Cocky Billionaires: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by J. P. Comeau

  I looked over at her. “Do you?”

  Kelly rubbed my back. “Well, we know now.”

  I sighed. “Fair enough.”

  Karina scooted closer to me. “It wasn’t fair of Kelly and me to take all of those trips and do all of those things behind your back. We should’ve invited you, even if we knew the answer would be ‘no.’”

  I looked over at her. “What if I would’ve said ‘yes’?”

  She smiled. “Then, we would’ve loved having you there.”

  I shrugged. “Why not invite me in the first place?”

  Kelly wrapped her arm around me. “Because sometimes--and don’t take this the wrong way--it’s just nice to spend time with someone else who’s also with someone longterm. You know, so we can bitch and moan and complain without you reminding us constantly how lucky we are.”

  I snickered. “Well, you two are lucky. And you should stop bitching and moaning about stupid shit.”

  Karina kissed my temple. “That’s exactly the reason why we didn’t invite you.”

  I stood up. “I’m heading inside.”

  Kelly shot up. “You’re not listening to us.”

  I pointed at her. “And you’re not listening to me.”

  Karina wiggled in between us. “Yes, we are. We are listening. You feel left out because we’re your two best friends who, all of a sudden, are doing more things together without inviting you. And now, we’re out here celebrating your birthday even though we’ve spent more time with our guys than with you.”

  I blinked. “Okay, maybe you’re finally listening.”

  Karina took my hands in hers. “Now, listen to us, okay?”

  Kelly nodded. “Please?”

  I sighed. “Fine. Whatever.”

  Karina drew in a deep breath. “Kelly and I are in dedicated relationships. Hell, I’m a mother now, Roxy. And I know things happened fast. I know we didn’t get a lot of time just the three of us when I first moved here. But, there are some things about our lives you don’t understand anymore. And that’s not a bad thing! It just is what it is. So, when I fight with Zane or when Kelly fights with Brenden, it’s easier for us to call up one another and go out on a whim because we get where the other is coming from. That’s all.”

  I looked over at my sister. “That’s all?”

  Kelly nodded. “We promise you, that’s all that’s happening.”

  I nodded slowly. “Okay. I can accept that.”

  Karina smiled. “So, you forgive us?”

  I held up my finger. “I said I can accept it. No one said anything about forgiveness yet.”

  Kelly giggled before she hugged me tightly. “I love you, too, Roxy.”

  I hugged her. “Come on, let’s get back inside. I need another drink after this.”

  We quickly fell back into the same routines, though. Kelly gravitated back to Brenden, and Karina found her way back to Zane. I sat at the head of the table, alone, while the rest of them sat on either side of me, talking and laughing and eating. I stared at the wall while the girls giggled over a joke Zane told. I ignored Brenden while he told his mindless stories about stupid shit we knew wasn’t true.

  Well, that didn’t last long.

  “Roxy?” Kelly asked.

  I looked over at her. “Hmmm?”

  “Did you hear me?”

  I blinked. “Hear what?”

  “I asked if you were all right.”

  I furrowed my brow. “I’m fine. Why?”

  Karina piped up. “You just look a bit bored.”

  My eyes widened. “Bored? Hell, no. I’m just in a weird place right now, that’s all. I’ll get over it.”

  Zane focused on me. “Anything we can do to help?”

  Brenden stood up. “You want another drink or something?”

  I waved my hand at them. “It’s fine, sit down and enjoy yourselves. I’m fine, I promise.”

  Zane sat back down. “So, how are things going at Clint’s company?”

  Brenden interjected. “He means, how do you like your job?”

  I nodded. “It’s a nice job. I’ve gotten the hang of things, and it pays me enough to cover my bills.”

  Karina smiled. “That sounds fantastic.”

  Kelly giggled. “I knew you’d enjoy that job. And you were so weird about taking it before.”

