Hostile Takeover, Hill, W [recommended books to read .TXT] 📗

vowed he’d never be again. But the monsters were always waiting, weren’t they?

Some shit was best not stirred up, and she was like a great big wooden spoon, ready to attack that cauldron with a double-fisted grip. She’d get scalded, and he couldn’t allow that.

Marcie: I can’t believe you couriered French bread and capellini to me in a warmer. It was so fresh, it was as if I was sitting in the kitchen at home watching you pull it out of the oven. The only thing more perfect would have been if you brought it yourself, though maybe that wouldn’t be a good idea, since half the girls on the floor are now in love with you.

Ben: Hmm… Not really interested in the “in love” part, but a floor of co-eds in lust with me? I’ll be right there. That Mercedes you’re always mocking can do well over a hundred on interstate. Prepare the Jell-O tub and wet T-shirts.

Marcie: Pig. Yes, your car is fast, but you have to stop for gas every hour. Of course, it was pretty thrilling, taking it from 0 to 60 in four seconds. But I’ll deny it if you tell any of my green friends.

Ben: That’s green with envy, brat, not eco-conscious. And you better not tell Cassandra I let you do that. She’ll want to do it too. I only let you do it because you nagged incessantly.

Phone call between Ben and Marcie, freshman year

Chapter Three

“You know, all the greats—Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth—they could pick up any old bat and hit it out of the park. You only need a caveman’s club if you can’t hit the side of a barn without one.”

“Just keep telling yourself that, Luc. Whatever you need to feel good about that inferior equipment of yours.”

Jon snorted, coming into Ben’s office. “Glad to see you two are getting some real work done this morning.”

Ben braced his foot against the side of his desk as he drank his morning coffee. He eyed Lucas, who had his ass planted on the arm of his couch. “You know Lucas can’t resist talking about my dick. It fascinates him.”

Lucas raised an unimpressed brow. “You brought up the distasteful subject of your dick. I was just asking how your new intern is doing.”

“I hope he’s doing her.” This from Peter, coming into the door with a box of donuts. “I saw her winging her way down the hall yesterday. Only got a profile shot when she turned to say something to Janet, but what a gorgeous pair of—”

“It’s Marcie,” Ben snapped, bringing his feet down to the floor with a resounding thud. “Jesus, Peter.”

Peter shot a glance at Lucas. “Oh shit. Sorry about that, bro.”

Lucas smiled wryly. “She’s grown into a beautiful woman, like her sister. And just as strong-willed, God help the man who falls for her. But her assertiveness will stand her well. She wants to be a corporate investigator.”

Assertive, hell. There was an understatement. Ben snorted into his coffee.

“She did exceptionally well at the intern level in Europe,” Lucas continued. “She’s had a few lucrative entry-level offers from firms in Milan and Stuttgart. Cass hopes she won’t go that far away from home though.”

“At least that puts one family member closer to Jeremy,” Peter offered.

Ben remembered his thoughts of last night. “What’s the latest on that, Luc?”

“Not so good.” Lucas’ expression became more somber. “We talked about bringing him home, letting it end here, like a few years back when we thought it was going to happen then, but he seems truly at peace at the monastery. It’s a good place. Cass wants to be with him, though, so she’s talking with Pickard about a leave of absence in the next couple weeks. She’ll go spend his final days with him there, and I’ll fly back and forth as needed. I intended to talk to Matt about it today.”

Shit, Ben hadn’t realized Jeremy’s time was that close. Because he’d been tuning out a lot of the domestic discussion crap of late, he wasn’t staying connected to each of their lives on the things that mattered. Maybe he wasn’t the balloon who’d been cut loose, but the one who’d untied himself from the rail.

The men were quiet for a few minutes. “I’m so sorry, Lucas,” Jon said. Their philosophical boy-genius leaned forward in the guest chair, his blue eyes sad. “I knew it was a long shot, but I hoped that treatment would help turn the tide.”

“It did.” Lucas shook his head. “We thought he was going to die years ago, Jon. You gave him every moment since then. Nearly seven years not to be a junkie on the street, seven years for his life to be something better. It meant the world to Cass, to the whole family. You gave him back to them.”

Ben cleared his throat, rose. Coming around his desk, he put his hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “Whatever you need, you’ve got it, from all of us. If Cass needs you with her full time, we’ll cover here, no problem.”

Lucas studied Ben with shrewd gray eyes. “You know same goes, right? Whatever you’re fighting, Ben, we’re here. You don’t have to marinate your liver and walk the streets looking for a fight. You dumb Cajun-Irish brawler.”

“Don’t forget his sporadic New England accent from that fancy education. Or the midwest drawl to put our more country clients at ease.” Peter grinned, defusing the sudden tension in Ben’s chest. This was about Jeremy, not him, damn it. “You know you can call me and Dana any night,” Peter added. “We’ll go out or, if it’s a guys-only thing, she’ll cut me loose without a second thought. Especially if it’s you.”

“Yeah, she’s got a thing for me. Good for you to be a man and accept it.”

“In your dreams, horse-dick.”

“Now see, that’s just rude. And reveals your raging insecurity. I’m fine, guys.” Ben glanced at Lucas. “I’m just working too hard. I’ve actually been thinking