by J. L. Beck
Tightening my hands into fists, I push up from the desk and stand, staring my brother down. He apparently wants to meet the grave digger today.
“You seriously need to knock it the fuck off…” I sneer. I’m so defensive over Fallon and she doesn’t even belong to me. Not like that.
The smirk drops off his face as his expression turns serious, even though his next words mock me. “You seriously need to tell her how you feel… before it’s too late.”
I exhale, my nostrils flaring as I try to cool my heated blood, but I don’t miss the words he adds to the end of his sentence.
Before it’s too late.
Those words will be my demise because I know Ryker is right and maybe that’s why I get so pissed off when he pushes me to do something about them. To make Fallon mine. I can’t let him know he’s getting to me.
“Get out. I don’t need this shit right now. Not when I’m about to inherit the entire company.” I shake my head, frustration lacing my words as I turn and stare out the floor-to-ceiling glass windows onto the busy street below.
“Right.” He draws the word out so it’s three syllables. “Mister I’m-The-Boss-Now. I’ll let myself out.”
Clenching my jaw, I try and will the anger away. Why did he have to come in and stir the fucking pot? As if it isn’t hard enough watching Fallon date douchebag after douchebag, Ryker has to go and throw that shit in my face.
I want Fallon.
I want my family’s company.
I want a happily ever after with the only woman I’ve ever seen myself loving even though I can never go there with her.
Another knock sounds against the wooden door and I lose it. “Go the fuck away.” I snap, realizing a second too late that it’s Fallon standing in the doorway, a surprised look on her delicate doll like features.
“Well, hello to you too?” She bounces back from my remark quickly and I’m glad because she’s the last person I want to act like an asshole towards.
“Sorry. I’m stressed and there’s a ton of shit going on. What do you need? Did you get everything switched around?” I spit out the questions, not giving her time to answer and avert my eyes from her perfectly shaped body.
She looks hot as fuck in the light gray pencil skirt and cream-colored blouse she’s wearing. It’s hard to not be sucked in by her beauty. Combined with dark brown hair and green eyes that call to you, it isn’t all that hard to get caught up in her and believe me when I tell you I can stare at her all day.
“Actually, everything is perfect, but your father asked me to come and get you. He wants to start the meeting early.” She smiles, her eyes twinkling with something, but it’s gone before I can figure out what that is. It’s something I’ve never seen before, but it makes me want to kiss the fuck out of her.
“Oh...” I crack my neck, exhaling a breath and running my sweaty palms down the front of my expensive designer suit.
“Nervous?” Fallon asks with concern as she peers up at me through long lashes. Her beauty makes it difficult to breathe, hard to do anything really. When those green eyes of her pierce mine, I feel like she sees me, really sees me, and the love I have for her. The need I feel to be with her.
“Nah, not at all. I mean I’ll just be responsible for thousands of employees, and my entire family’s empire from start to finish but no…” Sarcasm laces my words and Fallon elbows me in the side, her nose scrunching up as a tiny smile pulls at the corner of her pink painted lips. She’s trying to look angry but I knew she can’t stay mad at me for long.
As I lead us down the hall, she complains, “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
We come to a stop just outside the boardroom doors where voices can be heard on the other side. I turn towards her, stopping either of us from going any further.
“What did you mean?” I lean into her, her sweet floral scent sending shock waves of pleasure straight to my cock.
Do not get a hard on. Do not get a hard on.
“I meant… isn’t it strange that your father would move up the date of the meeting to now? I thought he wasn’t retiring for at least six more months.”
I blink, my eyes roaming over her face, unable to think of anything but how much I want to kiss her… and then what she said hits me.. “Yeah,” I pause to consider her words. “You’re right. That is strange. Really fucking strange.” I’m still thinking when I open the doors to the boardroom, knowing all too well that when I step out of this door again, I’ll either have fantastic news...or shittastic news.
I’m anxious and trying to figure out what is going on as I take the seat across from Reed and his brothers while their father takes the seat at the head of the table. Mr. Winston, aka Clark, looks tired, miserable even, the deep wrinkles on his face making him look older than fifty-five. Lawyers and other important people sit along the same side as me, but I ignore them, my eyes bouncing back and forth between Reed and his father.
Clark clears his throat before steepling his fingers and leaning back in the chair like he has no cares in the world. “I’m sure most of you here are aware of why this meeting was set up, though I’m certain you haven’t the first clue as to why.” He smiles at me and I smile back, warmth filling my belly. Clark was so kind to me growing up, and now I consider him to be a father figure.
Remy snickers, saying something under his breath that earns him a dirty look from Reed. I cough to cover my own laugh, truly enjoying seeing them all together again. They each work on a different floor in the building, in different departments since their father knows as much as anyone else that putting them all together means nothing but arguing will get done. When you run a multi-billion dollar company, getting work done is kind of important.
