by Kym Grosso
“This is really good.” Seth changed the subject.
“You need to learn how to cook.”
“This is, hmm.” Braelynn briefly closed her eyes, savoring her bite. “Sorry, it’s just I don’t get homemade food like this often.”
“It’s a recipe from my mom, but I prefer it with avocados.” As she dragged the tip of her tongue over her lip, blood rushed to Lars’ cock.
“I eat out a lot. I love to cook too, but…” her words drifted off and she averted her gaze from Lars. Stabbing a piece of the delicious creation, she lifted it to her mouth. “I used to cook before I moved here.”
“How long have you been in California?” Lars asked.
“Less than two years.” Braelynn slid the fork into her mouth and shrugged.
“You did work in the Caribbean, right?”
Braelynn chewed her food and nodded, not answering.
“What kind of work do you do here in San Diego?” Seth asked. He glanced to Lars, who gave him a pointed stare.
“I, uh, I have a degree in marine biology,” she responded, not divulging the information he sought.
“Do you surf?”
“No, I, um, I used to spend a lot of time in the water, though. I scuba dive.” Braelynn glanced to Lars, her eyes pleading for the questioning to stop.
“She’s in research,” Lars commented, a hint of irritation in his voice.
“You’re in an office all day? No way.” Ignoring the anger emanating from his friend, Seth continued. “You go in the ocean, right? Anyone who lives down here has got to like the beach?”
“Yes, I love the beach.” Braelynn set down her fork and laid her palms calmly on the table. “Marine biologists. We don’t all work in the field, I’m afraid. Of course, that’s what I love but sometimes…well, we can’t have what we want. We grow up. Settle. Do what’s best.”
“Best for who?” Seth asked, his voice gentle.
Sadness washed across her face, and she wiped her mouth as if she were trying to erase the pain inside. “Sometimes…we do what we think is right. Not just for us but for everyone.”
“Hey man, you mind if I talk to you for a few minutes on the way out? I know you’re in a rush to get in a few waves.” Lars stood, waiting on Seth.
“Yeah, sure.” Seth gave him a guilty grin, and Lars shook his head in response. “He’s right. I’d love to eat more, but not great before a ride. I’d better get going.”
As Seth shoved to his feet, Lars noted Braelynn’s solemn demeanor. No matter how hard she attempted to conceal her torment, she wore it like shackles. He’d lost patience with the conversation as it did little to expose the catalyst for her pain or what had happened on the beach.
“It was nice meeting you, Doc. Hope to see you soon.” Seth waved and nodded as he slowly backed away from the table.
“Can you give me a minute?” Lars asked Braelynn.
“Yes. But Lars.” She paused.
“Yeah.”
“I need to go home soon.”
“Talk first,” Lars said, her words cutting through him. No matter the kindness he’d shown her, she doubted him. “Don’t move.”
They exchanged a heated stare as he went to follow Seth. Braelynn turned her gaze to focus on the rolling waves, and Lars grew more determined to expose her secret before letting her go.
“Hey, what we talked about,” Lars began as he reached for the door knob. “Brae. Don’t mention this to Garrett.”
“Dude, I’m not going to tell him that she’s here. But if he asks me flat out, you know I can’t lie to him.” He sighed, plowing his fingers through his unruly hair. “You know I want answers too. But thinking on this…if Garrett was trying to warn you off last night, well, then, he’s in this deep. I don’t know how far or why.”
“Chase. He doesn’t want me pursuing this either.” As he spoke out loud, a realization slammed him. “Interestingly he is also a marine biologist. Does a lot of deep sea diving.”
“Yeah, but he’s hardly ever in the office. What would he have to do with Braelynn? I’ve never seen her at Emerson.”
“True, but maybe Chase is the one driving the bus?”
“It’s all speculation.”
“You’re hardly ever in the office. You’re out testing products, and let’s get real, it’s not like you have to work.”
