by Lexi Blake
“Of course not. I don’t know why I expected this would be different. You don’t take my calls. You don’t answer my e-mails. I’m nothing to you. You know for a therapist you hold a mean grudge. Shouldn’t you be all about forgiveness?”
His brother had never really understood him at all. “I’m all about what makes a person happy and whole. I can be perfectly happy and whole and still carry a grudge against the man who fucked my fiancée.”
Jared nodded. “Yes, I did, and I’ve regretted it ever since. Kai, I’m so sorry it happened, but what you saw that morning wasn’t the truth of the situation.”
“Did you or did you not sleep with the woman I had asked to be my wife?”
“I didn’t intend to.”
This was precisely why he’d never had the conversation. He could play it out in his head word for word. “Did you fall into her vagina? That would be odd since you’re not known for being terribly uncoordinated.”
“I was drunk,” Jared ground out. “Something bad had just happened and she showed up and gave me a ride home. She didn’t leave.”
“Is that when you fell into her vagina?”
“Damn it, Kai. Why won’t you listen to me?”
“Because you’re not talking about the job.” Sitting here with Jared made him antsy. It reminded him of so many things he didn’t want to think about. All those nights he’d sat up watching over Jared, trying to be an adult when he was only a child. He’d loved his mother, but his childhood had been so chaotic. He preferred the peace and calm of his present, and he couldn’t help the resentment that bubbled up when he thought of how Jared was about to disturb it. “I will discuss anything you like about BDSM, but the rest of my life is off limits. If you thought you would get some kind of public reunion for a magazine story, you’re out of luck.”
“I wasn’t looking for press, Kai. If all I can get out of you is mentoring, then I suppose that’s what I’ll do. Who’s the pretty girl?”
Kai stood, looking through the open door. Kori hugged Erin before waving her out the door. At least it looked like one thing had gone right today.
Kori turned and stopped, staring at his brother. Damn it. She was probably like every other woman in the world. He would be lucky if she didn’t drool. The thought of Kori drooling over his perfect brother made him want to punch something.
“Hey, Kori,” he said because he couldn’t pretend like Jared wasn’t standing there. She would find out about their relationship soon enough. “Come on in. I’d like you to meet my brother.”
At least she could defuse the situation between them. Maybe once Jared realized he still had work to do he would go and find a reporter to show his ass off to.
Kori’s mouth dropped open and then she turned and walked right out of the room.
“Kori?” It wasn’t like her to walk away. Kori plunged right in.
Jared stared after her. “Kori? That girl’s name is Kori?”
“She’s a woman and yes, that’s her name. She’s also my office manager.” Kai did not like the way his brother was staring after Kori. Surely now that Jared was a Hollywood star, he was all about the actresses. The ass was surrounded by beautiful women twenty-four seven. From what Kai had seen on magazine covers, Jared was dating a gorgeous, way-too-thin actress who was up for an Oscar.
“Kori Williamson. Wow. Now, see, that is a brilliant coincidence.”
“How do you know her last name?” It wasn’t like Kori had a nameplate on her desk. “Or is this more of your creepy stalking shit? Don’t play it with her. She’s off limits. She’s a very nice lady who happens to care about the people around her, and I’m not going to let you play games with her.”
“With Kori? I wouldn’t dream of it. I owe that woman,” Jared said with a grin. “It seems like I owe her a lot. I always wondered where she went.”
“Went?”
Jared turned around, settling his bag over his big chest. “You do know her story, right? I know that woman. Five years has not made her any less luscious.”
Kai shook his head. “How do you know her? From LA? She was a secretary out there before she made the move to Dallas.”
His stomach twisted at the thought of Kori in his brother’s arms. Was that why she’d walked away? Had she been one of Jared’s conquests?
“She was not a secretary and I never slept with her. Though I had plans to because again with the hotness.” Jared had his Cheshire cat grin on his face. “Looks like I know something you don’t know. Maybe we will talk about something besides BDSM. I’ll see you at the club tonight. Unless you’re planning on coming home before you head to Sanctum.”
