BetweenTwoBillionairesCompleteStripped

by Sky Corgan

  “So where is she now?” I hate myself for asking, but I feel like I need to know.

  “Dead,” he replies shortly.

  “Oh.” Relief rushes through me. It's coupled by guilt from being glad that she's dead, glad that everything I just tortured myself over was all for nothing. “How did she die?”

  He turns to look at me. “We don't talk about that.”

  “Breakfast is ready,” Tristan announces as he pads through the house towards us. My heart leaps into my throat as I realize he's probably going to see that I broke the picture frame. If he doesn't, then Shawn will likely rat me out.

  I give Shawn a pleading look, but he just stares at me, emotionless. His eyes are so cold. A shiver rolls down my spine from the intensity of his gaze.

  Tristan rounds the corner with a smile on his face. “There you are. I was wondering where you ran off to.” He walks past me and places a hand on Shawn's shoulder. “I see you've met my brother.”

  “You never told me he lives here with you.”

  They couldn't look anymore different. Well, maybe they could if they were like Ethel and I, different ethnicities, but as far as biological brothers, they definitely don't look like they came from the same batch. Tristan is stocky and thick with muscle, while Shawn has more of a swimmer's build. Tristan is blonde with light blue eyes, while Shawn's features are dark. Tristan is warm and affectionate, while Shawn seems a bit cold. They're both sinfully attractive though. That's one thing they definitely have in common.

  “It must have slipped my mind.” Tristan flashes me a charming grin, and all is forgiven.

  “I need to buy you a new set of picture frames,” Shawn mentions out of the blue. My stomach twists with the realization that he's about to tattle on me. Then Tristan will get pissed, and it will all be over. I bite my bottom lip, staring into Shawn's eyes, silently begging him not to say anything. I know it's already too late though. He picks up the broken picture frame, showing it to Tristan. “I accidentally knocked it off the shelf, and it broke.”

  Tristan frowns, and I'm able to breathe again. Shawn lied for me. He actually lied for me. I can't believe it.

  “Mistakes happen,” Tristan says, though he's obviously not pleased about it.

  “They do.” Shawn's eyes sweep over his brother. The way they act together is a bit strange, but perhaps it's just because I don't know them. It seems almost like they're holding a silent conversation.

  Finally, Tristan looks at me and forces a smile. “Well, we should go eat before the food gets cold.”

  I nod timidly, following them into the dining room.

  “You never told me your name,” Shawn says back to me.

  “Sarah. It's Sarah.”

  “Alright, Sarah,” and that's the end of conversation until we reach the dining room.

  The meal is awkward. Tristan seats and serves us, and Shawn and I wait without so much as a word. When Tristan joins us, it's like I don't even exist anymore. The two guys talk about the business trip Shawn just came back from. Apparently, he arrived by private jet around midnight. We were both asleep by then. Their business talk makes little sense to me, so I simply sit quietly and enjoy my food. Eggs Benedict with fresh-squeezed orange juice juice and a side of hash browns. I swear, I could marry Tristan just over his cooking. It's delicious. A man who can cook like this is a rare commodity.

  Once the meal is finished, Shawn excuses himself to return to his room. He says he woke up early just to introduce himself to me. That must mean Tristan sent him a text about me at some point. It's an endearing thought. Maybe Tristan really was sincere about everything he said to me. I can only hope.

  “So what do you think of him?” Tristan asks me once Shawn is out of earshot.

  “He's nice.” I don't know what else he expects me to say. It's his brother. I wouldn't speak ill against him, especially since I really want to try to stay in Tristan's life.

  “He's a little rough around the edges, but that's part of his appeal.” Tristan leans back in his chair, staring out towards the living room as if he can see Shawn through the walls.

  “Have you guys always lived together?” I ask, wanting to change the subject.

  “Yeah. Ever since we were out of foster care.” He stands to take our plates to the kitchen.

  “Foster care?” I repeat.

