Battle for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #3)

by Sharon Cummin

  She let go of his arm and looked back down into her lap.

  “I shouldn't have gone over to that table. Those are people your friends with, and I shouldn't have made it awkward for you. I just wanted to make sure you got home safe. I don't like seeing people drink like that. It never ends well.”

  She turned her head to look out her window, as she brushed a tear from her eye. Julie was lost in her emotions but snapped out of it when her door opened. She hadn't even noticed him get out of the car. He leaned down in front of her and wiped gently under her eyes.

  “Those people aren't my friends. You, Gavin, Becky, Heath, Josh, and Lisa are my friends. The people in the bar are just that, people from the bar. What do you mean it never ends well?”

  Julie tried to look back down to her lap, but Ethan held her chin with his hand.

  “Why did you leave Gavin's house like that?”

  “They shouldn't have gotten pregnant, that's why. I can't deal with that stuff,” he said.

  “What happened to make you feel that way?” she whispered.

  “I could ask you the same thing. I know your parents don't drink and neither does your brother.”

  She needed to recover from the situation. There was no way he was getting into her mind. Not a chance. She worked very hard to keep certain things away from her brother and the rest of her family. There was no way she was going to tell Ethan anything. He would tell Gavin everything she told him. Her brother had enough to deal with. He didn't need to concern himself with her and her past. It was just that, her past. She wanted to leave it there.

  “I was talking about the hospital,” she said, as she pulled her chin from his hand. “I should get going.”

  He stood up and reached for her hand.

  “I don't buy that for one second, but I get that you aren't going to tell me what that was about. Come inside for a few minutes. You might as well see the inside of the house too.”

  She knew it was probably not the best idea. It was like Gavin was yelling at her to drive away in her mind. Julie was curious about the inside of Ethan's house. She couldn't help but want to know more about the hard-ass he was. He shook his hand at her.

  “Are you coming?”

  “Yes,” she said, as she took his hand.

  Chapter 8

  Ethan hoped Gavin wouldn't find out Julie was at his house. He let out a huge breath as he opened the front door. They walked into the entryway and Julie gasped. She stood still and looked around.

  “It's not really that big of a deal. Come on, I'll give you a tour.”

  She followed after him. He showed her the dining room and then walked her to the kitchen. She stopped in the middle of the room.

  “This is the most beautiful kitchen I have ever seen. I thought Gavin's was nice, but it is nothing like this. You could cook for an army in here. Look at this staging area,” she said, as she felt the counter to the huge island in the middle of the kitchen. “This is my dream kitchen. I have to take a picture of this. Could you imagine all of us hanging out together in here? I would spend all day cooking if I were you.”

  She ran her hands over everything. Ethan was surprised by her reaction. He hadn't expected her to be that excited. It made him feel good to see her so happy instead of mad at him.

  “Everything looks so new. Do you even use the stove?” she asked, as she laughed.

  Julie walked over to his refrigerator and opened the door. She burst into laughter as she stared inside.

  “You are kidding me. There is milk, beer, cheese, and lunch meat in here. You don't cook, do you?”

  “Shut up. Do you want to see the rest of my house or not?”

  “Of course,” she replied, trying not to laugh anymore. “Let's see it all.”

  Ethan walked her into his living room. He had three couches, a big-screen television that covered the entire wall, and a fireplace. It was the only room, besides his bedroom and office, that he spent time in.

  “Damn, is your television big enough?”

  “I love it. The guys don't complain when they want to watch a game. This is a guy's domain. Their women won't let them have something this cool.”

  He pulled her back toward the entryway and up the stairs. At the top of the steps, there was a room to the right. She poked her head in.

  “Is this your office? It's huge. Why doesn't Gavin have an office like this? Don't you two do the same thing?”

  “We don't do exactly the same thing. I do gaming and other things as well.”

  “I know you used to come over and talk about computer stuff. I knew my brother was a geek, but I never really thought about you being one. I have never seen so many monitors in my life. Do you really use all of this, or is this just a boy with his toys?”

  “You better quiet down, Julie. I'll kick your ass if you make one more geek comment. I love what I do. It fills me with so much satisfaction and it's fun,” he said.

  “You are really passionate about what you do. Look at that smile on your face. I have never seen you talk about something like that. Look at this new side of Ethan.”

  “That's it,” he said, as she took off down the hall with him on her heels.

  She reached a door at the end of the hall and swung it open, trying to close it before he got to her. He put his foot out to stop it. Ethan pushed the door open and looked at her with a grin. She stood still with a smirk on her face.

  “I didn't know this was your room,” she said.

  “Don't you dare tell your brother you were in my room,” he snapped. “You came in here all on your own.”

  She laughed as she pushed past him to get out of his room.

  “Are you to afraid to be in here with me?” he asked, as he laughed. “You think you may fall under my spell. I know what it is. You won't be able to hold back your sexual thoughts. I wouldn't want you to take advantage of me. We better get out of here.”

