Stirring Up Trouble (Inspiring the Greek Billionaire) (5 page)

Braden offered Lola the book and took the seat on the other side of the desk. “Would this do?”

She flipped through the pages. “Is this what I’d need to know for the auditors?”

“It’s a good start. I’d still need to show you how to apply the information specifically to the restaurant and our system. But we don’t have a lot of time for you to read though it and try to teach yourself.”

She worried her lip and her fingers played an invisible piano on his desk. “There’s something I should tell you, something nobody else knows. Not even Portia.”

A twinge of guilt had him shifting in the uncomfortable chair. “Go on.”

“I have a photographic memory. Not only that, I’m really good with numbers. I mean, not Rain Man good, I can’t count cards, though I haven’t tried, and if you dropped a box of toothpicks I couldn’t tell you how many were on the ground unless the box was empty and I knew how many were in there to start, but that’s cheating and I don’t cheat.”

“So you’re not an autistic savant. Good to know. When you say you’re good at numbers, what do you mean?”

“I can look at a column of numbers and add them up in my head really fast and without a calculator. Come on, give me a math problem,” she begged, a shy smile on her face.

“Okay. What is the square root of fifteen thousand?”

Her eyes rolled up toward the ceiling. “Can I round up?”

He nodded and grabbed his calculator.

“One-hundred twenty-two point five.”

His jaw fell and he dropped the calculator to the desk. “That’s incredible. Why do you keep it a secret?” He moved his chair closer to her, wondering how many layers there were to the woman.

“When I was younger, I didn’t realize it wasn’t normal. Once I caught on, I knew I had to keep it a secret. Can you imagine what Reina would have done if she knew I had this special gift? I didn’t want to find out. It made things easier on me since we moved from school to school. I didn’t have to play catch up and I was able to help Portia with her homework. She thought I didn’t bother doing mine, but really, it only took me a couple of minutes. I’m also a speed-reader. I definitely didn’t inherit the ability from Reina, so my father must have been some kind of a genius.”

“Or maybe you didn’t inherit it. Why couldn’t it just be you?”

She laughed uncomfortably and ran her fingers through her hair. “Maybe it’s one of the benefits of being a Muse.”

“It doesn’t matter where you got it from or why. It’s a gift and you should embrace it. I would’ve killed for that ability in college.”

“It does make a few things easier. I had no problem on the written portion of my driving test. Of course, I failed the practical twice before I got my license.”

He picked up her hand and laced their fingers, sweeping his thumb across her soft skin. “You won’t fail any of the tests Alexander set up for you. I won’t let you. Read the book and I’ll rummage through some boxes in my basement and find some of my grandmother’s old recipes. Oh, and I’ll order you the tax code. It’s several large books, but it doesn’t sound like it will pose a problem for you.”

Her breathing grew ragged and he had a difficult time dragging enough air into his own lungs. Filled with her lavender scent, the room smelled fresh and flowery rather than dusty and damp.

“If I don’t show up for work one night, come to my apartment and make sure I didn’t die from boredom,” she whispered, her face moving closer to his.

“Maybe you should move in with me just to be safe,” he suggested, his lips hovering over hers.

She made a little gasp and closed her eyes, which he took as permission. He’d waited long enough to taste her mouth.

A knock sounded at the door. Her eyes flew open and she sat back in her seat, jerking her hand from Braden’s. “Come in,” she said, even though it wasn’t her office.

The door opened and Jon stuck his head in. “Hey, Honey. I thought I’d surprise you. Why’s it empty out there?”

“We closed for a special party,” Braden remarked, annoyed one of his employees allowed Jon inside their restaurant, especially after hours. He was going to have to talk with them and make it clear that Jon wasn’t welcome. Besides, Lola would break-up with him soon. There’d be no reason for the guy to be on the property other than to spy, which was what he was doing with Lola. It had to be. How could that brilliant woman be so naïve?

She got up and hugged Jon. “What a nice surprise. Braden was just teaching me about accounting, but you know me, it went right over my head.”

Jon rubbed her shoulder. “That’s okay, Honey. You’re smart in your own way. You’re a musical genius.”

She smiled, but Braden could tell it was fake. Smart in her own way. What a jerk. The woman was so brilliant it hurt to look at her. It was time for the loser to take a hike.

