Forever Branded (Billionaire Love Series #1) (14 page)

Dinner started with an avocado-salmon soup that was ladled into the white fine china dish in front of me. I remembered to wait until everyone was served, before digging in. That first taste was amazing. The soup was light and creamy, its savory flavor exploding on my tongue.

Next came a delicious spinach-arugula salad which made me want to go home and plant the tasty vegetable in my small garden. After that, Chicken Cordon Bleu was served as the main course. Succulent and luxurious, the chicken reminded me I hadn’t eaten this well in a long time. Every bite was delicious.

The conversation had been minimal while we were eating our soup and salad, but this changed when the main course was served. Beau’s dad took the opportunity to start grilling me.

“So what do your folks do, Marla?” Mr. Shepard questioned as he put down his wine glass.

Beau spoke up, trying to run interference with his dad’s agenda. “You don’t have to answer that, Sunshine. Leave her alone, Dad.”

“No, it’s okay.” I pasted a smile on my face, even as my insides crumbled.

I hated answering this question. Between the pitying looks and uncomfortable glances, it was always awkward.

I took a drink of water out of a crystal goblet as I steeled myself to share the truth. “Well, my dad took off when I was about ten and my mom died last year.”

Mr. Shepard cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to hear that. You have my condolences. What family do you live with now?”

“I live with my little sister.”

“Yeah, but who takes care of you?” he pressed.

This was yet another hard pill for people to swallow.

“I take care of us, Mr. Shepard. My mom left us a little inheritance and I’m getting guardianship of my sister. I’m eighteen and I’ll graduate this year. Emma’s better off staying with me than being shuffled around to unknown relatives or stuck in the foster care system.”

“Oh, I see.” There was a hint of disapproval in his voice.

“Dad, cut out the third degree. Marla is here to help me with my English,” Beau cut in sticking up for me.

“Just inquiring about her family, Bubba.”

“Well, you’ve inquired enough,” Beau said as he winked and smiled at me from across the table.

I blushed deeply as a warm, cozy feeling settled in my belly, making me feel safe and protected from the big bad shark Beau’s father clearly was.

“Now tell me about your baby sister,” Charly chimed in, breaking the tension floating over the table.

“Sure, she’s ten and adorable. She’s really into Care Bears right now,” I offered with a smile.

“Care Bears?” Charly asked his glance dancing with playfulness.

“Yeah, they’re different colored teddy bears with hearts and rainbows on their tummies.”

Out of the corner of my eye, Mr. Shepard bristled, but he didn’t say anything as I elaborated on the world of Care Bears to Beau’s granddad. He listened attentively as I filled him in on the different attributes of the cute little bears.

“So Funshine Bear loves to play and tell jokes all the time,” I explained.

“So that would be you, Pops,” Beau chimed in.

The old man let out a hearty laugh. “You’re right. I do like to tell a good joke. But you’re forgetting it wasn’t like that in my day,” Charly let out a dramatic sigh.

Beau rolled his eyes “Not again, Pops.”

“Yes, again.” Charly said and proceeded to tell us how he only had a cornhusk to play with growing up.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Beau teased.

“Yes, it was. Not like today with your Cabbage Patch dolls and Care Bears. All we did was work,” Charly declared pretending to be serious.

“Really? What about all those stories you told me about hitching a ride on the back of pickups without the driver knowing?” Beau challenged.

Charly grinned and winked at me. “Well, I guess I had fun a time or two.”

Everyone at the table laughed, except James Shepard. He obviously didn’t have much of a sense of humor. But for the rest of the meal, we kept it light, even as Beau’s father seemed to throw daggers at me.

I didn’t know what to make of that.

I was just here to tutor his son. How threatening could I be?

After dinner, Beau invited me into their grand study. The formal room was lined with a wall of bookshelves full of hardbound editions of old books, based on the slightly musty smell permeating the space.

The white theme continued with wainscoting that covered the bottom half of the wall while a hunter green dominated the upper half. A thick, floral area rug graced the marble floor. Its coppery brown border gave some warmth to the room.

“This is great, Beau. So many books to read,” I said, running my fingers along a shelf full of colorful, sturdy books.

He shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t spend much time in here.”

“Why is that?” I teased.

“Because Beau can’t read,” he quipped in a goofy caveman voice.

I laughed at his funny tone. “Stop it. I can’t have you believing that. We’ll just need to work hard to get you going on your paper.”

“You think I can really write this paper?” he asked, his fiery gaze full of hope.

“Absolutely.” I grabbed my backpack and rummaged through it. “I wanted to give you this,” I said as I pulled out a small box.

“
Jane Eyre
on tape,” he read aloud, opening up the plastic container.

“I thought this might help you.”

“What about the movie? Did you bring that?”

“No, but maybe if you’re a good boy, I’ll find it for you.”

One of his slightly curved eyebrow arched coolly. “Good boy?”

“Yeah, if you work hard, you’ll get a reward,” I said a husky tone coming out in my voice.

“So let me get this straight; if I finish my paper, I get to watch
Jane Eyre
?”

“Yep.”

“Aah,” he said as he moved toward me. “I want something better than that.”

“Like what?” I asked breathlessly as he stood within inches of me.

“I was thinking...” His fingers wove into my hair as our bodies naturally gravitated toward each other.

He held his face close to mine, his warm breath hitting my cheek as he leaned in close. My mouth opened automatically as he pressed into me. I didn’t want to stop him this time as his freshly shaved jaw scraped against mine.

Dear God, he was going to ki—

Knock, knock.

