Page 148 of Billionaire Temptations

Wow. Let’s just cut right to the chase.

“No. I need to talk to you about the money situation first. I really don’t understand how it’s almost gone.”

“That’s because you were off on your own little adventure without a care in the world.”

I took a deep breath because, suddenly, the air became much thicker.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Alex said as he began walking away.

“PARKER, SIT!” I commanded in a harsh voice.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Sit down!” I pointed at the chair and glared at him.

He took a seat in the wing-backed chair and looked at Adam.

“You let her talk to you like that, man?”

Alex shrugged, and Adam got up from the couch.

“So why don’t the two of you tell me what’s going on here.”

“Nothing,” Alex responded.

“Adam.” I tried my hold my composure. “You brought me back to talk about me and my, as you call them, ‘adventures.’ This is about you and me. Not about Alex and me.”

Adam gave me a stern look as he sipped his bourbon. His tone changed as he sat beside me on the couch and took hold of my hands.

“Listen, Em. You spent the last eight years gallivanting around the world, and now it’s time for you to settle down and make a place your home. You can’t keep going on like this. It isn’t healthy, and it’s irresponsible.”

“Why is it irresponsible? Because I chose to see the world instead of being held up in a stuffy office working a 9-5 job that I hate?”

“I don’t hate my job. You’re living off our dead parents’ money, sis.”

“I’ve had a few jobs over the years. Hell, I worked at Billy’s ranch, for God's sake.”

“Who’s Billy?” he asked. “Oh wait, the bull rider.”

I tilted my head and narrowed my eye. “No. That was Austin in Montana.”

“You were in Montana?” Alex asked as he cocked his head.

I held my hand up to him.

“You never mentioned Montana,” he spoke.

“It wasn’t worth mentioning. Anyway, Billy was the cowboy from Texas.”

“That’s right. The most recent one. The reason you needed to leave Texas.”

I sighed as I got up from the couch and took my glass of wine with me.

“That money is mine to do whatever I want to do with it. You sure didn’t give me this much hell when I left in the first place.”

“You know why I didn’t?” Adam spoke with a raised voice. “Because I thought it was temporary. I didn’t think you’d be gone for eight fucking years!”

“I told you that I wasn’t coming back here!”

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