by Laura Ann
With a grin that bordered on evil, Quentin said, “My brother needs a shave.”
CHAPTER 17
Finley burst into Brody’s room just as he was tightening his tie. “It’s polite to knock,” Brody grumbled as he inspected the finished product in the mirror.
Quentin followed Finley in at a more sedate pace.
“I think your two years of privacy are more than enough,” Finley said with a smirk.
Brody rolled his eyes and turned to face his two brothers. All three of them were dressed in power suits, custom made to fit their larger-than-life frames. Today. We go to war.
“Are you going to hire a butler now that you’re home?” Quentin asked as he adjusted his cuffs.
Brody shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m still getting used to having a bed and a house. I’m not sure I’m ready to share it quite yet.”
Quentin nodded but didn’t speak.
“Are we ready, then?” Finley’s tone was impatient, but Brody knew his brother was not looking forward to the coming confrontation.
It was the Monday after Thanksgiving and the three men were going to the office together to form a united front. Quentin had contact Victoria and her father, who was on the board of Gruffman Incorporated and had set up a meeting first thing this morning.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Brody grunted.
“Gentlemen,” Quentin waved his arm toward the door and they all filed to the waiting limo.
Once at the office, they walked in the front door with Quentin in the front and the younger two flanking his sides, but slightly behind his shoulder. Every person in the space paused their tasks; their eyes following the men’s footsteps as they headed toward the elevators and rode up to the top floor.
When the elevator doors were closed, Finley snorted. “I thought old, lady Hamilton was going to faint. Did you hear her gasp?”
Brody felt his lips twitch, but he held the amusement at bay. Truth was, his heart rate was through the roof and he was having a hard time keeping the panic at bay. He could feel sweat dripping between his shoulder blades and he prayed it wouldn’t show through the front of his shirt; giving away his anxiety.
Game face, Brodes. It’s all about appearances.
Quentin stood directly behind the elevator door and had obviously kept a close eye on the floors as they traveled up. “Here we go, brothers,” he said just before the elevator stopped and the doors spread open.
“Quentin, my boy! And Finley, of course! Good to see you,” Mr. Landsdown boomed as they stepped into the penthouse office suite. His eyes widened when he recognized Brody. “And what have we here? Brody! Come back from the dead!” A stiff smile crossed his face and he shot a look at Victoria who stood beside him.
Brody walked behind Quentin and when they stopped, he put his hands in his pockets and let a small, obviously insincere smile pull at his lips. “It was bound to happen sometime.”
“Ah, I’m afraid we had near given up hope at your return,” Mr. Landsdown said. “What, uh, what brought you back, might I ask?”
Brody raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer.
“That is why we’re here,” Quentin stepped into the conversation.
Brody couldn’t help but feel smug at the panic that shot through Victoria’s eyes when Quentin spoke in that particular tone.
Victoria began to slink around the desk toward Finley. “Come now, Fin. What’s going on, darling?”
Finley raised an eyebrow and brushed off her hand when it landed on his arm. “I don’t think so, Victoria.”
Victoria’s face registered shock before she pushed out her lips in a pout. “What’s going on?”
Brody rolled his eyes inwardly. How the heck did I ever think she was beautiful and exciting?
“We’ve come to ask you that very thing,” Quentin stepped forward. Walking over to his chair, he sat and relaxed back into the cushion as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Finley and Brody followed suit and continued to flank him.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean,” Mr. Landsdown said as he took one of the guest chairs.
“Oh, I think we both know that’s not true,” Quentin said easily. Opening his laptop, he pulled up some documents and spun the screen around for the Landsdowns to see. “I have to admit that I’m a bit embarrassed my financial people didn’t catch this before, but, considering you are in charge of the financial department, I suppose I can be given leniency.”
Mr. Landsdown’s face was turning red, just as Victoria’s was turning white. “What are you planning to do?”
“I think it’s time you stepped down, don’t you Mark?” Quentin’s gaze could have frozen water.
Standing, Mr. Landsdown straightened his jacket. “I’m afraid we’ve come too far to do that, Quentin. The ball is already rolling and I’m afraid I will have to see it through. You can expect a call from my lawyer. After all,” he sneered at the brothers. “I now own fifty-one percent of the company.”
“Do what you need to Mark, but we both know you won’t win. This company was built by Gruffmans and will stay in Gruffman hands. Your little plan to exploit your daughter as a distraction and get us out of the way won’t work.” Quentin’s voice was calm but laced with steel.
“It already has,” Mr. Landsdown said loftily. Spinning on his heel he marched out the door; expecting his daughter to follow.
Victoria stood still, her eyes on Finley. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her eyes darted to Brody’s then back to Finley’s.
“Your father is waiting,” Finley growled.
Her face fell and she gave a small nod before following her father out the door.
Brody walked over and closed the door before dropping into one of the empty chairs. He rubbed his hands up and down his face. “Well, that went well.”
“We’re going to have a fight on our hands,” Quentin responded. “It’s a good thing you came when you did, Brody. If we hadn’t thought to look into what they were doing, we might not have caught things in time.”
