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The Baby Arrangement (A Winston Brother's Novel #1)
The Baby Arrangement (A Winston Brother's Novel #1) Read online
Contents
Title Page
Contents
Copyright
Reader Warning
Newsletter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Thank You
The Baby Mistake
Bad for You
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Bad for Him
Big Bad Daddies
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Teasing Daddy's Best Friend
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
His Obsession
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Hung
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Never Wanted More
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Punishing Their Virgin
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Punishing Their Brat
Seducing the Virgin
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Seduced by the Billionaire
Their Best Friend's Little Sister
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
The Billionaire's Nanny
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
About J.L. Beck
About Stacey Lewis
Copyright © 2018 by JL Beck & Stacey Lewis
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Cover Design and Formatting by Stacey Lewis
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I’ve known Reed all my life. In second grade, he stuck up for me when a bully pushed me down on the playground and told me I was ugly. Then, when I was a freshman in high school, he protected me from a guy at a party who got a little too handsy. He saw me cry, wiped my tears away, and vowed to always be my best friend.
What he didn’t know was being his friend was last thing I wanted.
A friend.
The word itself causes an ache to form in my chest and trying to push the painful thought out of my head, I check the time on my computer only to see it isn’t even noon. The thought is depressing because I’m ready to go home. Back to my apartment and read a book...maybe even chug an entire bottle of wine too.
And it’s not just because Reed doesn’t see me the way I want him to. This whole week has been shit. Honestly, the entire year has been shit.
I’m twenty-five, in love with my best friend and desperately wanting to start a family of my own, not to mention stuck in a job I don’t really like because it’s the only way I can be close to him. My only problems? I can’t feel anything for anyone that’s even close to the way I feel about Reed and he’s completely oblivious.
Every guy I date is a douchebag, an asshole, or a self-centered jerk that only cares about his looks or his money. None of them are anything like Reed. Nibbling on my bottom lip, I try to envision us as a couple, but it’s impossible.
I want him to want me like I want him.
I want him to kiss me like I want to kiss him.
I want him to do unthinkable things to me, things I know he’s done with other women.
I want to be his first and his last even though I know that isn’t possible.
An incoming email pings, and I pull myself out of the daydream and back into reality. Clicking open, I read it, blinking as I stare at it in confusion. It’s an invite from Reed’s father, Clark, calling a business meeting for all the executives. Why am I being invited? I’m just a lowly secretary.
Thinking about Clark makes me smile though. He’s a very sweet older man. In fact, because he and my father were close friends before the accident that took both of my parents’ lives, Clark took me in and treated me like the daughter he and his wife never had.
His three sons, Reed, Remington and Ryker are my closest friends.
Reed is the oldest and has big plans for his father’s company. He brought me on as his personal assistant three years ago when I needed a job to help finish paying for college. His dad would have paid my tuition since my parents didn’t have a life insurance policy, but I wouldn’t let him. I wanted to do it on my own, or not at all, and didn’t want to owe anyone.
Ryker is the classic middle child, always doing whatever he can to get attention. He’s the clown, and makes me laugh daily.
Remy, he’s the youngest. He’s also the sweetest. He’s the one who lets me cry on his shoulder when Reed does something stupid or thoughtless and hurts my feelings.
They’ve all been there for me through thick and thin, and I don’t think I’ll never be able to repay them for everything the brothers have done for me. Not that they would let me.
It’s different with Reed. He doesn’t notice my desire to be everything he needs. Then again, maybe he does and he’s too afraid to cross that very thin line between friends and much more.
That’s not something I want to think about, so I close the email and force the thoughts out of my head with a shake, then go back to working on the spreadsheets Reed asked me to comb through. The numbers are never-ending and the more I stare at the computer screen the more my head starts to hurt. Math is not my strong suit.
“Good morning, Fal.” Reed’s deep voice vibrates through me, and I lift my eyes from the screen to meet his. His blue eyes are brighter than usual today and he gazes down at me, concern darkening his features as he studies my face.
“Morning,” I mumble back. Reed is handsome as hell and he knows it. He’s tall, lean but somewhat athletic, and has a face that looks as if it was carved out of stone. He is lick-worthy and I spend too much time wondering if he still has the eight-pack abs like he did back in high school.
He gives me a half smile, making him seem more boyish than manly and my heart flutters in my chest. Looking at him and knowing I can never have him hurts… it hurts a lot. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug, hoping he will let it go. “Just a migraine.” The words barely pass my lips before he’s putting his stuff down on my desk so he can slip behind my chair, his huge hands gripping me by the shoulders as he starts to slowly massage my tense muscles.
“Where are your glasses?” Reed leans down and whispers the words into my ear, his woodsy scent filling my nostrils while his breath fanning against my ear sends a flurry of goose bumps across my skin.
“I left them….” I sigh, losing my train of thought as his fingers works the muscles into goop. It’s times like these when he touches me that I fantasize about what being his would be like.
He finishes the sentence I forgot I was saying with a hint of laughter in his voice, “At home, right?”
“Yes, they’re next to the paperback I was reading last night.” He knows me well. I’m forgetful, and I hate wearing glasses.
“Bring them tomorrow or else…” There is a note of danger in his voice and it makes me clench my thighs together with need.
