Billionaire's Unexpected Bride (Slade Brothers Book 1)

by Alexis Winter

  The tour takes most of the day. As we’re heading out, he decides to show me the newest whiskey line—the whole reason I’m here. He leads me down a long, white hallway and pushes through a set of thick metal doors. Past those doors is a big warehouse. It’s filled with barrels of whiskey. There are rows and rows of high shelving, all covered in whiskey.

  My eyes grow in size as I take it all in. “Wow!” I say, spinning around to check out every direction. “I’m not a whiskey drinker, but if I were, this would be heaven.”

  He laughs. “It’s pretty close to heaven. Come on. Let’s sample the product.” He takes my hand in his and drags me through the aisles. After several twists and turns, we come to a cleared-out section of floor. There’s a barrel of whiskey in the center with a few chairs positioned around it.

  “Tasted the product before, have you?” I ask, flopping down in one of the chairs.

  “Hell, sweetheart, can’t sell something if you don’t know its worth.” He grabs a full bottle and plops down across from me. “Trust me, it’s worth it.” He offers up one of his panty-dropping smiles that causes his dark eyes to gleam with amusement. He uncaps the bottle and takes a pull. Swallowing it down, he lets out a long breath and shakes his head. “Whoa, that’s good stuff. Go on, try it.” He leans over with the bottle in his outstretched hand.

  Due to my recent hangover, I’m not excited about the thought of being drunk again, but something in his eyes—in the way he’s smiling and moving—has me wanting to go there again, despite the sickness I know will follow.

  I reach out and take the bottle. Tipping it up, it pours into my dry mouth, stinging and burning as it makes its way down my parched throat. I gasp and my hand flies to my neck, hoping to soothe the burn. It doesn’t help.

  He laughs. “Yeah, it’ll go numb soon.” He takes the bottle when I pass it back. He takes a sip, but doesn’t bother returning it to me. It’s like he knows I’m not ready. “So, what do ya think?”

  I nod as I glance around the room. “Pretty cool. I’ve never taken a tour of a brewery before. Do I get to see how the whiskey’s made?”

  He smirks. “Sorry, honey, that one’s a secret,” he says in his country drawl. “If I told ya, I’d have to kill ya and . . . well, you’re too pretty to kill.”

  I smile, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. “So, this is how you get to spend your days? Lounging around in a hidden corner of the building, getting drunk as a skunk?”

  “I wish,” he says, taking a sip and passing the bottle back to me. “Most days are spent stuck at my desk, signing papers, and managing trivial tasks that are supposed to make me feel important. The company doesn’t really need me here. It basically runs itself.”

  “Then why stay?” I ask, feeling a little bold.

  He sits back in his chair. “What else am I supposed to do?”

  I take two more sips and hand over the bottle. The warmth has caused my throat, mouth, and lips to go a little numb, and there’s a heat spreading through me. “Go exploring. Find what makes you happy.”

  “I already know what makes me happy.”

  “What’s that?”

  He motions around the brewery. “Being here, taking care of the business that’s been passed from generation to generation longer than I’ve been alive. I’m a part of something here. And when I’m not here, I’m at home—a house I basically rebuilt from the ground up. I’m working on the barn now. When that’s done, I’m thinking about turning the loft into an apartment—or hell, maybe I’ll make it my own personal bar.” He shrugs. “Either way, I still have work to do around here.” He takes a swig and passes it back.

  I take a drink—a bigger one this time, now that the stuff is starting to grow on me. “There’s more to life than work, you know.” Instead of passing the bottle back, I stand up, walking over to him with it in my hands. “You need to get out of here, have fun, make memories.” As I straddle him, I set the bottle on the barrel that had been separating us.

  “Will you come with me?” he asks, placing his hands on my thighs as his dark, lust-filled eyes meet mine.

  “Where we going?” I ask in a whisper, suddenly losing my voice from seeing the passion burning bright in his irises.

  “Wherever you want: Fiji, France, Australia. You pick.” The corners of his mouth turn upward, but not quite into a smile.

