Not Just Business

by J Cartwright

  “Good, because I’m not letting you guys go without a fight,” I giggled when we pulled away.

  Chris grinned a little wider, but I knew that he was probably right. In the end, this would fall apart, it had to. How on earth were we meant to make something as complicated as this work?

  “Come on, we better get a move on otherwise Taylor is going to think we’ve stood him up or something,” Chris chuckled.

  Pushing those complicated thoughts to one side, I focused on just enjoying my time. If my time with the guys was limited, then I needed to reach out with both hands and take it all in while I could.

  Chapter 32

  Emma

  The meal was great, the restaurant just as lavish as Chris had expected it to be. From the moment we walked in we were looked after like we were royalty, and that experience was only made better by the way the guys were looking out for me.

  As always, they were the perfect gentlemen.

  Taylor pulled out my chair when we joined him at the table, his lips curving to form the most mischievous smile. He tossed his head back and beamed at me, the tight navy shirt he was wearing clinging to his body.

  “I still can’t believe you managed last the whole day without pouncing on me,” Taylor chuckled once we’d finished our meal.

  Glaring at him across the table I poked my tongue out at him.

  “Careful, they’ll probably throw you out of a place as nice as this for sticking your tongue out,” Chris joked, or at least I hoped he was joking.

  “They’ll do worse if you’re not careful,” Taylor added. “So will I if you don’t behave.”

  The wink he shot me made me audibly groan, and then I was blushing again.

  The idea of them taking me back to Taylor’s and punishing me for misbehaving was a far more than a little appealing.

  “Hey, you’re not meant to like that,” Taylor said, winking again.

  It took me a few moments to pull myself together, but when I did, I fixed him with my most defiant stare.

  “You’re the one who needs telling off with the way you’re behaving. I’m just an innocent woman out for dinner with her two bosses.”

  “Oh?” Taylor said, looking at Chris. “You buy that innocent act?”

  Shaking his head, Chris leaned in. “Not for one second.”

  Damn, how the hell can they make me feel this good without even touching me?

  I had the feeling that even the slightest touch would set me off. My body was burning up, warm all over.

  “I am so going to HR in the morning,” I giggled, laughing a little louder at the look on both their faces.

  “If that’s what you have planned for the morning then you’re definitely not staying at mine tonight,” Taylor shot back.

  Trying my best to keep a straight face, I nodded, but it was no use.

  “Fine, but you’ll be missing out on this,” I said, gesturing at myself. “Think you’ll both be OK with that?”

  “Absolutely not,” Chris said.

  He pulled his chair around so that he sat a little closer to me, the entire world vanishing from view when he moved in close.

  His breath was warm against my face, the scent of his aftershave burning in my nostrils. I wished that we were alone, the three of us behind closed doors, but I needed to behave.

  “You’re coming back with us and that’s not up for negotiation,” he purred, his words like honey in my ears.

  Squirming in my seat, I glanced around for the waiter.

  “Can we get the hell out of here?” I asked, feeling a little flustered.

  Both of the guys laughed, clearly seeing how much I wanted to be alone with them, and I got the feeling they both felt the same.

  Taylor was up a few seconds later, taking care of the bill, and then Chris was standing up with me.

  “Ready for another dive into the unknown?” He asked, his eyes so warm and full of love.

  Nodding slowly, I stepped in and stroked my fingers against his hands. “Definitely. There’s nowhere else in the world I would rather be.”

  His smile widened and then we made our way to see Taylor, who had clearly caught someones attention. At first I couldn’t make out who he was talking to, but as we drew up a little closer I saw that it was Brad.

  My ex turned his attention from Taylor, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second when he saw me beside Chris.

  “Emma!” He said, his voice full of surprise. “How nice to see you.”

  Feeling a little confused, I nodded and fixed my eyes on him. “Yeah, right back at you Brad. You good?”

  His smile seemed sincere, but there was something else in his eyes. The way he looked at me, there was something there I’d never seen before.

  “I’d be better if you ever answered your phone,” he chuckled, his voice a little strained. “But never mind that. I suppose I’d better leave you all to it. See you bright and early tomorrow Taylor.”

  “Sure, I look forward to it,” Taylor said, shaking Brad’s hand before my ex left.

  I watched him disappear across the restaurant and then turned my attention on Taylor who was looking anywhere but at us. His expression was sheepish, like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

  “Tomorrow?” Chris asked, his voice deep and gravelly.

  “Come on, I’ll explain outside,” Taylor said, still not looking at either of us.

  My head was spinning. Seeing Brad again hadn’t done a thing for me, but it made me wonder what the hell Taylor was up to that had him acting so shady.

  “Taylor, what’s happening tomorrow?” Chris asked when we were outside.

  The question was rolling over and over in my head, but I couldn’t quite spit it out. Fortunately Chris wasn’t letting go.

  “Look, I know I should have told you guys sooner, but it never seemed that important.”

  “What didn’t seem important?” Chris growled.