My voice wobbles as I think about the possibilities. I want to ask if he’ll spank me, but I’m not that brave, so all I say is, “Or else what?”
Reed stops massaging the muscles and grips the top of my arms tightly, his full lips pressing against the sensitive flesh below my ear. “Or else you’ll get another headache.”
I blink, realizing he is messing with me, and not really about to threaten to spank me ... or fuck me against the desk like I wish he would.
Clearing my throat, I try to cover my disappointment with a small smile and agree. “Right…Yeah another headache.”
“I’m assuming you got Dad’s email?” He pauses in the act of grabbing his things off my desk but doesn’t wait for my response before giving me instructions. “I’ll need you in the boardroom in thirty minutes to take notes.” Looking down at his phone, he continues, “I need to talk to him beforehand.” He startles, looking down at me like he’s just remembered something. “Oh, and after that I’m leaving so please cancel all my meetings for the day. If anyone asks, just tell them I’m out of the office. They don’t need to know specifics.”
I swallow hard, finally finding my voice now that his hands aren’t on me. “Of course, Reed. I’ll let everyone know.”
Sadness tightens my chest as I watch him walk away and into his office, his perfect butt beckoning me. God, why does he have to be so handsome and so fucking off limits at the same time?
I shake my head, making mental note of all that he said and try to turn my focus to the stupid spreadsheet he wants me to work on.
Falling in love with your best friend shouldn’t be this hard.
My cock goes rock hard the minute I put my hands on her. I know I shouldn’t have touched her. I should’ve walked away instead of making some lame joke in the hopes she would flirt back. Knowing she has a migraine, and I can’t cure it, irritates me. The fact that she isn’t mine, and it’s not really my job to care for her, irritates me further.
I’ve spent years pining for her, wondering if she wants me like I want her. Hell, I even gave her a job here so I could keep her close when she could’ve gone anywhere. That was three years ago, and I’m still single, fucking random women left and right in an attempt to kill these feelings I have for her, and refusing to settle down because it isn’t with her.
Slamming my stuff down on my desk, I push the things I can’t change from my mind and instead ready myself for my father’s announcement. I’ve been waiting for this day for years. The day he’ll finally give the company over to me and Winston Industries will be mine.
I run a hand through my hair nervously before slumping down in my leather office chair, hoping like hell I can run this place as well as he has. A knock on the door interrupts my dark thoughts and I shoot daggers at it. I can see the shadow of a man through the blinds and know it has to be one of my brothers, not that it matters. I treat them both the same - like the assholes they are.
“Go away,” I growl, opening my laptop so I can pretend like I’m doing something. The door opens slowly, and I roll my eyes when I see Ryker pop his head through the opening, a mischievous grin on his face. He looks more like Dad than Remy or I do.
His hair is more clean-cut, and he’s a good three inches shorter but he has the body of an ox, and he isn’t all that bad looking either.
“Don’t act like I’m interrupting something.” He chuckles, inviting himself in.
“You are,” I lie, looking down at my laptop as he takes a seat on the leather sofa acr
oss from my desk. He’s doing it to annoy me, I can tell.
He laughs. “What? You jacking off to a picture of Fallon?”
I glare at him, his question a little too close to the truth. Little does he know that happens more often than I ever want to admit. “Shut up and get out of my office. We need to be in the boardroom in ten minutes or less and instead you’re doing what? Wandering around the office causing trouble?” I love my brother, even if it seems like we are callous and almost cruel to each other. That’s just what brothers do.
“Oh, please. I was walking to the boardroom when I saw Fallon….” He cuts himself off, a smirk pulling at his lips because he knows she’s a hot topic for me. No one touches her, and no one talks about her in my presence. She’s mine as far as anyone else is concerned.
“Don’t even start, Ryker. I will kick your ass across this office, so help me…”
I don’t get to finish what I was going to say because the asshole cuts me off. “You know she’s got the worst migraine ever, right? I saw her suffering so I gave her a little massage…” It only takes a few seconds for my blood to turn boiling hot.
Tightening my hands into fists, I push up from the desk and stand, staring my brother down. He apparently wants to meet the grave digger today.
“You seriously need to knock it the fuck off…” I sneer. I’m so defensive over Fallon and she doesn’t even belong to me. Not like that.
The smirk drops off his face as his expression turns serious, even though his next words mock me. “You seriously need to tell her how you feel… before it’s too late.”
I exhale, my nostrils flaring as I try to cool my heated blood, but I don’t miss the words he adds to the end of his sentence.
Before it’s too late.
Those words will be my demise because I know Ryker is right and maybe that’s why I get so pissed off when he pushes me to do something about them. To make Fallon mine. I can’t let him know he’s getting to me.
“Get out. I don’t need this shit right now. Not when I’m about to inherit the entire company.” I shake my head, frustration lacing my words as I turn and stare out the floor-to-ceiling glass windows onto the busy street below.
“Right.” He draws the word out so it’s three syllables. “Mister I’m-The-Boss-Now. I’ll let myself out.”
Clenching my jaw, I try and will the anger away. Why did he have to come in and stir the fucking pot? As if it isn’t hard enough watching Fallon date douchebag after douchebag, Ryker has to go and throw that shit in my face.