Mine Would Be You: Stephens Brothers, #3

By Shea Brighton

Returning home wasn't in Melinda Taylor's plans. Working at Stephens Construction definitely wasn't on the agenda. Fate must be laughing at her, because that's exactly where she landed. Right in Matthew Stephens's lap. Now she has to navigate the volatile waters surrounding the one man she's always loved.

 

Matthew Stephens is focused on two things: his son and his business. Everything else is a distraction that threatens his ironclad control. That definitely includes Melinda. Only once, years before, had he let that control slip. It cost him the one thing he never should have wanted. 

 

Someone is intent on destroying Stephens Construction, and no one is safe. When Melinda winds up a target, Matthew can't deny what is obvious any longer. Maybe they could have a future—if they can survive the present. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shea Brighton
• Release date: Jan 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393395713

Book preview

Prologue

Ten Years Ago

I thought I would find you here.

Melinda Taylor stared at the man sitting behind the desk. With his head bent over whatever document he was reading, she bet he hadn’t seen or heard her approach. She had taken those minutes to study him unobtrusively to remember him like this. Midnight dark hair tumbled over his forehead, so different than the way he combed it into submission during the workday. Wrinkles lined his forehead as he gazed upon the paper. His white dress shirt was loosened at the neck, his tie long gone, and the sleeves rolled back. Strong, corded forearms lay on his desk.

She had dreams about those forearms lifting her as she climbed his body. So many dreams.

In the air, she sensed something would change tonight. She had felt it earlier, too. Then, it had excited her, thinking tonight would finally be the night he noticed her. Now, it made her wary. The difference had overtaken her the minute she stepped into the office. There was a heaviness that didn’t exist before. She’d thought about turning back, but she’d come this far and needed to know.

Driving home from dinner, Melinda hadn't resisted the lure of passing by the building that housed the Stephens Construction offices. Seeing the lone light on through the windows had made her detour worthwhile. No one had told her Matt was working late, and that was the reason he’d missed the combined family dinner, but she’d taken a chance.

So she watched him and told herself this wasn't a mistake. She wanted to say goodbye to Matt before she headed back to school tomorrow. Melinda didn't think about the pang of pain she felt when he hadn’t shown up at dinner. Of course, she shouldn’t have been surprised. He had managed to ignore her most of the summer. Which was harder than one would think, considering she’d spent the summer working in the offices.

The times he deigned to speak with or spend time with her were fraught with tension. She could tell he wanted to be anywhere else, and she didn't know why. Growing up around the Stephens family, she was always with the boys. Even though she was closest to Jon in age, since he trailed around after his older brothers, that meant she’d followed them wherever they went. It had made sense a twenty-year-old Matthew didn’t want a nine-year-old girl on his heels when he came home from college. But she couldn’t figure out why he’d put such distance between them once it was her coming home for the summer.

Tension overtook the room as he realized she stood there at the door. It was there in the way his shoulders seized and the grip on the pen got a little bit tighter. They were friends once, as she was growing up. Even with the age gap, she felt a closeness with Matt like she did with his brothers. All that had changed a few years ago, and she longed to get it back. She would settle for friendship again if that was all she could get. Because she was quite sure what she really wanted, what she truly desired, would never actually happen. She sensed she was losing him, and the pain devastated her.

Melinda. Even as he spoke, he never looked up. His voice tight, her name came through clenched teeth. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you.

Glaringly obvious from his words, even if he didn’t voice it, was the fact he hadn’t wanted to see her. A last-minute emergency or forgetfulness on his part hadn’t made him miss dinner. If it was, he’d apologize and welcome her presence here. He’d wish her a good year and maybe give her a hug. No, it was deliberate, and it ripped her heart in two. It fell completely in line with how they had interacted all summer. She had no idea what she had done to him to make him act like this. When she had first come home at the beginning of the summer, she was so excited to intern at Stephens. They were barely a week in when she’d realized it was not going the way she’d thought, the way she’d wanted. He was cold where he had always been warm before. Isolated, where he had been part of the group. Tonight felt like a microcosm of the past three months. Maybe she could get out of here without too much more pain.