  “Yeah. Our parents died when we were teenagers,” he says matter-of-factually as he rinses the dishes off in the sink. “Our only living relative was an aunt who was a drug addict, so we were put in foster care until she sobered up enough to take care of us. That never happened.” He shakes his head. “We were just lucky she didn't kill herself with an overdose until the day after Shawn turned eighteen.” The way he says it doesn't sound lucky at all.

  I twist around in my chair to face him. “How did they die?”

  “Plane crash,” he lets out a short laugh. “You'd think it wouldn't be a business Shawn and I would have gotten into after that, but Shawn has my father's obsession with planes. He likes to fly them, work on them, build them. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground, doing more of the businessy stuff.”

  “I'm not a big fan of planes either,” I admit, thinking about how much I dislike flying. It always makes me sick to my stomach no matter how much medicine I take beforehand to counteract the effects. Luckily, I haven't had to fly much in my short life.

  “Well then, that's something we have in common.” He smiles absentmindedly as he finishes putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I sit there silently and fidget until Tristan returns to the table. He has two bottles of water, and he hands one over to me before sitting down. “So, Sarah, tell me a little more about yourself. I know you live in a mixed family. I know you have fairly traditional values. And I know you're a good dancer. But I don't know anything else about you.”

  The way he recites all he remembers about me makes me blush. He's so observant. Still perfect.

  “Well, you also know I work at a coffee shop,” I begin.

  “I do.” He nods.

  “I'm working there to save up for college.”

  “Oh? What do you want to go for?” He stares across the table at me in interest.

  “I think I just want a general degree. Probably business related. I don't want to back myself into a corner by getting something too specific. Besides, there's nothing I'm really passionate about. Since I started high school, I've changed my mind at least half a dozen times about what I want to do for a living, so I finally decided I should probably go for a degree that would give me the most opportunities,” I tell him, a bit embarrassed. I know that makes me sound indecisive, which I'm really not about most things.

  “That's probably smart.” He twists the cap off his bottle and takes a sip before leaning back.

  “Well.” I wring my hands around the bottle nervously. “I should probably get going.”

  “Why is that?” He smirks.

  “Because I have work.” To be honest, I almost forgot about it. I've been so preoccupied thinking of other things.

  “Call in.”

  “I can't.” My eyes shoot up to meet his. I know he's trying to be sweet, but I just told him I'm saving up for college. He should be a little more considerate.

  “Why not?”

  “I told you why already.” I sulk a bit. Not everyone can be rich like him. Some of us actually have to work to get by.

  Perhaps he senses my discontent, because the smirk melts from his face. “Well, I'll be sad to see you go, but we'll see each other again, yes?”

  He sounds so insecure that I can't help but grin. “Yes. You'll see me again, if that's what you want?” Oh no, now I'm doing it too.

  “That is what I want.” His expression brightens as he stands to lead me to the door.

  Just walking next to him makes me heart beat faster. In the course of one night, he's done something to me. I can only hope that all of his sweet sentiments are sincere, otherwise, I'm in for a world of hurt.

  CHAPTER TWO


  The day is spent in a dreamlike state. What happened last night just doesn't seem real now that I'm not around Tristan anymore. It's like I imagined him. But I didn't imagine him. There's a delicious soreness between my legs that says he's been there.

  I still can't believe I had sex with him. He knew exactly what to say and do to manipulate me right out of my clothes. It's a scary thought, and I wonder if he's done it to other girls before. He has the charm, the looks, the words. It's a recipe for disaster to any woman who crosses his path.

  I try not to worry about any ill intentions he might have had. I try not to think about the fact that he could have just used me. Even though he said all those sweet things to me, I know it's a very real possibility. Guys like him are just too good to be true. There's no way I would get so lucky.

  The workday drags on, but it eventually ends, and I come home to find Ethel in my room. I turn on my bedroom lights, and she's just laying there on my bed as if she accidentally mistook my room for hers. I'm so surprised to see her there that I actually yelp.

