Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) (46 page)

Chapter 8

Bethany showered quickly before blow drying her long chestnut hair, the straightener a godsend in the Texas summer heat. She finished getting her hair to behave and put on a little makeup before walking into her adjoining room and getting dressed. A light blue suit with cream-colored lapels and lining made her look like a fashion icon from the fifties. It was elegant and yet demanded attention. She put on her favorite earrings and slipped on her cream-colored heels, the height of them making her leg muscles more apparent. She loved feeling pretty and yet couldn't seem to find a reason to dress up most days of the week.

Her internship was going to spoil her.

Bethany walked to the kitchen, Martha handing her a plate with two breakfast tacos and salsa on it. She moved the plate to her face and breathed in deeply, the smell divine. Her stomach protested loudly and she sat down at the bar for a quick breakfast. She didn't notice Martha watching her as she ate quickly, her concern not getting anything on her outfit.

"You haven't had the easiest of lives, have you miss?"

Bethany looked up, slowing her rapid chewing a little and reaching for the silky white napkin sitting beside her. She wiped her lips and reached to pick up her orange juice. She took a quick sip and sighed with relief, her gaze moving to the older Hispanic woman as she smiled.

"My father was a drug dealer and took everything from us when I was twelve. My mom's worked very hard to try and put food on the table, but most days it was just one meal. I'm not sure I want to get used to eating again, though."

"Why is that?"

"It hurts too much when it's gone again." Bethany rubbed at her chest, just above her heart. She had dealt with poverty so long that surely it was just around the corner in this new fairy tale and would jump out and cause everything to crash down around them.

"You don't have to worry about that, child. Mr. Bryant loves your mom."

"My dad said he did too. Who knows, right? Better to prepare for the worst and find yourself pleasantly surprised than hope for something that never comes."

"Well, I think that's pretty negative, but I'll keep my opinion to myself. You want another taco, sweetie?"

"No. I won't fit in my suit if you keep feeding me, Martha."

"Then we'll buy you another one."

The chef laughed and moved to busy herself with something on the stove as Bethany finished her breakfast, enjoying it, to the last bit that she licked from her fingers. It was weird to be in the midst of wealth after such a long life of wanting for everything.

One thing was for sure—Bethany would never end up with someone who was rich. They wouldn't have anything in common. While a wealthy guy might be great for entertainment and sex, chances of him understanding her were slim. She couldn't shake the image of Damon from her thoughts, angst pressing against her at the idea that her new stepbrother was becoming her go-to fantasy.

"I need meds. I'll call Matthew." She smiled and slipped out of the house into the muggy mid-August morning.

The morning was less than eventful, Bethany feeling the pressure of anxiety over her lunch with Damon coming up so quickly. She was supposed to meet him at his office at a quarter till eleven, and it was just a few minutes after ten. She checked her watch for the tenth time before getting up and walking toward the women's restroom. She would get a few assignments from Damon during lunch, and then she was slated to work with Ben a little that afternoon on a new service they were thinking about offering in the near future.

She reached out and pushed the women's restroom door, a loud protest on the other side as she scraped the door across some poor girl's foot.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry."

Bethany moved into the bathroom and saw that the girl was bent over and rubbing her foot as she cursed.

A dark-haired Hispanic girl stood behind the injured girl with a scowl on her face. "You should watch where you're going. Jeez."

Bethany started to apologize again as the injured girl stood up and glared toward her. It was the girl from the elevator, whose foot Bethany had stepped on the day before.

"I'm so sorry. I just didn't see you there." Bethany reached toward the girl to touch her shoulder, but the shapely girl jerked away from her.

"Well, maybe you should pay more attention, you big oaf." She sneered and looked back at her friend. "I hope I can still dance tomorrow. This clumsy chick has stepped on my foot and now trampled it with the door. Ridiculous."

"Totally. You must be the new intern."

"Yeah." Bethany moved around them, not trusting herself to take too much more abuse from either of them before retaliating. Both occurrences were accidents, and their nastiness was about to bring the bitch out in her. The last thing she wanted to do was explain to Kent or Damon why she'd punched the pretty redhead in the mouth.

"Just so you know, behemoth, your lunch with Damon doesn't mean shit. He takes each of us to lunch. You're nothing special, and he's not interested in you." She shrugged as her friend echoed her thoughts with a sound of agreement, her hands on her hips as she glared at Bethany.

Bethany stared at them over her shoulder. "You mean he doesn't like me, like me?"

"Um no. He likes me, if anybody. Don't even try it. You aren't even his type." The redhead sneered again.

"Far too large and clumsy." The Hispanic girl smiled menacingly and moved toward the door, holding it open. "Come on, Sadie, let's go find a Band-Aid for your pretty foot."

