His Needs:Billionaire(12)

"Three weeks? How in the hell do you know if she's the one if she's only  been with you three weeks? Aren't you one of the last self-proclaimed  bachelors?"

"Am I? I don't remember making that proclamation." He shrugged.

"You were drunk and it was the last football game of your senior year. I still have the footage if you'd like to revisit it."

"No, I'd rather not, to be honest."

"Is she working at the firm with you and Kent?"

"Yes. She's an intern for us this fall and next spring. She'll work her way up fast, I have no doubt."

"Is that because she's sleeping with the boss?"

"No. Of course not. She's brilliant."

"And beautiful?"

"Beyond." Damon folded the last piece of bacon on his plate and watched his old mentor to see what he was getting at.

"You know what happened to Kendal with a situation very similar to this, right?"

"Of course I do, Charles-"

"Charlie."

"Of course I do, Charlie, but this is different. We're not under the  watch of the university. My father owns the company, and he's quite  happy with mine and Bethany's relationship. It's just... complicated."

"Complicated, how?"

"Her mother married my father last weekend." Damon glanced down and  waited for the berating that never came. He glanced up to find Charles  watching him in what appeared to be stunned silence.

"Wait. So this girl is not only six years younger than you, but an intern at your firm and she's your stepsister?"

"Well, when you put it like that-"

"Put it like what?" Charles huffed and picked up his bowl of grits.  "You're up shit creek without a paddle my friend. As brilliant as you  are, this has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever seen you do."

"I love her. It's simple really." Damon sat back and licked at his lips.  There was an expectation somewhere inside of him that anger would be  his response to Charles, but it wasn't. Telling his old mentor how he  really felt about Bethany felt natural. Right. Maybe he wasn't being  fair with his concerns about letting the world know that she was his.         

     



 

"Well, keep that shit to yourself or you'll ruin the poor girl."

"What? Why would us being in love ruin her?"

"Damon. You just touted out every fucking taboo in the book. Are you  serious right now?" He reached across the table and popped Damon in the  forehead with the back of his spoon. "Think with your head and not your  dick, son. She's a young girl who's about to enter the world of  Corporate America. She needs a good start, a clean record. You're  throwing down a stripper pole and covering it in grease."

"What?" Damon chuckled, unable to help himself. The older Charles got, the less sense he made.

"You're making a mistake. Close it down and offer to be a big brother to  her, or give her another mentor. You don't need a relationship with  that much baggage already attached to it. For shit's sake. What does  Kent say about this? He's fine with it?"

"Yes." Damon wiped his mouth and picked up his phone from the table. "I  gotta get going. The flight's taking off in forty-five minutes. I just  wanted to-"

"I'm sorry if I upset you, but you know I shoot straight. There are very  few guys who I still invest my time in, but you're one of them."

Damon stood and nodded, forcing himself not to react with anything but  gratitude. "Of course. I'm good, though I disagree with your advice this  time. Bethany is the woman I'm going to spend my life with. We just  have to get over these hurdles. We can do it."

Charles extended his hand, but didn't get up. "You trying to convince me, or yourself, son?"

"Only you, old friend. I have no doubt."

"Right …  tell someone else that lie."





Chapter 10

Bethany





"He didn't do it on purpose." Matt wrapped an arm around Bethany's  shoulders as they walked down the long terminal to the baggage claim.  Somehow Matt couldn't fit everything in a carry on, so she hadn't even  tried. He was being a bit of a diva, which opened the door for her to  follow suit.

"No? He told me to be at his house last night at ten, and I fell asleep  like I have for the last few nights, sitting on my coach, completely  exhausted. I didn't even mean to not go over there." She huffed and  stopped beside the turn-style as bags started to drop from the large  opening at the other end.

"It's going to be fine, Sis. Stop worrying, okay?" He pressed his  shoulder to hers and moved up to get their bags when they showed up.

"You're right." She popped the handle on her bag and followed behind him  as a feeling of trepidation tried to pull her back down. "I need a  drink."

"Well, let's get to the hotel and then we can unpack and grab something to drink while we wait for Damon."

"Sounds good." She rubbed his back as they stopped beside a stretch  limo, the guy waving around a sign for McKenzie and Bryant on it. "You  nervous about the showing tonight?"

"Not really. It will happen, or it won't." Matt moved to the back of the  car and shook hands with the driver while Bethany glanced around. It  was beautiful and the air was clean. There was something to be said  about getting away from Texas humidity in late summer.

"See something you like?" Matt turned to look across the horizon.

"Just glad to get away with you." She got in and buckled up before  laying back and letting out a long sigh. She pulled her phone from her  purse and decided she was done being the difficult one. Texting Damon  even when it was the last thing she wanted to do seemed most  appropriate.



Bethany: Sad to see that you missed the flight. I hope everything is okay. I miss you something horrible.

Damon: I'm boarding now. I'll be there just before we need to leave. I  had breakfast with an old mentor from college, so it wasn't a total  waste. I missed you last night. To say I wasn't upset would be a fucking  lie, but I assume you had a reason for standing me up.



"We never agreed." She clenched her teeth as Matt turned to face her.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." She let out a slow sigh and let go of the rising emotion  inside of her. Were all relationships so fucking intense? She couldn't  remember really dating much, so not having a comparison, she had to  assume they were.



Bethany: I was so tired that I fell asleep with a bowl of soup on my lap on the couch back at my apartment. It was ugly.

Damon: Ha. That's not good. You need to look at your schedule and see what's going to go. I'm not an option. You're stuck, baby.



Warmth filled her as tears blurred her vision.



Bethany: Hurry up and get to Seattle. I need you. I feel like we're being pulled apart before we even start.

Damon: We're not. We just have a lot going on. It's going to be fine. We  just need to figure out how to communicate better. We'll work on it  this weekend. Keep Matt in a good frame of mind and I'll come find you  the minute I get into town.         

     



 

Bethany: Did you get our room together?

Damon: Do you have to ask that?

Bethany: Good. I was getting worried.

Damon: Well, stop.



"Everything okay?" Matt turned his head toward her and smiled.

"I think so. We just have so much shit flying at us, and trying to keep  two dominant people from killing each other is hard on a good day." She  laid her phone down in the seat beside her and wiped at her eyes. "He  wants me to give something up, but everything I'm doing has to stay.  It's not that easy."

"Then maybe you stop working at the firm. Dad is going to support your  college goals no matter what. He wouldn't deny you." Matt reached over  and squeezed her hand.

"Maybe. I'll think about it." She turned her hand over and clasped his  hand. "So tell me what happens tonight. Are we the only ones with the  dealer?"

"Sounds so nefarious. I love it." Matt's lips lifted in a beautiful  smile. Bethany had no doubt at all why Erica was in love with him. He  was the complete opposite of Damon and yet still the full-package deal  himself.

"You know we're having dinner with Erica tonight. Damon set it up earlier this week, I think."

"What? Fuck." Matt released her hand and pressed his hands to his face  as he groaned out loud. "Call and tell her we got delayed."

"You're so ridiculous. She's perfect for you." Bethany forced herself not to laugh at how childish Matt was being.

"You don't understand. I'm childish and try hard to have fun so I don't  have to face the fact that I'm... Never mind. It's TMI." He turned to  look out the far window and huffed again.

"You're what? Afraid of commitment? Worried that she's too much for you? Intimidated by her?"

"I like strong women, Bethany, but only so I can break them down."

"What? That doesn't-" She studied his expression understanding all too clearly what he meant. "Oh. In the bedroom? You like to-"