She stepped into the room, if for no other reason than to be a touch closer to him. Since you made it a point to skip dinner, I’m not surprised. I wanted to say goodbye before I left. She tried to keep her voice light, even if the words were a little harsher than she intended. Why was this so hard for her? Why did he have to mean so much to her when it was obvious she meant so little to him?

Still not looking up, Matt laid the pen on the desk, and traded it for a half empty glass of amber colored liquid. He took a sip and stared at the paper in front of him like it possessed the secret of life. Finally, he raised his head and stared at her. Her breath hitched as the full brunt of him struck her. His pitch-black hair and sapphire blue eyes starred in her nightly fantasies. She’d tried to push them away, but they wouldn’t go. Matt was the man who had ruled her thoughts ever since she actually wanted to start dating. Even knowing he would have never looked at her like that didn’t stop the thoughts, the feelings cascading through her for years now.

Looking at those piercing eyes in this instant, she couldn’t tell if he was looking at her or attempting to look through her. She was equally afraid of both options. What would he see in her face? Or how could he pretend she wasn’t even there?

He huffed, as if hating that he had to deal with her. Well, you said it, so you can go now. I have work to do. He had dismissed her. There was no other way to describe both the words themselves and the absolute indifference that came through in his tone. Lowering his head, he picked up the pen again.

Tears she didn’t have any control of flowed from her eyes. She would never admit she had taken extra time tonight to pick the perfect dress and apply her make-up flawlessly. The dress she found last week fit like a dream when she tried it on, hugging her body like it was made for her. Images of Matt, of what he would do to her, with her, ran through her head as she’d dressed. She had barely been able to keep from coming as her mind and hands drifted during her shower. Tonight, she’d looked at herself in the mirror, thinking she looked more mature than her twenty years, and that maybe, just maybe, Matt would finally take notice of her.

Except she never had a shot, not with someone who wouldn’t even look at her. He would never see her as anything more than an annoying child. She tried her best, but it wasn’t anywhere near good enough and was definitely a crappy consolation prize.

She’d cut her losses, turn around and leave. Go back to campus tomorrow and try to get over these feelings. She’d see Matt in the future. Their parents were best friends, so it was inevitable. All she had to do was realize whatever friendship she had with him was over. And those other feelings she had for him would never amount to anything.

I’m sorry, the words came out as a hoarse whisper. She needed to get out before she made a bigger mistake than coming here. She turned and took a step toward the door.

Not thinking he heard her and definitely not expecting a response, she was surprised when she heard his raspy voice. Sorry for what?

She stopped and thought about what to say. He probably assumed she was sorry for interrupting. A part of her didn’t want to let this moment pass without saying something, even if it was a lost cause. But she couldn’t be that strong. Not right now as all of her hopes seemed to be disintegrating in the palm of her hand. Sucking in a breath through the tears that kept coming, she composed herself enough to speak, It doesn’t matter anymore. Goodbye, Matthew.

That sounds final. Why was he making this so difficult on her? He’d wanted nothing to do with her for months, and now she couldn’t escape. Now he wanted to talk when her heart was breaking?

I guess it is. I have to go.

I asked you a question, he bit out. You come in here and disrupt everything and now you won’t answer me? Why couldn’t you have stayed away? The words were harsh, but it was his tone that caught her. He spoke with such cruelty, as if he didn’t care how he sounded to her.

Melinda had never felt like this before. Devastation was shaking her entire being apart. She hadn’t thought her heart could break apart anymore, but to hear those words… To hear the irritation behind them proved her wrong. He sounded like he hated her. As much as her heart was irreparably broken, a spark of anger ignited within her too. She had done nothing to him to deserve what he was doing to her. She twirled around to face him and saw a look on his face that was sheer torment. Like he couldn’t even handle looking at her anymore. That did nothing to stop her.

Standing there in his office, she let her feelings pour out. For whatever the fuck I did that made you dislike me. For thinking we were actually friends. For wanting to spend time with you this summer when you made it clear you wanted to do anything but that. She sucked in a breath and kept going. For caring about someone who apparently doesn’t give a shit about me. I’m sorry for it all.

