by Alexis Anne
William’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay. I’ll give the bastard a shot. If nothing else I’ll get some good cigars out of the shit show.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“So is not knowing what my baby sister does for a living. You gonna show me that lab of yours next?”
“Do you want to see my lab?”
“I do. I want to know you Esme.” He said it so solemnly I believed him. Almost.
“I don’t know how much you’ll understand . . . ”
“Now you’re just being mean. You think I can’t keep up? It’s all just numbers in the end, right?”
“There are a lot of numbers,” I agreed, pleased I’d riled him up.
But then things took the turn I dreaded. After we shared a meal and all the fun teasing siblings were supposed to share I almost thought I’d been wrong. Unfortunately I wasn’t.
“Do you still go to those clubs of yours?” He didn’t say it condescendingly like Edmund did.
“Not for many years. Why?”
He shrugged. “Like I said, trying to get to know you. It seemed like that was an important part of you.”
“It was.”
“And now you’re with this Leo guy? How does that work?” He put his hands up. “I’m just curious.”
So I explained it in the most basic of terms. That at one point I’d used sex as an escape, first in my relationships, then, when those failed, in the anonymity of the club.
“So you love him? Just him?”
I didn’t blame William for being confused. Sometimes I confused myself. “Just him. He’s my other half. No matter what happens I’ll never love anyone the way I love Leo.”
“And do you two . . . share? Is it an open relationship?”
This was so awkward. “It’s not open. No. And we don’t share. However our sex life is separate from our personal relationship. I have no idea how that will grow and transform.” I had no plans or expectations. Right now I just wanted to be in love.
“Okay. I think I get it. As long as you’re happy and he’s good to you.”
That warm light glowed inside me again. “Or you’ll beat him up for me?”
“Hell yeah I will.” He quieted down. “Those guys you were with at the club. The ones in the video . . . did you know them outside the club?”
I wanted to shut down. I wanted to yell at him. Mostly I wanted the whole conversation to end. Yes it was uncomfortable and weird and just plan awful to talk about, but I knew—knew—he was digging for information.
I crossed my arms and glared at him. “Tell me why you want to know that.”
“Just more curiosity.” He even shrugged.
“Curiosity? You’re curious about your little sister’s sex life? Why? You going to go beat them up ten years after the fact?” I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “Or are you wanting to know something else?”
“Like what?” His voice was as low and menacing as mine.
I wanted to shake him until his stupid dark sunglasses came flying off his face. “You don’t care about me, do you? Lunch is just work. You’re here for information.”
“Don’t you dare.” He spit out. “You might as well call me Edmund.” Turns out I didn’t need to shake him. He took his shades off all on his own, meeting my gaze. “Answer me this, little sister. Was making the acquaintance of Mr. Leo Hancock an accident . . . or was it on purpose?”
I reared back I was so damn surprised to hear that accusation come out of his mouth. “Are fucking kidding me right now, William? Why don’t you just say what you really mean?” I stood up, shook off my clothes.
“Fine. Are you really in love with him or is he another cog in your wheel? Is he just a tool? Are you using him?”
I’m not sure what exactly happened next because I went blind with rage. I saw red (which I didn’t think was actually a thing until that moment.) I flew at William, pushing him back, then punching at his broad chest as if it would make a dent.
It didn’t. Instead he wrapped me up in a vice grip. “Shhhh. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Shhhh. Please calm down, Rosie girl. I’m sorry. I just had to know.”
“And now?” The fight drained out of me.
“Was it you? Ten years ago in Nashville. Was it you?”
He wasn’t sure?
Or was this some great big act to get me to confess? And why did I live in a world where I had to doubt whether my brother was genuinely concerned or wearing a wire?
I pushed away and paced in the grass, sniffling and wiping at the snot and tears. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do.” He hissed. “You’re so fucking smart and just as angry as I am. I know you’re the one. There isn’t anyone else who could do it.”
“Why do you care one way or the other.” I completely ignored the fact that I basically just confessed that I knew what he was talking about.
“Because.” He came to stand right in front of me as he whispered, “I wish I’d done it myself. The bastard deserves everything that comes to him.”
“As nice as that is . . . ”
He shook me. Just a little. “Stop playing games.”
I cocked an eyebrow because if William thought this was a one-way conversation he was very much mistaken. “Tell me about Jonathan Eubank.”
He blinked. He sputtered. But he didn’t move. “What about him?”
“I heard the two of you have struck up quite the friendship. I also noticed that Jonathan is somewhat prominently placed in the national organization. An organization that seems to be suffering from some issues very similar to the ones we’re not talking about happening a decade ago.”
Not talking about what we were talking about was starting to get tiring.
He lifted his chin. “We’re friends. I don’t know what else you want to know.”
“How close are the two of you? What kind of friendship do you have? The kind that commit felonies together?”
He shook his head again. “No.” And then he looked off over my shoulder.
“What are you thinking?”
