TAMING THE BEAST: An Alpha Male (7 page)

When Monday morning finally came around, Chanise couldn't focus on any of her work. She just sat at her desk, staring at the computer screen, unable to get anything done. When a man carrying a briefcase finally walked through the waiting room door, she let out a sigh of relief. At least, she told herself, the waiting was finally over.

Her father greeted Mr. Phillips in the waiting room, and then led him back to his office. Chanise joined them, taking one of the chairs in front of her father's desk, while Mr. Phillips took out the other. He pulled a small tablet computer from his briefcase and set it up on the desk with a foldable keyboard. They went through all of their introductions, and he asked them for personal details that he needed for the report, including their names, home addresses, and phone numbers.

“Okay,” Robert said, once the initial questions were over. “I just need to ask a few questions to clarify everything we've already been told by Mr. Stone. Just to confirm that your story matches his.”

Chanise started to feel nervous again. She hoped that Jake had kept his story to the simple truth. He certainly hadn't told her she needed to say anything other than exactly what happened.

“Dr. Johnson,” Robert said. “Can you tell me when exactly you learned of the relationship between your daughter and Mr. Stone.”

“It was a week ago Sunday,” Dr. Johnson said. “My granddaughter told me about it, and I confronted my daughter about it right away. I told her right then that I wouldn't be able to be Jake's counselor anymore.”

“And you had no idea that anything was going on before that.”

“None. I wouldn't have approved of it if I had known.”

“And when did you terminate your professional relationship with Mr. Stone?”

“The very next day,” Dr. Johnson said. “I called him up and explained that I wouldn't be able to be his counselor anymore, and I referred him to a colleague of mine, Dr. Nguyen.”

“And do you have copies of all of your records of the time Mr. Stone was your patient?”

Dr. Johnson pulled out a folder and handed it to Robert. “That's everything. Appointments, sign-in sheets, receipts for his insurance company, all the standard paperwork.”

Chanise let out a small sigh of relief that she had forced Jake to keep signing in. It seemed like such a small thing, but it was possible that it would make all the difference.

Robert flipped through the pages in the folder and then tucked it into his briefcase. “All right. And Ms. Johnson. Can you tell me, in your own words, how your relationship with Mr. Stone started?”

“All right.” She took a deep breath to steady herself. “We first met when he started coming in for his appointments. At first, we just talked. And he flirted with me a lot.”

“It was Mr. Stone who initiated romantic contact with you?”

“If that's what you want to call it,” Chanise said. “I just call it being hit on.”

“Were his advances unwanted?”

Chanise frowned. “That's not what I said.”

“I just want to make sure we have the details right.”

“Look, he flirted with me, and at first, I didn't think I should get involved with him because he was a patient. But then we decided to go out for coffee.”

“How long had he been coming here by that point?” Robert asked.

“A few weeks.”

“At any point, did Mr. Stone try to use his relationship with you to compromise your integrity?”

“What?” Chanise asked, a shocked look on his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, did he try to get you to alter any records, anything like that?”

“Don't be ridiculous!” Chanise crossed her arms. “Our relationship had nothing to do with his counseling sessions. Nothing at all. He just liked me. We liked each other. So we had coffee. Then dinner. Then things started to get serious.”

“And were you aware of the conflict of interest?”

“Yes,” Chanise said. “He and I talked about it, and we knew he was going to need to switch counselors. We were planning on telling my father anyway, if he hadn't found out.”

“All right.” Robert typed a few notes into his tablet, and then skimmed through his list of questions. “I just have one last question. And thank you for your patience with this. I understand this is a difficult situation, and you must not like having your personal life probed in this way.”

“No, I really don't,” Chanise said, frowning at him.

“I'm really sorry about that,” Robert said. “I hope you understand I'm just doing my job.”

“She understands,” Dr. Johnson said. “What was your question?”

“In your personal opinion,” he asked, “do you believe that Mr. Stone had any other motivations in initiating a relationship with you, beyond romance?”

“What does that mean?” Chanise asked.

