Brandon (Members From Money Book 19)

by Katie Dowe

  “To do what?”

  “To unload. Something is bothering you, darling, and I can see it here.” She reached out and touched the slight crease in his brow. “You carry burdens there.”

  “You don’t know me as well as you think,” he said lightly.

  “I do. Now spill.”

  “It’s nothing.” He shrugged and got to his feet. “We hired a new editorial assistant two months ago and she had an accident out in the parking lot.”

  “You are afraid of a lawsuit?”

  “She is pregnant.”

  “She lost the baby?”

  “No. They had no idea she was pregnant because she hid it.”

  “Why?”

  “I have a feeling that she did not want them not to hire her. She is quite good.”

  “So keep her on.”

  “I have advised them to do so.”

  “And?”

  He looked at her for a moment and then looked away. “The father wants to have nothing to do with her or the baby.”

  “Poor thing,” Leanne commiserated. “Some men can be such pigs.”

  “I agree,” he said with a slight smile.

  “Brandon, what is going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You never concern yourself about things like these. You have staff to do that.”

  “I went to look for her to check if she was okay.”

  “Because you fear a lawsuit?”

  He shrugged restlessly.

  Suddenly Leanne’s eyes widened. “Darling, you are attracted to her!”

  “She is carrying another man’s child, remember?” he told her coolly.

  “And you want to be the one to rescue her.”

  “You are imagining things.”

  She walked over to him and faced him, their identical blue eyes meeting. “It’s about time,” she said softly as she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

  *****

  He visited her on Saturday. She had been over to her mother’s and had spent Friday night with her and then had come back to her place this morning. She had decided to clean. She was in the middle of dumping some old food from her fridge when her doorbell rang. With a frown she put away the cloth and went to see who it was. She stepped back startled as she peered through the peephole! Brandon Reynolds dressed in a bulky blue sweater and denims was standing at the other end of the door. What was he doing here?

  She opened the door swiftly and stood there looking at him.

  “May I come in?”

  “Oh, of course.” She stepped back and let him inside, closing the door against the cold.

  “I wanted to find out if you were still okay.” His blue gaze took in her bulky faded sweater and the ponytail that made her look like a teen.

  “I am fine.” She had to look up at him because of his height and the fact that she was only wearing socks. “I am going back to work on Monday.” Her voice was a little defensive as if she was daring him to tell her no.

  He smiled at that and she stared at the changes on his handsome face.

  “What happened?” he asked her abruptly.

  “What?”

  “With him. The man who got you pregnant. What happened?”

  She moved away and went to the kitchen. “Would you like some hot chocolate?” He had followed her and he took in the open fridge and the things on the counter.

  “Yes, thanks.”

  She put the kettle on and took out two cups. “My mother taught me a long time ago how to make a delicious hot chocolate. I add cinnamon to spice it up and some whipped cream.”

  “I should not have asked.” There was silence as they waited for the hot chocolate to be prepared.

  “It was a one night stand. I was mourning my friend’s death and was stupid about it. I went to this high end club and we started dancing and then drinking at the bar.” She passed the cup to him and sat opposite him, closing her hands around the warmth of the liquid. “He took me back here and we-” She shrugged and took a sip. “That was not me. I had a thing in college and it never worked out. I have been asking myself over and over again how I could have been so reckless and stupid.”

  Brandon did not say anything for the moment but drank the delicious hot chocolate, the best he had ever tasted. It had been nagging at him for days now and he told himself that he had to find out what happened. “I should not have come,” he told her brusquely as he pushed away the cup.

  “Why did you?” she demanded as she stared at him. “Was it because you were curious about the black woman who got herself knocked up and is all alone or are you worried about your business?”

  He stared at her and without thinking he reached across the small space and pulled her to him. The small counter parted them and he dug his fingers in the back of her head as he bent to take her lips with his. Moments later he was going to agonize over it but now he just wanted to taste her! Her mouth opened beneath his making it easier for him to delve inside! His tongue connected with hers and he felt the heat spreading through his body. He tasted the hot chocolate and something else, something akin to the taste of sex and honey and he knew he wanted more!

  Yanique felt the moan from deep in her throat. This was not happening, she thought hazily as her body trembled in shock and passion!

  He was the one to pull away, his fingers still tight in her hair and his blue eyes darkened as he stared down at her swollen lips. “I am sorry,” he muttered harshly. He let her go abruptly and stumbled to his feet. Grabbing his coat he almost ran to the door and slammed it behind him!

  Yanique could not move! She was trembling too much. When she finally did and went to the window he was already gone!

  Chapter 5

  “I am glad you are back!” Gabrielle told her as she gave her a hug. “I hope you are up for it because we have a lot of work to do.” She paused as she glanced at the coolly beautiful woman. “Are you okay?”

  “I am.” Yanique forced a smile on her face. “I just need to work.”

  “That we can accommodate,” she said with a smile as she hurried over to her desk and passed the iPad to Yanique. “We are due to go to print in another week so we need to proof the articles.”

