by Nana Malone
"I happen to know that these walls are insulated. They can't hear a thing. Which is evidenced by the fact that you can't hear me singing in the shower. Trust me, I'm doing you a favor."
"Why are you so stubborn?"
"Why are you so determined?" She added with a huff, "And while we're at it, I just want to point out that when a man digs in, the world thinks he's determined. When a woman does, she's stubborn."
"You can fight me about the semantics and patriarchy tomorrow. Right now, I just want to know that you're comfortable, okay?"
"I'm not kicking you out of your bed. You're too big for the couch. You’ll be uncomfortable."
I couldn't help it. The smile tugged at my lips, and I might have been leering at her a little bit. "Are you saying you care?"
"You know what? You're the kind of guy that can just ruin a moment."
"See, right? We were totally having a moment."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, you're impossible."
"Yeah, I've heard that before. Come on." I hoisted her tighter against my chest and she flushed. But what she didn't get was that she was softness and light and smelled fucking incredible, and I could not let her go.
I went to the other side of the bed that I didn't sleep on. I wanted to lay her down, make sure she was comfortable, and ask her all the questions, but instead I tossed her in a desperate need to get her away from me before I did or said something stupid.
I couldn't get sentimental. I couldn't care about her. Caring about her was going to get me into trouble. And I didn't have time for that. "Next time I tell you to do something, listen."
She sat up looking ready to argue or fight. And my dick was all-in on that action.
Oh yes, tell me off. Give daddy what he needs.
Brain: You, dick, are a sick bastard.
Dick: I know. But I might just be the one to get us laid.
No. No one was getting laid, but at least I knew she was safe and comfortable. "Now get to bed. We both have a long day tomorrow."
"You're a muleheaded, obstinate—”
"Yes, I know.” I marched to the other side of the bed, shoved in ear plugs and murmured, “Have a good night, Lady Zia."
Thirteen
Theo…
After our midnight rendezvous for the good of sorority life, Zia and I had slipped into a pattern. At night, I’d listen to her breathe and toss and turn, then during the day, I’d try to pretend I wasn’t sporting a massive hard-on while she did her level best to drive me batshit.
One good note was I’d managed to convince my mother to stay with my aunt for the rest of the month and commute for her treatments.
The bad news, unfortunately, had compounded. There was still no word from Arlington. And like Kyle, I started to wonder if something had happened to him. Maybe he’d been the first one kidnapped and tortured.
And to make matters worse, Royal Elite was poking through Derrick’s past. I just prayed to God I wouldn’t have any more surprises. The Cummings bombshell had rocked me. And Zia had noticed it for sure. I had to tread carefully.
Besides Arlington, the more I dug into the Inline merger the worse I felt. My job was to make the acquisition happen, but the numbers didn’t make sense. Everything I’d seen thus far said it was a poor investment. On that morning’s call I’d suggested to the board that we postpone the merger until we could do more due diligence. That had gone over as expected…like a rave in the royal ballroom.
How the fuck did I end up here?
Arlington had exactly the life I’d once thought I wanted. He had the life I’d walked away from to do the right thing for a friend. But somehow, I’d ended up right here at the pinnacle, and my choices were going to once again define me.
After several tense days and nights of working with Zia, I was ready for a break. Jax was on duty that night, so maybe Zia would go out, give me a moment to breathe, to not think about how soft her skin looked every goddamn second of the day.
Not that I was thinking about that, but just saying that soft is soft. And she smelled good, like lemon and something sweet. Every time I caught a whiff of her hair, I had to hold my breath, lest I’d have to walk around with a hard-on for the rest of the day.
As if that wasn’t already happening.
It was a problem. I fully admitted it. I might have to get Kyle to take me out. The problem was, anywhere I went, Zia went. Or maybe I could go out a night she had off. Blow off some steam, find someone else to relieve the pressure.
Or you could fuck her and get it out of your system.
Yes.
No. No. No. No. I wasn't going to do that. My life was already complicated enough. Something told me touching her wasn't going to make it any better.
I knew she was waiting on me to leave, but I still had a few things to do. I still couldn’t get over the fact that her sole job was to wait for me to be done and follow me so she could make sure no one killed me. Honestly, I wasn't sure anyone would try again after what she did the last time. But still, a directive was a directive, so I was stuck with her.
Or, you could get her reassigned.
I’d considered that, honestly. Walking back into Royal Elite and asking for someone else. Anyone else. But she'd take that personally. And for all I knew her boss might too. Ariel Scott seemed reasonable and understanding, but I didn't know how badly that would reflect on Zia.
Zia was the kind of person who wanted to do something right the first time. She said there was always a solution to every problem. So if there was a solution, I should see it staring at me. My only concern was that the solution would mean both of us naked, sweating, panting, and…
Not helping.
I looked over the files Kyle sent me. He’s found evidence of a small start-up acquired by Arlington Technologies fifteen years ago. When my gaze scanned to the original developer, my eyes went wide.