“Pot meet kettle.” Seth shook his head with a sideways grin.
“All I’m saying is that neither you nor Chase are married to the office. Maybe he knows her from one of his assignments. She’s worked in the Caribbean. Chase has been there.”
“He’s been lots of places, though. Not that you’re going to see his name on the projects because you know how he is. And the doc has been here in San Diego for almost two years. You ran a background check on her, yeah?”
“I did. Interestingly, she’s only been at Bart-Aqua for about nine months.”
“Before that?”
“Looks like her data has been scrubbed. Some jobs are there. In college, she’s worked some of the ecotours. Kayaking. Hiking trips. Stuff like that. She had a one month job she did in South Africa. Then her work in the Caribbean. Post-doctoral work or something. Then there’s a big gap.”
“But I thought she had been doing research prior to her move here?”
“Exactly. Why does a brilliant scientist jump from major league field research to no job at all and then back into research again? Not to mention that Bart-Aqua isn’t exactly known to be environmentally friendly.”
“I don’t know. Something is off with this whole situation.”
Lars opened the front door. A cool sea breeze tunneled through the foyer.
Seth passed through the threshold and paused. “Lars.”
“Yeah?”
“Braelynn.”
“What?”
“She’s an attractive woman.” He smiled at Lars, unfolding the Ray Bans that hung on the front of his shirt. Pushing them onto his face, he gave his friend a cool smile. “You, uh, mentioned Altura in front of her.”
“I did,” Lars admitted.
“Do you really think that she’s innocent? That you can trust what she tells you?”
“That remains to be seen.”
“But you said something about Altura in front of her,” he pressed.
“There’s something about her. You and I were both there that day. The beach.” Lars scrubbed his hand over his chin. “But it’s more than that. I was with her in the hospital. Last night, the party. Here at the house. I need to know what happened.”
“Do you need to know what happened or do you need to know her? Because Lars, and you know I love ya, boy, but you are…” Seth bobbed his head while he searched for the perfect word, “a bit of a player.”
“Last I checked, you have no room to talk.”
“True, my friend. But you’re courting trouble where you don’t need to,’ he advised.
“It’s not that simple. It’s not like I fucking met her in a bar.”
“She’s attractive.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that.”
“Maybe you’re thinking a little too much with your dick?” Seth laughed.
“I can’t say that I don’t want her.” He shrugged.
“Well, maybe you need to be careful not to get that precious dick of yours shot at again.”
“Maybe you need to mind your fucking business.”
“Club Altura is my business. You don’t even know how open she is.”
“She agreed to let me restrain her today. She’s staying in my house. She just had breakfast with two men and knows she’s going to face off with me.”
“So?”
“All those things tell me she’s brave. She isn’t begging to leave, or crying her eyes out. No, she’s calm. She might be afraid to trust me or to ask for my help but she’s strong.”
“That may be true but you’d better be willing to test her if you’re planning on bringing her into Altura. And I’d suggest you run that by Garrett
.”
“Oh I know he wouldn’t like it, but we all get to use our own judgement about who we want to bring to the club. And besides, I didn’t even say I was going to bring her.” Lars knew he’d need to be fairly confident in her ability to handle the situation if and when he ever brought her into his world. For the longest time, he’d warned Selby away, not believing she belonged.
“You sure ‘bout this?” Seth reached into his pocket, retrieving the keys to his Jeep.
“I can promise you this. If I ever bring her to Altura, she’ll be ready for it,” Lars assured him.
“As long as you know what you’re doing.” Seth began to walk to his car then turned to his friend. “I’d be happy to help if you’re interested.”
“Yeah, I bet you would.”
“Hey, now. Just think on it.” He waved before opening his door and sliding into the front seat.
Lars and Seth had shared women on occasion, and Braelynn should be no different than the rest. If they had sex, and she wanted the pleasure of another man, he’d consider it. As Lars’ mind began to wander, rolling the idea around in his mind, he heard Sasha barking. A scream echoed and he tore through the house, toward the back yard. Braelynn.
