Текст книги "Sweet Billionaire Stepbrother: Part 2 "

Автор книги: Harlow Grace

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5: Layla

“Can I stay for breakfast? I’m hoping to see Grayson. Will you help me with him?” Sloane asked, sitting on my bed as I begun to get dressed.

I pulled a t-shirt over my head and combed my wet hair. Thank goodness I got rid of that fancy hairdo when I washed it. I was back to the old me—with highlights– plain Jane who didn’t stand a damn chance against a beautiful woman like Sloane.

“Hon, you’ll get more information from Cosmo or Google than me. I don’t have a clue how to get a guy.” I couldn’t help the bitterness that snuck into my voice.

Grayson was drunk last night. I was now pretty sure that was the only reason he wanted me. That, and the fact we were both half naked to start with. Shame washed over me as I recalled how easily I fell for his charms.

How could I have thought for even a moment that something could come from having sex with my stepbrother? Of course it couldn’t. I had to face reality: I was the ugly stepsister.

“Oh my God, here I’ve been rambling on about my situation and I haven’t even asked you how you went with your guy. What happened with Seth? Did you get your cherry popped?”

How to answer that without telling lies?

I lowered my eyes. “Seth didn’t quite work out. Turns out I was only a bet to him to prove his manliness.”

“Oh God, Hon, I’m so sorry. I’ve never really liked Seth . . . or his military older brother. That one just gives me the creeps with the way he fucks me with his eyes. Hawke Matthews is so intense, he scares the shit out of me.” She shuddered to prove her point. “What you need, is a man like Grayson. Someone who is considerate and kind . . . and fucking hot. Hmmm, I wonder where we can find you someone like him.”

I nearly choked on the coffee Taylor had brought me.

I didn’t want a man like Grayson. I wanted Grayson.

But what I wanted and what I’d get were two vastly different things.

Feeling sick to the stomach, I told Sloane, “You go down to breakfast. Mum and Taylor will be happy to have you. And maybe you’ll see Grayson too.” I rubbed my temples. “I still have a hangover. I’m going to crawl back into bed and sleep some more, okay?”

“Okay. If you don’t mind. Hope you feel better soon. Wish me luck!” She called out in a singsong tone as she walked out of my room.

“Luck,” I mumbled, feigning enthusiasm.

Luckily I’d changed the sheets and made a fresh bed before everyone barged in on me this morning. I lifted the bedding and slid between the cool sheets. My body was on fire as shame burned through me. How could I ever face Grayson again? How could I look at him without giving away how much I wanted him?

I was so screwed.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I heard voices and footsteps walking toward my door. A soft knock and Grayson’s concerned voice made my stomach lurch. Then I heard my mother’s voice and Sloane’s. Why couldn’t they just leave me the fuck alone so I could drown in sorrows and have my own little pity party?

“Honey, are you okay?” Mum sounded truly concerned as she lay her hand on my forehead. She always did that when I wasn’t feeling well. “You feel feverish. Lucky for you Grayson is home. Let our doctor take a good look at you, sweetie.”

I groaned and buried my face in the pillow. Really?

Feet shuffled closer to the bed and then a cool hand lay on my shoulder.

Refusing to look up at Grayson, I mumbled into the pillow. “Go away. I’m okay. I just have a damn hangover and I need some sleep.”

“Ouch, she bites this morning,” Taylor said. Trust her to have some smartass comment.

“Lala. Look at me,” Grayson commanded.

Shit. I was powerless to disobey him when he called me Lala.

I turned my head to the side, mostly because I needed to breathe, but refused to open my eyes. I couldn’t look at him after everything Sloane had said. The aroma that was uniquely Grayson snaked its way to my consciousness. God, he smelled good. Just as good as he tasted.

Jesus. Why am I thinking these wicked thoughts?

I squeezed my eyes shut and wished them all away. How had I gone from sheer ecstasy to having this dull ache in my heart in  just over sixty minutes?

“I told you she wasn’t feeling well,” Sloane said. “Let’s leave her be and get back to breakfast. I’ll draw the curtains so she can get some sleep.”

