Desirable Bad Boy's Fake Fiancée: An Enemies-lovers Best Friend’s Brother Romance, page 1
Copyright © 2023 by A.L. DeRose
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Contents
1. Ellie
2. James
3. Ellie
4. James
5. Ellie
6. James
7. Ellie
8. James
9. Ellie
10. James
11. Ellie
12. James
13. Ellie
14. James
Epilogue
Also By
15. Forbidden Alphas Series Boxset Sneak Peak
Chapter one
Ellie
“Today is going to be a good fucking day,” I muttered to myself as I redialed the number for my babysitter, yet again. “Come on, Erica. Pick up.”
I was standing out on the side of the road in front of my piece of shit car with the hood up and smoke pouring out. I’d peered beneath that hood and examined it every once in a while, as if I knew anything going on under there. It was too hot to stay in the car, without the AC on- not that it had worked any time recently. It was hot, I was tired from working a long shift at the diner, and while beaming tourists raced excitedly to get to the beach, I was not one bit charmed by the waves of humidity coming in off the water.
I’d been trying to get a hold of my babysitter for the last ten minutes to let her know I’d be late. I tried to convince myself that she wasn’t picking up because she was just so focused on Jack, but I had my suspicions to the contrary.
“Today is going to be a good day,” was the mantra that I said to myself every morning when I woke up. And anytime something started to go off course, I reminded myself that I could yank it back to rights at any moment- it wasn’t all destined to go down the shitter. But after a twelve-hour shift in a greasy beachside diner, waiting on whiny tourists and demanding regulars, I had just wanted to go home and see my boy before he fell asleep. He had only been partially asleep when I kissed his head and left that morning.
I hated working these long shifts and being away from him so long, but I didn’t have much of a choice, I had to keep a roof over our head, food in that sweet boy’s belly. And now here I was stranded on the side of the road, desperately trying to figure out how I was going to get home without having to call a tow truck. The last thing I needed to spend money on was a tow truck.
I was about four miles from the diner. I might just have to suck it up and walk. But the highway was busy and it was dangerous out there. My mind warred with indecision.
It wasn’t like I had anybody to call. My grandmother had passed the year before, my parents had been gone since I was a teenager, my best friend had moved away a few years ago, and her older brother went to prison- though he and I never got along anyway, so it’s not like I’d be calling him. Maddie kept in touch regularly, but she was busy with her own life and career. I knew she also spent a large amount of time trying to exonerate her brother, James.
James has always been a rebel, so I guess I couldn’t say I had been too surprised when he got involved with the wrong crowd. Still, it was a shock for somebody that I knew so well to end up in prison of all places. Plus, what he went in for... just didn’t seem like him. He’d been a troublemaker, sure, but not that kind of troublemaker, even I had to admit that no matter how much I didn’t like the guy. With my friends and family gone, it was just me and Jack against the world.
I was about to give in and dial a tow service when a beat-up truck with the words “Al’s Auto” emblazoned on the side slowed down and pulled over in front of my car. Had somebody else called, because I certainly hadn’t.
I was nervous as I saw a large man step down from the driver’s side. It was still light out, and there were plenty of witnesses, but I was still a woman by myself on the side of the road in a busy tourist town. Jack and I hadn’t survived this long by me being naive or trusting.
The man turned to face me, squinting from beneath his ball cap. Instinctively, I took a couple of steps back when I saw the breadth of his shoulders and the tattoos that covered his arms all the way up into the sleeves of the tight T-shirt he had on.
He tilted his head a little bit when he saw me and I saw a slow smile curve his mouth before he started approaching. I knew that smile… It was all predatory. This was how every episode of Dateline Mysteries started. As he grew closer, I clutched my bag tighter to my side wondering if I could dial 911 without him noticing. “I have mace,” I announced without thinking, as he stepped in front of me.
His smile only grew wider as he looked me over, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Well good for you. That’s smart of any woman to have out in public. Can I help you with your car?” He said, pointing to the dilapidated hunk of metal next to me.
“This? It’s just a little overheated. I’m just waiting for it to cool down, I’ll be fine,” I said trying to get him away from me, even as I found myself strangely drawn to him. I was not one to ask for help, though I really needed it right now. He stepped a tad closer and my heart raced as the musky scent of his aftershave assailed my nostrils. He smelled good for a would-be serial killer. And those jeans hung on his hips in a way that made you want to slip your fingers through the belt loops and yank him closer.
God, what is wrong with you Ellie?
What was wrong was that I hadn’t been with a man since before Jack was born. That could be the only reasonable explanation for why I was having heart palpitations over this man that was surely about to mug me… or worse.
“As the risk of sounding like a mansplainer, that looks like it needs way more than just cooling down,” the man said to me in a husky voice that sent a little shiver of excitement down my spine. “I work at the shop a few miles away. You can call my boss if you like, he’ll vouch for me. But I’d really appreciate it if you let me look under that hood,” he said.
I just bet you would.
