ROMANCE: BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: Tempted Pleasure (Bad boy Alpha Male Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult and College Contemporary Romance)

by Jane Price

A moment later, and far sooner than I would have liked, she stirred against me.

  “You probably have to get going if you want to make your meeting this afternoon.” She said, her voice thick, sleepy.

  I groaned. I nearly forgot about that and now that I was here with my arms around her I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want reality seeping in just yet, the solidity I felt to start slipping through my fingers. But until I could convince her otherwise, this was the best I was going to get.

  “I shouldn’t be gone too long. Will you still be here when I get back?”

  “I don’t think so. I have to meet with the caterers this afternoon to finalize things for the weekend, and I’ll probably just head home from there. Unless there’s something else that needs to be done here?”

  “No, I think we’re all caught up here. Are you okay to get home?”

  “Yes.” She laughed at me. “I’m quite capable of getting to my own apartment.”

  “Why not just stay at my place? It’s closer.”

  She sat up and fixed me with her dark blue eyes.

  “Because that’s where I live. And besides, you’re going out tonight.”

  She gave me a pointed look and I chose to not pursue this conversation right now. I was too persistent and she was too stubborn for both of our own goods. We’d shared almost everything for the last few months but there were still some things she was clinging to, like her tiny apartment.

  Guilt gnawed at me and, not for the first time, I wondered if she held back because she could sense that I was holding something back too. I pulled her back against me for a little longer before reality came crashing in.

  ****

  After wrapping up my meeting I headed back to the office. It was empty as expected, still I found myself disappointed all the same. With nothing but time on my hands until I met up with Micah I shuffled through the documents on my desk and through the emails I missed but my focus was gone. Finally I abandoned work and settled for pacing instead. By the time I was heading down to my car again I had only succeeded in wearing the carpet and my nerves a little thinner.

  Usually meeting Micah was something I looked forward to, but this time I was dreading it. I already knew he was going to give me shit for suggesting we meet at a bar instead of my place. And I already knew how this conversation, the one I’d been putting off for a while now, would go. Which was the main reason we weren’t meeting at my place. I needed him to hear me out and I figured this was my best chance.

  Micah and me went way back. Back to our foster days, living in a little hovel and learning to care for ourselves. Care for each other. And we always had.

  Against the odds we made it out in one piece and made something of ourselves. Not without some struggles, of course, but it was with the reassurance that no matter what happened we had someone on our side. Not our abusive fathers, or junkie mothers or the foster parents who would rather spend money on scratch tickets than feed us. Just us.

  There was a time when I thought that was all I’d ever need; the trust and companionship of Micah and the knowledge that my determination wouldn’t let us fail. We learned how to love and be loved, learned that sometimes people don’t always leave. Don’t always disappoint. Had I never met Macy I would’ve been happy with that life. But I did meet her, so unexpected and so sweet that she blindsided me.

  I still held out hope that he would understand. It’s not like he was a heartless prick, and it’s not like we hadn’t both slept with women, sometimes sharing them, sometimes not. I’ve even had a steady girlfriend once or twice. This wasn’t so different. Other than I wanted to be with Macy for the long haul. How was I going to explain that to him, though? And how was I going to talk to Micah when I could still smell Macy on me?

  Shit. This was going to get worse before it got better.

  I pulled into the parking lot and killed the engine, leaving the sanctity of my car behind. I walked into the old bar and took a minute to let my eyes adjust to the dark. The place was a shit hole. Scarred up wood floors, dusty neon beer signs, dim lights strung over the tables. This place was far from the familiarity of my place. Neutral territory.

  It was mostly empty except for a couple guys at the bar and the clack of pool balls coming from the back. I ordered a couple beers and found a booth away from the few patrons there. Before I even settled into my seat I heard the door creak open and Micah’s heavy footsteps on the floor. Seeing him still brought a sense of relief even if it was buried under a layer of nerves.

  He sat with no preamble and I wasn’t surprised. Micah wasn’t the type to make a grand entrance. He came, he went.

  “Good to see you, man.” I said from across the table.

  He grabbed his beer and leaned back against the worn vinyl booth. “Yeah. It’s good to be back. Seems I’m away longer every time.”

  “You know you don’t have to stay at a hotel, right? You’ve been living out of that hotel in San Diego for months. Plenty of room at my place.”

  Micah nodded and took a pull from his beer.

  “So why the fuck are we here?” He asked.

  “I wanted to grab a beer. Catch up.” I said, hoping I sounded convincing. Hoping to ease into this, segue from a safer topic.

  “Fuck off, Brenn. I had a long flight and an even longer day. If you really just wanted to grab a beer in this dive then fine, but if you’ve got something to say then just say it.”

  My fingers picked at the label on my bottle. I blew out a breath before looking up at him.