"Shame," Bethany whispered as if she cared and slipped into a stall. She'd get the girl when the time was right, but for now, planting seeds was plenty fun enough.

"Dumbass," Bethany whispered, tugging at the suit and letting her thoughts take her to the center of a ring as Sadie got her ass handed to her. It would be too easy, but oh, so much fun.

*

"Good Morning, Bethany. Damon will be with you shortly, just take a seat over there." Linda, Damon's secretary, looked over the top of her desk and smiled with what must be kindness. She was too sensual, and it left Bethany wondering about Kent's thoughts when hiring the woman. Maybe she was just that way around other women? Surely not.

Damon's door opened and a short blonde with a pixie haircut and red lipstick walked out, a dizzy look to her as she turned and waved, as if in love. Damon moved out beside her, his hand on the small of her back as he looked over at Bethany. His finger brushed by his lips at the crimson lipstick that was smeared on the side of his mouth. Linda got up and walked to him, leaning over to wipe it for him as the woman walked away.

"Why does Miss Carrington insist on kissing you like an old fashioned church woman? She's in her thirties. I think she does it simply to kiss on you." Linda moved back and shook her head as Damon smirked, the man never seeming to smile. "Better. Your reservation at Cruz is for eleven fifteen. You want me to call them to bring your car around?"

"Yes, the Mercedes." He looked over toward Bethany. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She smiled and stood, walking toward him. She half wished he would offer his bended arm like his brother Matthew had done the night before, the difference between the two men almost leaving her with more questions than comfort.

Damon walked beside her, everyone they passed stopping to greet him and giving her the look over. A conversation needed to start between them to deflate the awkwardness, but perhaps it only existed in her mind. Or maybe he enjoyed the feeling that someone beside him was squirming because of him. Asshole.

He opened the door to the lobby and waited until she'd moved through to step up beside her. The elevator opened and they squeezed in, him moving in behind her. He kept the space between them appropriate, but simply knowing that it was him that hovered over the back of her caused her skin to tingle, her body reacting without consent.

She needed to talk with Krista, tell her that her new stepbrother was everything she sexually wanted in a man. Then let the girl call her a prude.

She smiled as the door opened and then moved out, waiting for Damon to move up beside her.

"I heard you got to meet Matthew last night?"

"I did. I liked him a lot. He's very down-to-earth."

A smile touched the side of Damon's mouth, the look softening his features. She had to wonder if there wasn't more to him. Between Matt's joking about him and Ben's support of him, surely he wasn't the monster he appeared to be. He opened the door again for her, and they walked out of the front of the building, the Mercedes waiting for them.

The bellhop held her door open and Damon stood beside him; his father had obviously taught him the way of southern manners. She slipped into the car and watched him carefully as he moved around the front of the car to get in. Breathing in deeply, she coveted the smell of him. Woodsy and masculine, strong and sensual. His black pants hugged his legs and waist, the faded pink button down shirt bringing out the darkness of his features. He got in and looked over at her.

"Steakhouse for lunch. Hope you're hungry."

"I'm always hungry."

"My type of girl." He looked over his shoulder, the long tanned slope of his neck far beyond kissable. She chided herself, hoping that she'd be able to keep it together for lunch. The excitement at finally feeling a deep sense of lust washed over her, but was shortly followed by the stark reality that nothing would come of them. What would they have, a double wedding? Her mom and his dad with the two of them beside them?

Ridiculous.

Was she his type of girl? From what Matthew had confirmed the night before, her looks were right in the middle of the ballpark, and yet he seemed to focus on blondes.

"Let's utilize every ounce of time we have together today." He turned back in his seat and reached for a pair of dark sunglasses, looking even more sinful than he had a moment before.

"Sounds good to me. What is my first assignment?"

"First, my rules. I run the company, and my father has graciously trusted me to do things my way. I have several rules that everyone is aware of, and you'll do well to remember them."

Heat flushed her chest and raced up her neck at the condescension in his tone. She would have to suffer through lunch if he was going to put on his asshole cloak and be the man she expected he was.

"Okay. Tell me the rules. I'm happy to be compliant if they don't impede on my own morals." She gave him a sideways glance, hoping to convey that the 'no panty' rule didn't apply to her. He looked over at her as a lovely smile lifted his mouth again.

"I almost pegged you for someone who didn't follow rules. Your demeanor is on the edge. You look the part and are most certainly intelligent enough to play it, but something tells me there's more to you than you let on. Rule-follower isn't something I would label you as."

She laughed, her nervousness at the tone of his voice causing the air to thicken. It was hard to breathe, and something told her that it wasn't going to get any easier each and every time the delicious man beside her made an appearance. 

