Alluring Ties (4 page)

Groaning, I throw myself on my bed and answer him. “I know. When the hell did you become Yoda?”

“Shit, I’ve always been a genius. Looks and brains. I can’t lose.” Laughing, he ducks into the bathroom as I throw my pillow. It bounces off the door and my computer pings again.

“I care about you. You care about me too. We’re good together. See you in a few.”

I do care about him. I decide that once I get to the house, I’ll find him and we’ll go talk. We’ll try being together. Out in the open…

Maybe…

Bradi

6 years ago

G
od, I’m so nervous. Why did I agree to this? How did this happen? I went to college fully expecting to have some fun, play with some boys, and get a degree. Now instead, I’m in a serious, exclusive relationship with the only guy I’ve dated since I started college and I’m going home with him for Christmas to “meet the parents.”

Way to stick to your guns, Bradi! It’ll be ok. I’m just meeting Micah’s parents. Who are fucking RICH and powerful. Oh my God… what am I doing?! I can’t do this. That’s it, I’m not going.

“What’s going through that gorgeous head of yours, Bradi?” Micah asks as he loads my last bag into his car. He leans on the top of the car and rests his chin on his crossed arms. “You look like you’re about to try to make a run for it.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at him. “Shut up! I don’t do this, Micah. I don’t know why I have to go with you anyway.”

He stares at me a minute and then walks over to me and cups my face. God, I love when he does that.

“Baby, you don’t have to be nervous. My parents will love you, because I love you. And you’re coming home with me
because
I love you. You’re my girlfriend. We’ve been together for a year and they’ve never met you. They aren’t sure you really exist.” He kisses me softly on the mouth. “You ok?”

Sighing, I wrap my arms around his waist and press a kiss to his chest through his sweater. “I know you do.” I look up and catch him gazing at me with love in his eyes. Why does he love me? I shake off the feeling of foreboding and chalk it up to nerves and smile at him, before pulling his head down and kissing him. Breaking the kiss, I lean my head on his chest and say, “Ok, let’s go meet your parents.”

He hugs me and helps me into the car.

Micah’s parents are both lawyers and his dad is also a state representative. I’m a nobody with a loose mother, of course there’s no reason to be nervous.
No reason at all…

A short time later, we turn off of the River Road and follow a long drive before we pull up to one of the most gorgeous, ginormous houses I’ve ever seen. I wipe my suddenly damp hands down my pencil skirt and take a deep breath as Micah turns off the car. I am staring straight ahead, giving myself a silent pep talk, when he calls my name, and gets me to look at him.

“Bradi, baby, it’ll be fine. I promise.” He smiles at me and leans in to press a kiss to my forehead. My stomach does a somersault and he wakes up the butterflies that flutter relentlessly inside me whenever he’s near.

Smiling back, I take another breath and straighten my sweater. “Ok, I trust you.” And I do. I trust him with everything I have.

His eyes darken and he leans in and captures my mouth as he cups the back of my neck. He pulls back and I’m breathless. Looking into my eyes, he whispers, “I love you, Bradi St. James.”

I smile back and reach for the door. He sighs at my lack of a reply, but chuckles as he opens his door. I hear him mutter, “I know you love me, even if you’re too chicken shit to say it back.” Then he’s at my side of the car, helping me out, and taking my hand. We walk to the front door of the mansion together.

I stop him as he goes to ring the bell. “Do I look alright, Micah?”

He looks at me and smiles the smile I love. “You look perfect, Bradi. Relax.”

He rings the bell as I whisper, “Easy for you to say…”

A beautiful woman with shoulder length, wavy brown hair opens the door and her face lights up as she takes us in, before she envelopes Micah in a hug. Pulling back, she turns to me with a smile. “Hello. You must be Bradi. I’m Olivia Stevens, Micah’s mother. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Her eyes take in my appearance and she reaches for my hands and pulls me into the house with a smile that reaches her eyes. “We’ve heard so much about you. I’m so pleased you could join us for the holiday!”

