The Merger

by Loni Ree

  "Luke, you aren't seriously considering sticking me with the Steele girl, are you? You know I am the last person who should ever get married. It would be wrong. Completely, fucking wrong." Oh my God, shut the fuck up! I won't take the fucking whiny, baby crying anymore. If either of these fuckers comes crying to me one more time, I swear I will put him out of his misery and be done with it!

  "Nikolas, get away from my door and go get your stupid ass ready for the dinner tonight. I have already decided who is going to be stuck with the girl. I will announce my decision after dinner. Begging isn't going to help anything."

  I decided Aiden is the brother who will treat Madison the best. He had a girlfriend in college, and he brought her to the house every break for several months until something happened and we never saw her again. Who knows what happened? He treated Amanda, the girlfriend, quite well. Besides, he is the nicest of my brothers and the one who I believe will treat Madison Steele the best.

  I didn't invite Marta to the debacle tonight, even though she begged, pleaded, and tried to invite herself. For one thing, she has proven to be untrustworthy after the whole dressing room incident. For another, as my personal assistant, her talents are better used in the office and not the bedroom. Now, convincing her of this fact has become another shit show in my life. My headaches are multiplying while I change things around, and a significant change will be Marta. Very soon, she may be moving to a new job.

  After listening to the complaints, I demand my asshole brothers be in the main living room with Gramps George for the formal meeting. Here goes the shit show. I hear Marcy, the woman who runs our household, leading our guests down the hall, and I prepare for the drama.

  When they walk into the room, shock holds me immobilized. What the fuck does Useless think he is doing bringing a date tonight? He knows my sister is going to be here, and where is his sister? Where the fuck did an ugly fuck like him meet my Angel? My God, she is something, exactly as I remembered. Tiny as shit, maybe five feet, with curly long blonde hair, and oh God, look at those big, purple eyes. Surely, they are contacts; no one has purple eyes. Even her lips are full and gorgeous. When she smiles, I see perfect, white teeth. Her beautiful, heart-shaped face and cute little nose that has a slight tilt to the end has haunted my dreams for the last week. The purple concoction she is wearing shows off her perfect breasts and ass. Thoughts are running through my mind at warp speed, and I’m trying to slow things down so I can catch up, but I’m in heaven. I want to blind my fucking brothers for staring at my woman.

  That Useless Bradley is losing his date first thing. Then I'm kicking his ass for embarrassing my sister. Next thing I know, the stupid fucker opens his mouth, and my world turns upside down completely! "Madison, these are the Ryan brothers, Lukas, Nikolas, Aiden and Brayden, and their sister Annie. Also, next to them is their grandfather, Gramps George Ryan."

  As my Angel turns and takes my hand, I feel the electricity shoot from my toes all the way to the top of my head, "Hello, Mr. Ryan, a pleasure to meet you."

  God, even her voice is angelic. It whispers through all my nerve endings. I notice everyone is waiting for me to say something, but my vocal cords are paralyzed. Finally, Nikolas steps in and grabs her hand away. “Madison, that’s Lukas, and I’m Nikolas. We are all so glad to finally meet you."

  You lying shit. An hour ago, you were at my door begging for your freedom. As I'm standing there trying to figure out what the hell is happening to me, I realize all the remaining introductions have been made. I barely resist ripping my brother's hand off for daring to touch my woman. What the fuck? The stress may have finally finished me off. Fuck me.

  Needing get some control back, I announce dinner. "Let's head into the dining room for dinner."

  After pulling Marcy aside, I ask her to seat Madison on my right side, instead of at the far end of the table by Nikolas and Aiden. She goes to do my bidding without batting an eyelash. Before I get to my seat, Nikolas leans over next to my ear and whispers, "I changed my mind. I'll happily take her.”

