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August
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"I'm telling you the same thing I've told everyone else, I have no comment about last night." Hanging up the phone, I spun in my chair to face the window. Looking out at the city, it was frustrating to love and hate something so much.
This city had gifted my family everything we had, it made me the man I was, but I hated how the money we had turned us into a circus the masses were interested in. My mother basked in the exposure, doing things on purpose to keep us in the headlines. She always said that there was no bad press.
I couldn't have disagreed more.
Since I took the brewery over about a year and a half ago, I did my best to keep us drama free. The cameras flashed for the reasons I wanted; a new flavor beer, donations we made to the community, and not for my mother's new facelift because my father had stepped out into the lime light with a new girlfriend.
And suddenly, it had come around full circle, back into quick snapshots of moments and misconceptions of the truth. I hated having to explain myself and my life to people who served no purpose in it to begin with.
I wish I could just tell them to get fucked. . .
The reporters wanted to know if the baby rumors were true and if marriage was in the future. They questioned how long our relationship had been going on, or if it was a one night stand gone wrong. There was speculation about possible due dates and whether I thought it was a boy or a girl, or if I thought the baby was mine at all.
Fucking media is always jumping four steps ahead.
The only thing that really bothered me was the seed hadn't even been planted yet, the date last night was merely just the start of a possible future. A future I desperately needed or I'd lose everything.
With the rumors swirling, I felt this urgency to knock her up and make it true. Make it real. Make her mine.
Staring off at the horizon, I felt stuck. I knew what had to happen, but I wasn't sure how I was going to get there. Swooning a woman who thought I was fucking crazy wasn't going to be easy.
"Mr. Burke?" Diane asked, poking her head inside my office as she lightly knocked at the same time. "There's a woman here to see you, she says you know her—Ella Day?" Quirking an eye, my face must have changed in a way that wasn't pleasant. "I—I can just tell her you're not available."
Didn't see this coming so soon.
As she started to shut the door, I spoke up quickly. "No, no, it's okay, you can send her in."
Giving me a curt smile, she closed the door. I didn't even want to know what was going through her head. Diane had been the secretary at the brewery for years, she had watched women come and go with my father, and saw the way they used him for his money.
I never wanted to be like my father, because I never planned on getting used. He had no problem leaving my mother to live like Hugh Hefner, but I wanted no part in it. Woman after woman walked through those doors, all of them acting as if they were entitled to a small piece of his fortune.
Now my hand was being forced into the life I swore off. Seeing those words on the paper, learning that my fate in this company relied on producing a child, it really pissed me off in the beginning. But that wasn't what I felt anymore, I didn't feel angry, I didn't feel upset and frustrated with my father's voice in death.
It had become a challenge I wanted to conquer, a middle finger at the sky to prove to him he hadn't won. I could and would do this, nothing was going to stop me.
Walking around my desk, I checked myself over in the mirror hanging on the wall across the room. Running my fingers through my beard, I took in a deep breath, tugging on my jacket lightly.
Start over with her, August. This is your chance.
A soft knock on my door made my head snap up. "Come in," I called out as I took a step into the center of the room. I had the need to stand taller, to be larger than life so she would see me for the powerful man I was.
The door opened slowly, and Ella took a short step in. Holding a grin on my face, there was this desire screaming deep inside me for her to feel my presence, but also to sense that I wasn't a threat, I was gentle and kind, a man she could trust.
Because I meant every word I said when I told her I would take care of everything. I wasn't the type of guy to just wash my hands and walk away once I got what I wanted.
Our eyes connected, hers glistening with a hint of fear. Tilting my head a hair, I deepened my stare, trying to read her. Maybe that wasn't fear I was seeing, maybe it was her just being coy and guarded.
Staying quiet, we both stared at each other for a long second. I couldn't help but notice how different she looked in the bright light of my office. She wasn't all dressed up, with heavy black makeup thickening her lashes or bright blushed cheeks.
Ella's natural beauty was more than enough to showcase her features. Her hair had deep strips of strawberry blonde, her skin was glowing like she sun had softly reached out and fanned her face, with her round cheeks highlighted in a subtle pink hue. Her lips were plumped and glistening, her eyes that appeared blue last night were now a shade of green.