  Yanique nodded and went right into it. He had kissed her and she did not know what to make of it! She had spent the entire weekend thinking about it. Maybe she should not have told him about the one night stand. Maybe he took it to mean that she was easy. She shook her head and went to work and before long she had put it aside.

  She went out to lunch with Lori just to get away from everything.

  “Aren’t you scared?” Lori asked her as they dug into the delicious clam chowder.

  “Of what?”

  “Of raising a child all by yourself.”

  Word had gotten around that she was pregnant and Yanique was relieved that the staff knew.

  “I have Mama.”

  “What a jerk!” she said sympathetically as she stared at the beautiful woman seated opposite her. She had secretly wondered how any man in their right sense could leave her but she realized that nobody’s life was perfect. “Maybe after you give birth he is going to come and realize that he had made a mistake.”

  Yanique looked at the hopeful woman in amusement. “I doubt it and frankly I am over him.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “What are you going to tell him or her?”

  “I will cross that bridge when I get to it.”

  “Of course. Why borrow trouble?”

  They ate in silence for a moment and then Lori continued. “I hear that Mr. Reynolds is off to the Islands.”

  “Oh?” Yanique’s tone was deliberately casual.

  “Yes. He has media houses all over and he travels a lot. Now there is a man who I would be interested in,” she said with a woeful sigh.

  Yanique laughed at that.

  “He is pretty low profile even though he is so rich.”

  “I see.” Yanique had lost her appetit
e and felt depressed.

  “His sister is some high profile lawyer. I have seen her on TV several times. Her name is Leanne Reynolds.”

  “Of course!” Yanique said suddenly. “I was wondering about the resemblance. I saw her on the news a few nights ago. She handles a lot of high profile cases.”

  “A famous family.” Lori glanced at her watch. “I am afraid that our lunch hour is at an end.” She looked at Yanique. “Whenever you need a babysitter you can count on me.”

  “Thanks,” she told the girl warmly.

  *****

  “I was so stupid.” Claudia’s smile was wan and whimsical. “I wanted to do the right thing and I went ahead and pleased my parents and now I am paying the price.” She looked at Leanne as she sat across from her. She had come to town again and was staying at a nearby hotel. Leanne had wanted to tell her to come and stay with her but she did not want anything to mess with the divorce proceedings. The lawyer was guiding her through it and had told her that they might be able to work around the prenup since he had been abusing her for years. It was Saturday afternoon and her mother had gone away for the weekend. The staff had gone off until Monday so they were alone. “I never stopped loving you,” she said tremulously.

  Leanne got to her feet abruptly. “Stop!”

  “I am sorry,” Claudia said with a sigh. “I should not have said anything.”

  “No, you should not have,” Leanne told her firmly even though her heart was thumping. “You are facing challenges and even though you have a kick ass lawyer you might end up with nothing. I have been over the document with a fine tooth comb and it looks airtight, Claudia. You have to hope that Larry lives up to his reputation. Is he having an affair?”

  “I think so. We stopped having sexual relations soon after the last child.” She looked down at her clasped hands. “I endured him on top of me the once a month when he would demand satisfaction. The only good thing that came out of it was our two children and I might lose them. I am sorry, Leanne.”

  “For what?”

  “For not being strong enough to stand up for our love.”

  Leanne came over and sat next to her and then after a slight hesitation she pulled the girl into her arms and hugged her while she cried!

  *****

  Brandon felt like a coward. He had not gone back since he had kissed her and that had been three weeks ago. He had asked about her in a casual manner and Gabrielle had told him that she was doing pretty well. But he wanted to see her. For the first time in his life he was caught up in something that he had no idea how to go about it! Leanne and his mother had called him and asked him when he was coming back but he had buried himself in meetings and functions. He had been asked to make a speech at several colleges and he had done so all the time wondering what she was doing and how she was. He sat in his apartment in New York and stared at the television absently. He owned television and radio stations all over the world and yet he did not fancy watching anything except the financial stations. She had told him that she had never done anything like that before but she had been grieving. Who was the bastard who had gotten her pregnant and how could he leave her? He stared into his glass of white wine broodingly. She was on his mind constantly and he had to ask himself why he had kissed her! He groaned as he felt himself harden. What kind of a jerk he was to have the ‘hots’ for a woman who was pregnant with another man’s child? What the hell was he going to do? He had some functions to attend so he could not hide away for much longer and he had to face it! He was dying to see her!

  *****

  Yanique placed her hand over the slight bump as she felt her baby move inside her. She was four months pregnant and had started to show a little bit. She felt the movement in wonder and spoke to her child. She had read somewhere that speaking to the baby growing inside one’s womb would bring them closer to each other. “Hey there,” she murmured. “This is your mama and I am making you a solemn promise right now. I will love you and care for you the way you deserve. I am not going to work so much that I do not have the time to spend with you. Your grandmother is a pretty terrific woman and she is going to spoil you rotten!” Her mind drifted to Brandon Reynolds and she felt her skin heating up as she thought about his lips on hers. “Oh honey, your mother is in so much trouble!”

