In The Arms of a Donovan: A Sexy BBW Billionaire Family Series Romance (The Donovans Book 13) (3 page)

“She set you up, then she blackmailed you. And let me guess, you thought it was only going to be once. But it wasn’t, was it? She tried to shake you down again, didn’t she?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Henry said. “None of these details matter now. What’s most important is how we plan to deal with this from this point on.”

“I plan to find Dane Donovan and beat some sense into him,” Trent stated coolly.

“No!” Henry yelled. “You will not go anywhere near him.”

All eyes fell on Henry once more. They were thinking Dane was his son. Bruce knew this because he’d thought it on more than one occasion.

“With all due respect, dad,” Trent said the last word with as much sarcasm as Bruce suspected the rest of the children could have at this moment. “You don’t get to call the shots on this one. We know that Jaydon drove off in a truck with this guy, so he’s probably the one behind those pictures of Parker and Adriana going out. If Jaydon killed Giovanni, then she’s the cause of Savian being arrested for murder. That little video last night, it ruined not only Savian’s wedding, but Christmas for all of us. Yeah, I’m beating his ass for all of the above.”

“And then what?” Bernard asked. “What happens after you beat him to a pulp? He’s done his homework, Trent. He knows this family. Each and every one of us. And if he knows anything about you he’s going to be expecting you to do exactly what you’re planning.”

“Good,” Trent said. “I like a head on fight instead of this sneaking around bullshit!”

“She wants something,” Al said. “Money again. She sent us a letter just before the family reunion. Roslyn wants us to pay her again.”

“Absolutely not,” Jocelyn said. She looked to the other Senior wives for their agreement and received it as each of them nodded slowly. “She got one check out us, she won’t get another one.”

“She’s right,” Beverly said. “Trent, you find Dane and get him to agree to a DNA test. Each of you will get tested as well.”

Beverly looked at Al, then to Bernard and then turned to face her husband.

“What if she goes to the press?” Brock asked. “Isn’t that what all this secrecy was about in the first place? What if when you order this guy to give up his DNA he tells his mother and she decides its time to spill the beans? Are you still afraid of that happening?”

“We’re not afraid of anything, son,” Everette told him. “We were trying to protect our family, our legacy.”

Regan stood. “Well, you’ve done a bang up job of that, don’t you think?”

She moved quickly out of the room, Gavin right behind her.

Reginald’s gaze followed Gavin out and Bruce knew that he was thinking of Gavin’s father, Tony Lucas, and the way he’d died. They hadn’t told the children that part of the secret, nor had they told about what Al suspected had really happened to Darla.

“You make your own plan,” Trent said with a shake of his head. “Since you seem to think you’re good at it. As for me, I’ll handle this my way.”

Linc reached for Jade’s hand as Tia moved to stand beside Trent. Adam followed his brothers and helped Camille out of her seat.

“We’re going to protect our families now,” Linc told his father directly.

They left and Bruce watched as his sons gave him and his brothers disappointed glares before leaving with their wives as well. Couple by couple the other younger Donovans left, until only the Seniors and their wives remained.

“That didn’t go well,” Reginald said.

“It’s not finished,” Al added.

“No,” Beverly said before standing and looking at her husband. “It’s not.”

Chapter 2

April

Somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean

She had pretty feet.

That’s the first thing Brandon noticed about her as he walked along the pool deck of the luxury ship. It was the second day on the seven night cruise TJB Global Investments was hosting for its executives. A huge change from the normal mountain cabin retreats they’d attended years before to help boost morale and celebrate the accomplishments of the year. Brandon welcomed this trip like a breath of fresh air.

The last six months had been a very trying time for Brandon. On the work front, he was busier than ever. As the Director of Compliance at TJB Global, he was in charge of ensuring all hedge funds managed by TJB complied with the ever changing standards in the investment industry. Whether dealing with their clients or with banks that were restrained by the Volker Rule, Brandon’s job was to stay on top of any and all changes and to forecast the company’s liabilities before they actually cost them money. He was also in charge of creating policy that would guide the fund managers in effectively and legally representing their various clients. Since their clients were mainly institutions and individuals with significant assets, this could be a very delicate process, one which Brandon was proud to say, he was very good at it.

On the personal front, Brandon was dealing with an even heavier load. Not only had he, his siblings and his cousins learned that their fathers had conspired to lie to all of them for years, but two months prior, Brandon found out that his father’s health was failing. His mother, Darla, died when he was twelve years old and while Brandon felt blessed to have had his father longer, he wasn’t ready to lose him just yet. Even though at present, Brandon, nor his twin sister Bailey, and his older brother Brock, were speaking to Albert Donovan.

So not only was this cruise perfect timing, the sight of long bare golden honey toned legs, crossed at the ankles with cotton candy polished toes was enough to make him smile. Something Brandon was certain he hadn’t done in far too long.