“Why would that matter to you?”
He walked to the door. “Because I’m staying upstairs at your place. I already set myself up in the spare bedroom. I snuck in after that big guy in the suit. Needs a decorator, by the way. You know it all kind of looks like this. You need a little color in your life, brother.”
“You are not staying with me.”
“Sure I am. I always bunk with my mentor. It’s how I work. Maybe you should have read that contract better. My friends will be staying at the Anatole, but I’m with you. And don’t worry about a key. I did this film last year where I played a cat burglar. Like I said, I’m already in. And when you’re ready to talk, I’ll tell you all about your office manager. I think you’ll find it fascinating.” He stopped and looked back. “And Kai? It really is good to see you.”
He stood and watched Jared walk out.
Fuck a duck.
* * * *
Kori had to stop and take a deep breath. Her hands were shaking. What had happened? Why the hell had Jared Johns been standing in her boss’s office?
She should go to her car and get inside and drive away. Maybe Florida would be nice this time of year. Anything was better than having to confront her past.
Anything was better than explaining to Kai that she’d lied to him.
She stopped at the front of the building. From the doors she could see Sanctum. It wasn’t dark yet so the lights hadn’t come on. Sanctum was now surrounded by a privacy fence since it had been reconstructed after some asshole had blown it up.
With Kai inside.
That had been one of the worst days of her life. She’d gotten the call from Eve, who wanted to know if Kori had copies of Kai’s health insurance cards since the originals had been blown up.
Kai was fine, but she’d known that day that she was the idiot who fell in love with her boss. By the time she’d gotten to the hospital, Kai had been ready to be released. He’d been joking around and cursing a blue streak at the loss of the building where he’d lived. She’d been crying. He’d stopped and stared and for a second she’d thought he would walk right up to her and take her in his arms.
Nothing. She’d gotten nothing more than him clearing his throat and asking if she was all right.
So she’d known then and there that whatever she felt for him wasn’t reciprocated. It was fine and good and they’d never mentioned it again, but god she hated feeling humiliated.
She opened the doors and stepped out. Their building wasn’t protected by a fence. Big Tag had offered to include their three-story building, but Kai hadn’t wanted his patients to feel like they were walking into a guard tower. Getting through security apparently didn’t go with Kai’s peaceful vibe.
When she saw the limo parked in the front drive, she kind of wished Kai had changed his mind about that.
The limo door opened and a young brunette in a sheath dress stepped out. She was wearing ridiculously high heels and sunglasses that had enough bling to outshine the sun. “Are you the person who runs this…place?”
“Nope.”
She started for her car, which was parked in the back. It was a piece of shit sedan, but it still worked and she didn’t have to make payments on it. Her phone vibrated in her bag but she was ignoring that for the time.
“Hey, I was talking to you.”
Kori could hear the soun
d of designer shoes hitting the pavement. “No hablo inglés.”
“Yeah, like I’m buying that with the pasty white skin.”
Kori turned. It seemed to catch Designer Shoes off guard. She stopped suddenly and wobbled for a moment. “If you’re looking for Jared, he’s upstairs. You should go find him.”
“I’m well aware of where Jared is at all times, thank you very much. I’m his personal assistant and…well, we’re very close.”
Sure they were. “Good for you both. I hope you’re very happy together.”
Kori turned and started looking through her bag for her keys. One of these days she was going to downsize. Smaller bag, less shit. Why did she need all that crap?
“Look, I need to talk to you about what Jared requires in his living space.”
The one thing she didn’t have? A Taser. She could use a Taser. She would bet Skinny Bitch wouldn’t even need much voltage. “Why the hell would I care about that?”
“Because you’re Kai Ferguson’s assistant and Jared will be living with him for the duration of the filming. Also, I’ll need to see the space reserved for him at the club.”
