Battle for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #3) Read online

  Her life as a pediatrician was eventful but exciting. She loved kids and enjoyed helping them feel better. Her time at the hospital had its ups and downs. Some days were better than others. The days she worked at the office were always great. She loved watching the kids grow between visits and enjoyed encouraging them to be more active and eat healthy foods. It was very rewarding for her. She wasn't sure that she ever wanted children of her own, but that didn't stop her from enjoying every moment around each of them. There would be two new babies in her family soon, and she couldn't be happier.

  She made a very good living as a doctor and enjoyed having a nice home, with all of the comforts she enjoyed. It meant a lot to her, that she had done so well for herself. She did not have to count on a man to take care of her, and that was the most important thing for her. Everything she had, she earned herself. It was important for her to make a good living and have such comforts, but money wasn't everything to her.

  It was very important to her to have free time. She wanted time to relax and enjoy life. You only live one, she thought. Nobody ever knew when their life would be over. It was not always going to be when they expected it. She was a huge believer in enjoying every single wonderful moment of life. When she took her last breath, she was sure that she did not want to have a single regret. There were things in her past that she was not proud of, but they were exactly that, in the past. She had made some bad decisions when it came to men, but she learned from them. Julie would never trust anyone but herself. She was going to make sure that her life was lived to the fullest and completely for her. Even when she didn't feel like it, she put on a happy face and took on the world.

  She would never understand why people would spend every waking moment working. For her, it was about spending time with the kids and having a nice place to call home. Other than that, her life was for her to enjoy. She wanted to love and be proud of the person she was.

  As she got under the covers and began to read, but her mind kept going back to Ethan. He seemed to pick on her every possible chance he had. She knew it was all about pissing off her brother, and sometimes she enjoyed his joking. She would never admit that to anyone. A couple of times, she had been in a really rough place, and his joking had made her laugh when she wasn't sure she could. There were other times, she would have done anything for him to stop. He had no idea, nobody did. Julie kept certain things to herself. It was very important to her that Gavin and his friends were proud of her and her accomplishments. She never wanted any of them to know when she failed or to be disappointed in her, especially Ethan.

  He was such an ass, but she knew there was more to him than he let people see. She had no idea why she let him push her buttons so much. If she ignored him, she knew he would stop. He was the only one of her brother's friends who had the guts to mess with her. Gavin protected her like she was a fragile doll. None of the guys would ever do anything when it came to her. Ethan didn't care what Gavin said. He did little things to her, just to see what Gavin would do. Even though he was a jerk, she enjoyed his silly behavior. He never treated her like she was going to break. Ethan always treated her like a real person. If he thought something, he said it. She liked that he didn't hold back because of her brother.

  She thought back to the day she met him. Her brother was bringing someone over to do some work. Julie was much younger than her brother and never really bothered with his friends. They were all boring, and she was busy with her own friends. That day was different. She could still picture him like he was right there. The guys walked into the kitchen, where she was sitting with a friend. She could not keep her eyes off of the new guy. Gavin introduced her and her friend to Ethan. He was the cutest guy she had ever seen. She was fifteen years old and could not help but notice how tall and skinny he was. He had green eyes and long brown hair. She noticed his muscles peeking out of his t-shirt. Julie laughed as he messed up her hair on his way past. She heard Gavin talking as they walked down the hall to his room.

  “Leave my little sister alone.”

  Julie remembered the cute smile on Ethan's face. She wondered if he had a girlfriend and imagined what it would be like to go out on a date with him. Her sixteenth birthday was coming up and she was so excited. The rest of her high school years, he was her dream guy. That guy a girl thinks is the be all and end all of men. The one she dreams about walking down the aisle with and pictures her happily ever after with. Ethan was that guy for her. He would joke with her and pick on her every time he came over. Gavin and Ethan were interested in the same business and spent hours talking about computers. She thought they were completely boring, but she still sat and watched Ethan's every move. Gavin would yell at him for picking on her and tell him to leave her alone, but Ethan would just pick on her more the next time.

  When Julie went off to college, she missed seeing him. She was sad when she found out Gavin had moved out of their parents' house. That meant she would never get to see Ethan. When she came home from her first year of college, Gavin brought Ethan with him to a family function. Julie could not believe her eyes. Had he been that gorgeous for all those years? She looked at him totally different. His muscular chest lined his tight t-shirt. Julie could see every ripple through the fabric. His arms were so big, she found herself wanting to run her hands across them. He was the perfect man. Ethan still teased her just like he had before. Nothing seemed to change. He still looked at her as that little girl he first met, but she wasn't that girl anymore. She was a woman. Her thoughts of him were not the same sweet, innocent ones from years ago. They were much different.

  Julie was so glad that none of their family had ever picked up on her crush for him. Each time she saw him, he had more attitude than the last. She would hear him and Gavin talk about who Ethan was with and how he moved from woman to woman. He started being more of an ass. His joking with her started to get more sarcastic. The changes she had seen in him were not good ones. That old crush was quickly fading.

