Because He Watches Me (Because He Owns Me, Book Nine) (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (20 page)

“Yes, just a splash, thanks.”

He poured cream into her mug, which she found endearing, then just about the same amount in his own. “So your parents are worried. It happens.”

“It’s not that simple,” she said, a little frustrated that he didn’t seem to get how serious this really was. But then again, why would he? Red Jameson was a billionaire who was far removed from needing his parents to help him make rent every month.

“So explain to me what the problem is. Nicole. Look at me.”

She met his gaze, and he reassured her with a kind look. His large hand reached out and covered hers.

“I’m an intern in New York City,” she said. “Think about it.”

She saw his expression change as he realized what she meant. “They’re threatening you?”

“They’re not just threatening. My mother follows through on her threats. She’s already taken every dime out of my checking account, some of which wasn’t hers to take.”

“She can do that?”

“It’s a joint account,” Nicole said, ashamed to even say it. She felt like such a child.

“Then you have absolutely no money left.”

She sipped the coffee. It really was the best coffee she’d ever tasted, though she could barely appreciate it under the circumstances. “I have some cash that I keep under my mattress for emergencies.”

“And how long will that last?”

“Maybe five or six days if I stretch every penny. I’m finished in New York unless I stop seeing you.”

Red’s expression darkened. “That’s ridiculous. What do they even know about me? They’ve never met me.”

She had to smile at his indignant reaction. “They know you’re my boss—well, you’re everyone’s boss. You run the entire company and I’m just an intern.”

“I suppose there’s an imbalance of power there,” he allowed reluctantly.

“And they know you’re older than me.”

“A ten year age difference isn’t exactly mind-blowing these days.”

“Also, my mother did some sort of web search and saw all the ladies the tabloids have you associated with. It’s quite a list.”

“Christ.” He sat back in his seat, somewhat taken aback. “I guess it looks pretty bad from that angle.”

“Pretty much from every angle.” She smiled at him.

“Not funny.”

“I’m sorry. I just—“ Her eyes teared up. “I don’t want to leave the city. Or you.”

“And you don’t have to.”

She sniffled. The waiter came back and asked for their breakfast order, oblivious to the crying girl at the table. Red ordered for both of them, of course. Eggs Benedict for him and the stuffed French toast for her. She was happy with his choice.

After the waiter left, she managed to get herself together. “I think I’ll go stay with my friend in Ithaca. It’s not
that
far from here.” She looked at him, trying to discern whether the move meant the end for them in his mind.

He shook his head. “No way. I’m not going to lose you. I want to meet your parents.”

***

“
M
y house is
a little different from the mansions and luxury apartments you’re used to,” she said to Red as they neared her parents’ neighborhood just outside of Syracuse.

“I didn’t grow up wealthy,” he said. “I probably had less money than you growing up. In fact, I know I did.”

“Still, you’ve gotten used to the good life.”

“I can rub elbows with the commoners too,” he joked. He was definitely taking it seriously though. He’d dressed down completely, wearing loose fitting jeans, work boots, and a light gray sweater that he could have bought at Target (but probably had purchased for $300 at Burberry).

It was strange to be back home, especially under these circumstances, with someone like Red as her date.

Everything looked so small now, so desperately in need of upkeep and repairs. All of the houses looked the same—ranches side by side with just a little bit of lawn, sometimes a chain link fence separating them. Old used cars in the driveways. Roofs needed new shingles and chimneys had bricks falling off them. Cars were up on blocks in the middle of lawns.

But Red didn’t care, or so he claimed. He had his game face on.

She’d warned him that her parents—particularly her mother—would refuse to like him no matter how charming or gracious he was today. In fact, the only reason her parents had agreed to host this little cookout was because of Nicole’s dad.

He very rarely put his foot down about anything, but when he did, her mother listened. And he’d insisted that they at least meet Red before hating him officially.

