Beckett picked up my phone a hundred times to text Arianne. I changed my mind as many times. In an attempt to calm my tormented mind, I went into the office to lose myself in work and stop r eplaying R-rated scenes from our steamy evenings in Germany. The day whizzed by, and it’s only when Valerie knocked on my door to tell me she was closing shop, it occurred to me it was getting late. I gave it another hour, and then I called it a day. Focusing on something other than Miss Holy Chic put an end to my irritable and surly mood. However, by the end of the day, I was back in the same predicament—Arianne was front and center in my mind. I headed to the Quintus Hotel for dinner and to clear my head. My plan bombed. Being at the hotel reminded me of the last time Arianne and I were there together. I knew I was in trouble and needed a solution. Fast. Certain that going back to my old bad boy ways would be a foolproof cure, I headed to Dark Compulsion, determined to find a distraction for an hour or two. A half hour after entering the private adult club—and being accosted by half a dozen willing souls—I’m behind the wheel of my Alfa Romeo, driving back to Manhattan Beach. Fuck. This needs to stop. Arianne is cock blocking me. After stripping down to my jeans, I make my way barefoot and shirtless to the bar cart. With a stiff drink in hand, I collapse on the couch, and dial for help. “Hey, Holt,” I say when my brother acc epts the video call. “Hey,” he says. “I thought of dropping by, but decided against it.” He frowns. “Why? You’re always welcome at my house.” “I know...” I hesitate. I’m not sure how to explain what’s going on to myself, let alone explain it to someone else. “What’s up?” “I hope I’m not calling at a bad time?” “I’m free.” I check my watch. “Is Naomi sle eping?” “No. I was banished from bath duty and nighttime reading tonight.” He hangs his head low and shakes it. “The estrogen level in my house is too high. They’re ganging up on me, little brother. I’m losing the battle.” I laugh. He joins me. “Had I known, I would’ve dropped by. It’s not too late. I can be there in five with some beer or something stronger.” I lift my tumbler. He laughs. “Don’t feel too sorry for me. I wouldn’t change anything in the world. I love my girls and I love my life.” My brother has officially hung up his bad boy boxing gloves. He’s so domesticated now. “Are you going to tell me why you wanted to come by, or are you going to ke ep beating around the bush?” I rub the back of my neck. “I have a problem.” His eyes widen. “Rhys isn’t making any headway in Vietnam?” I’ve been putting off talking to Rhys about Arianne, but I’m going to have to fess up.
“That’s not it. The workers went back to work. The strike is over— management saw to it. I’ll get the full briefing when Rhys comes back next week. He’s in South Korea right now, looking for backup manufacturers, in case this happens again.” “It makes sense,” Holt says. “What’s troubling you?” I rub my hand over my face. “Beckett, what’s going on?” “I just got back from Germany—” “Oh yeah, how did that go?” “It was worth my time.” “I still can’t believe people are willing to fork out that kind of money for headphones,” Holt says. “Trust me, you have to see it to believe it. Those beauties are a work of art. Even though Rhys and I don’t have any plans to produce a six-figure headphone, there’s a lot I can borrow from Sennheiser and apply to SCORE —things that aren’t obvious from the outside.” “Sounds like it was a great trip for you. How was it for Arianne?” “She got a lot out of it as well. She swears she has a plan she’s perfecting that will explode our sales and set us apart from our competitors —including Sennheiser.” “She hasn’t been at SCORE long and already she’s hitting it out of the park.” “She’s a go-getter.” “She sounds like it. Did you know any of the attendees?” “The guys from Cello2 Cello were there. So was Gage. I didn’t know anybody else, but I made some great contacts.” “I’m surprised Jagger didn’t mention anything. Bree is so die hard about ke eping up with celebrity news affecting her uncles.” I laugh. “Most of the coverage was in the business and life sections because of the prohibitive price tag of those headphones and because Sennheiser was making history.” “I see.” “Arianne’s dress made the fashion and style sections, though. Fashion bloggers adore her. The press dubbed her, Holy Chic in red. Her dress was exquisite. She was equally breathtaking on the closing night in a stunning emerald showstopper—” Holt squints at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?” “There’s something about the way you talk about her.” “What do you mean?” My brother stares at me. “Is she the problem?” “Fuck, yes.” “I’m going out on a limb here. Your relationship with her isn’t strictly business.” I shake my head. “Not anymore.” “Beckett, what the hell were you thinking?” he says. “I thought you never crossed that line.” “She isn’t an employee.” “Perhaps, but you have to work with her.” “I’m aware.” “Is your problem