Chapter Thirteen
Brandon braced his hands on the slick marble tile and hung his head, letting the spray of the showerheads pound his body. His throat ached, his eyes throbbed behind closed lids, and his chest was tight with anxiety.
He’d lied to her. Again.
He’d been so exposed, instinct had him trying to protect himself. He wouldn’t want to follow her if she fled, but he wouldn’t be able to let her go. He’d probably chase her for the rest of his miserable life. Nothing would ever be able to stop him, not even the embarrassing awareness that she knew exactly how much he wanted her, how much time and effort he’d spent planning a life with her. But of course, most of that had been done while he was oblivious to what an asshole he’d been to her for the last seven years.
Until a few hours ago, he’d always thought he was good to her. Now he saw that he was good to himself, never thinking Megan might need more from him to feel secure and loved. He’d taken her at her word that she wanted a fun, private affair, and in so doing he’d taken advantage of her. If he really knew her as well as he thought, if he truly loved her unselfishly, he should have seen that she needed more a long time ago.
And now she wouldn’t even let him make it up to her. He’d hurt her so badly, so deeply that everything he did seemed to reopen the wound. He couldn’t see a way out of the mess that he’d made of both their lives unless she was able to forgive him. It was the only way he’d ever be able to forgive himself.
The glass shower door clicked and adrenaline shot through his veins. He lifted his head to see Megan holding the door open, as bare to him as he was to her. Relief washed over him with the warm water and his heart went all hot and gooey like one of those molten chocolate cakes she liked so much.
He held her gaze for a long moment, time slowing as his world tilted back into place. Uncertainty twined with lust haunted the blue depths of her eyes. He took a step forward, reached for her and lifted her off her feet as he pulled her beneath the spray with him. She fit perfectly within his embrace, her arms wrapped around his waist, her head nestled against his heart.
“Brandon?” He barely heard her whisper over the sound of the shower. “I can’t be wrong about this.”
He threaded his fingers through her damp hair, tilting her head up to look at him. “You’ll always be right by me.”
Closing the distance between them, he brought his lips to hers and brushed a quiet seduction against her mouth. Her lips parted on a long, passionate sigh, welcoming him back home. He’d wanted the kiss to be tender and sweet, but before he could help himself he was sliding his tongue into her mouth and teasing her to join in the play.
He checked himself, pulling away slowly and smoothing his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. He twined her fingers in his and moved their hands between them. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a quick kiss before he noticed her bare fingers. His stomach sank as he sought her gaze.
She must have recognized his searching expression because she gave him a weak smile. “I didn’t open anything. It looked like you had a plan and I didn’t want to ruin that, too.”
His brows knit together. “You didn’t even look at the ring?”
She shook her head. “I think I’d rather have the proposal.”
His cheeks lifted in the biggest smile he’d had in months. “That’s because you didn’t see the ring.”
“I haven’t been waiting for something you picked out at a store. I only wanted to know that you love me.” Her breath caught and her eyes flooded, but she didn’t look away, allowing him a glimpse at the depths of her vulnerability.
Megan, who hid so much from everyone, was letting him in. Just as he’d been the only one to ever share the beauty of her body, she was giving him entry to her soul as well. As amazed as he had been by the gift of her virginity all those years ago, he knew that this was far more intimate, far more delicate, and the only time she’d ever give anyone a chance.
He wanted to argue that he’d told her he loved her before, but he figured she’d call him on a technicality the way she had about asking her to marry him. They made love every chance they could, and so it would no longer surprise him if that were the only times she’d heard it.
“I love you, Megan.” He framed her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.
…
Brandon passed the folders around the boardroom table, hopeful the other members of Gibbons investment group would understand why he’d gone after Carlton International as well as recognize it was a sound investment. Not as lucrative as he usually handled, but profitable none the less.
Pages flipped as he took his seat and looked over the other men at the table and the two videoing in. There hadn’t been this many of them together at once for years. Only half came from family money, every year two new members joining the fray. Now, most of them superstars in the business world, but a few were outliers Professor Gibbons had seen potential in. Whether an architect or a CEO, each vote carried equal weight.
“Leo and Dylan, you with us?” He looked to the screens set up against the far wall.
“Barely, Leo answered. “It’s midnight in Venice and who knows what in Greece where I was yesterday. Not to mention no one is delivering pizza to me after.”
“Right, because staying at luxury resorts is exhausting,” Dylan answered with a laugh.
“Smells better than ranching,” Leo offered with a grin.
“Bitch on your own time. Some of us work for a living.” David Strong, fitness mogul and one of the early members of the group cleared his throat. He’d never declared himself the leader, it fell that way naturally. The guy was built like a wall and had the empathy of one. Or he used to. He’d been dead on about Megan not wanting him to give her the business.