So now it was a cool Sunday afternoon and they were parking in front of her parents’ house. At least their home looked neat and well tended. Dad always took care of the lawn; he enjoyed it. The backyard was big enough to have a grill on the deck and a badminton net too.

There were others here already. Why they’d insisted on inviting other people, she could only guess. Nicole had been angry when they told her there would be neighbors and cousins and the like. This was supposed to be a chance for Red and her parents to get to know one another, and now it would be difficult for them to really talk.

She could see people around back, sitting in lawn chairs, smoking cigars, drinking beer, talking and laughing. Some old classic rock station was playing on dad’s radio.

This was a familiar scene, and Nicole had to admit it brought back mostly good memories from her childhood.

“Here we go,” she said, and Red grabbed her hand and they walked to the backyard together.

Everyone stopped and stared. It was worse than she’d feared.

Luckily, The Beatles were still blaring from the radio, so it wasn’t total silence. And then her Uncle Joe was waddling over with his hand outstretched. “Hey, I’m Joe,” he said in his thick New York accent. “You must be the rich guy everyone’s blabbing about.”

This broke the ice, and everyone started to laugh, including Red. “I guess that’s me. Nice to meet you.”

Someone handed him a beer. People crowded around, introducing themselves, asking ridiculous questions about who he knew, had he ever met Jack Nicholson, what was LeBron like in person?

Red handled it all in style, charming the crowd with humorous encounters he’d had over the years.

But her mother and father just hung back and watched. Finally, after some of the hyperactivity among the partygoers died down, Nicole’s dad came up and said, “I’m Bud, Nicole’s father.”

Red had met his gaze and the two of them shook hands firmly. Something seemed to pass unspoken between them, but Nicole couldn’t be sure just what. It was a guy thing, one of those subtle male body language communications that women would never understand.

Maybe it was just her dad’s way of asserting himself, but Red seemed to purposely become less imposing, less dominating, not wanting to offend her dad or make him feel small.

And then mom was there, her arms folded. “Hello, I’m Barb.”

“Hi Barb, very pleased to meet you,” Red said.

She just nodded. “Hungry?”

“Always,” he laughed.

“Well, then, maybe you’d like to cook yourself something.”

Everyone got quiet and you could hear a pin drop. Nicole was just about to say that she would be happy to cook for a guest at the house, when Red responded. “Tell you what, Barb. I’m going to make you the best damn burger you’ve ever eaten.” And then he walked to the grill and started going to work.

There was some hearty applause when he got the burgers cooking, and it became clear that Red knew his way around a grill. Soon he was cooking not just for her mother, or himself, but the entire party.

He spent the next thirty or forty minutes taking orders and sending out burgers, hotdogs, sausages, chicken. Nicole’s dad stood with him and the two of them laughed and talked while Red sweated behind the grill.

Nicole’s cousin Jon was just two years older than her. He threw an arm around her shoulder and looked at Red. “I think he’s passing the test, cuz.”

“You think? I don’t know. They’re so determined to dislike him.”

“Nah, he’s a good guy. I got a nose for these things.”

“Thanks Jon.” She gave him a hug. He positively reeked of beer, but he was a nice person and it meant a lot that he’d said what he said.

Later, the sun started to drop and people began drifting home, waving and shouting goodbyes as they left.

Pretty soon it was just the four of them. Somehow they ended up sitting at the picnic table, swatting at the mosquitoes and drinking the last of the beer. Everyone was more relaxed now, and talk turned more serious.

“You must be a busy guy,” her dad said, scratching his belly and sipping from his nearly empty Miller Light can.

Red picked at his half-eaten burger bun. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You thinking about slowing down and starting a family soon?”

“Dad…please,” Nicole moaned. “Don’t start on that.”

“What, I’m just curious. He’s dating my twenty-two year old daughter.”

“It’s a fair question,” Red said to Nicole. Then he turned to her father. “The truth is, Bud—I don’t know. I mean, I think I want kids one day.”

