Chapter 2
2
DYLAN
F uck, I’m early.
I glance at my watch and see that I’m fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. You’d think I’ve never met a girl for coffee before, but this feels different and I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Maybe it’s because of how we left things a few years ago.
The last time I saw her, I was three hours late but it wasn’t my fault. I tried calling my father to let him know what was going on, and he sent me to voicemail every damn time. Typical Dad . He probably thought I was just going to give him some lame excuse, but had he actually picked up his fucking phone, he would’ve known there was a terrible traffic accident due to the snow. We were backed up for miles and there was no way around it.
It doesn’t matter anyway. He always thought the worst of me and still does. It’s why we hardly ever speak anymore. I’m lucky if he calls me on my birthday, and sometimes I think he’s forgotten he even has a son at all. I’m over it though. He doesn’t want to be in my life, and I’m damn sure not going to make him.
I contemplate ordering drinks, but I have no clue what she wants. I haven’t seen her in years, and I knew next to nothing about her back then either. I’m sure her tastes have probably changed, so I guess it’s best to wait. Besides, I’m just looking for something to keep my mind occupied.
I haven’t felt this wired since high school, like I’m about to touch my first tit. I need to calm my shit before she gets here. The last time she saw me, I was a real dick. I don’t want to replace that memory with one of me being a huge-ass weirdo.
I still remember the day we met. It was at our parents’ engagement party. Her mom, Carol, was so nice to me. She was the kind of mother you see on TV and in the movies. Then she introduced me to her daughter, and I swear my heart stopped beating right in my chest. She was so beautiful that she actually took my breath away. I thought that was just some cheesy pick-up line guys tell girls, but having experienced it for myself, I know now that it’s possible.
Then Carol mentioned that Liv was still in school. I assumed she meant college until she clarified it was high school. My balls shriveled to the size of peanuts, and I knew right then and there, she was completely untouchable. I had zero business lusting after an eighteen-year-old senior, and certainly not my stepsister, even if the relation was just on paper.
I’m sure some guys would’ve rationalized it, saying she’s of legal age, and she’s not even my real sibling. But that shit wouldn’t sit right with me. I was twenty-four, and I damn sure wasn’t about to take advantage of or hit on the poor girl.
She wouldn’t have wanted me anyway. I was such an asshole back then, doing anything I could to get my father’s attention. It didn’t work. Whether I was the perfect son or a spoiled hellraiser, he never gave a shit about me.
At least he stuck around. That’s more than I can say about Diane. She stayed until I was five. Then she got the hell out of there, and I’ve hardly seen her since. I don’t even call her Mom . She says it makes her feel old. It’s her age that makes her old, and no amount of prancing around with cabana boys who are younger than me is going to change that.
I check my watch again as my knee bounces nervously beneath the table. I can’t believe I actually ran into Liv. If I hadn’t gotten there when I did, who knows what those two jackasses would’ve done? I’d like to believe they were just fucking with her, but nowadays you can’t be too sure or too safe.
I had no idea it was even her when I walked up. But as soon as recognition hit, a fresh wave of anger rolled over me and I wanted to hunt those guys down and kick both their asses. Then I wanted to give her a good spanking for walking around alone on a deserted campus when it was practically dark outside. The need to protect her and keep her safe was strong. I chalked it up to our past history. But I know better than that. The truth is I’ve wanted her since the day we met, even if she was off limits.
She looks so much like I remember, but she’s also changed. She’s a hint taller and a little curvier, but her light-brown skin, show-stopping smile, and mesmerizing whiskey-colored eyes are still the same. There’re caramel highlights in her hair now, accentuating her dark curls. And her figure has certainly filled out, making her the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.
My heartbeat speeds up as I think about her.
The front door chimes to signify a new customer. I glance at the entrance, and just like the first time I saw her, my breath catches in my chest. I didn’t think it was possible for her to get any prettier, but she’s damn sure proven me wrong.
I rise from my chair and walk over. “Glad you could make it.” I want to pull her into my arms, but we’re practically strangers, so I refrain.
“Of course.” She hits me with that dazzling smile of hers. “It’s the least I could do for the man who rescued me.”
“Oh, I see. This is just a thank you coffee then,” I tease her, and she slaps my arm.
“Surely, you know better than that. I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve often wondered what you’ve been up to. Seems like we have a lot to catch up on.”
I escort her to the table and pull out her chair. “What can I get you?”
Liv peers up at me with her soulful brown eyes and it does something funny to my heart. “Shouldn’t I be the one buying you a coffee? After all, you were the one who saved me, not the other way around.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Liv. I’d never let anyone hurt you.”
She blushes at my honesty and looks down at her hands.
“So what’ll you have?”
“Um…” Her mouth twists to the side and she looks up at the ceiling. “I’ll have a medium peppermint white mocha latte with whipped cream.”
“Anything else?”