“Are you sure we can hold onto the company?” Finley’s voice was weary and Brody felt a pang of sympathy for his brother.
“Yes. I hired an outside accountant to take a look at things. He followed their trail and can prove they pulled company funds to line their pockets as well as stock, but the trail is complicated and full of twists. It’s going to take some work to make the evidence make sense. Mark will put up a good fight, I’m sure.” Quentin massaged the bridge of his nose. “Thank you for putting on such a good show. Now we just have to keep it up for a few weeks.”
Finley and Brody nodded.
“Right.” Quentin sat up tall. “Time to get to work.
CHAPTER 18
Tia grabbed her lunch out of her classroom fridge and plopped down at her desk. The last week had been an exercise in torture. Everything around her reminded her of Brody and how she had fallen in love with him.
When she packaged up leftovers at the end of the day, her first thought was that Brody would love to eat them.
When she washed dishes, she wished Brody would come wrap his arms around her waist and nuzzle her ear.
When she looked for new recipes online, she wished Brody would come help her cook.
I know it’s only been a week, but sheesh. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes and she grit her teeth to will them away. “I have cried too much over that man. How in the world did he become so much of my life? He’s everywhere!” Her voice echoed in her empty room.
She hadn’t been to lunch in the teacher’s lounge all the previous week because she didn’t feel like she could put on a brave face just yet. And here I am; another Monday and another lonely lunch. She sighed heavily and began opening her plastic lunch containers.
Tia’s head shot up as her classroom door squeaked open.
Snow peeked her head in and gave a small smile. “Hi,” she said softly. “Can I join you?”
Tia nodded; her eyes back on the table in front of her.
Snow walked carefully into the room, then pulled a stool up so she sat across from Tia. “I heard what happened.”
Tia snorted.
“And we all want you to know how sorry we are. None of us had any idea he was Brody Gruffman.”
“I know,” Tia assured her friend. “I don’t blame any of you.”
Snow’s shoulders relaxed. “Oh, good. Since we haven’t seen you at lunch, all of us have been worried about it.”
Tia gave a sad smile but didn’t speak.
Snow bit her lip for a moment then looked Tia straight in the eye. “I don’t know if you want to hear this or not, but Brody’s family has been in the papers.”
Tia’s eyebrows rose up. “Really? Why?” She asked before she could stop herself.
“Well, yesterday’s, Sunday’s paper had them on the front page. I think ... “Snow bit her lip again; her face unsure. “I think maybe you should see what’s going on.” Standing up, Snow pulled a rolled up newspaper from the purse she carried. Setting it gently on Tia’s desk, Snow quietly left the room.
Tia looked at the newspaper as if it might jump up and bite her. Her hands were trembling and her pulse racing. Can I handle reading about him? It must be important if Snow brought it to me. Slowly, Tia reached out and laid the newspaper flat on her desk. There in a large photo was a picture of three tall, strong men.
“Brody,” Tia breathed. Without his hair, he was almost unrecognizable. His face was stern, his jaw strong and as he stood erect in a suit that flattered his large stature, he looked like the wealthy man of the world he was. But there was no escaping the look in his eyes. Those unusual storm-grey eyes that penetrated through the photo.
Without conscious thought, Tia ran a shaking finger along the side of his face. Taking in a long shuddering breath, she finally looked up at the headline.
Gruffman Brothers Go To Court To Keep Company
“What?” Tia squealed. Her eyes frantically ran through the article; devouring every tidbit she could find.
After she had finished, she sat back in her chair. “No wonder he was hiding,” she murmured. She looked at the paper again. “Oh Brody, what are you going to do?”
SINCE TIA DIDN’T SUBSCRIBE to the newspaper, she began every morning by reading the online news, specifically anything she could find on the Gruffman Brothers. Snow and her friends brought her their newspapers, so she could see first hand every bit of coverage.
As Tia watched Brody and his brothers fight for their livelihoods, Tia found her anger at Brody’s deception slowly receding and a small flame of hope taking its place.
Maybe he will come back once it’s all settled. Maybe he truly did have feelings for me and it wasn’t all a joke.
Those thoughts swirled through her head, refusing to be quieted. Until the newspapers reported that those involved in the case had settled behind closed doors and out of court. As days passed and Brody never showed, Tia knew once and for all that he was never coming back.
CHAPTER 19
Brody rubbed his smooth chin and stared at the small house in front of him. The tie on his suit felt like it was choking him and the shiny black shoes he wore were pinching his toes.
One month. A whole month. But is it enough time for her to forgive me? He looked down at his feet and scuffed them through the light dusting of snow on the sidewalk. “It’s Christmas Day, she might not even be home,” he muttered under his breath.
This past month had been difficult as he and his brothers had been in the fight of their corporate lives over the fate of their company. It had been made all the more difficult by the ache in his chest from missing Tia. It only emphasized just how far he had fallen. And now he wanted her back. If I can ever get up the nerve to ring the doorbell.
Patting his coat pocket to reassure himself of the gift inside, he took the last couple of steps up to the door and raised his trembling hand.
