Page 51 of Bratty Badboys

He met my eyes and said, “My dad was busy with his work, so my uncle and grandma parented me. I had to learn to make friends and keep them.”

Oh. His mom passed away and then his dad…

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard growing up.” My parents passed away in a cruise accident when I was young. I was only alive because I didn’t go with them in the end because I got sick, and my grandparents took care of me. My parents wanted to stay and miss the cruise that they had been planning for three years, and they only went because I forced them to have a vacation.

I wish I hadn’t.

It hadn’t felt real when the news came about missing passengers with my parents’ names on the list, but I learned to grow up without them, relying on my sweet grandparents. It was hard. I could only imagine how Caleb felt with his mother’s passing and workaholic dad.

“It’s alright.” Caleb smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and he shrugged. “Dad is making up for the time lost, and I’m happy where I am.”

I nodded. We had talked about his work on the way in my car. He told me he was an ethical hacker and got paid a lot for working in one of the many 500 fortune companies. I told him bits and pieces about my work in finance while I drove, and it was surprising to know that he had worked in the IT department of my company for his internship.

If he was good looking, hard-working, then…

“Then how come are you still single?” I asked.

PART III

“Don’t worry, pretty. We’ll take care of you.”

25

BEAUTIFUL AND BREEDABLE

ANNA

“Then why are you still single?”

I took a slow, deep breath, anticipating Caleb’s answer. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop them, but when I saw their familiar silhouette in the backrooms while going through shelves, I was going to greet them but held back when I heard their talk.

“I like Anna.” My cheeks heated at hearing Caleb’s tone, firm and sweet. Like there was no other option for him. It shouldn’t, but… it made me feel special.

“That’s not the answer to my question.”

I heard some shuffling and peeked to see Caleb standing across from Kyle. They both looked total opposites, with Kyle in khakis and a light blue shirt and Caleb in dark, ripped jeans, muddy Converse and a white tee. Kyle pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose as Caleb’s lip piercing glinted when he licked it.

They were both so hot.

And they wanted… me.

“She’s my teenage crush, and I’d do anything to date her.”

My heart rate increased, and I felt like I should leave. Just as I prepared myself, I heard Kyle’s words and paused.

“You know she has a kid, right? Besides Aaron, your ex.”

“So? I like Alice and I’d be a great stepdad.” Caleb’s face was relaxed, his eyes dark and sultry as he continued, “I’ll give her another.”

My eyes widened, my hand cupping my mouth as I leaned back on the wall, blinking at the shelves. Shaking my head, I left them in the backroom before I overheard something that would make me confront them and…

No. I couldn’t even think about the possibility.

But did Caleb really mean it? About giving me a… baby? Making me pregnant? And what did Kyle think about that? He loved kids, and Marissa was pregnant when… oh gosh.

What am I even thinking right now? I swear, these two men make me feel hormonal and turned on and conflicted all at once.

I went upstairs, smiling politely at the familiar receptionist, and took a few deep breaths. It didn’t help that my fresh-er panties were already soaked after overhearing their talk, and I felt hot in the air-conditioned library.

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