5 Bikers for Valentines

by Rye Hart

  He lifted my chin up and kissed the tip of my nose.

  “I care about you more than I should, Casey,” he said.

  A lump formed in my throat, making it hard to speak or swallow. I wanted to tell him I felt the same way, but I froze. I just stared at him and couldn't speak for the longest time.

  “I'm sorry for complicating your life,” he sighed. “That was never my intention. I'll try to be more professional from now on.”

  I'd remembered what Terrance had said to me, about how Malcolm didn't know what was good for him. I cared about him, more than I should have, but I knew things would end badly for both of us if I didn't have his family's support. God knew they wouldn't want their son with someone like me. Terrance was probably more than right about that.

  Still, I couldn't deny my feelings any longer. “I care about you too, Malcolm.”

  His smile returned, brighter than ever. “You do? Cynical, grumpy, Casey actually likes me?”

  It was hard not to laugh as I playfully punched him in the shoulder. “Shocking, I know,” I said. “I'm as surprised as you are.”

  “That makes me really happy, Casey. You have no idea,” he said.

  He ran a finger down the side of my face, ticking my flesh. I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes.

  “You make me happy, Malcolm,” I said.

  There was a knock at the door, which caused me to jump back. I stumbled, nearly falling over the chair in the process. Malcolm caught my hand just in time and helped keep me on my feet.

  “Yes?” he said.

  Alyssa poked her head into the room, a smile on her face. She looked from me to Malcolm, blushing slightly as if she knew she'd interrupted something.

  “I'm sorry, Mr. Crane,” she said. “But, Mr. Brownstein is here to see you now.”

  “Tell him I'll be right out,” he said. “Give me a few minutes to wrap this up.”

  Alyssa nodded and closed the door behind her as she went. Malcolm walked over to his desk and picked the papers off the floor.

  “Think she knew what we'd done in here?”

  “Oh, I'd say the entire office knows,” I teased. “Not like I could keep quiet.”

  He looked pleased, a cocky expression on his face. “I have to go to this boring meeting,” he said. “But, before I do, what was it you'd wanted to talk about?”

  Money. I came here to ask for an advance to help pay my bills. Now, however, after we'd had sex, it just felt wrong. It would have made me feel like more of a whore than sometimes already did.

  “Nothing. It's not important,” I said. “I should probably be going.”

  “Casey,” he called out to me. His voice was strong and dominant, and stopped me in my step. “Talk to me. What do you need?”

  “I – I don't remember,” I lied, staring at the door.

  “Yes, you do,” he sighed. “Do you need some money? Something to help you out for the next few months until things are finalized?”

  “No,” I choked out.

  My voice was weak and halting. It didn't even sound truthful to me.

  “I promised to take care of you, and I will,” he said.

  I heard a drawer opening and Malcolm shuffled around in it, which caused me to glance over my shoulder at him.

  “This should be enough for a few months, anyway,” he said. “If you need more, ask. You're doing me a huge favor, Casey, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to repay you. Don't forget that.”

  “I won't, Malcolm. I'll never forget it,” I said quietly. “Thank you.”

  I'll also never forget you, I wanted to add, but I kept that to myself. Things were moving way too fast, and it scared the crap out of me. Terrance's words also echoed through my mind – I wasn't good for him, and I should stay away.

  Yeah, he was probably right, but Malcolm Crane was a hard person to ignore. Especially when he wanted something.

  It just so happened, he wanted me.

  ~ooo000ooo~

  I stepped out of Malcolm's office, check in hand. It would be enough to get us through the next few months, easily. Hell, it had been more than I'd expected, by far. Malcolm meant it when he'd said he would take care of me, and I felt like I was walking on air as I left his office.

  I was walking toward the elevator when someone spoke and interrupted my thoughts.

  “Excuse me.”

  I looked up and saw a good-looking, well-dressed man who reminded me a lot of Malcolm. Given that it was a family business, I wouldn't have been surprised, but the idea of running into one of his family members like that sent a jolt of panic slicing through me.