Looking over my shoulder at Micah, I see him wink as he follows us into the house. I smile at him and return my attention to his mother. “It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Stevens. Thank you for inviting me.”

She stops and just looks at me. It’s unnerving. “Of course. You’re very important to Micah and we have been dying to meet this mysterious woman who managed to make my randy son a one-woman man.” Micah starts sputtering and she laughs. “And please call me Olivia. Mrs. Stevens is my mother-in-law.”

“Seriously, Mom?!”

I laugh too and she squeezes my hands.

Reaching over, she touches Micah’s face and smiles so brightly her eyes crinkle. She’s a female version of him and she’s absolutely beautiful. Looking back at me, she says, “The men are in the library, Micah. Why don’t you grab them to help you unload the car and I’ll show Bradi to her room.”

Laughing he says, “Yes, ma’am. Her room?”

She narrows her eyes at him and my cheeks flush. “Yes, son. Her room. She’s in the guest room across the hall from yours.”

My face is on fire. Micah sees it and chuckles. “Wow, Mom. You got Bradi to blush. I’ve been with her for a year and I’ve never really seen her embarrassed. Good job.” He winks.

Asshole. Oh, he is so dead.

Laughing outright, Olivia pulls me up the stairs and says, “I don’t have to put you in the same room; I figured across the hall was close enough.”

I’m mortified. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Stevens.”

She stops and looks at me with a twinkle in her eye. “Olivia. And, why? I’m not naïve enough to think you two have been together a year with no hanky panky.”

I don’t even know what to say.
Is she telling me it’s ok to have sex with her son in her house? Oh my God… that is so not happening.

We reach the top of the stairs and she leads me to a door. Opening it, she gestures inside. I walk past her and take it in. Oh, wow. The whole room is done in creams and blues. Everything is exquisite. A canopy bed and a chandelier are in the center of the room. Jesus, how rich are these people?! Who has a chandelier in a guest room?!

Olivia sees my reaction and smiles at me with a kind smile. “I hope the room is to your liking, Bradi. Micah will be right across the hall.”

Smiling back at her, I reply, “The room is amazing. It’s gorgeous.” I don’t know what I was expecting from Micah’s mother, but this was not it. I’m overwhelmed and fighting the urge to cry at her acceptance of me. I whisper, “Thank you.”

She seems to understand the words I’m not saying. “You’re very welcome, Bradi. You make my son happy.” Smiling one last time, she steps into the hall with one last comment. “Relax a bit. Micah will be up with your luggage in a few minutes. Drinks are at seven in the library.” And she shuts the door.

I sit on the bed because my knees are weak. Micah finds me this way a few minutes later.

He knocks and opens the door before I can tell him to come in. When he sees me, he drops my bags and rushes into the room. “Baby, are you ok? What’s wrong?” He sits beside me on the bed and I turn into his body and curl around him.

“Nothing is wrong. Your mom is just amazing, that’s all. You’re so lucky. She was so nice to me.”

Pulling back, he looks at me. Brown eyes meet green ones. He traces my face with his fingertips. “Of course she was nice to you. I told you she would love you, Bradi.”

Pulling my legs up, I turn and straddle his lap, and push him until he’s lying back with me over him. My hair creates a cocoon as I lean in to kiss him. He stops me just before I capture his lips and whispers, “I love you, Bradi.”

I crash my lips into his and we kiss awhile before he pulls me into his side and we just stare at the lights reflecting off of the chandelier and enjoy the silence.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I open my eyes, it’s dark outside the window, and there’s a note on my pillow.

“You fell asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. Ran out to get a tree with Mom, Dad, and my brother. We’ll be back shortly. Just get dressed and we’ll meet you in the library at seven, beautiful. I love you. Micah”

Checking the clock, I see that it’s 5:45PM, so I jump up and scramble to get ready. I’m ready by 6:30PM and instead of killing time in my room, I decide to explore the house. As I leave my room, I see all the photos on the stairwell, and I decide to check them out.

