by Sandi Lynn
“I apologize for just coming here unannounced like this. I guess we can chalk it up to a bad judgment call on my part. If my granddaughter is happy, I’m good with that.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kind. I appreciate it.”
“Call me Henry. Thanks for the coffee. I need to head to the office now and deal with the wrath of my son.”
“He’s lucky to have you, and I think he takes that for granted.”
“Thank you, Alex. Enjoy the rest of your day,” he spoke with a slight nod of his head.
Chapter 16
Three Days Later
Stefan
“Bye, baby girl.” I knelt and gave my daughter a hug and kiss goodbye. “Be good for Grandpa and Grandma Celeste.”
“I will, Dad.” She smiled. “Bye, Alex. I’ll see you Sunday night.”
“Bye, Lily. Have fun.”
“Thanks, Dad. I know she’s excited.”
“You’re welcome, son. It’s our pleasure to spend the weekend with her.”
As soon as they left, I went into the living room, unlocked the cabinet and poured myself a scotch.
“Lily said they’re going to Big Bear Lake,” Alex spoke.
“Yeah. My dad has a cabin there. They go a lot and take Lily with them. He used to take the four of us when we were kids. Sometimes, we go up there to chill and hang out.”
“Sounds fun.”
“You’ll have to come with us next time. By the way, I’m going out tonight.”
“Okay. Have fun.”
“That’s the plan.” I looked at my watch. “I’m going to change and then head over to Simon’s. He’s driving. In fact, Sam is going with us too. Maybe see if Julia is free tonight and the two of you could hang out.”
“Maybe I will.” She grinned.
I went upstairs, changed my clothes and walked over to Simon’s house where my other two brothers were already waiting.
“Let’s go get this over,” I said.
We pulled up to the 4Play Club and Simon handed the keys to the valet guy.
“Did you tell Julia where you were going?” Sebastian asked Sam.
“Of course, I told her. I don’t lie to my fiancée.”
“Good. Then we can hit the strip clubs in Vegas for your bachelor party.” I grinned as I patted his back.
“Let’s not go that far. She knows why we’re here.”
The club was crowded. Men alone and in groups sat at tables and drank while watching the beautiful women wrap themselves around a pole. I’d been here before for a few birthday parties. It was more upscale than your average strip club.
“Simon, what are you doing here?” An attractive woman wearing black leather stopped us.
“I have a little business to attend to, Sabrina. Is this guy here?” Simon asked as he pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of Ryan.
“Yeah. He’s here every Friday night. He’s sitting at a table by the stage.”
“Thanks, doll. Do me a favor and get us the table next to him. Tell the guy that’s there his next three drinks are on me.”
“Will do, Simon.” She smiled.
“And you know that woman how?” I asked.
“A lot of shit happens in this club. I know the people here.”
Sabrina moved the guy to a different table, and we walked over and took our seats. I couldn’t stop staring at the scumbag that played Alex the way he did. He was with two other guys. Simon had found out this was his hangout every Friday night. Not that he spent Friday nights with his grandmother like he told Alex he did. Our waitress walked over and the four of us ordered a scotch.
“Send a round of drinks to that table and put it on my tab,” I told the waitress.
“Bro, why are you buying him a drink?” Sebastian asked.
“Figured I’d be nice before I beat the shit out of him.”
Our waitress set down our drinks and walked over and delivered Ryan and his friends theirs. After the waitress told him the drinks were on me, he got up from his seat and walked over to our table.
“Hey, man. Thanks for the drink. Do I know you?”
“No. But I have a few questions for you. Do you know this woman?” I pulled out my phone and showed him a picture of Alex I secretly took when she wasn’t looking.
He stared at it and the look on his face told me everything.
“Nah. I’ve never seen her.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yep. Why? Did something happen to her?”
“Yeah. Something happened.” I stood up from my chair, grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him outside while my brothers stayed inside the club guarding his friends.
“Dude, what the fuck? I said I don’t know her.”
“Bullshit! I pushed him. “You do know her. She was on her way to see you, and then she got lost. But you didn’t care and gave her some bullshit story about having to take your grandmother to the hospital. You sent her on a wild goose chase.”
“Fuck off, man. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
“I know exactly whom I’m dealing with. A fucking coward who’s so bored in his marriage that he has to prey on innocent women online.” My right fist met his jaw and he fell back.
“Okay. Okay.”
He stood up and when he went to swing at me, I ducked and nailed him in the face again, knocking him to the ground.
“Do you get off lying to women online?” I grabbed his shirt and held him up.
“It got out of hand. It was just for fun.”
“You give her a bogus address and that’s fun for you?” I shook him.
“Not my fault she was stupid enough to believe me.”
I held onto him with one hand and punched him with the other.
“Okay, bro. That’s enough.” Simon and Sebastian pulled me off him.
“Get in your car and get the hell out of here before I can’t stop him anymore,” Simon told him. “And if you do to another girl what you did to Alex, I will know, and I’ll be the one coming after you next. Got it?”