Chapter 9

The rules were simple, and Damon had barked them out like Bethany was a three-year-old child.

No drama.

No lies.

No complaints.

In all dealings with him, those were the standard he set, and she was to follow the rules like everyone else did.

They sat across from one another at the upscale restaurant, Bethany watching Damon as he ordered their food and pulled a black napkin into his lap.

"You didn't even ask me what I wanted to eat."

"Did you want to change the order?" He leaned forward, his gaze heavy and intimidating.

"No, I love crab and could eat cheese until I'm blue in the face."

"Then, hush. You've broken two rules—no drama and no complaints." He winked at her and she sat back, her hands fiddling uselessly in her lap. The fact that someone could be so handsome and have so much handed to him in life and yet be domineering in a master-slave sense was sickening. He wanted power, and he took it in each and every situation, from what she could see.

"Don't overanalyze me, Bethany. I'm too complex for you to figure me out during the first week of your employment." He leaned back, picking up the glass of white wine that sat before him and taking a long drink. "I want to talk with you about the interns."

"What about them?"

"Ben is running the program for me, but he has no stamina or courage. They run all over him, and he often falls short of pushing our initiatives through to the younger generation, such as yourself." He sat the wine down, lifting up his finger to tell her to wait a moment.

She bit at her lip, anxiety pressing against her at why he had to play the ass and do it so well.

"There are several of the girls in the group that plague me and, I'm sure, hope to catch my eye and then my heart. It's not happening. I would never date someone your age, and I'd most certainly not be interested in being anything less than completely professional with someone that works for McKenzie and Bryant."

Her heart sank, much to her dismay. What had she hoped for? That her stepbrother would see something in her and show her how a real man takes a woman? Bend her over the long sleek top of his desk and give her reason to use his name profanely?

"What does this have to do with me, Damon?"

"Glad you asked." He paused as the waiter placed the food before them, the smell causing Bethany to groan softly.

She loved good food more than anything in the world.

Damon’s eyes moved from his plate to hers, his lips parting as he studied her. "I assume your sensual sound of pleasure is toward the food?"

She laughed and picked up her fork, picking at the crab before taking a tentative bite and letting it melt on her tongue. She groaned softly again, nothing too loud, but the flare in his gaze told her quickly—he liked sounds.

"Stop concerning yourself with my food addiction and tell me what you want of me where the interns are concerned. I am one myself, so keep that in mind."

He waved her off, picking up his own fork and starting to eat, his head bowed slightly, but eyes focused on her. The long slope of his nose was beautiful, his eyelashes long and almost resting on his strong cheekbones. He was indefinitely masculine and yet breathtaking, by anyone’s standard.

"I need you to ensure that the message is clear. I'm not interested in anyone within the office. One silly girl keeps trying to visit me daily, as if I'd ever find anything in her interesting. It would only take one moment alone with her and she could file a sexual harassment suit against me. That's where you come in. Make sure they know. Simple, really."

"And why would I know that you're not interested? They don't know we're soon-to-be siblings. It wouldn't be believable that you just put me in charge of spouting out information, as if you and I were intimate."

"Don't tell them that you're soon to be my sister. They would treat you quite unfairly, and then I'd be forced to step in and save you."

"I don't need saving." She stiffened as her past caused her to feel small before him all of a sudden.

He looked up, leaning back as realization crossed his features. "Everyone needs saving, Bethany. Don't deny yourself when the opportunity arises."

She had no clue what he was talking about, and it was easier to continue down a linear path for their discussion.

"I'll figure out what to tell the interns, but being ambiguous will just make it seem as if I have my own agenda to get into your pants."

She looked up as he chuckled, his face softening with the action. Her heart ached in her chest at what would never be. She swallowed the desire to be whatever he wanted, to do whatever he demanded, to force him to want her as much as she wanted him. The realization of her feelings caused her stomach to turn.

"You think far too much on things. No drama, no lies and no complaining. Rules to live by, I promise."

They spoke very little on the way back to the office, Damon inviting her to stop by the next day and fill him in on her conversation with the other girls. She awarded him with a deadpan stare and walked back to her office, her fantasies leaving her heart beating fast and her palms sweaty.

She needed a stiff drink.

*

The rest of the afternoon, Bethany tried to work through her conflicting emotions. Ben stopped by and gave her a testing file for one of their large clients and she was grateful for something to take her mind off of the lunch with Damon.

Damon hadn't been inappropriate, but it wasn't beyond him to make her feel much more with the way he watched her versus anything he might say.

She worked hard on the file until shortly after six. Her phone buzzed to remind her to get up and head home. She would be working late hours during the abhorred busy-season, which was January through April, so most accountants tried to have normal ten hour days the rest of the year.

"Are you going to Masquerade with the other interns tomorrow?"

