Indulging in Irene

by D. L. Raver

  As I walked away, Marcy’s many anatomically impossible epithets sounded behind me. Honestly, I didn’t care—bigger issues weighed on my mind. I closed my eyes and sucked in a cleansing breath. I hovered on the edge, and my shadow-self closed in on me. The one method I used to chase it away, I’d denied myself. I couldn’t mindlessly fuck Marcy, or anyone else.

  So, I did the next best thing possible, I went home, jerked off in the shower, and then got well and truly baked. I smoked until I didn’t give a fuck. I’ll admit it took far too many bowls to accomplish that task.

  I had it bad for Irelyn Wilkes, and no amount of getting stoned or jerking off was going to fix that. There was only one solution to that problem. Unfortunately, the answer remained just outside my reach.

  The next day, I was useless to get any work done. All I could think about was that she had been with him—maybe sleeping with him, maybe not. My feelings ran roughshod over me, and my shadow-self tugged at the periphery. When I felt like this, I did really stupid shit. Like driving my Viper way too fast, or giving into the need to go to a bar to find several women to fuck that I wouldn’t normally give a second glance to. Admittedly, my standards lowered further when I was in this mood.

  I’d walked away from Marcy for a reason, and I needed to remember that. When it came down to it, I was a fucking hypocrite.

  I spoke a big game with Irelyn, but when I was alone with her, I couldn’t stop myself. Her body called to mine on a base level. I told myself to stand firm. Don’t touch, kiss, or do anything else with her until she dumped Marcus. Yet, last night, I gave in, kissing her like I’d die without her. I’d been a complete dick to her, and Marcy, playing her just to make Irelyn jealous. Even though it worked, I felt like an asshole.

  My phone buzzed at me, signaling an email. I opened it, happy to see a message from T-bone. As I scanned the email, my stomach clenched. Marcus Xavier had his fingers in all kinds of pies. And, just as I suspected, not all of them were on the up and up.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, not liking what I was reading. When I scrolled down and saw a picture of Irelyn, Chris, and Marcus, I nearly threw my phone against the wall. The bastard had the smarmiest look on his face as he stood between brother and sister, his greedy hand on her waist.

  I growled and closed my eyes, wanting to purge the image from my mind. I told myself this was crazy. Irelyn wasn’t mine, and I shouldn’t care. But fuck if I didn’t want her to be mine. Knowing that she wanted the same thing made me want to scream.

  I scrolled through the contacts and landed on Irelyn’s entry. Calling her after giving her an ultimatum made me look weak. The odds this would end up in my favor were slim at best. At least, that’s how I had to look at it. Hope would make it hurt worse when she didn’t choose me.

  I didn’t know Irelyn well enough to make an accurate guess as to what she’d do. All I could do was go on instinct, and therein lay the problem. Though my gut usually served me well, I’d allowed myself to get in a situation I couldn’t control, with a woman I didn’t even know. How fucking stupid was I?

  Pretty fucking stupid.

  Except for…

  My phone buzzed with an incoming call, pulling me from my disastrous train of thought.

  “Hey, T.”

  “Hey, Z Man. Listen, I’m pulling up all kinds of shit on this dude. Bad shit. I’m not liking what I’m finding.”

  “Like what?” I shifted in my chair and sat up straighter.

  “Nothing I want to elaborate on until I’ve had more time to flush out some of my leads. If it goes where I think it will, I’ll take the dude out myself.”

  “Fuck, T, what the hell are you talking about? You can’t say shit like that and not elaborate.”

  “Look, Zolt, if you care at all about Irelyn, you’ll do whatever you can to convince her to get away from this guy. I looked into the situation between Black Swan Incorporated and Xot International. From what I can tell, there was some shady shit that went down. Unfortunately, it looks like Jacob Wilkes may have been involved. I have one of my corporate guru’s looking into it. This has cost me favors, big favors.”

  “That’s fine,” I said, fiddling with a paperclip and a rubber band. “I’m starting to wonder if Wilkes gave me this case for a reason?”

