Did Gannon actually like me? Did he think of me as more than just a sex object, the way he seemed to have thought about all the other women?
Or was I simply fooling myself about the whole thing?
He was a man with great looks, charisma, money, and power, and he knew how to use those things to get what he wanted.
Did he merely want me and was he using his arsenal of traps and baits to get me where he wanted me--underneath him, in his bed?
Heaven help me, I wanted that man more than anything I’d ever wanted in my life. But I knew I couldn’t have him.
Chapter 13
Gannon
I stepped out of the shower where, once again, I’d found myself fantasizing about Brooke.
When will I stop thinking about the babysitter that way?
I couldn’t help myself, though. As I pulled on sweat pants and headed down the hall to make sure Braiden was still settled where I’d left him after our bedtime story, my thoughts drifted to the day at the zoo and the nice homey dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes that Brooke had showed me how to make, in between teaching me to multitask with an active toddler. Everything had been so easy. So relaxed. So utterly wonderful.
And it was all so completely innocent.
Walking side by side along the pathways of the zoo. Sitting across the dinner table from her, both of us giving Braiden bites of various foods. Both of us laughing at his silly faces as he tasted new things.
The funny thing was that I knew Brooke was off-limits. And I tried hard to wrap my head around it. I also tried not to believe I saw in her eyes what I kept wanting to believe I was seeing.
Braiden was fine, and I started back to my room, thinking of how Brooke looked at Braiden with love in her pretty blue eyes. And I could have sworn to the Almighty above, she looked at me with that same look in her innocent eyes.
Could she be falling for me?
And what if she was? Then what?
Was I ready to be the man who deserved such a rare girl? Was I ready to put my roving ways behind me and settle down?
Because that’s what it would mean if I tried to make her mine.
I closed the door to my room and leaned back against it, lightly thudding my head against the wood in frustration. I knew Brad would only accept us being together if I made a real commitment to his baby sister. I knew he’d be watching out for her at all times and keeping his eye on me, making sure I wasn’t skirting around behind his sister’s back, hurting her.
Could I put my past behind me and do right by the young woman?
I wasn’t sure about that. Not yet, anyway. And until I was certain, I had to keep my hands to myself.
And what if I was misreading her look?
What if she merely respected me and that’s why she looked at me the way she did? What if she was happy to see me doing more with my son and she simply found pleasure in that? What if she thought I was too old for her?
She could think that. Ten years her senior might be too old in her eyes.
With a sigh, I started for the bed, then my cell rang. It wasn’t unusual for me to get calls late at night, but seeing August’s name on the screen surprised me. “Hey man, what’s up?”
“Our club, in flames,” came his quick reply.
For just a fraction of a second, I thought he must be joking or that I had misunderstood him. “Flames?”
“Yes, there’s been a fire at our club.” He paused before going on. “The investigators have to do their thing, but I’m pretty sure someone tried to burn the place down, Gannon.”
“My God!” I headed for my closet to throw something on. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Not that we know of. Nixon is on his way there now. The security company called him. Can you meet us down there? We need to assess the damage and make sure the authorities know we all want to press charges on whoever did this.”
“Shit,” I mumbled as I made my way to my closet to find something to put on. “Yeah, give me half an hour.”
After putting my shoes on, I grabbed my keys and headed out. I stopped outside my door and looked at the closed door that Brooke was just behind.
Maybe I should tell her I have to go. Just in case she needs me for anything.
I walked across the hallway and thought I heard something. A low moan.
What the fuck?
My heart pounded furiously in my chest as I leaned my ear against the door, and then I heard it loud and clear, her soft moans.
“Yes, Gannon! Yes, baby! Oh, yes, Gannon …”
Ho-ly shit. For two seconds, the fire fled my mind.
Brooke wanted me the same way I wanted her, and now I knew for sure. No guessing required.