  “Hmm, Fiji does sound nice, and I’ve heard it’s beautiful there this time of year,” I joke, slowly moving in to press my lips to his.

  The moment my warm mouth touches his, his hands on my thighs squeeze. He deepens the kiss like he’ll never get enough. His tongue swirls around mine, our lips moving perfectly in sync. His hands start moving slowly up and down my thighs, squeezing and caressing. It almost feels like he’s trying to hold himself back.

  I break the kiss. Staring deeply into his eyes only inches away, I whisper, “Don’t hold back with me, Drake.”

  The moment the words leave my mouth, his lips are back on mine, doubling the pace from before. His hands move to my ass and he picks me up against him, causing a little yelp to escape. Through my hooded eyes, I watch as he closes the space between us, his lips finding mine once again.

  10

  Drake

  I’VE held back with damn near everything in my life. I held back the love I felt for Casey. I held back the pain of losing her. I held back the agony of having to live every damn day alone. So when those words leave Celeste’s lips, don’t hold back with me, it’s like I’ve finally been given permission to let go—let it all go. I never realized how much I needed those words.

  Without thinking, I pull her against me and press my mouth to hers—tasting, teasing, memorizing. The little whimper that escapes causes my dick to jump with excitement. The little sounds she makes could bring me to my knees. I’ve never in my life heard anything more beautiful.

  Realizing this fact causes panic to flare up in my chest, but I forget all about it when she threads her fingers through my hair and pulls me closer, as if I could get any closer. My hands find her ass and I pick her up against me as she wraps her long legs around my hips. Given that we’re in the brewery’s warehouse, there aren’t a lot of options, so I set her down on a barrel of whiskey. Her hands immediately start pulling at my shirt, wanting it gone now. I break our kiss for a moment, but only long enough to pull it over my head and sling it to the floor at my feet.

  The moment my lips are against hers again, I work on removing her clothes. The barrel is a little too high, so I pick her up and hold her against me as I move us to the nearest wall. Pressing her back to it, I work my jeans over my hips, freeing myself. The only thing I can think of is how badly I need to be inside her. I never had this urge with Casey. I never felt like things would be okay as long as I was in her, but with Celeste, I know everything will fall away the moment I bury myself deep inside.

  I position myself at her entrance and push forward, sliding into home. And that’s exactly how she feels—like home. Her warmth and tightness welcome me, and her muscles squeeze around me like a firm handshake. I’m overwhelmed by the intense feelings building inside me. I have no choice but to pause for a moment. She’s whimpering and panting against me, begging me to move, but I can’t. I know if I start, it’ll be over too soon.

  “God, Celeste, we fit so perfectly,” I whisper against her lips.

  “Please move, Drake,” she begs again. I can feel her muscles squeezing around me, getting impatient.

  Finally, I pull out, only to bury myself again. My eyes open, locking on hers as I move in and out of her. Something about this feels personal, intimate—something completely wrong given what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. We basically agreed to be fuck buddies, but dammit, I’m falling in love and I’m falling harder than I ever imagined I could.

  Turning off my emotions, I close my eyes and work until we’re each shuddering with release. I rest my head in the crook of her neck, allowing us both to calm our breathing. Finally, I remove myself from her and pla
ce her gently on her wobbly legs. I bend down, picking up her clothes and handing them to her as I zip up my pants. Neither of us talks as we get our clothes back in place.

  “Never been on a tour like that before,” she says, voice shaking as a giggle escapes.

  I laugh and hold out my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She places her hand in mine and I lead her out of the warehouse and into the elevator.

  We’ve been together almost 24 hours straight, and I feel like I need to put some space between us. We load into my truck and drive quietly back to her car. I pull up next to it and put the truck in park. I look over at her and she’s sitting stock-still, unsure of how to act or what to do.

  “I’ll be home later if you want to come over,” I offer, not exactly sure of how to take this next step.