Chapter Eight
Braelynn took a deep breath. With every second that passed, the more she contemplated telling Lars everything. Despite her paranoia, he’d been true to his word, hadn’t called the police. But doubts persisted about his motives. He was friends with Garrett and Chase. For all she knew, he’d already contacted them.
Her eyes darted to the cliff where she’d trekked the previous night. It was nearly fifty feet to the edge. If she sprinted, she reasoned she could possibly make it back to her car. But as she ran her palms over the soft robe, she remembered that she’d left her keys in her jeans pocket. Lars had told her he’d thrown her clothes in the dryer and retrieved them.
Her mind wandered to the handcuff he’d used to fasten her to the bed. She’d consented, but not willingly. He didn’t trust her. She’d been treated like a criminal. Yet his touch was that of a lover, his hands gentle on her skin. She rubbed her wrist, recalling how he’d caught her daydreaming, lost in her fantasy. The man made her hotter than hell, and she hated the loss of control over her emotions. A relationship with Lars was impossible. The best she could hope for was a life free from bars.
A bark in the distance drew her attention and she caught sight of Sasha barreling toward her. Braelynn knelt to greet her, steadying herself with one hand to the ground. As the rambunctious pup ran toward the patio, she glanced at the pool. Braelynn struggled to maintain her balance, reaching for the ball of fur. Unsuccessful in regaining her equilibrium, she toppled into the water, giving a loud scream. Her laughter carried in the wind as she broke the surface. But as the sodden thick cotton robe began to drag her under, she started to panic, fighting to keep her head above the water.
Fumbling to untie the belt, she cursed. Her legs burned, treading water. Calm down. Breathe. You’ve got this, she told herself. Although she’d always loved the water, she’d already nearly drowned once in the past twenty-four hours. She shoved down the fears of the memory, relief tearing through her as the sash loosened, allowing her to shed the fabric.
Braelynn swam to the side of the pool and reached for its edge. Clasping at the stone, her breasts brushed its smooth inner surface. Coolness passed between her legs, and the realization that she was stark naked hit her. Lars. Any second he’d be back. She scanned the patio for a towel, but the only covering of any kind she could spot was a stack of chaise longue cushions sitting five feet away.
Beggars can’t be choosers. It wasn’t the first time in her life she’d improvised. Without giving thought to the ladder to her right, she flattened her palms onto the patio. As she pressed upward, she caught sight of Lars staring at her. Blood rushed to her cheeks in embarrassment, and she dipped back out of his line of vision. This isn’t happening. A nervous smile broke across her face, and she buried her forehead on her crossed arms. Of all the stupid things I’ve ever done…no, no, no.
“You okay?” she heard him ask. Braelynn lifted her gaze, settling on his.
“I’m wet.” Sweet baby Jesus, I did not just say that.
He laughed and approached slowly. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“I fell,” she managed.
“You know, when I heard you scream, I assumed you were in danger. And here you are,” Lars never took his eyes off her as he walked the length of the pool, “taking a morning swim.”
“I just said I fell,” she responded, irritated that he was playing with her.
“Fell in the pool. Swim. Whatever.” He nodded in approval. “Naked, though. You know, I can say I was not expecting that.”
“Neither was I.” She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, watching as he turned back toward the house. “Where are you going?”
“Relax, Doc. I’ll be right back.” He gave a half salute, disappearing into the house.
“Get me a towel,” Braelynn yelled. What the hell is he doing?
She considered shoving out of the pool and running up the stairs, but her short-lived plan was thwarted as Lars returned. Braelynn squinted, the sun in her eyes. She held tight to the edge with one hand while she brushed the water from her face. As he drew closer and she caught sight of the string wrapped in his masculine fist, her pulse raced.
“Something wrong?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“You have it.” Braelynn’s eyes went wide as he held up the brass key she’d hidden in the sand.
