Page 52 of The Billionaire's Betrayal
His father surged to his feet, smoothing his hand over his clothes, then touched the reddening cheek. “What the fuck—”
“I’ll wait for you outside,” Alexa said quietly, with a blank expression. “Feel better, Mrs. Taylor,” she said to his mother, then she dashed out of the room. Proving to anyone she had more class than any of the mistresses his father had kept throughout the years. The provocation burned the tip of his tongue, but he bit it, reluctant to upset his mother even more.
Vanessa knocked on the door and walked in, a nervous expression on her face. “Is everything okay? I heard shouting.” She dashed to his mother’s side, checking her vitals on the screen linked to her IVs. Then, she grabbed a cup of water and silently handed it to Claire, who shook her head more to herself than the others.
His father stretched to his full height, shooting him a look of disapproval. “What’s your angle? You want to kill your mother by bringing that woman here?”
Brooks growled. “Stop talking about Alexa that way. She’s a successful businesswoman.”
His father’s acidy laughter cut through the tension. “What a joke. Did you know, Claire, that she makes money by having women sell their virginity at an auction?” He turned to Claire. “That’s the kind of businesswoman your son has been seeing.”
Vanessa stepped forward, lifting her hand. “I don’t know what’s going on here. When Mr. Taylor called, I mentioned your visit and your friend as a positive thing for your mother.” Vanessa peered at him, a shade of red spreading across her cheeks. She probably meant well, and his father had researched Alexa online. “I’m sorry. If you two have a fight to pick, please do it elsewhere. I’m here to make sure your mother heals and shame on you two for causing her more stress.”
His mother clenched the diamond cross pendant on her necklace. “Brooks…is it true?”
Brooks hooked his hands in his belt, pacing in small circles. His brain was about to explode, so many thoughts running through his mind. Then he popped his knuckles, willing the anger away. He could tell his mother how much of a hypocrite his father was, judging Alexa when he’d had his share of women who slept with him for money. But, if he did, his mother would get more stressed, and maybe worse. He came to a halt and faced his mother. “Mom. This isn’t the kind of conversation we should be having.”
“I’m tired of all of you telling me what to do and speaking for me,” his mother said, raising her voice. The vein in her neck pulsed, and she shifted in her bed, lifting her chin as a silent reminder she may be sickly but she wasn’t dead.
Guilt stabbed at him. “Alexa isn’t a hooker. She’s built a successful business facilitating women who want to sell their virginity. She doesn’t force anyone to do anything and has rules in place to secure their safety,” he said without wavering.
His father slow clapped. “Is that how you met her? You bought some naive young girl’s virginity?”
Brooks lifted his fist, ready for another go at his father’s face, but Vanessa outsmarted them both, planting herself in the middle of them with sonic speed.
“Get out.” His father pointed to the door. “This is my property and you won’t slap me around like I’m your little bitch.”
Brooks exchanged a stare filled with resentment with his father, then glanced at his mother, softening his expression. “I’ll check on you later, Mom. Sorry for the stress,” he said, unwilling to excuse himself for Alexa’s presence, or for smacking his old man.
She reached out her hand and touched his face. “We’ll talk later, honey. Goodbye.”
He closed the door behind him and searched for Alexa in the living area, only to find her in the outdoor patio, texting. “Hey.”
“Hi,” she said softly. He couldn’t see her reaction through her sunglasses, but he imagined she’d tried to pull herself together. Another tide of anger flooded through him. She’d only come to Texas to help him, and his father had humiliated her. What made him so much better than her? His money and upbringing? “I just ordered an Uber. I should get going.”
He took her hand in his. “No. We’re leaving together.”
She ran her fingers through her hair. “Brooks, assholes like your father don’t bother me. But I don’t want to create a rift between you and your mom. Wouldn’t be right, so it’s best if I go.”
“Go to the hotel or to Vegas?”
She slid her sunglasses off and stared at him. “Go to Vegas…alone.”
Alone.Panic ricocheted through him, so real it felt like a blow to his guts. The same word he’d used to describe the idea of the sad future she’d shared with him. A future where she’d run and try to be someone else when the very same person she was would always be with her. “Don’t do this to us,” he said. “My father has no place in my life. He won’t get in our way.”
She shifted her weight from foot to foot, her eyes glossy and teary. “I want to live in Spain because it’s a good hub in Europe to do some volunteer work. I’ve donated money to women’s shelters here and abroad, but also dreamed I could help them and be more hands-on.”
“Why can’t you volunteer here? In Texas?” he asked, though the answer echoed in his ears. If she volunteered at a shelter, her identity would be exposed. They wouldn’t take her seriously after running a virgin auction for so long—hell, folks might think she was selecting women to auction later. Idiots who didn’t know the true Alexa—who didn’t know her like he did. “Most people here won’t know you, Alexa. If you want a new identity, I can get you one.”
He stepped forward, but she lifted her hand in a silent plea for him to respect her space. Frustration throbbed in his throat, his jaw tight.
“So you’re worried about people here knowing my real identity if we’re together?” she asked, her voice bitter.
“I’m not worried the way you think. I want to protect you against those assholes who think you’re part of—”
“Part of an auction? Well, I am. And maybe you’re one of those assholes, too. I saw how uncomfortable you were when that client talked to me in the restaurant. Or how you asked me, out of nowhere last night, how much longer I’ll be doing this.”
“No,” he said, injecting energy into his voice. A part of him filled with shame, but he wouldn’t give up. He’d been wrong about her. Determination zinged through him, fast-tracking all his cells. Igniting him. Why deny it? He’d fallen hard for her and had shared with her more than he had with anyone else—he wanted her to be his. Only his. Forever. “I confess at first I wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but we can make it work. You taught me a lot and I’m not done learning. Just give us a chance.”
A tear fell from her eye, sliding down her cheek. She wiped it with the tip of her finger, then inhaled. “I can’t.”
The tips of his fingers tingled to touch her, and he almost did—stepping forward once again, too restless to stay still. She shook her head, the usual shimmer in her eyes gone. “I took a long time off from being who I was as a teenager, to figure things out. To see who I needed to be. Now that I know, I can’t do it halfway.”
What?She couldn’t leave him right now—not after all they’d been through. “You don’t fool me for one moment, Alexa. You’re scared and running away…from me. Are you afraid of loving me?” he asked, running his fingers through his hair, putting all his cards on the table.
“I’m not afraid. I just can’t. I’m sorry if I let you believe otherwise—I wanted to believe it, too. But it’s impossible.”
Against his common sense, he bridged the distance and took her in his arms. He kissed her, violently, pouring his soul into her mouth, holding her so close it became hard to breathe. She didn’t return his kiss, her lips cold and unmoving.
He let go of her, his heart more bruised than his ego. His body tightened, his shoulder blades cramped with tension. A low growl of disappointment escaped his lips. Could he have been wrong about her, like he had been about Pamela? Maybe she was right. She didn’t want his love—and that devastated him more than he could bear.
