Henry (The Beck Brothers) (5 page)

Claire brought the
sandwiches and soups to the table, then went back to grab bowls, plates and
silverware. Henry was relaxing on the love-seat watching
Yo Gabba Gabba
in curiosity. He glanced at Ethan a couple times, and
then Frank.

"Kids find this
amusing?
”
Henry asked,
dumbfounded.

Frank laughed,
"They do. I take it you don't have kids?"

Henry shook his head
and turned back to the TV. "I don't have the time for kids,
”
he muttered.

Frank raised an
eyebrow then glanced at Claire. Claire shook her head, silently telling her
father to let it go. He did, thank God. Claire didn't want them arguing. Claire
understood what Henry meant. He was a very busy man and didn't have the time to
give kids the attention they needed. But he was here, making time to see Ethan.
Claire thought that if he really wanted kids, he'd find the time to be with
them. Maybe it wasn't a matter of kids per say, but finding the right woman,
too.

"You guys wanna
come and eat?
”
Claire
announced as she put the bowls and stuff on the table.

The table was a square
four-seater. Ethan sat on a booster to Claire
’
s
right. Henry claimed the seat to her left, so her father sat across from her.
Claire put some chicken rice soup in a bowl for Ethan before grabbing half of
an American hoagie for herself. Henry had a corned-beef special. Claire smiled
and shook her head. Henry caught her.

He rolled his eyes.
"What Claire?"

Claire snickered,
"Corned-beef again?"

Henry narrowed his
eyes at her. "I like corned-beef, leave me alone."

Claire laughed as he
took a big bite of his sandwich while glaring at her. Ethan giggled as he
watched the two of them.

"What's so funny?
”
 
Henry asked Ethan around a mouthful of food, making him
giggle some more.

"Ew, Henry,
that's gross,
”
Claire
groaned.

Then Henry stopped her
heart by winking at her. He freaking winked at her! Who the hell is this
guy?
 
Claire gaped at him, trying
to figure out who this person was. Henry rolled his green eyes at her.

"What now?
”
he asked after swallowing his
food.

"Who are you and
what have you done with Henry Beck?
”
Claire demanded.

Henry gave her a bored
look, but that couldn't hide the slight blush on his cheeks.
"Whatever."

After they all
finished, Frank and Claire cleaned up the leftovers and dirty dishes. Henry had
offered to help, but Claire shooed him away. He went and sat on the couch with
Ethan. Claire watched as Ethan got off the couch, went running into his room, and
then came back a couple seconds later with a book. He climbed back onto the
couch and held out the book to Henry.

"You weed me
Henwee?
”
Ethan asked, his
big blue eyes impossible to say no to.

Henry smiled softly
and took the book. "Sure,
”
he said, and then got a surprise when Ethan crawled onto his lap. Henry didn't
seem to mind, he just waited for Ethan to settle in before opening the book,
Dr. Seuss'
Green Eggs and Ham
.

By the time Henry
finished reading, Ethan was out cold, curled against Henry's chest, clutching
his sock monkey. Claire's heart was doing flip flops in her chest as she
watched Henry wrap his big arms around Ethan to hold him. Ethan had never taken
so quickly to any man. Not that Claire brought any around, but whenever they
met someone new, Ethan usually ducked behind her leg, not wanting anything to
do with them. But he was comfortable enough to fall asleep on Henry. That was
amazing in Claire's eyes.

Her dad came up behind
her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I've never seen a man who
doesn't have time for kids handle one with such love,
”
Frank whispered in her ear.

Claire smiled and
covered one of her dad's hands with her own.

"I'm gonna head
home tonight, sweetheart, is that okay?
”
Frank said.

"Sure dad, we'll
be fine,
”
Claire assured
him.

Frank gave her a kiss
on the cheek before going into the living room to say goodbye to Henry. They
shook hands then Frank leaned down and gave Ethan a kiss on the top of his
head. Ethan didn't budge. He was definitely out for the night.