There was plenty of noise going on around him as kids ran back and forth to parents already planted in their lounge chairs and some tropical type music played from the inconspicuous speakers. The sun was shining brightly, even though it was almost six o’clock in the evening. He’d had a meeting at three and they’d just wrapped up about twenty minutes ago. The rest of the night was his, as their host and director of employee affairs, Courtney Billings, said with a huge smile. She was really working the morale angle of this trip. It was a shame though that no one was really paying attention to her little meetings and the cheers of “good job” and “well done” she and her staff were singing via PowerPoint presentations with their financial statistics and client testimonials. An all-expenses paid seven night cruise to the Caribbean, in addition to the Christmas bonus they’d all received, had said it well enough.

Brandon had hours to stand here and watch this woman as she tilted the large floppy brim of her black hat and then let her arms fall to the handles of the lounge chair. More of that golden skin was on display. From the curve of her shoulders, down her arms, to the tops of her thick thighs and pretty feet. He clenched his fingers, released and clenched them once more as the desire to rub his palms along what he suspected would be smooth delectable skin, threatened to overtake him.

He slipped his hands into his pockets as he continued to stare down at her, then hurriedly pulled them out when his dick twitched and he almost made a move to touch it. With a shake of his head Brandon had to smile, then he chuckled to himself in an attempt to laugh it off. When was the last time he’d been hit by a punch of lust so quick and so potently? He had no idea and he wasn’t about to act on it. This was a business cruise and he did not know this woman. Sure, he’d just seen her pursed, cute little lips coated in red, and he’d wanted to kiss them. Her eyes were covered by large dark-framed glasses, but he wanted to look into them as he touched her arms, her legs, her breasts. With another shake of his head Brandon thought of how pitiful he was and remained thankful that none of his cousins or his brother were there to see him make a fool of himself over this woman.

That was precisely what he set out to do the moment he took that first step toward her. Sure, there were several reasons why he shouldn’t bother approaching her, ones he’d been telling himself since he was sixteen years old, to be exact. ‘You’re not her type.’ ‘She’s just going to laugh at you.’ ‘If she doesn’t laugh it’s because she knows you’re rich, not because she doesn’t think you’re a big goofy geek.’

Those warnings had prevented Brandon from approaching at least fifty girls from high school and through college. Until finally, he’d decided to just go for what he wanted, regardless of the consequences. If she turned him down, so be it. He’d move on to the next one. If she didn’t turn him down, hot damn, he’d also move on to whatever came next. So that now, at thirty-three-years-old he could not lay claim to being just like the other dark, dangerous and desirable Donovans that were his cousins, but he could live up to the genuinely nice guy that he worked hard to become.

“Hello,” he said once he was standing just about a foot away from the end of the lounge chair she was sitting in. And yes, he’d chanced another look at her feet, while he was that close. Still pretty. A huge checkmark in his book.

“Hello,” was her immediate response.

“Care to go for a swim?”

So, as original “come on” lines went, this wasn’t going to hit any homeruns, of that Brandon was positive. Still, it seemed like the most reasonable thing to say other than, ‘would you like to come back to my room so I can rub my hands all over your body?’ Somehow he was certain that wouldn’t go over too well.

“No thanks,” she replied, just as quickly as she had before.

“Then we can talk instead,” he said with a quick shrug.

As if the ‘make-out’ gods were shining down on him, the woman who had been sitting in the chair right next to the woman with the pretty feet, got up. Brandon immediately made himself comfortable, staring straight ahead just as she was doing. Acting aloof, he thought with an inward smile. His sister did that with perfection. Only, if a person thought Bailey was acting like she was ignoring them, she probably really was.

“Are you enjoying the cruise so far?” he asked after giving her a few moments to accept that yes, he had sat down and yes, he also intended to keep talking to her.

“I’m trying to find moments to myself to enjoy it. This is my first opportunity,” she told him, without ever turning to look his way.

Brandon continued, not looking at her either. “Me too. This is a work cruise for me, but I don’t get an opportunity to visit the Caribbean islands everyday so I think I’ll have to carve out time to enjoy some sights as well.”

She did not reply.

“Black is my favorite color,” he said next. “I know it’s a pretty non-descript color. Some say it’s a tad morbid to actually like it, but I’ve always thought it was bold and defining.”

She still did not reply. Even though the bathing suit she was wearing was black.

“I come from a very large family. I’m a middle child, but I’ve never had any problems talking.”

She remained silent as if to punctuate the fact that he was the
only one
talking.

Brandon wasn’t certain what to do next but felt instinctively like he was quickly losing this round. He reached out a hand at that point and extended his arm until he could touch her fingers.

“Excuse me?” she said sitting up with every ounce of attitude he’d predicted she would have.

