The Malone Brothers Boxed Set

by S. L. Sterling

  "I'm capable of choosing hot and sexy," I said, trying to reach for the color selection and failing as Jenna pulled them farther away from my reach.

  "Oh no, the last time you needed to select hot and sexy, you ended up choosing clear coat. No, no, we need something more like this." She held out a deep, dark-red color.

  I looked at her as if she had lost her mind. There was no way I could wear a color like that. "Jenna, no way. Bogota Blackberry is not going on my toes."

  "Oh yes, it is. She will take this one please," Jenna said, handing the colors back to the pedicurist. "Actually, make it two please. You'll see, clear coat is something my grandmother wears, and she hasn't had a date in years," Jenna said, smiling and looking immensely proud of herself.

  "Jenna," I bit out, trying hard not to laugh at the face she was making.

  "Girl, you need to chill out. Now sit back, relax, and don't worry. Just trust me." Jenna sat back and closed her eyes, urging me to do the same.

  I finally sat back and did my best to enjoy my time with Jenna. It took an hour, and now we finally sat waiting while our toes dried. Jenna had just put her phone back into her purse and looked to me. "Okay, so what is next?"

  "Well, I need to shop for food, wine, flowers, and candles."

  She glanced down at her phone and then over at me. "That's all? What about lingerie? Sheets? Perhaps a scented bubble bath? Give me your list." She held out her hand, and I reluctantly placed my folded list in it. She opened the paper and read over what I had written, and without a word, she pulled a pen from her purse.

  "What are you doing?" I frowned as she circled some things, crossed others out, and chewed on the end of her pen, lost in thought.

  "I'm making some...ah...shall we say, minor adjustments. Do you trust me?"

  "Ha, yeah, look at my toes. Do I trust you. Clear coat would have been more...me."

  "Yeah, and the next thing I know, you will be going to the old-age residence over on Madison and partaking in bingo night. All right, girl, let’s go, we have lots to do." Jenna said, dropping my list and the pen into her purse.

  Twenty minutes later, we walked through Bed Bath and Beyond, making our way to the bedding department. I stopped at the first sheet display I came to, the one I always purchased from, while Jenna continued to make her way deeper into the department. I had decided on my usual sheets in a different color and was about to make my way over to the candles when I heard Jenna call my name. I turned around to see her walking towards me holding a package of sheets over her head. I wandered over to meet her, afraid of what she was going to present me with.

  "These. These are the best sheets in the world. These are what you need." She shoved the package into my hands and took the sheets I had chosen and threw them on top of the nearest display.

  "But I like what I had."

  "Sophie, my love, trust me. Matt loves these sheets. They were the sheets I had on my bed the first time we...you know."

  I held my hand up to stop her from divulging anything else. I knew I wasn't going to get away with anything different, so I succumbed. "Fine, but I'm taking these too," I said, grabbing the other package.

  "But those ones are not going on your bed. These ones are," she said, grinning at me while she shook the package.

  "I don't see what it matters, honestly. Sheets are sheets."

  "Girl, trust me, it matters!"

  "I'm not trying to seduce him. We are having sex for one purpose, that is all."

  Jenna burst out laughing. "Girl, there is nothing wrong with a little seduction. This is Chase Malone! You need to have some fun. I’m sure he’d appreciate a little seduction! Plus, the remaining women in this town that have yet to sleep with him would kill for this opportunity. Are you blind? Do you not see them looking at him everywhere we go?"

  "To be honest, I've never really paid attention. Besides, I wouldn’t know how to seduce him anyways." I shrugged and continue following Jenna through the store. Just as we approached the cash register, she stopped and turned to me, grabbing me by the shoulders. "You need to have fun with this, Sophie. Relax and have fun. I know it’s a new concept for you."