Turning on her heel, she started for the outer office again when a crash sounded behind her. Looking back, remnants of the glass peppered the floor where it landed. Did he throw it? She let her gaze drift from the shards of glass to the man still seated behind his desk. If she thought Matt looked tormented before, it was nothing compared to his torturous expression now.

What the fuck is this, Melinda? Exasperation bled into his words. Just because you didn’t get what you wanted, you come here and do this to me? You know nothing! Nothing! Melinda could see Matt’s chest heaving as his voice rose to a yell. As he continued to become unglued. You’re a child who hasn’t gotten her way and can’t stand it. Maybe I didn’t want to be around you. Maybe I had my reasons.

Fuck you, Matthew. Fuck. You. Whatever heartache she experienced before was overtaken by pure anger. How dare he treat her like that? She dragged her gaze away from him, away from the hurt and frustration he made her feel. Looking straight ahead, she took a step forward.

Fuck me? His voice was strained, as if he was physically trying to hang onto his control. She hadn’t even realized he moved from his chair, let alone followed her. Now, as he grabbed her arm and spun her around, she stared into eyes ablaze with something she didn’t understand. Watch what you ask for, little girl.

Desire like fire raced through his body. Without conscious thought, he dragged her closer and lowered his head. This was the reason he spent the entire summer trying to stay out of Melinda’s path and had been slowly distancing himself from her for years now. Ever since the way he wanted to look at her and the things he wanted to do to her had taken on a decidedly adult turn. Even though she was an adult now, at least in age, he’d held the leash on his desires. Desires that disturbed him more and more. And, every day, he had to pull the chain even tighter before he let it, and himself, slip.

Everything he felt for her was wrong. Everything he wanted to do to her was so very wrong. A thirty-one-year-old man shouldn’t feel like this for a twenty-year-old. He berated himself daily. Still, those thoughts played through his head constantly. If he heard her voice, he imagined what it would sound like moaning his name as she came. When he saw her, he imagined her body naked and spread out like a feast for him. It was getting harder and harder to keep himself in check. He valued his control above almost all else, and she was a test he didn’t know how to handle.

So he tried to ignore it instead.

He was so close to being free. All he needed to do was get her back to college tomorrow and he’d have months to shore up his defenses against these feelings before he had to see her again. Though it kept getting more difficult for him to do.

But she couldn’t just leave.

No. She had to show up here when he had done everything he could to stay away. Looking like sin in a green sheath dress that hugged every curve she had. Curves that were emblazoned on his brain since she had sauntered down to his family’s pool dressed in a royal blue bikini for her eighteenth birthday party. God help him, but he didn’t think he could resist her anymore.

The moment his lips crashed into hers, his whole body vibrated. FINALLY. This was no gentle kiss. It couldn’t be, not with the feelings swirling through him. He sensed her tension and astonishment but couldn’t stop himself. He licked at her lips, his tongue darting to the seam of her mouth, trying to get her to open and let him in. One taste. One taste and he’d make himself stop. He had to stop.

Reluctantly, he pulled back from Melinda’s mouth and studied her. Her eyes were closed tight, and he prayed he saw desire in them when they opened. He prayed equally hard he saw hatred because that was probably the only thing that could get these damn thoughts to finally stop. After what seemed like an eternity, her eyelids fluttered open, the green jewels of her eyes, a perfect match for the slip of a dress she wore, burned with something he’d never noticed before. For a moment, they simply stared at each other.

Parting her lips, she sighed. Matthew.

Hearing his name fall from her lips was all it took for the reins he had held in check for years to slip from his grasp. Seizing a handful of her hair in his fist, he yanked her head backward. Her eyes turned glassy, and he realized she was as caught in the moment as he was. Taking his hand from her arm, he placed it around her throat. Angling her head into the exact position he wanted, he tightened both hands a bit and watched her breathing deepen and become erratic.