  I glare at him and arch my eyebrow then signal for him to sit at his fucking seat. After a second or two, he gets the message and sits his stupid ass down. Once I help Madison into her chair, and everyone else is seated, dinner gets underway. Now, things have changed, and there is no way Aiden is marrying my girl. While making grunts and half-comments throughout the meal, I contemplate my options.

  After giving Gramps George my signal, he stands and asks to speak to me. My plan is simple; I will be marrying Madison. He doesn't look shocked by my demand. Gramps George doesn’t question my decisions, and we decide to call everyone in for the announcement. The night has taken a surprising turn, but I get to marry my Angel.

  After drinks, I make my announcement. "After looking at all the possible scenarios, Gramps George believes the best course of action will be for me to marry Madison and for Bradley to marry Annie, as planned."

  Needless to say, everyone is surprised, but they know better than to question my decision. Nikolas smirks while inconspicuously rubbing his middle finger up the side of his head, but I ignore him and continue with my explanation. The spoiled shit will have to get over himself.

  I tell Useless, "After the Autumn Ball and the two engagements are announced, our companies will be united. We’ll help you transition into control of Steele Co. But I expect you to keep your end of the bargain. Max Lewis, my right-hand man, will be at your headquarters to start your introduction into how we operate and help you learn as quickly as possible. I hope you are a quick learner. We won't tolerate fuck-ups, and I have no problem running both companies.

  "Madison, I will pick you up tomorrow morning at eight so we can pick out rings and arrange an appropriate wardrobe for you. While we are out, we’ll get you a dress for the Autumn Ball. As a matter of safety, you’ll need to move here. You can use the separate suite in my wing until the wedding. I will arrange for your things to be moved tomorrow. I will also arrange for a bodyguard to be at your house first thing in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow; Bradley has my number if you have any questions or need anything before then.”

  3

  Madison

  Well, here goes nothing. We arrive at the unbelievably fancy mansion. It looks like one of those mansions you see on the television shows that take viewers inside the lives of the rich and famous. It is three stories high, and the entire front, which stretches on for what has to be close to the length of a football field, is all windows. When we ring the bell, we are greeted by a cute little granny-like housekeeper. She shows us into the formal living room where the entire Ryan family is waiting.

  The king jerk looks a lot like his picture. Well, except, he is way more handsome and way larger in person than he looks in photos. Up close, I can see how strikingly blue his eyes really are, and it is absolutely unfair how long his lashes are. He has the right amount of stubble on his perfectly square jawline and two adorable dimples; I bet there are craters when he smiles. After meeting him in person, I can see why women fall all over themselves to get his attention. Of course, he ignores me when we are introduced. Nikolas is actually the first brother to talk to me.

  I find myself genuinely liking his brothers. They seem like big kids who have been overindulged their entire lives. They are equally as handsome as Lukas, but for some reason, none of them make my heart beat fast or my palms sweat as Lukas does. It’s a shame, considering I’m going to be marrying one of them.

  Lukas remains quiet throughout dinner. Even with me seated directly to his right, he barely acknowledges me at all. Brayden and Nikolas are great company while we eat, but Lukas barely engages himself. He appears to be in a foul mood. When I discover Lukas and Gramps George Ryan making some eye gestures across the table, I wonder if those signals have to do with tonight's announcement.

  Gramps George Ryan stands and asks to speak with Lukas after dinner. They are in the library for maybe ten minutes, and then we are told to gather in the formal living room to discuss the upcoming
Autumn Ball and the announcements.

  Needless to say, shock overtakes me when Lukas announces, "After looking at all the possible scenarios, Gramps George believes the best course of action will be for me to marry Madison and for Bradley to marry Annie, as planned."

  After his shocking announcement, I miss the rest of his speech.

  For the life of me, I can’t figure out why his grandfather ordered Lukas to marry me. There has to be more to the story than what I am seeing. Even Bradley appears to be baffled by these new circumstances.

