The Everest Brothers: Ethan - Hutton - Bennett

by Scott, S. L.

  “I’m up for it. I feel good. It’s been six months, but how heavy is it?”

  “It’s a woman’s suitcase, so I would say pretty damn heavy.”

  “I’m just kidding. I’m fine.”

  “Are you guys settled in?” Two months ago, an apartment on the twelfth floor came on the market. We promptly took it off the market and gave it to Aaron and Caroline. With him in recovery, it was fine having them in the penthouse, but it was time for Singer and me to have some time alone. They’ve become of part of our family. Singer refers to Caroline as her niece. Their close bond is good for both of them.

  Lars helps with the other cases, and I grab my laptop and stow it away in my backpack. This trip to Texas may be considered personal, but I still need to work. Once we signed the contracts for the extra cargo holds in East Bay, business has been booming.

  McCoy Properties lost its contract and sold their holdings to me. They’re close to filing Chapter 11 due to bad business dealings and the sentence Lucas was handed down for three consecutive life terms in prison.

  Needless to say, Singer is doing better than I am, putting everything in the past. She has her melancholy moments, she might always have those, but she’s optimistic for a happy future.

  She showed Lucas mercy that I wouldn’t have. I would have shot him in the apartment.

  Taking a deep breath, I grab my phone from the counter and head to the car. We’re Texas bound. I’m looking into buying some property near Austin. I think it will be good for us to have the option from the fast-paced city life of New York. Also, it gets way too cold here in the winter.

  Once we’re in the SUV, Lars says, “The jet is ready and on standby.”

  “We’re running late,” I add, nudging Singer.

  She laughs. “Sorry, but eyeliner is very tricky business. Luckily Caroline’s a fast learner. It could have been worse.” Maneuvering under my arm, she relaxes. “Did you tell your parents when we’re arriving?”

  “My parents are supposed to be picking us up, so I texted them the change in time.”

  “Do they know you’re bringing Lars?”

  “I told them, but they still insisted we stay with them.”

  “This is good, Ethan. It’s time to heal, and for all of us to move on.”

  Hope is something we still give a lot of credence to. It’s carried us through some of our darkest times, so we hold tightly to it. Leaning forward, I tell Aaron, “Don’t forget about the stop.”

  “I’m on it.”

  Singer looks surprised. “What stop? I thought we were running late already?”

  “It’s only a little out of the way. The plane won’t leave without us, so don’t worry.”

  Lars opens the door for us, and we slide out.

  Singer smiles and it’s the prettiest sight. Her tone has a lilt and her eyes reveal her inner happiness. “What are we doing here?”

  I take the left hand that wears the promise to meet me at the end of the aisle and lead her inside the building. “You’ll see.”

  The apartment is open for us, just as promised. Looking around, not much has changed. The couch is in a different place and the small dining table doesn’t have a widescreen TV balanced on it. But it feels the same. It feels like a new start deep down in my heart.

  Taking her by the waist, I pull her close. “I don’t want to live with regrets, and this was where the biggest one of my life happened. Come with me.” I walk to the window and lift up the pane. It’s not a warm spring day like the last time we were here. It’s cold, so I tighten her coat belt around her waist and make sure her neck is warm under her scarf before I help her through the small opening onto the fire escape. I’ve waited so long to right this wrong, and I don’t want to squander another minute. The universe is counting on me.

  “Fifth step up,” I say, not needing to say more. Her grin tells me she knows what I’m doing. She even does it too when she scoots to one side, giving me room to sit down.

  Sitting here with her again, I feel at peace. This is my do-over and I’m going to do it right. I pull two Heinekens from my coat pocket and open one for her then one for me. Her laughter echoes between the buildings above as she takes the can. Just like the sexy siren she is, she takes an impressive sip.

  I take a drink while keeping my eyes on her. She’s prettier than any sunset I’ve ever seen, her beauty more than skin-deep. She’s changed a lot over the last year and a half, becoming more comfortable with who she is, but she was always amazing to me. I lift up.

  This time our lips meet in a kiss that was always destined to be—familiar and still so damn enticing. In this kiss, I’m living my destiny. I can finally forgive the past choices I made and look forward to our future.

  Leaning back, I push a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and caress her cheek. “Remember the promise you made me?”

  “Which one is that?” Her hands begin to wander over my shoulder and down the front of my shirt. “I’ve made you lots of promises.”

  “The one about eloping.”

  “What?” Her body straightens, her fingers fidgeting with the top button of my shirt. “When did I promise that?”

  “The night of the attack at your apartment.”

  “On the back of the ambulance?”

  “Yep.”

  She stares at me for a few seconds and asks, “What did I promise exactly?”

  “That we could run away, just the two of us, and get married.”

  Her shoulders ease and her smile reappears. Taking my face between her hands, she says, “Yes, Ethan Everest. I would run anywhere in the world with you. Marriage is a deal I’m happy to seal as long as it’s sealed with you.”

  And we seal it with another kiss, right there on a fire escape in a small Bronx apartment.

  And again later that night.

  But that’s another story . . .