  *****

  Her heart slammed into her chest when she went to work the next morning and saw him sitting in Gabrielle’s office! She almost turned and walked away but Gabrielle had already seen her. “Here she is!” the woman’s cheerful voice grated on her raw nerves.

  “Mr. Reynolds wanted to see what we have so far.”

  He got to his feet and turned to face her. March was almost at an end and the cold persisted. She had worn a long red wool skirt and black silk shirt with a long black jacket and boots to complete the ensemble. Her hair was brushed and fell to both sides of her face. Suddenly, he felt a hunger that threatened to overwhelm him!

  “Gabrielle, could you give us a minute?” he asked softly as he tore his eyes away from her for a moment.

  “Of course.” The woman got from around her desk and made her way out closing the door behind her.

  “Mr. Reynolds.” She made as if to pass him and his hand shot out to stop her.

  “It’s Brandon.” He had to force himself not to haul her into his arms. “This is wrong. I should not feel this way about you. This is too complicated and I should leave you alone.”

  “I want you to do that.” Her breathing was shallow and she felt weak.

  “I tried.” He pulled her closer to him and she reached up to meet his lips. He devoured her! Taking her breath that was backed up inside her throat he teased and delved inside her mouth until they were both lost in the kiss. This time it was she who tore herself away. This was just what she needed! Pregnant with no father for her baby and carrying on with the boss! She would not be able to live it down! He advanced and she backed away.

  “Please.” She was trembling.

  He stopped abruptly and stared at her swollen lips. “You are right.” He shoved his hands into his pocket. “Who is he?”

  “What?” She blinked at him.

  “The bastard who got you pregnant?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “I am sorry,” he muttered and to her surprise he turned and left.

  She could not work after that. She was very happy that Gabrielle took another half an hour to come back into the office which gave her time to compose herself. What was she going to do?

  “Was he pleased with what we have so far?” Gabrielle asked as soon as she came back into the office.

  “What? Oh, yes, of course.” Yanique avoided the woman’s eyes as she stared at the proofs in front of her.

  “Good,” Gabrielle said briskly and went to her desk.

  Yanique took her lunch hour and went to her doctor’s appointment. “It is too early to know the sex yet,” the doctor told her with a small smile as he did the checkup. “What are you hoping for?”

  “A healthy child,” she said with a forced smile as she put her coat back on.

  “Good answer.” He wrote a prescription quickly and handed it to her. “I will see you next month, my dear.”

  “Thanks.” She walked carefully out to the parking lot and made her way to her car where she sat for a moment and stared fixedly at the tree laden with snow. Brandon Reynolds had kissed her again and her life was already complicated enough not to complicate it further by having sex with one of the richest men in the world who also happened to be her boss! With a sigh she turned over the engine and backed out of the parking spot. She just needed a quiet life for now in order to become accustomed to motherhood!

  *****

  “I hope I can count on your business as usual, Brandon,” William Lakeside said with a beaming smile as he accepted a glass of champagne. They were at the annual fundraiser that had been put on by Leesa Wellington and the former First lady, Melore Hawkins, and was being held at one of Ryan’s hotels. “I know
it is coming on to spring and it is the time businesses tend to change things up.”

  Brandon watched the man and felt his hackles rise. He was not exactly a friend, more like an acquaintance, but Brandon had supported him because he was also a member of the Elite Club and his carpets were of the highest quality. “I don’t do business with wife beaters, William,” he told him in an ominous tone.

  The man looked at him startled for a moment and felt his hand shaking a little bit. “I have no idea-”

  “Your wife and my sister were friends at college. I understand you are giving her a hard time and threatening to take her children from her.”

  “They are my kids,” he said bristling. “You have not heard my side of the story.”

  “I don’t care about your side. As long as you raise a hand to a woman I have no respect for you. Pick on someone your own size,” he said looking down at the much smaller man with contempt.

  “Did my dear sweet wife tell you or your sister that she is into women?” William asked with a sneer.

  For a moment the question threw Brandon and then he recovered. “Give her the divorce and give her a fair settlement, Lakeside, or I am afraid you are going to have me to deal with as well,” he said before walking away.

  He left shortly after and made a call to his sister.” We need to talk.”

  *****

  “Did you know she was into women?” he asked her as she met him in the living room. It was quite late and their mother had already turned in for the night.

  “What?”

  Brandon repeated the conversation he had had with William Lakeside.

  “Oh Lord!” Leanne muttered as she ran her fingers through her thick dark hair. “Did he say who?”

  “I did not ask, Leanne. What the hell does it matter? He is going to use that against her.”

  “He is screwing around on her, Brandon.”

  “He is the one with the money and the airtight prenup.”

  “Larry found a loophole. He has been abusing her so that should account for something.” Leanne walked over to the cabinet built into the wall and poured some scotch. “Want some?”

  “Yeah,” he said moodily.

  She poured them both glasses and handed one to him. “You are pissed about something else.”