me again?” she asked, her breath caught in her chest.

  “Absolutely.”

  They kissed, then got dressed. They spent the rest of the day together, and over the next few weeks, they saw each other regularly. Ben took her out to dinner at fancy restaurants. He took her on tours of the city's museums, including some private exhibits that he had to pull a few strings to get access to. They drove up to New York and saw a few shows on Broadway. He even convinced her to go to a few football games and see how the Philadelphia Eagles were doing this season. She didn't enjoy the game itself too much, but she had a good time anyway, especially when she saw how excited Ben got every time his team scored a touchdown. He was so passionate about everything in life, from his sports to the way he doted on her and worked hard to show her the time of her life.

  Though as their relationship wore on, there were days that he was less and less available. He seemed too busy to spend time with her, and it started to make her wonder if he was losing interest. For awhile, she wasn't sure how to bring it up. Then finally one day, while they were having dinner at Ben's penthouse, she worked up the courage and asked the question that had been bothering her for some time.

  “Ben?” she asked.

  He looked up at her, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

  “Is something wrong?”

  He frowned in confusion, then wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked, “What do you mean?”

  “With us.” She folded her hands on the table, giving him a serious look.

  He shook his head, still wearing a confused frown. “I don't think so. Why? Did you think there was something wrong?”

  “Well, you've been so...distant lately. It feels like you only have time for me on the weekends. We used to go out a few nights each week.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Oh. Is that what this is about?”

  She frowned. He got up and brought his chair around to her side of the table so he could sit with her and put his arm around her. “There's nothing wrong at all. I've just been starting up a new training regimen. It's been eating up a lot of my time. But I'll find some time to rearrange things and make sure I have more time for you.”

  “Training regimen?” Sharise asked. “What for?”

  “Well, there's this decathlon coming up,” he said. “Running, high jump, long jump, hurdles, javelins. It's in Italy this fall. I've got to get in shape if I'm going to make it.”

  She shook her head, frowning in confusion. “Wait, what did you just say? Italy?”

  He grinned wide. “Yeah, it's gonna be great. I was gonna tell you about it when it got closer. I'll be overseas for a few weeks. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me.”

  Her face went pale. She counted the months between now and then, a sickening feeling developing in her gut. She couldn't go to Italy in the fall. She would have loved to visit another country, and she knew Italy was beautiful and full of history. But the timing couldn't be worse.

  “What's wrong, babe?” he asked. “I thought you'd be excited. Look, I know you don't like it when I do something where I could get hurt, but this isn't like the obstacle racing. The odds of me getting hurt are slim.”

  She shook her head, keeping her eyes down on the t
able. “It's not that.”

  “Then what is it?” He ran his fingers through her hair, giving her a concerned look.

  She got up and stepped away from the table, looking out over the city. “I wish you'd told me about this sooner. You shouldn't have made plans like this without telling me.”

  He followed her, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “I've been planning this since before we met. I didn't think it'd be a big deal. It's months from now. I thought you'd be happy.”

  She hung her head, letting out a long sigh. “Ben, I can't go to Italy with you.”

  “Why not? I thought you'd love it there.”

  “Because I'm pregnant.”

  He stepped back. She looked up at him, trying to understand the expression on his face. He looked stunned, but she couldn't tell if he was happy and excited, or scared and panicking.

  “Pregnant?” he asked. “What...how?”

  She gave him a wry smile. “Look, I know I'm the doctor and you're not, but surely you can figure out the 'how' by yourself.”

  “No, I mean,” he shook his head, frowning, “I thought you were using birth control.”

  “I was.” She shrugged. “Sometimes it fails. I just found out last week.”

  He paced around the kitchen, running his hands through his hair. “Wow. Pregnant. Wow.”

  She watched him pace, still unable to tell how he was taking it, other than being shocked. “When your Italy trip runs around, I'll either be too pregnant to fly, or I'll have a newborn to take care of. Either way, a vacation overseas isn't really an option.”

  He looked up at her. A grin slowly spread across his face. “Really? I mean, you're sure.”

  “Of course I'm sure,” she said. She'd gone to one of her OBGYN colleagues as soon as she'd suspected, and the tests had confirmed it.

  “Wow.” He laughed, shaking his head. “I'm going to be a dad. Wow.”

  She took a hesitant step forward. “You...you're happy?”

  “Of course I'm happy!” He stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “This is amazing. Look, I'll cancel the decathlon. I don't need to go.”