  Reviews are amazing. Please consider leaving one on the platform where you purchased your copy of this ebook. Thank you!

  *Ethan wears a Crow Brothers concert T-shirt in Everest. This is a series of standalone rock star romances. Meet Jet Crow, Rivers Crow, Tulsa Crow, and their bandmate, Ridge Carson today.

  The Crow Brothers Series:

  Spark - Now Available: CLICK HERE

  Tulsa - Now Available: CLICK HERE

  Rivers - Now Available: CLICK HERE

  Ridge - Now Available: CLICK HERE

  **The Resistance - the band shirt Singer wore in Everest is a hot bad boy rocker series. You can meet Johnny Outlaw, sexy lead singer, by clicking here: The Resistance

  HUTTON

  Copyright © S. L. Scott 2018

  All rights reserved.

  The right of S.L. Scott to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

  This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-940071-76-3

  Cover Design: RBA Designs

  Marion Archer of Making Manuscripts

  Marla Esposito of Proofing Style

  Jenny Sims of Editing4Indies

  Proofreader: Kristen Johnson

  Team Readers: Lynsey Johnson and Andrea Johnston

  Photographer: Wander Aguilar

  Cover Model: Andrew Biernat

  BAD REPUTATION

  Being bad never felt so good.

  I fell for Ally the moment I saw her. Who doesn’t like a confident, intelligent woman with curves I could spend days exploring?

  Who am I kidding?

  I have.

  Many
times.

  Our story ended abruptly when she packed her bags and left like we weren’t meant to be. We are. So I’m calling her bluff. That’s how I ended up thousands of miles from home, standing next to a man who claims to be her fiancé.

  Being good has never felt so bad.

  When it comes to a successful man with an incredible body and biteable jaw aka Hutton . . . let’s just say willpower is not my strong suit.

  Need more?

  Try bad-boy American.

  You’re welcome.

  Embracing my newfound good girl status, I do the right thing to start my reign. My desires no longer matter. The monarchy, the people, and my country do. There is no place for love in this new life.

  But I never expected to see him again, much less standing next to my royally appointed soon-to-be fiancé. As if that didn’t complicate things, he’s wearing a perfectly tailored tuxedo and my favorite smirk. I straighten my crown and adjust my dress, realizing this good girl never stood a chance. I’ll take the bad reputation if I get him.

  Prologue

  Hutton

  “I’m going to talk to her.”

  “Damn, dude,” my friend Gear says. “You have balls of confidence.”

  “Why do you say that?” I ask, unable to tear my eyes away from the most beautiful woman in the bar. Despite wearing the frumpiest costume I’ve ever seen, she stands out among the crowd. Beauty like hers doesn’t blend in.

  “She’s the hottest chick in the place, even if she is dressed like that,” Gear says.

  “Exactly.”

  She brushes a strand of chestnut-colored hair off her perfectly poised shoulders as she takes a sip of her drink. Her skin is smooth and without the tanning bed glow most women my age have. It’s refreshing. And compelling. And a complete turn-on.

  “Lemme ask you something. I know the Everest brothers tend to get what they want, but have you ever been shot down, Hutton?”

  “No.”

  Gear rolls his eyes. “Well, I have and it sucks.”

  A group of college-aged kids huddle at the end of the bar. There’s no doubt they’re trying to summon the courage to talk to her.

  “Do you have a point?” I ask. “Because, if not, I’m heading over there.”

  Two fingers come out from around his pint glass and point her way. “There’s a reason no guy is approaching her. She’s gorgeous, but for fuck’s sake, I bet she’s a cold-as-ice princess, man. And you didn’t even dress up for Halloween.”

  I glance at my attire. The same gray dress pants and white button-down shirt I left Houston in this morning cover my body. I didn’t have time to plan for Halloween.

  “Check out the devil in the corner.”

  Three women dressed to be noticed stand in the corner with empty glasses. Their coy act—looking around innocently while batting their eyelashes—stand in stark contrast to the costumes they chose this Halloween. And Gear falls right in line with what they are going for. He nods his approval.

  I check out the woman he’s eyeing, but there’s nothing there that draws me. She’s sexy—hot, even—but when I shoot a glance back at the other one in the corner, there’s no comparison.

  “She’s all yours,” I say. “And probably anyone else’s who wants her tonight. I like to fuck, but it’s not about quantity. It’s about quality.”

  “So you’re saying the frumpy princess is quality? How do you figure?” Gear asks, then takes a sip of his beer.

  “Because she doesn’t have to show off that sexy little body she’s hiding under that dress. Pay attention. See how the top hugs her chest?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I can tell how her breasts are shaped—full teardrops that are more than a handful. And I have big hands. Also, they’re real, or they’d ride high.”

  “What’s wrong with fake tits?”

  I laugh. “Nothing. Just telling you how I break it down.”

  “Okay. Go on,” he says, setting his glass down and then crossing his arms. “What else, oh wise one?”

  “Is that sarcasm I detect?” I joke. “Just for that, I’m not giving you anything else. You can figure out life on your own.”