My phone buzzed in my hand. It was Erica calling. “I am so sorry, this is my babysitter, I really need to take this,” I said moving aside to answer the phone. “Hello? Erica? Is everything OK? Is Jack OK? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the last several minutes.” I breathed a sigh of relief when she confirmed that everybody was fine. She said she just left her phone out of reach. I told her I would be running late because of the car and promised that I would pay extra, though where I was going to get the money for that, I had no clue. By the time I got off the phone and turned around the man had his head under the hood, disconnecting things and pulling out a dipstick. “Hey, I really can’t afford to have you-”
“Don’t worry about it. I offered. But it looks like your alternator is shot,” he told me frankly.
“You can tell that just by looking at it?”
He straightened and looked at me carefully as if he was waiting for something, then he finally said, “Well, I can’t tell you for certain without taking it back to the shop and looking a little closer. But I have been doing this for a long time. My money is on that alternator taking a shit.”
“Are alternators expensive?” I asked with clear worry in my voice. God, I must look like a desperate mess to this guy… Not that I cared, I just wanted to get home to Jack.
He grimaced, “Depends on what you think expensive is, but my guess would be to tell you yes?”
“Great,” I said through gritted teeth, “just fucking great,” I muttered to myself, then remembered that he was watching me. “Look, I really appreciate you stopping. I wish I had something to give you…” He raised his eyebrows at this and I hastened to explain “Not like that- I’m not… A sex worker or anything like that. God, why did I just say sex worker? I’m just saying, I wish I could give you like a tip… Or something,” I finished awkwardly, mortification creeping up my neck, making my already sweaty skin dampen even further.
I heard a husky chuckle from him as he eyed me from beneath the hood of my car, “No worries. I didn’t think you were offering. I know you’re in a rush, if you give me a few minutes I think I can give this enough juice to get you home as long as you don’t live too far.”
“Really?” I asked hopefully.
“I can’t make any promises, but let me see what I can do,” he said, retreating back under the hood and giving me ample time to look him over more closely. There was something about this man that was oddly familiar, but I couldn’t place my finger on it… I was pretty sure I wanted to though.
I admired the tattoos on his arms. They are all black and shades of gray, but they look skillfully enough done. I couldn’t help but examine them. He twisted one of the caps off underneath the hood, and the movement made the veins on his arms stand up with his quick, efficient movements.
He looked like he was good with his hands. I wondered idly, just what all they were capable of. I shook my head free of thought. I really did need to get some sleep- and a damn day off. I was standing here on the side of the road, mentally alternating back and forth between wondering if the hands of the sexy man were capable of strangulation, or if they could ring out a long overdue orgasm.
Unfortunately, with the very apparent brokenness of my car, it didn’t look like I’d be getting any days off soon.
My
Would he be the kind to sling me onto the bed?
My head jerked up at the sound of him clearing his throat and looking at me pointedly, the corner of his mouth tilting up in an annoying smile. I swallowed hard. “Do me a favor, try the ignition now,” he directed gently, not taking his eyes off me as I got into the driver’s side and put the key in the ignition. I sent a mental prayer out to the universe that this would work, and then cranked the key. The car hummed to life, and I let out a relieved cry that probably sounded a little too sexual, but it was too late. My eyes met my mechanical savior’s through the windshield as he dropped the hood down and our gazes held for a long moment that made me all too aware of how sweaty I was and how grimy my uniform was. The way he was looking at me though, it was apparent he wasn’t noticing those things.
I jerked my gaze away and slipped out of the driver’s side, “I don’t know how to thank you,” I said smiling, but avoiding his eyes.
“It’s definitely not a permanent fix,” he warned. “If you can, bring it to the shop when you’re ready. I am there every day but Sunday. I can take a better look at it there and have the actual tools to fix it,” he offered.
“Um, I appreciate that, but I’m going to have to find out how much an alternator is first,” I said offhandedly as I checked the clock on my phone again. I needed to get to Jack.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said stepping in a little closer, and this time I didn’t step back, “we’ll work out a payment plan. In this city, you need a car though.”
I nodded my head, “I’ll think about it, thank you,” I told him. He gave me a slow smile, but he didn’t say anything in return, just turned around and started walking back to his truck. “Wait! I didn’t catch your name…” I called after him.
He turned his head to look at me but kept walking forward, “that’s right, I didn’t give it… bring that car to the shop, and you’ll find it out,” he promised with a big grin, then gave me one last long look before he got his truck.
I hurried back into my car, wanting to keep going while the car was still going and hoping that Jack wasn’t worrying too much, “Coming home, baby, don’t you worry,” I said out loud. My house was only a few miles away. With any luck, I wouldn’t have to pay the babysitter too much extra.
I was just a couple blocks shy of my house, my mind mulling over the man with the good hands when it hit me. The man who just helped me with my car and offered to fix it for a discount all the while noticing that I was looking at him like some horny teenager, was the same person I used to fight with incessantly, who had a snide comment for me every time I came into the room… who had pushed me to the point of striking out more than once. “James…” I whispered to myself in stunned revelation.
