by Amy Brent
“What the hell else would it be, Nelson?”
“Olivia, you don’t get out much. Now, you’ve been pulled into a world that isn’t simply about tracking down a con man, but it’s a con man you once enjoyed being around. That can take an emotional toll. I’ve got no issues taking care of the paperwork. I’ll do it right here and hand them back to you. We’ll make it look legitimate, and I can even file some fake paperwork in my system just in case he wants to poke around or something. But I want to make sure you’re all right.”
“I’m fine, Nelson. Really. And thank you for helping.”
“Anything to get a man like this off the streets,” he said.
I watched him witness and notarize the paperwork before he took it to his computer. I sat back and sighed with relief, crossing one leg over the other before I closed my eyes. The past week had been a whirlwind, to say the least, but the moment I closed my eyes, the memories of yesterday came flooding back. The way his lips felt on my neck. The bruises his fingertips left behind on my hips. The sweat that dripped between my breasts and the dried fluids I washed off my body when I got home.
I shivered in the chair before my phone vibrated on my hip.
“Feel free to take that,” Nelson said. “I’ll be a few more minutes.”
“Thanks.”
I picked up my phone and slipped out of his office. I nodded to his wife who gave me a polite wave before I went and stood in a corner. I wanted a bit of privacy the moment I saw Destiny’s name pop up because I knew I would have to answer some case-sensitive questions.
And possibly cover my ass.
“You must’ve felt your ears burning,” I said, grinning.
“I did, I did. Everything all right? How’s the super-secret sting operation going?”
“I’m getting the real estate papers signed and notarized by my lawyer now, and he’s been briefed on everything. He’ll make it look legit, and that’ll buy me until at least Friday to gather absolutely everything. I’m about halfway there.”
“What all did you find?” Destiny asked.
“I’ve got sixteen or so different pictures of him,” I said. “All different types of outfits, personas, hair colors, even eye colors. I’ve also got the names of the women he had on his hip during those times as well. I tracked down some of the aliases he used and pulled records that are blatantly indicative of burner phones—”
“How do you know that?” Destiny asked.
“Because the phone records underneath his aliases only have incoming and outgoing calls and text messages from one number. Sometimes two. And he’s got multiple records of those. They’re all burner phones, trust me. Including the number he gave you.”
“Oh, my gosh,” she said. “This is incredible. We’re gonna get this son of a bitch. We’re gonna nail his ass to the wall!”
Her excitement at the situation was a bit off-putting to me, which shocked me even more. I furrowed my brow while Destiny went on and on about how he had it coming, and I couldn’t have agreed more. I knew I had good reason to drag this out, what with the evidence and everything, but I couldn’t deny that part of me was going to enjoy dragging this out just because of what he was doing.
And obviously, how long he’d been doing it.
But when Destiny started saying things like “rotting in prison” and “never seeing the light of day” and “dirty rotten bastard,” I tensed. My shoulders rolled back, I drew in a deep breath, and then a thought ran through my mind.
What the hell’s wrong with her? Doesn’t she know she’s playing with a man’s life?
I had no idea why I felt the need to defend him. I knew what he was doing was illegal, wrong, and manipulative. Usually, I took great pride in putting people like him in the hands of the police. In my mind, I was taking the cases they didn’t have time for and handed them all the credit in a manila envelope, along with the person who did it.
“Olivia?”
I whipped my head around and saw Nelson standing there with the papers outstretched.
“They’re notarized and in the system,” he said. “Just understand that when he files them on his end, they’ll kick back because they’re fake. If you give them to him Friday, you’ll have the weekend. But if you give them to him before that, you’ll have about twenty-four hours before he’s got proof that you aren’t what you say you are.”
“Thanks, Nelson,” I said.
“Who’s that?” Destiny asked.
“My lawyer, Nelson Wainwright. I’ve got the papers we’re gonna use to get what I need before we bring this to a close.”
“Give that man a fucking blowjob for me,” Destiny said.
“He’s married, but I’ll pass on the sentiment.”
“No, thanks,” Nelson said, wrinkling his nose. “Whatever it is, we’re good.”
“He says ‘thank you for the imaginary blowjob since I’m married,’ and I’ll call you once I can get everything else gathered, all right? Just hang tight, Destiny. It’s almost done. Any luck with your credit card companies?”
“Once we can get them this information and get the police to file an actual report, I’m golden,” she said.
“Beautiful. I’ll talk with you in a few days.”
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said.
I hung up my phone before Nelson’s wife-slash-secretary started giggling. I threw my head back in laughter as Nelson made his way back into his office, and the slamming of his office door caused me to jump.
“Don’t mind him,” his wife said. “It’s been a rough week. That was a good little giggle, thank you for that.”
“What can we say?” I asked. “You’ve got a sexy husband, apparently.”
“Don’t I know it,” his wife said, winking. “Have a nice day, Olivia. Good luck catching whoever you’re chasing.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I said.
