What Matters Most: The Billionaire Bargains, Book 2 (18 page)

Reese was…not fourteen. And she needed more than cookies. And she didn’t have someone like Adam out there taking on the world for her. Sure, it seemed that she was taking on the world herself, but if
Tony
wasn’t doing that and she wasn’t in need of someone to play checkers with, then what did he have to offer?

“What is it about this girl?” Emily asked after a few minutes of silent packing.

There was rarely silence between them.

He took a deep breath. He knew exactly what it was about this girl. “She’s like…proof that I’m not a total screw-up. She’s a person who, if she likes you it means a lot. She has…” He trailed off, not quite sure of the words.

“High standards.”

“Yes.”

“And somehow her liking you makes you feel good about yourself.”

“It has come to my attention that I don’t always surround myself with the most—” he cleared his throat, “—upstanding people.”

Emily snorted. “No kidding.”

He grinned. “Being married to Reese is proof that I can make good choices and that someone with high standards will choose me.”

This was a little strange. Emily had always been his buddy. They were silly together. They went to movies like
The Hangover
and had jellybean-eating contests and planned goofy surprise parties for Adam together. Tony had always been the one she could come to when she needed to kick back and have fun. They didn’t really have heart-to-hearts.

But Emily had turned into a beautiful, intelligent, amazing young woman. Who, yes, had been involved in a very long-term relationship. She and Chad had been together for five years now. They were talking about engagement rings. And she knew Tony—and loved him anyway. Maybe it was odd to share these personal insights with a girl who was fifteen years younger than him, but Em just nodded thoughtfully, adding a short stack of T-shirts and zipping up his suitcase.

Then she asked, “Proof for who? Dad?”

Adam had high standards for sure, and he’d been the only true father figure in Tony’s life. Tony had always wanted Adam’s approval, but more, he’d wanted his brother to be happy.

Adam had given everything in his own life up to take care of Tony and then Emily when she’d come along and her mother left them. For a long time, Adam’s whole existence had been about taking care of things, protecting what was his and solving problems. That was who he was, all he knew. So Tony had fallen into the habits of giving Adam things to take care of. If Tony had been completely self-sufficient, upstanding and responsible, Adam wouldn’t have been as fulfilled. Or so Tony had believed. Until Jaden, Adam’s true love and now wife, had come along and opened their eyes up to what they all really needed.

Tony was Adam’s brother and friend now, not his responsibility. But a lot of Tony’s bad habits had stuck with him. He went into every situation trusting that there was a way out, that he’d land on his feet, that consequences didn’t really apply to him.

To be with Reese, he might have to be a responsible grownup.

In fact, Reese reminded him of Adam in a few ways. She definitely seemed concerned about consequences and being rational.

“Proof to me,” he finally said to Emily.

Emily gave him a big smile. “You really want to be a better man for this woman?”

He nodded. “I do.” Reese would be good for him. He could feel it. But that was one more example of him getting lucky. He’d been attracted to her—her long dark hair, her mouth, her ass, her legs…and her quick wit and feisty attitude and the sweetness he sensed in her. But it was pure luck that she was a good person who wasn’t impressed by his money and who wanted more from him than night clubs and diamonds.

“In fact…” he said.

Emily cocked an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I’m thinking I could be good for her too. She’s got this fun streak but she’s really worried about what other people think and about being charitable and stuff.”

“That’s a
good
thing, Tony,” Emily said with a smile.

“But I think Vegas was a fluke for her.”

“You mean the getting married to a guy she’s never so much as gone on a date with? Yeah, probably a fluke.”

“Smart ass,” Tony shot back. “I mean, I think her getting wild and uninhibited was a fluke. I think she’s pretty conservative.”

“And you’re going to make sure she has a good time and lets loose,” Emily guessed.

She knew him well.

“I think I can do for her what Jaden did for your dad,” Tony said. He’d never said it out loud to anyone, but he admired and even envied what Jaden and Adam had. They balanced each other. They understood each other and had fit together like two puzzle pieces. They were both amazing individually, but together—they could do anything.

“Jaden made my dad relax,” Emily agreed.

“She made him laugh, she made him less serious,” Tony said. “But she also loved him for who he was.”

“You don’t think Reese has people who love her?” Emily seemed surprised.

“Not like I can.”

Tony was even surprised by the force in his voice and the absoluteness of his words. But it felt right. He hadn’t even had to think about his answer.

Emily’s eyes widened. “Wow, that was…intense. For you anyway. I’ve never seen you like this about a woman.”

“I’ve never been like this about a woman,” Tony told her. “But I’m not going to fu—screw this up.”

Emily laughed at his catch. “Good. Go for it. She’s lucky to have you.”

She started toward the door.

“Really?” he asked before he thought better of it. He was sure of himself. Always. He knew what he knew and what he didn’t know. But like the skydiving, he also knew his limitations.

But he’d never been in love before, and it felt like a whole new level of risk. Because he wasn’t putting money or his reputation or his business or anything else that could be repaired or recovered on the line. This time it was his heart.

He’d never gotten over a heartbreak before. Because he’d never given his heart away before.

Emily turned back, seeming puzzled. “Yes, really.”

“Remember, I don’t have access to my money. I’m not sure what else I’ve got to offer.” He was a great businessman, a great poker player, a great friend and a great uncle. He was even a pretty great brother and brother-in-law.

He wasn’t so sure he was a great boyfriend. And husband was a whole new ballgame.