  The man reached out a hand to me. “I'm Adam,” he said. “Malcolm's brother.”

  “Oh, hi,” I said, shaking his hand. “I'm Casey.”

  Adam looked me up and down, as if he was studying up on me for a pop quiz or something. I'd remembered Malcolm mentioning a half-brother, and I assumed that must be him.

  “Malcolm has told me about you,” I said before I could think better of it.

  “He has?” Adam asked. “Good things, I hope?”

  “Uh, mostly neutral. Just that he had a half-brother,” I said.

  “Yes, that's me alright,” Adam said. “So how well do you know my brother?”

  I looked back at Malcolm's office. His door was closed. Mr. Brownstein had already been escorted inside by Alyssa.

  “We're friends,” I said.

  “Only friends?” he asked, a slick, greasy smile curling his lips. “Because I sense there's something more going on than that. And I usually have a pretty good nose for these things.”

  “Nope. Just friends,” I lied. “It was nice meeting you, Adam, but I need to get going.”

  I headed toward the elevator again, but Adam stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

  “Has he introduced you to the family yet?”

  “No,” I said. “Why should he?”

  Adam shrugged. “Just curious,” he said. “Thought you might like to see the real Malcolm, on his home turf. Maybe even meet his parents.”

  “I'm not sure we're that close, Adam,” I said, my throat tightening. “Now, if you'll excuse.”

  “Would you like to come over and meet everyone?” he asked. “We're having a dinner party tomorrow night, and you're more than welcome to join us.”

  “I don't think that's a good idea,” I said.

  “Ah well, if you change your mind and are curious, here's my card,” he said. “You never know. It might be a good idea to check out his home environment. See what kind of family he has.”

  I took his card, mainly to be polite, and pushed my way past him. “Thanks, Adam, but I don't believe that'll be necessary.”

  “Very well,” he said. “If you change your mind, you know how to reach me.”

  “I do,” I said, tucking his card away in my purse.

  When I got to the elevator, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Thank God, I got rid of him, I thought.

  I couldn't let his family suspect anything was going on. Especially, not his brother. Not that I knew the first thing about Adam, but I could tell he was up to something. I could smell people like that a mile away.

  And considering what was going on, whatever angle he was playing couldn't be good. Not for Malcolm and not for me.

  Not to mention the fact that he'd just given me the willies. He was a good-looking guy, sure, but something wasn't right with him. It left me feeling very unsettled as I stepped into the elevator.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  MALCOLM

  “What's she doing here?” I muttered to my mother as we walked into the dining room.

  “She's carrying your child, Malcolm,” Mom said. “Think about what this means for you. Whether you want to continue your relationship with Danielle or not, she's still the key to you earning your inheritance.”

  “Dad invited her, didn't he?”

  “Yes, he did,” she said. “But I don't necessarily disagree with the decision.”
/>
  My mom stood tall and stiff, her arms crossed in front of her. She gave me the typical “Mom Stare of Doom,” and while I might be too old for her to boss around, I respected her enough to be on my best behavior.

  Danielle was seated at the table when we walked in, and she smiled at me, patting the chair beside her. Normally, I would have sat in that chair, but seeing her sitting there, looking at me expectantly, I eyed the one across from her instead.

  I'd just turned and started to head for the seat when Adam swooped in and claimed it for himself, sitting next to our father. My mother was on the other side of him, Danielle next to her.

  I could have sat farther away from everyone, down near the other end of the table, but that would have made me look like a petulant child. Everyone looked at me, waiting for me to join them at the table, so with a sigh, I sat beside my ex-girlfriend. I still wasn't convinced the baby was mine.

  Danielle grabbed my hand and placed it on her belly, a wide smile on her face.

  “Feel it, Malcolm?” she beamed, smiling brightly.

  I felt nothing. No movement, no sign of life. Nothing. She clearly felt something though, and her eyes filled with joy.

  “The baby kicked. I'm sorry you missed it, but hopefully soon, you'll get to experience it with me,” she said.