  She snapped herself from her thoughts of Ethan and turned them to thoughts of the man she brought to the wedding. He was handsome and quiet. They were just friends. The only reason she had taken him to the wedding, was that she didn't want anyone to make fun of her for being alone or try to play match maker with her. She was more outgoing and fun, but the types of guys that were attracted to fun were not safe. Julie learned a few years back to be careful who she let into her life. For her, the most important thing was feeling safe around a man. She didn't plan to get married or have children. It was just nice to have someone to meet up with for dinner or a drink on her day off. Her doctor friend could give her that. They really were just friends, but Ethan and the bunch did not need to know that.

  Ethan had snapped at her at the wedding about not being herself around her date. He had no right to judge her. Every time she thought about Ethan, she felt herself tense up. Who the hell did he think he was, she wondered? He was the master of players and exactly the kind of guy she knew to stay away from. Sure, around her family and friends she was that fun outgoing girl. She knew when she was with them, they would take care of her. Gavin always protected his sister, and she loved him for that. He thought he knew everything about her life. He never realized that he couldn't always be there to help her. Her big brother couldn't always watch over her. Sometimes, she needed to figure out how to take care of herself.

  Julie's phone beeped. She let out a huge sigh as she read the text from her brother.

  “Josh and Lisa are coming back from their honeymoon, and they want us all to come over for dinner this Sunday. Make sure you're there. Becky is going to ask you a million baby questions. The woman is driving me crazy. Love you.”

  Julie dropped her back onto the arm of her couch. She wanted to See Gavin and his newly pregnant wife so badly. There was no way she wanted to face Ethan after their argument at the wedding. She knew he would give her attitude for sure, especially after the way she had snapped at him. Maybe he would be out of town. There was no way she was risking it. An
idea popped into her head. If Ethan was going to be there, she was going make it worth going for. She pulled up a new text and began to type.

  “What are you doing Sunday? Can you go with me to dinner at my brother's friend's house? I'm not sure I can face it alone.”

  Chapter 4

  Ethan sat at his desk, staring at his laptop. He was deep in the middle of his work when his phone buzzed with a text from Gavin.

  “Josh and Lisa are having dinner Sunday. Be there.”

  “Is Julie going?” Ethan replied.

  “Leave my sister alone. How many times do I have to say it? You have a million other chicks to screw with. It needs to stop. Don't think I didn't notice your hands on her leg at the wedding. I will kick your ass. Do you hear me? Be there at five on Sunday.”

  Ethan laughed as he stood up to take his suit jacket off and roll up his sleeves. He preferred wearing jeans and a t-shirt to the office, but he had a meeting with a client and needed to impress. Suits were one of the only downsides to all of his money.

  He enjoyed messing with Gavin. There was only one time Gavin had ever reacted with force. They were on a cruise and Gavin was hooking up a woman. Ethan flirted with her enough that Gavin punched him in the eye. He should have known that day, that she would eventually end up married to his friend. Ethan felt the smile spread across his face as he thought back.

  Ethan did not want to go to Josh and Lisa's for dinner. He had just gotten into an argument with Julie at their wedding a week before. She had never reacted to him like that before. He could not believe it when she poked him in the chest and told him what a piece of crap he was. There was never a time she raised her voice to him. She was always so calm and carefree. When she yelled, he couldn't believe his ears. He was speechless. When she stomped off back into the building, he knew he had to leave. If she would have said one more word, he would have covered her mouth with his and shown her how he wanted to treat her.

  Maybe he would get called out of town before Sunday. That way he could skip the dinner. He wasn't sure he wanted to be that close to Julie again. Ethan was used to getting what he wanted. Becky was the only other woman to turn him down. He laughed again thinking about Becky's smart mouth on the cruise. Maybe she was rubbing off on Julie. He knew there would never be anything between him and Julie, but he couldn't stand to hear her tell him he was worthless. He wanted so badly to show her just how much he was worth.

  He didn't get called out of town by Sunday morning. Why should he go to dinner anyway? He didn't feel like hearing about babies and weddings. All the women would be huddled together talking girl stuff. Hopefully the guys would sit and watch a game or talk about something manly. He decided to make an appearance and then leave. Fifteen minutes was all he had to survive and then he could be off to the bar. As he got out of his car and walked up to Josh's door, he let out a huge breath. Fifteen minutes, he thought. You can do this.

  Ethan heard Julie laugh as he turned the corner to the living room. There was something about her laugh; he could pick it out a thousand sounds. He felt his entire body stiffen when his eyes connected with hers and he saw that same guy sitting next to her. Ethan could only imagine the look on his face when he saw her reaction to him. He could feel his skin tighten as his eyes squinted, and he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth hard. His hands clenched at his sides. Her laughing stopped instantly and she cleared her throat. The smile left her face as she hurried to look away from him. He turned to walk out of the room, when Lisa called out to him.

  “Hey Ethan, how are you? Come in here and talk to us.”

  He heard the growl escape his mouth before he could stop it, as he turned and walked over to hug Lisa.

  “How was Hawaii?” he asked, as friendly as he could.