  I ignored her words, made my way to the checkout, and paid for my purchase. As soon as we were out of the store, Jenna was pulling me over to Forever His, a small lingerie store. I walked over to my usual table—cotton bras and panties—and glanced over to where Jenna stood. I could feel my face heating at the items she was sifting through. I stood there blushing just from watching her. It wasn't a wonder I had never made my way over to that table, those things totally intimidated me. Ignoring Jenna, I turned back to the table I was looking at and picked up a couple of pairs of panties when I heard her call my name.

  "Oh, Sophie, this would great on you!" She held up a black lacy bra.

  I swallowed hard and nodded. I guessed I could pull it off, until she held up the matching panties. "Are they....are they crotchless?" I whispered, ripping them out of her hand before anyone saw what she was holding up.

  Jenna let out a loud laugh. "Yes! You need these."

  "Jenna, no. There is no way I am going to wear those," I said, turning my back on her and sifting through the pile of cotton panties that were way more my speed.

  "Come on, Soph. Come on, lighten up. These are fun!" She giggled, “Matt loves…”

  I held up my hand to stop her, "SHHH…I don't even know who I am shopping with right now," I said, throwing down the panties I had picked out and went to walk away.

  "It's your best friend, who is making sure you are going to have the time of your life this week." She shoved the bra and panties into my hand, looking me in the eyes. "Trust me. One week, Sophie. One short week, and then you are going to have a bun in the oven, and your sex life will be over."

  I burst out laughing. That was the funniest thing I'd ever heard—my sex life. My sex life in the last five years had consisted of two men. That was it. One who never made me orgasm, and one who kissed like a lizard and had never gotten past third base. So if it was my sex life she was truly worried about, I hated to tell her it was already non-existent.

  "What's so funny?"

  "My sex life, that is what is funny. It's been so long since I've had sex, I'm pretty sure I almost forget how to do it."

  "Well, girl, you better figure it out fast because you have picked the one man in this city who hasn't forgotten how to. You'll be in good hands," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Very, very good hands. Now relax. Come on, let’s go over there and look some more, but you are getting these." She closed my hand around the black bra and panties and smiled at me, pulling me with her.

  I ended up walking out of Forever His with a bag full of lingerie I'd probably never wear, a much lighter pocketbook, but a very happy Jenna. The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping for food, flowers, and candles. Once I had everything that had been on my list, we headed back to my condo.

  Jenna stopped the car outside of my condo and put the car into park. "So you're good? You have everything you need?"

  "I think so," I said, grabbing the two bags that sat at my feet. "Can you pop the trunk so I can grab the rest of the bags?"

  "Sure thing. Remember, if you need me, call."

  I nodded, hugged my best friend, and then climbed out of her car, grabbing the rest of my bags. I smiled and waved and watched as she pulled away from the curb.

  It was almost eleven by the time I finally sat down on the couch with my glass of wine. I had spent the rest of the afternoon making sure that everything had been washed, dried, and put away. I even had the new sheets washed, and they were already on the bed. Jenna was right, they were wonderful, I’d thought as I ran my hands over the high thread count sheets.

  I flipped the TV on, pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and over my legs, and sipped on my wine. Tomorrow, Chase would be here, and hopefully by this time, we would be deep in one another. I just prayed that I was truly ready for this…and that I wasn't making a huge mistake.

  10r />
  Chase

  I stared down at the mess of papers in front of me and let out a deep sigh. I had been going over and over them, and I was still unsure if this was how I should proceed. I ran my hands through my already disheveled hair and took a sip of my first cup of coffee of the morning. I flipped on the stereo, and light jazz poured through the speakers. I took another sip of coffee and looked back down at the mess of words that sat in front of me. What would she think when it was time for me to present this agreement to her? Was she going to hate me? Would she be fine with it?

  I grouped the papers together, straightened them, and then reread them for the thousandth time. What the fuck had I agreed to do? I thought to myself, and threw the documents down on the table. I sat back and ran my hand over my face.