  “You’re right, I do need to talk to you about something.” He watched me, reading me. My eyes flickered away from the intensity of his stare, back to the shards of label on the table. “About Macy.”

  “Your assistant?” He asked, his voice not giving anything away except mild irritation.

  “Yeah.” I scrubbed my hand across my chin. “We’ve been seeing each other.”

  Micah sat back against the bench, mouth pulled up in a half smile. “Ah fuck, you’re killing me over here, man. You drag me to this shitty bar, you’re sweating bullets over there and all to tell me you’re banging the office girl? Jesus.”

  “You make it sound so cheap.” I said, the simplicity riling me. “And she’s not an office girl.”

  “You’re still her boss, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “There you go. May as well call it like it is.” Micah reached for his beer and tipped it back, his eyes still watching me.

  “That’s not how it is.” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. I had to make him understand. “We’ve been seeing each other for a few months now.”

  “And?” Micah shrugged a shoulder.

  “And it’s getting pretty serious. Or at least I want it to, except there’s this giant part of my life that I’m keeping from her. And from you.”

  Understanding flickered across his features, just long enough for me to notice before it was masked.

  “I see. You’re cutting the cord, then?” His cool tone betraying the hostility underneath.

  “No. I’m not. I’m just trying to explain.”

  “Call it like it is. To be honest I figured this day would come eventually, when what we had wouldn’t be enough.”

  “Hear me out, Mic.” I said, stopping him before he got the idea to take off. The contempt in his eyes told me that I had some work to do if I wanted him to give this crazy idea a try. “When I first started fooling around with Macy it was like any other time. But things have changed. I want more with her, and with you.”

  “What kind of more?” The words formed around a sneer, like a bad taste in his mouth.

  I didn’t bother answering. This was an argument we’d had before and one I didn’t think would help me now. Micah thought that coming from the shit we came from made it real hard to want to create a life with a commitment attached. But it was all bullshit. There was a commitment between us deeper than any ceremony could provide. He was just too hard headed to ever admit it. Too scared to try.

>   But I would never give him up for anything or make him choose. And I was hoping like hell he would do the same for me.

  “I want you to meet her.”

  He didn’t answer right away, didn’t look at me. His eyes scanned the room and his fingers drummed against the edge of the table.

  “She know about me?” He asked after a moment.

  “She knows we’re business partners.” I said. “And that we grew up together.”

  He blew out a heavy breath. “What are you hoping will come out of this Brenn?”

  “I don’t fucking know Mic. But I have to try and let her see this side of me if I have any chance of making it work. I don’t want any secrets. Between any of us.”

  He shook his head and lifted his beer to his lips, draining it.

  “You’re fucking crazy.”

  MICAH

  When I woke the next morning the sun was already high, beating against the curtains and making the room too hot. I opened my eyes to the ceiling of my hotel room. Not where I was expecting to end up last night. Or not until a lot later anyways.

  Fucking Brenn.

  I rolled over in bed and checked my phone. I had missed a few texts from him asking if I wanted to meet for lunch? Come over for drinks before the Gala? Ride over together?

  I ignored them.

  The one thing I thought I could count on was about to go tits up, all because of a pair of tits. I was getting too old to worry about this shit. I spent enough of my twenties battling the voice in my head, the voice of my father specifically, and the shit he’d spew if he ever knew about Brenn and me. Took a lot of years to get that voice out of my head, to be comfortable in my own skin, to be comfortable anywhere. I’d be damned if I was going to let Brenn’s women throw a wrench in that.

  I closed my eyes hoping I could block out the sound of hope in Brenn’s voice. I didn’t help. The acid in my belly churned, the sour expectation turning vile. And as much as I wanted to be pissed at him, the pang of guilt ate at me more. It’s not like I never thought about having what he wants, someone who loved me because of who I am and not because of what I came from.

  And if the roles were reversed I knew he would try to understand. I owed it to him to try. We were too close, had made it too far together to let someone get in the way. Even if that someone was me.

  I knew that if I told Brenn he had to choose he would choose me, but that’s not how I wanted things to go down. That’s the kind of shit move that could do more damage than good. I would meet her. Absolutely I would. Didn’t mean I wanted any part of their forever bull shit. And that sure as hell didn’t mean I would make it easy for her.

  I killed as much time as I could showering, getting a bite to eat, washing my truck, getting dressed, but it still left me with way too much time to think. As much as I hated these corporate functions I actually found myself counting down the hours to the Gala and the distraction it would provide.

  Finally evening rolled around, and as I walked through the doors of the banquet suite I figured it was probably the first time I ever showed up to one of these things on time. I hoped Brenn wouldn’t read too much into that but, judging by the surprise registering on his face, he was. The wait staff outnumbered the guests at this point and I immediately regretted not waiting longer before I came.