“Lola and I weren’t quite finished,” he said, looking at her, willing her to send Jon away.

“I thought you were spending the night,” Jon said, clearly for Braden’s benefit.

She shifted from foot to foot as she explained to Braden, “Reina is still bunking at my place. I tried to get her to move in with Ryan and Portia, but she thinks they need their privacy. They live in a flippin’ mansion. She could stay with them and never see them. Me, I open my eyes and she’s in my face.”

Braden wanted to growl and throw her over his shoulder. She couldn’t possibly go home with Jon after what they’d shared today. If Jon hadn’t interrupted, he had no question they would’ve taken their relationship to the next level.

He waited for her to deny Jon’s offer.

“Let’s go,” she said to Jon before facing Braden with a sheepish expression. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.” She and Jon left the office before Braden could protest.

The thought of her lying in that slime’s arms all night, making love with him, burned his insides. Jon had used her mother as an opportunity to get her in his bed.

Braden switched seats, feeling the warmth of Lola’s behind left in the chair. He spun around, over and over. Jon wasn’t the only one who could use Reina as an excuse to get her into bed. Tomorrow, he’d make her an offer she couldn’t refuse. And he couldn’t wait.

CHAPTER 6

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.

William Shakespeare,
Twelfth Night
, act 2, scene 5

As Lola sat in the passenger seat next to Jon in his oversized SUV, she nibbled on her thumbnail and wondered why she was here.

She wasn’t used to second-guessing her decisions, but right now, she had doubts. Usually, she flew through life like a bird heading south for the winter. All instinct and no looking back. But Braden was messing with her head. Not to mention her hormones.

“Are you sure you won’t come home with me?” Jon asked, hope shining in his brown puppy dog eyes.

Hmm. Now that Lola thought about it, he did resemble a Basset Hound.

In fact, she wasn’t attracted to him even a little.

Now, what she felt with Braden? That blew everything else out of the water. She’d always found him attractive. She wasn’t blind. Who wouldn’t find a six-foot two, two hundred pound Greek billionaire with sandy brown hair, green eyes, and olive-colored skin attractive? But since he owned the restaurant she played at, she’d considered him hands-off. Not that he was her boss. She’d made that abundantly clear time and time again. But he considered her an employee. That had been their first verbal sparring match, and she’d say it came out as a draw. That’s when she knew he was dangerous, and she’d have to stay away from him because he attracted her mind as well as her body. A mind which cranked at warp speed all the time. No one could keep up with her. Until Braden.

Today he’d given her a mind-blowing, soul-shattering orgasm, and twice he’d almost kissed her. Not only that, she’d shared details about her life with him that no one knew. She’d trusted him with her secret and she didn’t trust anyone other than Portia.

She studied Jon, her throat constricting. She wasn’t great at identifying her emotions, but she felt this one so much, she knew it instantly as guilt. “I’m sure. I’m sorry. I don’t want to cross any boundaries with you. I value your friendship too much.”

He took a hand from the steering wheel and patted her thigh. “I value you, too, darling. That’s why I haven’t pushed you to do anything you weren’t ready for. We’re friends. You can always count on me to be there for you, even when you move on to greener pastures.”

Fifteen cities in five years and she hadn’t found those ‘greener pastures’ yet. Just the usual cement and dirt. Maybe she should move out to the country like a cow.

Jon returned his hand to the wheel, readjusting to the two and ten o’clock positions. Like clockwork, he’d always follow the same patterns. His predictability comforted her. “Is there something going on between you and Braden?”

Nervous, she dug a pen out of her purse. “Why would you ask that?”

“You didn’t deny it.”

Twirling the pen in her fingers, she debated what to reveal. If she trusted Braden, who she barely knew, shouldn’t she trust Jon, the man she’d spent all her free time with since moving to Michigan? The person who’d wined and dined her these last six months without expecting anything in return other than friendship? “The other day at my sister’s engagement party, I was given an inheritance by my late Uncle Alexander Stavros.”

“You’ve never mentioned having an uncle or any family other than Reina and Portia.” He turned his head, taking his eyes off the road momentarily. “Wait.
The
Alexander Stavros?”

