“Ditto.”
Her gaze lowered, then she met my eyes. “I’m on birth control. I haven’t been with anyone for a very long time, and I’ve been tested clean.”
I knew what she was saying. I had told her the six condoms were all I had, and I would have to get more. Lots more.
“It’s been a while for me,” I confessed. “As much as you think I’ve been with a lot of women, I need you to know, I am always monogamous, and always safe.”
“When you’re ready, you don’t have to buy more condoms.”
Merely the thought of being inside her, of being able to feel all of her, made me hard. I wanted that with her, more than I had ever wanted it with another woman.
I stood, taking her with me. “Let’s go see what else I’ve learned through osmosis.”
She laughed against my mouth. “Okay, Rigid.”
Bentley
I heard my name yelled, and I turned to see Emmy racing across the street. I paused at the door to Greg’s building wondering why she wasn’t in school. Glancing at my watch, I noted it was past nine. Since the school year started back, she was always in class at this time of the day.
“Oh, shit, she’s been waiting,” Aiden muttered. “Brace yourself.”
I barely had time to throw him a glance when Emmy was in front of me, hands on her hips, and a scowl on her face. I tried not to notice how sexy she looked this morning. She was wearing some sort of lacy dress that fluttered around her knees and was cinched in at her waist with my blue tie. Tights covered her toned legs, and the blue shawl I had given her wrapped around her shoulders. Despite her anger, she was gorgeous.
“Hey, Emmy,” I greeted her cautiously. Casting a glare toward Aiden, who started to pull open the door and disappear, I bent to brush a kiss on Emmy’s cheek.
She stepped back avoiding my caress and addressed her voice to Aiden. “Not so fast, Tree Trunk.”
He turned, flashing her a smirk. “What’s up, Emmy?”
“What do the two of you know about the sudden construction going on at Al’s?”
Judging from the frown on Emmy’s face, deflection was the word of the day.
I crossed my arms, trying to appear casual. “How would we know what your boss is up to regarding his property?”
She snorted. “Al is so tight, he squeaks. He never spends a penny unless he absolutely has to. Today, he tells me I need to find a place to stay for a few days while they install new doors and locks on the apartments, new steps, and security lighting out back. This smacks of you, Rigid.”
“Perhaps, he is simply doing what is best for the upkeep of his building. If he upgrades the structure, the property value will go up.”
At least, that was what Aiden told Al when he offered to have the upgrades done—at no cost. We even covered new doors for the coffee shop since I knew Emmy worked in there alone in the early morning hours. Al couldn’t sign the paperwork fast enough, but obviously, his cover story didn’t work.
I stepped forward. “I, for one, am glad he is looking at making the entranceway to your place safer. You’re welcome to stay at the house while the work is being done if that is what concerns you.”
“What concerns me is the fact you’re making a mountain out of a molehill again. The entranceway was fine.”
This time I couldn’t help my derisive snort. “The stairs were rickety at best. A child could pick your lock, and there wasn’t adequate lighting out back at all.”
She poked a finger into my chest. “A-ha! So, you admit it!”
I threw up my hands. “Yes! I admit it. I’m an awful person for being worried you might trip on the uneven stairs, get mugged at night, or have your home invaded! Sue me.”
“Sue you? For what? More wasted money?”
“It’s not wasted! Yell at me, then. Stop giving me scones. It’s still going to happen.”
Aiden spoke up. “The stairs were in bad shape, Emmy. I showed Al the report I had, and we offered to help him out.”
“You had a report? Oh my God! I can’t believe you people.”
Aiden smirked. “You people? That’s what you think of Bentley? He’s just people?”
“Don’t change the subject. What exactly did you get in exchange for this help?”
I blinked. “Nothing. I expect nothing and want nothing. Only to know I made you a bit safer.”
Her anger deflated, and her shoulders slumped. “What am I going to do with you, Rigid?”
I caught her around the waist and tugged her close. Dropping my head to her neck, I rained kisses on her skin, swirling my tongue behind her ear on the spot she found so sensitive.
“I had to do it, Emmy.”
She studied my face and shook her head. “You overstepped.”
“I’m aware,” I admitted. “I did it because I care.”
“It’s still overboard.”
“Let it go.”
“You are such a pain in my ass.”
I bit down on her tender earlobe. “We haven’t explored your ass yet, but if you insist . . .”
She pulled back, fighting a smile, and slapped my chest. “Dream on. I’m still mad at you.”
“Why?” I asked softly. “Al is thrilled. Your place will be safer, and no one is hurt. Why are you so upset?”
“Because, once again, I can’t compete.”
I tightened my arms. “It’s not a competition. Even if it were, I am still way behind.”
“How can you say such a thing?”
“Because I get you. That is worth more than any amount of money.”
She leaned up and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. “I give up.”
“Good. So, you’ll come to my place tonight? The work should be done by the end of the weekend.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking to you, though.”
“That’s fine.” I winked at her. “We can think of other things for your mouth to do.”
Shaking her head, she turned away, pausing at the curb. “You are such a wimp, Aiden,” she called out. “Such a big, bad security guy letting Bentley take all the shit.”
