Cousins: An Alpha Bad Boy Romance(33)

"Let me brush out your hair before you jump in the shower Elizabeth. It's gorgeous. Just like your mom’s."

"Okay."

"You know that Bobby and Philip are four and six years older than your father and me." Uncle Bobby and Uncle Philip are Juliette and my dad's older brothers and are both lawyers for my grandfather's firm.

"Yes."

"That's why your father and I were so close, because we're only a year apart, but we also worshipped our big brothers. Your dad wanted to hang around them and be just like them, and I wanted to date all their friends. Joseph was one of those friends. I'm pretty sure your dad envisioned me with a nice guy my age from school or something. The whole family did. But Joseph didn't go to our school and he wasn't from our town. He was from the inner city, rough around the edges, and he was much older than me. No one wanted me with Joe, but your dad definitely took it the hardest."

"So he cut you off completely because of who you chose to love?"

"Not completely. If I was to ever be in any real trouble, I know that your father would be there in an instant. I've never doubted that. We just decided that we couldn't be in each other's lives in the same way that we had been. It just wasn't going to work. Your dad never respected our relationship."

"May I ask why you didn't become a lawyer?"

She stops brushing my hair for a moment. "Has your father talked about that?"

"Maybe once." He definitely brought it up more than once. Blaming my uncle for her "downfall," as he called it.

"It wasn't because of Joseph if that's what he said."

"Well you don't have any children, so I was just wondering what stopped you from–"

"I lost a couple of children Elizabeth." She cuts me short. "Three miscarriages to be exact."

"Oh my gosh, I didn't know. I'm so sorry."

"It was a long time ago sweetie. I just couldn't seem to carry any of my angels to full term."

Juliette silently finishes brushing out the last section of my hair. I feel like crap. I shouldn't have asked her all of those questions. Sometimes I amaze myself at how I often manage to say or do the wrong things at the wrong time. I have the worst timing.

"There you're all done." She pats my shoulder.

"TEN MINUTES!" I hear the sexiest, raspiest voice bark up the stairs to the both of us.

"Gosh your cousin is bossy just like his dad. Those Masterson men." Juliette chuckles and shakes her head. "You better get ready."





Chapter Fourteen

Elizabeth





MY NEW COUSIN MAKES ME anxious. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He's managed to shower, dress and smell absolutely amazing in less than fifteen minutes, and he's keeping a close watch on me out of the corner of his eye while he drives. Gosh, the man even drives with swagger. Looking sexy as hell as he leans slightly back in his seat with his left arm guiding the steering wheel and the right stretched across the back of my seat. His hand is so close to the back of my head, I find myself sitting here waiting for him to start running his fingers through my hair.

"Where are we going?" I ask nervously.

"By the art museum." He says in a serious tone.

I turn my head to look square at him. "That's where I used to live."

"I know. Joseph told me you still have a few boxes in the basement and that you haven't received your security deposit back yet?"

I pick up my iPhone and play aimlessly around with the arrangement of my apps. I'm embarrassed and a little annoyed that my uncle has sent Roman to handle business that is my responsibility without even consulting me. I wonder if my mother told them about everything that happened, because she clearly must have told my aunt and uncle something. Of course even she doesn't know everything.

"Why do you call your father Joseph?" I ask changing the subject.

"The same reason why Juliette wants you to call her Juliette. They don't want to feel like they're old enough to be somebody's father or aunt."

"But they clearly are."

"They sure as hell are, but what can you say to the delusional?"

We both laugh at the same time and my eyes lock with his for a fleeting moment.

"Are you and Joseph close?"

"Not exactly."

"But you work together right?"

"Yes, but it's not like you're thinking."

"What am I thinking?"

"That I wanted to follow in his footsteps, be a part of the family business, or some shit like that."

"Then what is it like?"

"It's more like I didn't have a lot of options, and I took the simplest path."

"Seems like a profitable path though. This is a very nice car, and I hear you live in some fancy apartment on Chestnut."