Thirteen

by Scarlett Finn

  It was becoming more and more difficult to maintain any distance. Sometimes she caught herself just staring at him and any time her thoughts drifted to anything in the future, she found herself including him in her ideas, like it was just a given that he’d be around.

  Taylor had gone to take a call a while ago. Her phone had rung, and she’d run off wearing a grin. Evie hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but as she glanced at the vacant chair beside hers, she started to get worried.

  Putting her napkin on her chair, Evie rose, and bent over the table to cover Oak’s hand with hers. “Sorry,” she said to Lana for interrupting their conversation, then switched her concentration to Oak. “I’m going to check on Taylor. If we’re not back in ten minutes, come find us.”

  He nodded. His brow dropping with concern, he turned his hand under hers, so they were palm to palm. “Is there a problem?”

  Slapping a smile on her face, she didn’t want to make him think anything was wrong because her panic wasn’t usually justified. It was just her default to assume something awful would happen, and that’s why Evie wanted to make sure back-up would follow… something she hadn’t had when she walked in on Beth and Gemmell.

  “No,” she said. “You know how it is, guys drooling all over us babes; sometimes we need an out on hand… so if anyone asks you’re my really jealous husband, ok?”

  It was meant to be a joke and Lana laughed, but Oak’s eyes flared. Shit. It probably wasn’t smart to joke about being married when he’d only just brought up the idea of commitment yesterday. But Evie had admitted her commitment issues, several times, so he couldn’t really think she meant that they’d ever get married? Could he?

  Her thoughts about Oak and his opinion on what she’d said became insignificant when she didn’t find Taylor in the hallway outside the restrooms. She’d watched Taylor coming this way, but Evie’s back was to the hallway entrance, so Taylor could’ve departed again without her noticing.

  Her terror level rose when she clocked the fire escape at the end of the hallway. Anyone could’ve come in here and grabbed Taylor.

  Searching for security cameras as she raced toward the restroom, she started to think about cops and if Oak would have the connections to get the FBI involved fast. There were two women in the restroom when she burst in and they both stepped back, but Evie didn’t care if she was making an idiot of herself.

  “Have you seen a blonde in here about—” The sound of sniffing stopped her and Evie zoned in on an end stall. “Tay?” Marching to the stall, she knocked on the door. “Honey, are you in there?”

  The women behind her were whispering to each other as they departed the restroom, probably commenting on her crazy dramatics, but Evie didn’t give a fig what anyone thought of her. The lock of the door slid back, and she stepped away to let it open.

  When it opened, her heart clenched when she saw Taylor’s tear-stained cheeks and red eyes. “Evie,” she sniffed and lost control of her tears again.

  “Oh, honey,” Evie said, rushing forward to take her into her arms.

  Taylor sobbed. Evie moved further into the stall to hold her tighter and close the door behind them. Whatever had caused Taylor’s heart to break was contagious because she felt herself ache for the pain this innocent soul was enduring. Evie would hold her for as long as she needed comfort and then they’d come up with a plan to make everything all better again, no matter what it took.

  Evie was aware that she’d told Oak ten minutes, so she calmed Taylor, got part of the story, and then excused herself. She only intended to wave at Oak across the room to tell him that everything was ok.

  But when she opened the restroom door, the first thing she saw was him there in the hallway, leaning against the opposite wall. She didn’t know how long he’d been there, but just the fact that he was made her want to cry.

  Sinking back against the doorframe of the restroom, she exhaled and closed her eyes. “Sweet?” he asked.

  Blinking at him, she read the depth of his concern. “How long have you been standing there?”

  “The whole time,” he said. “A couple of women came out and told me about the crazy babe looking for a blonde. Figured it was you.”

  The whole time. That pair of women had left the restrooms seconds after she’d entered, which meant he had to have been on her tail.

  Instinct made her rush the width of the corridor into his arms. “Oh,” she sighed.

  Cupping the back of her head, he pressed his mouth against her. “What’s wrong? Is Taylor ok?”

