Billionaire With Benefits: Make Her Mine-Book 2

by Winter, Alexis

  She shakes her head. “No, we have to tell him eventually.”

  He knocks on the bedroom door just as she pulls my shirt over her head. “Maddie?” he asks through the door.

  “Come in,” she calls out, giving me a sidelong glance. I look down to find myself in her oversized gray sweatpants. The ones that say Juicy across the ass in bright pink. I’m about to rip the seams, and I’m sure she’ll be pissed if I hulk out in them.

  The door opens and Damon walks in. “Hey, there you are,” he says before his eyes land on me. “What’s he doing here?” he asks, looking at me but talking to Maddie.

  She walks over to me and wraps her arm around my stomach. “We ran into one another last night.”

  “I thought you had a date last night?” he asks, placing his hands on his hips.

  She lets out a laugh. “You’re really getting this dad thing down, aren’t you?”

  I want to laugh, but I hold it back. Just looking at the way he’s standing screams disappointed father.

  His eyebrow lifts, not amused.

  “My date turned into a sleaze ball fast.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “It means he got a little handsy and tried to stop me from walking out of the club. Bennet stopped him.”

  I snort and roll my eyes. “And I’m sure I’ll have court papers on my desk on Monday too. No doubt he’ll press charges.”

  Damon’s eyes grow wide. “You kicked his ass? In the club?”

  I nod as my hand comes up to massage my temples. Already, I’m getting a headache just from thinking about it.

  “Dude, why are you wearing my sister’s pants?” Damon asks.

  I look down at my pants and shrug. “You know me,” is all I can say.

  Damon smiles. “Well, to be honest, I’m glad you guys are back together. I saw you together, and I saw you when you were apart, and you were both a mess. Maybe things can get back to normal around here, huh?”

  We all agree, and Damon pulls us both in for a hug. “But what I told ya before, it still stands.”

  Maddie looks up at me. “What did he tell ya?”

  “That if I broke your heart, he’d kick my ass.”

  Even she laughs, knowing that Damon could never kick my ass.

  “Jazz is in the kitchen. We brought over breakfast. Get dressed and join us. We have some good news.” Damon quickly leaves the room.

  I let out a deep breath. “I’m glad he didn’t try kicking my ass. I would’ve hated having to beat him up in front of his little sister.”

  She laughs. “Just don’t tell him that.”

  We both dress in our own clothing and walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Jazz is setting plates for six.

  “Hey, juicy,” Damon teases when he sees me.

  I hold up my middle finger.

  “Who else is coming?” Maddie asks.

  “Mom and Dad,” Damon says. “I didn’t realize that Bennet was here, but now’s as good of a time as any to introduce them. Don’t you think?” He grins as he wraps his arm around Jazz.

  She finally looks up, and her eyes grow wide. “Oh, my God. Are you two back together?” she asks in a high pitched voice that hurts my ears.

  I wrap my arm around Maddie’s shoulders and pull her to my side while we both smile and nod.

  Jazz screams with excitement and rushes over to give us both a hug. When she pulls away, she has tears running down her face.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, handing her a napkin.

  “I’m just so happy!” She cries even louder.

  Damon walks over and pulls her in for a hug. “Pregnancy hormones,” he points out.

  Maddie and I both nod but then quickly back away. I pull her off to the side. “Is that what happens when women get pregnant?” I ask in a whisper, afraid of Jazz hearing.

  “That and many more things,” she replies.

  I press my lips together. “I think I’ll leave the kids decision up to you. I’m not going to lie; crying women freak me out.”

  She laughs and smacks me against the chest. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t ever know what to say. I mean, is there a right thing to say?”

  “In her case, not really. You just gotta let her know you understand, even if you don’t.” She leans in and kisses me quickly, just as someone knocks on the door.

  Maddie pulls away and rushes toward the door. “Hey, Mom, Dad,” she greets them both with a hug.

  Damon hugs his mom and shakes his dad’s hand, and then Jazz gives them both a hug. When they’re all done greeting one another, everyone looks at me.

