Read Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) Online
Authors: Ali Parker
At first she was hesitant to order anything off the menu, the prices ridiculous for a simple graduation meal. Her mom ordered a salad for herself and Bethany followed suit, but the bread bowl was calling her name. She waited until Kent reached out and took a piece, offering it to her next.
"So, Mom tells me that you're an accountant as well?" Bethany passed the bread to her mom, her eyes on the newest member of her soon-to-be family.
"I have a degree in accounting and a doctorate in law. It's a passion of mine, but my company is actually an accounting firm, which is something I wanted to talk with you about." He smiled and looked over at Bethany's mother as if asking permission for something. Her mom smiled shyly and he reached over and took her hand under the table.
"Oh, yeah? That's great news. I'd love to talk accounting with you, just don't tell anyone how nerdy I really am. I keep that locked down most days." She smiled as her mother chided her.
Kent smirked and sat back, the look on his face giving her peace.
"Your mother tells me that you're headed into your master’s program in a month and are looking for some financial assistance."
She wasn't quite sure how to respond. His statement was completely true, and yet she felt like a beggar admitting that she couldn't pay her own way. She glanced toward her mom, whose eyes seem to press her toward the message of honesty and transparency.
"Yes. My grants only cover a third of my expenses and getting a job is my next step. I don't mind getting a job, but most firms would require me to work full-time. I could work somewhere non-accounting that's part time, but I wouldn’t make nearly enough money to live off of."
Kent was nothing like she expected for a billionaire. Her mother might be aware of her new fiancé's wealth, but Bethany doubted it. She’d done her own research, though, and knew that McKenzie and Bryant Accounting, LLC was a cash cow. If Kent wasn't worth at least thirty billion dollars, Bethany would be surprised. Still, he was far too down-to-earth, far from what she expected a billionaire to act like. They were supposed to be greedy and self-serving, manipulative and spoiled.
Maybe he was exactly that and they had yet to see it. Only time would tell.
"What about this—" He paused and sat up to the table, his eyes filled with something like excitement. "I'll pick up the tab for the funds that you're lacking and you come work at M&B's three days a week in the morning or afternoon, whatever your schedule allows you to commit to us."
Bethany sat in shock for a minute, his offer way more than generous. She looked at her mom, who was beaming like they'd won the lottery, and in a way, she guessed they had.
The smile on Kent’s handsome face caused Bethany’s lips to lift and she nodded before she realized what she was doing.
"Deal. Would I be working for you?"
"No, your new brother, Damon. Smart as a whip, but you'll love him. The two of you have a tremendous amount in common. He's brilliant and driven, hardworking and very devoted to success."
"Sounds perfect, hm, Beth?" Her mom beamed.
"More than perfect." She swallowed the lump in her throat, the bread from her plate helping to push down the feeling that perhaps she was making a mistake.
She hated spoiled, frat boy, alpha males. Surely her soon to be stepbrother was more like his father and less like the image in her head. Of course, her mom had called him an
ass
, so maybe not.
"Good. You start on Monday."
*
Monday came far too fast. Bethany had spent the weekend packing up a few things to stay with her mom and Kent at his house for her week’s vacation. Too bad her vacation had turned into a new job and a possible asshole boss to deal with.
Her mom had taken her shopping on Sunday for some new clothes, Kent more than happy to lend his credit card to the adventure.
She finished buttoning the white short-sleeved shirt her mother had gushed over in the dressing room, her black pencil skirt accentuating the thickening backside she was starting to hate. Bethany growled and ran her hands over the curves of her rear, her hair long and loose around her shoulders, makeup light but obvious. She had on black heels and various accents of crimson jewelry.
Her stepfather gave her the thumbs-up as she walked into the kitchen Monday morning. "Just let Martha know what you'd like to eat and she'll whip it up for you. You look perfectly professional." Kent smiled and pointed to the kitchen, from which the smell of something delicious wafted toward her.