She was simply stunning.
And in that brief second my desire shifted from just want into need as my chest constricted and my body filled from head to toe with electric sparks.
Ella is it, she's definitely the woman I've been looking for.
With a thin smile, she removed her eyes from mine and glanced down at her arms. "I—I brought you back your jacket," she said with hesitance in her voice, taking the jacket off her arm, and holding it out to me. "Thanks for letting me borrow it."
"Of course." Taking a step forward, I took the coat. "But, I'm pretty sure I told you to keep it."
"You did, but I can't keep what's not mine." Holding out open palms, she gave me a weak smile. "So, here I am."
Nodding, I lifted the coat up and bowed my head. "Thank you." Moving my eyes to the small bar against the wall, I asked, "Can I get you a drink?"
"No, that's alright, I'm not staying."
"You came all the way here just for this? To bring me a coat I don't really need?" Smirking, I placed the jacket on the back of the chair, letting my eyes dance around her body.
She was shifting on her feet nervously, her eyes frantically scanning anything and everything that wasn't me. "Is that so hard to believe?" she asked, her lip curling up to one side.
She didn't just come here for this.
After how last night ended, I was surprised she even kept the jacket and didn't throw it out the window on her ride home. Ella had been so upset, the fact that she held onto it said something.
"Why did you really come here?"
Rolling her eyes, she rocked her head on her shoulders, her voice low and strained. "Alright, maybe there's more."
"Maybe—no, there's definitely more."
Stuffing her hand into the back pocket of her jeans, she pursed her lips. "Okay, I also wanted to know what you were going to do about this?" Pulling out a small square of folded up paper, she opened it and handed it to me.
"You saw that, huh?" Ella cocked her brow, her eyes boring a hole into mine. "Stupid question?"
"Stupid question—you think? Of course I saw it, how the hell wouldn't I have seen it? It's on the damn front page." Folding her arms across her chest, her hip kicked out. "I'm wondering what you're going to do about it. You need to fix this, August, I can't have my face plastered on the front page of the paper."
"Why not? I thought women loved attention?"
"Wow, that's not being a dick in the slightest."
Chuckling, I smiled. "I'm sorry, I know, my sense of humor sucks sometimes. Seriously, I'm only kidding, I know it's bad, I do."
"Then fix it." Her tone was dry and unamused. There was no emotion on her face as she stood still as a porcelain statue, not even the slightest smile on her lips.
This girl is tough. But I'll break her.
"There isn't much I can do," I said, walking around to the backside of my desk and pressing my hands into the top. "The reporters are going to do what they want. I have no control over what they print. I suggest you get use to it, this might not be the last time you'll see your face in the headlines."
"There has to be something you can do. Pull some strings, make some phone calls, use whatever arsenal you have to make this go away." Running her fingers through her hair, she tipped her chin higher as she said, "You owe me that much, this is all your fault anyway."
"My fault?" Thinning my lids, I let my mouth hang open. "You do realize that if you hadn't freaked out like you did, neither one of us would be in this position. This doesn't just affect you, this isn't good for me either. You think I want to be on the front page for that?"
"Don't you dare try to pin this on me." Pointing at herself, her mouth crinkled. "I didn't do anything wrong. I went thinking you had an actual job for me, but what you wanted was way more than any man should ever ask from some woman they don't know."
Smirking, I let out a light laugh. "I think we both had a hand in last night. You can't put all of this on me, that isn't fair. I know what I asked wasn't exactly what you expected, but a simple no thank you would have been just fine."
Letting out a weighted breath, her lids lowered. "Alright, I didn't come here to argue with you about it. I have enough shit going on in my life right now. I'm broke, I can't find a real job, and to top it all off, I'm about to be homeless. I don't need this mess too, I just need you to fucking fix it. Make my life a little easier and make this go away."
Observing her for a moment, my face was stoic as I processed her words. I didn't think she meant to tell me all that, her expression told me it all spilled out on accident. You know the look I'm talking about; the deer in the headlights, my mouth kept moving without me wanting it to kind of look. The look where once that final word tumbles out, they pinch their lips shut and stare at you like they're hoping it was all jibberish.
