Tempting the Billionaire by J.A. Low
Stirling
My phone starts ringing, and I know that ring tone anywhere. It’s Rhys.
I grab it from the stand and open the call. “Hey,” I answer a little puffed after my workout.
“That fucking bastard. Have you seen what he has done to my sister?” Rhys yells down the phone. He’s so loud I have to hold it away from my ear.
“I saw the video,” I tell him.
“Makes me sick,” Rhys adds. “I think you and I might need to pay a visit to Bora Bora.” I knew this is the way he’d react when he found out.
“As much as I think that’s a great idea, I don’t think Audrey is going to think it is.” I tell him. There’s a series of curses and grumblings down the phone.
“Maybe you’re right.” He doesn’t sound happy about it. “Speaking of Audrey. Do you know where she is? Mom said she never came home last night. She texted and said that she was crashing at a friend’s house. I’m worried about her.” I can hear the concern in his voice.
“She crashed here.” Better to confess now than later.
“She what?” Rhys’s voice raises in shock.
“It was late. Audrey didn’t want to worry your mom. Her friends had gone home, and she needed her brother in that moment. I was the closest thing I guess.” There’s nothing but silence on the other end of the phone.
“Thanks man.” Rhys eventually speaks up. “Thanks for looking after my sister when I couldn’t. Maybe I should come home.”
“Actually, Audrey has made plans to visit. I’m about to organize the jet,” I explain to him.
“Really?” He seems surprised.
“Yeah. It’s a girl’s trip. I was coming next week to see you anyway. I can swap things around and join them. I think she’s desperate to get away from the city for a little bit. You know how the media is when something like this hits their pages.”
“Vultures all of them,” Rhys growls. “I understand what it’s like going through a public break up. Add in the juiciness of a sex tape then you have the perfect storm for paparazzi and gossip fodder.” Rhys lets out an exhausted sigh.
Rhys is going through a divorce from his gold-digging, social-climbing, soon to be ex-wife. She loves the media attention their divorce is getting them. Especially since she is playing the victim in the breakup, crying, and carrying on that Rhys cheated on her when in fact she was screwing his best friend while he was at work. Rhys decided that all this unwanted attention wasn’t good for his business or his mental health and packed up to London to catch his breath and work out his next step. He’s been hoping something good would come along and knock his drama off the gossip sites. What he wasn’t expecting was his sister’s misfortune to be it.
“It’s not fair that she’s here having to deal with it all while he’s on a tropical island still screwing his mistress,” I tell Rhys.
“So true,” he agrees sadly. “Look, thanks for taking her in when she had nowhere else to go. I appreciate it. I’m glad she has you there when I can’t be. You’re like a second brother to her,” Rhys tells me and his appreciation makes me feel sick. He doesn’t need to know the bad thoughts I’ve been having about his sister.
“Anytime, man. You know that.”
“Can you let Audrey know I called?” Rhys asks me.
“Of course.”
“I’ll see you and the girls in a couple of days then. I pity you on that plane with those three.” Oh man, he’s right. This is going to be a nightmare. “So good luck with that.” Rhys chuckles before saying goodbye.
“Was that my brother?” Audrey asks which makes me jump as I wasn’t expecting her to be right behind me.
“Yeah. He just heard the news. He said call him when you can.” I pass the message onto Audrey.
“I can’t thank you enough for taking me in last night. I needed it to get my head together.” She takes a seat beside me on the bed.
“Anytime, you know that. I’ll be here for you,” I tell her, bumping my shoulder against hers.
“If I couldn’t have my brother with me last night. I’m glad I had you. You’re the next best thing.” She gives me a bright smile.
Well damn; I’ve been friend-zoned.
Which is the best place for me. My best friend doesn’t need me lusting after his little sister. It’s not right.
“Guess I better get going home. Can’t hide out here all day.” She shrugs her shoulders slumping under the weight of what she knows is going to happens when she leaves these walls.
“You’re more than welcome to stay,” I add, giving her a grin.
“Don’t tempt me.” She chuckles. “It’s not fair that I’m the victim in all this, yet I’m going to be the one that gets all the media attention.” I can see Audrey’s body tense as the reality of what has happened to her sets in.
“Your family and friends have your back,” I tell her.
“Why do you think he did it?” she asks me again. I can see this is the question playing on her, but it could be for a million reasons none of us will ever truly know.
“It has nothing to do with you, know that,” I tell her. The last thing I want Audrey to think or feel is that she did something to this dickwad to make him cheat. She didn’t. He was a asshole.
“But it must have been something.” Those blue doe eyes look up at me as if I magically will be able to explain it all for her.
“Probably ego. Like the fact that he had two women after him. He probably got off on running around behind your back. She probably did too.” I try and explain to the best of my abilities to her.
“Men are dicks but her? That’s the kicker. Why would she do that to someone who is one of your best friends?” Those blue eyes narrow on me and I understand she is wanting to make sense of the situation, but sometimes shitty people do shitty things.
“Jealousy maybe? I don’t know. But least you know she isn’t a real friend.”
“Not really the way I wanted to work that out,” she states sarcastically.
“Forget them. They never deserved you, Audrey. There will be more fish in the sea for you. And I promise you there are good guys out there; we aren’t all dickheads,” I explain to her, trying to cheer her up.
“Good guys like you, hey?” She gives me a grin and nudges my shoulder with hers.
“Oh no. I’m definitely not a good guy.” My answer makes her pause.
“Do you treat women badly?” Her face crinkles up with a frown.
“Hell no,” I answer quickly before she gets the wrong idea. “There’s two type of bad guys. First one is men like David who are all about ego, vanity, and clout. Then there are the second type, and they are good men that aren’t looking for a relationship. These men are honest with the women they are with, they don’t hide behind an over inflated ego. They tell the woman that they aren’t looking for anything more than the time that they have together. That they understand the woman maybe amazing, but they don’t have time in their lives to invest in a relationship. They don’t want to waste anyone’s time. But as much as the women agree with the rules, they seem to think they can change you. Change your choices and decisions. Guess this bad guy hasn’t found the right woman yet to change me.”
“Why is that? Audrey asks.
“I don’t have the time to devote to a relationship. I don’t have time to be your plus one at an event or catch a movie or go to the markets. You know, couple stuff,” I explain to her.
“You only have time to wine and dine her before you 69 her?” Audrey cracks a joke.
“Good one.” We give each other a high five. “But it’s true. I don’t want to let anyone down because Rhys and are still building this business together. We have so much more to conquer.”
“Aren’t you worried that time is going to run out for you?” Audrey asks.
“What do you mean?” I question her.
“Well, you’re getting close to forty, so you know.” She giggles.
“What is your infatuation with age? I’m not old.”
“So, you’re telling me you’re going to be a George Clooney and pop out babies at like fifty?”
What is with the third degree from Audrey?
“I haven’t thought that far yet,” I tell her honestly.
“Tick tock, Stirling.” She grins, tapping her wrist.
“Come on you. Let’s get you home before you have me signed up for an old person’s home.”
“Can never be to prepared.” She giggles as she skips away to grab her things.