Battle for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #3) (11 page)

“
Shit,”
he yelled, as he threw his phone down on the seat next to him.

He
ran to his office when his driver dropped him off. Ethan had to get
his stuff that he needed for the trip. He called Gavin to make sure
they were both still going. With everything with the baby, Ethan
thought he might end up going alone. Gavin assured him that he would
be there. Ethan got on the phone and ordered flowers to be delivered
to Julie's office. When they asked him what he wanted written on the
card, he thought for a moment.

“
You
are amazing. It was no mistake. E”

He
grabbed the rest of his stuff and hurried back out to his car. Gavin
was waiting for him just inside the airport door.

“
Way
to cut it close man,” Gavin said, as the two took off for
security. “Couldn't you kick her out this morning?”

“
What
are you talking about?” Ethan snapped.

Did
Julie tell him? There was no way she would have done that. Ethan knew
he was just feeling guilty for what had happened.

They
got to their gate with little time to spare. The two men sat down to
try to relax. Ethan had text Julie several more times, but she
refused to answer him. He noticed Gavin typing away and read over his
shoulder. He was answering a text Julie had just sent him. Ethan let
out a sigh and opened another text.

“
Text
me back now. Do you hear me? I see your brother text back and forth
with you. I need to talk to you. I can't wait until I get home to do
it.”

When
his phone buzzed, he felt a bit of relief.

“
I'm
busy. I will be with Becky until Gavin gets home. Have a safe
flight.”

Ethan
felt like he was going to lose it at any moment. If his meeting
wasn't so important to Gavin too, he would have tracked her down and
spanked her ass. Oh no, he thought in shock. Why was he thinking of
her before his company. There was no way that could happen. Ethan
knew he had to build his walls back up and fast. How the hell had she
squeezed through them?

He
could not help but think about her. No matter how hard he tried to
stop, he couldn't. In their meetings and on the flights, she kept
entering his thoughts. When he got back home, he wanted to talk to
her so badly. What the hell was wrong with him? He was going to try
one more time. If she still wanted nothing to do with him, he would
leave her alone.

“
Are
you going to talk to me?” he sent.

“
No.
You are my brother's friend and the biggest player I know. There is
no way I will ever let a man hurt me. Talking to you about this would
be very bad. We are fine. Business as usual. I am Gavin's sister and
you are his friend. I am sure you have someone waiting for you
somewhere. Please leave me alone.”

Ethan
decided that he needed to give her what she wanted. Maybe it was a
huge mistake. He knew he would see her the following weekend at her
brother's house for dinner. They were all getting together to watch a
game and visit. That is where she would have no choice but to talk to
him.

Ethan
patiently waited for the days to pass, so he could confront Julie.
She would have no choice but to talk to him. If she made a big deal
out of it, Gavin would get suspicious. He knew she would not let that
happen.

Julie
was the only woman who had ever heard about his parents. For some
reason he felt comfortable telling her. He was always afraid to talk
about it. With her, he hadn't even realized he was telling her at
first. She didn't judge him or say anything negative. Her family was
the perfect example of what he should have had. Would it ever be
possible to really have something like that?

Ethan
missed her so much, and that scared the shit out of him. He wanted so
badly to have again what they had that night. Just to feel her body
against his one more time. He didn't want to have a relationship with
anyone, and he didn't want to hurt her. What was he going to do, he
wondered?

He
sat outside Gavin and Becky's waiting to go in. His thoughts were all
over the place. It was time to face the situation. Either she would
be friendly and act as if nothing happened, or she would ignore him.
Ethan got out of the car and prepared his best cocky attitude. It
came natural, since he had been doing it for so long.

Gavin
answered the door with a smile on his face. Ethan could hear everyone
talking from the other room. He walked through the hallway and
scanned the living room. John, Josh, and Heath were sitting on one
couch, as Gavin took his seat on a recliner.

“
Beers
in the fridge and snacks are on the counter,” Gavin said.

“
Great,
I'll be right back,” Ethan said.

He
walked into the kitchen to grab a beer and saw Lisa and Becky at the
table talking. Ethan took his beer from the fridge and popped the
top.

“
Where's
Julie?” he asked, as he walked over to get some chips.

“
She
text Gavin this morning and said she had to work,” Becky said.

“
She
always comes to dinner on Sundays. I was shocked she had to work,”
Lisa said.

“
We
thought it was strange, but she said she agreed to fill in for
someone,” Becky replied.

He
stood still for a minute.

“
Are
you okay Ethan?” Lisa asked.

He
turned around and looked at her with a smile.

“
Everything
is perfect. I'll see you two later. Time to watch the game,” he
said, as he left the room.