Damn, James had gotten hot. I mean, he was obviously not unattractive before, but before he was nothing other than the annoying, older brother of my best friend. He still had that rebellious attitude and long hair but as the man that had looked at me on the side of the road just now, he wore the look of someone who’d seen far too much. I could empathize with him there. He had been nice enough to stop for me, and he had been nice enough to offer to help fix my car for a discount.
No, I couldn’t ask him that. It was too much. Plus, I didn’t want to be in anybody’s debt.
I pulled into my driveway, grateful that the car had held out until I could get home, and made a mental to-do list of all the things I would need to do before I went to bed, the first one being to find my bus pass.
I walked into my house, so relieved to be home, but what I saw instantly had my hackles up. Erica was parked on the couch, staring at her phone. She hadn’t even seemed to notice I had come in. And my ever-adventurous boy, Jack, was in the kitchen, standing up on the countertop, digging through the cabinets.
My eyes caught Jack’s and a little smile froze on his face, he knew he had been caught. “Hi, Mommy,” he sang in his sweet little voice.
Erica’s head whipped up and looked first at me and then behind her, “Jack, you know you’re not supposed to be on the counters.”
“What’s going on here?” I asked.
“I don’t know what you mean. We were just sitting here nicely; I may have gotten a little distracted by a text… I was going to keep my phone close in case you need to call again about being late,” she rushed to add, “and I just got a little distracted. You know how little boys are- they want to get into everything.”
“Oh, I know,” I said, walking past her, charging into the kitchen. I hooked my arm around Jack’s waist and scooped him off the counter, setting him gently on his feet. There was a ring of chocolate around his mouth, and by the state of my kitchen counter, it had been more than just a few minutes that he had been up there.
I looked over the counter at Erica who was watching us nervously, then I squatted down in front of my son so that only he could see me and level my eyes at him, “Jack, I’m going to need you to be honest with me. How long has she been on that phone.”
Jack’s eyes were wide because he knew he was in trouble. Still, he was a reasonable child, and I knew he would tell me the truth about this, “All night,” he said quietly. Then he rushed to tell me everything, “it kept ringing, but she said that she didn’t have time to talk to you cause she was talking to her boyfriend. Then I got hungry, so I decided to get the snacks myself. I’m sorry, Mommy,” he said solemnly.
I let out a breath, “OK, it is way past your bedtime. We will talk about this in a little bit but the first thing I need to deal with is her,” I told him, motioning my head toward the couch. “Do me a favor: go brush your teeth, and get back in bed. I’ll be back there in a few minutes.”
I turned to Erica then who went from looking slightly worried to completely defensive. “Well, I mean you are like thirty minutes late, so technically, I am off the clock,” she started in.
“Not the right thing to say to me right about now. Your job is to make sure that my child stays safe and that means as long as you are with him. What were you going to do? Just wander out the door cause I was thirty minutes late and leave him behind?”
“I was here, wasn’t I?” she snapped at me.
“As in: your ass was on the couch, but you weren’t watching after that boy. He could’ve gotten into all the sorts of things that would’ve hurt him, not to mention falling off the counter. He should’ve been in bed at least twenty minutes ago.” Erica started to open her mouth again, but I just couldn’t take it anymore, “you know what? No. I don’t want to hear whatever excuses you have, there’s nothing that you can say that would make me trust you again. This isn’t working out. I will no longer be needing your services.” I reached into my purse, grabbed the cash out I’d set aside to pay her. I had half a mind not to pay her at all, but I really didn’t want the trouble. “Here,” I said, shoving the cash at her, “there’s your last day’s wages, now get out.”
Erica stood there for a long while with her mouth hanging over, “I don’t understand, I am a good person, I don’t deserve this.”
I rolled my eyes, “good person or not, you’re a shitty babysitter, so get out of my house.” I turned then effectively dismissed her, and heard the front door slam behind me.
What the fuck was I going to do now? I didn’t have anybody that I could find on such short notice to watch Jack while I worked the evening shifts. Maybe my manager would work with me in light of the circumstances and let me work the dayshift for a little bit until I could find someone more trustworthy to watch him. But if he couldn’t do that, Jack would just have to come to work with me. He would hate that… and I certainly didn’t blame them.
Things have been tough for as far back as I can remember, but in the last year, since my grandmother passed, it seemed like my life had turned into one series of unfortunate events after another. The house turned into a money pit, there was nobody safe or trustworthy to watch Jack, and there was no hope of getting out of this hole.
I gave myself a couple of minutes in the kitchen to compose myself before I went to tuck in Jack. He didn’t need to see me this upset. And it was in those few minutes that I came to a conclusion that I did not like but knew was necessary. I would have to take that car to James and beg him for a payment plan, it was the only way I was going to be able to afford anything for the next few weeks. But damn if I didn’t chap my ass, having to humble myself in front of that man. Even if he did turn out to be a troublingly sexy man that was making my mind churn out images that I was sure would follow me to sleep.