  She smiles and nods. “I think I’m going to head out to the Joneses and see if I can get them to sign some paperwork. I’ll let you know how it goes.” Without another word, she climbs out of the truck, slamming the door behind her. Instead of climbing into her car, I watch as she enters the building, closing the door between us.

  With Celeste no longer in my line of sight, I shift into reverse and back out, heading for home.

  When I pull into the driveway, I find my brother’s truck waiting for me. I climb out and walk to the open barn doors, finding him inside with a beer.

  “What’s up, brother?” I ask, leaning against the old workbench.

  He shrugs. “Where ya been?”

  “At the brewery. You been here long?” I grab a beer out of the six-pack sitting next to him.

  “Nah, not too long, anyway. Since when did you start working on Saturdays?”

  “I wasn’t working; I was giving my new lawyer a tour of the facility.” I pop the top on the beer and take a swig.

  “New lawyer, huh? This isn’t the same woman you’ve started something up with, is it?”

  My mouth drops open. “How the hell?”

  He laughs. “Harrison was venting to Dad—something about watching you make all the same mistakes he watched Dad make, whatever that means. So, is she hot?”

  It occurs to me that Colton doesn’t know about the mysterious half-brother or half-sister we have out there. I debate telling him before I have anything concrete. “She’s easy to look at,” I say around a smile I can’t contain.

  “Yeah?” he asks with a grin and a raise of his brow. “She’s not some prissy city girl, now, is she?”

  That causes me to laugh a little harder. “She’s from Los Angeles, but she’s super-chill and down-to-earth. To be honest, I have no idea what the hell she sees in me.”

  “How old is she?” he asks, taking a sip of his beer.

  “Late 20s,” I answer, causing him to gasp and then laugh. “Plus she’s tall and has legs that go on for days. She’s got this long, blonde hair and these amazing green eyes that somehow pull me in and keep me prisoner. She’s . . .” I let my sentence break off as I sigh.

  “Man, you just met her, right?”

  “Yeah, she just moved to town. Why?” I ask.

  He shrugs one shoulder. “The way you’re talking about her sounds like you’re falling for her. But I know my brother, and he doesn’t do things like that, especially after only knowing the woman a short time.”

  I scoff and wave a hand in his direction. “We’re just messing around and having a good time,” I tell him, knowing that in reality, he isn’t far off. “So, what brought you out today?” I ask, needing to change the subject.

  He hops up and pulls a white envelope from his back pocket, handing it over.

  “What’s this?” I ask, reaching out and taking it.

  “Open it.”

  I open the ripped envelope and take out a single piece of paper. Unfolding it, I read the letter.

  * * *

  Your brother didn’t take my letter very seriously. Maybe you will—I strongly urge you to. Your father disowned me before I was even born. I only want what I’m entitled to. I suggest calling a lawyer to hand out shares equally. I’d hate for this to have to go the hard way.

  Signed,

  Your Loving Brother

  * * *

  “What the fuck is this shit?” he asks when I let my arm holding the letter fall.

  I fold up the paper and stuff it back into the envelope. “I got a letter the other day. Inside was a picture of Dad. He had a woman in his lap. After doing some digging, I found out that Dad had an affair. He broke it off and the woman was so upset, she left town. Dad gave her money, feeling guilty or whatever. Apparently, the woman was pregnant. Dad owned up to the affair but still claims there’s no possible way a child was conceived. But since then, I’ve had Harrison on it, doing some digging and trying to find out the truth.”

  Colton shakes his head and runs his hands through his hair. “What the fuck? So what, he’s wanting his share of the brewery?”

  I nod as I pick up my beer. “I guess so. I mean, I can’t blame the guy. And if we have a brother out there, then we need to bring him home, don’t you think?”

  “Fuck that. He shouldn’t get shit. This is ours. It’s our reward for growing up the way we did. You’re not seriously thinking about giving this guy a share, are you?”

  “I don’t know, Colton. Maybe after some tests—once we make sure he is who he claims to be.”

  He lets out a long breath, clearly irritated with me.