But when I left the office, I didn’t feel like I was any step closer to relief. I didn’t feel any closer to a normal life, or a normal world, or even to a better world.
All I felt was confused, worried, and anxious.
Suddenly, I felt my hip vibrate. I saw Wesley’s name scrolling across the screen, and then I swiped my phone open to see what he’d sent. It was a text message from him, asking me if we were still on for tomorrow night. I closed my eyes outside of the office building, allowing the dinnertime rush hour of people whizzing home to overwhelm me as I tried to clear my mind. If I went to Wesley’s house and poked around in his stuff, I could leave the papers and have him nailed by Friday morning at the latest. If I put him off, it would get me more time, but it might be at the expense of Wesley thinking I was rejecting him.
And if he thought that, then pulled away, the only lead I really had with this case would be gone. So, I opened my eyes and took a deep breath before my fingers flew across the screen and sent him a response.
I guess.
I had a decision to make about the paperwork, and I just didn’t know what to do.
Chapter 15
Wesley
I knew I must’ve lost my mind. I never entertained company at my home, much less women I was trying to seduce. Everything I did, every transaction I made to get close to a woman like Olivia, was done in hotels or at their homes. On a few occasions, I would even take them to sex clubs. Some of the women I seduced were so uptight, and they got their rocks off by having a younger man show them how to let loose. On more than one occasion, the woman would actually want to go back to those clubs.
I loved those types of adventurous women.
But this was different. I had invited a woman over to my house to cook for her, and I still hadn’t thought about taking her money. In fact, I wasn’t sure I wanted to take anything from Olivia at all, minus that beautiful body she was holding onto.
When I had gotten home from work last night, I calmed himself down. An “I guess” was better than a “no,” so I decided I was going to make the time worth her while. I’d confirmed the date when
I woke up that morning and still got a “yes” from Olivia, so I headed to the grocery store to pick up everything. I was going to make her the most succulent salmon she’d ever tasted, and then I would offer her a nice moonlit walk on the beach. If I was lucky, she would accept, and if I had my way, she’d be enjoying a night on the beach she’d never forget.
I would turn that “I guess” into a “fuck, yes,” and I’d go to sleep with her pussy juices on my lips tonight.
Even throughout all our encounters, however, I knew she had a wall up. I wasn’t sure if the wall was from high school or if she always kept people at arm’s length, but it was a new thing for me. The Olivia I knew in high school was so willing to accept others into her fold. She was always wanting to talk to other people and hang out. Maybe get to know their story or figure out how they ticked. The Olivia I enjoyed in high school had no issues letting me close emotionally, but now, things seemed to have changed.
She would practically throw her body at me, but emotionally, she was throwing up the wall.
I didn’t want that. I wanted her to be as comfortable as she could possibly be. I hated this barrier that seemed to sit between the two of us, and I was hoping a good dinner with a bit of wine would go a long way. If I could fuse the sexually-free Olivia with the emotionally-free Olivia from high school, I’d be golden. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to do that, but the thought made me smile.
I wanted to get to know her all over again. As I stood at my stove and cooked the salmon for dinner, I thought about all the things that were different about her. How strong and independent she’d become. How natural she seemed to be with her looks. Back in high school, Olivia was always experimenting with new clothes, styles, and makeups. But now, she seemed comfortable in her own skin. Very little makeup, not very uptight about her hair or her clothes. She seemed real, not fake like these other women I surrounded myself with. She wasn’t done up with expensive clothes or flashy rings. She hadn’t changed herself with plastic surgery. I hadn’t heard her complain yet of the light cellulite dimples I’d been sinking my fingertips into, and that kind of confidence made my cock throb while I was turning the salmon fillets in the pan.
I took a deep breath when I heard a knock at my door. Then, my nerves kicked in. I began placing the last of the food on the table before I lit the sea-breeze-scented candle. Then, I set off for the door. My palms were sweating, and my hands were shaking, and I found myself staring new territory in the face. My hand paused over the doorknob as the knock rapped at the door again, and it crossed my mind to tell her to leave.
To go away.
So, I could get back to the way I was living my life.
Letting a woman like Olivia in meant admitting I was wrong. It meant telling myself the shit I was pulling on these women wasn’t right. It meant letting go of the things my mother did to me back in high school, and it meant letting Olivia closer to me than I’d ever imagined.
“Wesley? Are you there?”
The sound of Olivia’s voice ripped me from my trance, and I whipped the door open. Olivia’s smile faded, and her eyes fluttered closed, and I watched her take in a deep breath. The scents of the kitchen hit her all at once, and I could see how hungry she was. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips before she opened her eyes, and the small little gesture ignited the raging embers in my stomach.
“I guess I’m glad you’re here,” I said playfully.
“Oh, come on,” she said, smiling. “It was a rough day. I’m sorry.”