  Gear pops back with some ridiculous retort, but his words fall on deaf ears. My eyes return to the beauty just in time to catch her eyes on me. I nod out of habit and instantly kick myself for it. Fuck. That’s not going to impress her.

  She smiles but turns away to talk with her friend who’s dressed in what appears to be a deflated ball gown. Then I get it. And as soon as I realize what they’re dressed up as, I start laughing.

  “I get the frump,” I state.

  “Huh?” Gear motions for another beer. “You get what frump?”

  “I know what she’s supposed to be.” The bartender draws my attention when he tosses a bottle in the air, much to the amusement of the small crowd watching. I’m amused, too, but not with him. A single plastic slipper sits unattended at the end of the bar. It appears to be a discarded costume prop.

  Perfect.

  “This is all I need,” I tell Gear, grabbing the shoe.

  He laughs. “A shoe can’t save you from blue balls. Save your balls the trouble.” I tuck the shoe into my belt at my back.

  I take a deep breath. “I’ll be back . . . unless I get lucky, and then I’ll see you tomorrow before I leave.”

  He takes the filled glass from the bartender and tips it my way. “I’ll bet you the next round you’re back here before I can order another one.”

  “You’re on,” I say, already walking away.

  The pretty woman tracks me as I make my way over, a small smile playing on those delicate lips I hope to be kissing later.

  Her gaze heats my blood. The slight lift of her chin making it hard not to walk too fast or start talking too quickly.

  Play it cool, Hutton.

  The bandana on her head only hides the top. The rest of her brown hair flows down over her back in soft waves. She clasps her hands in front of her and stands, angled my way, as if she’s waited her whole life for me.

  I get the evil eye from her friend, but I don’t let her derail me from my mission. “Hello,” I say, holding out my hand.

  She sets her hand gracefully on mine. I bring it to my mouth and kiss the top. But before she pulls away, I gently turn her hand over and kiss the underside of her wrist, letting my lips linger and my eyelids dip as our connection overwhelms me. I release her hand and look up, noticing that her breathing has picked up like mine. I’m about to ask something stupid like, “You felt that, right?” but stop myself. I would sound like a lunatic.

  Then the beauty whispers, “Do it again,” and I realize I’m not insane. She feels it too.

  I kiss her wrist again, feeling her pulse race beneath my lips. Blood rushes through my veins, causing my heart to pick up its pace even more. Her smile tells me everything. If destiny had a name, she’d be called . . . wait.

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  “Ally.”

  Ally. “That’s a beautiful name.”

  “Thank you. What’s yours?”

  “I’m Hutton. Hutton Everest.”

  A smile plays on her lips. “Like the mountain?”

  “Just like it.” Noticing her empty hands, I ask, “Can I buy you and your friend a drink?”

  “We’d like that.”

  A grin splits her cheeks, the tops of which are perfectly pinked. I need to say something to get the drinks I promised, but all I can do is look at her.

  Her friend takes a step forward. “Before we go any further with this—”

  Ally taps her friend’s arm. “Don’t be rude, Margie.”

  “I just want to test him,” Margie says as though it’s an inside joke . . . at my expense.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “I can handle it. I don’t mind being put to the test. Nothing great was ever gained without effort.”

  “Emerson?” Margie asks.

  Detecting animosity in her tone, I try to maintain my grin and att
empt to keep things light. “Everest. My dad. It’s his motto. Work hard. Work harder.”

  Ally giggles. “I think he forgot the play part.”

  “Nah. That’s just his sense of humor. It’s another Everest gem.”

  Margie rolls her eyes. “Sounds like a bundle of fun.”

  “Maybe not fun, but he’s a good man.”

  Ally ignores Margie and squares her shoulders toward me. “His strong work ethic is admirable.”

  Unpretentious. Confident. Gorgeous. She’s easy to admire.

  “What do you do for a living, Hutton?” she asks.

  “I’m a financial analyst for Everest Equity.”

  “Is that your company?”

  “My dad started the company twenty years ago, and when I graduated from UT, I joined him.”

  Ally’s eyes sparkle. “I go to the university. I’m getting my master’s in business communications and international relations.” She tugs at the waist of her dress, drawing my eyes to her breasts when they jiggle.

  “Impressive,” I say, focusing on her degrees and not her great tits. “What made you choose that path, Ally?”

  “Like you, just following in my family’s footpath.”

  “Footsteps?”

  “Yes, sorry, that’s what I meant.” A tinge of embarrassment colors her cheeks. “I can earn all As in school, but I always mix up idioms.”

  Could she be any more endearing?

  Quality.

  Margie sighs as if we’re boring her to death. “I didn’t think I’d be listening to talk of idioms on Halloween night.”

  “Me neither, but here we are,” I tell her.

  She looks me up and down. “Were the stores having a sale on your costume?” Rolling her eyes, she adds, “Perfectly Styled dark hair and cognac eyes. I bet you drive the ladies wild dressed like that.”

  “Actually, I drove from Houston to see a band play. I didn’t have time to change after work.”

  “Oh.” She furrows her brows. “I thought you were Prince Charming.”