“That’s a good idea,” Grayson said. “The darkness will help for her headache.”

My heart felt as heavy as a rock. He wanted to leave so he could be with Sloane. I got the message loud and clear. She was beautiful—he’d said so himself. Of course he wanted to be with her now she was here.

I hate feeling like this.

“Tell you what, you guys go down and finish breakfast. I’ll stay here with Layla and give her something to make her better.”

“But, Grayson—” Sloane sounded pretty unhappy with his reply.

He laid a hand on my forehead for a few seconds, then pushed my damp hair behind my ear.

“Go now, ladies. My patient will be better in no time, I promise.” The tone of his voice was even and measured, not inviting arguments.

As soon as everyone left and the door closed, he leaned over and kissed my brow. I couldn’t believe how that one simple act made me feel so much better so quickly, but I kept my eyes shut. I was never good at hiding my feelings and if Grayson looked into my eyes he’d see just how messed up I was.

Without a word, he left the room and instantly I missed his closeness.

God, how was I going to ever get over him and act normal?

The door squeaked again and I felt his presence return to the room, restoring some calm inside me.

Click.

He locked the door?

“I brought two painkillers and a glass of water. Sit up, Layla.” He was using his Doctor voice now. It was strong and commanding, laced with tenderness and a dollop of caring.

My heart did a little flip-flop. I did as I was told and took the tablets and water without directly looking at him and yet from my peripheral vision I could see how damn hot he looked in his workout gear. His biceps bulged as he crossed his arms over his fine chest.

I swallowed the tablets and drank all the water. I was so damn thirsty.

“Good girl.”

He took the empty glass from my hand, his fingers grazing mine. Every touch was like magic and torture rolled into one.

“What’s going on, Lala? Are you mad at me about what happened?”

Say what?

I found my voice, but still avoided his gaze despite feeling his eyes burn into me. My cheeks grew hotter.

“N . . . no, of course not.”

He let out a long sigh, as if he’d been holding his breath. He sat at the edge of the bed and took my hand in his. I squeezed my eyes shut and savored his touch. With his thumb he rubbed small circles on my wrist, sending an electric current through my body.

“I’m so sorry if what happened last night was not what you wanted. I can never give it back to you and that’s just killing me.”

The caring in his voice caught me off guard. I never expected this. My eyes flew open to witness a pained expression on his handsome face. I’d never seen Grayson so distraught.

Oh God, was he regretting having sex with me now he was sober?

Of course he was.

Because like most males he’d be worried I’d want something more that he wasn’t willing to give, like a relationship when all he’d wanted was to blow his load and forget about it.

This was awkward as hell.

Nausea swept over me. I bowed my head and closed my eyes again. Pain throbbed at my temples and tears prickled behind my eyelids. I wish he wouldn’t be so damn nice, but then again this was Grayson. On some level he did care about me, I’d always known that, just not in the way I wanted him to. It would’ve been so much easier if he was just a jerk about it and didn’t apologize. His kindness was making my heart hurt even more.

He took my chin between his fingers and raised my face. His voice cracked as he spoke.

“Open your eyes, Lala, so I can see you.”

I couldn’t. My lids felt impossibly heavy, like theystuck together with superglue.

“Please, baby,” he whispered.

Oh My God. Baby? Why would he still call me that?

The tears I’d been fighting so hard spilled from my under my closed eyelids and rolled down my cheeks.

“Fuck. What have I done to you? Please forgive me, Layla.” Both hands cupped my cheeks. I pressed my face into his touch, relishing every second. His thumbs brushed over my cheeks, wiping the tears away. My throat burned with unspoken words.

“I wish I could undo last night so badly you have no idea. I’m so fucking sorry.”

He regretted last night.

I want to die.

I wanted to tell him how much I loved him. I wanted to beg him to love me back. I wanted him to hold me and never let go.

Instead I sat there leaning against the headboard, my head pounding and my heart splintering into a million pieces.

Grayson pulled the covers back and I felt his weight as he settled onto the bed.

“Don’t say anything, just lie down. I’m going to hold you until you fall asleep, okay?”