She could almost feel her jaw hitting the ground. Kai didn’t live with anyone because he was a prissy, control freak who had a touch of OCD complex he couldn’t seem to admit to. She didn’t blame him or anything. He was a germaphobe, too. It was all part of the unique crazy that made up her boss. He didn’t share well. Oh, she was sure he would be totally horrified by that statement. He was all about the love and peace and sereneness that came from self-awareness, and he could totally lead others to that place. But he wasn’t exactly there himself. “Kai didn’t mention anything about us having guests.”
“I don’t know about what Mr. Ferguson did or didn’t say to his employees. I only know that I take care of Jared and that means for the next few weeks, you’ll have to take care of him, too. He’s going to need his favorite protein bars, coconut water, a juicer—that has to have a 900-megahertz chopping engine—the crappy ones won’t do. He’ll need a set of kettle balls and a space for his training. He has to keep his body fit.” She gave Kori a onceover. “I don’t think that you’ll fully comprehend the needs of an athlete so you should probably make up a guest room for me as well. I can stay close to Jared and ensure he has everything he needs.”
What the hell was going on? “Sleep on the couch. I don’t care. There’s only Kai’s room and a tiny guest room. The rest of the building is for Kai’s practice.”
“That’s not acceptable. We might need to bring in a designer to make the place comfortable for him. I don’t understand why he thinks staying here is a good idea.”
“Apparently he wants to spend time with his brother.” It was still sinking in that Kai had an international superstar brother that he never talked about. They’d had a thousand conversations. She’d spent late nights talking about everything from politics to TV shows to restaurants. Never—not even once—had he said oh, and hey, my brother happens to be that dude on TV every woman pants after. Ever heard of him?
Then again, it wasn’t like she’d said “hey, guess what? I used to write screenplays and I’ve had a bunch of movies made and developed some awesome TV shows that I didn’t get paid for because I was way too invested in my Master.”
Yeah, she’d definitely not talked about that.
How much had they kept from each other? She’d thought she was the only one who was hiding something, holding back. It looked like Kai had held out as well.
“If this guy was a good brother, I would have met him by now. I’ve been around Jared for three years now and this Kai person has never called or come to visit him.”
Which made her wonder what the hell had happened between them. Kai had worked hard to build a new family. Kai was a man who was desperate to have people depend on him. It was why he’d started in the D/s lifestyle in the first place. He’d needed the responsibility.
And he needed to go seriously hard core on a woman who could handle it. Like she could handle it. Like she craved it.
It was precisely why she’d stayed away from him. She’d stayed away from all of them. She’d played the lightweight sub who needed the occasional spanking and service role to feel complete. God, she hadn’t had an orgasm in years. Not a real one. Not a screaming, eyes rolling to the back of her head, wail his name orgasm.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but it seems like it’s none of my business.” If Kai hadn’t talked to her about his brother, he didn’t want her to know. Despite the fact that she was dying to know, it seemed too personal. If she got involved in this, she would be stepping over a line she’d decided a long time ago she wouldn’t step over. She’d decided it about three minutes after meeting Kai because she’d immediately known that this was a man who could dominate her, who could give her what she needed and she would hand over all of herself.
“It’s everyone’s business.” The skinny chick wouldn’t let up. Her foot tapped against the concrete. “Jared is important. He’s going to be here for at least eight weeks. Two weeks prep. Six weeks principal filming in this hellhole. Then we get to go back to LA and civilization, so I need to know everything I can about making our time here survivable. Jared is a saint so he’s staying here while the rest of us get to be in what passes for a luxury hotel in this part of the world. So you’ll give me a list of the restaurants that are worth eating at, the stores I won’t barf at shopping in, and clubs that he won’t mind being seen in.”
“Or you could fuck yourself hard.” Skinny Bitch was getting on her last nerve. Lately she’d begun to miss a few things about LA. She missed West Hollywood and the dog park across from her house. She missed going out to Santa Monica and walking along the beach, going to the pier and people watching. She did not miss star personal assistants with over-inflated egos. Yeah, she’d dealt with more than one of those.