“It means. Do you think he was considering his career or his suspension, or thinking that getting close to you would help him cheat his way past the mandatory counseling sessions? That he might be able to use you to alter the paperwork, or to say that he had attended sessions when he hadn't?”

“No,” Chanise said. “No, absolutely not. The only thing on his mind was me. Was us. He was attracted to me, and that was it. He didn't want to use me. I'm certain of that.”

“Thank you, Ms. Johnson.” Robert typed in a few more notes, and then he folded the keyboard, closing his tablet. “I appreciate your help and your directness. I'm sorry again if these questions were in any way upsetting to you. But we had to investigate this fully.”

He got up to leave. Chanise rose to her feet as well. “So, is that it? Is Jake going to be allowed to play again?”

“I can't say,” Robert said. “My job is only to investigate the situation and file a report. Mr. Stone will be informed if and when the suspension is lifted.”

“Thank you, Mr. Phillips,” Dr. Johnson said. “I'll see you out.”

Chanise sat back down while her father led the investigator out of the office. When her father returned, he sat across from Chanise. “I don't think there's anything to worry about,” he said. “Though I certainly hope that next time, you think things through more before you do something like this.”

Chanise shrugged, giving her father a bashful smile. “I know, Dad. But I couldn't help it.”

“You feel that strongly for him?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

He reached over and patted her on the knee. “Well, then. You make sure to keep a hold of him then. No use getting into such a mess over a man if you let him get away.”

* * *

A few weeks passed without any word about Jake's suspension. Jake and Chanise continued seeing each other each week, and they even had dinner one night with Chanise's father, making Chanise feel like maybe her dad actually approved of the relationship. Some nights, Jake came over to Chanise's apartment and spent time with her and Deena. He even brought some Pixar videos with him when he visited so that they could all do a movie night together with something Deena would enjoy. Other nights, Deena spent the night with her Grandpa so that Jake and Chanise could get some much-needed alone time together.

One night, when Chanise arrived at Jake's place for a private dinner date, he greeted her at the door with a bottle of champagne in his hand. “Great news, babe,” he said, popping the cork. Foam poured out of the tip of the bottle, spilling all over the hardwood floors.

Chanise stepped back to avoid getting any champagne on her dress. “Careful with that, sweetie,” she said.

“Oops.” Jake set the champagne bottle down on the coffee table, then ran into the kitchen to get some towels. He came back and knelt down, sopping up the champagne. “But like I was saying, great news.”

“Is it about your suspension?”

Jake looked up at her and grinned. “I just got the official notice today. I'm off suspension. I'll be able to start playing again by mid-season.”

“Oh, that's wonderful.”

Jake rose to his feet and she gave him a hug, squeezing him tight. “I'm sorry about almost getting you into more trouble,” Chanise said.

“Nah, it's okay,” Jake said. He tossed the towel into the kitchen, barely getting it to land on the kitchen table. “I was the one who went after you, even when I knew it could get me into trouble. I knew what I was doing.”

He poured the champagne and they sat on the couch together, sharing a toast. “So, what now?” Chanise asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you've got your career back,” Chanise said. “But what about the rest of it? What about us?”

“What about us?” Jake asked. “I mean, I thought everything was going great.”

“Is that enough for you?” She frowned at him, toying with the stem of her champagne glass. “Just to be dating, and having things going great?”

“Do you want something more?” Jake set down his champagne glass, giving her a serious look.

“Eventually, yes. I'm not asking you for a proposal. But I want to know where this relationship is heading. I've got my daughter to consider.”

“And Deena's great,” Jake said. “I love her. She's an awesome kid.”

“She's a kid who needs stability in her life. I need to make sure I can provide that for her.”

“Well, I've been thinking about that,” Jake said.

“You have?” Chanise's eyebrows rose.

“Yeah, sort of. I mean, about us, and all. I've been thinking that maybe I should look into getting a place outside the city. I mean, living in the city is great and all. It's an amazing view.” He gestured to the floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the city. “But it's not really the best place for settling down or anything. Not that I'm ready to settle down yet, exactly. Just, you know, I want to get myself into that place. Where I'm ready to.”