  “What’s the big deal?” I ask. “You’ve never wanted anything to do with the brewery before.”

  “That’s because it was being shoved down my throat. I wanted to decide my future, and not have it forced on me.” He takes a breather and leans against the bench. “I feel the same affection toward the brewery that you do. It’s ours. It’s been in our family for generations. It needs to stay in the family and be taken care of. I just don’t want some creep off the street getting a say in our family legacy.”

  I open my mouth to reply, but the sound of gravel halts my words. An engine cuts off and a door slams. I stand and exit the barn to see who’s pulled into the drive.

  Celeste bounces toward me. “I did it, Drake! I got the Joneses’ signatures! That’s one down!” she cheers, throwing herself in my arms and pressing her mouth to mine.

  At first, I want to push her away before Colton sees, but when her lips touch mine, I completely forget he’s even here. My arms tighten around her middle, keeping her close while my mouth takes from hers. She tastes of coffee and vanilla, so sweet against my tongue. Her arms wrap around my neck, holding me close.

  I hear someone clear their throat from behind me and I break the kiss, turning to see Colton standing there, wearing a wide smile.

  “Celeste, this is my brother, Colton. Colt, this is Celeste, my, um, new lawyer,” I say, a little unsure of how to introduce her to him.

  Celeste quickly wipes away the wetness from our kiss and clears her throat. Her face turns pink with embarrassment as she holds out a hand to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Colton.” She offers up a shy but beautiful smile.

  Colton takes her hand in his, eyes bouncing from her, to me, and back. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Celeste, but my stupid little brother here didn’t tell me you were this beautiful.” He gives her his best flirtatious smile.

  “All right,” I say, swatting his hand off of hers and pulling her closer to my side.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just really excited about the news. I’ll head out and let you two get back to—”

  “Nonsense. Don’t be silly. I’d love to get to know you a little better. I gotta look out for my little brother,” Colton says, reaching out and wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he leads her toward the house.

  Fuck, I think to myself as I follow them inside.

  “Drake, where are your manners? Shouldn’t you offer your guests a drink?” Colton says, his smile never faltering.

  I roll my eyes but head to the kitchen to pour three drinks. As I’m pouring, I see Tatum lying
in the corner as usual. He looks up at me. “Why don’t you do your job? Go attack him or something,” I say to the old hunting dog.

  He just lays his head down like I didn’t say anything at all. I pick up the three drinks and take them back to the living room. Colton is in my recliner. He’s sitting up, resting his elbows on his knees, and looking at Celeste, who’s sitting on the couch to his left, looking rather awkward. I hand them each a drink and sit at Celeste’s side.

  “Now, what are your intentions with my brother?” he asks her.

  Her mouth drops open and words seem to fail her.

  “Colton!” I warn.

  “I’m just joking,” he laughs out, waving his hand through the air as he takes a sip of his whiskey. He finally leans back in the chair. “Tell me about yourself, Celeste. Where ya from? What do ya like to do for fun? Of all of the men in the world, why did you choose Drake?”

  She lightly shakes her head. “You two are something else, you know that?” she says, looking over at me. I give her a playful shrug since I have no words.

  She leans forward and sets her glass on the coffee table. “I’m from Los Angeles. Born and raised. I was working at the firm there, but was given this job for the next year.”

  “So you’re only going to be here for a year?” he asks, looking a little concerned.

  “That’s right. In a year, I’m going back to city life and coffee shops on every corner. The magical place where you can get anything delivered and everything is a phone tap away,” she jokes.

  “So what you two are doing has a time limit,” he clarifies.

  She cocks her head to the side, unsure of how to answer.

  “Colton, I’m not sure what you’re trying to do. I don’t know if Harrison has gotten to you or what, but you need to understand that Celeste and I are adults. We know what we’re doing. We’re not dating or falling in love. We’re choosing to spend our time together because there’s no one else here we’d rather do it with right now. Now if you, or Harrison, or anyone else has a problem with that, then you’ll just have to get over it. What Celeste and I do, that’s our business. Got it?”