  “Shut up,” she said. “What are these other doors?”

  Ethan laughed as he watched her facial expressions. Her cheeks were so red and he could see embarrassment flood her features. It was interesting how she reacted to just stepping into his bedroom.

  “There are two guest bedrooms and a bathroom. I don't want you to be tempted to go back into my bedroom. Do you want to watch a movie?”

  She agreed and they walked back toward his living room. Julie went to the dining room door to look out into the backyard.

  “You have a pool? I can't believe it. The yard is huge.”

  “You should see it during the day. I really like the yard and pool. I have a hot tub too.”

  “You are spoiled. Why do you have all of this for one person? You don't need this much house. My house is so small compared to yours.”

  “It's not just for me. I entertain every now and then.”

  “What do you mean by entertain? I don't mean a woman on her way through to your bedroom and back out the door again. Why haven't you ever had all of us over?” she asked. “Are we not good enough for your house?”

  She sat down on the couch and pulled her legs onto the cushion as she rested her chin on her knees. He sat down next to her, his face turning serious.

  “Do you really think that bad of me? Am I really just some loser to you?”

  “I didn't mean it like that,” she said, as she looked up at him. “The way you joke and say cocky things all the time. I know you're a player. I have heard the way you talk. I hear the way the guys talk about you. I know that you're all about the chase. Once you get what you want, you don't seem to want it anymore. Do you think I haven't paid attention to you all these years?”

  “I don't let people into my life. If I do, it's because I trust them. I laugh and mess around a lot, but when I care about someone, I would do anything for them. I honestly don't know why I haven't had a party over here. I never thought you guys would want to come over. I'm a very private person. Nobody knows me like you guys do. John is the only one who really knows me, and even he doesn't know everything. I
didn't have a loving family growing up like you and Gavin did. It wasn't like that for me.”

  Ethan leaned back and put his head on the back of the couch. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the silence.

  “Ethan, can I ask you something? Will you answer me honestly?”

  “What?”

  “Why did you say Gavin and Becky should never have gotten pregnant? Why are you so worried that they won't stay together?”

  “If I answer your question, will you answer one from me?” he asked.

  Ethan was hoping she would drop the subject. He didn't talk to anyone about his past, but he wanted Julie to know that he wasn't a horrible guy. It was bad enough that all of his friends thought that, but he did not like that she felt that way. He joked with her and picked on her, but he never meant for her to be hurt by him. Ethan worked hard to keep people at a distance. He wasn't sure he was ready to let her in. would she judge him, he wondered?

  “Yes,” she said.

  He let out a deep breath and kept his eyes closed.

  “When I was ten years old, my mom was pregnant,” he began, as he thought back.

  Ethan could see the entire picture in his mind. He could see himself sitting in the corner listening to them fight. If he opened his eyes and looked at Julie, he knew he would freeze up and stop talking.

  “I want you to promise me something,” he said.

  “Okay”

  “The only other person that knows any of this is John, but he doesn't know everything,” he said.

  “Wait, John is your brother. How could he not know?” she asked.

  “We have the same father but different mothers.”

  She didn't say a word.

  “Some of the guys don't know that. I want you to promise me that everything I tell you stays between us. You can't tell anyone, not even Gavin. I know he's your brother, but this is my life I am telling you about. Can you keep this between us?” he asked.

  “I promise I won't tell anyone what you tell me Ethan.”

  He felt her hand rub his knee.

  “So, my mom was pregnant. Everything was great between my parents. I didn't have a great relationship with my dad. He worked a lot. I remember that day like it was yesterday. My mom was not feeling well and went to the doctor's office while I was at school. When I came home, she was curled up on the couch crying,” Ethan continued, but he could feel his muscles tighten. “My dad came home and was upset that she didn't have dinner ready. She asked him to sit down and he did. Then she told him that she had lost the baby. My dad was so mad. He paced the floor, threw things all over the place, and grabbed her by the shoulders to lift her off the couch. He yelled so loud, louder than I had ever heard him before. He told her it was all her fault that he wasn't going to have his baby. She had done something wrong. If she had done what she was supposed to, his baby would be fine. He told her she was worthless and stormed off into their bedroom. She fell back onto the couch and cried. After what seemed like forever, he came out of his room.”

  Ethan felt Julie move closer on the couch. He stopped talking and took another deep breath. It was hard for him to talk, but at the same time, he felt relief knowing that someone else knew more about his past. She put her hand on his chest but didn't say a word. His arm dropped onto the back of the couch and she leaned in against him.

  “He came into the living room with a suitcase and looked at us. My mother asked him where he was going. He told her he was leaving her as punishment for what she did. I sat in the corner with tears streaming down my face. He looked over at me and told me I better grow up and take care of her. She would have to count on me now. He said I would never be as good as my brother John and that I would never be the son he wanted. I remember thinking, how am I supposed to take care of my mom? I was just a little boy. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. I never saw my father after that day. I told myself that I would never be the man he was. I would never have a wife or children, because I never wanted to risk being like him.”