Taking a step closer, Ella arched her brows high, her eyes opening wide. "Please, there has to be a way."
Raking my fingers through my beard, I tilted my head into my shoulder. I had the perfect answer, one that worked for both of us. All she had to do was say yes and all the drama surrounding this little event would vanish.
"I have an easy solution that can make this all disappear. . ." Letting my voice fade, I peered at her, hoping she could read my mind.
Ella's head angled a hair, her eyes lighting with a flicker of hope. "What is it?" she asked, quickly brushing her hand in the air as she kept speaking. "You know what, I don't care, whatever it is, just do it."
"You're agreeing then?"
"Yes," she said, nodding eagerly. "Make it disappear."
"Perfect, I'll send the papers to you this afternoon."
"Papers? Papers for what? Is it like a discloser that I won't talk to the reporters or something?"
"It'll all be in the paperwork."
"Wait," she said, jerking her head back. "What am I signing papers for?"
"We talked about this already, you're having my baby, it's the easiest way to fix all this."
Throwing out her arms, she shook her head. "No, no, no." Slicing the air with her hand, she shot me an angy glare. "There's no fucking way and that's not what I meant. I meant do something to make this all go away, not make it real."
"Everyone already thinks you're pregnant anyway. Why not give the people what they want?"
"You're delusional, August. I'm not doing that."
"Why not?" I asked, moving to her side. "It would be perfect. You could come stay with me, and I'll take care of everything." Reaching out, I gently touched her arm, softening my expression. "Look, we both need something. You need money and I need a baby. I'm not just doing this for fun, we're in the same situation. If I don't do this, everything I have is gone, all of it."
"August, it's not the same," she said, letting her eyes fall over my face. "You're talking about bringing another life into this world on false pretenses. A baby shouldn't be born like this, it's wrong, it's not fair to the child, it's not fair to me or to you. A baby should be born out of love, not necessity. How could you even think this is the answer?"
"We could make it work. The baby would be loved, I would love it and so would you. It wouldn't be born into cold arms and uncaring parents. People have babies all the time and don't plan it. One night stands turn into life long relationships. This would still be better than that, this child would have everything it ever wanted. You could have everything you've ever wanted."
"There's more to life than just money, August." Ella's eyes shot to the floor, her tone questioning. "Besides, you can't give me what I really want."
"Everything revolves around money, it doesn't matter which way you look at it. It's sad, and I know it shouldn't be that way, but it is. You said it yourself, you have nothing, you're about to lose your place, I can make it so you don't have to worry about any of that."
"You can't buy me off like that. You act like this is an easy decision, but it's not."
"Look, the point is you'd never have to struggle another day in your life, not one. And this child, it would have every opportunity in the world, no door would be closed."
Biting on her bottom lip, she stood silent for a long second. "I don't know, August."
There was something about that moment, the way she looked at me, the delicate light in her eyes, she was so beautiful. Her voice was firm, but also weak, as if I was slowly working my way through the cracks in her shell.
She's thinking about it, she's really seeing the big picture.
"Look," I said, gripping both her arms and turning her to face me straight on. "If there's one thing I did learn last night, it's that you're the one I want. I don't want to look anymore, I found what I've been searching for in you. So, just think about it, I don't need an answer right this minute."
Her eyes darted between mine, lips parting. And all I could think about was kissing her. I wanted to taste her skin, her tongue, every inch of her body. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair and wrap it around my hand to tug her head back.
I felt primal, wanting to claim her body, marking it as mine. I had never wanted one person in my life so badly. But Ella Day had imprinted herself into my brain. I expected I'd have to go find her, never thinking she would walk into my office on her own.
Yet, here she was, looking up at me with big doe eyes, her mouth begging to be kissed, even if she didn't realize it.
"August—" she started to speak, but I stopped her.
Pressing my finger to her lips, I silenced her. "No more talking, you have a choice to make. Lose everything along side me, or have everything together? It's up to you."