  She looks up at me, furrowing her eyebrows. “Where were you last night?”

  I take off my name tag and set it down on my computer desk. “I think that's something Mom should be more concerned about than you.”

  “I'm just curious.” She pulls herself into a sitting position. “You haven't stayed out overnight in forever. Find a co-worker to have a girls night out with?”

  A grin spreads my lips as I think about what I was actually doing. Laying beneath Tristan Locke while his gorgeous naked body writhed on top of me. The memory of it makes me blush. “No.”

  “That look on your face is weird.” Her expression goes deadpan.

  Never in a million years would she guess I had sex, so I decide to come out with it. She's not the best person to talk to about these things, but she is my sister. Don't sister's share this kind of stuff?

  “You know that guy I met at the party we crashed?” I sit down in my computer chair, swiveling it around to face her.

  “Yeah?” She seems blatantly oblivious to where this is going.

  “Well, he came into the coffee shop and asked me out on a date. I was with him last night.” I beam, trying desperately not to squeal.

  “No.” Her eyes widen and her hand moves to cover her mouth. “Sarah, you didn't?”

  “Mhm.” I nod proudly, though I don't know why I should be proud of something like that. It was kind of trashy, now that I think about it, giving myself to some guy I just met.

  “Did you two?”

  “Mhm.” I nod again, pressing my lips together.

  “Oh, you hussy.” She reaches over to smack my arm, grinning like a loon. “What was it like?”

  “You know what it's like.” Now that the confession is over with, I can feel myself shrinking back into my shell. It feels so odd discussing this with her.

  “Pfft. My first time was ages ago. Give me details. How did this dude manage to get you out of your granny panties?”

  I groan, and her smile gets even wider. That's all she needed to know I was still wearing those horrible giant underwear of complete non-sexiness.

  “Did he like them?” she teases. “The way they cover your belly button.”

  “They don't cover my belly button.” I scowl. Just almost cover it.

  “I'm just fucking with you. Give me details, girl. I gotta know how it made you feel.” She quickly drops the teasing act.

  “Well, it wasn't how I thought it would be.” I stare out into the distance, wondering how Tristan had managed to make me abandon all of my morals in a single night.

  “That's an understatement.” Ethel rolls her eyes. “What happened to waiting until you're married?”

  “Oh God, Ethel. The guy is so ridiculously charming. He probably could have made the virgin Mary spread her legs.”

  “Woo! Listen to that. You even came home with a vulgar mouth. I have got to meet this guy,” she hoots, beyond amused.

  I shy back, putting my hand over my lips. That was really crude, wasn't it? What has gotten into me?

  “He has a brother,” I blurt out, doing a delayed eyebrow waggle afterward.

  “Oh girl, tell me more. Tell me he's hot.” I've never seen Ethel look so happy to talk to me before, so it's hard not to feed into it. For once, she's actually interested in what I'm telling her. I guess sex is the key to connecting with her. It seems a bit bizarre, but I'm happy we're not fighting for once.

  “He's every bit as hot as Tristan,” I admit, thinking of Shawn. “Tall, dark, and handsome.”

  “And rich.” We certainly can't forget that part.

  “And rich.” I nod.

  “And single?” She's hopeful.

  “I don't know.” I shake my head. “I mean, I didn't see a ring on his finger or anything.”

  “You looked, you skank.” She slaps my shoulder again. “You can't have them both.”

  “I don't want them both. Just Tristan.”

  “Well, you should find out if the other one is single and then hook a sister up.” I can't tell if she's serious or not, but if I had to take a guess, she probably is.

  “I'll see what I can do.” I grin, wondering if it would even be possible to get them together. I suppose it doesn't hurt to try.