“I was allowing you privacy.”
“Whatever.”
“You could have brought some scones with you!” he yelled in return.
She flipped him the bird and raced across the street. I gaped as I watched her cross the road. The sway of her hips in the dress she wore was mesmerizing. I wanted to follow her, trap her in a corner, and really apologize—with my cock.
Not that I was sorry.
Aiden groaned. “Well, that went better than I expected.”
I pushed past him. “Emmy’s right—you are a wimp. I think my girlfriend actually scared you.”
He chuckled as he followed me. “Your little girlfriend is fierce.”
I pushed the button for the elevator. “That she is.”
And she’s all mine.
* * *
I looked over the numbers, frowning in concentration. I handed the documents to Aiden to look at and met Greg’s steady gaze.
“Is it enough?”
He drummed his fingers on the desk. “It’s way over the estimate. It’s enough.”
“I want it.”
“I know that, Bentley.”
“It’s the last piece. I need it to have the project work.”
“Then sign it, and I’ll submit the bid. We’ll know soon.”
Aiden handed the documents back with a nod of his head. I scratched out my signature, and handed the documents to Greg. He presented me with a stack of paperwork.
“I need your signature on these, as well.”
I sat back and glanced over the various forms. They were all things he was working on; a few other land deals, a building I had my eye on—nothing major, but they were all lucrative. As usual, all completed to my specifications and done with his precise attention to detail. As I was signing, he gave me back the first set.
“You missed a couple of places.”
“Really?”
; He nodded, already looking at the stack I gave him back. “Updated forms—more places to sign.” He smirked. “The city loves new paperwork. More signatures mean more money.”
“Sounds like lawyers,” Aiden quipped.
I snickered as I added my signature where Greg indicated.
He reached for a folder. “I came across a few interesting land parcels. I had Mrs. Johnson print them for you.”
I glanced through the papers, then watched as he added his signature to the bid, affixed the seal, and slid it into the envelope.
“I’ll have it couriered this afternoon.”
“Great. Hopefully, soon, we’ll celebrate.”
He regarded me, appearing amused. “Looks to me as though you’ve already been celebrating.”
“I beg your pardon?”
He tapped his lips, a knowing grin on his face. “I never thought of you as a pink kind of guy, Bentley.”
I swiped at my mouth and looked at my hand. A smear of soft pink lipstick was on my thumb.
Emmy.
Aiden chuckled, and I knew the bastard had purposely not said anything. I shot him a dirty look and cleared my throat.
“Thanks.”
Greg reclined in his seat. “Seeing someone?”
I never discussed my personal life with Greg. I knew nothing about his, aside from the fact he was divorced twice, and never seemed to lack a woman on his arm, or from the rumors, in his bed. I shrugged, not really wanting to talk to him about Emmy. We didn’t have that kind of relationship, and it made me uncomfortable.
“I am.”
“Serious?”
“Why would you ask that?”
He held up his hands. “Lately, you’ve been, ah, different.”
“Different?”
It was his turn to shrug. “Happier, maybe? Content. Something. I thought, perhaps, it was because you were in a relationship. I’m pleased for you.”
I paused. Greg was astute, but I didn’t think I had changed very much. Obviously, Emmy was having a bigger impact on me than I realized.
Aiden leaned forward, clapping his hands. “Oh, great. Is this the part where we all spill our guts and talk about our feelings? This should be fun. I can go first. Because, right now, what I’m feeling is nauseous. Can we get back to business?”
A dry chuckle escaped my mouth, and I glanced toward him. He seemed tense and out of sorts, not his usual cheerful self. His shoulders were tight, and the folder bent under his grip. Greg seemed to be annoying him more than usual today.
I stood. “On that note, I think we’re done.”
Greg buttoned his jacket and shook my hand. “I’ll be in touch. Let me know if there is anything in the file you want me to pursue. Perhaps, we can work on a venture together. Something different from the usual.”
“I will.”
I followed Aiden to the elevator in silence. Once the doors shut, I barked out a laugh. “What the hell is up with you today?”
He shook his head. “What’s with the personal comments? He never talks private shit.”
“There’s more to it than that. What’s going on?”
“Why the hell is he finding you leads? We find the leads.”
“He’s not stepping on your toes, Aiden. So, he found a couple of things for us to look at—he’s done it other times. No big deal.” I flipped through the few pages in the folder. “Nothing major in here. Relax.”
He crossed his arms. “You heard him. All of a sudden, he wants to collaborate with us. Be part of the projects. Worm his way in.”
Is that what he was worried about? Greg invading our group, so to speak?
“We’ve discussed this a couple of times already. I offered him the chance to be part of the company in the past, and he refused. Case closed. It’s the three of us. Besides, if I changed my mind, you know very well before that happened, I would give you and Maddox the opportunity to say no.”
“And if one of us did?”
I had the largest share in the company and could outvote them, but I valued their opinions, and we discussed everything. I met his challenging gaze steadily and spoke in a firm voice. “Then the answer would be no. You and Maddox are my partners.” I laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension. “My family.”
He huffed out a breath, his shoulders loosening. “Okay.”