Bethany’s stomach growled in protest and they laughed together as she turned and walked quickly toward the kitchen.
Nervousness sat heavy on her, her worry over meeting her new boss nothing compared to having to pretend to approve of her new stepbrother. She would play the game for a little while, but if he was a jerk, like she imagined he might be, she would be more than happy to put him in his place.
After a quick breakfast of juice, eggs and toast, she climbed into her small Honda, her mom blowing her a kiss from the front door.
Kent's house was a mansion three times over, the number of rooms making it feel more like a hotel. Her mom hadn't moved out of her own small, two bedroom house on the other side of Dallas, but they had decided that, for the week of
vacation,
she and her mom would stay with Kent at his place. Good thing. Her mom most likely had stale cereal and low-fat milk as the most appetizing breakfast option. Bethany shuddered at the thought.
*
Bethany drove in nervous silence, the sound of the traffic around her actually offering a bit of balm to her beating heart. It had been a while since she’d had to try to impress someone, her senior year difficult at UT, but rectified by her involvement in the honors society and tutoring. All of the professors in the business center knew her, and her reputation preceded her. This was a whole new situation. She'd have to impress her new stepbrother, and something told her that would be more difficult than she wanted it to be.
Not having any siblings of her own, she wasn't even sure how to approach their new relationship, but figured her best bet was to respect him as her boss, and if something familial grew from that, all the better. Forcing something wasn't her style at all, her heart set on impressing people with her intelligence and wit, no matter the audience.
Bethany pulled into the visitor parking, an elderly cop moving toward her and motioning for her to lower the window. The large building above them reaching high into the sky, as most of the other buildings in the business district in downtown did as well.
"Where ya headed, miss?" He leaned down, a smile lifting the furry mustache on his upper lip.
"I'm starting my internship with McKenzie and Bryant today. I hope I'm in the right place." She looked around for a sign, nothing but plain concrete walls surrounding them.
"You're in the right place. Go to the fourth floor or above in the garage, and make sure you don't park in a reserved spot. Take the ticket the little machine up there spits out at you, and have the receptionist validate it for ya." He moved back and motioned for her to go on through. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Bethany mumbled as she rolled up her window and the car crept toward the small ticket dispenser. Excitement mixed with fear rushed up her chest, her breathing reminding her of the need to exercise. She usually didn't get hyped up about things, but this was a whole new ballgame. Not having an interview with Damon left her without a clue of who it was that she would be answering to. Her mom's comments about Kent's oldest son left her stomach in knots.
She parked and reached in to pull her purse from the passenger seat, hitting her head on the rearview mirror and cursing at herself. She moved out of the car and walked quickly toward the elevator sign.
The heat in Texas in late August was painful. If she wasn't careful, her hair would turn into something Tina Turner might be proud to sport. Reaching up, she tugged her fingers through the silky strands and slipped into the elevator with the
two million
other people who were headed toward the large building above them. It looked like hell had opened its gates for a quick drink of ice water.
She filed out, people rushing around her and checking their watches. Bethany looked around, trying to get her bearings before noticing a large sign on the wall that displayed a map. She moved toward it, working to not get run over by the suits that filled the large lobby. McKenzie and Bryant was on the twenty-eighth floor, the view from their windows most likely incredible.
She walked toward the correct elevator and got in at the last minute, the door closing behind her. She turned to face away from the crowd and exhaled softly, fear of the unknown almost consuming her. The door opened a few times for other floors, and she shifted to the left and right, trying to be polite and waiting her turn.
Finally the light for the twenty-eighth floor lit up, and the door opened, Bethany moving off with a short, squatty male who looked a little older than her. He pulled a badge from his waist and swiped it on the reader on the wall by the door. He held the door open and smiled at Bethany. "New today?"
"I sure am." She moved toward him, a smile on her lips as she held her purse on her shoulder. "I'm supposed to check in with the receptionist."