Ethan
was so upset. He knew damn well Julie wasn't working. She was
avoiding him. That shit was not going to happen. He wasn't going to
let her do that. Even if they never slept together again, she
couldn't avoid family gatherings because of him. It was very
important that she show up to her brother's house.

He
watched the game with the guys, while he counted the minutes until
dinner. Ethan wanted out of there as soon as he could. When Lisa
waddled into the living room, he was up and to the table in seconds.
He joked about her making it another two months to deliver. They all
laughed about how big Josh's son was going to be. Ethan could see the
love Josh felt for his wife. Maybe it was possible for some people,
he thought. How did Lisa know that Josh wouldn't turn and walk away
from her? What made her feel so sure that his love was forever?

The
moment dinner was over, Ethan hurried his dishes to the kitchen. Lisa
was in there by herself. He walked over to her and smiled his cocky
grin.

“
What?”
she asked, with a nervous look on her face.

“
Julie
text me a while back. She wouldn't tell me how she got my number.
I've been thinking about that day,” he said, as he heard a
breath escape her lips. “I know she would never have asked one
of the guys, because she knew they would tell her brother. I also
know, she would not have asked Becky. That only leaves one person.”

Lisa
looked him in the eyes.

“
She
was worried about you.”

“
So
you did give her my number?” he asked.

“
Yes”
Lisa answered. “What do you want, Ethan?”

“
I
want to know where she lives,” he said, with a satisfied
feeling.

“
I
can't tell you that. If Josh or Gavin find out I tell you that, they
will be pissed.”

“
Would
they be any happier that you gave her my number?” he asked.

She
looked down at the floor and he leaned down so he could see her eyes.

“
She's
not working today. She is avoiding me. I can't let her blow off
seeing her brother because of me. I just need to talk to her once. If
I need to, I will stop coming to dinners. She has to be here with her
family. I can't tell you why. I just know this needs to change.
Please, tell me where she lives. I promise to keep it to myself. I
really need to see her.”

Lisa
took a deep breath.

“
What
is going on with you two? I hope you two did not do what I think you
did. She is a good person Ethan. I can see in your face right now,
this is not the same Ethan that picks on her. I sure hope you two are
okay.”

Ethan
handed her his phone with an open text to himself. She shook her head
as she typed and handed it back to him.

“
Please
don't tell anyone I asked you about her. It's not what you think.
Gavin and Becky have enough going on. I don't want him worried about
me and his sister. Thank you so much, Lisa. You have no idea how
grateful I am right now. I have to go.”

Ethan
left the kitchen and told each of them goodbye. He hurried out the
door before they could ask any questions.

The
drive to Julie's was longer than he thought it would be. When he
pulled up to the address Lisa had given him, he looked around in
shock. It was a small house in a normal neighborhood. He hoped Lisa
had not tricked him. It had to be the right house. Julie's car was in
the driveway. Why did she have such a tiny house if she was a doctor?
He could not believe what he was seeing.

Julie
heard a car door and looked out her curtain. Are you fucking kidding
me, she thought? What was she going to do? How the hell did he figure
out where she lived? Julie ran through the possibilities in her mind.
It couldn't have been Becky or Gavin. Heath and John had no clue
where she lived. That only left two people. Josh would never have
told him. Gavin would kick his ass for telling. Lisa, it had to be
Lisa.

She
stomped to the front door and swung it open, as he was coming up the
front steps.

“
What
the hell do you want?” she snapped.

Ethan
looked up at her with that cocky smirk of his.

“
It's
nice to see you too,” he said. “Can I come in?”

“
What
choice do I have?” she asked. “If I don't let you in, who
knows what you'll do out there.”

She
held the door open and let it go when he was barely inside, smacking
him with screen door. Her laugh said it all. He walked past her into
her living room and sat down in the middle of the couch. She walked
in after him and rolled her eyes.

“
Aren't
you going to sit down?” he asked.

The
look on his face was so serious. She couldn't help but burst into
laughter.

“
Where
am I supposed to sit?” she asked.

“
You
can sit on my right, my left, or on my lap,” he answered.

What
an ass, she thought. How in the world did she let her guard down
around him that night? She kept her feet planted safely on the floor.
It was her situation to control, and she planned on doing just that.

“
Why
weren't you at dinner?” he asked.

“
I
wasn't at dinner because I was here,” she answered.

“
Are
we really going to play that game? Why did you tell Gavin that you
had to work?”

“
What
did you want me to tell him? I can't come to dinner because I
accidentally fell into your friend's bed, and now I don't want to be
in the same room with him.”

“
Don't
make it sound like that.”

“
Don't
make it sound like the mistake that it was? I have no idea what
happened that night. One minute we were talking and the next we were
in your bed.”

“
I
was in the middle of yelling at you when you launched yourself into
my arms. I thought it went pretty well. Why did you leave?” he
asked.