  I heard T-bone let out a long sigh. “Like he’s in over his head? Needs someone to help him out? I wouldn’t be surprised. There’s a lot of puzzle pieces that need placing, but I don’t like the picture that’s emerging. Marcus has a nasty vibe trailing him.”

  “I completely agree. Anything on her brother’s death?”

  “Not yet, but I’ve only just started on that. I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, T.”

  “Thank me when you get my bill. I hope she’s worth it.”

  I smiled. “I think she is.”

  Fuck that! Irelyn was completely worth it.

  My office phone rang, and I started. “Yes, Liza?”

  “Mr. Wilkes is holding for you.”

  “Okay,” I answered, looking around the office guiltily.

  Stupid ass! He doesn’t know anything.

  “Put him through.”

  “Zolten, how are you?” Jacob Wilkes said over a fuzzy cell line.

  “Fine, sir. What can I do for you?”

  “I’d love for you to join us for dinner at my house tonight. Barbi and I are leaving for an extended time, and this is the only time we have free before we leave. Can you make it?”

  “Yes, sir. I’d love to.” Are you fucking kidding me?

  “Fine, fine. We’ll see you this evening. Marsha will email you the directions.”

  “Great,” I said and hung up.

  Well, that was an interesting development, I mused. I had to assume Irelyn would be there, and I couldn’t wait. I needed to see her, make sure she was okay. Since she hadn’t contacted me, I knew she must not have broken up with him last night. If this didn’t happen soon, I’d go crazy.

  Crazy Zolt wasn’t fun Zolt.

  For the rest of the day, I buried myself in research, and surprisingly enough, the hours flew. I had just enough time to get home, change, and smoke a bowl or two. I grabbed a bottle of Altamura Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and then I left for Irelyn’s.

  I drove up the winding road that led to the Wilkes’s home. When it came into sight, I wasn’t surprised by its grandeur. It was exactly the house I’d expected Jacob Wilkes to live in. The house was a four column, Greek revival home and was surrounded by rolling pastures—pretentious but not uninviting.

  I could imagine Irelyn growing up here.

  I could imagine a lot of things about Irelyn that I really shouldn’t.

  After parking the Viper, I walked to the door, rang the bell, and waited. When Irelyn opened the door, my face split into a grin. I couldn’t help myself. She was so fucking beautiful with her golden-blonde hair, wavy and loose; wearing a long red, flowing sundress with thin straps that sat delicately on her lovely shoulders. The only thing that ruined her appearance was the damn necklace she’d worn last night on her neck. It didn’t look right on her; it looked like a damn dog collar.

  “Irelyn,” I said as smoothly as I could muster. I didn’t want her to hear the effect seeing her had on me.

  “Zolt,” she returned, her eyes roamed appreciatively over my body. She glanced over her shoulder, and then moved closer, frowning at me.

  “Did you sleep with Marcy last night?”

  “Did you break up with Marcus last night?” I retorted.

  She shook her head and sighed, her gaze lowering to the ground. “I’m going to tomorrow, I promise.”

  I lifted her chin and kissed her forehead. “Tomorrow it is. And, no, I didn’t sleep with Marcy.”

  Irelyn’s resulting grin made my stomach do flips. When she took my arm to lead me into the sitting room where her father and mother lounged, that same unmistakable connection we shared sent electricity up my arm.

  We both looked at each other and smiled,
our connection turning us into grinning idiots.

  Jacob and Emmeline Wilkes were deep in conversation when we entered the sitting room. I swear when they saw us together, they both smiled their approval. Or maybe it was my wishful thinking.

  “Zolten,” Jacob said, “We’re so glad you could come on such short notice. Let me introduce you to my wife, Emmeline.”

  “Zolten, so pleased to meet you. My husband sings your praises. Welcome to our home.”

  “Thank you. Please, call me Zolt, Mrs. Wilkes,” I said, engaging my manners.

  “Of course, and you must call me Emme. Is that for us?” She asked and smiled at me. My heart stuttered a little. Irelyn favored her mother through and through. They were both beautiful.

  I handed over the bottle of wine I’d forgot I was holding, feeling like a fool.

  “Oh, yes. I discovered this vineyard last year on a trip to Napa. I hope you like it.”