I turned and headed outside, hurrying toward my car, even as thoughts tumbled through my head, a clash between worry about the nightclub and worry about Brooke.
Even if Brooke wanted me, I couldn’t do a damn thing about that until I knew I was ready to commit to her or her brother would have my ass. I couldn’t hurt him by hurting his baby sister. I just couldn’t do it. I was a lot of things—womanizer included—but I couldn’t stab my best friend in the back.
The whole ride to the club, I went back and forth in my mind, up until I got there and found August and Nixon were waiting for me outside. Only one firetruck remained at the scene. I saw no damage to the outside, which filled me with relief.
Not too bad.
I got out of my Jag and jogged up to them. “Hey. So what’s the damage?”
Nixon hooked a thumb behind him. “Come on, let’s go inside. It’s not too bad. One bar got the brunt of it. Someone had put a very small explosive device under one of the shelves in that bar.”
I shook my head as I thought that it had to have been one of our construction workers. They were the only ones with access to the inside of the club. “So we’ll have to question everyone on the crew then.”
August nodded as we went inside. “I can’t believe any of those guys would purposely try to hurt us like that. Man, we give those men a lot of extras.”
We did give the guys lots of perks. Plus, they all were promised free nights at the club a few nights out of each month, forever, if they wanted. Who would do such a shitty thing when we were being so damn good to them all?
Chapter 14
Brooke
I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face. Only the sweetest of dreams had crept into my sleeping brain. Dreams of Gannon holding me, kissing me, loving me.
In record time I was showered, dressed, a bit of makeup on and my hair pulled into a high ponytail, ready for whatever Gannon had on the agenda for that Sunday. He’d promised to give us his time all day, and I was over the moon about that.
Hearing giggles, I walked into the kitchen and found Braiden already dressed and seated in his high chair, with Gannon playing with him.
“Morning,” I said with a smile, loving the sight of father and son interacting so naturally. “Hi, Brai. Did you sleep okay?”
I’d been talking to Braiden, not that he would answer, but Gannon took the question as meant for him. “Well, not that great actually.” I turned to find him taking his seat again then pinching the bridge of his nose in what seemed like aggravation. That was when I noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
Taking a bottle of water out of the fridge, I saw that Consuela was making pancakes. “Yummy. Do you mind making me a couple of those too?”
“Of course not,” she replied as she smiled at me. “And for the baby this morning?”
“Oh, I think we should stick to fresh fruit and some oatmeal for him.” I went to the cabinet and pulled out one of his sippy cups, filling it with milk before I sat down.
Handing the cup of milk to Braiden, I took a seat across from Gannon. I wasn’t sure how to approach the subject of why he’d not slept well. There was something bothering him, that was easy to see. “So, bad dream?”
“Hmm?” He looked at me. “Oh. You mean why I didn’t sleep well, don’t you?�
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“Yes.” I took a drink of the water as I waited and tried not to think about how handsome he looked in the long sleeved pale blue button up and the black slacks that fit him much too perfectly. Or the way his hair was slightly disheveled. I knew he’d been running his hand through it. He did that a lot when he was thinking.
“I got a phone call not long after we parted ways in the hall. Just after I was done with my shower, my cell rang. It was one of my business partners, telling me that we had an incident at the club we’re building. Someone tried to blow the place up, it seems. It has me wondering who would do that to us.” One wrinkle furrowed just above his dark brows.
One chunk of hair was out of place, and I reached across the small table and ran my hand through it to fix it. “No wonder you’re so stressed.”
His eyes widened as I sat back, and he looked at my hand. Suddenly, I thought my action might have been unwanted. But before I could apologize, he said, “Thanks. I’ve been shoving my hands through my hair all morning.”
Happy I hadn’t offended him, I smiled. “Only one chunk was out of place.” I turned to Braiden and ran my hand through his own dark hair. “I’m kind of OCD about keeping my men looking their best.” Then I bit my lower lip as that Freudian slip came out all on its own. “I didn’t mean …”
His deep voice broke in, “It’s okay, Brooke. I know what you mean. You feel like I need a bit of looking after like my son does. Thanks for that. You’re a real angel.”