“I think we’re all anxious to hear what’s changed, Dad.” Reed asks it in more like a question than a statement, and I wonder if he’s afraid his father decided against giving him the company.
It’s been a real fear of his and something we discussed many times, usually late at night when the worry made it hard for him to sleep. If he doesn’t take the company it will be sold to someone else, and years upon years of work will amount to nothing.
“Well, for one, my health has changed.” I sit up a little straighter at his words, a million different scenarios going through my head. Is he sick? Dying? Does he have cancer like Reed’s mom?
Concern seems to pinch all three of the men’s brows as they wait for their dad to answer. Ryker pipes up first, asking what everyone else is probably thinking. “Sick? Are you okay?”
Clark smiles lovingly at him. “I’m getting older, and with age comes illness. I won’t go into the details on the matter right now, but I have changed my mind on handing the business over and thus added some stipulations into transferring everything over to Reed.”
It’s strange how in that moment I can feel Reed’s fear as it slams into me, blanketing me, suffocating me. I feel all of his emotions and it terrifies me. He’s usually so calm and collected, and seeing him so out of sorts is strange. He always controls the situation, never letting it control him.
“What kind of stipulations? I’ll do whatever you need me to. I’m here for you and the company. You know that.” Anguish overtakes him and it takes all I have not to rush over and comfort him. I know if I do though, he won’t be happy. Reed hates office gossip, and everyone in the office already assumes we’re having sex due to all the time we spend together.
Clark’s heavy sigh is one I’ve heard many times with all the time I spent in their house when we were growing up. Anytime one of the boys did something to disappoint him, he’d make that sound and they’d all immediately feel bad and do whatever they had to so he’d be proud of them again.
But something tells me there’s no talking their way out of this one. Clark has made up his mind.
When he speaks again, the stipulation drops like a bomb. We’re all in shock. “I’ve decided I want a grandchild before the company can be transferred into your name, Reed.”
&nbs
p; My heart slams against my rib-cage as real fear invades me. That means Reed will have to get married. He’ll have to find someone to love and my chances of being that woman will be over. It will be too late to tell him I love him.
With blurry vision and heat crawling over my skin, I want to jump up and volunteer, but I know that will only lead to rejection, and even worse losing his friendship.
Reed clears his throat, opening his mouth like he’s going to say something, but his father lifts a hand, cutting him off with one singular motion.
“I’ve made my decision, and I won’t listen to anything you have to say on the matter. Give me a grandchild and the company is yours. Refuse, and I’ll have somebody here to buy us out tomorrow.” The sound of pen against paper fills the room, and then complete silence encompasses us. I peek up at the men across the table from me, their faces full of varying emotions. Reed looks pissed, terrified and enraged. Ryker is smiling ear to ear, though I’m not sure why.
He winks when he catches me staring at him, causing my cheeks to warm and I quickly look away. My gaze moves to Remy, who seems to be out of it, not really caring what happens with the family business.
After his final words, Clark dismisses the entire room. As people filter out, him included, I remain seated, too afraid of what might occur once the room is empty. I never thought I’d see the day where Reed’s father would force him to get married and have children.
“What in the actual fuck just happened?” Reed swears, which is completely unlike him, at least when it comes to being in a work setting.
Ryker shrugs, “Dad one-upped you. Hell, he just grabbed you by the balls.” He seems overly happy for someone who just found out that his entire family's business is riding on whether or not his older brother can create a baby with another person ... and soon.
Reed pushes up from the heavy oak table, his chair slamming against the wall of glass behind him. “Shut the hell up. You’ve been on my ass since you stepped foot in the office and it’s getting old real fast.”
His eyes are wild, and with his hands balling into fists at his sides, he looks like a warrior on the way out to battle. Ryker isn’t his enemy though, even if he is doing everything he can to antagonize him. I don’t know what happened in his office before this meeting, but whatever it was, it’s made Ryker enjoy this way more than he should.
“Look man,” Ryker starts to placate him, and the smug grin on his face is too much for Reed. Before I can even blink, he’s across the room, shoving his brother into the wall and pressing his forearm against his throat. I watch, wide-eyed, as they glare at each other. Ryker leans forward, getting as close as he can to Reed, then says something in a voice too low for me to hear. Reed’s free hand curls into a fist and I know I have to act fast because he will regret this later.
My heart is pounding, but I make it over to them just in time to grab Reed’s arm. “Stop it.” I order, giving them both a disapproving glare when they both look at me. “Fighting with each other isn’t going to change anything.” My voice reflects the fact that I’m exhausted from this meeting. Not only that, but I’m hurt, and more than ready for the day to be over.
Ryker opens his mouth to say something, but I shake my head, cutting him off. “No. I don’t know why you’re going out of your way to piss off your brother, but the two of you arguing is only going to make things worse. You need to work together, figure out a way to get Clark to see reason.”