As she let out a cry, he lowered his head again and penetrated her mouth with his tongue. Biting at her lower lip, he tasted every recess of her mouth. Her taste was as sweet as he imagined, flavored with the creaminess of cappuccino—her favorite for after dinner. It was an endless kiss, searing in its intensity and power. Putting every ounce of his passion into the kiss he felt he waited a lifetime for. As he pulled his mouth back to breathe, he ran his tongue over Melinda’s lips, toying with them as she tried to close her mouth.

Stepping forward, he walked her back against the wall. Keeping one hand at her throat, he pushed his body hard up against hers. Letting her feel what she was doing to him, what she always did to him. Cock hard as steel, nestled against her abdomen, he rocked into her. His hand at her throat loosened a touch, enough for him to gently caress her tender skin. Even as the grip he had on her hair tightened and his fingers skimmed the neckline of her dress, he heard the knock of reason at the back of his mind. A summoning he desperately didn’t want to heed, but one that wouldn’t go away yet.

Somehow, he pulled his hand away from the tender skin of her chest. Slamming that hand against the wall he had Melinda pinned to, he lifted his mouth from hers. Breathing as if he had run a marathon, he looked into eyes gone wide. Her pink mouth, devoid of any lipstick now parted slightly. The rise and fall of her chest grabbed his attention as he could see her breasts move with the attempt to catch her breath.

Melinda, you should go. God, playing the gentleman was hard. His words created a void in him he feared would never fill. Her deep red tresses flowed through his fingers as he untangled his hand from her hair. Even as he spoke the words, his body leaned into hers, trying to maintain their connection. One more second and he’d step back. Let her go. But this moment had to last him a lifetime.

Stunned at the feel of Melinda’s hands gripping the back of his head, he tore his gaze from her breasts and stared back in her eyes. With a breathless yet forceful, No, Melinda dragged his head down to her mouth.

A rip sounded through the haze of his mind, and lace scraped against his palm. He closed one hand over her full breast and her nipple pebbled. A sharp intake of breath filled the room. Whose breath it was, he couldn’t tell, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was he was finally touching the woman who had ruled his thoughts and body for over two years now.

Giving up the pleasure of her breast, he slowly slid both hands to the bottom of her skirt. Jerking it upward, he had complete access to her now. He dreamed of having hours to worship her body, to run his hands and mouth all over her. To take her a million times, in a million different ways. Except that wasn’t in the cards for right now. No, now he needed to fuck her. To get his cock into her as quickly as possible and pound away the frustration that had racked his body for these long years.

Grasping her ass, he lifted Melinda until her legs were wrapped around his waist. Naked globes in his hand, he leaned into her until his dick pressed against her barely covered pussy. So close to heaven. He bucked against her, needing to get closer.

Is this what you were hoping for, Melinda? Is this why you’re dressed like sin in stilettos? he rasped the words against her ear. Wearing something that barely covers your cunt from me? Hand sliding to her hip, he ripped the thong off her body. He lifted it and brought it to his nose, loving the way she blushed at the move. He could smell her arousal that coated the material. Were you wet when you were getting dressed? Or is all this cream because I finally have my hands on you?

Matthew could barely control himself. This was not a him he knew. He was pushing every boundary he had put up in his mind, but he needed to know she was right there with him. That he was the one with her here in this moment, and it was where she wanted to be.

Green eyes blazing with lust stared back at him. I was wet when I got dressed today. The corner of her mouth ticked up, in a teasing gesture.

A growl came from his throat, startling them both. His brothers had mentioned some guy picking her up from work a couple of times this summer. Had she been thinking about that guy? It was perverse, but he hated her wanting someone else while he longed for her so badly. Maybe she really was here to simply say goodbye and she got dressed up for the other guy. It would gut him, but he’d let her go if that was the case. He shouldn’t have her in the first place.

He tried to disentangle himself but was held in place as Melinda’s legs tightened around him. Her body undulated just enough for her bare pussy to rub over his still-covered cock. Thank God he hadn’t gotten his pants undone yet because that would have been pure torture.

I thought about seeing you tonight as I showered. Her words were hushed, but he heard them loud and clear. I imagined you finally looking at me, as I slid this thong up my body.