  I drank down the remainder of my coffee and glanced at the clock. I had to get moving if I was going to be on time. I had slept in this morning, like I normally did every Sunday. Today, though, I had brunch planned with my brothers, and I knew they would be waiting for me.

  I grabbed the papers off the table, dropped my mug in the kitchen sink, and headed down to my bedroom. An hour later, I was showered, packed, and the kitchen was tidied, and I was on my way out the door to meet the boys for brunch before heading to Sophie's for the week.

  I walked into Deb's Place and nodded to our usual waitress before walking into the dining area. Hunter sat over in the corner alone and waved once he saw me.

  "Hey, man, where is everyone?" I asked, taking a seat across from him.

  "Carter isn't back from his weekend ventures yet, and Mia's brother decided to extend his family’s visit. So, it's just us this morning. How you doing?"

  Honestly, I felt as if I were going to be sick. The coffee I had this morning kept repeating on me, and my stomach hurt too much for food. I was nervous, afraid I was making a mistake, but I ignored all those feelings and smiled at my brother. "I'm great!"

  I signaled to Andrea to fill my cup with coffee. "Bullshit, you’re great." Hunter said chuckling, "Is that why you look like you're going to throw up?"

  I ran both hands through my hair and looked at my much-older brother, ignoring what he had just said and thinking about what needed to be done before I could go to Sophie's. "I guess I'll feel better once I am at her place and everything is out in the open and done." I shrugged.

  Hunter chuckled. "Yeah, once your balls deep in her, eh."

  "What can I get for my favorite men this morning?" Natasha asked, stepping up to the side of the table.

  "Our usual: poached on toast," Hunter said, handing over the menu.

  "Sure thing," she said, taking the menus and winking at me as she walked away.

  "So, did you get that paperwork finished?"

  I nodded. "Yeah it’s done."

  "Good." Hunter picked up his coffee cup and took a mouthful.

  "Yeah, it is good. There is only one problem."

  "What is that?"

  "Well, the more I read it, the more worried I'm getting. I just don't want to come across as being an asshole, you know?"

  "Dude, what is wrong with you? You are protecting yourself. You're being smart. That's it. Just look at it that way. People get fucking crazy when things go wrong or when they are faced with a situation that they can't handle. You know that, or you should. We all deal with it all the time. I can look it over, if you want, and make sure you haven't missed anything?"

  I nodded, drinking down the rest of my coffee just in time for Andrea to come around for refills. "I know they do. It’s just I feel that I should be able to trust her."

  "You should, but it doesn't mean that you can't put extra precautions in place. Just relax."

  My brother was right; there was nothing wrong with a form of protection. It would be something I would suggest to any of my clients. An hour later, fully caffeinated and with full bellies, we stood in the parking lot by our cars while Hunter went over the papers I had drafted. "Good news is everything looks good. I'll witness it once they are signed," he said, handing me the folder. "Where you headed now?" Hunter asked, pulling his car door open.

  "The market. I need to pick up a bottle or two of wine and some flowers or something."

  "You don't think she has thought of that?"

  "I'm sure she has, but I don't want to come off as a total asshole." I laughed. "Just because this is an agreement doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be treated like a lady."

  "All right, man, talk to you later. I have to get home to Autumn and the kids."

  I waved as he pulled from his parking spot and climbed into my car. The market was jammed as I maneuvered myself through the aisle looking for Sophie's favorite bottle of wine. Finally spotting it, I grabbed two bottles and made my way to the front of the store, but not before I stopped at the flower stand and grabbed a dozen red roses and got in line to pay for my purchase. While waiting, I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and typed out a message to Sophie, letting her know I would be there shortly. She responded quickly, giving me a simple thumbs-up emoji, the same as always.

  A half hour later, I stood outside her door listening to her bang dishes around in the kitchen. I set my bag down on the ground, took a deep breath, and lifted my hand to knock.