Consuela placed our plates in front of us and the bowl of oatmeal with fresh strawberries next to my plate. “Enjoy, you three.”
“Thank you,” Gannon and I said at the same time. Our eyes met as we both found ourselves smiling.
“So was there much damage to your club?” I asked, breaking the suddenly sizzling tension between us.
“Only one bar will need to be replaced. So not too much. It won’t set us back by much, maybe a day or two.” He poured himself some juice out of the carafe that was on the table, filling his small juice glass up, then he did the same for mine. “What really concerns me is who would want to hurt us like that. We’re very good to our crew. And it had to be one of them who planted the device. I’m just thankful it didn’t work the way they undoubtedly wanted it to.”
“So this club.” I stabbed a forkful of pancakes. “What kind of club is it going to be?”
His face lit up as he explained it to me. “It’s going to be a nightclub for the ultra-rich. I know that might sound egotistical to you.”
“Not at all. Why not cater to people like yourself? Who better to do that than people who know what wealthy people want?” I took a sip of the apple juice as I watched a smile curl his chiseled lips.
“That’s a progressive way of thinking, Brooke. I’m glad you don’t find the idea shallow and selfish.” He watched me set my glass down then his eyes moved back to mine. “You know, you could have your twenty-first birthday party there if we’re open by then.”
My eyes grew wide; I could feel them doing it. “I’m not rich! I don’t belong in a place like that. And besides that, my birthday is right around the corner. It falls on Thanksgiving this year. And that means my family throws one big party that lasts a couple of nights as lots of family comes in for the holiday and my birthday.”
“Yeah, it won’t be open by then. But as soon as it does open, I want you to be my guest of honor.” His eyes shone brightly as he offered me what sounded a lot like a date.
“You sure, boss?” I smiled at him then gave Braiden another bite of oatmeal.
“Don’t call me that.” His hand moved over mine as I’d left it on the table. “Aren’t we more than just boss and employee, Brooke? Aren’t we friends more so than anything else?”
He was my big brother’s best friend. And he and I had something a lot different than a working relationship. And I had fantasized about the man just the night before. I was treading on dangerous ground. But I wasn’t about to leave the man hanging. “I guess we are more like friends.”
“Good, then you’ll agree to be my guest of honor for the opening of the club. That’s settled.” He patted my hand then went back to eating his breakfast. “You’ll be my date for that night.”
Date?
Oh, hell!
I tried not to let it show just how much that affected me. And I tried to ignore it as I thought about the holiday that was coming up. “You know, Gannon, you and Braiden will be here all alone for Thanksgiving. Why not come with me to my family’s home in Napa Valley? Brad will be there. I’ll let you and Braiden sleep in my bedroom. I can bunk with my sister, Brianna.”
He shook his head. “I can’t impose on your family like that. Thank you, but no. Braiden and I will be okay here. Consuela can make us a nice dinner. It’s okay. You can have that time off. I’ll take off from work so I can take care of him. But you’ll need to show me just exactly how to do that first.” He laughed then patted my hand again. “Damn, girl. Looks like I really need you.”
My heart flipped, and I had to try hard not to take his words the wrong way. “No, you two have to come with me. Come on, Gannon. I want to introduce Braiden to my family anyway. They love kids too. And you’ve been friends with Brad for so long, they should know you too. Come on. Please.” I gave him my best smile, and he smiled back at me.
“You sure?”
With a nod, I moved my hand to pat his where it was resting on the table. “I’m positive. So that’s a yes then. I’ll be your date for the opening night of your fancy club and you two guys will be my dates for my birthday slash Thanksgiving holiday.”
“Deal,” came his quick reply.