  Brenn was busy playing his role, so I found the closest bar, then the quietest corner. Even though I was co-owner of the company my job took me away from here often and sometimes for long stretches of time. Not many people knew me to look at me and so I was mostly left to myself through the rest of cocktails and during the speeches.

  Once the room began to move again after speeches, though, Brenn made his way over to me. My eyes ran down the auburn haired woman on his arm and if I hadn’t been so concerned about being royally fucked I would have laughed at how well I knew Brenn. She had Brenn’s type written all over her.

  Her long hair was down and it curled down her back. I could picture Brenn wrapping it around his hand, bending her back to meet his lips. Her body was lithe with the kind of long legs that were made for wrapping around your body. Her scent drifted to me, feminine and sweet. Brenn’s woman.

  But when my eyes moved down from her luscious chest and I was faced with the slight protrusion at her belly I felt a pang go through me. Fucking Brenn.

  “I’m glad you came.” He said as we shook hands.

  “You thought I wouldn’t?” I tried to sound normal. Tried to convince him, and me, that he didn’t just put me in a shitty position. The raised eyebrow look I got in return made me think I hadn’t done a good job of it.

  “Could have returned my texts.”

  “I was too busy. But I’m here now.”

  “Hello, Mr. Merrill.” His woman said from his side. “We’ve spoken over the phone dozens of times, but I was looking forward to meeting you in person.”

  When she put out her hand I almost hesitated. Like touching her would make this all the more real. I shook her hand, though, and even though it was small in mine and her smile was genuine the blood racing through me was like an alarm, warning me against impending danger.

  Brenn’s arms were looped around her waist. His hands had settled over her stomach. She was saying something again. I watched her lips move, but the blood rushing past my ears was making it too hard for me to hear her.

  As she talked I took stock of the situation, trying to gauge just how screwed I was here. Fucking Brenn, it was a wonder sometimes how I could love him. Did he even know whose baby she was carrying? Though, knowing Brenn he wouldn’t care. He was so much more open. More willing to put himself out there and risk, to crave the type of life his father would have been proud of. So I guess it should come as no surprise. But fuck.

  “Macy, right?” I said, only vaguely aware that I had interrupted the conversation.

  “Right, Mr. Merrell.” Her lips twitched up like she wasn’t sure if she should think I was funny or rude.

  Her scent had settled around me now, making it hard for me to clear my thoughts. I wished they would leave me alone, let me think this through without watching me. I breathed in shallow breaths, trying to hold on to my casual tone.

  “You can call me Micah. I have a feeling we’ll be getting to know each other pretty well. Just like it seems you and Brenn have.”

  Her skin flushed a delicious shade of pink but her eyes never cut away from mine. I watched her chest move a little quicker, a little temper simmering below. I wished I didn’t like getting a rise out of her, wished I didn’t want to push her until she showed me the person she kept under that dress.

  “Micah.” Brenn’s face darkened, his voice lowered. “Let’s not get into all of that here.”

  “No, of course not. We wouldn’t want anyone to have to deal with any unexpected surprises, would we?” I asked with a pointed nod towards Macy’s belly. I was being an ass. I knew I was but it felt so right to make him as angry as I was.

  “I’m not sure I’m following what’s happening here.” Macy said, looking up at Brenn.

  “Yes, Brenn, why don’t we get it all out in the open?” The bitterness welled up until I couldn’t contain it any longer.

  “Not here. After things wrap up if you want. Or tomorrow.”

  “If there’s something going on that involves me I’d like to know about it, too.” Macy said, her sharp eyes cutting between him and me. I didn’t want to look at her like she was on my side, but part of me was proud that she wasn’t willing to be silenced.

  Brenn’s stare was still on me, icy. After a minute he looked down to Macy and conceded. He nodded to her and led the way to a door not far from where we were that led to the darkened adjoining banquet room.

  Light spilled in through the windows from the street, but only enough to reveal features in the harsh half-light. Brenn walked in a few paces past Macy and I, his back to us. I settled against the wall, but Macy stood in place and when Brenn turned he met her straight on.

  His face was somber, finger
s fidgeting at his sides. A thread of guilt skittered through me at having forced his hand, but not enough to turn back now. I couldn’t go through another night alone knowing what I know, not knowing where I stand.

  “Macy,” He said, taking a step forward only to stop again. “There are things that I haven’t been forthcoming about with you. Things that I didn’t mean to keep from you but I have.” She simply watched him, gave him time to think through what he wanted to say.

  “I’ve never had a long term relationship with a woman before you. Not one like this, one that bowled me over and took me by surprise. And I never really thought I would find myself in a situation where I would find someone like you.”

  “What are you trying to say, Brenn?” She asked, apparently as anxious to have him cut to the chase as I was.