Boss I Love To Hate Page 21

  “That makes no sense.”

  Then, he pulled back and took a sip of my wine in the Marco nonchalant way I was used to. “But it does. With you, you always looked at Jeff that way, but …” He trailed off, and the silence was deafening. Though it wasn’t said, I heard it in my head. But he never looked at you that way.

  “What the hell is he doing here?”

  The boom of my father’s voice had me jumping to my feet.

  “Oh, crap.”

  Marco chuckled. “I guess he’s back from work. You’d better save your non-boyfriend over there before Dad gets his shotgun.”

  “Shit.” I was out of the kitchen and back in the living room, rushing toward my father in less than a second. “Daddy,” I cooed, wrapping my arms around him.

  “You.” He pointed a stern finger toward Brad, like the barrel of a gun, steady and firm, knowing its target. “Who the hell invited you?”

  I wrapped my arms tighter around my father, teeth clenched in a tight smile and blood pounding in my ears. “I did, Dad. I thought it would be nice for the family to know who I worked for.”

  Brad teetered on his newly shined shoes, a timid smile forming. “Sir.” He stepped forward, steadying a hand to shake. “It’s great to finally meet the patriarch of the family. Sonia has told …”

  My father narrowed his eyes and took a step toward him, glaring at his extended hand as though it had crap on it. “Yeah, I’ve heard a shit-ton about you. Slave driver, mean womanizer who makes my little girl cry.”

  My face turned all shades of red. Why, oh why, did I have the best relationship with my parents and tell them everything?

  Brad’s smile evaporated, and it looked like he’d been punched in the gut. And the aunties … well, they stared at Brad like he’d suddenly fallen off his pedestal.

  I waved a hand at Brad. “It was one time. Nothing really. Plus, it was when Jeff dumped me. Any and every little thing set me off.”

  How the hell did I get out of this one?

  “Honey, I’m sure Brad has realized the error of his ways.” My mom reached for my father’s face, placing one large palm on his cheek. “And I’m sure he’s sorry.” She patted his cheek. “Because they’re dating now.” She beamed at him as if this was the best news she’d heard all year.

  I groaned internally. Kill me, someone. Quick.

  “Dating?” My dad flipped toward me so fast that I thought he would topple over. “Him?” The muscle by his neck twitched, and his vein pulsed in his neck.

  And now was the moment of false truths. I could say I wasn’t dating him and have my father kick him out and beat him to a pulp, or I could say all was forgiven and lie because he wouldn’t kill his potential, possibly future son-in-law.

  I gulped. “It’s true.” The pained smile surfaced again, the one that made my cheeks hurt from the strain. Then, I stretched a hand out and tilted my head for Brad to come toward me.

  The aunts laughed with murmured confirmations of, “I knew it.”

  Brad hesitated, but then I stretched my pained grin farther, and he walked toward me and intertwined our fingers. And, at that moment, I regretted ever lying and taking him to that stupid wedding and getting butt-ass drunk. Because one thing I never, ever, ever did was lie to my family. Our bond was real and strong and built on honesty. And, now, I’d have to lie about the breakup.

  * * *

  Brad

  “… who makes my little girl cry.”

  It took me a moment to realize what she was trying to do or even what she had said, that we were now pretending to be together because all that rang in my ears was, “… who makes my little girl cry.”

  I tried to search my memory, trying to recall a time when I’d seen Sonia unhappy. My mind came up blank. Yeah, I’d been a dick to her, like I was a dick to everyone, but with Sonia, I knew she could take it, and she gave it right back.

  She knew me, not only my likes—like the way I liked my sandwiches with little mayo and no lettuce—but also my dislikes, my pet peeves, but she had to know I wouldn’t treat her like shit and intentionally make her upset.

  I searched her face, the way she was smiling to ease her parents, the smile she held for me when she was annoyed. And I knew deep in my gut that she was upset right now, right here.