  “Yes,” she said, squeezing herself closer. “I mean, no, she’s not ok. But physically, she’s safe.”

  “And that’s what you were worried about, that something had happened to her physically? Sweet, if you’re ever worried, you tell me. You’re not alone. We’re family. Tay and I care about you as much as you care about us.”

  Easing back, she touched his lips. “Please don’t say anything mushy right now, I’m trying to hold onto my anger. I don’t want to cry in public.”

  She appreciated him so much when he smiled after she did. He was good at that, reading what she needed and going with it, even though he probably had a bunch of questions. Losing the smile, she scowled and punched his arm.

  “Hey!” he said, rubbing his arm. “Why did you do that?”

  Bowing forward, she hissed. “Men. You can be real bastards, you know that?” His whiplash was sort of funny to watch because although he tried to come up with something to say, he had nothing. “Taylor deserves better, way better.”

  Oak got angry immediately, like there wasn’t even a full breath of time between him figuring out what she was saying and him reacting. “A guy hurt her? Who? Give me his fucking name.”

  Oh, shit, that was sexy. He was mad, protective, willing to spill the blood of the man who’d hurt his sister. But Evie would do horny later, they didn’t have much time.

  “Ethan is getting married.”

  “E…What?”

  “At least you’re as stunned as she was,” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

  Oak put an arm around her to move her closer to the wall, out of the way of a group who were passing to go into the restrooms. It brought their bodies closer together. When he nestled her against him like this, she could lose her reserve and let herself relax.

  It made no sense to her because she hadn’t trusted anyone, not since Beth. But she wanted to believe Oak would never hurt her or let her come to harm.

  But right now wasn’t about her, it was about Taylor. “That fucker,” he snarled. “She broke up with him months ago.”

  “Yeah, well they were talking about getting back together. Taylor was… besotted. She talked about him like it was a done deal… she was even worried about how you’d accept him into the family after what went on between them.”

  “I… had no idea you two talked about that kind of thing.”

  “We’ve been having lunch together a lot,” she said. “I had to make up some ground after the whole semi-naked in your office thing.” That’s why she called Taylor a few days into her contract, well that and because she wanted the woman to like her. In terms of time, Evie had spent more with Taylor than she had with Oak… before this trip anyway. “Hey, can we have sex in your office now?” It was nice to see one side of his mouth look so happy, but when swagger bled into his expression, she folded her arms and tipped up her chin. “Forget I asked; no sex at the office.”

  “Sex at the office is definitely on my agenda,” he said like she hadn’t made her last statement at all. “We just have to find a way to close the blinds more discreetly than last time.”

  True.

  They’d just have to wait until everyone knew they were together. After that, discretion would be damned, and he better get used to her taking what she wanted wherever they were. Evie had no problem being forthright, not with Oak.

  The more people who knew he belonged to her, the less chance she’d lose him to competition… And if guys kn
ew she belonged to Oak, she’d have to worry about fewer approaching her…

  Yes, she’d have to be open about their sexual relationship, and make sure the world knew there wasn’t a man alive able to satisfy her like Oak, then she’d be safe. Everyone would stay away from her.

  Slowly, her eyes closed. Resignation filled her with dread. “Shit,” she exhaled.

  “What?” Oak asked, lifting her chin with a finger. “Sweet, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she said, pulling away from his finger. “I just had a stupid thought that I shouldn’t have had… it’s becoming a bad habit.”

  “A stupid thought about what?”

  It was sweet that he looked so worried, but she put a hand on his chest and straightened up. “Taylor wants to go upstairs to get drunk.”

  “Ok,” he said. “You were thinking about—”

  “No, forget my thoughts. This is a new conversation.” The poor guy looked so confused, but she carried on. “I… I’ll go to her room with her, we’ll watch sad movies, drink, and talk shit about guys. So, I apologize in advance, but your gender is going to take a hit tonight.”

  He exhaled a smile. “I forgive you.”