“Well, then, come on in and wind down. I was just about to open our bottle of white wine for the night.”
She stepped through my front door, and I was officially in new territory. I watched her saunter across my home, her eyes hanging heavily on the dinner table. She traced her fingertips along the edge of her seat before she dipped down to smell the candle, and I couldn’t help but devour her curves. She wore a pair of flip-flops and a beautiful summer dress. It was red, gold, and brown, with spaghetti straps and fabric that fluttered around her thick hips. The fabric stopped just above her knees, giving me a glimpse of the legs I wanted to be wrapped around me by the time the night was over.
I had to steady myself against the door just before I had the strength to close it.
“Would you like to talk about it?” I asked.
“Talk about what?”
“Your rough day,” I said.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just struggling with the paperwork a bit.”
“Was that why I got the wishy-washy answer?” I asked.
“Honestly? A bit. I wasn’t sure if coming would be appropriate, seeing as things had gotten delayed. They shouldn’t be delayed too long, however. I should have the paperwork ready for you in the next couple days. Friday’s what I’m shooting for.”
“Well, I’m sorry for the delay. If this makes you uncomfortable—”
“Not at all,” she said, smiling.
I ventured over and popped open the bottle of white wine. I poured heaping glasses for both myself and Olivia. Then, I divvied up the salmon fillets. Olivia kept sniffing the food, humming in delight before she picked up her fork. The sounds alone drove me wild, but I knew I would have to keep my cool if I had any chance of sinking myself into her again like I so desperately wanted to.
Never in my life had I been so weak and helpless to a woman’s presence, and I was devouring every second of it.
“You look beautiful tonight,” I said.
“You’re very kind,” she said. “I haven’t worn this dress in years, so I figured I’d give it a try.”
“Well, it was the right decision.”
“Thanks,” she said. How’s work been going? Have you been in since I last saw you?”
“Yeah, it’s been all right,” I said. “Same old thing. Beautiful women, beautiful beach, thoughts of you on my mind.”
“Ah, even around all those beautiful women?”
“None of them hold a candle to you,” I said.
“Speaking of candles, this one smells fabulous. What is it?”
“It’s called Sea Breeze,” I said. “Figured it wouldn’t be too harsh. I was gonna open the windows and let the air from the ocean blow through, but there actually isn’t much wind tonight.”
“That’ll make our stroll on the beach you promised me a bit more comfortable, though. Wind-blown sand hurts like a bitch.”
I loved the conversation with her. I was hanging onto her every word while I chewed my food, and I listened intently while she told her stories. They talked about memories from high school, and I commented on how different she seemed, smiling every single time Olivia threw back her head and laughed. My chest clenched every single time she smiled with delight in my presence, and soon, we were both ready for refills of wine as our appetites began to wind down.
I was enjoying having her here, and the comfort I had slipped into was not only foreign but welcome.
“So, Wesley Fox, what have you been doing since high school?” she asked.
“Just darting around, honestly. I state-hopped for a while before I found myself here. Been working with Chad over at the cabana on the beach for about three years now. But before that, I’d lived everywhere. Texas. Missouri. Washington State. Alabama.”
“Why so much hopping around?” she asked.
“I guess I was just trying to find my place,” I said.
“And you found it here?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I had absolutely no bartending experience, and when I met Chad, I was almost out of money. I did odd jobs here and there to get me along, but Malibu was a terrible place to try and settle. Expensive. Bustling. Easy to fall into the background. You have to look a certain way to be an enticing hire for many places, and I didn’t even have enough money on me to dye my hair to look a certain way.”
“Where did you meet Chad?” she asked.
“At some club. I was wooing a woman, hoping she’d buy me dinner so I could eat that night, and we got to talking. He asked me a few questions, t
old me he enjoyed my style, and he offered to train me for a job. At the time, the cabana was pretty run down from a storm, so I helped him get it all back in working order while he was training me. He reopened it with me as one of the bartenders, and I’ve been there ever since.”
“Wow, that’s incredible,” she said.
“I owe a great deal to him,” I said. “What about you? What happened to you after high school?”
“About what everyone expected. I went to get a two-year degree and stayed in town for a while. My mom wasn’t willing to let me go that easily. But after I got my Associate’s in Psychology, I ended up taking another online class while staying with my mother. I did the required hours necessary for California because I knew that’s where I wanted to end up. I passed the real estate licensing test, and the rest is history.”
“Was your mom happy with that decision?” I asked. “If I remember correctly, she really kept you close.”
“Yeah. When things went down with my dad, it was pretty rough.”
“What happened with your dad? I mean, I know you didn’t talk about him much.”
“If I tell you what happened with my dad, you have to tell me the truth about your mother,” she said.
I swallowed a sip of wine as I stared her down. I wasn’t ready to open that can of worms, not by a long shot. I wasn’t about to divulge to Olivia the one thing I used to keep people at arm’s length.