“I told you I had it. You see, that’s the thing about me, Brae. I mean what I say.” Lars crossed to meet her and settled into a large contemporary sofa. Its red and white stripes stood out against the grey stones. Dangling the key in the air, he locked his eyes on hers. “You’re going to learn you can trust me.”
“Why should I trust you?” Her voice grew louder; she was frustrated more with herself for everything she’d done. “You didn’t call the police, I’ll give you that. But you don’t owe me anything. I don’t know why you are even bothering.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“I know exactly who you are. Lars Elliott. CEO.” She gave him a sideways glance and continued, “Playboy.”
“Seriously?” he interrupted. “You’re gonna go there?”
“Playboy,” Braelynn gritted out, not giving a fuck about hurting his feelings after he’d toyed with her. He wanted the truth, after all. Everyone at Emerson knew the score. She was wet and naked in a pool, and her limit of patience had been reached. “You do something athletic. Besides the surfing. I don’t know what but I can tell…” she stuttered, her eyes washing over him. “Smart. Brave. You saved me. The hospital. Nice voice.”
“You remember?” His voice softened.
“It’s hazy.”
“I want answers, Brae.”
“I want a towel.” She shot him a wicked smile, cocking her head.
“How about we help each other?” he suggested, standing.
“I can’t…” Braelynn stopped short of begging and considered climbing out of the pool nude.
“Towels,” he continued, approaching a large teak armoire. The doors opened, revealing neatly stacked rolls of brightly colored beach towels. Lars tucked a couple under his arm and returned to the edge of the pool, twirling the key.
“Can I please have one?”
“I’m thinking we should do an exchange. A towel for the truth. Fair is fair.” He shrugged and tossed them onto a chaise. “But this key here. It’s what I’m most interested in.”
“You weren’t lying.”
“There’s something I don’t get.” Lars fingered the inscription. “What could this open that is so valuable you’d be willing to break into my house?”
“I’m not doing this,” she challenged. “I’m not answering another question while you’re out there and I’m here like…” Braelynn glanced down at her breasts, and quickly peered back up to him, pressing her
body against the side of the pool, concealing her nudity.
“Ah, is that all?” he replied.
“What the hell do you mean ‘is that all’? I’m not dressed.”
“I told you you can trust me.”
“I don’t,” she fired back.
“If it was just a matter of clothes, you should have said so.” Lars gave a laugh and strolled to the set of stairs that stretched the entire width of the far end of the pool. With a tug, he peeled off his white t-shirt.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Braelynn’s pulse raced at the sight of his hard broad chest. She noted the flirtatious flicker in his eyes, his sexy smile leaving her tingling in desire. As he slid his thumbs into his shorts, tugging downward and revealing a deep v, she covered her eyes with her hands. Oh no…he doesn’t think he’s going to… “You can’t do that!”
“Do what? Just leveling the playing field.”
Every traitorous cell in her body lit in awareness as she heard the splash of him entering the water. Braelynn tried not to stare at him but couldn’t resist the temptation. Like Neptune himself, he broke the surface, shaking the moisture from his hair. Droplets rolled down his chiseled abs, the edge of the liquid teasing his pelvis. Her breath caught as he brushed a hand over his hair, continuing to grin. He lifted his right hand out of the water, and the key came into view.
“Do you like games, Brae?”
“Um, what? Games?” she stuttered, unable to look away as he grazed a palm over his chest.
“You want a towel so you can go home. I want answers about what’s going on here.”
“But…”
“Ah, ah, ah…my turn to talk,” he shushed her. “You see I’m a patient man. But last night, well that changed everything.”
“I told you I…” she began but he held up a silencing hand.
“This is how this game is going to work.”
“I don’t want to play…” she tried to interrupt.
“You don’t have a choice.” Lars dangled the key in the air. “Here’s how this is going to work. For every question you answer, I move a foot toward you. I figure I have about ten questions max. Truth for the key.”