The photos are wonderful. Everything from Micah as a baby to some from a month ago. They show a happy, loving family. My heart pangs for what I never had. At the bottom of the stairs, I see a set of open doors, and books everywhere. Walking towards it, I gasp at the sheer volume of books and the beauty of the room. The fireplace is lit and with the books, dark chocolate furniture, and opulent desk, I can almost imagine what it would be like to grow up here. Walking over to the fireplace, I see a few more photos on the mantle. These are snapshots instead of professional photos and in them you can clearly see the love the family shares.

I trace Micah’s face in one. It’s a photo of him and his father and they are in the House Chamber at the State Capitol. He looks about fifteen in it. He’s sitting behind the main desk with a huge smile on his face and his father is standing behind him in a suit with his hand on his shoulder. They are both grinning for the camera.

A throat clears behind me. I turn and almost knock the photo off of the mantle in my haste. An attractive older gentleman is standing behind me with a drink in his hand and he’s watching me. He looks vaguely familiar.

He chuckles. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. You must be Bradi. I’m Max. Max Stevens. Micah’s uncle.”

Something about this man is telling me to get out of the room, but manners dictate I stay. Smiling, I stand up straight. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Stevens. Yes, I’m Bradi. Micah’s girlfriend.”

He smiles at me, but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes. “Yes, Micah’s girlfriend. He was right. You are a beauty.” His eyes rake me and my skin crawls. “You look very familiar to me, Bradi. Have we met before?”

Keeping my smile in place, I reply, “No, I don’t think we have.”

Setting his drink down and tapping his chin, he contemplates me with shrewd eyes. “No, I’m positive I know you. What’s your last name, Bradi?”

Suddenly, I remember. The breath leaves my lungs and my knees feel like they are going to give out. My eyes widen and I gasp.

He smiles shrewdly. “Ah, I thought so. Bradi
St. James
, right? Tell me, Bradi, how is Eve?”

My throat closes and I feel like I can’t breathe. “She’s fine. My mother is just fine.”

“Are you alright, Bradi? You seem a little
off?
Maybe you should sit down.” He gestures towards the couch and my knees are so weak I collapse onto it.

No. No. Noooo. How is this even possible? He’s Micah’s uncle? This is a joke. This is not real. I’m having a nightmare.

Max sits beside me and pats my knee. I pull it away. He chuckles. “So, another St. James is trying to sink her claws into a Stevens. It didn’t work for your mother and it won’t work for you either. You are not the type of people we settle down with. Your mother thought that being beautiful and a wildcat in bed would get her into this family and as you are aware, that didn’t work out for her. Micah has responsibilities and expectations, and though you are beautiful enough, your
breeding
isn’t up to par.”

I can’t breathe. Maxwell Stevens was the one man my mother ever loved. She had a relationship with him for three years when I was younger and she thought he would marry her. He used her and then when it was time, he dropped her, and married his society bride. He almost broke her. How is this possible?!

I’m speechless, but then the anger rushes in. “How
dare
you? You think because you’re rich you can talk to me like that?! You used my mother. You made her believe you would marry her and then you
left
her. You disgust me.”

He smiles and it almost looks like remorse crosses his face before he schools his expression. “Believe what you will, Miss St. James. But of one thing you can be certain, my nephew has promise and drive. He’s going places and you aren’t a part of that lifestyle. He might love you, but loving you could cost him everything. You’re a distraction. He’s not thinking realistically. Are you willing to rob him of his future just to be with you? Because you will. Where he’s headed, you don’t belong. If you love him, which I believe you do, you’ll walk away now. It will hurt him, and he’ll fight for you. He loves you. He’s young and stupid, but has worked too hard to get where he is. If you love him, walk away. You simply don’t fit in our world.”

Shaking my head, I can’t seem to form the words I’m trying to say. He’s wrong. I
am
good enough. And Micah loves me. He’s wrong.