TIA POURED HER HOMEMADE apple cider into a mug and stirred it with a cinnamon stick, letting the aromatic vapors fill her head. It was Christmas morning and she had it all to herself. A few of her friends, who didn’t have family close by, would be coming over for dinner later. But right now, it was just her, the Christmas lights, and the holiday tunes playing from the speaker of her phone.
Wrapping herself in an old afghan, she settled onto the couch and flipped through the television channels. A piercing pain stabbed her chest and she absent-mindedly rubbed it as she surfed. The happy couples in all the holiday movies brought the pain over Brody’s leaving back to the surface. It never really left. She admitted to herself. She had become used to the sensation over the last month.
A whole month. The court fight is completely over, but still no call, no text, no ‘I’m sorry’. She took a sip of her cider, letting the warmth of the liquid carry through her body; wishing it would also warm her heart.
A single tear slowly made its way down Tia’s cheek before she rubbed it away. “I will NOT cry over that man again. He’s had more than his fair share of my tears.” Finally, settling the television on her favorite Christmas cartoon, she snuggled deeper into the couch; determined to enjoy the day ahead of her.
Knock, knock, knock.
Tia frowned at the door. “Who would be coming over on Christmas morning? Nobody is supposed to arrive until this afternoon.” Setting down her mug, she uncurled herself from the blanket and padded her way to the door. Glancing through the peephole, she couldn’t see anyone.
“What is going on?” She muttered. Opening the door ever so slightly, she peeked out, and immediately noticed a small, red package on the front step. Excitement shot through her and she felt a small smile pull at her lips.
Opening the door the rest of the way, she stepped out into the cold and picked up the gift. Her name was written in beautiful script on the dangling tag. Tia glanced around, but couldn’t see anyone standing close by. Her excitement overcame her and she opened the box right there on the doorstep.
“What in this world?” Tia held up a sprig of green leaves tied with a white ribbon. She leaned in and scrunched her nose. “It stinks.” Looking back into the box she saw two red berries, connected by a stem, that must have broken off at some point. “Mistletoe?” She looked again at the leaves. “Someone left me mistletoe?”
“Actually, I came to ask a favor.” A deep, gravelly voice sounded from her right and she snapped her head up. It can’t be. Her heart began to pick up speed and Tia felt her breathing become fast and shallow as she watched a large man in a fitted coat and suit walk towards her.
Her eyes widened as she took in his appearance. Seeing him in person instead of in a photograph was a completely different experience. Gone was the scraggly, homeless man she knew and in his place was a man wealth and prestige. His coat looked tailored to fit him, showcasing his broad shoulders and tapering in at the waist. His hair had been shaved on the sides but left long enough on top to swoop up and over; clean yet modern. His beard was nowhere to be found and Tia found her fingers tingling at the thought of touching the smooth skin on his sharp cheekbones.
He was without a doubt, the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on and his grey eyes were watching her like a predator stalking his prey.
“W-what are you doing here?” Tia’s voice came out soft and vulnerable and she hated that she wasn’t stronger.
“I just said.” He stopped at the bottom of her steps. “I came to collect a favor; you still owe me one.”
Despite her desire to see him, Tia felt a swell of anger at his words. He lied. He left. He hasn’t messaged me in any way shape or form even though his fight is over. All he’s after is that stupid last favor. “I don’t owe you anything.” She backed into the house and started to close the door.
Brody bounded up the steps and put his foot out, stopping the door from shutting. “Oh, I think you do.” He slipped past the door and let it slam shut since Tia had been putting her weight on it.
She stumbled, but caught herself quickly and threw up her arms. “Wh
at do you want Brody? Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”
Those grey eyes softened and Tia felt a spark of hope burst to life inside of her before she viciously pushed it back down; not ready to entertain that particular emotion again.
“Not nearly,” he whispered and Tia paused. “But before I get into all of that, I have to know.” He closed the distance between the two of them, causing Tia to back into the door.
She looked up at him, unable to move away from his pull. “Know what?”
He leaned in until they were nose to nose, then closed his eyes and took a long drag of air through his nose. “You smell like cinnamon.”
“It’s the apple cider,” she watched him; mesmerized by the emotions on his face.
His eyes popped open. “It’s perfect.” He said in a deeper than normal tone. “For my last favor, I want a kiss.”
Tia’s logical voice sat in the back of her mind, screaming how wrong this all was. It grew loud enough that she even started to shake her head from side to side, but before she could truly respond, Brody moved in.
His warm lips captured hers and Tia knew there was no going back. It was unlike any of their previous kisses. Gone were the scratchy sensations from his beard and the light, lingering scent of disinfectant on his clothes.
Slowly, she let her hands rise until they rested on the smooth skin of his cheeks and she felt a pulse in her fingertips as they connected. Without conscious thought, she gave her fingers permission to explore and they gradually made their way into his soft, pliable hair.
She whimpered when he broke their connection to place kisses along her jawline and up to her earlobe.
“I knew it,” he whispered in between kisses.
The words brought Tia out of the fog and she brought her hands down to his chest, where she pushed. “Knew what?” She demanded. The force behind her command was made less effective since she was still trying to catch her breath, but she didn’t care.
