Chapter 2

Amber

I didn’t know why in the world I had to be a part of meeting Luke’s friend. I knew Luke’s business was doing well, but I didn’t even catch word that he was expanding into LA until a couple days ago. Now, I was roped into dinner with Luke and whatever business partner he had wrangled into this adventure, and if he was anything like Luke’s other friends, he’d probably be a total loser.

Luke had this way of attracting people who needed help. Poor little puppies who were wounded who needed fixing before they could fly. From the time my brother was in middle school, he was always bringing those types of people around. His first best friend struggled with massive anxiety attacks, and my brother was under the assumption that our family could fix anything. My mother was always there to greet people with a smile, and my father was always ready to lend a helping hand, and that shoved me back into the shadows so they could deal with Luke’s damaged friends.

In high school, he made friends with a kid who was being abused by his parents. He was over here after school every single day, and every single day I was stuck making dinner so my parents could be parents to him. Parents like the ones he didn’t have at home.

Where the fuck were my parents when I needed them?

“Honey, how’s the roast coming along?” my mother asked.

“Yeah, it smells wonderful in there,” my father said.

“I don’t know. I literally just got here 10 minutes ago,” I said.

“Well, give the macaroni a peek in the oven. You know your brother loves that stuff. I don’t want it to burn,” my mother said.

“Of course, you don’t,” I muttered.

“What’s for dessert, honey?” my father asked.

“How the hell should I know? I just got here 10 minutes ago,” I said.

“Watch that language now,” my mother said. “Your brother’s bringing home his business partner. You were raised with more class than that.”

“Yeah, but was his friend?” I asked under my breath.

I checked on the macaroni as I heard the front door swing open. My mother squealed and a victorious shout peeled from between my father’s lips. They were always so excited when the prodigal son returned home. It wasn’t that my brother and I didn’t have a decent relationship—if anything, he was incredibly protective of me. I was stood up for my freshman homecoming dance when I was in high school, and my brother beat the shit out of the boy the next day. The annoying thing was that he could do no wrong. He had his successful food business or whatever, and I was stuck running the family business.

Like I didn’t fucking have dreams of my own.

“And you must be Luke’s business partner,” I heard my father say.

“Nice to meet you, sir,” a voice said.

My ears perked up at that voice. For some reason, it sounded familiar. I kicked myself for not paying more attention to when my parents mouthed off about the “friend” Luke was bringing home. Why did his voice sound so familiar?

And why did that freak me out?

I pulled the macaroni out of the oven before I grabbed the roast and pulled it out as well. I checked the potatoes to make sure they were done, then I cut into the meat to make sure mom wasn’t going to make us all violently ill. I was satisfied when I saw it was cooked through, but that same voice pulled me away from the food and back into my thoughts.

“Thank you for having me.”

I swore on everything holy and good that I knew that voice. I couldn’t place it, and I didn’t have any idea where the hell I would’ve heard it, but all I knew was it was familiar. Somewhere along the line, I’d encountered whoever the fuck Luke had brought home, and part of me was anxious to see who it was.

“Amber! Come meet Luke’s friend!” my mother called out.

“Well, someone has to set the table, Mother dearest,” I said.

“I’ll take care of that, sweetheart. Go meet your brother’s friend,” my father said as he entered the kitchen.

“His friend got a name?” I asked.

“Tyler,” my father said.

I felt my blood run cold as I dropped the roast onto the stove. I pulled off the oven mitts and threw them at my father before I strode around the corner, and when my eyes fell on him, I couldn’t move. Never in my life could I have ever imagined that my brother would bring home him, and as his eyes lifted to connect to mine, I knew he knew.

He remembered who I was.

“Amber. This is Luke’s friend and business partner, Tyler,” my mother said.

“Best friend,” Luke said with a smile on his face.

“Tyler,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” he said.

How the fuck did Luke know Tyler? Every single memory from college came rushing back to my mind in that very instant. The way his muscles felt against my body. The way his tongue danced between my legs. The way his teeth lightly pulled at my nipples, coaxing them from their restful state into firm peaks of lust.

I felt myself growing breathless as I thought back to the way my legs shook around his body. I felt my face flushing at the memory of his thick dick ripping into my body. I felt my legs grow weak as I remembered how deeply he would thrust into me, taking in one fell swoop my virginity as well as setting my expectations high for any other man that would ever come after him.