His heart was about to pound out of his chest as he listened to her breathless words. Images assailed him of her in the shower, water and suds sluicing over her body, her hands following the path, touching everywhere he wanted to. His cock bucked at the tableau his mind presented, pressing into her. He still was trying to convince himself this was real when she removed her hands from around his neck. Now was when reality would come crashing down on him and the previous few minutes would reveal themselves to be nothing but a dream. Briefly lowering his lids to let the dream recede, he blinked them back open.

Fucccccccccccccck.

She hadn’t made a move to push him away. No. Instead, he leered as she dragged the ripped material of her bodice down, showcasing a mint green bra. The same color as the thong he still clutched in his hand. As the image she presented fried his brain, he gripped her ass harder, lifting and grinding her down on his length. He leaned downward, capturing the tight bud through the lace and pulling hard.

His mind screamed at him to slow down, but his body was driving this ship tonight, and it wanted nothing to do with slow. It called to him to take her hard and fast, damn the consequences, and her eyes were telling him there would be consequences. He couldn’t think about that now.

Right this second, his only thought was to get inside that tight pussy and make her his. Like she should have been all along.

He widened his stance, pinning her to the wall with only the weight of his body, and dragged his hands up her torso. One slipped under her raised skirt, coasting up the inside of her thigh. The other held her still-damp panties. He wrapped that arm around her neck, so they dangled in front of her face.

Look at what you did to these. Even as he said the words, his hand skirted closer to his target. They are soaked. Do you think there’s any more for me? Just a few more inches to where he wanted to be more than he wanted his next breath. A grin spread across his face and his voice dropped, going dark. Your thighs are coated. I bet if I looked, they would glisten for me. Do you want me to get on my knees and look, baby? Get my head between those hot legs of yours? Her incoherent groan was enough of an answer for him. As much as he wanted her coming on his tongue, he had other things more pressing right now. Maybe next time.

His hand traveled that last inch and cupped the prize he had been dying for. He lost all sense of finesse in that instant. He would curse himself for the loss of control and hate himself for the animal he had become later. Much, much later. Right now, there was only one thought that ran through his mind.

Mine.

He speared her with two fingers as she clutched around him. He played her clit with his thumb, rubbing the little bud back and forth as her whole body shook. In and out, he moved, her body clenching down with every withdrawal, trying not to let him leave. He loved every fucking second of it.

Fuck, baby. Ride my hand.

He picked up speed as her body raced to completion. Her choppy exhalations pushed him harder. God, he wanted to see the moment when she soared for him, only for him. Just as she was nearing that ultimate peak, the flush on her neck moving upward, he added another finger.

Matthew. Her scream echoed off the walls of the office as she came. Cream covering his hand as her body climaxed. He almost joined her at the sound of her yelling his name.

Before she could even out her breathing, he spun toward the couch, pulled her legs from around his body, and bent her over the arm. She reached out to stabilize herself on the seat as her body still quaked. His only thought was getting in her as he tore at the button and zipper on his pants and pushed them and his boxers past his hips.

On one plunge, he was seated in her tight body. Oh God. Oh God. He stilled, unable to move or this would be all over. It couldn’t be all over so quick. He had waited too long for this for it to be over in seconds. Except his body was telling him time was not his friend right now.

His mind was saying the same thing. He tried to push away those invading thoughts. That this wasn’t right. That he was being too much of a caveman and losing control. But his mind wasn’t balls deep in the woman who had occupied his thoughts and haunted his dreams for two fucking years. His cock was, and his cock was going to lead the way and forget about everything else for now.

Please, she begged, You need to move.

He hadn’t even realized how tightly he was gripping Melinda’s hips, holding her in a vise so she couldn’t move. Couldn’t rock herself back on his cock and take control, which was exactly as it should be. Control wasn’t for her. It was his domain, and he was going to make sure she knew it.

Is this what you want? His voice silky smooth, even as he pulled back and thrust forward. Her moan let him off the leash once again. Mindlessly, he plunged in and out. The moves so hard the couch scraped across the floor.