He moved into the large lobby behind her and shifted to her side. "I'm Ben. Nice to meet you."
"Bethany Miller. Nice to meet you, too." She looked around, realizing that the receptionist desk was just behind her.
"Well, good luck today, and if you need a tour, I'm in office 1014." He smiled and walked off.
Bethany turned to greet the receptionist. "Hi, I'm a new intern."
The receptionist looked up and held up her finger, her long red nail quite out of place for a professional environment. Bethany apologized and moved to sit in one of the small leather chairs just beside the woman's desk. A few minutes later, the lady called Bethany back up.
"New intern, did you say?"
"Yes, ma'am." Bethany stood and moved toward the desk, the woman standing and fiddling with some papers below her.
"Bethany Miller?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Stop calling me ma'am. Makes me feel old." The lady smiled, but it failed to reach her eyes. "You're going to be in that conference room right over there. Here's a packet of stuff you need to fill out, and Mr. Bryant will call you up when he's available. Human Resources will want some of your time today, so make sure to stick around after you see the boss man. We'll get you an office and all that good stuff, too."
Bethany thanked the woman and walked toward the room, her shoulders and back aching as stress stiffened her. Sitting down in the large, black leather chair, she pulled out a pen and began to work on the items in front of her.
The receptionist poked her head in a few minutes later, her knuckles rapping on the door and causing Bethany to jump.
"Sorry. Mr. Bryant is ready for you. Just go up the elevator to the thirtieth floor. His receptionist Linda will get you in to see him."
She walked off and Bethany stood, putting the papers together and shoving them in the folder. She hated like hell that her hands trembled. She'd have to keep them in her lap in front of Damon. No way was she letting him on to the nervousness that tore up her insides.
"Here goes nothing …"
Linda was far too good looking to be a secretary, or Damon was the asshole her mother had warned her about. Bethany hated to judge a book by its cover, but the tall blonde model posing as a receptionist had been wickedly sexual, just in showing Bethany to Damon's office, her words almost purred. Bethany thanked her and shivered in disgust as the door closed. Apparently, Damon was down the hall and would be back shortly.
Taking advantage of the few moments she had, Bethany walked around the large executive office. The windows lined the walls of half of the office from floor to ceiling. The view was spectacular and she wanted to see it at night, the lights of the city a beautiful spectacle no doubt.
Pictures of three men littered the wall behind Damon's large cherry-wood desk, one of them being Kent and the others Damon and his brother. She picked up one of the photos of the three men smiling at the camera, their golf shirts showing that they were at an event together.
"Oh, shit. Please let the goofy looking one be Damon."
She sat the picture down and moved toward the door, the sound of him coming in causing her heart to race. His voice was deep, the timbre of it commanding and firm.
"I'll be busy for the next twenty minutes, Linda. No interruptions unless the building is burning down."
The door closed and Bethany turned from the window, her heart sinking at the image before her. It wasn't the goofy brother, but the devilishly handsome one. The one that caused hearts to stop and panties to disintegrate with a look. His dark hair was combed on the sides and a bit messy on the top, the smirk on his lips giving her something later to dream about inappropriately. His blue shirt was fitted, the thick muscles of his arms and chest contracting as he simply walked toward her.
She moved in his direction, extending her hand, a soft smile on her lips as she watched his dark brown eyes move from her face to her toes and back up again.
"Hi. I'm Bethany."
He stopped in front of her and shook her hand, tilting his head slightly to the side.
"I expected you to be a little more mousy. Pleasant surprise, I suppose." He shook her hand, his face a mask of indifference. "Damon Bryant. Have a seat."
He moved around her and she turned, walking toward the chair and praying like hell she'd make it before her legs gave out. Her knees shook slightly, as her heart beat wildly in her chest.
The picture had been a sad representation of the man before her. The scent of his cologne lingered in the air, and she breathed in deeply, coveting it.