  “Mom loves a good Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ll take it to Anna and have her open it so it can breathe.”

  Emme handed the bottle off to Irelyn, and she left the room. I tried hard not to watch the sway of her hips as she walked. And tried doubly hard not to think about my hands on those hips as I went down on her.

  Fuck. I was already starting to get hard. God, I was such a dog.

  Thankfully, a Scotch on the rocks found its way into my hand, giving me something else to concentrate on. I took a seat on the fine French provincial couch.

  “So, Zolt, I must say I was extremely pleased with your findings on the Aspen Holdings/Black Swan file. I know our client will be pleased. It’s important that we discovered it now rather than later.”

  “I agree. Glad I could be of assistance.”

  “Daddy, do we need to talk about work?” Irelyn said as she came back into the room. “I’m sure Zolt could use a break.”

  Irelyn took a seat next to me, and I breathed her in. I loved the way she smelled, sweet like meadow flowers on a bright summer day.

  Jesus, I sounded like a damn Hallmark greeting card.

  “Of course, Irelyn, you’re right. Zolt, how are you settling in?” Jacob asked.

  “Fine, thank you. I loved living here before…” I trailed off, and Irelyn put a reassuring hand on my arm and squeezed. We looked at each other, and our gazes caught. She knew at that moment where my thoughts had strayed, knew that they led to a bad place for me. Though it was a small gesture on her part, the meaning behind it was enormous.

  Like that, I calmed.

  “So sorry I’m late. Got stuck on a call to Africa.”

  Irelyn snatched her hand away, and her body stiffened.

  I looked at her, and then looked at Marcus heading toward Irelyn. Instantly, my jaw muscle ticked with tension.

  “Marcus,” Emme said, “glad you could make it, dear.”

  Irelyn said nothing, but I heard her gulp.

  It took everything I had in me not to pull her to me and wrap my arms around her, keeping her away from him.

  “Of course, Emme, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Especially since the both of you will be leaving. Don’t worry about our girl, I’ll take good care of her.” Marcus gave me a slant-eyed look as he pulled Irelyn up from her seat, and into his arms.

  I could feel Irelyn shudder at the contact, and watched her try to step back from his embrace. When he tried to kiss her on the lips, she turned her head. The look on her face made me want to scream at her parents.

  Fuck! Were they blind? Couldn’t they see the negative effect Marcus had on their daughter? Or did they not care?

  Downing the rest of my scotch, I white knuckled my glass. My stomach turned as the drink and the scene before me settled.

  Irelyn maneuvered herself away from Marcus, and he turned his gaze on me.

  “Marcus Xavier,” he said, putting one arm around Irelyn and extending the other one to me.

  I forced a fake smile to my face and stood. I was a good three inches taller than the squinty-eyed motherfucker, and I looked down at him. Then, I shook his hand, using the same grip I used to use on a football.

  Marcus grimaced and tried to pull his hand back.

  Pussy.

  “Zolt Hamil.”

  Take your fucking arm off Irelyn before I break it.

  “Wait. Zolt Hamil? Onetime quarterback for the Cardinals?” Marcus smiled at me, a knowing, ‘take that fucktard’ smile.

  “Yes, that Zolt,” Irelyn snarled at him. She moved away from him, giving him a death glare that made my balls shrivel.

  Before the conversation could deteriorate further, Anna, whom I assumed was the housekeeper, announced dinner.

  We filed into the dining room to a large, oak dining set. The table and chairs had an opulent brown stain over the decorative pilasters and ornate carved chair backs.

  I ran my hand over the back of the chair, appreciating the fine craftsmanship. It reminded me of the furniture I used to build for a local builder while I was in college at USC. Ever since, I had an eye for well-built pieces. This dining set certainly qualified.

  More than once, Brody suggested furniture building would be a hobby. Maybe he was right. There was something immensely satisfying in taking a piece of wood and working it with your hands.

  I looked up at Irelyn and thought about something else I’d like to work with my hands.

  With Jacob sitting at the head of the table, and Irelyn and Marcus sitting next to each other, I waited for Emme to sit and took a seat next to her. Then, I schooled my face into the impassive expression I used to don for game time and now used when facing off against adversarial attorneys.