  I force a smile onto my face but am at a loss for words. I feel frozen while everyone looks at me like they expect me to break out in song or something. Finally, after Maddie watches me squirm for a little while, she steps up.

  21

  Maddie

  “Mom, Dad, this is Bennet Windsor, my boyfriend,” I say, moving over to Bennet’s side.

  “Did you say boyfriend?” my mom asks.

  I laugh and nod. “I did.”

  Mom smiles wide as she walks over. “She’s never called anyone her boyfriend before. You must be quite special,” she says, pulling Bennet in for a hug he has no say over.

  Bennet laughs and hugs her gently. When Mom pulls away, Dad walks over with his hand extended.

  “It’s nice to meet you, son.”

  “You too, sir,” Bennet says, shaking my dad’s hand.

  “Your name sounds familiar.” Dad looks him up and down.

  Damon walks over and places his hand on Bennet’s shoulder. “Bennet and I went to college together.”

  Dad points at Bennet. “That’s it. You’re the boy that got Damon so drunk, he missed his finals.”

  We all laugh.

  “To be fair, that was all Damon. He’s the one that bought that cheap vodka,” Bennet says, elbowing Damon in the ribs. “Nice to know you blamed me though,” he adds on.

  Damon shrugs and moves away while rubbing his side. “Hey, I couldn’t tell them it was all my fault. I had to miss half of Christmas break to make up my exams. Mom was pissed.”

  We all laugh before the guys move into the dining room. Mom, Jazz, and myself hang in the kitchen to finish platting the food.

  “Man, you guys went all out,” I say, adding eggs, French toast, bacon, and sausage to the plate.

  “I was hungry. Don’t judge me,” Jazz says, picking up two plates to take to the dining room.

  I laugh. “I’m the last person that will judge you on food,” I laugh out. “I’ll start some coffee.”

  I brew the coffee while Mom and Jazz take the plates to the dining room. I take down a tray and fill it with coffee cups and then add the pot of coffee when it’s done brewing. Finally, I join the rest of them in the room.

  We all talk amongst ourselves while we each pour a cup coffee and take our seats. Mom and Dad sit across from Bennet and myself, and Jazz and Damon are at either end of the table. Finally, we all have our breakfast and coffee.

  “So, what’s going on?” Dad asks, probably already too coffeed-up to sit still without knowing the reason behind this breakfast date.

  “Well, Dad,” Damon starts. “We have some good news.” He looks at Jazz. “You want to tell them?” He gives her a smile that makes me smile too. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.

  She grins and nods excitedly. “We had a doctor’s appointment first thing this morning, and even though it’s a little too soon to be able to say one-hundred percent, the doctor had eyes on the baby’s sex.”

  Mom cheers and claps her hands like a child that’s too excited to contain herself.

  “We’re having a…” Jazz starts. “Boy!”

  Dad and Damon jump from their seats and hug one another. Their cheers are the loudest of all.

  Jazz and Mom hug and I quickly stand and join in.

  “Congrats, Jazz,” I say as I pull away and take my seat next to Bennet.

  I wat
ch as Dad starts to pass all his parenting wisdom down to Damon, and Mom does the same with Jazz. I lean closer to Bennet.

  “I guess this is pretty nice, huh?”

  He nods and places his arm over my shoulders. “Yeah, they all seem pretty happy.”

  I can’t force my smile to leave my face. I’m just so happy for all of us. I’m happy that Bennet and I get a second chance. I’m happy that my best friend and my brother finally found the love they both knew was there all along. I’m happy that their first son is on his way. And I’m happy for my parents who have been waiting patiently for years for the moment when they become grandparents.

  “Maybe we’ll think about kids down the road?” I ask lowly, so only Bennet can hear.

  He grins and nods. “I’d love to have children with you, Mads.” He leans closer and presses a soft kiss to my lips.