  “Isn't it too early for that?” I muttered.

  My mom piped in. “She's about four months along? Then no, you can feel movement at about sixteen weeks,” she said, a look of happiness in her eyes I hadn't seen for some time. “It's early, but it just shows that the baby is healthy.”

  I nodded. “Good to know.”

  “You have a lot to learn still,” Dad said. “But don't worry, it'll come to you, Malcolm. It'll be second nature to you in no time flat.”

  Sure, it will, I thought to myself.

  Alba brought our dinner out to us. Tonight, it was filet mignon, grilled asparagus, and diced potatoes with butter and chunks of crab meat. My father's favorite – he never skimped on fancy meals. I'd have been just as happy with a burger and some animal style fries from In-n-Out, but family dinners were always a formal affair.

  Thinking about In-n-Out brought back pleasant memories and I couldn't contain the smile, as I remembered eating fast food in bed with Casey.

  “What are you smiling about, Malcolm?” Adam asked from across the table.

  “Nothing,” I said, my face returning to its normal, blank mask. “Just thinking about how much I love a good steak.”

  “Uh huh,” Adam said, scooping some potatoes onto his plate. “Are you sure it doesn’t have something to do with that girl who left your office yesterday? The sexy little brunette?”

  His eyes bored into mine, trying to read my soul, a smirk on his face.

  “I'm not sure who you're talking about,” I said. “I met with Mr. Brownstein, and a few other clients. Oh, maybe you meant Lena, from accounting? She had some questions and her boss is still on maternity leave.”

  “I know Lena, it wasn't her,” he said. “Said her name was Casey. A young, pretty little thing, I might add. She looked a little disheveled leaving your office though.”

  “Doesn't ring a bell,” I said. “Sorry.”

  My fists were balled up on my lap, and I found myself no longer interested in eating. I glared at Adam, wondering what he hoped to accomplish with all of this.

  Danielle cleared her throat as she reached for my hand. She looked at me and smiled.

  “I'm sure you're mistaken, Adam,” she said.

  I pulled my hand away from hers. “I know he's mistaken,” I said. “Not that it matters if I'm seeing someone or not, it's no one's business but my own.”

  “Oh, I'd think the mother of your child might have something to say about that,” Adam said.

  “Are you so sure it's not your kid, Adam?” I asked. “Because you two were awfully friendly – ”

  Dad slammed his fists against the table, making the silverware jump and the glasses nearly fall over as he shouted at us.

  “ENOUGH!” his booming voice echoed around the dining room.

  Both Adam and I continued staring at each other, but neither of us spoke another word.

  “Can we not have one decent meal together, as a family, without fighting?” Dad growled. “Who knows how many more of these I have left? At least you two could pretend to like each other. For my sake.”

  “Sorry, Dad,” Adam said.

  “Yeah, sorry for ruining your dinner,” I said.

  I continued shooting a look of death at Adam, though. I wasn't sorry for what I'd said to him, just that it upset my father.

  “Malcolm, you're a grown man with a child on the way, it's time you acted like it,” Dad said. “And Adam, stop looking for trouble. Stop goading him. If Malcolm says he doesn't know this girl, drop it. No need to upset Danielle by spreading rumors.”

  Danielle piped up, “Thank you, Mr. Crane.”

  I gritted my teeth but focused on my food. I pushed the meat around on my plate, my appetite gone, and didn't say another word for the rest of the dinner. Casey had apparently met Adam, and I had no idea what Adam knew or didn't know. I wasn't prepared to introduce Casey to my family yet. Honestly, it was nice not to have her involved with all the drama.

  Not only that, I didn't want to mess things up with her by introducing her to the likes of Adam or Danielle. I knew those two conniving schemers would stop at nothing to sabotage my efforts. I also didn't want her hurt or involved with people who would hurt her. Adam knew about her though, and I had no idea what he had up his sleeve.

