Page 99 of Billion-Dollar Attitudes

Meagan swatted at me, but she was too far away to make contact. "Just stay away from Ariel. Do I make myself clear?"

I shook my head in defiance. "Nope. Perhaps you've forgotten that I'm a grown-ass man who can make my own life decisions, including which woman I choose to pursue. So you can sit there and pout all you want, but if I want to date Ariel, then I'm going to date Ariel, and there's nothing you can do about it.”

Meagan stood, put her hands on her hips, and passed me a tired smile. "As your little sister, I forbid you to go after Ariel. Please just trust me on this. I love both of you, but you two aren't right for each other!"

"Since when are you the expert on relationships?" I asked, getting to my feet as well. "You've been single for years now, so how would you know who's right for me or not? And don't get me started about this Alex dude!"

Meagan got up in my face, her finger poking into my chest. "I may not be an expert, but I am your sister, and I love you. So just listen to me this once and stay away from Ariel!”

With that, she stormed out of my apartment, leaving me standing there alone, wondering what the hell just happened. It was clear that Meagan was worried about Ariel in some way, but I wasn't sure why. Was she worried that I would hurt Ariel? Or was she worried that Ariel would hurt me?

Either way, I knew one thing for sure. I wasn't going to stay away from Ariel. In fact, I was even more determined to pursue her now. There was just something about her that made me want to be a better man. And if my sister couldn't see that, she would have to deal with it the best way she could.

Chapter Six

Ariel

I wanted to erase the evening's embarrassing episode with Meagan from my thoughts. I couldn't comprehend why she wanted me to get to know Alex - especially when we had spoken at length at her birthday party. Her actions humiliated Guy and me and reflected badly on herself. Granted, she could be willful at times. Tonight was overdoing it, though.

Hopefully, she'll take time to reflect on her behavior and its impact on everyone. Perhaps Meagan will see how childish she was being and offer an apology. If not, I'll have to talk to her about it at some point. Maybe, she'll come to her senses soon. Either way, I needed to get some rest before my book signing event in the morning.

After I finished my shower, I lay on my bed and sighed. Snuggling under the duvet, I started to daydream about Guy. There was no denying the mutual attraction between us. Guy hadn't kept his eyes off me for most of the night, including when Meagan was there. He probably didn't think I had noticed, but he focused on me the entire time. And after having my heart ripped apart by Nolan, I embraced the ego boost. "What is really going on inside my brain – Am I overreacting or missing Nolan?" I asked myself out loud.

Nope!

Nolan was an a-hole. He lied, he was rude, and he constantly tried to control me. I was much better off without him and his obnoxious ways. I didn’t need a man in my life to tell me what to do or how to live; that included trying to pressure me into having sex with him. Saving myself for the right person wasn't that bad. I'd been perfectly content with that. My vibrator was a good friend, and I didn't need a man to complete me.

But as I thought about Guy, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him, to feel his hands on my body. He was buff and full of confidence. The total opposite of Nolan. And he seemed almost like family. So maybe there was something there after all…

I fluffed my pillow and pulled the covers up to my nose. "Maybe, the real reason I never gave in may have been because... deep down, I didn't think Nolan deserved it."

There! It was out!

My self-therapy session had uncovered an issue I had been afraid to admit before now. I was still mad at Nolan. I hadn't forgiven him for breaking my heart. And maybe, part of me never would. But as I lay there in the darkness, I realized that if I didn't let go of the past, I would never be able to move forward with my life. That was one of the reasons I decided to move back home — at least, to San Diego. Where the summer never ends as opposed to the endless gray weather in London. I didn't want to move back to LA and become dependent on my mother, Dorothy. I loved her very much, but she would smother me with good intentions.

So, I took a deep breath and decided it was time to start fresh. New job, new city, new outlook on life! And what better way to start anew than with a clean slate? No baggage, no expectations. Just me, myself, and I.

However, as it turned out, starting over was not as easy as it seemed. Especially when I had to do it all by myself. Sure, I had my family and friends for support, but something was missing. I felt like I was searching for something — or someone — but I didn't know what (or who) it was.

I took a deep breath and slowly released it, feeling my body relax into the mattress. Then, falling asleep, I remembered all the beautiful moments I shared with Guy. His cologne still clung to me, and I vividly recalled how he held me tight as we laughed and danced together.

Suddenly, I woke up in the middle of the night, my hand between my legs--but my panties were nowhere to be found! Smiling softly, I drifted back to sleep until the morning sun filtered through the blinds and roused me from slumber again.

I lazily stretched my arms over my head and quickly sat up when I realized I had overslept. "Shit!" I scrambled out of bed, feeling like a chicken with its head cut off. After dampening my hair, I blew it dry and put on some light makeup. I was in such a hurry to get to the bookstore I didn't bother to take a second look in the mirror.

Within an hour, I arrived at Books & Stuff with five minutes to spare. I was a complete mess. My hair was flying in all directions, my clothing wrinkled, and I had smudges of mascara under my eyes. The only saving grace was that Guy wasn't there to see me like this.

I straightened my posture and smiled as I approached the small crowd that had gathered. It looked like mostly women, which was surprising given the genre of my book. After signing a few books and chatting with some of the ladies, I caught sight of a familiar face in the back of the room.

It was Guy!

He must have seen the surprise on my face because he gave me a little wave and started making his way toward me. "I didn't mean to startle you," he said, "I just wanted to see how your book signing was going. And well…" He held out the book he had purchased the day before. "I'd like you to sign this for me."

I took the book from him, feeling a little flustered. "Of course! I'm so… Thank you so much for coming." I wrote: To my best friend's sexy brother - Ariel, in the front of the book and then handed it back to him, trying to control the pounding in my chest.

He grinned at me, and my stomach did a little flip. Guy looked so handsome standing there in his jeans and button-down shirt, with his hair slightly mussed. I had the sudden urge to reach up and run my fingers through it.

"Would you like me to get you a coffee?" he asked, interrupting my thoughts.

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