A wide grin spreads across her face. “Blonde roast, extra shot, extra white mocha, and almond milk.”
“Wow, uh… That’s quite a mouthful. How about you text that to me and I’ll go place our order?”
She unlocks the screen on her phone and laughs. It’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard. I walk toward the counter and wait in line. Just as I reach the register, my cell pings with her laundry list of demands—AKA her coffee order—and I flash my screen at the barista. The girl gives me a sympathetic smile.
“Don’t worry. You’re not the first guy to have to write down his girlfriend’s drink order.”
I could correct her about who Liv really is to me, but I don’t want to.
“And what can I get for you?” the girl asks.
“I’ll just have a medium dark roast coffee. Black, please,” I reply as I fish my wallet out of my back pocket.
“Keeping it simple, huh? I like it.”
“One of us has to.” I return her smile, then pay for the beverages before heading to the end of the counter. After getting our drinks, I grab some napkins and head back to the table. “Did you miss me?”
I’m expecting some kind of sassy response, but instead, Liv gazes at me with an expression of longing and it hits me right in the gut. Has she missed me all these years?
I hand over her drink and take a seat. “So. Tell me everything I’ve missed. How have you been?”
She wraps both hands around the warm cup, and something about the way she looks at me with those kind, sincere eyes makes my heart melt just a little. “There’s not much to say. Obviously, I finished high school. And now, I’m about to graduate from college.”
“And?” I encourage her to continue.
She rolls her eyes. “Senior year was… rough. Everything with our parents happened so fast. Then it went away just as quickly.” Melancholy sweeps over her expression, and I hate that I wasn’t around more.
I rest my hand over hers on the table. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I should’ve been.”
“Not your fault. Being there wouldn’t have changed anything.” She releases a heavy exhale. “After they divorced, I was expecting to go to community college for a couple of years and work to pay my tuition. So imagine my surprise when Bruce told me he’d gladly pay all my expenses at any university of my choosing.”
“Bruce? My father?” I can’t hide the skepticism in my tone.
“I know, right? I was shocked.” She pauses for a sip of her drink, and my eyes follow the movement when she licks a bit of whipped cream from her plump lip. “Not only that, but he let us keep our cars, gave us the house, and made sure Mom had more than enough money to live off for the rest of her life.”
“But she signed a prenup,” I contest, before realizing how awful that must sound. “I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.” I shoot Liv a remorseful look and rest my hand over hers again.
She accepts my apology with a smile and accidentally bumps her knee into mine beneath the table. Electricity jolts up my leg and straight to my dick, and I shift in my seat, hoping she doesn’t notice.
“Mom and I were stunned, and even though she tried to tell him that it wasn’t necessary to do all that, he admitted that the divorce had been completely his fault. He said it was the least he could do for the trouble he caused.”
“You mean the cheating?”
Liv frowns, and I’m angry that she and her mother were hurt by his inevitable infidelity. If I’m honest, I think it broke something inside him when Diane left. He loved her, and it seems he’s never loved like that since. He wanted to have that kind of relationship with Carol, and I know it’s why he chose her. But he’s just too fucked up, and he ruined his best chance at happiness. I don’t care how much money the man has; I hope to God I never end up like him.
We sit in comfortable silence while enjoying the rest of our drinks. “So, how’s your mom? She doing okay?”
“She’s great, busy as ever.” Liv smiles fondly. “She quit her job when they married and I thought she might go back to it after the divorce. But she’s been volunteering like crazy, and I swear she’s always up to something new every time I call.”
Curiosity gets the best of me and I ask, “Does she ever hear from him?”
I know I fucking don’t.
“He calls her on the holidays and sends flowers for her birthday. I think it makes her sad sometimes, but she never says anything.”
I make a noncommittal noise while staring at my empty cup.
He can find time to reach out to a woman he was married to for only a year, but can’t be bothered with his own son.
Liv inhales a cleansing breath and sits straighter in her seat. “Enough about me. Clearly, things have changed with you. What are you up to now?”
I lift my shoulders. “Not much. Still living in the city.”
“ Not much ? That’s bullshit.” She laughs while my eyes widen. “What? You’ve never heard a girl cuss before? I know you don’t have virgin ears.”
I don’t have virgin anything, but I wonder if that’s the same for her.
Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. The girl is a smoke show and surely has her pick of any guy she wants.
The thought of her with another man sends a streak of unwarranted jealousy through my veins. But I have no claim on her, and I definitely get zero say in her love life.
Her melodic voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Tell me about this job of yours. I always figured you’d end up working for Bruce at his tech company.”
Imagining working alongside my father has bile rising in my throat. That’d be a disaster for both of us and something we certainly should avoid. “I was such a prick back then. A real pain in the ass, just trying to get my father to notice me. But he never did, and it sent me on a downward spiral.”
Liv shifts her weight onto her forearms, as they rest on the table, and leans toward me. “I’m sorry, Dylan. I wish… I wish you had better parents, instead of those two jerks.”