  I never cared what others thought. Maybe it was because I was the boss, and it didn’t matter. But, as I stared into the almost-six-foot-tall, stout man who held the same warm eyes as Sonia, I realized that I cared what this man thought about me.

  I mustered my most apologetic, contrite tone. “Sir, I never meant to make your daughter cry. Trust me when I say that I appreciate everything Sonia does for me day to day at Brisken. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t run as efficiently as I do.”

  I squeezed her hand and peered down at her to see her biting her bottom lip. It was an apology sincerely meant for her, as it was meant for her father. “I’m sorry. Sometimes, I think you’re made of steel, and I forget you’re not like those cutthroat CEOs I battle with.”

  I exhaled, and before I knew it, my hand cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry, Sonia. Know that I do appreciate you. I promise to be more conscious of my mood and to never take things out on you.” Because it wasn’t fair, and one of these days, I’d push too far, and I’d hate to think of what would happen if I did.

  We were locked in a stare, and even though her whole family was in the room and I could feel the hostility oozing out of her father in waves, all of me wanted to kiss her, without hesitation and in apology. Just as I had at the wedding and in her apartment.

  The urge was so strong that I leaned into her and brought her close but kissed her forehead instead. She smelled of strawberries. The sweet, light scent of her shampoo had me leaning closer.

  Coos and awws echoed from the women in the room. It wasn’t a reaction I had expected or wanted because all that mattered was Sonia’s reaction.

  She pulled my hand down from her face and tilted her head to look at me. “All’s forgiven.” Her eyes bled with sincerity, with forgiveness, and I eased up. “Just don’t be an asshole to me anymore, and I’ll no longer throw darts at your head at home.”

  I smiled a little and nodded. At that moment, I promised to never give her a reason to forgive me. “I kind of like that picture of me. I was thinking I could practice, too, and get better at my aim.”

  Sonia’s face broke into an irresistibly devastating grin. “We can work on that. I’ve actually become very good at playing darts. Constant practice and all.”

  “See, all’s forgiven. Now, go shake his hand, Vinny.” Lydia gave her husband’s shoulder a shove. “If they end up getting married, you’re going to regret being a dick. Remember how my father hated you. You want to be him?”

  Vinny flinched.

  “Mom,” Sonia yelled, her cheeks turning a shade darker. “We’re not getting married.”

  “Yet,” Aunt Chelsey finished, her eyebrows waggling.

  Sonia groaned. “I hate all of you.”

  Vinny stepped forward, and I took in his stature. His chest was three times the size of mine. He reminded me of one of those WWE pro wrestlers, and judging by the size of his fist, I’d bet he could knock me out cold. Still, I straightened and met his gaze straight on. I wanted him to know that I was sincere, but more than that, I wanted him to believe I was worthy of his daughter.

  And the realization pushed through.

  I wanted to be worthy of her because I wanted a future with her.

  And because it was Sonia, and I wanted more of her. More than our platonic relationship now. I wanted all of her dislikes and likes. I wanted every one of her future kisses and arguments and annoyances. I wanted it all. All in.

  “Vinny,” he spat out, sticking out his hand.

  Great, a mob boss name. I wouldn’t doubt it if Vinny was connected with the Italian mob.

  “Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Brad.”

  I tried not to wince when Vinny squeezed the living shit out of my hand, smilin
g as though he didn’t want anyone to know. When he released me, I wiggled my fingers to get the blood flowing again and reached for Sonia, who was right beside me.

  “And so, everyone, sit. Dinner is ready and needs to be served because Mama is hungry. Girls?” Lydia disappeared to the kitchen, followed by a trail of females.

  “Take a seat. We’ll be right back.” Sonia pointed to a seat at the far end of the table, and then she about-faced and followed the other ladies.

  The women all filtered out of the room, toward the kitchen, leaving all the men at the table.

  Their dining room was not big by any means, so each chair was right next to the other. The normally twelve-seater dining room table now sat sixteen, some chairs in the corners of the table.

  I took a seat as far from Vinny as possible. Oddly enough, I craved confrontation, didn’t show fear and was never intimidated by others in the boardroom. This time though, this was different.

