BetweenTwoBillionairesCompleteStripped (12 page)

Having Shawn in my
line of sight, or rather his vehicle, makes me feel anxious. I'm not
sure what he has to say to me. After all, we just met. Why could he
possibly need to speak to me?

Finally, all the
clean up and prep is done, and I'm able to head outside and lock up
the store. Shawn steps out of his car, looking tall and professional
and handsome.

I turn to face him,
slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans and cowering down a
little. “So, you wanted to talk?”

“
Yes.”
He glances at the row of tables lining the side of the building.
“Here will be just fine.” He places a hand on the small
of my back, herding me towards one of the tables. It feels odd being
touched by him, and it definitely gets me moving. There's no
electricity like there is with Tristan's touch. More like a coldness
that resonates through Shawn's entire being.

We sit, and the
tension builds inside of me. This feels so awkward. It reminds me of
a job interview or going to the gynecologist. Being somewhere you
don't want to be but know you can't avoid.

“
Do
you like my brother?” It's a very straightforward question.

“
Yes.
I like him very much. Why?” the answer flows from me with ease.

“
Tristan
likes you too.” He looks away. Maybe I'm not the only one who
was dreading this conversation. Beneath Shawn's cool exterior, I can
tell he's every bit as uncomfortable as I am. He's doing a poor job
of hiding it.

“
So
what's the problem?” I stare at him, slowly feeling better now
that I know this isn't really fun for either one of us.

“
Tristan
isn't the guy you think he is.”

Oh great. The bomb
drops. Now I'm probably going to learn that Tristan is a compulsive
liar or something of the sort. I knew he was too good to be true.

“
Clarify.”
I wring my hands together under the table, expecting the worst.

Shawn readjusts,
gazing through the grating on the table. “Tristan has been
through a lot in his short lifetime. We both have. He told you about
what happened to our parents and our aunt.”

I nod.

“
He
suffered misfortune even before that,” Shawn continues. “And
then Kelly died.” He pauses, looking lost in thought. “Tristan
doesn't typically let people get close to him because of all the loss
he's suffered. That's why I was really surprised when he told me
about you.” His eyes finally rise to meet mine.

I can feel my cheeks
growing warm. If what he's saying is true, then Tristan really must
have feelings for me. A sheepish grin crosses my face. “Oh?”

“
Tristan
likes you a lot.” Shawn confirms my thoughts. “But that
has me a bit concerned, not just for him.”

“
Why?”
The grin drops from my lips, and I knit my brow.

“
He's
very sensitive about things.” He glances up towards the
branches of the tree overlooking the building as if it will help him
find the words he's trying to say.

“
Sensitive
about what?” I shake my head, wishing he'd just get to the
point already.

“
A
lot of things. What you saw of him was probably him putting his best
foot forward.”

“
Doesn't
everyone do that when they first meet?” I laugh.

“
I
suppose they do.” He smiles, loosening up a little. In the dim
light of the moon playing through the trees, he looks every bit as
charming as Tristan. I'd like to see him smile more. Maybe I'll get
to if I end up dating his brother. “But the point is that
Tristan is super sensitive about a lot of things. He's prone to
outbursts of emotion, sometimes angry,” his tone darkens,
bringing me back to the reality of what he's trying to tell me.

“
Are
you saying he gets abusive?” I search his face for the truth.

“
Not
physically, but he can say things that are rather hurtful. Things
that might drive you away. You need to know before you commit to him
that if he does have one of his outbursts, he doesn't mean the things
he says. And I have to know you're strong enough to take it, because
he can't handle anymore loss.” Concern for Tristan shines
through on Shawn's features. It's the first time I've realized how
damaged Tristan actually is and how much Shawn cares about him. I
wish Ethel and I had a similar relationship, though neither of us are
really damaged. There's love between Shawn and Tristan; I can see it
clearly. There's just tolerance between Ethel and I.

“
You
said he suffered loss before your parents died. Who else died?”
I ask.

“
Well,
aside from the family dog,” his eyes widen in mock sympathy,
“no one else of importance. He's been through other things
though that are hard on people. Things it's not really my place to
discuss with you.”

I nod,
understanding. Most people have private things about themselves
they'd rather disclose on their own. “So, if you've both
suffered almost an equal amount of loss, then how come you're not all
messed up?”

Shawn laughs, “Who
says I'm not messed up?”

I straighten myself,
embarrassed, though I'm not sure why. “Well, you just made it
sound like—”

“
I
know.” He rolls his eyes playfully. “If you haven't
noticed yet, Tristan and I don't exactly have a whole lot in common
physically. Our personalities are rather different as well. While he
let his experiences break him down emotionally, mine have hardened
me. I've always been the more levelheaded one between us. I think Mom
babied him too much, since he was the youngest. It made him all weak
and sweet and sentimental.”

“
There's
nothing wrong with that.” I brush a strand of hair behind my
ear, thinking about how those were the qualities that drew me to
Tristan in the first place.

“
There's
nothing wrong with it in appropriate quantities,” Shawn
corrects me. “Do you want to have children someday, Sarah?”

The question is so
out of left field that my mouth falls agape for a second. “I
guess? That's kind of an odd thing to ask.”

“
Is
it? It's important to know what you want in a relationship.”