  Brenden paused. “Really? Why? I thought she was perfectly suited for the job.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want you guys to kiss my ass, you know. All I want is for things to go back to the way they were.”

  Silence fell over the table as I slowly realized what I said.

  “I-I-I-I don’t mean back to before the guys were in our lives. Not at all. I just mean--.”

  Zane held up his hand. “We get it.”

  Brenden nodded. “We understand completely.”

  I paused. “Do you, though?”

  Karina hissed at me. “They’re trying, just give them a chance.”

  I cast her a look. “You’re doing it again.”

  “We’re going to defend our men, Roxy. You can’t stop us from doing that.” Kelly told me.

  I leaned back. “Yeah, just like they can’t stop you from going out without me because I’m single and you’re not. Right?”

  The silence hung even heavier this time, and I was ready to throw in the towel on this evening.

  “Is being a front desk secretary what you want to do for the rest of your life?” Zane asked.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  Brenden leaned forward. “What kind of other things are you interested in?”

  Karina smiled. “She likes having a good time!”

  Kelly nodded. “And partying.”

  “She’s also a whiz on drinks. She could take bartending classes.”

  “Oh, sis! You’d be so good at bartending. You’d get all the tips with your outfits and things like that.”

  I paused. “I have a job, but thank you.”

  Kelly shrugged. “We’re just thinking more long-term, that’s all.”

  I sighed. “No, you mean like building my own fashion line or heading up an entire department. Not just being some lowly secretary.”

  Karina pinned me with a glare. “That’s not what we mean, and you know it. Stop twisting our words.”

  I shrugged. “Not very hard to twist at this point.”

  Kelly threw her napkin onto her plate. “That’s it. I’m done with this.”

  Brenden gripped her arm. “Sit down and just hear her out.”

  Karina stood. “No, I’ve had enough of this. Roxy, just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean you get to sling around the kind of vile you’ve been spewing all night. If you had issues like this? It’s your problem for letting them fester and get to this point. You should’ve approached us a long time ago and addressed these concerns instead of keeping them so pent-up like you have.”

  I slowly stood. “Well, forgive me if I can’t get any time with you two between the day trips to the beach and the spa retreats in the middle of a fucking Tuesday afternoon.”

  “That’s it!” Kelly exclaimed.

  “We’re leaving,” Karina said.

  I held up my hand. “Oh, no-no. Don’t let me inconvenience the mother and the girlfriend of the year. No, no, I’ll take my leave.”

  “Roxy, just stop,” Zane said.

  I shot him a look. “You’re lucky I came around to liking you after the shit you pulled with Karina. How many times did she call me up crying and ready to dump you like a bad habit back in Hawaii? I lost count. You’re lucky I’m even in your corner. So, can it.”

  I stormed out of the room and charged through the multiple blackjack tables. I headed straight for the bar before I ordered myself an entire bottle of wine. I carried it straight up to the second floor, where my own personal V.I.P. room had been set aside for me. A treat for myself, of course. I shelled out the money once I got here to have a room with only my name on it because I knew I’d need a place to g
o where no one could find me.

  “I hate my life so much,” I murmured.

  As I poured myself a very full glass of wine, I started thinking about their questions. What did I want to do for the rest of my life? Was being a front-desk secretary as good as it got for someone like me? I mean, I didn’t have the business acumen that Kelly had. I didn’t have the stomach for stupid people like Karina had. And it wasn’t as if I went to college. Hell, I was lucky enough to scrape by during my two-year medical transcriptionist program that I ended up not doing anything with.

  Maybe you’re nothing but a party girl who can’t grow up.

  Tears sprang to my eyes as I leaned back against the leather couch. I gazed out over the muted casino and saw everyone gathering downstairs. Kelly and Brenden; Karina and Zane. All of them were standing around someone with smiles on their faces and laughter on the tip of their tongues.

  Then, I saw the person in the middle turn my way.

  “It can’t be,” I murmured.

