Battle for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #3) (8 page)

“
There
are two guest bedrooms and a bathroom. I don't want you to be tempted
to go back into my bedroom. Do you want to watch a movie?”

She
agreed and they walked back toward his living room. Julie went to the
dining room door to look out into the backyard.

“
You
have a pool? I can't believe it. The yard is huge.”

“
You
should see it during the day. I really like the yard and pool. I have
a hot tub too.”

“
You
are spoiled. Why do you have all of this for one person? You don't
need this much house. My house is so small compared to yours.”

“
It's
not just for me. I entertain every now and then.”

“
What
do you mean by entertain? I don't mean a woman on her way through to
your bedroom and back out the door again. Why haven't you ever had
all of us over?” she asked. “Are we not good enough for
your house?”

She
sat down on the couch and pulled her legs onto the cushion as she
rested her chin on her knees. He sat down next to her, his face
turning serious.

“
Do
you really think that bad of me? Am I really just some loser to you?”

“
I
didn't mean it like that,” she said, as she looked up at him.
“The way you joke and say cocky things all the time. I know
you're a player. I have heard the way you talk. I hear the way the
guys talk about you. I know that you're all about the chase. Once you
get what you want, you don't seem to want it anymore. Do you think I
haven't paid attention to you all these years?”

“
I
don't let people into my life. If I do, it's because I trust them. I
laugh and mess around a lot, but when I care about someone, I would
do anything for them. I honestly don't know why I haven't had a party
over here. I never thought you guys would want to come over. I'm a
very private person. Nobody knows me like you guys do. John is the
only one who really knows me, and even he doesn't know everything. I
didn't have a loving family growing up like you and Gavin did. It
wasn't like that for me.”

Ethan
leaned back and put his head on the back of the couch. He closed his
eyes and enjoyed the silence.

“
Ethan,
can I ask you something? Will you answer me honestly?”

“
What?”

“
Why
did you say Gavin and Becky should never have gotten pregnant? Why
are you so worried that they won't stay together?”

“
If
I answer your question, will you answer one from me?” he asked.

Ethan
was hoping she would drop the subject. He didn't talk to anyone about
his past, but he wanted Julie to know that he wasn't a horrible guy.
It was bad enough that all of his friends thought that, but he did
not like that she felt that way. He joked with her and picked on her,
but he never meant for her to be hurt by him. Ethan worked hard to
keep people at a distance. He wasn't sure he was ready to let her in.
would she judge him, he wondered?

“
Yes,”
she said.

He
let out a deep breath and kept his eyes closed.

“
When
I was ten years old, my mom was pregnant,” he began, as he
thought back.

Ethan
could see the entire picture in his mind. He could see himself
sitting in the corner listening to them fight. If he opened his eyes
and looked at Julie, he knew he would freeze up and stop talking.

“
I
want you to promise me something,” he said.

“
Okay”

“
The
only other person that knows any of this is John, but he doesn't know
everything,” he said.

“
Wait,
John is your brother. How could he not know?” she asked.

“
We
have the same father but different mothers.”

She
didn't say a word.

“
Some
of the guys don't know that. I want you to promise me that everything
I tell you stays between us. You can't tell anyone, not even Gavin. I
know he's your brother, but this is my life I am telling you about.
Can you keep this between us?” he asked.

“
I
promise I won't tell anyone what you tell me Ethan.”

He
felt her hand rub his knee.

“
So,
my mom was pregnant. Everything was great between my parents. I
didn't have a great relationship with my dad. He worked a lot. I
remember that day like it was yesterday. My mom was not feeling well
and went to the doctor's office while I was at school. When I came
home, she was curled up on the couch crying,” Ethan continued,
but he could feel his muscles tighten. “My dad came home and
was upset that she didn't have dinner ready. She asked him to sit
down and he did. Then she told him that she had lost the baby. My dad
was so mad. He paced the floor, threw things all over the place, and
grabbed her by the shoulders to lift her off the couch. He yelled so
loud, louder than I had ever heard him before. He told her it was all
her fault that he wasn't going to have his baby. She had done
something wrong. If she had done what she was supposed to, his baby
would be fine. He told her she was worthless and stormed off into
their bedroom. She fell back onto the couch and cried. After what
seemed like forever, he came out of his room.”

Ethan
felt Julie move closer on the couch. He stopped talking and took
another deep breath. It was hard for him to talk, but at the same
time, he felt relief knowing that someone else knew more about his
past. She put her hand on his chest but didn't say a word. His arm
dropped onto the back of the couch and she leaned in against him.

“
He
came into the living room with a suitcase and looked at us. My mother
asked him where he was going. He told her he was leaving her as
punishment for what she did. I sat in the corner with tears streaming
down my face. He looked over at me and told me I better grow up and
take care of her. She would have to count on me now. He said I would
never be as good as my brother John and that I would never be the son
he wanted. I remember thinking, how am I supposed to take care of my
mom? I was just a little boy. It was one of the scariest moments of
my life. I never saw my father after that day. I told myself that I
would never be the man he was. I would never have a wife or children,
because I never wanted to risk being like him.”