  An uneasy feeling crept up my spine, forcing me to sit straighter even though I wanted to cower.

  Vinny was talking to one of Sonia’s uncles, who was equally as tall and as muscular as Vinny. Other males were scattered around the table, but no one paid attention to me. In the boardroom, from the opposing team, I never felt welcome, but at least I was acknowledged. Here, it was as though I weren’t even in the room.

  “Hey.” A hand clasped my back, and then a chair was pulled out. Down sat a lanky male with hair that flopped over his eyes. “Marco.” He stuck out his hand.

  And, boy, was I relieved to meet someone who didn’t radiate hostility.

  “The younger brother,” I noted.

  He nodded. “I see Sonia has been bragging about me.” He eyed me with curiosity, the once-over that other CEOs would give me when I stepped in the boardroom, wanting to decipher what my intentions were with a friendly smile.

  I shrugged one shoulder. “I told her to give me the four-one-one on your family before we arrived.”

  “And let me guess; she didn’t tell you about Dad.” He tipped his chin at his father, who was at the head of the table, in deep conversation with the uncles.

  “She did, but I guess I wasn’t expecting a full-on war.”

  There it was again, the curiosity in Marco’s stare, and it was as though the words had been spoken out loud; he wanted to know my intentions with his sister.

  “I like Sonia,” I said, bluntly, answering his silent question. “I was a dick before because I didn’t realize it, and now, I’m trying to set things straight.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “Hmm.” As though to say, So what? He added, “Just so you know, I know Sonia allows you to run your business smoothly. She also runs this family smoothly. She is our go-to person for problems, to divert confrontation, for anything.” His tone was heavy with pride. “She’s our girl, so you can see how we are all protective of her.”

  I didn’t miss his emphasis on all, and I wasn’t surprised by his admission. Sonia was selfless; she gave herself fully to her job. I had no doubt she did more than that for her family.

  I picked up my napkin and placed it on my lap, not wanting to seem too nosy. “Is Jeff the only one she’s brought home before?”

  Marco scowled. “Yeah.”

  But, by the look on his face, I didn’t have to ask what he thought about her ex.

  Well, that made me feel better—that not everyone was on the Jeff-Sonia team, hoping for a round two.

  “She doesn’t date a lot. Jeff was her first serious relationship, and, yeah, he was the first boy she brought home, maybe because she thought she’d end up with him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have put him through the family torture, and also, our family gets attached. She still gets the question, ‘How’s Jeff?’ practically eight months later, and you can guess how that makes her feel.” His gaze dropped to the table, his stare distant, empty.

  Right on cue, Sonia stormed through the door, two mitts on her hands, carrying one major pan of lasagna. Her smile was blinding, and if I weren’t sitting down already, the sight of her would have knocked me off my feet.

  Normal? There was nothing normal about this, about how I felt, just seeing her smile. I loved that smile. And quite possibly the girl who held that smile, too.

  Chapter 16

  Brad

  Yesterday was the first night that I’d ever had where I didn’t pay a fortune to take a woman out, all to see if we were compatible in bed.

  With Sonia, that wasn’t the end goal. The end goal wasn’t an orgasm; it was simply her. And, though I knew it was a bad idea through and through, I wanted another date with her, outside of work.

  I had dropped her off with a lightness in my step and a cheesy smile no alpha male should be sporting. I pulled into my driveway, thinking of ways to ask her out but not ask her out because, if I told her it was a date date, she would flat-out tell me no.

  As soon as I walked inside, Mason looked up from the stack of papers on the kitchen table. The girls were fast asleep, but Mason was always up, going over the financials and reports. Mason had a fascination with numbers, always wanting to double- and triple-check and reconcile what our accountants had turned in.

  I walked straight into the kitchen, noting his hair was in disarray and him tip-tapping his fingers against his laptop.

  His head lifted when I approached. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” I pulled open the fridge. “Want a glass of milk?”