She nodded. “The one and the same. My mother’s sister was his second wife. We didn’t have anything to do with them, but for some reason, he helped me out when I moved to Michigan by pretty much making Braden hire my band for the restaurant.”

“There’s no way he had to force anyone to hire you.” He glanced at her again and smiled. “Your talent speaks for itself, darling.”

She tried to remember if he’d actually ever come to the restaurant to hear her band. Why hadn’t he? And how would he know she had talent if he’d never heard her sing?

“Thank you.” She shifted in her seat and peered out the window at the highway flying past. “Anyway, he left me ownership of the building, but only conditionally. Somehow, he’s maneuvered an IRS auditor, a food critic, and a health inspector to test me on things about the restaurant. My uncle had a sick sense of humor, and like my sister did with her mansion, I’m going to have to jump through a few hula hoops to get it. No biggie though. We’ve got almost a month for Braden to teach me everything I need to know, but that does mean he and I will have to spend more time together. I’m going to have to shadow him through the day and stay after my last set each night. I won’t be available as much.”

Jon turned the car into the lot of her apartment complex. “Do you think you can trust Braden? I’m sorry for breaking this to you, but you’re so sweet, you see the good in everyone. What if he deliberately gives you bad information because he wants you to fail?”

“No way. If I fail, he loses his lease. Alexander made that very clear.”

“Is that why you’re bringing home a book on accounting?” he asked, a touch of amusement in his voice.

She decided to tell him the truth and see how he reacted. “Oh, no. Didn’t you know? I love to memorize textbooks. It’s a habit of mine.”

He laughed. “Funny. So, assuming you pass these tests, you’ll get full, unencumbered ownership of the property?”

Braden hadn’t questioned her abilities, but Jon, whom she’d spent months with, didn’t get she’d told him the truth. Everyone assumed she was a flaky musician, including Jon. It was her own fault, but it still felt like a quick, sharp stab of a knife in her chest. “I don’t know what cucumbers have to do with anything, but yes, I’ll own it.”

He chuckled. Was he laughing at her? “Does this mean you’ll be sticking around Michigan longer than you anticipated?”

Thank goodness they had reached her apartment. His words normally made her feel safe, but tonight, they irritated her. “No. I’m still planning on moving on at the end of the month.”

“I’ll miss you. But, at least I still have time to convince you to give me a chance.” He drummed his fingers on the wheel. “What will you do with property?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“It’s a great investment. Maybe you should sell it.” She heard the words he’d intentionally left off:
To me
.

Braden had warned her and she’d blown him off. Could Jon be using her? Luckily, she didn’t know enough about the restaurant to reveal any secrets anyway. But now Jon knew she’d be learning everything and a warning siren wailed in her head. “Maybe. Thank you again for being so understanding about tonight. I promise if I get a free moment, I’ll call you.” She gave him a quick smile and got out of the car.

“Don’t worry. We’ll see each other before you go. I’ll make sure of it.”

Standing outside his car, she placed her hand on the passenger-side door. “I knew you’d understand. Have a good night, Jon.”

“You, too, Lola.”

She slammed the door shut and stared at the front of her apartment building. Her mother would be waiting for her on the couch no matter how late she came home.

Lola walked off the path and onto the grass, slipping past the bushes on the side of the building. Although first floor apartments weren’t safe because of the easy accessibility, tonight it would come in handy. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached for her window and pushed it up. She’d taken out the screen the day Reina had temporarily moved in for just this occasion.

She placed her hands on the bottom of the window and pulled herself up to a sitting position on the ledge. As quietly as she could, she landed on her carpet then closed the window behind her. She couldn’t see much in the dark room, but she didn’t want to turn on the light and alert Reina to her presence. A prisoner in her own home.

She sighed and staggered to her dresser. Slowly opening the top drawer, she located a pair of pajama bottoms and a top then slid it closed.

“You don’t have to be quiet on my account,” came Reina’s voice in the darkness.

Lola screamed. Stumbling over a shoe, she fell forward, barely managing to stay upright. She stomped to the switch and turned on the light. “What the hell?”

Reina sat on her bed, resting her back against the headboard, her ankles crossed, and a large afghan across her lap.

“Why are you in my room?” Lola asked her insane mother.