“So you want to move?” Chanise frowned, not sure where he was going with this.

“Yeah. And I was thinking.” He took her hands in his, looking deep into her eyes. “I was thinking, maybe if I move, maybe you could move, too. With me, I mean. Move in with me.”

Chanise froze, her hands trembling. “Are you serious? Is that what you want?”

“Yeah. And then down the line, who knows.” He smirked, giving a little shrug. “It's the first step, though. I mean, I've never lived with a woman before. Hell, I've never had a relationship last this long before. So I want to do it right.”

Chanise was stunned. She stared at him, not sure what to say.

“So,” Jake asked, a hesitant look on his face. “What do you think?”

Chanise smiled. “I think yes. Definitely yes.”

****THE END****

Also included with this book are two bonus books:

1. STEPBROTHER ALPHA’S BABY
   
2.      
   THE QUARTERBACK’S SECRET BABY
   

Continue reading to enjoy these special bonuses!

Chapter one

I thought that I had it all and my dad was always that big shot that had me rolling in luxury. I had nothing but the best. I didn’t even know that there was anything to worry about until it was too late. I lived thinking that money grew on trees. Any time that I asked for something, it would be given to me freely without reservation or hesitation. Growing up, I was forced into culture and religious beliefs by my dearly departed mother.

I also had a naughty and rebellious side of my father that was most likely the cause of my father going prematurely gray. Thankfully, it didn’t make him look old. It made him look sophisticated and worldly.

You’re welcome dad.

“Jessica, I want you to come down here and apologize to your brother.” I heard my father’s voice and I knew that I was in a bit of trouble. It wasn’t anything that I couldn’t get out by batting my eyelashes or feigning innocence. It would work on my father, but my stepmother Allison was another story altogether. She never let me get away with anything. The days of having my father wrapped around my little finger had vanished a year ago.

My father was a bit of a playboy and he used his good looks and charming personality to bed down several different playmates. Thankfully, his bedroom was on the other side of this large estate and I could barely hear anything. The most that I got were mumbles and girlish glee, but it was what happened a year ago that changed everything.

We had the most amazing collection of cars and they started to dwindle, as my father started to sell them off to keep the roof over our head. He claimed that it was only a precautionary measure, but I knew that being a real estate mogul didn’t help matters. The bottom had dropped out and he was one of the few that had stuck it out to the bitter end. We downsized everything, but our home was a heritage that was passed down by his father and his father before that.

I knew that there was only so much that I could do and ignoring my father was not going to be seen in the best light. My father the consummate player had fallen for a well to do socialite. Allison was born with this silver spoon in her mouth. Her family came from old money revolving around a media empire. Why she wanted to get sidled with an instant family was beyond me. It must have been love. It was the only thing that would explain her need to drop into our lives.

She didn’t come alone and her main bit of baggage was her twenty year old son. Anthony was one of those guys that thought the world owed him something.

I was sitting on my bed in the Lotus position with the flecks of moonlight coming through the window. It was pretty damn cool to be this flexible and big boned.

I could see the bathroom and the illumination of the light underneath. I remember lying here many nights hearing him in there showering and wondering what he would look like completely naked.

“Jessica…Sarah, get down here and you are trying my patience. If you don’t want to lose television privileges and your phone, you will make an appearance whether you like it or not.” Using my middle name with my first meant that he was serious. One thing that I couldn’t do without was my phone and I pretty much had my whole life inside that thing. I even had some risqué photos of my stepbrother. I’d caught him on a couple occasions with his shirt off and was able to subtly take a few quick snapshots for my fantasy life. A six pack and muscles busting out all over the place fueled many nights alone in the room.

“OKAY…OKAY…I’m just finishing up some homework. Give me about 5 minutes and I’ll be happy to come down and face the music.” He had always considered my homework to be the one thing that I could not slack off on. He expected nothing but the best. I had an IQ that was the equivalent of Einstein himself. I didn’t have the social skills and only one real friend of the gothic persuasion. Helena was a Greek transplant to the school and we had become fast friends, despite the fact that she wore dark makeup and clothing that made her look like she was in mourning 24 hours a day.