related to you fucking her one night and then moving on to another woman the next?” I shoot him a stern glare. His daring gaze zeros in on me. “Don’t look at me like that, Beckett. That’s how you operate.” “I’ve never spent the night with a woman—” “Is that supposed to be news?” I shake my head in frustration. “We ended up having to share accommodation of a sort—” “There was a shortage of rooms?” I tell him about the inn’s mix-up and the Familienhöhle rooms. His head jerks back. “You’re kidding?” “No.” “You sl ept in the same bed?” “I didn’t have a choice.” “You could’ve sl ept on the floor.” I make a face. “I didn’t want to sle ep on the floor.” Holt’s face falls. I’ve been with plenty of drop-dead gorgeous women like Arianne before. I’ve also been with unattainable women, kinky women, downright nasty women, two women at a time, and
somehow my nights of pleasure with Miss Holy Chic were more stirring and unforgettable than anything I’ve experienced in the past. The first time I allow a woman this close and she blows my fucking mind. My brother narrows his eyes at me. “Did it start in Germany?” “No. We started hooking up right here in LA.” I give him the lowdown. “It was fun and games at first, but what happened in Germany was unexpected,” I say. “That doesn’t even make sense,” Holt says. “If it was hot and heavy before you left, surely, you knew it would escalate since there would be no witnesses.” I shake my head. “Not like that. It was so intense.” I close my eyes for a beat as my balls tingle at the raunchy memories. When I open my eyes again, I read Holt’s shock loud and clear. “It’s never been like that with a woman,” I say. “Is it still as intense since you got back?” “I threw a bucket of ice-cold water over the flames.” “Why?” I let out a long sigh. “I should’ve been looking forward to the next conquest, but when we got back last night, all I wanted was to spend the night wrapped around her.” “Why put the brakes on?” “Holt, I’ve never been with a woman multiple nights in a row. I’ve never spent the night. And I sure as hell have never missed a woman when I wake up in the morning, nor have I spent all day thinking about her.” More like obsessing, but that’s beside the point. Arianne Buchanan has done a number on me. For a few long seconds, neither of us says a word. “Why are you wasting my fucking time, Beckett?” My eyebrows hit my forehead. “Are you shitting me right now?” “I’m not,” he says. “You told me you wanted to come by my house because you had a problem. What you described isn’t a problem.” “The hell it’s not.” “Beckett, you’re making this unnecessarily complicated.” “It is complicated.” Holt rolls his eyes. “You see something. You want it. You go after it. That’s how you’ve operated since birth. You’re the one who pushed us to take our garage band to superstardom. In doing so, you became a rock star sensation in your late teens. By the time you were a young adult, you were already a rock star god. Then, it all slipped between your fingers. You hit rock bottom and ended up—like so many in our industry—in rehab. When Jace and Rod came out of rehab, they were without a compass for many months, lost and uncertain of what the next phase of their lives would look like. A lot of people leave rehab in the same predicament. Not you, little brother. You walked out of there like the undefeated champion of the world —with a solid business plan and a trustworthy partner. Who does that? Only you. Today, you’re sitting on a multibillion-dollar company—that’s on top of the billions you made from selling your Stream Cloud and Stream Tunes shares. You’re by far the most successful member of our family. And that says a lot considering how many successful family members we have.” “Are you lecturing me?” “You asked for it.” “No, I didn’t. I asked for help.” “You sound like a child.” “You’re irritating the hell out of me.” “You’ve known me your entire life. I don’t bother sugar-coating things,” he says. “Arianne isn’t your usual buffet of socialites, starlets, wannabes and brainless fast women. Wanting to spend time with an attractive woman of substance isn’t a problem, Beckett. It’s an opportunity for you to man up, little brother.”
He’s throwing a lot at me. “If you’re unwilling to go there with Arianne”—his eyes move away from the screen and scan the distance—“why aren’t you balls-de ep inside another woman?” His gaze meets mine again. “Is Dark Compulsion closed?” “I was just there.” “How come you’re sitting talking to me, then?” I shake my head. “Let me guess,” he says. “You went. You saw. You considered your options.” I narrow my gaze at him, my jaw clenching. “I’m willing to bet there was a bevy of tempting women, all vying for your attention... but none of them were Arianne.” “Fucker,” I say under my breath. “Aren’t you supposed to be in my corner?” “Please,” he says. “You’re way too intelligent to need my help finding a solution to your fictitious problem. I suspect you know what you want to do. The question is, do you have the balls to do it or not?”