  As Bradley, Uncle Drew, and I are leaving the room, I turn briefly and see the look of shock on all of the Ryan brother's faces, except for Nikolas. Nikolas appears amused by this turn of events. Annie still looks shocked and shrugs her shoulder at my brother as we leave, and I assume she is trying to let Bradley know she had no idea about Gramps George Ryan’s decision.

  “What the fuck was that?” Bradley demands when we get in the car.

  “I have no clue. They didn’t discuss this with me.” Uncle Drew looks as shocked as the two of us.

  He turns and looks at me. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Lukas may be a jerk at times, but he’s not a bad guy.”

  The muttered grumblings coming from Bradley don’t reassure me much, and Drew turns and gives him a hard look before patting my hand.

  “I was so shocked after he announced the marriage, I didn’t hear the rest. What’d I miss?” I want to know.

  “Pack your bags. He is picking you up tomorrow to get rings and a ball dress, and he’s moving you in.” My mouth falls open in shock, and I look at Uncle Drew like he is crazy when he’s talking.

  “I’m serious. Ask Bradley.” My heart drops, and I start making a list in my head before Drew finishes speaking.

  “Hurry and get us home, Bradley. I have a million things to do.” I panic.

  When I wake up the next morning, the first thing I wonder is how I'm going to adjust to living there. The house is so grand, it looks like a museum or like something off of a magazine cover. That one little housekeeper must have tons of help to keep the whole place looking so beautiful. I’d walked around all evening, watching everything I did, in case I accidentally broke some priceless artifact or spilled something on the oriental rugs. To say I was exhausted by the end of the night is an understatement.

  I stayed up all night, frantically shoving my belongings into suitcases. I want things to go smoothly today, and pissing off Lukas first thing isn’t the way to start.

  When I hear the doorbell ring, all my breakfast starts coming up the back of my throat. I guess it is time to see what fate has in store for me today. As I’m walking into the family room, I see Lukas holding Bradley up against the front door with his finger pointed directly in Bradley’s face while they quarrel.

  When they finally notice me standing there, Lukas backs away from my brother and tells me, "It is time for us to leave so we can make the appointment with our family jeweler to get your engagement and wedding rings. Then I’ll drop you off at La Femme. You have an afternoon planned with the fitting specialists who have already been informed what kind of outfits I expect you to choose for your wardrobe. Bradley told me your belongings are ready. They’ll be taken to my home and put away in your suite. I’m sorry, but my day and evening are full, so you’ll be alone tonight. You can get used to your new home and find your way around.”

  Before I can respond, he brushes Bradley aside, ushering me out of the house and into the waiting car. After helping me get settled in the seat, we are off to our first stop. Being around Lukas makes me insanely nervous. He is huge, and with him sitting in the middle of the seat, it leaves very little room for me between him and the side of the car. My leg keeps brushing up against his, and goosebumps run up and down my body. I hope he is oblivious to my reaction to being so close to him. He smells incredible, a combination of some expensive cologne and a scent that is uniquely Lukas. I've never felt such an intense level of attraction to anyone else in my life.

  After being cooped up in the back of the car for forty minutes, I find it impossible to concentrate on any of the beautiful rings the jeweler shows to me. When I have a hard time picking out a ring, Lukas has me narrow it down to three rings. He tells me that he will surprise me with the one he chooses from those three.

  Once I get to La Femme, everything Annie has planned for the day overwhelms me. Annie, who owns La Femme, turns me over to her head stylist. The day flies by in a haze of being measured, poked, prodded, waxed, and buffed within an inch of my life. Midway through the day, Annie takes me to lunch and tells me all about La Femme. Come to find out, she owns the entire building and has an apartment on the top floor. Disappointment hits me upon realizing I won't be seeing Annie at Lukas' home. It was comforting to think there was another woman around.

  At the end of the day, relief hits me when I walk into Lukas' home—well, our home. Marcy, his little housekeeper, takes one look at me and hustles me right up to my room, where I fall dead across the bed to sleep.