                                                 
~~~~~

Henry was in awe of
the little boy in his arms. He never thought he'd be in this position, holding
a little kid while they slept. He never pictured himself having kids. He wasn't
exactly kid friendly. His job required too much of his time. He wasn't going to
bring kids into the world then not be there for them. And even if he wanted
kids, he didn't have a woman. He was thirty-four, and had resigned himself to
being a bachelor forever. He wasn't cut out for the whole family life.

Or at least, he didn't
think he was. Holding this precious little boy in his arms was making him want
to rethink things. Maybe there was a way where he could have it both ways: work
and family. Tons of people did it. He was sure that if he really wanted to, he
could do both. And with the right woman by his side, he'd be good.

"You want me to take
him?
”
Claire asked,
bringing him out of his thoughts.

Henry looked up at
her. She was standing in front of him. "Ah, no, just tell me where to put
him,
”
he said standing up,
with Ethan cradled in his arms.

Ethan snuggled into
Henry's chest and let out a contented sigh.

"Does he do this
often?
”
Henry asked Claire.
But he knew the answer just by the heartwarming look on her face.

Claire shook her head.
"Never,
”
she
whispered.

Henry's heart swelled
to the point of almost bursting with happiness. Claire led him down the hallway
and into the softly lit bedroom, that was most definitely Ethan's room. Henry
went over to the little bed that looked like a racecar and gently placed Ethan
down, then pulled the covers up over him. Ethan snuggled into his pillow and
hugged his sock monkey tighter.

Henry stood there
while Claire bent over and kissed Ethan on his mop of blonde curls. It was
weird for Henry because for a moment he actually felt like they were a family;
the three of them putting Ethan to bed together seemed right somehow. But that
was just crazy thinking because it would never happen. Claire was his personal
assistant, making her completely off limits.

They quietly left the
room, Claire shutting the door slightly behind her. They headed back out into
the living room where Henry went to the closet and grabbed his suit jacket. He
needed to get out of there before he did something stupid, like kiss her.

"Thank you for
everything tonight Henry,
”
Claire said softly, her blue eyes watching him.

"You're welcome,
Claire,
”
Henry replied.

He started for the
door, Claire followed. He turned to say goodbye and was met with Claire,
flinging her arms around his neck again. "I know you probably hate it, but
I don't care,
”
Claire
murmured.

"I don't hate it,
”
Henry murmured back, wrapped
his arms around her.

Henry sighed. She
smelled so good, and her body felt so amazing pressed up against his. Henry
hated that she felt so right in his arms. He wanted her. Wanted to kiss her and
touch her body. Henry pulled out of her embrace and grabbed the doorknob.

"You'll be
alright by yourself?
”
Henry
asked, resisting the urge to tuck her silky looking hair behind her ear.

Claire smiled sweetly.
"Yes, I will be fine."

Henry nodded.
"See you Monday then."

Claire nodded.
"I'll be there."

"Goodnight
Claire,
”
Henry said.

"Goodnight Henry,
”
Claire whispered.

Chapter 3

Sebastian just
finished washing the gun oil and grime off his hands when his cell phone
started ringing in his back pocket. He dried his hands very fast and grabbed
his phone. Looking at the screen, he saw it was his older brother Henry.
Sebastian smiled. They hadn't talked in about a week, both of them being super
busy, Henry being the CEO of a major advertising agency in Philadelphia, and
Sebastian working almost fifty hours a week at the gunsmith shop he worked for
in LA.

"What's up
fucker?
”
Sebastian
answered.

"Hey man, you
working?
”
Henry replied,
ignoring what Sebastian called him, as usual.

"Just got done,
on my way out now,
”
Sebastian
said, heading out of the small bathroom towards the showroom. Sebastian's boss,
Rick, was talking to a customer, and his co-worker, John, was counting the
money from the register. Sebastian nodded his goodbyes and headed out the front
door. "How's your new assistant working out?"

"She's amazing,
”
Henry sighed like a lovesick
teenager.

"Wow dude, you
really got a thing for her huh?
”
Sebastian chuckled.

"What? No!
”
Henry said way too quickly.

"Yeah okay, is
she hot?
”
Sebastian
snorted.

"Hot? No, she's
absolutely stunning with a body built to torture a man,
”
Henry grunted.

Sebastian shouldered
his phone while he got in his car. "Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah, her ass
is freaking fine.
 
Someone is gonna
catch me staring one of these days."

Sebastian laughed. He
hadn't heard his older brother talk like this about a woman in years. Not since
he broke up with his bitch of an ex, Juliette. Sebastian hoped this chick
wasn't a nasty bitch like Juliette. "Have you fucked her yet?"

"What? No,
Sebastian, she's my assistant, she's totally off limits,
”
Henry said firmly.

"Bullshit, you
need to get laid and you sound like you really like her,
”
Sebastian said, pulling out of the parking lot and
heading home.

Henry refused some
more, like Sebastian knew he would. Henry then started going on about his
assistant Claire's two-year-old son, Ethan. Sebastian just shook his head.
Whether his brother wanted to admit it or not, he was falling hard for his
assistant. And apparently was completely in love with her son already.

They talked until
Sebastian pulled into the garage of his house. They said their goodbyes;
Sebastian hung up, and headed into the house, hoping his wife Victoria was
home. He was feeling kinda horny and hoped that she was, too. Sebastian walked
into the kitchen from the garage and called for her.

"Victoria?
”
he called.

 
Upstairs Sebastian!
”
she called back.

Hell yes! He bounded
up the stairs and down the hall towards their bedroom. He prayed that Victoria
was in one of her sexy little outfits that he loved. His wife was gorgeous,
like super model gorgeous, with the body to match. Victoria was also a fashion
designer, so she was always dressed to kill. They'd been married for five years
now, together for eight, and the sex was still amazing. Sebastian walked into
their bedroom to find Victoria sitting on their bed, texting on her phone. She
was dressed in yoga pants and a tank top.

"Hey, baby,
”
Sebastian growled and crawled
onto the bed.

He moved towards her.
She had yet to look up from her phone. So when he got to her, he took it out of
her hands and put it on the night stand before using his body to press her back
onto the bed. Sebastian tucked his face into her neck, breathing in her lovely
scent while his hand covered her breast.

"Sebastian, wait,
”
Victoria muttered, her hands
pushing at him.

Sebastian rolled his
hips forward, causing his already hard cock to press against her core.
"Mmm baby, I want you so bad right now,
”
Sebastian groaned.

"We need to talk
Sebastian,
”
Victoria said,
still pushing at his chest and shoulders.

"Sex now, talk
later,
”
Sebastian rasped,
kissing her neck.

"Sebastian! Stop!
”
 
Victoria grunted, finally pushing him hard enough so that he
rolled off of her.

Sebastian pushed up to
his elbows. "Alright Victoria, what is it?
”
he sighed.

Victoria sat up and
turned slightly so that she could look at him. What he saw in her eyes made
Sebastian nervous. She looked like she was steeling herself before dropping a
bomb. Her crystal blue eyes hardened and she pulled her shoulders back.