  Ethan sat quiet with Julie snuggled into his side.

  “I am so sorry he did that to you. That is horrible. What happened to you and your mom after that?”

  “For the next three years my mom moved from man to man. She worked here and there to pay the rent. There was barely ever food in our house. She got me clothes when the school would threaten to call the state on her. I remember wanting to become invisible. She ended up doing drugs with one of the guys and withering away. When I was thirteen, she passed away.”

  He heard Julie gasp, as she threw her arms around him. When Ethan opened his eyes, she was looking up at him with tears flowing down her cheeks. Slowly his hand slid to her face as he wiped the tears away.

  “I can't believe you went through that,” she said quietly.

  “I remember sitting at her funeral alone. I promised myself I would never turn out like either of them. I knew the only person I ever wanted to count on was me when I grew up. I wanted to own my own company and make as much money as I possibly could. I would never go without again. I would never trust a woman. I would never have kids.”

  Julie looked into his eyes. He felt like she could see right through him. Before he knew what was happening, her lips were on his. She pulled his head closer as he slid his tongue across her bottom lip. He felt her body shiver, as she caught his tongue between her lips and sucked it into her mouth. It was different than any kiss he had ever experienced. For the first time ever, Ethan felt emotions and heat running between them. He pulled back and looked at her as he tried to pull himself together. She was his friend's sister.

  “Not every woman is like your mom. You are not your father.”

  “Didn't you tell me you didn't want kids and that you would never trust a man? I know how you feel about me. I heard you loud and clear at the wedding. You told me all the things that you could feel with your date that you couldn't feel for me,” he said, trying to put things into perspective.

  “Where did you go after your mom passed? Who took care of you?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “John was nineteen. He quit college, became a cop, and raised me. He gave up the love of his life for me. One day, I will repay him for everything he has given me. I don't know how I would have made it without him.”

  “I had no idea. He's a pretty amazing brother.”

  “What do you like about that guy?” he asked.

  She looked up into his eyes. His feelings about her boyfriend were no secret, but he needed to know why she was with the guy. His eyes widened and his brow rose as he waited for her answer. Growing impatient, he felt his arms stiffen.

  “I gave you such a hard time, and he just sat there. I don't understand why he never stood up for you. If he loved you, he should have been up in my face.”

  She got closer to him as she twirled her hair with her finger. What was she nervous about, he wondered? She only played with her hair when she was nervous. He could feel heat coming from her body. It was all he could do keep himself from moving that extra inch and touching her.

  “He's not my boyfriend,” she said, as she clenched her eyes shut.

  “Open your eyes,” he snapped.

  Slowly she opened her eyes as she bit her bottom lip.

  “What do you mean, he's not your boyfriend?” he asked, through gritted teeth.

  Chapter 9

  Julie sat for a minute before she answered. She needed to be strong. What did he care, she thought? She sat up in his face, close and confident, as she looked directly into his eyes.

  “We're just friends,” she replied sternly. “I asked him to go to the wedding with me so that I didn't have to go alone. I honestly didn't feel like having Lisa or Becky try to set me up with anyone. You pissed me off at the wedding. When Josh and Lisa wanted to have dinner at their house a week later, I asked him to go with me.”

  Ethan had not moved away from her. He was so close; she could feel his breath getting harder against her face. He stared directly into her eyes, without
blinking. She let out a breath as her lips curved upward.

  “You said that stuff at the wedding about him not being right for me. When I went back inside Lisa said the same thing. It pissed me off that you all think you know me so well. Well enough to tell me who is right and who is wrong for me. I'm a grown woman, no matter what you all think. I can make my own decisions. I knew you were going to be at dinner, so I begged him to go with me.”

  “You kept leaning in and whispering in his ear,” he said, with his voice rough.

  “I told him no matter what you said, to act like you weren't talking,” she said, as she innocently shrugged at him.

  Julie could see the heat in his eyes as they turned a darker shade of green. He was pissed. She wanted to burst into laughter at his behavior. It was about time he felt uncomfortable. She thought she saw a different side of him at the bar earlier, but she hadn't seen anything yet. He moved her aside in one effortless movement and was on his feet. Ethan paced his living room floor before he turned to face her.

  “I can't believe you set me up,” he growled.

  His eyes were the darkest green she had ever seen. He ran his fingers roughly through his hair and stared at her like she was going to burst into flames. She felt herself gulp as she curled her arms around her knees on the couch. Julie knew Ethan would never hurt her, or she would have run as fast as her feet would take her. She feared men, but for some reason, there was nothing about him that scared her. The longer he looked at her sternly, the more heated her body became. Something about the way he stood there had her more turned on than she had ever been. As he began to pace again, she noticed how tight the muscles in his arms were. His ass looked so perfect in those tight jeans. She hadn't realized a giggle escaped her mouth until he stopped and turned toward her. Instantly, her head dropped to her knees.