“
In
a marriage, not a relationship.” I shake my head. “I
don't want to have kids until after I'm married. Until after I finish
college. There's a progression I'd like to follow with my life, if at
all possible.”

He smirks, leaning
back in his chair, though I don't see what's so funny. “Everything
doesn't always go as we plan.”

Don't I know that
one. He's being so cryptic that it's a bit worrisome. I open my mouth
to ask what hasn't gone as planned for him, but he stands abruptly,
gazing down on me.

“
It's
late. You should get home, and me as well.” Shawn looks toward
his car.

“
I
suppose it is.” I pull myself up, following his lead.

“
Tristan
will probably call you soon. Remember what I've said when you're with
him.” He walks away from me, waving nonchalantly over his
shoulder. The iciness returns as he leaves me there, not even
bothering to make sure I get to my vehicle okay. Shawn is such a
strange guy. There's something so mysterious and dark about him . . .
and sexy. I silently chastise myself for being attracted to him. He's
Tristan's brother, and I'm all about Tristan, especially now that I
know he's all about me.

It's weird that
Shawn came to warn me about him, but I'm kind of glad he did. While
I'm not really afraid of Tristan's mood swings, at least I know to
expect them. I just hope I can deal with them when the time comes.

CHAPTER THREE

Shawn was right on
the mark about Tristan trying to contact me, though it came in the
form of a text message instead of a phone call. The very next day,
Tristan asks me out on a date for the weekend. My heart pounds
happily in my chest as I respond with a resounding yes. Yes, I want
to see him again. Yes, I want to see where this is going to go
between us. The thought of being in a relationship with a sweet,
caring, handsome billionaire is more than I could have ever dreamed.
Maybe Ethel's plan to crash his party wasn't so stupid after all.

I count down the
days and hours until Tristan and I see each other again. This time,
he offered to pick me up, though he wouldn't tell me where we're
going. “It's a surprise,” he said. That just makes it all
the more romantic.

Friday passes in a
flurry of smiles and anticipation. I text Tristan my address on
Friday night, and then I stay up late, tossing and turning, my mind
going wild with the possibilities of what he could have planned for
us.

I'm unable to sleep
until almost 4AM. It makes for a rough morning. Tristan is supposed
to be here at 11AM, and it takes more than one layer of concealer to
hide the bags beneath my eyes. I'm running on five hours of sleep,
but the adrenaline pumping through me at the thought of seeing
Tristan again helps to keep me from being cranky.

Thankfully, Ethel
hasn't barged into my room to bother me. I'm not even certain if
she's home right now, but I don't think I could handle the stress of
dealing with her while I'm getting ready. Plus, I'm pretty sure she'd
nag me about introducing her to Shawn if I told her that Tristan was
coming over, and I don't really need that right now.

At 10:50AM, I'm
waiting on the front porch, hoping I don't look too eager to see him.
I am eager though. So eager that I woke up two hours early and
skipped breakfast, so I could spend the entire time fretting over my
dress and hair and makeup. I'm wearing a white sundress with yellow
daisies on it, and I spent the good part of an hour curling my long
brown hair and clipping it back with bobby pins until it was just
right. I even went out on a limb by wearing some of Ethel's
bright-red lipstick. Hopefully, she won't kill me for it. It's not
like I went into her bedroom to retrieve it. We share a bathroom, and
that's where she keeps all of her makeup.

Overall, I think the
outfit looks cute. Wholesome, but not too much. And I even ditched
the granny panties. Ethel would be so proud.

I sit on the curb,
wrap my dress around my ankles so it won't get dirty, and wait as
patiently as I can. My stomach feels like it's up in my throat
though, so eventually I stop staring down the street like a lunatic
and grab a nearby stick to poke at some ants instead. It's not very
ladylike, but it's better than looking like some lovesick fool, which
is exactly what I am.

A few minutes later,
I hear an engine rev, and I look up to see a motorcycle heading my
way. The hopeful look in my eyes fades as I realize it's not Tristan,
so I promptly return my attention to the ants who are desperately
trying to avoid me poking at them. When I first started, they were in
a line moving from the yard to a crack in the sidewalk. Now they're
all dispersed, trying to get away from me yet still reach their
destination at the same time.

The motorcycle gets
louder as it approaches, and I bite back my annoyance. They're always
so loud, and this one seems louder than most. It's like it's moving
at a snail's pace. And then I realize that's because it's slowing
down in front of my house. I stand to watch the bike coast into my
driveway.

Holy crap. You've
got to be kidding me.

The rider kills the
engine and pulls off his helmet. Blonde hair and blue eyes greet me.
It's Tristan.

“
Is this the
surprise?” I gesture toward his bike, trying to seem excited,
when in truth, I'm terrified. I've never ridden a motorcycle before.

“
No,” he
laughs, dismounting and walking up to me.

He picks me up in
his arms and twirls me around. Then he leans in to kiss me. Right in
the driveway.

While I appreciate
the affection, I can't help but continually glance at the front door.
Both of my parents have the day off, and my mom was showing a bit too
much interest in the fact that I have a date today. I wouldn't put it
past her to spy on us, and this is definitely not something she'd
want to see.

“
Am I going to
get to meet your parents?” Tristan asks almost on queue with my
nervous thoughts.