“I knew you’d try to avoid me and go through the window. I did raise you for the first eighteen years of your life. Give me a little credit.” Reina chuckled and folded her hands together.

“Thanks for your concern, not that I haven’t taken of myself for years. But now that you see I got home safe and sound, you can leave my room. I’m tired.” She put her hand on her hip and waited for Reina to leave. When her mother didn’t move, Lola gritted her teeth and started undressing for bed.

Lola felt her mother’s scrutinizing gaze as if she were a bug under the microscope. The only thing that had changed about that woman in all these years was her hair had completely grayed. She still wore the clothes of a sixties hippie. Lola glanced down at the floor to her own clothes. Okay, so she and her mother dressed similarly. Lola was more than twenty years younger. She could get away with it.

She threw on her pajamas and went into the connecting bathroom to brush her teeth. Maybe if she took her time, her mother would get the hint.

She peeked in the mirror’s reflection. Her mother hadn’t moved a muscle. Why wouldn’t she leave?

After rinsing her mouth and wasting as much time in the bathroom as she could, Lola stood in front of her bed and yawned. Last hint before she’d start yelling like a four-year-old.

“Haven’t slept well lately?” Reina asked with a smile.

She flashed a fake smile in return. “I’ve slept fine.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed on her. Uh-oh. Never a good sign. She decided to tackle the mess on her dresser in order to avoid the stare. Both she and Portia knew once their mother turned the stare on you, you’d better ‘fess up because she already knew the answer.

“Have the dreams started?” her mother asked.

A shiver danced along Lola’s spine. How had she known about her dream? One silly dream didn’t mean anything. “Dreams?” Trying to act nonchalant, she collected sticky notes reminders littering her dresser and threw them in her trash.

“Ooh, I can tell by the innocent tone of your voice and your cleaning that you’ve had one of the dreams,” Reina said. “Don’t be frightened, Viola. It’s your destiny. Your Muse is awakening.”

Lola’s fingers curled into a fist. She was sick of listening to her mom’s tales about listening to the earth singing and following the signs. “I haven’t had any dreams.”

“Of course you have. Everyone dreams. People don’t always remember them upon waking, but they do have them. Except we’re different.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Our dreams are more than physiological processes. Ours give us clues of whom we are meant to inspire. Come on, you can tell me. I’m your mother.”

“I told you, I haven’t had any dreams. Just drop it. And as far as being my mother, you never acted like one before, so I don’t see why you feel the need to do it now.”

Reina flinched. “I may not have been the typical milk and sugar-free, fat-free bran muffin kind of mom like Betty Crocker, but I gave you something far greater. The chance to explore the country, live off the land, meet thousands of people. Most people spend their entire lives in one place never learning, never growing. You’ve lived all over the country since leaving my side. Your body is covered with tattoos, your own kind of self-expression. You’re free to do whatever you want, be whomever you choose to be. You’re talented, intelligent, and beautiful. So you can blame me for a lot of things, but you cannot say I didn’t act like your mother. I just didn’t act like everyone else’s mother.”

Lola’s belly churned. She hadn’t meant to hurt Reina’s feelings. Her mother was right. She may not have been the most conventional mom, but she was never dull.

She scooted onto the bed next to her. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to say that. I know you meant well.”

“Now that Portia has accepted her Muse and found her soul mate in Ryan, I don’t have to worry about her anymore. But you . . . you’re so much like me, it’s frightening. You think we’re different, but we’re not. We’re both strong, intelligent, artistic women who don’t require a man to fulfill our needs. Well . . . maybe a couple of them doesn’t hurt.”

She laughed and Lola groaned. “Mom. I don’t want to hear about your sex life.”

“Are you sure? Because that George and I had a wonderful time at dinner earlier and I invited him over to—”

Lola covered her ears with her hands. “La La La. Not listening.”

Her mom grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away. “Fine. I won’t tell you about George and you don’t have to tell me about Braden.”

She froze. “Braden?”

Her mother cupped her face in her hands. “Mmm. I could see electricity between you two and I don’t mean that metaphorically. You two are connected by something powerful. Watch and listen for the signs, Viola. Don’t lose this precious gift.”

“What are you saying?” she asked, fearing the answer.

Reina hugged her. “I think you know exactly what I’m saying. You’re his Muse.”