We stepped outside, and Aiden moved to call Frank just as a kid slammed into me, causing me to drop the folder and stumble back.
“Shit, man!” The kid gasped. “Sorry!” He bent and picked up the pages that fell from the folder, shoving them back inside. “My bad.”
“Watch where you’re going next time!” Aiden growled, stepping in front of me.
I took the folder from the kid and held up my hand to Aiden, stopping him from doing anything else. “No problem. It was an accident.”
The kid ducked his head and nodded, then turned and took off running.
I watched him disappear around the corner and exhaled. “Crap, I feel old. Do they all dress like that now—the hoodie and baggy jeans? The ball cap with glasses and their headphones jammed in their ears all the time?”
Frank pulled up to the curb and Aiden opened the door for me. “Yep, old man. Just like that.”
I sighed and looked across the street at Al’s, wishing Emmy were hurrying back across the street with a scone for me. I’d even take her scowl if I could kiss her again before we left.
Sadly, the door never opened, and the street remained Emmy free.
Still, it made me grin when I remembered she’d be at the house when I got home later.
It was something to look forward to, at least.
* * *
The day couldn’t pass quickly enough, and finally, my last meeting was over. I waited impatiently for the car, almost pushing Aiden out of the way in my haste to open the door and clamor inside.
He slid in, shutting the door. “Anxious, Bent?”
I loosened my tie. “Just want to get home. Long day.”
He leaned back with a grin. “Expecting an equally long night?”
I lurched, punching his arm, dislodging the files sitting beside him. “Watch it.”
He chuckled, and I bent to grab the papers that had fluttered to the floor. As I gathered them, a square, manila envelope, which looked oddly familiar, fell to the carpet.
“What is that?” I asked.
Aiden held out his hand, stopping me from touching it. He slipped a hand into his pocket, producing a latex glove.
I cocked an eyebrow. “Planning on a murder spree on the way home, Aiden? Do you seriously carry one of those around with you?”
He shot me a serious look. “You never know.”
He picked up the envelope and studied it. It was the same type as the other pictures had arrived in previously. The sight of it made me anxious.
“This wasn’t in the file when Greg gave it to you.”
“No,” I agreed.
“Has the file been on your desk all day?”
“Yes. No one has been in my office other than you, Maddox, or Sandy.”
Realization hit, and our eyes locked. “The kid this morning.”
Aiden nodded. “It wasn’t an accident.”
He opened the envelope carefully, and pulled out a picture, handling it by the corner. He studied it, then handed it to me. “Only touch it with the glove.”
The photo was simple. Me, outside Greg’s office this morning. Aiden wasn’t in the picture. The person who was made me stiffen with alarm.
Emmy was walking away from me; her head turned as she spoke. I was staring at her, a slight grin on my face.
I looked up at Aiden. “Fuck.”
“Stay calm. You’re the focal point.”
“I didn’t see anyone.”
He shook his head. “No one does, Bent. Everyone has a damn camera phone now, taking pictures of everything. It’s so common we don’t even notice it. From the angle, I’d say they were across the street. Five minutes later, they would have
had it printed and were waiting for you to leave the building.” He tapped his knuckles on his knee. “Which means, they’re still watching.”
“If they’re watching me, they’re watching her.” I felt the panic stirring in my chest. “I need to break it off with her until this is settled. They’ll leave her alone.”
He snorted. “Wow. Overreact much?”
I dug my hand into my pocket, running my fingers over the pearls hidden inside. “I can’t risk her. I can’t lose her. I fucking can’t.”
He leaned forward. “And you won’t. Don’t do anything stupid, Bentley. I won’t let anything happen to her, or to you.” He lowered his voice in understanding. “You won’t have to go through that again.”
Aiden and Maddox knew my history. His look told me he understood.
“I told Emmy about my parents.”
He nodded. “Then I know how much she means to you. I’m sure they’re doing this to piss you off, but I’ll put someone on her. They will be discreet, but you need to tell her, so she doesn’t panic if she spots them.” He grinned. “She’s pretty freaking smart, and she will spot them, I’m sure.”
“I don’t want to worry her.”
“Did this morning not teach you anything?”
I dragged a hand through my hair. “Maybe Al’s a bad liar. If I don’t mention it, it’s not a lie.”
He shook his head. “I spoke to him. He stuck to the script, but she knew instantly. Your girl is clever.” He held up the picture and snapped a copy on his phone. “I’ll send you this. I’m taking the original to have it dusted for prints, not that I expect to find anything.” He slipped the photo back into the envelope and laid it aside. “Take my advice, Bent. Lying by omission is still a lie. You’re better than that. Tell her the truth. You don’t have to overreact and dump her like an idiot or make her panic, but you should tell her. Let her know we’re simply being cautious.”
The car stopped, and I looked up at the house. “Okay.”
“Make sure the system is armed at all times. If you’re going out, let me know, and I’ll be here. You want me to move into the first floor?”
I thought about it. There was a comfortable room there, and Aiden had stayed in the past. There was a complete set-up security wise, too.
Vested Interest Box Set Books 1-3 Page 12
