Drew [The Texas Senator's Sons 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (12 page)

Damon studied Drake with curiosity, but said nothing.

Drew barked out a laugh and got up to go get another cup of coffee. He was on a roller coaster from hell and couldn’t get off. It was still hard to process the information to begin with. His father had a mistress all these years and no one knew about it except his mother? Why in the world would she allow it? At least he knew that he wasn’t the only one with a wayward cock. His father had it, too. Thanks, Dad. Like father like son, he thought.

“Good morning, Drew.” Liv smiled and reached into the cabinet for a cup.

The room was immediately scented with the smell of apples. Liv looked positively radiant this morning. Her shorts were hugging her cute ass in all the right places. Drew wanted nothing more than to haul her back upstairs. But that wouldn’t be happening, not with Drake and Damon in the dining room. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he said and motioned toward the dining room. “My half-bastard brother decided to drop by.”

* * * *

Liv stood shocked with her mouth open wide. Drew didn’t look overly happy about it, but he was covering well. “Well, I’m guessing you don’t like him.” That was all she could think of to say. Really, she wanted Drew to give his brother a chance. After all, it wasn’t like the guy chose his father.

“I despise him.” Drew frowned. “If my parents are okay with this bullshit then great for them, but I don’t want to be a part of an even more screwed-up extended family. I have enough shit to deal with of my own. “

“Why don’t you like him? I mean, if he was just a guy you, say, met that wasn’t related, would he be someone that you could have a beer with and shoot the breeze with?” Liv doubted this brother could be that bad.

“He’s arrogant and too cocky,” Drew said and ran his hands through his ruffled hair. “As for spending any time with the guy, the answer is no.”

Liv hated to hear him say that but decided that it wasn’t her business anyway. This event had brought back the anger and the faraway look in Drew’s eyes. She looked at his hands and they were balled up into fists.
Great, back to square one.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to Drake, and you can see for yourself. I can tell that you don’t believe me.” Drew gave her a shove toward the dining room.

When Liv walked in and looked at Drake, she nearly laughed. Her eyes opened wide as she studied his features. The guy was a dead ringer for Damon and Drew only with sandy-blond hair and a slightly smaller build. His lips were set crooked in a wicked grin while he looked at Damon and nodded as they talked. He had a wide chest, muscular arms, strong jaw, and distinctive, deep-set blue eyes like Damon and Drew.
Holy shit.

Drew sat down and looked at Drake. “Meet Liv. She’s the photographer that’s working on our advertising for the ranch.”

Drake looked Liv over like she was something to eat and stood up. He reached for her hand and smiled. “Wow…nice to meet you, Liv.” He winked and kissed her hand.

Liv blushed and Drew’s eyes went dark. He had a possessive look in his eyes as he rose from his chair. “All right, Romeo,” he said and cut between them.

Liv excused herself and went back upstairs to print out a preliminary layout. There wasn’t much more she could do here at the ranch, so she began to pack. If felt odd to think she’d wake up in her tiny apartment tomorrow morning and not have Damon and Regan greeting her and the wonderful home-cooked meals she and Regan were preparing. She would have liked to have shared more with Drew, but he had a lot to deal with, and she understood the whole wanting to be alone in misery thing.

Last night had truly been wonderful, though. Liv could see the real Drew fighting inside. He had been given quite a load to deal with over the last year. His progress may have been better if his father and mother hadn’t dropped a new bomb in his lap and, of course, if Drake hadn’t popped in this morning. Liv didn’t understand why Drake was here anyway. He didn’t seem the type to want family. He was more the type to live the high life in a completely selfish
me, me, me
world. His overall demeanor was conceited, which was really interesting because it reminded her so much of Damon and Drew. There was no doubt in her mind that Drake was anything other than who he said he was. Drake was, in fact, their brother. They resembled each other too much, and their mannerisms were wildly similar which was strange since they didn’t grow up together. It must be a trait from their father, she thought, and continued to pack. It may not be the best time to leave, but it certainly wasn’t the worst. Everything going on just complicated things even further. Maybe it would all work out after everything calmed down. She still wanted to complete her mission she had planned, but felt that now was not the time.