  We all enjoy breakfast and two pots of coffee before we clean up, and everyone starts to leave. Mom gives me a hug and presses a kiss to my head. “I’m so happy things are finally coming together for you.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” I say around a smile as I watch Bennet and my dad talk and laugh.

  Bennet walks my dad to the door, and he quickly kisses my head. “You behave yourself, baby girl. I like this one.” He points at Bennet.

  “Bye,” we all yell as they close the door behind them.

  I spin around and wrap my arms around Bennet’s waist. Looking up at him, I ask, “What did you and my dad talk so much about?”

  He laughs.

  “What?”

  “He wanted to know when we plan on getting married. He gave Damon and Jazz the house, and he’s worried he won’t have anything to give you.”

  I feel my face scrunch. Not because he doesn’t have anything to give me. I’m not expecting anything, but I had no idea he gave Damon the house.

  I spin around and look at them. They clearly overheard, but they’re trying to pretend they have no idea what’s going on. Damon is looking at the ceiling, and Jazz is looking at the floor while rubbing her belly.

  “Seriously, you two?”

  They both jump, trying to explain.

  “You can’t hit me! I’m pregnant!” Jazz yells, causing us all to laugh.

  “When have I ever hit you?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

  She shrugs. “You never know. You are a boxer now.”

  I snort and roll my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Mads. I didn’t think you’d want the house,” Damon says.

  I laugh. “I don’t want the house. Plus, Bennet is building us a new one.” I hug him closer and stick my tongue out at them.

  They freeze for a second, then realize that I’m not mad about Dad giving them the house. Damon relaxes and turns toward Bennet. “Is that why you bought such a big lot?”

  He nods as his hands rub up and down my back. “I was just thinking ahead.”

  “That’s not too far from us. When you guys have kids, they’ll get to grow up together,” Jazz says.

  Bennet and I pull apart, going in separate directions.

  “I’m going to finish up in the dining room,” Bennet says, taking off.

  “I’m going to load the dishwasher,” I say, nearly pushing Jazz and Damon out of the way.

  Jazz laughs. “I didn’t mean now. I just meant, one day.”

  “We’ll see,” I tell her with a grin.

  “Are you sure this looks okay?” I ask, standing back and looking myself over in the mirror.

  Bennet adjusts his tie. “You look beautiful,” he whispers in my ear just before he presses a kiss to my cheek.

  I let out a deep breath. “I’m so nervous. I mean, I know I met your mom before, but she wasn’t too happy about us.”

  Bennet sits on the edge of the bed and pulls on his shoes. “Since my dad has passed, she’s a lot different.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask, applying a light pink lipstick to my lips.

  He looks up, and our eyes meet in the mirror. “Before, she was more worried about money and appearances. But now, I think losing my dad has taught her what’s really important. She no longer spends her days shopping and taking lavish vacations. She actually sold the house that she and dad shared. She moved into a nice little townhouse just outside the city. She knows she doesn’t need that big place just for her. She’s downsized quite a bit. She’s more focused on family, staying healthy, and spending her time with people she enjoys.” He laughs. “She actually joined a book club and a gardening club. She’s… I don’t know, the happiest I’ve ever seen her.”

  I smile as I turn around to face him directly. “That’s great. What about your sister?”

  He shrugs. “I mean, we won’t have any problems out of her. She’s one that supports all love. She’s very free-spirited. But I’m hoping to talk her into joining the company tonight.”

  “Does she not want to?”

  He stands and walks up to me, wrapping me up in his strong arms. “She wants to make a living off her art, but as we all know, that’s hard to do, especially living directly in the city. It’s too expensive for what she’s making. I’m hoping she comes on, even if it’s just part-time to give her some extra cash and insurance. God forbid she gets hurt or sick. I’ll be paying her medical bills out of pocket.” He leans down and kisses me gently. “Come on. Let’s go have dinner.” He releases me but keeps my hand in his so he can lead me from the room.

  Bennet leads me into a fancy restaurant and directly to a table that has two women already seated. They both stand and give him a quick hug, then turn to face me.