  “I have a business meeting with Brad in the morning, about him potentially becoming a client of ours.”

  The news hit me hard, making my entire world shake. Brad conducted most of the business meetings on behalf of his father, it was one of the things that had kept him so busy during our last few months together.

  It shouldn’t have come as such a huge surprise that Taylor would want to do business with someone like Brad, there was a lot of money to be made, but the idea made me sick.

  “You want to do business with my ex?” I asked, my emotions all over the place. “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

  “Because it’s my business,” Taylor said, getting defensive.

  “Our business,” Chris corrected. “All of us. This is a big deal, not just for you and me Taylor, but for Emma as well. Brad is her ex and she has a right to know that you were thinking of doing business with him. How weird is it going to be for her when he waltzes into the office?”

  His eyes flicked back and forth between us, his expression confused and uncertain.

  “Shit, I didn’t think I needed to run everything by you guys. It’s just business. So what if you have to run into him a few times?”

  “You think that’s what I care about? I’m done with Brad, you should know that. It’s you being a dick I have a bigger issue with.”

  My heart was racing, the urge to scream at him growing by the second. It seemed like my words had no affect on him, his defiance only growing by the second.

  “You know what, I’m done. Take me home Chris,” I demanded.

  Taylor began to open his mouth but Chris cut him off, silencing him with a look that could kill.

  Striding away, we left Taylor behind, the pair of us heading to his car. My world was spinning, my head all over the place. Not only would I have to see Brad when he became a client, but nothing could ever truly become serious between us.

  The idea that Taylor would risk a business deal over us was ludicrous, and his true nature was beggining to shine. He was still a player, out for some fun, and beneath it all his heart
lay with his business.

  It broke my heart, but I needed to accept that.

  Chapter 33

  Chris

  The drive over to Emma’s was ice cold. She barely said a word, and all the way I was fuming. My anger boiled inside me, not at the fact that he’d been making plans to consult with Brad without telling me, but because of the way he’d acted.

  Taylor had behaved appallingly to both of us, and once I’d gotten Emma home I planned on having it out with him.

  Why he hadn’t just told us was beyond me. At the end of the day it was one of those things, and he was partially right that business was business, but he didn’t need to hide it. Now it was out there and the damage was done, but it was his behavior that was killing me.

  He’d treated Emma like crap, making out that she had no right to be upset, and that was the worst thing. I could see how much she was hurting because of how he’d been, and for that I wanted to hate him.

  When I finally pulled up outside her place she didn’t move, her eyes staring straight ahead as we sat in silence.

  “You want me to come up with you?” I asked after a few minutes.

  I hoped that she would say yes, but part of me wanted to get back to Taylor and figure out what the hell was up with him.

  “No, it’s OK,” she sighed. “We knew it wouldn’t be forever, so I don’t know why I’m being like this.”

  “Taylor was just being an idiot,” I said, hoping that she didn’t really believe this was over. “I’m sure we can work this out.”

  “Yeah? What if I don’t want to?” Emma asked, turning those sad blue eyes on me.

  They swelled with tears, her lips forming a tight line as she waited for me to answer.

  “Then I guess it’s over,” I said, not knowing what else to say. “But I don’t want it to be.”

  She reached out and took my hands in hers, rubbing her thumbs softly against them.

  “Me either, not yet anyway, but what happens when you take Brad on as a client? I’m not worried about seeing him, like I said, I’m over him, but it won’t look good when he finds out the girl he was dating is now seeing the two guys he’s doing business with.”

  Emma was right about that. I knew what guys like Brad were like. The last thing he’d want was a blow like that to his ego.

  “This is so screwed up,” I groaned. “Damnit Taylor.”

  She nodded slowly and forced a smile. “It was good while it lasted. Seriously Chris, I had an incredible time with you guys and you really did make me feel amazing.”

  It hurt so much knowing that this was coming to an end. I didn’t want to let her go, to say goodbye, but there was no choice.

  “I wish this could have been different,” I sighed.

  Leaning in, I kissed her one last time, and then she was going. I watched as Emma got out of the car, fighting down the urge to go after her. This was the end, coming far sooner than I’d dared fear, but it was over.

  Composing myself, I sat in the car for a short time, taking in a deep breath. The next challenge was Taylor, another hurdle I needed to face.

  Starting the car, I made my way to his, thinking it over and over. I had no idea what would happen between us, how things would go down, but we needed to have a long talk.

  The way he’d behaved suggested that he was being his usual self, that the player in him was out again. This was new to Taylor, a relationship, if that was what this was, and he needed to figure out what he wanted.

  I didn’t want anything to ever come between us, but I wasn’t sure if there could be a future, or if he even wanted one.

  After what felt like an eternity I pulled up outside his place, pleased to see the lights on in his house. I’d half expected him to go out after we’d left, but thankfully he’d gone straight home.

  Here goes nothing.

