The Bad Boy's Attraction

Daddy's Little Boy

"Here."

Brendan looks at the velvety black box that's being handed to him with apprehension. Something about it already says he is not going to like it. His father is not one to hand him presents personally and the tugging at the older man's lips tenses him up a little. 

"I'm pretty sure today is not my birthday, so what is it?" He asks before even deciding to receive it.

"It's nothing meant to kill you." The hint of a smile that was on his father's lips suddenly disappears.

On any other day Brendan would outrightly refuse his father's request but not today and especially not right now. Unless he wants to give up the little freedom the man is willing to let him have. After the trip he has had, that is the last thing he would want to give up so he reaches out and gets the box out of his old man's hands.

He sets it down before taking off his gloves. It's a medium sized box that looks too expensive even to his eye and he gathers it must hold something important. And judging by his father's look he dreads to even lay his eye on what's inside.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare at it or are you going to open it?" His father sneers but Brendan just gives him an icy stare in response before finally deciding to open it.

And when he does his hands tremble and he almost drops the box.

"Mother thought it's time you got it."

His father says calmly. 

Brendan just stays quiet with his eyes focussed on the familiar piece of jewellery. He has seen it so many times in photos and paintings but now that it's right here in his hands he thinks none of those ever did it justice to portray its magnificence and beauty. Every time he read an article about it, he thought the writers had quite the imagination but now…" He blinks so many times just to make sure that it's right here in his hands.

"I know, it does tend to take your breath away the first time you see it but I assure you you'll get used to it." His father's words seem to pull him out of his daze. 

His face that was full of admiration for the rare piece of jewellery is now set in a deep frown. 

It may be magnificent to the eye but a burden to its bearer. At least that is how he sees it. Just holding it right now in his hands already makes him feel the heaviness of his world. And he wishes his father's eyes wouldn't shine like that as he watches him with it. He can clearly see just how proud his old man is at this moment. For a moment he doubts if it really is his grandma's wish for him to get it.

"I thought I was free to finish up high school." Brendan growls at his dad, his words dripping with spite while he pushes back the box. But the older man remains unfazed while he just gives his son a hard look. 

The subtle tension in the car suddenly seems to thicken with every tick of every second going by. 

He narrows his eyes at his father when the man simply looks at him without saying a word.

"We had a deal." Brendan growls again as he faces off with his father. This is not how it was supposed to be and he is definitely not ready for it. Not that he'll ever be ready, but now is just not the time. And if they think he will just fall in line, they are in for a surprise. They all can be hard headed but he is set to prove to them that he is worse and won't be pushed around. What is that they say about kids being worse than parents? Well..He is a chip off the old block and determined not to submit no matter how much he is pressed down.

"Of course. As long as you hold up your end of the deal, I will do mine." His father replies nonchalantly after what seems like an eternity. 

"Then stop controlling my life." Brendan replies with gritted teeth.

"That is all up to you. As long as you insist on being reckless I can't promise that I won't." 

"And by now you should know that you can't run away from this." His father's eyes drop to the velvet box and Brendan just looks away hating that fact. He doesn't even bother arguing it out. Even he knows he can't escape that part of his life. Though he hopes to delay it as much as he can.

"I don't need reminding." He bites back.

"Good. I'd hate to have to do that." His father says calmly. 

"Can I go now?" 

"How is Miss Brown by the way? That's quite the show you put up." His father asks while he totally ignores his earlier question.

Brendan just tenses on his seat while he eyes his father with gritted teeth. The domineering man doesn't even bother to look at him while he talks to him. And his question just reminds him that compared to him, he is nothing but daddy's little boy when he is in his father's presence.

"Why don't you ask your goons father? Isn't that what you are paying them for?" He sneers.

"Oh better yet call her yourself. She is technically your employee after all."

"Doesn't mean my son can't fill me in on his…."

"Just leave me alone." He cuts him off before turning to get out of the car.

"Just don't do anything stupid Brendan." His father's menacing tone makes him cringe. It's the same warning he receives everytime and like all those times he has no intention of doing as he is told. Not when he is still free to make his own decisions.

He stops and looks at his father square in the face. 

"You know I can't promise you that father."

He smirks before jumping out of the car and his smirk grows bigger when he hears his father curse after him.

"Two can play that game dear father."

He takes in the cool afternoon air once he steps outside and instantly feels like a bird that has been let out of its cage. 

He looks back at the convoy of luxurious cars that are lined up behind him and sighs. These trips are not getting any easier. They used to be fun when he was younger but now they just remind him of the burdens he would like to forget. Even though his father is doing pretty much everything to remind him every moment of every day. And after today, he knows it's just a matter of time before their deal means nothing.

He steps away and heads towards a familiar sports car, determined to put behind all the heavy stuff about his life.

He enters it and bangs the door before crashing on the seat.

"That bad huh?" Cooper eyes him with concern. 

"Drive." 

"I guess that is a yes." Cooper chirps before driving away. 

"Thanks for coming man." Brendan  says as he seats back and finally relaxes. The air in the car feels like heaven compared to his father's limo that felt like it was sucking out every bit of life from him.

"What did I miss?" He sighs loudly. After the day he has had he needs something to take his mind off of the heavy stuff that make up his life.

"Well.. she definitely didn't appreciate your disappearance, so better get ready for an earful." Cooper replies, his eyes focussed on the road.

"Aaaah." Brendan sinks in his seat while a smirk crosses his lips. At least he has something to look forward to.

He looks out of his car's window and gets lost in thought. He pushes the heavy conversation with his father away from his mind  and chooses to focus on his latest obsession. 

A smile crosses his lips when he remembers the last time he was with her. Her clueless self that had no idea what he was doing and yet he felt a weird sense of satisfaction at having claimed her. And now he can't wait to face her and take in all that fire that will no doubt be blazing in her eyes when she tells him off for everything he has done to her.

"So why did you do it?" Cooper asks thoughtfully.

"Do what?" He turns to his friend whose eyes are focussed on the road ahead still.

"You know, claim her and all." Cooper replies.

"I thought it was just supposed to be one more kiss and you would move on."

"And it will be." Brendan replies. At least that is what he's kept telling himself. But after being away for a whole two weeks he is not so sure. The entire time he has been away she has been the object of his fantasies. Memories of those lips kept him tossing and turning night after night making him doubt his plan altogether.

He bites his lips in anticipation as he tries to convince himself that it's just so he can forget about her. He doesn't get how one simple girl could rile him up like this after one simple kiss.

"It wasn't exactly simple." His mind retorts. 

And unfortunately he agrees, it wasn't exactly simple if it left him wanting more so badly. It even had him stalking her socials just to feel close when he was away. 

He browses through his gallery and smiles at all her pics that he ended up downloading. He traces one particular one that has his body tingling every time he looks at it.

"Then why claim her dude?" Cooper laughs out loud. 

"You could have had it without all that mess. You are king after all." Cooper smirks making him puff up a little.

"Didn't want anyone else messing with her."

"What? Dude she's been single all her life, two weeks wasn't going to make a difference." Cooper bursts out laughing. 

"Not when her lips touched mine." He bites his own lips when those memories surface. The thought of another guy even looking her way surprisingly made him mad so he just couldn't take any chances.

"And because even if I'm king I want her, maybe more than I'm willing to admit." He looks away still lost in thought. For someone who understands being bound to something or someone he hoped to keep her close by claiming her. 

He swallows hard when he realizes that he might not be so different from his own father after all. But not even that thought is enough to make him regret his decision. 

"Just one more time"