She sat down, pressing her knees together and letting her purse slide from her fingers onto the floor beside her. She wanted to jump in and start the conversation, but he simply demanded the lead, and she couldn't help but let him have it. She bit at her lip, stopping the minute she realized he was focused on her mouth.
"My father tells me that you're a brilliant accountant and that you're here to make my life easier."
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to help."
"So tell me, Bethany, are you brilliant?" He sat up, leaning forward as he studied her.
Something about his gaze made her feel as if she were nude, bare before him. A nervous tic caused her foot to bounce to the rhythm of her heartbeat, her mind racing for the most appropriate answer.
"I graduated near the top of my class in both high school and college."
"I didn't ask that. I asked if you were brilliant."
"Yes?" she whispered, her voice hiding from her.
This was embarrassing, humiliating. What the hell was wrong with her? She had sat in front of professors and state regulators for the board of public accountancy. She had never lost her footing before. She spoke again just before he started to, the look on his handsome face pensive.
"Yes. I am brilliant."
"Good." He watched her for a minute more before turning to the blinking light on his phone. "Forgive me for a minute. I need to take this."
She nodded and diverted her attention toward the windows, her chest screaming for air. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath and worked to quietly let it go.
Damon was sensual and strong, dark and handsome, much more so than anyone she had ever encountered. Remembering that he was soon to be her new stepbrother was important, not that anything would happen between the two of them. He was probably six to eight years older than her and far out of her league. He made the sexy blonde in the foyer look like a cartoon character.
Bethany tried not to listen to Damon’s conversation, but couldn't help it.
"I know, Christa. Yes, tonight will be fine. Eight o'clock at Pallinda's. Wear the blue dress for me and the black heels that you know I love."
Bethany looked over at him, his eyes on her as he spoke. His predatory gaze made her feel as if she were under a microscope, his attention almost heavy, as her skin broke out in goosebumps. She averted her eyes again toward the window, needing to get some air before she screamed.
"No, you know I don't like it when you wear panties. No, not even the little ones. Too restraining."
Bethany's head snapped back forward, her eyes large and wide as Damon simply stared at her. His expression was soft and lacking emotion, as if he were ordering a pizza in front of her. She swallowed hard, her eyes moving to the tug of his bottom lip, his teeth biting along the edge of it. She stood and moved toward the window, her level of comfort completely gone.
"That's right. Blue dress, black heels and don't bother with your panties. I'm not interested."
The sound of the phone hitting the cradle caused her to stiffen.
He was an ass.
If he'd had any respect for Bethany or himself he would have held his previous conversation in private. She turned and looked over her shoulder, her breathing ragged and obvious.
"Bethany, I have certain needs as the CFO of this company. If you're here to make my life easier, then you'll quickly learn them. Your brilliance will get you far, but if you and I aren't on the same page with things, then my father will be your champion instead of me, and good luck with that."
The implication of his words sent a cold chill down her spine.
"And what are your needs?" She turned slowly, crossing her arms over her chest as the door to his office cracked open and Linda stuck her head in.
"I know you said no interruptions, but your father's on the phone."
"Thank you." He looked toward Bethany as a smile lifted the side of his perfect mouth. "Soon enough. Linda will show you to your new office. Plan on having lunch with me tomorrow so we can talk about the various positions I'm going to put you in."
He turned and sat down at his desk, the conversation over.
Bethany walked toward his desk, leaning over and picking up her purse as her mind spun out of control. She walked to the door stiffly, questions running rampant at the saucy innuendo Damon had thrown her way.
Surely he hadn’t meant …
She stopped just before slipping through the door, the sound of his voice wrapping around her.
"Oh, and Bethany. You'll enjoy every one of those positions, and I'll do my best to make this a stimulating experience for us both." He bit subtly at his top lip and watched her closely, Bethany nodding and slipping through the open door.
She was in too deep already.