  Bennet’s mom smiles as she holds out her hand to shake. “It’s wonderful seeing you again, Madeline.”

  I smile and shake her hand. “You too, Mrs. Windsor.” I then turn to his sister.

  She leans in and gives me a quick hug. “It’s good to finally have a name to put that face to.” She pulls away but keeps me at arm's length. “I hope I didn’t screw anything up the night you came to the house.”

  I laugh. “I’m afraid I did that all on my own.”

  Bennet laughs and rubs my shoulders before pulling out my chair. I sit, and when he slides me forward, he bends down and whispers in my ear, “The only thing you’re going to be screwing is me.”

  His words make my face heat up, and there’s no doubt my cheeks are bright red.

  He takes his seat between his sister and me. “So, how’s everyone doing?”

  “I’m doing wonderful. I just got acknowledgment for my beautiful rose garden. I was mentioned in the Tribune,” his mom smiles.

  “That’s great, Mom. What about you, Val?”

  She shrugs. “I may be moving in with Mom soon.”

  Bennet scoffs. “Just come and work at the company and quit being so damn hardheaded.”

  “What would I be doing?” she asks, eyes cast down at the glass of wine she’s swirling around.

  “Callan needs an assistant. He’s gone through several already this month. None seem to stick.”

  She rolls her eyes. “That’s probably because he’s a dumbass.” She shakes her head. “I still can’t believe Dad let you hire all your buddies.”

  He laughs. “Well, they’re getting the job done, aren’t they?”

  She shrugs. “I’ll think about it.”

  “What is that you do in the company, Madeline?” Val asks, taking the attention off of her.

  “Please, call me Maddie. And I no longer work there. I recently got into data configuration at Chance Security.” I pick up my glass and take a drink, hoping this answer doesn’t make Bennet start in about me coming back to the company.

  “Speaking of that,” he says, looking at me.

  I roll my eyes, telling him now isn’t the time.

  “What do you say we order, huh?” he changes the subject.

  We all pick up our menus, and the conversation drifts off to easier topics.

  I knew, at some point, Bennet would mention me coming back to the company, and I’ve been dreading talking
about it. It’s not that I hated working there. In fact, when nobody knew about us, it was fun being able to sneak into his office and have a little dirty time. But now that everyone knows, I don’t know if I can ever show my face there again. Especially in that office, or on that floor entirely. Plus, I’m really liking my new job. It has good hours, great benefits, and the pay is more than I’ve ever made before.

  The topic isn’t brought up again through the rest of dinner, but the moment Bennet and I slide into the car, he asks again.

  “What are your plans for working, Maddie? Are you going to stay where you’re at? Do you ever see yourself coming back? Or do you not want to work at all?”

  My eyes cut in his direction. “Of course I want to work.”

  He flinches from my harsh tone. “Okay, I’m just letting you know that you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

  “What would I do? Sit around and drink tea all day?” I ask sarcastically.

  He snorts. “God, I’d hope not. But I miss you at the office.” He reaches over and takes my hand in his, his thumb gently rubbing the back and forth.

  “I can’t show my face there, Bennet. I mean, the moment I walk into that building, I will feel like everyone is talking about me.”

  “Who cares?” he asks.

  I turn and look at him. “I do. You don’t know what it’s like having everyone say you got something you worked hard for just from being with one person.”

  He laughs. “Do you know who you’re talking to? I’ve had a million people talk badly about me because of who my father is. I’ve been told I never would’ve made it on my own, that I owe everything to my father. You know what I did?” he asks, glancing at me.

  I shrug.

  “I proved them all wrong. I took Dad’s company and pushed it into becoming one of the top business in Chicago. I admit, Dad started it off right, but if it weren’t for me, it wouldn’t be worth nearly as much as it is now. And all those people that said I couldn’t do it, they all shut the fuck up. And now when I see them, they smile and suck up, acting polite. And I just rub it in their smug faces. You can do the same.”

  I smile, wanting to laugh, but I hold it back. “I just want you. Not that job.” I shake my head while looking at him.