No man could make me cum the way he made me cum that night, and I wondered if he knew what I was thinking.

“My sister was a dance major in college,” Luke said proudly. “She wants to open her own dance studio someday.”

“Really, sweetie? I didn’t know that,” my mother said.

“I don’t really talk about it,” I said as I peeled my gaze from Tyler. “I’m too busy running the family business.”

“Well, it’s a pretty important business, I would say. I built it for you kids,” my father said. “The table’s set and drinks are poured. Why don’t we all go sit at the table?”

I watched everyone walk over to the dining room, but I could feel Tyler’s eyes on me. His dark, brooding stare raked up and down my body once Luke turned his back, and I could feel that telltale heat creep up my back. For the first time in my life, I was glad I’d worn nothing but a high-necked T-shirt and jeans.

That meant he wouldn’t be able to see just how much he affected me, even after all these years.

We sat down at the table, and I tried to keep my focus on my plate. I picked at my food and rolled it around while Luke talked with Mom and Dad about his budding business.

“We are so proud of you, son,” my father said. “Going off and starting your own business. It’s what I did when I was your age, and now I get to see your sister take it over. It really is a satisfying thing, creating something you can pass down to your children.”

“Sweetheart, she isn’t going to want to run the production company,” my mother said.

“Thank you, Mom,” I said. “It’s about time someone got behind my dance studio in this family.”

“Hey, I’ve always supported your dance studio,” Luke said.

“But, why would you want to put yourself through all that stress? You’re so beautiful. Stress will wrinkle you badly,” my mother said.

“It takes a great deal of work to start a business, honey,” my father said.

“Why in the world do you guys think I don’t realize that?” I asked.

“Are you dating anyone recently?” my mother asked, trying to change the subject.

“No, Mom. I haven’t found some wealthy man who wants me for my looks to marry me and take care of me for the rest of my life,” I said.

“Don’t take that tone of voice with your mother,” my father warned.

“But that’s exactly what she wants, right? To do what she did. Marry rich and never work,” I said.

“Sweetie, I was not rich when I met your mother. I had aspirations of it, but I was as poor as they came,” my father said.

I could feel Tyler’s eyes on me again, and I flickered my icy stare over to him. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say there was a shadow of a grin on his face as he watched the entire scene unfold in front of him.

A grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I didn’t go to school for dance just so I could do nothing with it,” I said.

“Then work at the production company until you pay off your student loans,” my father said. “If you still want the studio after you pay them off, I’ll hire someone from the outside to take over your position.”

“You can’t trust anyone from the outside, Ron. They won’t understand the reason why you started the company. They won’t stick to the traditions we’ve set forth,” my mother said.

“Darlene, I’m not going to hire an idiot. I’ll educate them just like I did Luke and Amber,” my father said.

“It’s just not the same,” she said.

“Well, you can’t have everything you want, Mother,” I said.

“Mind that tone in front of our guest,” my father said.

I wanted to tell him Tyler wasn’t a guest. How would my father react if I disclosed that I’d spread my legs for Tyler as a freshman and let him devour me down in one night? What I wanted to do was get up from this table, throw my napkin down on my plate, and leave until he was gone.

I wanted to get out from underneath his gaze he had now swept back over to my body.

“Guys, do we really have to do all this with Tyler here?” Luke asked.

“Yeah, because everyone bows to what you want,” I said under my breath.

“What was that?” my mother asked.

“This dinner is delicious, Mother dearest. How ever did you make it?” I asked mockingly.

Tyler let out a low chuckle, and I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath. Every single memory of him was coming back in floods, and I wished to the high heavens he would stop staring at me. Every time he moved his foot under the table, it felt as if he was moving it a bit closer to me, and if I moved back any further I’d have to get up from the table.

But holy shit, he’d gotten hot. He was muscular back in college, but the way he bulged under his clothes now was mind-melting. His shoulders were broad and strong, and every time he moved to take a bite his arm muscles would pop out from their hiding place. He’d kept up with himself physically despite being in the food business, and I found my eyes wandering over his brawny chest as his shirt pulled against his skin.

I bet his skin was as soft as I remembered it being.

“So! Luke. Tell us about your expansion plans,” my father said.

And I was ripped from my trance as the conversation turned back to the prodigal son.