My head turned sharply to see Mr. Shepard looming in the doorway.

“What do you need, Dad?” Beau asked impatiently.

“Just checkin’ on you, Bubba. You need anything?” he questioned, looking back and forth between us.

“No, Dad. We’re fine,” he uttered in exasperation, the moment ruined.

“Okay, then. Let’s keep this door open,” he said firmly, letting us know we were under surveillance.

It looked like we had a chaperone for the evening. Not such a bad thing, considering what had almost happened. My self-control seemed to disappear when Beau got near me. It was like my brain shut off, leaving me panting to feel his lips pressed against mine.

“I guess we should get to work,” I said ready to move on and keep things from wandering into the danger zone.

Beau’s gaze darkened with disappointment. “Yeah, I guess we should,” he agreed as we sat down next to each other in front of the big antique desk.

“So, Jane Eyre. She’s a lady full of passion, but she is also subjected to the whims of her master,” I spouted off, trying to keep things moving in the right direction.

He just stared wondrously at me. “I love the way you talk. How you use all those fancy words.”

I blushed as I put my hands on my cheeks and rested my elbows on the desk. “I guess it comes from years of reading.”

“Do you read a lot?”

“I used to...before my mom got sick. I don’t have much free time these days. I just read what I have to for school.”

“What’s your favorite story?”

“Oh, I have lots of them.”

“Tell me one.” His glance was full of curiosity,

I thought about it for a long second. “I love the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My mom and I used to read those together when I was younger.”

“Why did you like those books so much?”

“I think what I mostly love is the memory of reading them with my mom, being curled up next to her as we read about Laura’s adventures. But I definitely liked reading about this young girl’s pioneer life with her family. It was so courageous and authentic.”

“Like you, then,” he offered softly holding my gaze.

I blushed a little more. “No, I’m not that brave.”

“I don’t see many kids our age taking on raising their younger sibling, determined to stay together. You’re a hero in my book, Sunshine.”

My heart melted unexpectedly, seeing myself through his beautiful perspective. “Thanks. That’s nice to hear.”

“It’s the truth.” He stared intensely at me.

I didn’t know what else to say as our connection intensified.

He was so dangerous to my heart, but I couldn’t afford to let him in.

It was better to keep things clear between us. We were just working on his paper together for a short time. Plain and simple.

“Come on, let’s get this paper written,” I said before our attraction threatened to come loose again.

He nodded in understanding as we buckled down and got to work outlining his paper. He opened up a little bit, showing me he was plenty smart, with a keen mind. He gleaned a lot by listening and paying attention to what was going on around him.

When it was time for me to go, I was pleased with Beau’s progress.

“Now, listen to the tapes and we’ll meet at the public library on Wednesday,” I instructed him as I threw my book in my backpack.

“Oh, all right,” he said as we walked through his cavernous house.

“Where’s my jacket?” I asked as we arrived in the grand foyer.

“Just a second. I’ll have Hudson get it for you.”

“I can get my own jacket.”

“Just let him get it for you. You’ll embarrass him if you do it.”

“Embarrass him? Is it that big of a deal?”

“In this house, it is,” he explained. “Hudson prides himself on taking care of our guests. So just go with it, for his sake.”

He was concerned about the butler’s feelings.

That was sweet.

“All right. Have Hudson get my jacket. But I don’t know how you do this servant thing.”

“Believe me, you get used to it.”

While Hudson retrieved our jackets, I took one last look at the foyer wondering what it was like to live in this kind of splendor. The house was beautiful, almost like an ice castle. It seemed like Beau was a captive in this place. He was so much more alive than this lifeless, hollow mansion.

While we stood there, Charly wandered down the staircase and came over to see me off.

“Did you get a lot done?” he asked, putting his hands in his front pockets.

“Enough. Beau needs to listen to the book on tape, so he understands what the story is about.”

“Listen to her, Bubba. She’s good for you.”

“I’ll listen to the tapes, Pops,” he promised, smiling at his grandpa.

“Glad to hear it.” He turned toward me, kindness etched in his craggy face. “It was a pleasure having you here, little lady. It’s been awhile since we had such a sweet guest.”

I smiled openly, pleased he enjoyed my company. “Thank you, Charly. Thank you for making me feel welcome.”

He smiled back his blue eyes twinkling. “You’re welcome here, little lady. Visit anytime,” he said, his glance growing sincere. “I’m so sorry to hear about your mama. No young one should be left on their own.” He patted my hand. “You come to dinner again.”

My eyes teared up at his heartfelt invitation. “Thanks, Charly. I’ll keep that in mind,” I said as the butler held my leather coat open for me.

“You ready?” Beau called as he walked toward the door.

“Yep.”

We didn’t talk much on the ride home, giving me time to get lost in my own thoughts. I didn’t know what was happening between Beau and me. Every time I met up with him, a strange mix of terror and excitement coursed through me.

I couldn’t wait to get away from him.

I couldn’t wait to see him again.

It was a diabolical combination that left me dizzy and elated.

I glanced over at him, his strong profile reminding me why God made men. My body hummed with an awareness of his as I studied his broad shoulders, lean torso, and long thighs. A sudden urge to climb in his lap and let him put his big hands all over my body came over me.

Stop it, Marla. You’re just tutoring him for a couple of more weeks.

Yeah, I’d like to tutor him in how to touch me. I bet he—

KNOCK IT OFF!

The forbidden fruit of making out with Beau Shepard was a lot to handle. I didn’t know what to do with the raging hormones that suddenly came to life within me.