  ***

  The week progresses. Tristan texts me every now and then, continuing to show interest, though he hasn't asked me out on any other dates. I'm carefully optimistic. It's great that he's keeping in touch, but I figured he would have asked me out again by now. Maybe he just filed my number away in the list of girls he's slept with and is keeping me engaged so that he can call whenever he needs to get laid. It's a disappointing thought, and a bit sickening.

  By Wednesday, I'm beginning to think his words were all part of a plan to get me into bed. It worked like a charm. Maybe I'll always be naive and stupid. Too hopeful for my own good. I wanted to be accepted by the kids in public school, so I sacrificed my chance at a scholarship for it. I wanted to fall in love with Tristan's perfect image, so I sacrificed my virginity for it. At the end of the day, none of these people really have my back. All I can rely on is myself. I really need to stop putting myself into such vulnerable life-changing positions for the sake of acceptance. This is what it gets me. Broken dreams and a broken heart.

  I'm working a late shift at the coffee shop on Thursday when a familiar face walks through the door. My breath catches for a split second, and then my heart floods with disappointment. It's not that I didn't recognize it was Shawn instead of Tristan. There's no mistaking the two. It was more a reminder that I fucked Shawn's brother, and now Tristan is barely being conversational with me.

  “What can I get you?” I ask as I step up to the register, greeting Shawn as I would any other customer. He looks different in a full suit and tie. Taller somehow, and even more attractive.

  “A minute of your time would be nice.” He stares down at me, his dark eyes void of emotion.

  “I'm working right now, and it's been a busy night.” I'm curious what he wants to talk to me about, but now isn't the best time.

  “What time do you get off of work?”

  “Not until eleven.” I'm closing down the store tonight. It actually closes at ten, but it takes an extra hour to sweep and mop, restock, and do paperwork.

  He chews on his bottom lip, staring past me as if lost in thought. “I'll meet you here when you get off.”

  I open my mouth to speak, but he simply turns and walks off without another word. So weird.

  Jennifer, my co-worker, steps up beside me. “He was in here earlier looking for you.”

  “Was he?” I'm a bit shocked by the news.

  “How do you manage to keep snagging these hot businessmen?” She smirks at me, her green eyes fixed on the door.

  “He's the brother of the guy who came in the other day,” I inform her.

  “They don't look like brothers.”

  “No. They don't.” I shake my head, looking at the door as well, wonde
ring why Shawn wants to talk with me.

  “I think he's cuter than the other one.” She turns to continue her job duties.

  “They're both attractive.” I think of Tristan, trying to compare them. While it's easy to physically compare them, there's no comparison emotionally. I have feelings for Tristan. Shawn is just his brother.

  “Well, I want that one,” Jennifer jokes as she makes a coffee for one of the drive-through customers.

  “Too late. My sister already has dibs on him.” I grin stupidly, deciding to try to enjoy myself instead of worrying about things I can't even guess.

  ***

  My happiness fades with the nighttime rush. It's amazing how many people drink coffee at night. And all throughout the day, for that matter. Oh well, at least it means job security for me.

  I'm exhausted by the time I finally lock up the store. My mind is a bit frazzled from work and worrying about what Shawn wants to discuss, and I honestly wish it could wait for the morning. I don't have Shawn's number though, so there's no way I can call and rain check, and I don't want to call Tristan to ask for it because that might seem weird. All I can do is deal with the impending discussion.

  Closing time finally comes. I find myself staring out the window as I sweep and mop the floor. Every wall that doesn't face inward toward the other buildings in the shopping center is a window, so I have a pretty good view. About fifteen minutes before eleven, a flashy black sports car pulls up in front of the store. It has tinted windows, but there's no question about who is inside.

  Having Shawn in my line of sight, or rather his vehicle, makes me feel anxious. I'm not sure what he has to say to me. After all, we just met. Why could he possibly need to speak to me?

  Finally, all the clean up and prep is done, and I'm able to head outside and lock up the store. Shawn steps out of his car, looking tall and professional and handsome.

  I turn to face him, slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans and cowering down a little. “So, you wanted to talk?”