He didn’t give a flying fuck and kept on fucking his woman. That’s what she was in the moment. His. Only his. In his mind, he knew it was wrong, that it wasn’t supposed to be, but he didn’t care. The grip of her pussy around his cock was mind-bending. He never wanted to leave it, but he also couldn’t stop moving. Couldn’t stop the need to create that friction over his dick dragging against her inner walls. The fluttering as they contracted with his movements and the noises she made spurred him on. A cross between a moan and a scream told him more than any words that she was right there along with him.

She levered herself up more on her hands and started pushing her body back against his. Chasing her own pleasure. He needed to see her come again. Once wasn’t enough…was never going to be enough.

Snaking his hand around her waist, he found her pleasure point once again. He kept his movements light at first, enjoying watching her struggle to reach that pinnacle. God, he wished he had stripped her bare. He desperately wanted to see her tits swinging with every thrust. To be able to lean over and run his tongue along her spine as she arched her back.

The pressure started building in the base of his spine. He was close, so close. This was better than any fantasy he’d had over the past years. As his balls drew up tighter, he knew he was almost set to go over. He needed to get her there first. Needed to have her go over with him.

You want to come again? The guttural words were ripped from his throat. He waited for her to speak, but the only sounds coming from her were those sexy groans. Her nod seemed to be the only answer he was going to get. You squeeze my cock when you come. I want to feel everything you have, and I’ll give it all back to you. His fingers started to move faster over her clit, even as his hips blurred as he plunged relentlessly into her body.

On another scream, Melinda’s back arched and her pussy clamped down on him. That was all it took to send him over to his own climax. Gripping her hips once again, he yanked her back and held her ass tight to his body, his dick jerking within her. His growl of completion was met only with her harsh breaths.

He stood there a moment, looking down at where their bodies were joined. Where he had achieved pleasure he didn’t even know was possible. Completely shell-shocked, he couldn’t even move, didn’t even want to move and end what had just happened. The risk upon re-entering the real world, the one apart from these stolen moments, was too great.

While his body was frozen in place, Matthew’s mind raced.

What the hell have I done? He had never planned on touching her. She was only a kid, only starting out, and he was so much older than her. This was never, ever supposed to happen. He had kept those urges controlled for so long. Buried every fantasy, every desire, every need he had involving her because he knew this would be the outcome if he didn’t. He would lose all sense of control and become mindless, where the only thing he considered was getting his dick in her. DAMMIT. This was not supposed to happen.

Matthew? a whisper broke through his musings. It was a voice that could gut him if he wasn’t careful.

Slowly, as if he would break with one wrong move, he inched out of her. His body screamed at him to not lose the connection. That it had found its home and it was within her, but his mind’s warnings were louder and harsher.

He turned his back on her as he pulled himself together. Or at least pulled his clothes together. It wouldn’t be so easy to do to his heart.

Matthew… He glanced down at Melinda’s hand on his forearm. The paleness against his tanned skin set him aflame again. That was amazing. I never imagined my first…that it could be like that.

He heard the words, but they were making no sense to his clouded mind. All he knew was he’d gone too far. He had to apologize, make this better. Though, how the fuck was he going to do that? He should never have laid a hand on her. Instead, he’d done the opposite and had practically mauled her, fucking her over the couch and against a wall like an animal. An animal that sure as hell didn’t deserve her. He should turn and face her, but he couldn’t. Whether it was because he was ashamed for how he treated her or worried he’d fall on her again, he didn’t know. He did know he needed to get away and re-group. Do what he was planning on doing while she was in school and pull himself back together.

You can go now, Melinda.

The gasp from behind him tore through him. Don’t turn around.

What do you mean go? We just made love.

He forced a laugh. Love. Are you kidding? He turned now and leered at her. The dress she wore was still raked up near her hips, the top pulled down and torn. We fucked. You’ve been sniffing around all summer long. Why do you think I didn’t come to dinner tonight? I tried to let you down easily, but I guess you decided you had to get some. He swallowed the bile down as he spoke the words. He wouldn’t treat an enemy like this, and here he was saying them to the woman he lo…

No, not going there.