She looked up at Damon, his arms across his chest, the thick muscles of his pecs pressing through the soft material. Her breath caught in her chest for a minute, the vision of undressing him rapidly sweeping her away.

"Yes. You?" She stood and stretched, clasping her hands behind her back and pulling. His eyes moved from her face toward her chest, the lightness of his expression darkening slightly. She crossed her arms over her breasts and moved out from behind her desk to stand before him.

"No. I'm not interested in dance clubs."

"Don't dance?"

"Only when I have to."

"And when is someone forced to dance? Seems odd."

"At weddings, which you and I will be attending for our parents soon, it would seem, and when you want to seduce someone." His eyes rolled over her, and once again she felt bare, stripped before him. The power of his seduction was something she'd fall over herself to see, but that was a pipe dream, something she'd not get the chance to witness, most likely. 

"Are we going to be able to get away for the weekend in Jamaica?"

He nodded and moved from his position, running his fingers through his hair before looking over his shoulder out toward the hall. A scowl touched his face as someone called his name, the high timbre of the girl’s voice leaving no doubt who it was—Sadie.

He walked into Bethany's office and moved to stand just behind her, pulling her hair to the side and fiddling with the clasp of her necklace. Bethany stiffened at his nearness as Sadie poked her head into Bethany's office, her smile falling.

"Oh … sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

Damon spoke over Bethany’s shoulder, his chest brushing across her back as he dropped his hands and slid his fingers around Bethany's fingers.

"Actually, yes. If you need something, talk with Linda."

He turned toward Bethany, as she sat, frozen with shock. He looked down at her with something like hunger and control in his gaze. "It looks great on you. I love the way it teases me to want to see more of your skin. His fingers brushed by the heart-shaped locket, and she shivered, her eyes locked on him, unable to help herself.

Sadie huffed loudly and left as Damon moved back slowly, his gaze still holding Bethany still. She took a slow breath, realizing a desperate need for air.

"I thought you were going to kiss me. What a mess that would create." She sat down in the chair beside her. "If they knew I was your sister and then you planted the seed that we were somehow interested in each other …"

"No one will know you're my soon-to-be stepsister, and I think planting that seed is the best way to remind everyone else that I'm unavailable. I was thinking about it this afternoon. I'll inform my father, and I'm sure he'll be all for it. I promise not to push you past your comfort zone. Least not yet." He turned and walked from the office, his movements smooth, his butt fitting in his slacks far too well.

Bethany sunk back in her chair and touched the necklace around her throat, her eyes closing. He'd been so close. Just a bit more and his lips would have brushed hers. She swallowed hard, wanting to know what it would feel like, what he tasted like.

She exhaled loudly, standing and gathering her things before she made a bad decision on her part. Going to see him again would only cloud her conscience. He seemed to be perfectly fine playing any part he deemed appropriate. Too bad his ethics weren't in line with hers.

*

Matthew greeted Bethany at the door, his famous bear hug her reward for a long day at work. He sat her down and took her bags, walking with her excitedly toward the kitchen. His voice was soft, and he kept glancing around, as if trying to ensure that no one was involved in his business but her.

"I had something really cool happen today," he whispered, hanging her handbag on the inside of the closet door. "An art dealer in Seattle called and they want to see one of my paintings in a few weeks."

"Matt, that's great. Are you going up there by yourself?"

"It's right after your mom and my dad get married. I wanted to see if you would go with me? We could totally get two rooms, no problem. I just don't let too many people know about my talents, so this would be great for us to grow closer as siblings."

"I don't see why I can't go, as long as it's not during class and Damon lets me take off from the firm."

"Oh, yeah. I called him earlier about it."

"You did?" She followed Matt outside, sticking her head into the kitchen to wave at her mom and Kent before joining her almost stepbrother.

"Yeah. It was his idea that you go with me." He smiled and walked toward the edge of the balcony, the air muggy and less than ideal for her business outfit.

"He told you that you and I should go to Seattle?" Was he trying to throw her off on Matthew? Seemed odd. Damon wasn't the family-type guy, from what she could tell. Why he would try and build her relationship with Matthew was concerning. Unless he hoped they might find something more in each other. Damon wanted her to fall in love with Matt?

"No, silly. He's going with me for sure, and he told me to invite you. He wants to get to know you better and thought this would be perfect."

Lust rolled over her as she reached up and touched the small heart necklace her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday.

"What time did he call you?"

"Just now. Well, actually, just before you walked in the door. He's great, isn't he?"

"Yeah … great."

She turned and looked toward the long stretch of green grass, her thoughts scattered. What was Damon up to? He wanted her in Seattle with him, and something told her it wasn't for business or familial reasons at all.

Could she be so cursed?