Page 38 of Her Brother's Billionaire Best Friend

The sun had dipped low in the sky, flooding the Caluga valley with light. As we stood in the kitchen, it spread over the surfaces. And suddenly the dark, old house where I’d grown up was bathed in warm, summery light.

“Okay,” I sighed.

“Okay?” Lucien looked up at me. He looked different—a little flushed, a little out of control. And all of a sudden, I got the feeling that he’d finally opened up that smooth exterior and showed me what really made him tick.

I wanted to hold him, to kiss his lips, to let him know that it would be okay. But I stayed where I was. It was like there was a space between us and I couldn’t cross it. Even if part of me wanted to.

“If I come back,” I said, “I need you to be different. I need you to be nicer.”

“It’s a deal,” Lucien said, tapping his fist on his thigh. He was excited.

“And I’m only working three days a week from now on. Besides, unless you’ve got a trip or something coming up, there isn’t that much to do.”

“Okay.”

“And I want to volunteer for the library. And I still want my three months’ salary if something else comes up and I decide to leave—”

“It’s fine,” said Lucien. “I can compromise.”

He stood up, and looked at me—really looked at me, into me, and for a moment, I thought he was about to say something. And part of me wanted him to say it, to say what was really on his mind.

But before he could say it, I stepped towards him. I put my hands up to his shoulders and I kissed him, pressing my lips to his, wanting to feel his mouth against mine. As Lucien kissed me, his hands slipped down and embraced my waist, and before I knew it, his heat and strength were upon me. Our mouths met in the sunlight and I felt warm and wanted and safe again, like all of this was happening a long time ago, before I ever—

Then, I heard a bag. The front door slammed shut behind us. I pushed Lucien away, stepped back. Then, I turned around and watched as Kyle came in through the kitchen door.

He saw me. Then he saw Lucien.

“Mom?”

He stared at the two of us.

“What’s he doing here?” said Kyle.

“Hi, Kyle,” said Lucien. I winced. God knows what was going to happen now.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to ask your mom to come work for me again,” he said.

I was frozen. I looked calm and steady for my son, but on the inside, I felt like I was watching something happen over which I had no control. I’d let Lucien back into my life and all of a sudden, he was here, talking to my son.

“Why?” said Kyle.

“Because she’s the best,” Lucien shrugged.

I blushed a little and looked away.

Kyle put his bag down gently on the floor.

“That’s what everyone says. One time, we had the reporters at the San Francisco Post round for lunch at our apartment. They all said she worked harder than anyone else.”

“She does. I can tell you that from experience.”

Lucien glanced at me as Kyle went to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. As if to ask if it was okay—if this was okay. And if I’d been able to say anything, I was sure I would have told him it wasn’t okay. But here, with him and my son in the same room, I was struck by the resemblance. The pair of them had the same color eyes, and Kyle’s hair was brown and bore that same hint of red.

“You know,” said Kyle, “everyone’s talking about you at school.”

“Oh yeah?” said Lucien warily.