Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Both Gabriel and I can’t help but laugh at the story. “Good for you,” my brother chuckles.
“That’s quite the reason,” I add. “And very valid too.”
It’s Michelle’s turn to laugh, “I really showed him. I gained quite the reputation at school for taking care of the bullies after that.” But just as suddenly, the pretty brunette frowns, a dark cloud crossing over her face. “Unfortunately, law school was crazy expensive, and without any financial aid, my parents’ help, or a scholarship, I’m now under a mountain of debt.”
“Of course,” Gabriel acknowledges. “It happens to a lot of kids who decide to pursue their education.”
She nods slowly.
“Exactly. I never wanted to work for a firm like Draper Peabody, but it’s the quickest way to take care of student loans. They pay you a lot, but they treat you so badly that you’re quivering with fear behind your desk.”
I nod.
“It’s a strategy,” I say dryly.
But then my brother speaks too.
“So given that we’re paying your bills, and that you’re not lacking for money, what’s the issue, sweetheart? I thought you liked being with us.”
The busty brunette sighs deeply, her perky breasts heaving with the motion. Distracting, I think to myself as I try to pay attention to Michelle’s words and not her seductive body.
“I do, but I don’t know … I just feel ill at ease. I’m not practicing law anymore.”
“Right,” Gabriel nods.
“And as weird as this might sound, I’m… I’m a kept woman.” Michelle stammers as the words come out of her mouth.
“Continue,” I urge her.
“I’m living a life of leisure and luxury and it just doesn’t seem right.”
I can’t help but raise my eyebrows at this admission. “But are you enjoying it?” I ask gently. “Is there something we can do to make it better?”
Gabriel and I both lean forward in our chairs, listening keenly. Because as much as my brother and I might want to keep the buxom brunette with us, it’s only going to work out if she decides to stay of her own volition. We can spoil her and protect her, but only if she’s willing to let us do so. I watch Michelle carefully, trying to gauge what she’ll say next.
“I do like it here,” she finally admits quietly. “I really do, even though it’s so different from what I thought I wanted from life.” The blush that sweeps across Michelle’s pretty cheeks tells me that while she’s questioning her role here, it doesn’t mean she’s unhappy.
Relieved, I prod her gently with another question. “So what’s wrong then? You seem happy, and you seem to want to stay with us.”
Michelle nods, again looking confused.
“I am happy, and I love being with both of you.”
“So what is it sweetheart?” Gabriel repeats my question. We’re going a bit in circles, but it’s okay. It’s obvious that Michelle is struggling to find the words, and that this isn’t easy for her.
I want to help her, and I want her to be happy. But how can Gabriel and I do that if we don’t know what she needs?
I glance at my brother, and he’s patiently waiting as well.
Luckily, Michelle seems to have found her tongue and starts speaking again. “I think what it is, why I’m struggling, is that for all these years, I’ve seen myself as a go-getter. A lot of people told me I couldn’t be a lawyer, that I would never get a job at a prestigious firm, or that I’d never even graduate from law school.”
Michelle stands quickly and starts pacing as her thoughts finally pour out. “I used to be a high-powered woman with real, tangible career goals. And while I’m the first to admit that I hated working for Jensen Draper, that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about my goals, or what I want to do with my life. And now,” she stops and gestures around the room. “Now, as happy as I am with you guys, I feel lost. Things are suddenly off course and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do about it.”
Michelle sits down again, and looks miserable. Even her brown curls have deflated a bit, and I long to stroke her locks, and then her body. But I resist because I’m beginning to see Michelle in a whole new light. So many of the women we’ve known were interested in us because of our wealth. And unfortunately, that’s made most of our relationships one-sided at best, or downright transactional at worst.
Hearing Michelle’s concerns and knowing that she doesn’t want to mooch off of Gabriel or me intrigues me. And, more importantly, it makes me feel even more affection toward her.
How can one woman be so confounding, so complex, and so passionate? I muse as I take in the enigma next to me. She’s utterly magnificent.
But I realize that it’s on either my brother or me to say something, and to help Michelle work through this emotional crisis.