“Yeah. I got it.” He stayed down on the ground.
“Now that it’s done, can we go back inside?” Sebastian smiled.
“No!” The three of us said at the same time.
As we drove home, I held my fist to try and stop the pain.
“You didn’t break anything, did you?” Sam asked.
“Nah. It’s just bruised.”
“You better get some ice on that when you get home,” Sebastian said.
“And you better come up with a good story to tell Alex,” Simon spoke.
Chapter 17
Alex
I was sitting on the couch watching TV when Stefan walked through the door.
“Hey.” I smiled. “Did you have fun with your brothers?”
“Yeah. I didn’t think you’d still be up.” He walked straight to the kitchen.
Getting up from the couch, I followed him and saw him standing over the sink holding his hand under the steady stream of water.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Nothing. You can go to bed. I’ll turn everything off.
“Don’t tell me ‘nothing.’” I walked over and pulled his hand from the water. “Oh my God. Did you get into a fight?” I stared at his swollen and bruised hand.
“It’s no big deal, Alex.”
“Yes, it is.”
I walked over to the freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen peas.
“Give me your hand.”
“Alex, stop.”
“I said give me your hand.” I grabbed it and put the bag of peas on top.
“Ouch. Come on.”
“What happened, Stefan?”
“My fist got in the way of someone’s face.”
“I figured as much.” I gave him a smirk. “Want to tell me why?” I asked as I held his hand with bag of frozen peas.
“No. I don’t want to tell you. Can I have my hand back?” The corners of his mouth curved upward.
�
�No.” I gently squeezed it.
“Ouch!”
“Not until you tell me whose face messed up your hand.”
“Fine. It was Ryan’s face.”
“What?” I let go of his hand and the bag of peas fell to the floor.
“I’m not sorry either.” He bent down and picked up the bag off the floor.
“Jesus, Stefan. What did you do?”
“I wasn’t going to let him get away with it, Alex. What he did was wrong.”
“So, all four of you beat him up?”
“No. Just me.”
“Where and how did you find him?”
“Simon found him. Every Friday night he goes to the 4Play Club with his buddies.”
“No. He visits his—that son-of-a-bitch!”
“Exactly. He lied to you about Friday nights as well.”
“What kind of club is that?” I asked.
“It’s a strip club.”
“Please tell me you broke his nose or his jaw.”
“His nose might be out of alignment, and he’s going to have some hefty explaining to do to his wife about the bruises and black eye.” A smirk crossed his lips.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
“Does it make you mad?”
“Yes—sort of—no. I guess not. Do you always go around beating people up?”
“No. But he needed to learn he can’t get away with doing shit like that. Especially to one of my employees.”
I brought my hand up, cupped his chin and moved his face side to side.
“I take it he didn’t fight back.” My lips formed a smirk.
“He tried and didn’t succeed.” He grinned.
Our gaze locked on each other’s, and I could feel myself melting at the intense look in his eyes. No man had ever fought for me before and I was incredibly turned on. I lowered my head to break our gaze. He placed his finger under my chin and lifted it as he stared at my mouth. I could smell the lingering of scotch on him mixed with the cologne he wore. The masculine scent of warmth and spice. A clean woodsy scent that lingered through the air of the house every day.
Leaning in, he brushed his lips against mine. Soft and subtle as if he was testing the waters. My lips reciprocated and our soft kiss deepened. Our tongues greeted each other happily while his hands roamed up and down my body. Grabbing the bottom of my tank top, he brought it over my head and threw it on the floor before lowering my pajama bottoms from my hips. Lifting me up, he set me on the island as my arms stayed wrapped around his neck. Our lips stayed secured while he took down his pants. Breaking our kiss, he took off his shirt, and I ran my fingers down his muscular chest and traced the outline of his six pack while his hands groped my bare breasts. I gasped at the bulge in his briefs as my hand slid down the front of them. He let out a moan as our eyes locked on each other’s. Gripping the sides of my panties, he took them down, knelt before me and brought me to the very edge of the counter while his mouth explored me. My fingers tangled through his hair as I let out moans of pleasure. More pleasure than I’d ever felt in my life.
“Are you on birth control?” he asked as he stood up, took down his briefs and his lips met mine.
“Yes.” I tried to calm my breath.
“I ran out of condoms. I can just pull out before I come.”
“It’s okay.” My legs tightened as he thrust inside me. “I’m on the pill.”
“Oh God,” he moaned.
I leaned back on the counter as he gripped my hips and thrust in and out of me. His lips left mine and wrapped around my hardened peaks, enhancing the pleasure I’d already felt.
“Hold on to me,” he whispered.
Placing my arms around his neck, he picked me up from the counter and pushed me up against the wall next to the table, sending my body into a complete state of orgasm. I let out a howl as my body trembled. His strong arms held me in place as his thrusting slowed and he exploded inside me. Placing his forehead against mine, the corners of his mouth curved upward as his rapid breathing started to slow down.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m great.” I grinned.