I looked out the window and I saw his black jeep. Anthony was quite the ladies’ man and his idea of making a commitment was paying for dinner and expecting something in return. I didn’t think much of him when he first got here, but I did notice that I had those butterflies whenever he was around. I was constantly looking in his direction and biting my bottom lip with the anticipation of seeing him without his clothes on one day. He had the football player body and the gym in the basement was now getting used too. It was pretty much a second thought, but then he came along and brought with him those muscles that probably could easily carry me all over the house.

I stood at my mirror looking at my body and knowing that calisthenics and Yoga had made me the vivacious woman that I see looking back at me. My lips were adorned with the slightest bit of makeup. It was just enough to enhance my already natural beauty. I was at the perfect height at 5’8 and was carrying 160 pounds in all the right places. I had the kind of ass every woman was jealous of with more junk in the trunk. A modest pair of C cup breasts rounded off my figure. I had been told by several boyfriends that I had the most amazing green eyes that they had ever seen in their lives.

I was getting ready for bed and was wearing nothing, but a pair of very sheer panties and a white man’s shirt. It made me feel like I was closer to my father by wearing his stuff. It seemed a little silly and maybe a little creepy to some, but this was something that was between me and my father. There was nothing unsavory about our relationship. I wouldn’t consider wearing his shirt to be that strange.

I came out into the hall and I bounded down the stairs. Anthony was standing there in a pair of black chinos with a silver belt. His shirt consisted of a pullover blue Henley. His dark hair was combed straight back and that clean shaven look was only making it the much more difficult to be around him without wanting to do something.

“I don’t know what this is about, but I do hope that we can dispense with pleasantries.” Anthony had his keys in his hands and I could tell that he had found that small tiny little dent in the back of his bumper. It was so small that you would have to literally be looking right at it to see it. “If I didn’t put the dishes away, then I apologize. I’m sure that I can get to them later.” I was showing a bit of attitude, but it was mostly for Anthony’s benefit.

“Anthony has told me that you took his jeep for a joy ride. I told him that there was no possible way that you would do something like that, but then I thought about Helena. She’s always over here and to be honest I find her to be a little off putting. I believe that she might be a bad influence on you, but I would never tell you who you can be friends with. Before you say that you didn’t do it, remember that we have cameras outside in the yard.” I’d almost forgotten about that and there was virtually nothing I could do that my father wouldn’t find out about.

“We didn’t go very far. We went down to the lake to watch the fireworks the other night. It wasn’t even my fault. Some drunken jock bumped into it with his jaguar. I was only told this after the fact, but it was so small that I didn’t really concern myself.”

“You’re going to have to work it off. I suggest that you give your brother your expertise with organization. I walk by his room several times and it looks like a tornado went through it. Your punishment is one week cleaning up after him.” I didn’t enjoy being made into his personal maid, but it did offer me a unique opportunity that I never expected. I would be able to go into the inner sanctum of his bedroom. It was always off limits before, but now my father had given me the perfect way to take a look around.

“I’m going to be out until curfew anyway. By all means, you can tidy up. Just don’t come crying to me when you find some old pieces of pizza or dirty underwear.” He patted me on the head like I was some tiny little pet. “Just make sure that you’re done before I get home.” What he didn’t want to mention was that he usually came home, but not by himself. He was always sneaking young impressionable girls up to his room. In the last year, I counted at least 30 different partners and all of them left with a smile on their face. Our bedroom was right beside one another with a connecting bathroom. You can imagine that their screams to God were not exactly in a religious way.

“I’ll spend an hour in there and whatever I don’t get done today, I’ll finish up during the week. I apologize for what happened to your jeep, but it isn’t anything more than a nuisance. You could probably have it hammered out very quickly. You really didn’t have to squeal to my father.” I made him look like he was some kind of snitch.

It was only lucky that Allison wasn’t around or I would have gotten one of those stern expressions.