Derrick had tried to break off with a software company of his own when he was fifteen. He’d actually had some traction, been touted as a wunderkind. But before he’d been able to really get moving, that company had been acquired by Arlington.
My initial hunch said that Arlington didn’t seem to know I wasn’t his son, But I couldn’t ignore the level of animosity.
So far Royal Elite was digging into Derrick’s past and history. It would only be a matter of time until they found out about the start-up. To get in front of that I’d have to tell them about this.
The danger in that was they might start looking at Arlington too closely and ignore the likely culprit. Kyle was right. I was in over my damn head. And if I wasn’t careful, I was going to get dead.
I'd tried several times to reach Derrick, but he had not answered or returned my calls. I left him several messages, but nothing.
If they’d come after me once, had they come after him before? It certainly would explain why he hadn't been answering my calls. I wondered what the hell was I doing there. I needed to go home and take care of business. What would happen when I walked away? Would I be able to leave it all behind with no word from Arlington?
There was a commotion at the door, and it swung open. Timothy Arlington barged in with Zia on his heels. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
I leaned back in my chair, letting the leather take my full weight. "What have I done now?"
"What, are you dumb now? Why are you poking your nose where it doesn't belong? You don't have access to the files you're trying to obtain. Are you trying to stop this merger?"
I sat back, slouching in my chair slightly, examining him. "Now, why is it that the CEO of the company has files he can't access? I’m doing my due diligence."
Timothy slammed his hands on my desk. The sound had Zia running in. I put up a hand to stop her. "You don't know what you're playing with, son. Leave it alone."
"No, I will not leave it alone. You recognize that there are discrepancies in the records, right? Earnings... there's a very small percentage on that file alone that is unaccounted for. I’m no for
ensic accountant, but if I'm doing the numbers right, that's a fuck ton of money. What is the THDA account? And what are they covering up?"
"If you go near those files, there's going to be trouble."
"Yeah, you keep telling me that, but I don't know why I should listen to you. You're a disgraced former CEO, which means if there's something you don't want me to touch, that's exactly the thing I need to look into. Makes sense, doesn't it?"
"God, you're the bane of my existence. There are some days when I wished I'd picked—"
He cut himself off, and I frowned. "You wish you picked what? Go ahead and finish your thought, Dad."
He ground his teeth. "Stop digging, boy."
"I'm not going to stop digging, so you might as well tell me. Are we in some kind of trouble? Do they have something on you? With the payoff and acquiring their company, is there something you don’t want to come out?"
"I told you to stop. If you keep digging, I won't protect you. What happens will happen."
"All right, have it your way. I will keep digging. And if I find something I don't like, this acquisition will not go through. Do you understand me?"
His eyes flared wide. "You wouldn’t dare."
"I would. I have to do what I can do to make sure that the board knows that there are major discrepancies, that we don't know what they're hiding. I’ll do what I need to do."
"You're insane. It will be the end of this company. Do you know how much money we've got tied up in this deal?"
"Hundreds of millions of dollars. I know. I'm well aware.”
“And you would toss that away for nothing?"
"I know you assume this company is yours. But currently, I'm sitting at the head of the table, so I'm going to do what’s needed to be certain I'm making the best decision."
At least that much was true. While I was faking being Derrick Arlington, I was actually turning into Derrick Arlington. This wasn't a company I had a personal stake in, but I wanted to do a good job.
It was a compulsion. I couldn't not do a job to the best of my ability. I had to make this right. I had to be the perfect CEO, because that's what they needed. That was what the job entailed. And at the moment, the face I had was Derrick Arlington’s, which meant I had to protect Arlington Tech with everything I had. And if there was something Timothy Arlington didn't want me to look at, that was exactly where I needed to look. "If you're done old man, I have work to do."
"Somehow the drugged-out party boy has turned into someone who gives two shits. I remember when you couldn't find a fuck to give."
"Well, I guess things change."
He jabbed a finger in the air, directed at me. "I will ruin you."
"You're welcome to try, old man. You're welcome to try."
Maybe you shouldn’t goad the one person who could actually ruin everything.
I didn’t give a shit. Something was wrong, and I was going to prove it all.
Zia…
I didn't know why I was bothering.
Because that ass chewing sounded like something Aunt Edna would have said.
And having lived with my aunt for enough years to know that nothing I did was ever going to be right, I felt bad for him. The delivery I'd ordered had finally come in. I'd ordered for myself because he'd said he wasn't hungry, but I could offer an olive branch. Or in this case, chicken curry.
When Timothy Arlington stormed out, I made a note to mentally check what they'd been shouting about and then I knocked on Derrick's open door. "I come in peace." And I held up the bag.
"I'm not hungry."
His gaze was glued to the computer, but I wasn't going to be deterred. Because in those kinds of moments, sometimes you needed someone to make you feel better. I marched over and took out the take out, took out the forks, the chicken, and the rice. I let the scent waft through the room.
He groaned, low and throaty, and God, everything inside me clenched. "Ugh, now you're trying to torture me?"