Her mother snorted. “He thinks. He doesn’t know. This is not a serious man.”

“I know that I want to be with Nicole,” he told her.

She suddenly glared back at him. “How dare you make that pronouncement? How long have you even known her? A month?”

“I understand why you feel—“

“You don’t understand anything,” she spat. “Coming here, strutting around like a king with his peasants, making a big show. I can see right through you, Mister.”

Red wasn’t ruffled. He seemed even calmer, if that was possible. But his expression was deadly serious. “It seems to me that you think Nicole is very fragile.”

“I think she’s young, and impressionable, and that someone like you can easily take advantage of her.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he said.

Her mother’s eyes widened.

“But do you really think that disapproving of me and insulting our relationship is going to change any of that?” he finished.

For the first time that Nicole could remember, her mother was stunned. But it only lasted a fraction of a second and then she was back on the attack. “You’ll move on, just like you’ve done before. I’ve seen the models and actresses on your arm. There’s a pictorial history on the web, and the girls are as interchangeable as your fancy suits.”

“Mom, stop,” Nicole said. She could barely speak, she was so mortified.

“I’m just trying to protect you.”

“Barb, it’s enough,” her dad said.

“No, she’s right,” Red said. He turned to Nicole. “I have been with a lot of women, and I’ve been shallow. I’ve been a cretin, someone a mother would want to keep far away from her daughter.”

Nicole shook her head. “Don’t. Don’t say that.”

“Until I met you, Nicole.” Suddenly he was reaching in his jeans pocket. He produced a black velvet box. And then he was down on one knee, opening it for her to see. There was an enormous, beautiful diamond ring glimmering inside. “Nicole, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

She nodded at him, laughing and crying all at once at the absurdity of it, and the perfectness of it. “Of course I’ll marry you,” she said.

And then they embraced.

***

N
eedless to say
, the drive back to New York City was different than the drive to her parents’ house had been.

“I can’t believe it,” Nicole said, staring at the huge ring on her finger. It gleamed and sparkled whenever they passed a streetlamp or the moonlight caught it just so.

This ring costs more than my parents’ house, I bet.

Red grinned at her. “Your mom couldn’t believe it either. Did you catch the look on her face?”

“No, I was too busy being in shock.”

“I bought that ring the day I met you,” he told her.

“No.”

“It’s true. I knew then that I had to have you in my life forever.”

She stared out the window at the passing scenery, feeling content for the first time in her life. Then she thought about her apartment, Danielle, work. What would happen with her life now that she was marrying Red Jameson?

“Everything’s changing, isn’t it?” she said softly.

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

“I’ve never even seen where you live,” she cried, realizing how crazy it sounded. “We’re getting married and I’ve never been to your house.”

“I’ve never brought any woman I dated to my house,” he told her, “so you’ll be my first.”

She concentrated on her breathing and closed her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned now.

“I think…I think I’m having a panic attack.”

Red laughed. “You’re fine. Don’t think about the future, don’t let it overwhelm you. Just be here with me.”

She realized he was right. It was silly to dwell on what might be. They would take care of it one step at a time.

She snuggled up against him and laid her head on his shoulder as he hugged the curves in the road and brought them back to the city, where they belonged.

When they finally got back to New York City, it was late. Red glanced at her. “I should take you home.”

“Which one?” she asked.

“Ours.”

She laughed. “This is going to be interesting.”

“You have to understand. Everything I have is yours now,” he told her.

He was serious and she nodded, understanding how much it meant for him to give up control of anything, let alone half of his life. His empire that he’d built from the ground up.

“I want to go to the apartment first,” she said.

“Which one?” he asked, grinning.

“The fun one. The one without a crazy roommate watching everything we do.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said, and the car picked up speed.

A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the building. There were still the same group of hookers down the street plying their trade. The same busy convenience store across the way.

Red opened his door and looked at her. “Are you ready?”