  “It was awesome. I can't believe Chris and Sarah have such an amazing place. I'm trying to talk Josh into getting a house there,” she said, as she turned to look at her husband.

  “She sure is,” Josh said. “It was amazing. You've been there haven't you?”

  “I have been there. Gavin and Julie were there when I went. I would love to have a place there, if I ever had time to enjoy it,” Ethan answered.

  “You could have the time to enjoy it, if you didn't work so much,” Julie cut in. “I don't understand you guys. Is it a competition to see who can have the biggest bank account, or is it passion? I understand wanting to have enough money to live out your life, but why have more than you and all of your family will never ever need? I would rather have some time to enjoy life than leave a huge bank account when I'm gone.”

  “I can tell you what it is for me,” Ethan began. “I enjoy what I do. It actually relieves stress, if you can believe it. I like to travel and close huge deals. It makes me feel successful, like I'm worth something.”

  He noticed his brother look over at him, waiting to hear what he said next. All of the other conversation in the room stopped, as everyone looked at him. He knew John was the only person there that knew most of his story. There was no way the rest of them needed to know anything other than his success. They didn't need to know what a failure he had been or the disappointment he felt every day. The hard cocky side of him was all they needed to see. He looked over to see Julie's date sitting a little closer to her than he should have been. They all watched him like he was going to say something emotional and deep. He laughed to himself.

  “It definitely helps with the ladies. I do it to get laid too,” he said, as he smiled and winked at Julie.

  She shook her head and leaned in to whisper something in her date's ear. Ethan could feel heat rise through his body to his face.

  “Let's go eat,” Lisa said, as she pulled Ethan by the arm into the kitchen.

  “What the hell is going on with you?” she asked him.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “I know you're just trying to get under her skin. I'm not sure why her having someone here is bothering you so much. You need to knock it off. When she came in from outside at the wedding, she looked like she was crying. I don't know what you two said to each other out there. She's not one of those bimbos you pick up and take home. Julie is a smart woman, and she deserves to be treated with respect.”

  “Are you going to start too?” he snapped. “I know, I'm a loser. I got it. I don't need this shit.”

  He turned to walk out of the room, but Lisa grabbed him before he could.

  “That's not what I said. There is more to you than you let us all see. You don't have the success that you have by being a loser. You are a very smart man. You know exactly what you're doing. I just don't want to see Julie get hurt because you are trying to prove something,” Lisa said.

  “She's a kid. My friend's little sister. She knows I'm just messing with her. I have zero interest in her.”

  Lisa went to say something else, but Julie walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw his face.

  “Is everything okay in here?” she asked.

  “Yes, everything is perfect,” he said, as he walked past her and sat down at the table.

  The women brought the food out while Josh got everyone drinks. Ethan stayed quiet while they all began to eat. He noticed Julie looking over at him. Becky started asking Julie baby questions and Lisa jumped in with a few of her own. The three of them went on for a few minutes about pregnancy. Ethan wanted the conversation to stop.

  “Julie, when are you and your man going to have a baby?” he asked.

  “We aren't having a baby.”

  “Why not? I bet you two would have the cutest little ones.”

  She shot him the dirtiest look. He looked over at her date, who just sat quiet.

  “Don't you think you and Julie would have cute babies?”

  “Shut up Ethan,” she said. “I'm not having babies with anyone. I plan to enjoy Becky and Lisa's cuties.”

  She gave him another look of warning, but to him it was more of a challenge. He continued to pick a
t her through dinner, but her date never said a word. She snapped back at every comment he made. Ethan could not believe that guy was sitting there quiet after everything he was saying. Grow some balls, he thought. Stand up for your woman. Ethan went to say something else, when heard Gavin growl from across the table.

  Julie began a conversation with Lisa about pregnancy to take the attention away from Ethan. Before he knew it, all the ladies were going on and on about baby stuff. Julie's date sat talking to them about delivery. Ethan could not take one more second of what was going on. He pushed himself away from the table, hugged Lisa and Becky, and walked out the door.

  ***

  Julie kept talking as she watched Ethan walk out. Nobody said a word about him storming out like that. When everyone moved to the living room, Julie walked outside to see if he was sulking. His car was gone. He really had left. John walked out after her.

  “What was all that?” she asked.

  “Ethan's not really that bad. He's just,” he said. “He's not a fan of pregnancy and baby conversations.”

  “Why? He just got up and walked out.”

  “I don't know what to say. That's his own thing. You would have to ask him that.”

  John turned and walked back inside. She stood for a few minutes before she went back in. All of the guys had carried everything to the kitchen before going to watch whatever game was on. Becky and Lisa were in the kitchen taking care of the dishes.

  Julie could not stop thinking about Ethan. Why had he picked on her so badly? Usually, he would joke or make a comment, but that was different. It was like he was pushing to see how long it would take her or Gavin to snap. He kept going and refused to stop. As soon as the talking moved to babies and pregnancy again, he was out of there. Becky excused herself to go and use the restroom. Julie saw Lisa stop what she was doing and look over at her.