  I saw Clint glance up to my window before he pulled away from the crowd. I watched him weave his way through people before he disappeared beneath me, and I shot up from the couch. He wasn’t really coming up here. He wouldn't have that kind of nerve, right?

  I waited with bated breath as my eyes stayed locked on the door that led into my room.

  And when the doorknob turned, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

  “I hear there’s a birthday girl up here who isn’t very happy,” Clint said.

  The door swung open, and I noticed he was wearing a new suit.

  “You changed,” I said.

  He stepped inside. “Got some alcohol on my other one.”

  I lifted my glass. “Cheers to that.”

  He closed the door behind him. “Pretty full glass you’ve got there. Mind if I join you?”

  He brandished a wine glass from behind his back, and I shrugged.

  “Suit yourself.”

  I sat back down on the couch as he poured himself a half-glass of wine. Then, he had the nerve to sit down beside me. I chugged my glass of wine before I went to get up. But, Clint reached for the bottle and refilled my glass for me.

  “There you go,” he said.

  I nodded slowly. “Thanks.”

  He crossed his leg over his knee. “So, why are you really up here?”

  “Like I’d tell you.”

  He shrugged. “I’m the only one up here. You might as well.”

  “Happy birthday to me.”

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that sounded sarcastic.”

  “Well, at least wartime didn’t rattle that old brain up there of yours, yeah?”

  He chuckled. “Do you always use insults to deflect? Or, is this a new thing with you?”

  I chugged my second glass of wine. “What do you want, Clint?”

  He looked over at me. “To celebrate your birthday however you want.”

  I held my glass out. “What I want is to get the hell away from them down there.”

  He filled my glass again. “Seems like you accomplished that.”

  I slowly looked over at him. “You look nice in that suit.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “You look wonderful in your outfit as well.”

  “I wasn’t fishing for a compliment.”

  “I know you weren’t.”

  I slid my eyes down his body, and I couldn't help but stare at his pelvis. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew of the rumors that circulated around work regarding Clint. Hell, those rumors had followed him all the way home from the Navy. And I’d be lying if I said part of me wasn’t curious as to what the man was packing. I sipped my wine and forced my eyes forward. The last thing I needed was to be so desperate as to think sleeping with my boss was a good choice for the evening.

  Besides, the man had become a workaholic. Just like his brothers. Just like that entire family. So, even if we did hit it off, I knew it would only be a one-time thing. And I was sick of one time things. I was sick of a lot of things, really. Like being put second in the lives of people I always put first. And just like I didn’t have time for friends who put me second, I didn’t have time for a man who put me second either.

  So, no use in opening that can of worms simply because I felt abandoned.

  8

  _____

  CLINT

  I tried not to grin too hard when Roxy started staring at my crotch. It was amusing, really, how her defenses were down, and all ladylike mannerisms had been tossed out the window. I enjoyed a woman who went after what she wanted. It’s one of the things that drew me to my ex.

  Too bad she didn’t know how to stop going after the men she wanted.

  As I sat next to Roxy, I forced myself to loosen up a bit. Though, the alcohol was helping me in that regard. I swirled my wine around in its glass as I eased into the comfort of the couch we took up. I tried not to stare too hard at the birthday girl sitting next to me, though she was particularly dressed up for the evening. And her curves were on display for anyone to behold.

  Damn it. She’s a gorgeous girl.

  “So, you enjoying yourself tonight?” I asked.

  Roxy snickered. “Sure.”

  “Doesn’t sound like a convincing answer to me.”

  She shrugged. “Yeah. I love celebrating my birthday by myself.”

  “I take it everyone else isn’t spending much time with you?”

  She held out her arms. “You see anyone here now?”

  “I’m here.”

  “Besides you.”

  “Then, you make a valid point.”

  She sighed. “It’s nothing. I’m ready to go home anyway.”

  “If you want me to, I’ll take you home.”

  Her gaze found my own. “Really?”