  He curiously eyed me. “Yeah, sure. Can you warm mine up?”

  And, suddenly, we were ten all over again, having a stressful day and couldn’t sleep and our mother was warming us a cup of milk to calm us.

  After the microwave dinged, I strolled over and placed his NYC mug in front of him. When I sat across from him, he shut his computer.

  “So … did you settle things with Sonia?” He eyed me as though there was only one way to answer this question.

  “Yes.” I nodded, tipping back my glass of milk.

  “Thank God.” Mason reached for his mug and took a sip as though he were drinking wine.

  “It’s settled. I like her.”

  Now, this was comical. The way he flinched and his facial features dropped into a definite frown and the way his eyes turned cold, dead, flat.

  The mug dropped on our kitchen table with a thud. “What?”

  My confident stare didn’t waver. “You asked if things were settled, and they are. I like her. I’ve settled that much.”

  Past that point, I didn’t know what to do next, besides wanting to see her again. I’d never been in a relationship longer than a month. That had been in high school, and the girl had been psycho. Since then, I’d basically sworn off relationships. Too complicated.

  Mason threw up both hands and pushed himself up to a standing position. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

  And here was the beginning of the Mason show.

  I loved my brothers. Both of them equally, but Mason tended to fly off the handle. Still, I needed him to be on my side for this one because, if he wasn’t, my older brother, Charles, wouldn’t be either.

  Plus, I needed advice. Desperately. And, since Charles wasn’t here, the default was Mason.

  “This is not happening. Didn’t we discuss this?” Mason paced the room, trying to keep his temper at bay and failing miserably.

  We had discussed it. I’d tried to keep things purely platonic, but I couldn’t.

  “I like her. More than I’ve ever liked anyone.” And I wanted more, whatever that more entailed.

  “Oh,” he sighed, exasperated. “And that means a shit-ton, right? Brad, when it comes to women, you have an attention span of a four-year-old boy. Oh, look! Shiny new toy!” His condescending smile surfaced.

  Now, he was starting to piss me off. My jaw clenched. Yes, I had a reputation, but you’d think, of all people, my brother would give me the benefit of the doubt. He’d see things were different this time. That I was different.

  “I sound like a broken record.�
� He gripped the kitchen table and leaned in. “It’s the chase. That’s all it’ll ever be for you. That’s why you’re so good at your job. You like to win and conquer. But, once it’s over, it’s done. It’s the same for women.”

  Mason stalked to the fridge and grabbed a beer instead. Long forgotten was the milk that I had warmed up in the microwave for him.

  “It’s different this time. She’s not just a game for me, Mason.”

  I had a hard time expressing my emotions. Truth be told, I wasn’t an emotional guy at all, but I needed my brother in this situation because I wanted to know how I could win Sonia over. My flirty ways with other women wouldn’t work with her. She thought this whole thing was a facade, but I didn’t know how to tell her, make her believe me. She’d think it was all bullshit.

  “I met her family today.”

  He spat out the beer, and it trickled down the side of his mouth. “Why the hell would you do that?” He stalked to the counter to grab a paper towel.

  “Because I wanted to.” My expression pinched, and I could feel my patience slipping. “Because I wanted to spend more time with her after work.”

  “That’s the stupidest move in the history of fucking dumb moves.” Mason rubbed at his temple as though a massive migraine was making its way to the forefront of his brain.

  His negativity was taking a toll on my self-esteem, and my gaze flicked upward. I cracked my neck from side to side, already regretting that I’d sat down for a little brotherly chat.

  “You’re going to ruin everything. Do you know how long it takes to train a secretary?” His eyebrows flew to his hairline, and his face reddened.

  “It’s not going to come to that.” I had promised I wouldn’t fire Sonia, and I would keep my word. “The problem I have now is, how to ask her out without her thinking I’m talking out of my ass.”

  And that was the truth of the matter. She’d witnessed my bullshit tactics with other woman—the flattery, the flirting, the outright crassness that turned some of them on—but none of that would work with her.