With a suitcase and her overnight bag, Liv made her way down the stairs. Tears tried to form, but she pushed them back. She was good at being alone and didn’t need the distraction from her business and life any more than Drew. She just hoped that time would change things.

Outside at her Jeep as she was loading her suitcase, Drew jogged up behind her to help. “Are you leaving?” he asked and searched her face.

“Yeah.” Liv bit her bottom lip, trying to avoid his piercing eyes. “I have the preliminary layout for you and Damon. If you are satisfied with it, I’ll need to get it to publishing.”

Drew helped her load her overnight bag. He seemed lost in thought, like he was searching for words to say. Liv could tell because she felt the same. Drew followed her back to the house, ignoring Damon and Drake as they came in the back door.

They walked up the stairs quietly. Liv could feel his presence close behind and wanted nothing more than to feel his arms wrap around her and hold her tight. Deep down she wanted him to ask her to stay, but it was silly and stupid and not at all practical.

“I just have my camera and equipment left.” Liv forced a smile while Drew picked up the rest. “I can just leave this folder with everything in it for you and Damon to review later. You can call or e-mail me with any changes.”

“All right,” Drew said and walked ahead of her toward the stairs. She didn’t know what she expected him to say but she had hoped for more than that. Before last night, a “thanks for the great sex” would have been acceptable, but after last night, well, it just seemed like more had transpired. She hoped for at least, “I’d like to see you again.” But so far, it wasn’t looking like that was going to come, either.

* * * *

Drew loaded the last of her equipment with a sigh. He really hadn’t expected that she’d leave today, but why else would she stay? They had a great week of sex but nothing more. She had a business and life she needed to get back to, and he couldn’t blame her. Why would she want to stay around here and deal with his bad attitude in his soap-opera world? No woman would want to put up with that. He had to let her go. It was the best for both of them. Really, he had nothing to offer her except a bad reputation. What did he expect from her anyway? Did he really think that she’d profess feelings for him?

This was exactly why he couldn’t make good decisions. Currently he could feel the blood course into his dick. Just one more time, he wanted to fill her with himself just once more and hear her moan in her sexy voice and look into her intense eyes that promised he was the only one. That was all he ever wanted. To have a woman that he was crazy for, and she the same, and to know that he could satisfy her completely and that she was true to only him. He wanted to become her entire world, feel her body against his in the morning and know he could spread her wide, take what he wanted and she’d give to him willingly, lovingly. He tried to make his mouth work, but it was dry, and his mind was blank.

“Thanks, Drew.” Liv smiled with watery eyes.

All Drew felt was loss because Liv seemed to be content to leave it alone.
Maybe I should as well.

Drake walked over and extended his hand to Drew. “I’d say nice to meet you, but I’d be lying,” he said and turned to Liv. “Liv, it was a pleasure.” He winked at her and headed for his Corvette.

What the hell? Drew thought and looked toward Drake’s brand-new silver Corvette. How in the hell did that punk get such an expensive ride, and why hadn’t he noticed it? “Nice vehicle,” Drew said sarcastically. “Did you buy that with your own money?” He chuckled. The little bastard must have conned his grandmother into buying it for him.

Damon stood close by and rolled his eyes.

“Glad you like it.” Drake poked his hands in his pockets with a million-dollar grin on his face. “And no, I didn’t buy it. Our father did. Mistresses and bastard children are kept very well.” He turned and walked to his car.

Drew followed, and Damon jogged alongside. “Drew, let it go, man.”

“Let it go? That’s bullshit! All that son of a bitch ever bought me was a used truck!” Drew roared.

“What did you threaten? To go to reporters if he didn’t buy you whatever you wanted?” Drew asked, feeling his blood pressure rise.