He cocked his head the other way, his eyes squinting as he chased whatever idea had caught his attention. “Fuuuuuck.” He squeezed his eyes shut and swore some more. “We are really good friends. So good I told him everything, Rosie.” He locked his gaze with mine. “I told him everything about Nashville. Father, you, my suspicions. Everything.”
CHAPTER 14
We showed up at Bancroft Sports unannounced. Not because I was trying to surprise Leo but because I forgot. William had barely stopped talking as I drove. We talked over each other as much as we spoke to each other. It was a cacophonous mess of verbal diarrhea that ended in us staring at Leo as he came down the elevator to meet us at security.
“I probably should have called him.”
“Might have been nice. Too late now.”
I glared up at him. “Thanks for the support.”
“Any time little sister.”
Leo stepped out of the elevator and came towards us with a look of curiosity. “Esme. William. What a surprise.” He eyed my brother as he kissed me. Then he murmured in my ear. “Everything okay?”
“We need to talk to you and Marie. Now.”
He looked back and forth between my eyes before he nodded. “Why don’t we start in my office?”
Probably smarter.
It was the quietest we’d been in twenty minutes as we walked the corridors of lunchtime at Bancroft Sports. It appeared most of the staff was out of the building. Cubicles stood empty with blank computer screens. A few of the surrounding offices had their blinds closed or people inside working away the day.
Leo’s office was in the corner with a nice view of Tampa Bay. He let us in and closed the door. “What’s up?” He smoothed his tie as he invited us to sit. None of us sat. Instead we both spoke at once.
“It’s Jonathan.”
“I thought it was Rosie.”
Leo looked back and forth between us. “I’m going to ass
ume we’re all discussing the thing we can’t discuss?”
“Yes.” We both replied at once. His voice deep and firm, mine shrill by comparison.
Okay, it was shrill no matter what. My emotions were running roughshod all over me at this point. I was flushed, my hands were fluttering around like a damn pair of birds, and every time I spoke I tried to force the words out faster.
Overall it was not a pretty picture, nor was it terribly effective.
“How could you honestly think it was your sister?” Leo growled at William. He set his jaw like he was seriously considering punching William.
My brother put up his hands. “Come on. It was her before. You can’t blame me for wondering.”
“I can blame you. I do blame you. For a lot of shit, not just this, but I have a feeling we’ll have a few years to work our problems out. Right now just know I’ll throw you out that window if you say anything about Esme.”
I . . . didn’t know what to do. They stared each other down while I just stood there with my jaw on the ground like a damsel in distress as two men fought over me.
Not like for possession or anything creeptastic like that. I just meant they were fighting over my wellbeing with threats of violence against each other should either of them not perform to the other’s satisfaction.
It was weird.
It was also kind of amazing.
I hugged William tight then pushed away to hug Leo. I held him close and kissed the crap out him.
“What’s that for, love?” His thumbs brushed my cheeks as he held my face.
“For caring. You too.” I turned back to a very stunned William. “This is . . . nice.”
“Yeah,” he nodded and appeared to be overwhelmed with emotion, “it is.” Then he reached out. I went back to him and buried my face in his chest. “You know what, Rosie? We can do whatever we want from now on. Even nice things like love each other.”
“Jesus,” Leo sighed, “he’s serious.”
Our mini emotional breakdown did a lot to soothe the doubts still rolling through Leo about William’s intentions. We were able to share information between us. It was obvious we were all holding things back, but at least we were able to stop referring to Nashville without saying anything specific.
“So back then, when William realized what was happening, he was frustrated and vented to his best friend . . . who happens to be one Jonathan Eubank.”
“And Jonathan is smart, Leo. As smart as Esme but different. He’s more of a math man. He can run numbers in his head that I’ve never seen anyone else able to do. It’s incredible. Give the man a piece of paper, or worse, a calculator, and he’s a computer with unlimited potential.”
“In short, he’s fully capable of taking Esme’s formula and creating this monstrosity?” Leo asked.
William sighed. “I think so.”
“Why?” He didn’t have a vendetta against Edmund. What was Jonathan’s reason for doing this?
William winced. “I feel like shit sharing his stuff but . . . fuck it. It’s not about you or Edmund. He’s got his reasons. And trust me, he doesn’t believe what he’s doing is fundamentally wrong or hurting anyone.”
“I have one miserable Charley Culpepper to convince him otherwise.”
“Collateral damage,” William shrugged. “I know that sounds harsh but to Jonathan a few unhappy players isn’t a big deal. If they don’t work for him he’ll move on. It’s . . . just the way he is. Always has been.”
Leo’s eyebrow twitched. “What if he’s changed? What if people are getting hurt? Really hurt. Career ending hurt?”
William frowned. “Who?”
“Brian Porter.”
“The baseball player? What does that have to do with Jonathan?”
So we explained how widespread we believed things had gotten. William was white by the end. He scrubbed is face and sat back in the chair. “I have no words.”
“Do you still think it could be Jonathan? Is this all him or are there others involved?” Leo pressed.
“He hasn’t breathed a word of it to me which makes me believe he hasn’t involved anyone else in our circle of friends.”