  One thing that being a quarterback taught me was to assess the entire playing field. Marcus, too, knew something about the impassive stare, and I knew he was checking me out as much as I was him.

  He had competition now. What he didn’t know was how much of a threat I actually presented to him.

  “I hope you like Chateaubriand, Zolt,” Emme placed her linen napkin on her lap.

  From across the table, Marcus frowned. His expression mimicking that of a petulant child.

  “Now, now, Marcus. No need for the scowl,” Emme reprimanded. “Our chef has prepared your favorite salmon dish.”

  Irelyn let out a little sigh and rolled her eyes. It took everything I had not to laugh out loud.

  “I adore it,” I said, smiling at Emme. “It’s one of my favorite beef dishes. In fact, the chef from the vineyard of the wine I brought made a wonderful version of it for me last time I visited.”

  “Excellent. I hope our chef can do it justice,” she offered.

  “I’m sure it will be wonderful.”

  The rest of the dinner preceded much the same way. I did my best to make Marcus seem like an ass every time he said something particularly snobbish. It was blatantly obvious that having both of us at the same table pained Irelyn. The more I watched her interaction with Marcus, the more I knew she needed to be away from him. I didn’t know what T-bone had found, or what he would find, but like last night, my sixth sense had pegged this guy as bad news. The possessive way he looked at her, and touched her, made me want to dive across the table and smack his smug expression off his unremarkable face.

  Several times, Marcus tried to bring the conversation to my football career, or to be more exact, the end of it. Each time, he’d given me the creepiest glare. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what he was trying to convey. A warning? Perhaps, but I wouldn’t take the bait, and Irelyn quickly changed the subject.

  Her need to look out for me touched me deeply. As I was apt to do, I thought about her on that day, and the way she’d held me with her sable-brown gaze, comforting me in a way no one else could.

  When I looked up from my plate, that same gaze stared at me. This time there was an added heat to it that made me shiver. She licked the edge of her lip with the tip of her pink tongue, and then dropped her gaze.

  Fuck. I’d had that tongue on me, and I knew what it was capable of. If she didn
’t break up with Marcus soon, I’d have to pay T-bone to take care of it.

  I laughed silently at my wayward thoughts because I knew I wasn't kidding.

  This decision had to be Irelyn's. I couldn’t make it for her as much as I might want to.

  With the meal mercifully over, we all rose from the table and returned to the sitting room. I prayed my leg hadn’t stiffened to the point of locking. Falling on my face would seriously diminish my position.

  A tray of after dinner digestifs of some sort made its way around, but I declined.

  To my surprise, Marcus pulled Jacob to the side where they spoke in hushed tones.

  Jacob visibly paled, peaking my interest.

  “You’ll excuse me, Zolt. Marcus and I have a few things to discuss before I leave. Please pardon my rudeness.” He came over and shook my hand. The disturbed look in his sable-browns made me think this was a conversation he didn’t want to have.

  Black Swan, I thought.

  “No problem, sir. Thank you for dinner. Have a wonderful trip.”

  Jacob nodded his head at me, and he and Marcus walked into a room I assumed was his study.

  “Irelyn, wait for me in the sitting room. I’d like to speak to you before I leave.” Marcus demanded as he prepared to close the door. Before he did, his eyes narrowed in my direction in what I was sure was a threat of some sort. I knew that look. I’d seen it too many times in the faces of the many linebackers that wanted to take me out, and I saw it in the eyes of the one that finally did.

  My spine stiffened, and I rose to my full height, squaring my shoulders.

  Bring it on, asshole. I dare you.

  If he thought I’d crumple under his less than intimidating glare, he needed to think again. Even though I wasn’t as big as I’d been during my NFL years, I wasn’t small either. Bad leg or not, I could still do serious damage.

  Irelyn stood between us, caught in the crossfire, her expression hardening in Marcus’s direction.

  With the door open mere inches, his gaze dropped to my leg, and he smiled before shutting the door.

  What the fuck! A cold chill traveled up my spine like someone had trampled my grave. I rubbed my arms and turned to Irelyn.