“Kori?” a deep voice said.
Fuck. She should have run.
Skinny Bitch turned on those designer heels of hers, her whole demeanor changing in a minute. The nasty look on her face turned to a sunny smile and her voice went up about two octaves. “Jared, I was talking to this secretary, trying to make sure you’re comfortable here.”
Jared didn’t look at his PA. His eyes were steady on Kori. “Lena, I told you not to worry about that. I can handle myself. Go back to the limo and wait with Squirrel and the rest of the crew. We’ll go and get a late lunch before we go to the club tonight.”
Lena nodded and fiddled with her phone. “All right. Just to remind you, tomorrow is Jessica’s birthday.” She glanced Kori’s way. “Jessica is his girlfriend. She’s going to win an Oscar this year.”
Good for freaking Jessica. Jessica Hamilton. Kori had never met her, but she’d read articles about the dramatic actress’s relationship with Jared. “I’m going to leave now. Bye.”
Jared moved in, turning his back and leaning on her car, obviously blocking her way. “Stop hiding, pretty girl. I found you.”
She could feel herself flush. “It wasn’t like I was hiding. I was going home.”
“You know this woman?” Lena asked as though shocked to her core.
Jared’s head turned and though she couldn’t see his eyes through the mirrored aviators he wore, Kori could have sworn that was a Dom look. It was definitely an alpha male stare as Lena started to back off.
“I’ll be in the limo.” She practically ran back to the waiting car.
Jared turned to Kori. “Sorry. She tries too hard sometimes. And while Jessica is my girlfriend in a professional sense, it’s not real. Like everything else in Hollywood, it’s all for show. We’re not actually involved in anything but a mutually beneficial friendship.”
Yeah, she did kind of miss the gossip. There was always Sanctum gossip, but it was innocuous stuff, unlike the juicy scandals from LA. “You two look so cozy in pictures.”
“You follow me?” His lips quirked up in a crazy sexy smile. There was a reason there were entire
YouTube channels devoted to this man’s workout routines. He was smoking hot.
“It’s hard to miss you, buddy. You’re kind of everywhere.” Despite his hotness, she wasn’t getting pulled into any of that. Somehow he was still a boy compared to his brother.
“That’s what happens when you have an awesome publicist. He’s the one who introduced me to Jessica. The truth of the matter is I’m not her type and she’s not mine. It helps. No drama. Maximum exposure.”
“Hey, whatever works.” She didn’t want to get sucked back in. Her first impulse was to ask about a million questions because there was a story there. Jared Johns was pretty much everyone’s type. Straight girls. Gay guys. Anyone interested in penis would be all over that man. She kept her mouth shut though because that wasn’t her world anymore. Over time she’d started to watch some TV again but she hadn’t been to the movies in years.
Maybe she had been hiding.
“I always wondered where you went.” Jared’s voice went low, a bit softer than the command of before. “I kind of thought you would end up being a producer on the show.”
Humiliation was one thing, but damn it she hated to pretend. It wasn’t hurtful to simply refuse to talk about it, but she wasn’t going to lie. Jared was standing there looking good enough to eat and she probably had mascara issues. Next time, she would run over Lena and not care because she wouldn’t be here, looking utterly ridiculous. “I left because the executive producer of your show was an asshole who cheated on me, used me, and stole my script.”
Jared simply smiled. “Then it’s good you got out. How did you end up here, working with my brother? Was it Sully? I ask because he’s the guy who keeps up with Kai for me. Didn’t you work on a movie with him?”
She nodded. It wasn’t so surprising they both knew Sully. It was a shockingly small world. “He helped me get out, helped set me up with a job out here. He’s a good guy.”
“That he is. And you are looking beautiful.”
Sure she was. “Try selling that to someone who’s buying, Johns. This is awkward. Kai doesn’t know what I used to do.”