Ryker sags against the wall, contrition clear on his face. When Reed notices he’s backing down, he drops his arm and takes a step back, pulling his other arm out of my grasp when he does. I feel the loss immediately, but try not to show how it makes me feel. Reed’s rejecting me, and he doesn’t even know it. That stings.
Knowing I need to focus on the baby issue, I look between them. “Your dad can’t just demand Reed give him a grandchild. What’s he supposed to do? Call up one of his one-night stands and ask them to provide an egg? The world doesn’t work that way. Besides, he should love the person he has a child with.” I drop my eyes to the floor for a moment, my words too honest and a little too raw. When I lift my eyes back up to them, I find Ryker looking down at me, an almost evil smile spreading across his face.
“You know what? You’ve got a point. Maybe you should be the one to help my brother give Dad a grandchild. At least we like having you around.”
I wait for Reed to scoff or immediately shoot down the idea, but he doesn’t. When I turn my gaze back to him, he actually looks thoughtful. Like he might be considering his brother’s crazy idea.
“I’m not so sure about that Ryker…” I pause briefly waiting to see if Reed will say anything, and when he doesn’t I carry on. “But one way or another you can’t just force someone to have a baby. It’s immoral and not something your father would do. We need to find out what’s going on with him and what would make him give you this ultimatum. Something isn’t right here.”
Remy’s deep voice startles all three of us as he gets up from the table. “She’s right and you both know it. If the two of you want to fight about what’s happening, go for it, but it’s not solving anything. The problem starts and ends with dad.”
I smile over at him, thankful that at least one of the Winston brothers has a brain inside his head.
“It doesn’t matter, Rem. You heard Dad. He won’t listen to anything any of us say. It’s either I do what he wants or he signs the company over to someone else.” Reed’s beating himself up over this entire thing far more than he needs to be.
Maybe it’s a misunderstanding? It’s possible he’ll change his mind tomorrow. But what if he doesn’t? The thought lingers far too long inside my head.
“Well, if you aren’t going to hash it out with him you better get to posting an ad on Craigslist or Tinder…” Reed’s jaw clenches at Remy’s comment. He doesn’t like the idea of having to find someone, or maybe it’s the idea of having a baby and getting married that doesn’t sit well with him?
“I’ve screwed a lot of women, Rem. The chance of finding one that doesn’t hate my guts is slim to none. And anyone I do find I know without a doubt I won’t want her to be the mother of my children.” His eyes turn to me as he speaks the words, and I swear I feel this magnetic rope wrap around me, pulling me towards him, making me want to beg him to let me be that woman.
The one that says I do.
The one who is the mother of his children.
Our children.
But then I blink, he looks away and the moment is gone. I’m left wondering all over again if I’m seeing the things I want to see, or if it’s real because now that everything is on a timeline it won’t be long before my chance to be the woman Reed needs is gone.
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The contract is simple…
One: She’ll have my baby.
Two: I’ll give her half a million dollars to pay her sister’s debts.
It should be been simple, hell it should be easy to follow the rules since they’re stated in black and white in the contract...but it isn’t.
“Promise me you won’t fall in love with me.”
I’ve loved her since the moment I laid eyes on her. Convincing her to have my baby is only the beginning.
Now that I have her right where I want her, beside me and beneath me every night, it should be easy to claim her as mine…but it’s not.
The pain that comes from loving someone terrifies her, and she’s adamant she won’t take that leap.
Proving to her I’m not like all the others she’s had in her life is going to be tough as hell, and even more so when I discover all the insecurities she’s hiding under sarcasm and meaningless sex.
She made me promise not to fall in love, but she forgot to put it in the contract.
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J.L. Beck and Stacey Lewis are a bestselling romance duo writing books that make you swoon. They love writing alphas, the strong women who love them, and their happily ever afte
rs.
Both are introverts who would rather be writing than doing anything else. Plus, they each have kids that drive them insane most days, fueling their need to write.
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Big Bad Daddies
A MFM Romance
J.L. Beck and Stacey Lewis
J.L. Beck and Stacey Lewis bring you an over the top romance with enough steam to burst your Kindle and panties.
Every girl needs a daddy, right?
Thanks to my mom leaving for vacation with her new billionaire husband the day after my nineteenth birthday, I end up with two.
They adore me, they protect me, and they provide me with undeniable pleasure.
There's just one little problem...
My family has no idea that I'm seeing two men, let alone the fact that one of those men is my ex-stepdad. Mom's throwing a party for all her rich and influential friends and she wants me to be there. Worst of all, she wants to set me up with my new step dad's creepy son.
Mommy's about to get the surprise of her life, because I'm no longer a little girl and I'm bringing my two Big Bad Daddies home with me.