I nodded and slid down until my head hit the pillow. Grayson settled down and spooned me, holding me close to his chest. An avalanche of tears feel from my eyes being this close yet so far away from him.

He stroked my arm and kissed my hair.

“Shhhh, Lala, shhhh. Be a good girl and go to sleep.”

What was in those tablets he gave me? Drowsiness overtook me and my body sank heavily into the mattress. I clutched his hand and laced my fingers through his, pressing them to my heart. A few minutes later my breathing evened out and I drifted into a deep sleep.

6: Layla

When I woke what felt like hours later, I felt so much better. The headache had lifted and I could think clearly again. Grayson must have left as soon as I’d fallen asleep, but I could still smell him on my pillow and sheets. I inhaled deeply, savoring it so I could recall it at will later when I knew I’d need it.

I slipped out of bed and pulled my messy hair into a ponytail. The princess from last night was well and truly gone and I was back to practical old me. Yet I felt different. Older.

Making my way down the stairs, my stomach rumbled. The clock in the hallway chimed three times. No wonder I was starving, I’d slept the best part of the day away.

Noticing Milton’s car in the driveway through the large windows, I wondered if he was getting ready for a business trip. Usually he only came home during the day if he had to pack to fly off somewhere. Quite often he had to jet off to one of his branches to sort out the crisis of the day.

If Milton was going away, I wanted to at least say goodbye. Instead of heading for the kitchen, I made a left turn to his study. As I drew closer, I heard his voice booming down the hallway.

“For the love of God, I can’t understand why you want to be a doctor when you can be my right hand man. Who would turn down the opportunity to run a billion dollar business?”

As I drew closer, Grayson’s voice traveled toward me, sounding uncharacteristically loud.

“Uh . . . that would be me.”

Oh shit. Not this argument again. I didn’t know if there would ever be a happy solution to their ongoing feud. It was hard for me to hear because I really cared for my stepdad, but I completely understood where Grayson was coming from. If I’d been forced into a career I loathed I’d be equally as resentful.

I froze just outside the doorway. It felt rude to just walk in on them and I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation. Grayson had already told me parts of the arguments, but they usually didn’t make a scene in front of the family. Their clashes were kept private—even to my mother.

Milton’s grave tone of voice floated toward me.

“Grayson, you have until your twenty-fifth birthday to get your shit together. Then I’m bringing you in, like it or not. The deal I negotiated with your mother during our divorce has taken a heavy toll on our company. You should’ve been on the Board of Directors by now, learning the ropes. I don’t want to keep flying to the mines to sort every damn crisis out. I’m getting too old to deal with this crap.”

There was a long silence before Grayson cleared his throat.

“Obviously Mum understands where my passion lies, that’s why she negotiated the six year reprieve for me.” He couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. “Going to London with her was the best thing I have ever done. I’ll never regret it.”

Milton’s voice was ominous. “Well that’s all changing in the next few weeks. And while you’re working on your future, I think it’s time you find yourself a pretty wife and settle down too.  A good wife is crucial to a successful man.”

“Are you being serious right now? First you’re forcing me into a career and now this? I’m not getting married—ever. I decided that a long time ago. Listening to you and Mum fight every night can have a bad effect on kids, you know.” Grayson sounded incredibly pissed off.

I didn’t know if I should be happy or upset about him never wanting to get married. At least I wouldn’t have to get a voodoo doll of his wife. But a part of me also felt sad that he thought like that.

“I really like that Sloane girl. She’s very pretty, intelligent and she comes from a great family. I think she’d be a perfect match.”

“Jesus, Dad, when did you get so bloody jaded? Getting married isn’t like a damn business deal.”

Milton snorted. “You wanna bet? Anyway, I invited Sloane to my birthday party in two weeks. I kind of implied that you’d be her date. I think the two of you’d make a perfect couple and she seems to be smitten with you. You have my blessing to pursue a relationship with her.”

Grayson let out a long hiss. “Dad, you’re taking this way too far. This is the twenty first century, I’ll choose who I date.”