He carried me to my bedroom, laid me down on the bed, and hovered over me while he was still buried inside me.
“Good night, Alex.” He softly kissed my lips before pulling out and climbing off me.
Wait. What? What was happening?
“Night, Stefan.”
He walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.
Chapter 18
Stefan
I opened the freezer and pulled out a bag of frozen corn since the peas were already defrosted. After turning off all the lights, I went into my bedroom and climbed on the bed. Holding the bag of corn over my hand, I closed my eyes and thought about her. I had no intentions of having sex with her tonight. But when her doughy brown eyes stared into mine, I was done for. I couldn’t resist the temptation any longer and I needed to know what it felt like to be inside her. The problem was: It was too good. Way too good.
The next morning, I got up, put on a pair of board shorts, grabbed my surfboard and headed down to the water where my brothers were waiting for me.
“We weren’t sure if you were coming,” Sam said.
“How’s the hand, bro?” Simon asked.
“Let me see,” Sebastian grabbed my hand. “It’s still swollen. Did you put ice on it last night?”
“Yeah. Among other things.”
I put my board in the water.
“What other things?” Sam asked.
“What’s going on? Did you have sex with Alex or something?” Simon laughed.
I looked over at him and didn’t say a word.
“Oh shit,” Sebastian said. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“It happened, okay?”
“Jesus, Stefan. It’s only been a week,” Sam said.
“Like you can talk.”
“Hey, I didn’t know Grayson hired Julia and you know that.”
“Now what?” Sebastian asked.
“How the fuck do I know?”
“Well, how did you leave things after?” Simon asked.
“I took her to her room, and I went to mine.”
“Dude, Lily isn’t even home this weekend. You could have at least let her sleep with you,” Sebastian said.
“I didn’t know what to do. I had no intentions of having sex with her. It just happened.”
“I hope to god you at least used a condom,” Sam spoke.
I didn’t say anything as I paddled out.
“Stefan?” Sebastian said.
“I ran out.”
“How do you run out of condoms?” Simon asked.
“I used the last one and was going to get more, but then the accident happened and—I just didn’t think about it.”
“Did you ask Alex if she’s on birth control?” Sebastian asked.
“Yes, and she is.”
“Thank god for that at least.” Sam sighed.
“Do you like her?” Sebastian asked.
“What the hell does that mean? Yes, I like her. She’s a good person.”
“You know what I mean, bro.”
“If you’re talking romantically, no. She’s my daughter’s nanny for fuck sakes.”
“The best thing you can do is talk about it. That’s what we did, and Julia was on the same page as me.”
“Somehow, I don’t think Alex is like Julia.”
After finishing our surf, I took my board and headed back to the house. When I stepped through the sliding door, I saw Alex sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee and scrolling on her phone.
“Hey, good morning.”
“Morning.” She brought her cup up to her lips. “Did you have a nice surf?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“How’s your hand?”
“Still hurts. But it’ll be fine. I’m going to take a shower.”
I left the kitchen and went up to my bedroom. I could barely look at her. Sam was right, we ne
eded to talk about last night.
After I finished my shower and threw on some clothes, I went downstairs and saw Alex sitting in one of the loungers outside. Walking over to the Keurig, I popped a k-cup in and grabbed a mug from the cabinet. Once the coffee finished brewing, I took it outside and sat in the chair next to her.
“Quiet morning, eh?”
“Yeah. It is.” She stared out at the water.
“Listen, we need to talk about last night,” I said.
“What about it?” She glanced over at me.
“I think we both just got caught up in the moment. We crossed a line, and we shouldn’t have. I’m sorry if you misconstrued—”
“I didn’t, Stefan. And you’re right, we shouldn’t have. But we did and to be honest, it’s not a big deal. You need to remember that I’ve traveled to a lot of different states since I’ve been eighteen years old, and you’re not the first guy I’ve been with for one night. So, if you’re worried about last night compromising our work relationship, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Her lips formed a small smile. “As I sit here looking at you now, I feel no different about you since the first night we met.”
“Well, if you recall, you said I ruined your life, and you did a lot of yelling.”
“At first, but you redeemed yourself when you invited me to stay the night. You’re a good guy, Stefan, and you’re still that good guy.”
“Phew.” I let out a breath. “I was really worried for a minute.”
“You can stop worrying. I’m going to jump in the shower and get dressed.”
“What are your plans for today?” I asked her.
“I don’t know. I think I’ll go do some exploring.” She smiled as she got up and went inside the house.
My phone rang and when I pulled it from my pocket, I saw my dad was Facetiming me. When I pushed the button, my daughter’s beautiful face appeared on the screen.
“Hi, Daddy.” She grinned.
“Good morning, baby girl. How did you sleep last night?”
“Good. Grandma Celeste and Grandpa are taking me on a helicopter ride today!”
“Wow. How cool is that. Are you scared?”