  When he ducked to kiss her, she slid down the wall and for the first time, ever, she appealed to someone, non-medical for help. “I need you to listen to me. I need you to do something for me,” she said. “It’s important… Important like if you don’t do it, we’ll be through because I won’t be able to trust you anymore.”

  “I’ll do anything,” he said. “What do you need?”

  Swallowing, she tried to forget about the fact that she hadn’t spent the night with anyone or without her traps since before Beth. “At midnight, come to Taylor’s room.”

  “Ok.”

  “Don’t just knock and walk away. You have to see both of us, ok? Both of us. Don’t take the other one’s word for anything. And if we don’t answer the door, you find a way to talk the manager into letting you in, ok? You have to see both of us.” It was impossible to express how important this was because it probably didn’t make sense to him why she was so adamant about it. “I know I’m a crazy person and if you want to dump my ass after tonight, that’s fine, but I—”

  He skimmed a hand over her hair. “I’m always looking for excuses to see you, and you’ve just given me one. I’m grateful, not pissed.”

  “Both of us,” she said, not letting him make this into something romantic. “You put eyes on both of us. Check for pulses if you have to… if someone gets into the room and—”

  “I understand, Sweet,” he whispered. “I promise you’ll both be protected. I won’t take your safety for granted. I’ll check on you both.”

  Somehow, his reassurance helped to dispel her anxiety. “Thank you, Oakley.”

  “But…”

  Uh-oh, a but? Was he going to make an excuse and back out? “Oakley Orion—”

  “Why don’t you get drunk in the suite?” he said. She was so taken aback that she sealed her lips. “There’s a bar in there, better to drink from full-sized bottles than crappy miniatures. You can spread out in the living room, I’ll leave you both alone, then you can share the bedroom when you pass out. I’ll stay sober and sleep on the couch, right outside the door in case you need anything or feel unsafe.”

  Could that work? She was fine with the drinking part, but she wasn’t so wild about spending the night with Taylor. But the girl needed a friend and if she got upset, Evie didn’t want to be clock watching or making her think that she was a burden.

  “Ok,” she said. “That might work.” She stuck a stern finger into his chest. “But this is about what’s best for Taylor, do you understand?”

  “No sex,” he said with a straight face.

  She had some of the wind taken from her sails. “Exactly. No sex for you.”

  “For me?” he asked, wearing a mischievous grin. “For no one, I hope.”

  “Well, I will be sleeping with Taylor,” she said, getting sly. “She’s vulnerable and might need comfort.” Cutting off the tease, she gasped. “Can you make sure the sheets are changed? This afternoon, we—”

  “I called housekeeping before I came down to dinner,” he said, “I figured you’d want fresh sheets to soil tonight.”

  In mock offense, she let her mouth fall open. “How dare you! I will never spend the night with you, Mr. Orion, I thought I made that clear.”

  As teasing as it was, there was a thread of truth to that statement, but Oak seemed to miss it. “But you’ll sleep with my sister?”

  “Your sister is sweet as a button… You’re nothing but carnal urges.” When he swayed closer, she had to ease him back. “You keep them to yourself. I have to get back to my favorite girl.” Pushing him aside, she took one step away from the wall, then swung back around to face him, holding up a finger like she had an afterthought when really this was the most important item on her agenda. “Oh, one more thing.”

  “Yes, Sweet?”

  Shaking her head, the last thing she felt was sweet. Evie narrowed her eyes and glared so hard that he shrank. “Hurt him.”

  “What?”

  “This Ethan fucker. I want him punished… I’m not telling you to go and kick his ass, nothing so direct. Everything we do should be indirect. Keep yourself half a step away so nothing can be pinned to us, but close enough that the next time you lay your eyes on this bastard, you can raise your glass and wink at him and he’ll know not to fuck with your family ever again.”