“Dude,” media phenom Ryan Hendrix shrugged out of his zip-up hoodie. “Don’t be an ass and hulk out just because you’ve got your dick in a knot.”
“Don’t write checks your ass can’t cash, little man,” David said without a hint of inflection.
“I didn’t realize we were in a junior high locker room.” Brandon narrowed his gaze at Ryan. Kid needed to shut his mouth. Poking the bear hadn’t worked out well for anyone, in this room and out of it. “Updates and then new business, just like usual. I’ll start with the Carlton project.”
“Can we not?” Real estate mogul Curtis Frye slid the folder to the middle of the table. “I hate watching you be an idiot.”
“Says the man who bought his fiancée an island.” Better to get this over with as soon as possible. “We’ve found buyers for all of the Carlton subsidiaries, including Leo.”
“That wasn’t me,” Leo said with a grimace. “My uncle handles volume and transit hotels. You should have told me you were in negotiations.”
“That seems to be a family matter.” No way would he step into that battle, especially since it was set to get ugly. “I do need to discuss with you the opportunity of folding the high-end Carlton hotels into the Luxe brand. If you all would turn to page five, you’ll see a list—”
“I’m only interested in four of them. Alexandria, Marrakech, Istanbul and Moscow.”
As expected. Leo already had resorts in many of the other locations. “If you want four, buy all thirty.”
“Leo, I know why Moscow thinks your grandfather is an ass, but what did you do to piss off Africa?” Curtis Frye gave a short laugh. “They still won’t let you in?”
Leo shook his head. “Says the man who’s international properties are all in England.”
“I can work a deal for them,” venture capitalist Cameron Price offered.
“That’s some loyalty you have there, Cam.” Leo crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’ll accept proposals from you both, and hopefully finish this project before our next meeting.” He slid the folder through his hands, tapping the bottom on the table.
“And then stay out of the hotel business. Stick to reconfiguring assets in companies you have at least a passing knowledge of.” Architect Jake Tolliver had no filter on his opinions. Ever.
In for a penny... “My interest in Carlton International was personal, and the project will be profitable. Just like Curtis with his new interest in botique hotels, and David opening the women-only fitness centers, sometimes others inspire our choices.”
“Not you, too.” Luke finally participated in the conversation. “Which sister?”
He fought the urge to have them guess. “Megan. She runs the family’s women’s homes.”
Ryan looked genuinely disappointed. “So, not the sex tape one.”
Poor Ava. He hoped the world wouldn’t define her that way forever.
“Congrats” David said. “A word of advice? Don’t go overboard with the ring. Sophie barely wears hers.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Curtis leaned forward. “Robyn loves hers. Sophie is just too tiny for a big rock. That thing takes up half her finger.”
“So, we’ve gone from the junior high boys locker room to girls bathroom gossip.” Jake slowly clapped his hands. “Let’s move on. I’ll go next.”
“You have a woman in mind?” Brandon tried not to smile.
Jake grinned, a rare sight. “I’m working on it, but let’s get back to business.”
…
Megan tugged Cash’s leash as she walked to Jack Sullivan’s front door. She should have tethered him to Money, who stayed right beside her. Ava opened the door, a curious arch to her brow.
“You brought your dogs? I don’t know how Jack feels about dogs.”
“We were at a playdate at the dog park when you called. You said to get here as fast as I could.”
“You have playdates for your dogs?” Her sister looked even more shocked, if that were possible.
“Would you want to stay inside all day? I’ll put them out back, he’ll never know they were here.”
“Unless they shit in the yard. We’d never find it until it ruined a shoe.”
Oh, that. Money wouldn’t, but Cash was a puppy and probably would. A four-year-old puppy, but still. “Then we’ll keep them inside. I can’t leave them in the car.”
“That’s what people with dogs do, Meg.”
“These aren’t just any dogs. They’re—”
“Your children. Brandon needs to get you knocked up so you can tell the difference between people and animals.” Ava gave her best dramatic sigh. “This ruins your surprise.”
“What is it?” Megan shortened the leashes as she stepped into Jack’s house. Cash started yipping like the place was on fire, leaping on his leash and falling like a wacky cartoon. “Does he have cats?”
“Surprise!” Briana popped out from behind a corner holding her arms out and wiggling her fingers.
She dropped the leashes, nearly tackling her baby sister while Cash jumped on her legs. Briana scooped him up, holding him close while he licked her cheek.
“I missed you too, handsome,” Briana spoke in the baby voice she saved for the pup. She offered her free hand to the boxer. “And who is this good boy?”
“Money. He’s Brandon’s, hence the perfect behavior.”
“Your dogs are named Cash and Money?” Ava put her hands on her hips, accentuating her model-thin figure. “I thought Cash was named for the man in black. What’s next, Stocks and Bonds?”