I went back to my pancakes, wondering what we’d just done. Had we crossed an invisible line? Or had we just evolved into a friendship?
Either way, something inside of me bubbled, and I felt pleased about it all.
Chapter 15
Gannon
I made each weekend all about my son, and Brooke was right there too. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was also all about being with her. A few weeks had passed with us settling into one routine after another.
Never had boring things been so damn fun. But Brooke just being there made everything fun, interesting, exciting even.
I had to get past this thing I had for her. I had to do it. I knew I couldn’t be something I wasn’t for her. I knew I’d end up hurting her and losing her as my son’s sitter and her brother as my friend. It was all way too risky.
Being great friends had to be okay with me. Even if she did want me the same way I wanted her.
Each Monday came with work and it would be time to get back to the real world after each weekend that had been filled with more fun than I had known was possible.
August and I had met for lunch to go over a few things that pertained to the club and we’d just parted ways after leaving The Palm in Beverly Hills. On my way to my car, I heard a woman’s voice calling out, “Gannon? Gannon Forester?”
I stopped and turned around to find a woman coming after me. I recognized her right away. She and I had had a brief one-on-one. Very brief. One month, brief. And it had ended like all of my one-on-ones did, with me stepping out on her. But there she was, smiling at me.
No hard feelings, it seemed. I was relieved about that and smiled right back at her. “Jasmine, how have you been? It’s been over a year since our paths have crossed.”
Her arms outstretched, I opened mine too, welcoming her into them for a small hug. “I’ve been okay. I’ve missed you though.”
Letting her go, I took a step back, wanting there to be some distance between us. And I was also interested in the fact that my body didn’t have an urge for hers. She’d been one great fuck. That’s what had kept me coming back for more for longer than I did with most of my female conquests.
“Have you, now?” I laughed a little. Jasmine was a real looker. Long dark hair that hung in a silken sheet to the top of her round ass. Long legs peeked out from under a knee-length dress. R
ed always had been her color. With her dark hair and eyes, the red made her stand out.
Even as gorgeous as she was, she wasn’t doing it for me. I found myself comparing her to Brooke. Brooke was a natural beauty while Jasmine was always so made up that I had no idea what she really looked like underneath the makeup. I did know her assets were enhanced. Double Ds made her tits bigger than Brooke’s. But Brooke’s were real. And so was her ass, a thing Jasmine couldn’t say was about her own.
Blood-red lips parted as one slender hand went to rest on her hip. “Yes, I have missed you. So how about we catch up? How about tonight? I’ve had a bit of a dry spell here of late. I could use a good romp, if you get what I’m saying. You’re still up for helping a girl out when she needs it, right?”
I always had been. But I wasn’t feeling it now. Not with her anyway. “Jasmine, things have changed in my life.”
She looped her arm around mine and led me off to take a seat at one of the outside tables where waiting patrons of the restaurant would sit until a table was ready for them inside. “Tell me about it, Gannon. I want to hear everything.”
“I have a son now,” I told her as we took seats right next to each other. She made sure our outer thighs were touching, and she didn’t let go of my arm either.
Turning just enough so her tit touched my chest, she sighed and put on a smile. “A son! Oh, that’s fantastic, Gannon. And how old is he? And his mother is?”
“He’s two. His mother is a witch who never even told me about him until very recently. I had a DNA test done when she came to my office and told me she was going to dump the boy if I didn’t take him.”
“Oh, Lord. She does sound like a bitch.” Jasmine waved her free hand in front of her face as if the thought made her hot or something. “So, it’s you and this poor boy.” One of her perfectly manicured eyebrows rose. “All alone?”
“Pretty much. Well, I had to hire a full-time sitter to stay with him.” A sharp stab of pain in my heart made me think I was doing something wrong. Like talking to Jasmine was the wrong thing to do. And pretending that Brooke was just the babysitter was wrong too.
Nightclub Sins: A Billionaire Romance Series Page 7