  "Coming," I heard her call from inside, and suddenly I felt nervous, my stomach flipping. I ran my hand through my hair, picked up my duffel bag off the floor, and flung it over my shoulder. The door opened, and Sophie stood inside, a nervous look on her face, even though she was doing her best to hide it behind a smile.

  "Here, these are for you," I said, holding out the wrapped flowers and a brown bag containing the two bottles of wine.

  Her face lit up with a smile as she reached out and took the flowers. "Thank you. I guess you should come in," she said nervously and stepped off to the side to let me in.

  I followed her into the familiar apartment and shut the door behind me, while she busied herself in the kitchen putting the flowers in a vase.

  "Where should I put my bag?" I called.

  "In the bedroom." She smiled, carrying the flowers and setting them on the table.

  I made my way down the hall to her bedroom and looked inside. Everything had its place. The bed was made perfectly, not a wrinkle in sight. I stepped inside the door and set my bag on the floor by the bed, which immediately looked out of place in the picture-perfect room. I bent down and pulled the documents from inside the bag, holding them tightly, thinking it might be better to get this over and done with first than to wait until later. I didn't want to get in the moment with her and then decide to spring this on her tomorrow or later in the week.

  I pushed my sleeves up and headed back out to the front room to find Sophie sitting on the couch, two glasses of wine in front of her. She patted the spot beside her for me to sit down, but not before she noticed the folder that I carried with me. I blew out a breath and took a seat as I watched the unsure look in her eyes.

  I took a sip of wine, set the glass down, and then cleared my throat. "Sophie, listen, before we get started here, I think we need to go over a few things."

  Her eyes met mine in question. "Okay," she said hesitantly, unsure of where I might be going with this.

  There was no easy way to bring this up, so I set the documents on the table in front of her. "Okay, so don't be angry with me, but I need you to sign these."

  "What is it?" she asked, picking the documents up off the table, reading the top page, a frown settling on her face as she glanced at the document. "An NDA? You want me to sign an NDA? Why?"

  "It's not only an NDA but also a contract. It just states that I am only responsible for providing you with sperm, that is it. That you won't come after me for things such as child support. It also states that I don't want visitation, and that I won't come after you for custody in the future. The NDA is just to ensure that this…transaction, if you will, will remain solely between us. That it won't get out that I am the father of the baby."

  I watched as she read through
the documents silently. "Chase, I don't understand." She swallowed hard as she flipped through them again. As I watched her, I could see her cheeks getting flush, and she was breathing rapidly as her eyes began to get glassy. I could tell she was struggling with this, and that was exactly what I didn't want.

  I reached out and placed my hand on her arm. "Don't worry. It’s just to protect us both." I thought I was going to have to keep explaining, but she reached for the pen that was sitting on the table and quickly scribbled her name on the bottom line of both documents. Then she passed me the pen without making eye contact, and I too signed the agreement.

  I set the folder off to the side and picked up the glass of wine that sat in front of me and held it out. "I'd like to propose a toast," I said, waiting for her to pick up her glass. She let out a little huff and looked at me, and with a little shake in her hand, she picked up her glass and held it out towards me.

  "Here's to one week. Let’s hope my swimmers travel far and everything goes well to give you what you want," I said, clinking my glass against hers. I brought my glass up to my lips and sipped the cool liquid. Instead of drinking from hers, Sophie set the glass down on the table and jumped up off the couch. I watched as she walked across the room without saying anything, and then she stopped and lifted her hand to her eyes before turning around to look at me.

  "Can you please excuse me for a moment. I, um, I need a minute." Before I could stop her, she had walked down the hall, leaving me alone in the living.

  11

  Sophie

  The panic had started way before Chase had even arrived. It had started with shopping and had gotten worse by the time he had knocked on the door. The contract was what had literally sealed the deal. I did everything in my power not to shake as I signed my name on that very solid black line, and I had held it all together perfectly, until he had raised his glass and made that toast. As our glasses clinked together, I knew there was no way I would be able to take a sip of wine.