Emily studied his face from where she stood. Tony shifted uncomfortably. No one knew him like Em and Adam did, and he knew that his brother was often exasperated with him. He’d never gotten a character assessment from his niece.

“You know how to go all in,” she finally said. “You go all in on business deals, poker hands, pancake-eating contests.”

He grinned in spite of himself.

“But you only do it when it’s smart. You trust your gut and your gut is right on. You know when to walk away from a deal and from the table—poker or pickles.”

She’d challenged him to a pickle-eating contest once. He’d declined. He would have thrown up half way through his second pickle. He hated the things.

“So I need to listen to my gut—figuratively in this case?” he asked.

Em grinned. “I think you already have. You married Reese, even when you weren’t fully…functional,” she said. “That was all your gut, right? And now you need to go all in. Relationships are a risk. You’re dealing with another human being. They’re not perfect. But no one is better at turning a risk into something amazing than you are. You don’t let worry and second-guessing get in your way. You just go for it.”

Tony felt warmth spread through him and he grinned at Emily. “You willing to give that speech about me to your dad?”

She laughed. “What makes you think I haven’t already? A few times?”

Tony took a cab to Reese’s apartment.

Emily had insisted.

She said that he couldn’t show up in a limo or a sports car and that his ninety some odd dollars wouldn’t buy him a new car. She’d also said that his ninety some odd dollars wouldn’t be enough to pay
her
to take him that far.

Tony’s estate was well outside the city limits. Reese’s apartment happened to be in a complex in a suburb on the other side of the city.

Emily did, however, loan him five hundred dollars. He didn’t
intend
to spend it. Exactly. He just felt very nervous without cash in his pocket. It was like a little kid needing his favorite blanket at bedtime.

When he finally got to Reese’s place, it occurred to him that he had no key, but just as he was about to text his wife—he really did love thinking of her that way—a thin woman with long purple hair, a nose ring and tight black jeans strolled up.

She was chewing gum and looked him up and down, popping the gum as her black-lined eyes took in every detail.

“You’ve gotta be Tony,” she finally said.

He nodded and gave her one of his best you’re-going-to-love-me grins. The woman wasn’t a close friend of his wife’s. He knew because this woman hadn’t been at Reese’s wedding. Either of them. But they were still obviously good enough acquaintances that she could be called upon for a favor. “Reese called you?”

The woman nodded and grinned. “I’m Trish. I’m the manager here. She asked if I’d let you into the apartment. She also asked if I could give you something for dinner. She had pretty much cleaned out her fridge since she was going to be gone on her honeymoon and then moving, and she said you wouldn’t have much money left.”

Honeymoon. Right. The wedding, Jeff, all of that seemed like years ago.

“That’s nice of you,” he said.

She handed him a box that said Macaroni and Cheez on the front. Cheese with a Z. That was new.

There was no way he was going to admit that he’d never made macaroni and cheese from a box.

“Come on Trish! Let’s go!”

She smiled at Tony before turning and hollering, “Give me a second, for Chrissake! It’s gonna be just as big a piece of shit in five minutes!”

When she turned back to Tony, she was smiling sweetly again.

“Everything okay?” Tony asked.

“That’s my husband,” she said. “Our car died so I’m borrowing Reese’s car to run him down to get some parts to try to fix the pile of junk.” Trish sighed. “We were supposed to have Reese’s car for the next two weeks. Now that she’s not on her honeymoon though, we’re screwed.”

“Don’t worry about the car,” Tony said. “Keep it as long as you need it.”

Trish’s eyes widened. “Huh?”

“I can make sure Reese gets wherever she needs to get until you guys have another car.”

Trish looked skeptical now. “You pulled up in a cab.”

“Yes, I did.”

“But you have a car?”

He had five of them, but he didn’t mention that. “Yes.”

“And she’s gonna be cool with this?”

That was a great question. “I’ll talk her into it.” He gave Trish a wink.

“You’re not a cousin from out of town in for the wedding are you?” She brushed past him and grabbed one of his suitcases before heading for the front door of building number four.

“She told you I was her cousin?” Tony asked. He grabbed his other suitcase.

The moving truck would be there in about an hour with the rest of his stuff.

“No. She just said you would be staying with her for a while.” Trish punched the button on the elevator for floor three.

“’Til death do us part,” Tony said.

“Oh, great.” She got on the elevator, pulling his suitcase none to gently on behind her.

“We got married,” Tony clarified as he joined her.

“Good for you,” Trish said.

“Just the other day. We’re newlyweds.”

“Uh, huh.”

“I’m giving up a huge part of my life to move here with her,” he added.

“That’s nice.” Trish yawned.

Tony leaned back against the wall. “You’re not impressed?”

Trish shook her head. “Dude, the husband out there bitching at me about the car is the third guy to ‘fall in love with me’—” she moved her fingers in air quotes, “—so he’d have a place to live.”

Tony crossed his arms. “You think I’m just using Reese because she has an apartment?”

“I’m guessing she slept with you too. Most guys want the apartment
and
sex.”

Well, the sex was definitely worth giving up a few of his bad habits, but it took a little more than that to get him to give everything up. “And Reese seems like the type of woman who would go for a guy who only wanted her for her apartment and the sex?”

Belatedly, he realized that Trish had more or less just confessed that
she
was that type of woman.

“Hey, girls like to have good sex too,” Trish told him. “At least my first husband could also fix a car.”

They got off the elevator and turned left.