"Nope. Enough work. Eat."
He frowned. "But isn’t this your dinner?"
"I can't eat all of it. And after what I just heard, I figured you could use some comfort food."
"So how much did you hear?"
"Ah, all of it." I shrugged. “Sorry."
He shrugged. "What are you sorry for?"
"Sounds like your dad is a dick. You came by it, honestly."
He broke into a laugh then. "You know what, that's probably fair."
I shrugged. "See? You're already smiling."
He took a bite of the chicken curry and groaned around a mouthful. "Oh my God woman, what are you doing to me?"
"Feeding you, because left to your own devices, you would stubbornly sit here the rest of the night staring at the computer, trying to find the missing piece, and you wouldn't eat. I need to eat, and I feel bad eating without knowing that you're eating too.”
“Are you always like this?"
"Always like what?" I took a bite and then groaned as my stomach growled, begging me to shove more inside.
Derrick gazed at me earnestly. "You know, selfless. Always thinking about other people."
I wiped my mouth and tried to chew before I spoke. "Oh, I’m not selfless. I'm just as selfish as the next person. It's just been ingrained in me to take care of other people, I guess. Also, I need things a certain way to feel okay, you know? After my parents died, we went to live with my aunt. She was fine, but she wasn't exactly parent material. She was never prepared, always left us hanging, so I started doing that stuff for my sister, more out of necessity, I guess. Even though sometimes I don't want to do things for my sister, it became a habit. Now I carry around stuff like first aid kits and all those things just in case someone needs something. But I promise you, I'm just as selfish as the next person. Sometimes I just want to do what I want to do, and I don't want to bend over backward giving to anyone else. Selfish."
He shook his head. "You're missing the point. The point is you always choose to do the right thing. I’ve never been someone who's compelled to do the right thing. That makes you a better person."
"That's bullshit. I'm not a better person. I just know what it's like to not have someone in your corner. So... whatever."
He took another mouthful, and his lids fluttered closed as he moaned. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating."
"See? Aren't you glad I thought of everything?"
"Well, as bodyguards go, you're the best I've ever had."
I laughed. "I'm the hottest bodyguard you've ever had."
"Yeah, that's a good point. None of the others when I was a kid were anything like you. Not as pretty and certainly never catering to my needs."
I choked a laugh. "Please don't say catering to my needs. The last client I had seemed to think that I was there to act as his mom and his personal escort. That man would have me up at four in the morning trying to order him eggs and pancakes. Can you imagine?"
Derrick frowned. "What?"
"Yeah, right? Four in the morning for eggs and pancakes?"
He shook his head. "No. The personal escort part."
"Yeah, there are a lot of men who think that when I'm there to guard their body, I am there to, you know, guard their body."
He started to laugh. "That's awful. But that was really funny how you said it."
I laughed. "Well, I had some backup with me, otherwise I would probably have possibly murdered someone, which is counter-intuitive to my job description."
"Sorry, blokes are wankers."
"Does that mean you're going to stop being a wanker yourself?"
"Hey, I have never assumed that you’re an escort. Nor have I requested food from you at four-thirty in the morning."
"And you know what? That is appreciated."
He sat back and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I know I'm a pain in the ass."
"Yes, something we both agree on."
"It’s just this merger, I guess."
"Right. Well, you're a billionaire, after all
. I'm pretty sure you being a dick comes with the territory. I won't take it personally."
"You know you give as good as you get?"
I grinned then. "Oh, yeah. You want to talk about what you and your dad were fighting about?"
He shook his head. "Just the takeover. It’s a bad deal so I’m suggesting we pause. He doesn’t like that tactic. He originated the deal and stands to make a killing. I'm not sure if it's a good old-fashioned pissing contest over me being the new CEO, or if he's hiding something. I don't know. I just get the impression he hates me, you know?"
“He's your dad. He can't hate you. Now I know parents try sometimes, but they're just not capable, really. Most parents anyway."
"You really think Timothy Arlington is like most parents?"
He had a point there. "Okay, maybe not. But I'm sure there's a lot of history to unpack between the two of you. It sucks, I know. But you have to know that whatever is going on, it's not really about you. It's about him and how he can't control his reactions to you. So, look at it that way and you'll sleep easier."
His gaze met mine then, the gray irises as clear as raindrops. "You know years ago, I tried to break out on my own with a start-up. Of course, he found out about it and acquired me quickly. It was as if he couldn’t let me have something of my own.”
Damn. I sighed. “If it’s so bad, why do you stay?”
“You know that’s a good question. Sometimes I think I can be what everyone needs all the time. Like if I can just adapt everything will be good. It serves me well most of the time. But this,” he shook his head. “This is something else.” With a sigh, he added, “You're right. We need to work together. I think it’s the only way to find out what the hell is really going on."
"Wow, is this a truce?"
He gave me that lopsided grin that tended to make my panties spontaneously combust. "Yeah, I guess it is.”
“There’s no reason that we can’t be civil."