Those were damn good ideas. “We’re keeping it to just the two until we have a real yard.”
“Let’s sit,” Briana said, taking Cash with her. She sat on Jack’s white sofa and Megan winced.
She took Cash, placing him at her feet before she sat. “Don’t let him on the furniture. He’ll try doing it at home and Brandon will bring out the squirt bottle. It makes both of them cower.”
“That’s so... domestic.” Ava joined them, tucking her feet beneath her…
…
“You say it like it’s a bad word. You ought to try it sometime.” She squeezed Briana again. “I’m so excited you’re here. Why did you decide to fly down?”
“I drove, actually. Aunt Sunny had the address, and I really didn’t want to walk into the hotel. I don’t know how you do it.”
“It won’t be the Beverly Carlton much longer. And then we can put this whole sordid mess behind us.”
“That’s actually why I’m here.” The tension in the room tripled, vibrating so fast you could almost hear it. “He called.”
Of course he would contact Briana, his protégé. For a moment she wanted to keep the truth from them. “Our phones are monitored for contact. Sunny’s, too. Maybe when Mom comes back we can find a way to clear her name.”
Ava nodded in agreement. “I know a few lawyers from when I set the business up. I’ll ask them for recommendations.”
Briana let out a long sigh. “He called me at work because he knows our phones are tapped. He wanted to make sure we all landed on our feet.”
“I’ll bet.” Megan pulled a pillow onto her lap and leaned back. “Guilt must have hit him over leaving us homeless and penniless.”
“He didn’t do that part.”
“Come on!” Ava’s cheeks pinked, annoyance lacing her every word. “You can’t believe him.”
“I’m not so sure.” Briana spoke slowly, her words measured and steady. “He said the dealings with the business are more complicated than they seem. He admitted he’s not innocent in it. I don’t think he’d tell the truth about one and lie about the other.”
Megan rolled her eyes. “Lying is like breathing to him. Think of all the times we had to listen to them fighting, Mom crying for days, and then he comes back like it all never happened. He stole from us, left us without a word of warning or a chance to prepare.”
“Here’s the thing. It wasn’t his idea. His lawyers said they’d tie it up in litigation and work towards settlements. Mom has been cashing out our accounts for months.”
Oh, please. “You bought that? Briana, honey, he always blames someone else. You know that.”
“I know he’s not perfect. What he said made sense to me. Mom has been off for most of the year.”
“She had more migraines. They knock her out for days at a time. Always have.”
“These weren’t migraines. She has a brain tumor.”
Megan’s mind spun. Shock, disbelief, fear. Who knew if it were even true. Could be a sympathy ploy to keep Briana close. “Did you talk to Mom?”
Briana shook her head. “It was a brief conversation. He wanted us to know they are safe, and make sure we were, too.”
“Where are they?” Money came closer, resting his head on her lap. She slipped off the couch and onto the floor. Cash crawled onto her lap with Money lying beside her. Dogs were different than people, they showed more kindness and compassion.
“He couldn’t say.”
“Wouldn’t,” Ava said and huffed a breath. “What are we supposed to do with his we’re okay, you’re okay missive? Wait another three months for him to call?”
Briana shook her head. “He said not to tell anyone and that he’d be in touch soon.”
Megan wasn’t going to stay silent for her father’s sake. Especially after the spiel of bullshit he threw at her sister. She wouldn’t keep secrets from Brandon. Not now, not ever. They were together in every sense of the word, and for better or worse he’d stood by her through this whole mess. Even when she didn’t deserve it.
“I’m not counting on him, but you know what you can count on?” She smiled wide, glad to change the subjects to things that actually would happen. “Brandon and I are getting married.”
Briana screamed and slid to the floor, hugging her tight. “This is so exciting! Something good is finally happening for us.”
“Hold on,” Ava broke in. “Where’s the ring?”
“Oh, he hasn’t proposed yet. But he’s promised I’ll love it.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Um, that’s kind of how one gets engaged. So you’re talking marriage then.”
She shook her head. “We’re getting married. We might even elope with Danny and Gemma in Vegas.”
“Wait, what? Gemma Ryan is getting married? Who would want to get with someone so fake?”
“Danny is Brandon’s best friend. It’s...complicated. And I’m going to talk her into fixing that hair and wearing clothes that aren’t so—”
“Hookeresque? You’d have to do something with her stripper boobs for that to happen.” Ava offered with a smile.
Megan shrugged. “She used to be pretty. I was awful to her, so I need to make up for it. You’ll get a whole new side of Gemma Ryan. Wait and see.”
Did you love this Indulgence? Check out more of our category romance titles here!
Don’t miss another book by Jenna Bayley-Burke! Sign up for our newsletter .