“Stop being a stubborn asshole, Grayson. The girl is perfect marriage material. Don’t let her slip away. Bed her while she still has stars in her eyes.” Milton chuckled. “You don’t need me to teach you how to fuck a woman too, do you?”

“I’m not even answering that question,” Grayson huffed. “And I wish you’d stay the hell out of my personal life. Sometimes I wish I weren’t born a damn Forbes.”

“You don’t mean that—”

“You wanna bet?” Another snort.

I hated when they fought like this. They were two good men—if only they could get on the same page.

“Anyway, I have a damn plane to catch. Hopefully it’s the last time I’ll be doing this . . . next it will be you. But don’t disappoint the girl, bring her to my fiftieth party as your date. The sooner you marry her and produce heirs, the sooner you can settle down and take over Forbes International. I want to retire in five to ten years. I need you ready by then.”

A knife twisted deeper into my already splintered heart.

“If it will make you happy, I’ll bring Sloane because I don’t want to hurt her and you’ve already set this up. I agree that she’s an amazing woman and would be a great wife.”

I stumbled away from the doorway. I couldn’t listen to any more – not that I should’ve heard any of it. Learning that Milton wanted Sloane as his daughter-in-law should be good news, right? She was my best friend after all and Milton was right—she would be perfect as Grayson’s wife, but it hurt.

And then Grayson agreed. My heart ached so damn much that I had to rub at it with the back of my fist. He deserved the best and Sloane could give him everything he could possibly want.

Only, I could never watch the two of them together as man and wife. It would kill me slowly but surely watching Grayson with her and imagining them making love. I just couldn’t do it.

My appetite had completely disappeared, with heavy feet and heart I climbed the stairs back to my bedroom. This time I made sure to lock the door so that nobody could interrupt.

I reached for my phone. I knew what I had to do. I had the perfect plan.

7: Grayson

Why couldn’t my father understand that while business was his passion, it wasn’t mine? Since I was knee high, I’d wanted to be a doctor. And that remained true throughout my school years.

Time Magazine had recently written an article about me titled “The Reluctant Billionaire”. They couldn’t be more right. I hated glitz and glamor and all the blingy, shiny shit rich people seemed to attract wherever they went. I wanted a simple life with a woman I loved, in a career I was passionate about. Was that asking too fucking much of life?

More pressure from Dad and his Board of Directors to get into the goddamn family business was having the opposite effect on me. Besides, I wished he’d realize that I’d suck at running his empire. Not because I was incapable or incompetent—I’d been a straight-A student all my fucking life – but what he wanted for my future was the polar opposite of what I wanted. There simply wasn’t a solution to the problem.

I ran my fingers through my hair. “But just so you know, Sloane’s not the one for me. So quit trying to force me into a relationship with her. I’m not getting married remember?”

“Don’t be daft. If you don’t get married it will present all kinds of problems and start viscous rumors and you know how I feel about those.”

As usual when I had this kind of discussion with Dad, my head started pounding. I rubbed my temples with my thumbs to try and alleviate the pressure.

“Frankly I don’t give a fuck about what other people think. If people want to think I’m gay, let them, I don’t have a problem with that. Your and Mum’s divorce caused quite stir, so I think you’re being unfair expecting everyone else to not cause rumors.”

He loosened the tie around his neck and pulled at his collar. “I nearly lost Forbes International over that scandal. Your mother running off to London to become a fashion model with her fucking gym instructor nearly ruined everything I’d sacrificed so much for. That’s when I took a vow to never put our company under such intense pressure and jeopardize everything like that ever again.”

Suddenly Milton Forbes looked his age. No, he actually looked older. I noticed how sallow his skin was and the dark circles under his eyes. He even had a slight yellow tinge to his complexion.

“Dad, when last have you had a decent rest? You’re pushing yourself and everyone else way too hard.”

He stopped pacing the room and sat on the edge of the desk facing me. His shoulders slumped forward and his voice had lost its hard edge.

“I’m tired, Son. I need a break but I don’t have faith in anyone else to run the company. Everyone has their own agenda. That’s why I’m so desperate for you to join me . . . so I know the company is in the hands of someone I can really trust.”