  The next morning, after waking refreshed, I get ready. While trying to remember all of the tricks they taught me the day before, I manage to pull it off. After choosing one of my new outfits, I attempt to find my way through the maze of hallways and down the grand staircase to the main dining room. Once I get there, Brayden and Nikolas are already at the breakfast table, arguing about some game they had seen on TV the night before. Dead silence greets me as I walk into the room.

  Marcy comes bustling in the door first thing and says, "My dear, what can I get you for breakfast? I have all kinds of breakfast cereals, pastries, muffins, eggs, bacon, and sausage, as well as many juices, coffee, tea, or milk. What appeals to you?"

  I have to think for a few moments because I'm really not too hungry. I finally decide, "Maybe coffee and a muffin? I'm usually not too hungry in the morning."

  Marcy is more than happy to get my breakfast while I sit in awkward silence with the two brothers.

  Since Lukas gave me orders for dinner tonight, but he left out what I was supposed to do during the day, I go back to my room and text Bradley. I want to know what is happening at home.

  As I wait to hear from him, I start to explore my rooms to see where all my stuff has been stored away. The suite is actually quite gorgeous with a large, open main room and a small sitting room with a loveseat facing a wall of windows. From the loveseat, I look out at the beautiful backyard of the estate. On the side of the sitting room is a reader's dream. There’s a whole wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with every genre of books.

  After choosing my outfit for dinner tonight and finding an interesting book, I snuggle up on the loveseat and get lost in the story. Time gets away from me, and before I know it, the clock reads five-thirty PM. I rush through getting ready to make it to dinner on time.

  While getting ready for dinner, the thought hits me that Bradley never did text me back earlier. Tomorrow, I plan to call him and find out what's going on.

  Needless to say, my first dinner in the Ryan household is a disappointment. I’m invisible. The conversation goes on all around me. Anytime one of Lukas’ brothers tries to draw me into the conversation, Lukas changes the conversation. When dinner is finally over, and everyone is headed to the basement entertainment room for drinks, I take the opportunity to escape to my room and get lost in my book again.

  There is a knock at my door later in the evening, and I’m shocked as Lukas comes through the door and walks into my sitting room. “You disappeared after dinner, and I worried something was wrong.”

  “I’m just tired and wanted to take it easy for a little while.” I tuck my bare feet under me on the sofa when he sits in the chair facing me.

  “Is that all?” He looks at the book sitting next to me on the loveseat for a few seconds, and his eyes shift over to me. His stare causes the hairs on my neck to stand up.

  When he raises his eyebrows questioningly, I see my chance to ask for a favor. “My old employer wants me
back. Is there a reason I can’t work?”

  Lukas takes a deep breath and thinks about my request for a minute. “With the engagement and wedding, I don’t want you taking on too much. After things settle down, we can talk about the possibility of you working again. I have an early morning. I’ll let you get back to your book. Goodnight.”

  My eyes follow his gorgeous body as he walks out of the room.

  The next day, after trying to call Bradley again and getting his voicemail, I leave a message hoping he'll call me back soon.

  Time flies, and before I know it, a whole week has passed. All the days blend together since I spend them pretty much the same way. I have breakfast delivered to my room in the morning, lunch out on the back deck in the afternoon, and dinner with the family in the evenings. In between these times, I lose myself in one of the many books I have found on the beautiful bookshelf in my sitting room. Even though I miss my work friends like crazy, I understand Lukas’ reasoning for wanting me to wait a while to go back to work.

  After a night of tossing and turning while dreaming about Lukas’ dark, hungry eyes, I stumble into the dining room and collide with the subject of my dreams.

  “Hey, are you okay?” His eyebrows are raised as his eyes slowly travel up and down my body, taking in my short summer dress and sandals. A blush covers my face and neck when I see his possessive stare.

  “Yeah, not watching where I’m going.” I laugh and try to calm my racing pulse.