“And what kind of circle is that?” I asked.
“Our Wharton connections. Every single man and woman we do business with. The families we grew up with . . . ” his voice dropped away and his eyes unfocused.
“What?” I leaned closer like my proximity would make him speak.
“His brothers.”
“I thought he was an only child.”
William shook his head, his lips a tight, thin line. He rolled them between his teeth. “His half brothers. After his parents divorced his mother remarried. She had four more boys. They’re a very angry family and they have a tendency to make their money in illegal ways. Jonathan didn’t have a relationship with them but if everything you’re saying is true I have to wonder if things have changed.”
I WAS SO TIRED by the time Leo and I got home I could barely move let alone think. Leo kept his arm firmly around my waist as he guided me from the car to the house. “We’re going straight to bed.”
“I think I want a bath first.” My muscles ached. Probably from tensing them for three straight hours as we dug our way through information and came up with a plan.
“No you can’t have a bath. If you have a bath we have to have sex and I’m too tired to properly sex you up.”
“We are capable of having a bath and not follow up with sex.” Although that actually sounded like a wonderful idea. Yes I was exhausted and sex would require even more energy from my already empty reserves, but it would also relax me. “Or maybe we do.”
“We do?” He shut the door and started emptying his pockets while I kicked off my shoes.
“I’m going to wake up in three hours with a head full of thoughts and worries.”
I saw the moment he understood my meaning. His eyes flashed and his stance changed. Instead of slumped and two seconds from crawling into bed, he was tall, sure, ready to command me.
“Unless I erase all those thoughts from your head.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He circled me, his nose drawing along my neck, his hands massaging my arms and shoulders. “You sure you’re up for that, darling. You’re tired.”
“I’m not too tired for you. We’ll take it easy.”
“We will. And you’ll tell me if it’s too much.”
“I will.” I squeezed my legs together as blood pumped south. My nipples tingled under my bra and I suddenly wanted to be naked so Leo could touch and tease them.
He smoothed his hands down by back, over my waist and ass. “Your work clothes are cute but not very accessible. I’m afraid I’m going to have to strip you naked.”
“Don’t be afraid,” I purred, arching back and thrusting my breasts in the air.
Leo growled. He stripped away my sweater and shirt, unhooked my bra. He fondled me all while he pressed kisses to my naked shoulders. Then he found the button of my jeans and unclasped it. “Get rid of these and bend over for me.”
While I stepped out of my jeans and panties Leo pulled his belt free.
Only his belt.
I swallowed in anticipation.
He took my hands and lightly bound them behind my back with his belt. With my face cushioned by the arm of the couch I was safe but helpless as Leo massaged my hips, stroked my sex, slowly stoking a fire in me that only he could ignite.
“You are lovely, Esme.” His hands kept working. He pressed his fully clothed erection to my bottom and rutted against me. “So very lovely. I love you. This is your home. And together we are going to be so happy other people will cry with jealousy.”
I was so ready for this happiness that everyone else seemed to understand. Whether they took advantage of it or not, it was possible. Something they saw or lived, and knew they were capable of creating.
I’d never believed it.
He cupped my breasts and ran the soft pads of his thumbs over my nippl
es. “Does this feel good, love?”
“Yes.” Each pass of his thumb made my core clench. It made me more swollen and ready for him.
“Do you want me to take you just like this? In our living room right after work?”
“Oh yes, Leo. Please.”
“Naked and mine.”
“Yours,” I confirmed. His words only made me wetter, heightened my anticipation.
I heard his zipper lower but no clothes fell to the floor. “I can’t be bothered to take my time when I want you so badly, darling. Do you understand? This will be hard and fast. You’ll come for me quickly.”
“I will.”
“I want to hear it. So loud our neighbors blush.”
He rubbed the head of his erection against my entrance, wetting himself and preparing his way inside.
I wanted him now. “Please Leo.”
He thrust inside. I cried out at the sudden stretch of his body entering mine. “I love it when you beg for my cock.” He pulled back and thrust deeper, making me tear up as I choked on my breath. “That’s my girl. So good. You take me every time.”
I responded to his praise, enjoying the verbal sex as much as the physical. I reveled in the binding, the restriction, the pain of hard sex. He used the belt to hold me in place as he pounded me for several minutes. It drove me high but never close enough to orgasm. He did this on purpose, knowing if I came too quickly it wouldn’t do me any good.
When the constant thrusting evened out and became a dull, throbbing pleasure he slowed his pumping. He held my hands with his left and reached around with his right. “Widen those legs for me, darling. I’m going to spank you now.”
“Yes,” I moaned, spreading my legs a little wider.
With short, painful, quick slaps against my clitoris I came apart, screaming for more. “Yes, Leo! Please? More!” When I collapsed against the couch he stopped, released my hands, and took my hips firmly.
“I’m going to fuck you so hard you come again, Esme. Be a good girl.”
I shuddered because I liked it. I liked everything he said, how he said it, and what he promised.