“She’s alive!” he said with feigned surprise. Then he grinned and waited for her to do the same.

For a few stilted seconds he thought she was really going to push the rejection thing and continue to give him the silent treatment. But she didn’t. Instead she smiled and Brandon was captivated.

“Yes, I’m alive and my favorite color is blue,” she told him as she settled back on her lounge chair.

“Okay, that’s cool. My dad likes blue. What about days of the week? What’s your favorite?” Brandon asked. “Mine is Thursday because by that time people are so ready for Friday they don’t take any time to piss you off.”

She turned to him then as if to say ‘are you serious?’ When he continued to look at her, waiting for a response, he supposed she came to the conclusion that he was, in fact, serious.

“I like Saturdays because I get to sleep in,” she told him.

“What color is that on your toes?” he asked.

“Blushing pink.”

“It’s pretty,” he replied.

“What size shoe do you wear?”

Brandon looked at her, surprised that she’d asked him a question at all. Her triumphant grin in return, endeared her to him even more. Yes indeed, he was going to continue on this track, because it seemed to be working.

“Ten and a half,” he told her.

“Do you like to swim?” she asked.

“I do.”

“Then why would you come to the pool deck completely dressed?”

“I just came from a meeting,” he told her. “I like the way you’re dressed, by the way.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I like it too. So much so that I’m going to take a swim.”

She was up off that lounge chair, dropping her hat and sunglasses to the cushioned seat before Brandon could say another word. Okay, actually, he’d been rendered speechless because he was watching her stand, glimpsing the sheer sides of the black bathing suit she wore and loving every voluptuous curve and angle she had on display. He continued to watch her as she walked to the water, his body reacting in full force to the gorgeous sight before him.

“Yes,” he murmured, “this is going to be a great seven nights.”

#

He was not going to follow her.

Amber was certain because he wore cream colored linen pants and a button down shirt that matched. His sandals were brown leather and looked as expensive as the gold and diamond watch on his wrist. No. He was definitely not dressed to go swimming, hence the reason she’d sought the pool as a refuge. He would probably walk away, find another target and most likely hit the bullseye because he was damn good looking. Was good looking the right combination of words? It didn’t seem like it and she almost turned around to get another look. Just to make sure she was describing him correctly. She didn’t because even though she predicted it, Amber wasn’t sure how she was going to feel confirming that he’d easily gone on to another woman. It didn’t matter if he did, she just didn’t want to know for sure. Not yet anyway.

She was being ridiculous as she wadded through the water, moving past clusters of children and teenagers. It hadn’t been her intention to actually get into the water today. She had an acceptance speech to make at dinner in two hours so it would have been great if she didn’t have too much to do to her hair. A huge splash of water—courtesy of the young boy who had decided to do a cannonball into the pool at this very moment—succeeded in drenching the top half of her body and insured not having to do her hair was no longer an option. Sputtering and shaking her head Amber tried to move in the opposite direction. She hadn’t been paying attention and immediately stepped into a deeper part of the pool, going under water before she could blink again.

After a few stunned seconds Amber made her way to the surface, pushing her hair back from her face and sputtering once again.

“My name is Brandon Donovan. What’s yours?”

When she opened her eyes he was right there. Albeit a bit blurry as she still had water in her eyes, but yes, he’d done exactly what she hadn’t assumed he would do.

“Amber McNair,” she replied because really, what else was she going to do?

She’d already taken the cowardly way out once by getting into the pool. Attempting to get away from him again would make her feel foolish, and depending what other incidents that might occur, she would look silly as well. No, Amber wasn’t in the habit of being anyone’s fool, at least not anymore. So, if Brandon Donovan wanted to talk, she would talk. She was on a cruise with thousands of people after all. Thinking she’d be able to stay to herself every moment that she wasn’t required to speak on behalf of the My Big Is Beautiful Forever Foundation, was probably a longshot.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Amber McNair,” he said, moving so that he was closer to her now.

Children and some adults splashed water around them, but for just a moment Amber felt as if it were only the two of them here. His broad shoulders were bare as he’d obviously removed his clothes. The cleanly shaved line of his jaw was strong, his mustache light and neatly clipped. He was very pleasing to look at with his caramel brown complexion and soulful eyes. She was willing to bet cold hard cash that his body was one that should be pinned to the wall in a woman’s locker room, but since he was in the water she couldn’t confirm.

“Do you normally stalk women just to find out their name?” she asked because the way he was looking at her made her stomach do all sorts of flip-flops.

Amber wasn’t shy, nor was she the nervous giggly type around handsome men. Her two brothers and her father were quite good looking, so that was not an issue. She was also used to speaking her mind or else those two brothers, combined with her three sisters would have certainly gotten over on Amber more times than she could count.