  I shrugged. “If that’s what the birthday girl wants, then that’s what she gets.”

  “Well, what if the birthday girl wants to rip the heads off of your two brothers?”

  “Then, the birthday girl understands why I went off to the military.”

  She blinked. “I’m not following.”

  I grinned. “Figured if I wanted to kill people, I might as well not kill my own two brothers.”

  She shoved me. “That’s not funny.”

  I chuckled. “Got a laugh out of my buddies whenever we shipped off for another job.”

  Her eyes turned back out to the casino. “I get it, you know.”

  “Get what?”

  “Why I don’t see Kelly and Karina too often anymore.”

  I locked my attention directly onto her as she drew in a deep breath.

  “I mean, if I had a man half as wonderful as Brenden or Zane in my life, I wouldn't want to hang out with anyone else, either. And I sure as hell wouldn’t want to hang out with some tramp that picks up new men every week.”

  I sat up straight. “Hey.”

  “What?”

  “Look at me?”

  She fluttered her eyes in my direction. “What?”

  I glared at her. “I said, look at me.”

  She turned her body in my direction. “What do you want, Clint?”

  I gripped her chin. “Don’t you ever talk about yourself like that again. Got it?”

  She furrowed her brow. “Why?”

  “Because you’re better than that, Roxy. You’re one of the best people I know. You’re witty. You’re beautiful, and you’re intelligent. You don’t take people’s shit, and you sure as hell don’t put up with their bullshit. It takes a strong woman to go after what she wants, even if it is a guy a week. Who cares what other people think? You do what makes you happy, and damned be the consequences. There are a lot of people out there that would love to have that as a part of their personality. All right?”

  She nodded softly. “All right, I get it.”

  My hand fell away from her chin. “Good.”

  I watched as her lips cocked with a grin before it turned into a full-blown sm
ile. And her smile lit up the entire room we sat in. It was beautiful, and it made her look beautiful, and there was nothing I wanted more than to put yet another smile on her face.

  This isn’t good, Clint. Backtrack. Abort. Get out.

  “Hey! We were wondering where you two went off to!” Brenden exclaimed.

  Zane clapped my shoulder. “Entertaining the birthday girl, I see.”

  Roxy’s smile quickly fell from her face, and I wanted to sucker-punch my brothers for making her feel this way.

  “Yeah, yeah. Just doing what I can,” I said.

  Brenden dropped down onto the couch in between us, and I wanted to toss him off the roof.

  Why is this so frustrating to me?

  “Where are the girls?” I asked.

  Zane thumbed over his shoulder. “Oh, they’re heading up here now. They wanted to bring drinks with them.”

  Roxy snickered. “And you guys aren’t helping them?”

  Brenden held up his hands. “Not for lack of trying. They insisted on bringing the drinks up themselves. I don’t know what they’ve got brewing, but it can’t be good.”

  Roxy leaned forward. “So, Clint tells me he wanted to kill you two when you guys were younger. Why is that?”

  The room fell silent before my brothers started bursting out, laughing.

  “Oh, Clint. Always a kidder,” Brenden said.

  Zane patted my shoulder. “Trust me. We wanted to kill him just as much.”

  I grinned. “Doubtful.”

  Roxy snickered, and I stole a glance her way before I tossed her a wink, which made her blush. And I found the color suited her.

  I wonder what the rest of her body looks like in that color.

  Brenden turned to Roxy. “Clint here was just as much of a pain in the ass then as he is now. And we knew he’d go into the military, right, Zane?”

  Zane pulled up a chair. “Yes, we did. He was military before he even joined up. He was in the gym running two miles-a-day when he was fifteen years old, and the girls wouldn't stop drooling over him.”

  Brenden chuckled. “My brother stole more of my dates growing up than anything else, and he didn’t even know it. The girls would come over or see us out, and they’d pay more attention to him than they did me!”

  I snickered. “I guess I’ve always been a ladies’ man, yes.”