Now that he’d put it that way, I felt like a complete asshole for fighting him so hard about it. As much as I wanted to please him, I couldn’t relent, so I changed the subject.

“Dad, you need to have a check-up, okay? Have you ever had your liver function tested?”

“Do I look like someone who has time to go to a doctor? I barely have time to wipe my ass, never mind going through blood tests and all that crap.”

I cleared my throat. “You’ve made it abundantly clear what you think of the medical profession, but I’m worried about you. Since I’m going along with your plans for Sloane and your birthday bash, I want something in return from you.”

Dad threw back his head and laughed, it was a deep sound that travelled all the way from his belly.

“See, you’re a natural at this negotiation business. I’m not having any more of your bullshit—in five weeks you’ll be initiated into Forbes International and take your rightful place alongside me. In return, I’ll get whatever goddamn tests you want me as long as you set the appointments up through Linda so there aren’t any clashes in my schedule.”

Worry gripped my insides, afraid that if I didn’t give in and become part of the business, my father would keel over one day and I’d blame myself for it. Since I’d detected the jaundiced tone of his skin, I’d also noticed on closer inspection that the whites of his eyes were also a shade of yellow.

“Okay. It’s a deal. I’ll call Linda in the morning.”

I sighed, long and hard. I felt like the whole world was closing in on me. The only two people who understood my passion for my work were my mother—who was virtually impossible to reach these days—and Layla.

I needed to speak to my stepsister. She was always able to ground me in a way no one else could. She’d help me make sense of everything in her calm and logical way and I’d have to tell her about my date with Sloane. I wanted her to hear it from me.

“Dad?”

“Yes?”

“I hope you haven’t invited that Matthews kid to your birthday party?”

“No, I didn’t,” he said as he grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. Before I could heave a sigh of relief, he continued, “But Alice did. She invited the whole family because she and Norma Matthews are in the same tennis group. Your stepmother is planning a huge damn party, even though I told her I don’t want a big fuss.”

“Fuck.”

“What’s your issue with the younger brother? He seems all mad about Layla and you know how shy she is about dating. A push in the right direction may just lead to something more. Maybe you and Layla could have a double wedding, huh?”

“What?” I spluttered, “Don’t be crazy. You can control your company and even control what I do, but stay out of our relationships. I thought you said you don’t have time for anything else?”

“I want grandchildren before I die, Grayson. I want to know that there is a line of heirs ready to take over the Forbes Dynasty after you. Make your old man happy and get married soon, Son. It would be the best birthday present you could give me.”

“Jesus, Dad, I’m only just turning twenty-five. You’ve got to stop pushing so damn hard.”

“I don’t know what it is with you young people these days . . . why you are so damn afraid of commitment.”

I huffed. “That’s not true. I’m committed to my career . . . as a doctor. I’ve worked my butt off for six years to be the best I can be. Why can’t you see that?”

Frowning, Dad looked at his watch. “I’m running late. Think about everything we’ve talked about. I’ll be back in a week and a half before the party. Please help Alice with whatever she needs. You know how she can get carried away trying to make it special.”

I hated big elaborate parties as much as Layla did, but Alice? She thrived on organizing big events that people would remember years later. “I’m sure it will be spectacular. You knew she was an event organizer before you married her, so what do you expect? It’s what she does.”

Dad picked up his briefcase and took a few strides toward me.

“Don’t tell Layla, but Alice has arranged for a huge surprise for her too since she refused to have a twenty-first birthday party.”

“Well her birthday was during her final exams. I don’t blame Layla for not wanting a fuss made.” I shrugged.

Gripping my shoulder, Dad squeezed me hard before he hugged me with one arm.

“I’m glad you’re back in Australia. Enjoy your last few weeks of freedom, because I’m going to work your arse off.” He patted my back. “I need to run. I’ve still got to find Alice and say goodbye.”

My dreams were crumbling around me.

I was ready to hop on the next plane back to London. It wasn’t the prospect of hard work that frightened me, it was how trapped I felt as my father’s world came crushing down on me.

If only there wasn’t something big holding me back.

Layla.

I couldn’t leave without her.