  Alba came out and cleared the plates and served each of us a slice of triple chocolate cake. I'd barely touched my food, and when she put the plate in front of me, I shook my head.

  “No thank you,” I said softly.

  I stood from the table. “If you'll excuse me,” I said. “It's been a long day and I'm ready to hit the hay.”

  “Sit down, Malcolm,” Dad ordered. “Dinner isn't over yet.”

  Mom, Adam and Danielle looked at me. No one had even touched their dessert yet.

  “It is for me,” I said.

  I put my napkin down on the table and pushed my chair back into place before leaving the dining room. No one else said a word as I went. Not even my father. I heard footsteps approaching from behind me though, light heels clicking on the hardwood floors and I didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

  “Malcolm, wait,” Danielle said, grabbing my arm just as I was about to go up the stairs. “Please. Can we talk, alone?”

  “There's nothing to talk about, Danielle,” I said.

  “I don't believe you,” she said.

  She stepped in front of me, blocking the stairwell. Once upon a time, I'd thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. With pale, blonde hair and sun kissed skin, she was radiant. Her blue eyes were wide and innocent, and I hadn't seen a single imperfection on her face or body.

  Now though, that view of her had been tainted and I saw without the rose-colored glasses I'd always seen her through before. I noticed the frown lines forming on her face. Saw that her dress hung loosely on her frame – much too large for her. She'd lost weight. Quite a bit of it, judging by how slack the dress was on her body. I would have expected that she'd gain wait, being pregnant and all. Her hands rested on her flat belly, a nervous light in her eyes, and still no sign of a baby growing inside of her.

  “Danielle, are you really pregnant?” I asked her.

  “Yes, of course,” she said. “Why would I lie to you?”

  “Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe, because our entire relationship was a lie, and you're trying to get back with me so you can sink your teeth into my checkbook?”

  “Listen, Malcolm,” she said, bringing her hand up to touch my face.

  Her perfectly manicured nail ran down the side of my cheek, and I backed away from her touch. The pain was clear on her face.

  “I know I screwed up, but do you really think Adam would keep his mouth shut if he
thought this might be his child?”

  “It might not be his either,” I said. “Because we both know you were with more than just the two of us.”

  “No, I wasn't,” she said. “And I can prove it to you.”

  “How?” I scoffed.

  “I'd like you to talk to Tyler,” she said. “He can clear everything up.”

  “You want me to talk to the man you cheated on me with?” I said and laughed. “Seriously?”

  Wow, that was a first. I had to admit, Danielle always knew how to keep me on my toes, but that wasn't always a good thing.

  “Stop wasting my time, Danielle,” I said. “I'm not going to talk to your lover. What could he possibly tell me that I'd even come remotely close to believing?”

  “That we've never been together in that way,” she said. “Don't you think if this might be his child, he'd want to claim it? He can't because he knows it can't be his either. And he's mad at me too.”

  “Oh, you poor thing,” I said dryly. “My heart aches for you.”

  “Please, Malcolm. Talk to him. For our child? For us?”

  Her eyes were wide and shimmered with unshed tears. Her lower lip trembled, and she had the most pitiful expression on her face. Even I had a hard time not softening up under that kind of pressure.

  “There is no us,” I mumbled.

  “Fine,” she sighed, closing her eyes just as a tear fell down her cheek. “Then do it for the baby.”

  The baby. Possibly my baby. If she were carrying my child, I wanted to know. I'd want to be in the kid's life. I wanted to be a father to him or her. It wasn't even about the inheritance at that point, but about the child.

  I thought back to Adam, and how bitter he was about being excluded from our father's life until he was older. I thought about the kind of person he was and knew I didn't want that for a child that could be mine. If Danielle was indeed pregnant with my child, I didn't want him or her to experience the same thing. I certainly didn't want them to turn out to be like Adam.

  “I don't need to talk to Tyler, Danielle,” I sighed.

  My head was killing me, and I rubbed at my temples.

  “If we determine the baby is mine,” I started. “I'll be the father he or she deserves. We'll make it work.”