Roman-2(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(12)
I hold up a finger in warning and steel myself against his trembling lip. You think I’m being too harsh, but the truth is that I have every intention of this child being mine; I just can’t have him breaking down my woman.
“Uh, I told you to be quiet. Now then, like I said, you will be kind to her or shut it. Understood? Good. When we get to your house we will pack whatever it is you need and then go to your new home. Ashley isn’t exactly on board with all this, so I’m going to need your help getting her settled in.”
“We’re moving?”
“Yes, to the home I bought us. It has a pool and a yard.”
When his face lights up I know I have him. Bribery is a child’s game, after all, and I know exactly how to wield that particular weapon against any opponent.
And no, I feel no guilt using my worldly wealth to get a child on my side. If it works, it’s what I’ll use.
“A pool? Oh, man! I swam once when our school took us to the public pool and it was awesome!”
I smile.
“Yes, but before you get too excited I want to make you a deal,” I warn, watching his eyes narrow.
Ah, just as suspicious as his sister.
“What?”
“That’s ‘What, sir?’ to you, young man, and don’t you bloody forget it. I want you to promise me that you’ll do everything I say, when I say, and that you’ll try harder with Ashley. If I so much as hear you raise your voice to her…and don’t even get me started on what I will do if you ever lift a hand to her again. Real men do not hit women.”
He swallows noisily and nods his head, watching me like a cornered puppy.
“Okay. Sir.”
“In return I will provide everything you both need as well as ensuring that your father, when he comes back, because we both know he will, cannot take you.”
His eyes shoot to mine, and I feel a thousand times better when his trembling lip firms and his eyes clear. I’m a man; I know how the male species thinks, and I know that part of Ben’s problem is the thought of having to be a son to an undesirable one day.
I’ve felt this way myself as a child, so I perfectly understand his thoughts. I’m here to fix that shit, and I want him to know it.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You help me, and start being a kid again instead of a bloody little thug, and I’ll make sure our family stays together. Deal?”
“Deal.”
See? I can broker any bloody deal I set my mind to. Now I just have to broker a marriage deal I’ve been waiting seven bloody years to land
Chapter Seven
An hour after the ultimatum—no, after being threatened with losing my brother! I am packed and sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for that jack ass and Ben to walk through the door.
The extra time is a blessing and a curse because it gives me the space I need to think, something I obviously haven’t been doing for the last twenty-four hours.
God, has it really only been that short a time since I’d clapped eyes on him again? Yeah, and just like that first time seven years ago I’m being blindsided by the asshole.
Go figure my body would be thrilled while my brain is yelling warnings at me like a bitch.
Warning one was about his intentions. I know he intends to have me. Believe me, my vagina’s been telling me how on board with that she is all freaking day!
What I don’t know is what he wants after, or if he’ll want anything more when he gets what he wants. For all I know he’ll screw me blind and into a love I don’t want and then just drop me like a hot mess.
Also, I need to know what he’s got up his sleeve as far as Ben’s concerned. But I’m not too worried. The little hellion will push him so hard it’ll be clear pretty darn soon.
If he snaps, well, I can tell you right now I will not sell myself to a man if he can’t love Ben. “Have me, love my brother” is my new motto, and on that I will not budge.
The thought make me smile again for the first time, and despite feeling like hell I laugh at the picture forming in my head of Ben running circles around Mr Fancy Assed Brit.
No way will the guy stick around after the kid gets going with one of his tantrums.
“Ash?”
“Back here,” I call, steeling myself against the lust that hits me when he walks into my tiny kitchen.
The man is all that and a side order of ribs, and damn me if the arrogant ass doesn’t know it. My face must be wide open, because he takes one look at me and his eyes go into a lazy onceover that leaves me tingling and hot between my legs.
He leans down and plants a hard kiss on my mouth before stepping back and eying my now hard nipples. Damn, my body is so not in sync with my frantic mind.