  “Evie—”

  “I’d do it myself, but I’m going to hold Taylor for a few days, she’ll be my focus. I figure you might have the connections to hurt him hard and fast. I want him to lose… everything if possible. His job. His apartment. His car. I don’t care if he loses the girl, might be best if he doesn’t because I don’t want him near Taylor, but I don’t give a fuck if his heart is broken. And we’ll make sure Taylor is protected. Call his boss, or his boss’ wife, his brother, anyone who can hurt this fucker. Call in a favor. I don’t give a damn how you do it, Oakley. But you take him apart and know that I will always hold a grudge against this guy for as long as I live and as long as you’re with me I’ll demand that you hold one too. Taylor is too sweet, she’ll forgive him, probably sooner than she should. In a few days, this Ethan guy will call her, she’ll soften, maybe start to feel sorry for him, and then the excuses will start… When Taylor starts that, you don’t take it, get angry, tell her you won’t hear her making excuses for the bastard. You’ll fight, and she’ll hate you… your relationship will take a hit and you’ll want to relent, don’t.

  “She’ll come to me, and I’ll make her see that you’re right, but I’ll do it nicer, softer, then she’s going to come to you and apologize and that’s when you hold her. She’ll cry. She’ll need your support. She’ll ask you why it hurts so bad. She’ll ask you to take that pain away and your heart will break. She’ll need you to promise that Ethan will never hurt her again… and you will make her that promise, Oakley Orion, because you and me are going to make sure this fuck never lays a hand on Taylor again. We won’t let him get back into her head. Do you understand me?” With his mouth open and his expression stunned, he managed a loose nod. Twisting a saucy smile to her lips, she angled her hips and drew a fingertip down his tie. “If you do this for me, and defend your sister with everything you have, I’m going to find it very difficult to keep my clothes on around you. It will be very… very hard.”

  Purring each word while she pouted, she parted her lips as she looked at his, thinking about how sweet his kiss would taste right now.

  “Our family,” he breathed out though it seemed to be a struggle.

  “What?”

  “You said he would never hurt my family again,” he said. “You meant our family.”

  The bottom fell out of her stomach and her pout became a gape. “Oakley—”

  “You had a whole plan… you found this out ten minutes ago and… you have a whole plan,” he said like he wa
s impressed and awed and…

  “I care about Taylor. I’m not even sure I care if I’m overstepping the mark,” she said. “I want to protect her. It’s not my place to tell you how to handle your relationship with her. I just know how women like—”

  “Your advice is precious to me,” he said, opening his hand on her cheek. “I’ll say exactly what you want me to say. The fighting part I can handle, I wouldn’t listen to her excuses anyway, that’s for damn sure. The guy can rot in hell.”

  “That’s too good for him,” she said and shivered when Oak smiled.

  “Right. You’re right.” His caress was making her forget that they were in a public hallway and shouldn’t be touching each other at all. It gave her such comfort that she relaxed into it, how could he make her feel so safe and cherished just by putting one hand on her face? “You just tell me what she needs to hear when she comes to me after, when she’s upset. I want to say the right thing. To say what she needs to hear to make her feel better.”

  “I love you,” she whispered and when his hand stopped stroking, she regained some of her wits. Shit, what did she just say? “Taylor… that’s what Taylor needs you to say, all she needs you to say. She needs you to say, I love you.”

  “I love you,” he murmured, looking right into her eyes as he smoothed his fingers over her cheek again. “I can handle saying that ‘cause I mean it.”

  Had they just…? No. They hadn’t. That was… they weren’t even talking about them.

  “She’s, uh…” Damn, Evie told herself to get it together. “Taylor is… she doesn’t want to talk about it. She said she just wants to get hammered, so… we’ll get drunk… and then we’ll talk. Don’t pressure her to talk to you tonight.”

  “No pressure,” he said.

  His hand was still tormenting her face and her hormones were clouding her sense, but she needed to focus on Taylor. Pulling his arm down, she pushed it to his side. “I’m going back into the restroom, you go back to the table and I’ll maybe see you later.”

  He caught her arm when she retreated. “You’re a good friend, Evie. Thank you for taking care of Tay.”