  Groaning, I got out of my car and walked up his drive, knocking loudly on his front door. When he opened it up he looked just as lost as I felt, all of his good humor and mischief lost beneath the emotions he was wrestling with.

  “I’ve screwed this whole thing up haven’t I?” He asked, his voice trembling.

  Without a word, I stepped in and took him in my arms, holding him close. He shook for a second, overwhelmed, but then he composed himself. Taking in a deep breath he took a step back and let me in, closing the door behind me.

  “What were you thinking?” I asked, throwing my jacket over the nearest chair.

  Taylor leaned back against the wall, his expression absolutely defeated.

  “I don’t know,” he answered slowly. “I got the call from Brad a week before Emma and him broke up and I didn’t think anything of it. We always joked about getting a client like his father onboard, and then I thought it would be a great way to show off to you.”

  Groaning, I thought about all the times Taylor had gone out of his way to win the biggest clients possible just to show off, and that was exactly how this had started.

  Brad’s father, Clive Sebastian, was a pretty big fish, but in recent months most of his business was dealt with by Brad. We’d always talked about approaching them, especially since we had Emma as a contact, but we never actually made a move.

  “Why didn’t you just tell us?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “At first I didn’t want to upset Emma, and then when things seemed to be happening between us all, I didn’t want to throw any obstacles in the way. Besides, it is just a chat, nothing more.”

  “And you couldn’t have explained all that earlier rather than acting like an absolute prat?”

  “Yeah, I know. I was an absolute ass to Emma. You think she will forgive me?”

  I shrugged, not really knowing what she might do. In time she would forgive him, but she was right about there being no future. If we did business with Brad then there could never be a relationship with the three of us.

  “It’s bigger than that Taylor and you know it. If we get into business with Brad then the last thing he is going to want is to see us dating his ex. If it got out, he would sink us. He’s a big fish and we are only just starting to get into this pond.”

  “Shit, this is so messy,” Taylor sighed. “We need to figure it out. There’s got to be something we can do.”

  I stared at him for a moment, thinking it over and over. I wanted it to work, but now there was even more on the line.

  “Look, if we want this then we have to be absolutely sure. This isn’t a game and things will get really messy if we try to do anything. So, is this something you want?”

  The question hung in the air, leaving me aching as I stood there. My heart was racing, my stomach tight as I waited for him to answer. I knew what I wanted, but I couldn’t find the words, but the longer Taylor took to answer, the more I wondered if this was all doomed.

  Chapter 34

  Emma

  I’d been up all night talking with Karla, part of me wishing that the guys had called, but I’d heard nothing from them. Now it was time for work, time to face them, and every inch of me screamed at me to run and hide.

  Seeing them and pretending that nothing had happened between us was already killing me. The fact that this hurt more than my breakup with Brad did told me just how much I’d been into them, and that scared the hell out of me.

  Maybe it was better that this thing between us had fallen apart so early, otherwise it would have only hurt more later on.

  There was never a chance at a future, no matter how much I teased myself. All of those stupid desires were just that, and there was no way anything could have worked long term.

  Taking my time, I got ready for work, not wanting to hurry to be there. The last thing I wanted was to see them, to have to talk to them, but things would be so much worse when Brad showed up.

  Part of me wanted to make a move, to get back together with him just to get back at the way Taylor had been, but I still clung to the hope that something might happen between us. Even if there was no chance of anything romantic, then I at least wanted to
be civil.

  I still loved my job, and I loved working with them. If there was a chance, then I needed to see if I could move past this.

  I wasn’t sure I could, not when they’d chosen business over what we could enjoy. Taylor had been quite clear, it was his business and this was just a bit of fun. Why he’d ever actually want anything with me was beyond me.

  “Just call in sick,” Karla said when I walked out of my bedroom.

  She was lurking, waiting for me to come out so she could try and persuade me to stay, but there was no way I was going to run and hide. As hard as this promised to be, I didn’t want to run away like some scared little girl.

  “No way Karla,” I sighed, sounding more confident than I felt. “There’s no way I’m letting this beat me.”

  She smiled, a grim look on her face. “There’s the fighting girl I know. If it does get hard though, you can always take some time out.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I don’t want to let this knock me down. It’s crap that things didn’t go the way I wanted, but I still have a job I love, and even though Taylor was an idiot, I still love them both.”

  Raising her eyebrows Karla blew out a long breath. “Love? That’s a pretty big word to be throwing around.”

  “Not like that!” I lied.

  Of course it was a lie. The way they both made me feel was undeniable. Being around them made me feel happier than I’d ever felt, and there was no getting away from that.

  It felt just as ridiculous as what we’d done, but I knew that I was in love with them. Every inch of my body screamed for more, craving them, needing them, but now they were out of reach.

  “Wish me luck,” I groaned.

  Karla was on her feet and hurrying over to me, throwing her arms around me. After that long hug, I made my way to work, dreading it every step of the way.

  When I finally arrived I felt my heart sink, realizing that I was still crazy early. Apparently some habits were impossible to break.