I respond with another casual shrug. “It’s fine. I promise. I’m not that same kid anymore.”
A watery smile appears on her face while she gazes at me.
“Anyway, I’m glad my parents suck ass. Because if they didn’t, I wouldn’t have met Mike.”
“Who’s Mike?”
“He’s my boss and the owner of Callahan Construction.”
Recognition dawns on her. “Oh, the logo on your shirt the other day?”
“Yeah,” I confirm. “He found me at one of my lowest points after spending yet another birthday alone. I was about to get into it with some random guy at the bar, when Mike stepped in and calmed me down. He said: Son, you’re too smart to be fighting and you’re too pretty for jail. ”
“Well, you are kinda pretty. Maybe just a little.” She lifts her hand and holds her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.
“Gee, thanks.” I smirk. “He helped me pull my head outta my ass and I’ve been working for him ever since, moving my way up.”
“Does he have any idea who you really are?”
“You mean that I’m the son of a billionaire and don’t ever need to work?”
We share a laugh.
“Yeah, that,” she clarifies.
“Not exactly.”
She narrows her gaze at me.
“He knows that I come from a wealthy family and from two parents who don’t give a rat’s ass about me.” My attempt to keep the disdain out of my tone fails miserably. “But he saw something in me that night and I’ll always be grateful he did. His wife died a few years back, before they had any kids, so he treats me like I’m his own. Always mentoring me and giving me advice. Teaching me everything he knows about the business he built from the ground up. Something my own father wouldn’t dream of doing.”
“He sounds like an amazing man.”
“He is, and not just to me, but to all his guys. And whenever he’s ready to retire, I’ll buy him out.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s worked hard all his life and deserves to reap the rewards. But he’s a prideful man, and he’ll keep working as long as his body lets him. I want him to have plenty of years to enjoy life while he can. So, when the timing’s right, I’ll give him an offer.”
“You think he’ll take it?”
“I hope so. I want to give him a little bit of what he’s given me. He saved me when I needed it most.”
“I’m glad you have someone like him looking out for you.” Her eyes glitter when she smiles. “So now you’re just Dylan, the construction guy, huh? No more country clubs and yachts and lavish parties?”
I lean back in my chair. “I hated all that shit anyway. It was never for me. My life is quiet and I have purpose now. Something to be proud of.”
“You should be proud. I’m happy for you.” She holds my gaze before glancing at the time on her phone. “Shit, I gotta go. I’m sorry.” Her brow furrows with regret.
“Another date?” I half-heartedly tease while secretly praying it’s not true.
“Not even close.” She shakes her head and laughs. “I need to run a few errands, then get home and pack. I’m heading to Mom’s in the morning for the holidays. Christmas is our favorite time of the year and I wouldn’t dream of spending it anywhere else.”
My one and only chance to be a part of their tradition, and I blew it five years ago. “Please tell Carol I said hi .”
“Sure.” Liv rises from her chair and throws away her empty cup. “What about you? What are your plans for the holidays?”
“I’ll be working.”
She pauses in the midst of putting on her coat. “Wait, what?”
I clean up our trash and push in my chair. “We usually shut down for the last two weeks of the year, but I’ll probably do a few things around the office to help out Mike and our office manager.”
“I’m sure they can do without you for a few days.”
“Of course, they can. But it beats sitting in my house by myself, binge-watching trash TV.” A sad look crosses Liv’s face, so I add, “Don’t do that, honey. I don’t want your pity.”
“It’s not pity,” she says with an adorable pout. She bites the corner of her mouth as if deep in thought. Then a huge grin parts her lips and she looks at me with bright eyes. “I have a great idea!”
“Why do I get the feeling it’s a terrible idea?” I chuckle nervously.
“Come home with me!”
“Pardon?” Surely, I didn’t hear her right.
“Yes! It’ll be great! I know Mom would love to see you.”
“Love to see me? The pseudo-stepson she hasn’t seen in forever?”
“First off, you’re not her stepson, at least not anymore. And she’s always spoken so highly of you. I know this would make her really happy.” Liv looks at me with big puppy-dog eyes, and my heart can’t tell her no . “Please? It’ll be fun.”
“Let me think about it. I’ll let you know first thing in the morning.” It wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear and she frowns with resignation. I don’t like disappointing her so my stupid mouth blurts out something I’ll probably regret. “Fine, I’ll go if it’ll make you happy.”
Her eyebrows lift and her mouth drops open. “Really? You will?”
You’d think I just told her Santa is real by the elated expression on her face.
“What else have I got to do?”
She throws her arms around me in a tight embrace, and I savor the feeling of her lush curves against my hard body.
“Text me the address. I’ll meet you at your place in the morning.”
She leans back to look up at me, but doesn’t let me go. “This’ll be the best Christmas ever.”
I don’t know about that, but how bad can it be?