Her face had been so vibrant and alive with lust. Now she glared at him in anger. The look crushed him. He wanted to go back to moments before, but he would never be able, not after what he said.

He wasn’t surprised by the crack as her hand met his cheek. He wanted to smack his own face.

Fuck you. Her voice was steady, but her body shook.

He chuckled, the sound wry and not at all jovial. That’s what you said to get you in this situation, and now you’re unhappy. Grow up.

She stood there, silent and still, for long minutes. It was a testament to how tightly his brain was in control that he didn’t lunge toward her. He had to get her to go. This side of him was not for someone so young, so innocent, no matter how much his body tried to convince him otherwise. It was a side of him he wasn’t sure he even liked and sure as hell didn’t know how to handle.

Maybe you should grow up. So what? Was I looking for it, or did you take advantage of me? You can’t even keep your own damn issues straight.

Whether she wanted it or not didn’t matter, at least not in his mind. It was whether he could do this. What he turned into around her, the control she made him lose, was not something he could do.

Glass crunched under his shoes as he moved toward his desk. Fuck, now he had a mess to clean up in more ways than one. Go, Melinda. Go back to college. He sat and went back to the contract he had laid down what seemed like hours ago, but had been nowhere near that long. It was amazing how little time a person needed to completely fuck up their life. He ignored her, even as she shuffled to get her purse from the floor.

He thought he was almost free when she stopped.

You can’t avoid me forever. You’ll have to deal with me at some point.

As she walked out the door, he didn’t know whether that was a threat or a promise. He was a little worried it was both.

Chapter 1

N o. Fuck no. We don’t need to bring anyone else into the business.

His dad was off his rocker. Matthew glanced around the big conference table at his brothers, expecting to see confirmation in their faces. Surprisingly, it wasn’t there. And why the fuck did it look like this wasn’t a surprise to them?

Because the acting like an ass routine has everyone staying away. He couldn’t refute that estimate. It wasn’t really a surprise; this was an ambush, and no one had clued him in to the topic beforehand. His family fluctuated between hovering with worry and keeping a safe distance. The only human in the world who didn’t get on the receiving end of any of it was Aidan. If his son wasn’t there to brighten his day, he worried what he would become. Especially over the last year. The last months with Cassandra had been hell. Every day he’d awakened with his soul being crushed. The thoughts that had filtered through his mind upon her death embarrassed him. He never let them linger, choosing instead to concentrate on Aidan. He had let his son become his primary focus, as he should be.

Until the wedding.

Nothing in his world had been right since that day. He tried to not let his mind linger, but it was impossible. Everything that had happened with Melinda seared itself into his brain and wouldn’t let him rest. The want, the need, was as bad now as it had ever been. Causing him to lash out in self-fucking-defense before he crossed lines. Crossed more lines. But she was gone now, and he had his son to raise. That was all he needed in his life.

Son…? Matthew?

Shaking his head, a glance at his dad told him he had zoned out. Sorry.

Before Dad could say more, Andrew cut him off. You didn’t hear a word we said. Though I’m not surprised. Whereas Dad and Jonathan minimized the grief they gave him, Andrew wasn’t quite as adept at playing the peacekeeper. Though considering it was his wedding Matthew had fucked up, he guessed this was his payback.

I didn’t, but I don’t need to. There’s no reason we need to bring anyone else in. He didn’t know why Dad had gotten this idea stuck in his head, but it was ridiculous.

We’re getting too damn big, brother. Andrew shook his head as if gearing up to explain to a child. Matthew knew this because he did it himself daily with Aidan’s unending stream of why questions. It was amazing how many of them a five-year-old could come up with. And considering you don’t even know what kind of role we’re talking about, maybe pay a damn bit of attention.

The three of us can handle it. Matthew didn’t understand why this was up for discussion. It was a family business, and in the family it would stay. Bringing in an outsider, someone they didn’t know, was plain stupid.

But Eric can’t.

That stopped Matthew as he swung his head toward his dad. Eric Taylor, his dad’s best friend and their accountant. He had been taking care of their finances for years. Up until a few