Ethan
sat quiet with Julie snuggled into his side.

“
I
am so sorry he did that to you. That is horrible. What happened to
you and your mom after that?”

“
For
the next three years my mom moved from man to man. She worked here
and there to pay the rent. There was barely ever food in our house.
She got me clothes when the school would threaten to call the state
on her. I remember wanting to become invisible. She ended up doing
drugs with one of the guys and withering away. When I was thirteen,
she passed away.”

He
heard Julie gasp, as she threw her arms around him. When Ethan opened
his eyes, she was looking up at him with tears flowing down her
cheeks. Slowly his hand slid to her face as he wiped the tears away.

“
I
can't believe you went through that,” she said quietly.

“
I
remember sitting at her funeral alone. I promised myself I would
never turn out like either of them. I knew the only person I ever
wanted to count on was me when I grew up. I wanted to own my own
company and make as much money as I possibly could. I would never go
without again. I would never trust a woman. I would never have kids.”

Julie
looked into his eyes. He felt like she could see right through him.
Before he knew what was happening, her lips were on his. She pulled
his head closer as he slid his tongue across her bottom lip. He felt
her body shiver, as she caught his tongue between her lips and sucked
it into her mouth. It was different than any kiss he had ever
experienced. For the first time ever, Ethan felt emotions and heat
running between them. He pulled back and looked at her as he tried to
pull himself together. She was his friend's sister.

“
Not
every woman is like your mom. You are not your father.”

“
Didn't
you tell me you didn't want kids and that you would never trust a
man? I know how you feel about me. I heard you loud and clear at the
wedding. You told me all the things that you could feel with your
date that you couldn't feel for me,” he said, trying to put
things into perspective.

“
Where
did you go after your mom passed? Who took care of you?” she
asked, changing the subject.

“
John
was nineteen. He quit college, became a cop, and raised me. He gave
up the love of his life for me. One day, I will repay him for
everything he has given me. I don't know how I would have made it
without him.”

“
I
had no idea. He's a pretty amazing brother.”

“
What
do you like about that guy?” he asked.

She
looked up into his eyes. His feelings about her boyfriend were no
secret, but he needed to know why she was with the guy. His eyes
widened and his brow rose as he waited for her answer. Growing
impatient, he felt his arms stiffen.

“
I
gave you such a hard time, and he just sat there. I don't understand
why he never stood up for you. If he loved you, he should have been
up in my face.”

She
got closer to him as she twirled her hair with her finger. What was
she nervous about, he wondered? She only played with her hair when
she was nervous. He could feel heat coming from her body. It was all
he could do keep himself from moving that extra inch and touching
her.

“
He's
not my boyfriend,” she said, as she clenched her eyes shut.

“
Open
your eyes,” he snapped.

Slowly
she opened her eyes as she bit her bottom lip.

“
What
do you mean, he's not your boyfriend?” he asked, through
gritted teeth.

Julie
sat for a minute before she answered. She needed to be strong. What
did he care, she thought? She sat up in his face, close and
confident, as she looked directly into his eyes.

“
We're
just friends,” she replied sternly. “I asked him to go to
the wedding with me so that I didn't have to go alone. I honestly
didn't feel like having Lisa or Becky try to set me up with anyone.
You pissed me off at the wedding. When Josh and Lisa wanted to have
dinner at their house a week later, I asked him to go with me.”

Ethan
had not moved away from her. He was so close; she could feel his
breath getting harder against her face. He stared directly into her
eyes, without blinking. She let out a breath as her lips curved
upward.

“
You
said that stuff at the wedding about him not being right for me. When
I went back inside Lisa said the same thing. It pissed me off that
you all think you know me so well. Well enough to tell me who is
right and who is wrong for me. I'm a grown woman, no matter what you
all think. I can make my own decisions. I knew you were going to be
at dinner, so I begged him to go with me.”

“
You
kept leaning in and whispering in his ear,” he said, with his
voice rough.

“
I
told him no matter what you said, to act like you weren't talking,”
she said, as she innocently shrugged at him.

Julie
could see the heat in his eyes as they turned a darker shade of
green. He was pissed. She wanted to burst into laughter at his
behavior. It was about time he felt uncomfortable. She thought she
saw a different side of him at the bar earlier, but she hadn't seen
anything yet. He moved her aside in one effortless movement and was
on his feet. Ethan paced his living room floor before he turned to
face her.

“
I
can't believe you set me up,” he growled.

His
eyes were the darkest green she had ever seen. He ran his fingers
roughly through his hair and stared at her like she was going to
burst into flames. She felt herself gulp as she curled her arms
around her knees on the couch. Julie knew Ethan would never hurt her,
or she would have run as fast as her feet would take her. She feared
men, but for some reason, there was nothing about him that scared
her. The longer he looked at her sternly, the more heated her body
became. Something about the way he stood there had her more turned on
than she had ever been. As he began to pace again, she noticed how
tight the muscles in his arms were. His ass looked so perfect in
those tight jeans. She hadn't realized a giggle escaped her mouth
until he stopped and turned toward her. Instantly, her head dropped
to her knees.