Drake laughed. “No, I never threatened him. I think my mother gave better blow jobs than yours.” He laughed again and slid into the car.

“Let it go, Drew. I’m serious. This is not our problem or business.” Damon tried to slow Drew as he followed Drake.

“What the fuck, Damon? We were the ones campaigning, cheering, and taking his wrath all these years, and that little punk has had a silver spoon shoved up his ass because his mother is a whore! Where is the justice in that?”

* * * *

Liv stayed close and tried to keep her mouth shut. Drew was angrier than she’d seen him all week. It even topped last night. She could agree that she’d be mad as well, if she were in his shoes. Drew took the heat, meanwhile Drake had been pampered. But on the other side of things, it couldn’t have been easy for Drake to grow up knowing all he knew.

“Drew, man, that’s all he has. He has no family besides his mother. Our father was never a real father to him.”

Drew interrupted, “Like he was a great father to us or a good husband to Mom. He needs to be hung up by his ball sac!”

“I agree. Dad really screwed up things, but you can’t change it, and fighting with Drake won’t make things any better,” Damon said.

Drake started the Corvette with a roar. “Really, guys, I’m sorry that all of our lives have turned out the way they did. Well, not really.” He laughed and sped out of the driveway.

Drew shook with anger. “How I really hate him.”

“He’s gone. That’s it, Drew! He came here in order to fulfill his grandmother’s wishes and to get his inheritance. If you think for a minute that because they have money that he’s had a better life, I disagree. And really, it doesn’t matter. What’s done is done,” Damon said and patted Drew on the back. “It’s over. We have each other and this ranch, and really that’s all that matters.”

Liv slid her hand into Drew’s and looked up at him and smiled. He squeezed her hand tight and took a deep breath.

“Come on, let’s go look over what Liv has created for us, and I’ll make us some breakfast and a fresh pot of coffee,” Damon said and headed toward the house.

After a tense breakfast where Liv’s heart waited patiently for anything to come from Drew then didn’t, she pulled out of the drive and put on a fake smile. Drew stood like a statue with his hand poked into his pocket and gave her a wave. She had to get out of there and away from him before her heart really broke. She took one last look in her rearview mirror, and Drew hadn’t moved. Tears fell down her cheeks as she kept driving. Stupid, that’s what she was, completely stupid for allowing her heart to feel for him. He wasn’t a bad guy, but he had more problems than she needed to deal with, and he wouldn’t let go of them. He also never promised her anything or professed any kind of feelings for her. And really, all she had planned to do was help him overcome his past and have some wild sex in the process. Now she knew she hadn’t helped him at all, but they did have some sizzling sex that was sure to replay in her mind over and over again.

Liv continued to drive and realized that sex wasn’t a solid basis for a relationship anyway, not that she was looking for one, she argued. Just because they could make each other’s body sing with pleasure didn’t mean they could stick together through thick and thin and have a well-bonded relationship. That was it. It was just sex. She continued to drive and tell herself, “It was just sex.”

An hour later when Liv pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex she lived in, she sat for a moment and took in all the sounds around her. The steady drone of vehicles blared on the interstate that was nearby, the honks of horns and cars driving by with music so loud, she was sure the occupants were tone-deaf. She was already missing the sounds of the ranch. The sweet silence that was only filled with a cow or two bellowing from time to time, the sound of crickets, and frogs at night. She sighed and got out onto the hot pavement and began to unload her equipment.

Halfway up the stairs, Liv’s cell rang. A giddy feeling came over her, and she prayed it was Drew. When she pulled the phone out of her pocket, her mouth fell to a frown. It was Regan.

“Hello.” Liv worked at sounding energetic.

“Hey, Damon said you had gone home. I didn’t know you were finished,” Regan said, sounding a little disheartened.

“Yeah, all done! Damon and Drew liked the layout, so I will be sending it in for publishing tonight. The final product should take about a week to print,” Liv replied, opening the door to her tiny apartment.