They entered the area where Arik worked, and Chevelle was just strolling by carrying a pile of folders. “Cael! What are you up to?”
Cael made a beeline for Chevelle. “Beautiful lady. Talk some sense into my big brother. He’s fired me.”
Her eyes widened, and her gaze flew to Arik. He resisted throttling Cael.
“Why? Arik, you said you were going to give him a chance. I wanted to see you guys get to know each other.”
“He doesn’t have to work for me. I can still get to know him.”
She set the folders down on her desk and rested her hands on her hips. “Yeah, but fired, Arik? You said he has some learning to do. He couldn’t have been that bad.”
Cael’s grin spread over his face as they went back and forth. Arik wondered if this was what had warped his brother’s character, someone defending him all the time—a woman maybe.
Chevelle’s phone dinged, and she pulled it from the stack of folders where she’d laid it. Cael moved like lightning to look over her shoulder. “Oh, you’ve got competition, big bro. It’s a guy.”
To Arik’s surprise, Chevelle blushed. Warning bells went off in his head, but he bit down hard, keeping his mouth shut. He watched her beautiful face with curiosity. She rolled her eyes and elbowed Cael.
“Stop, Cael. It’s just my friend. Anyway, don’t you worry. I’ll have a conversation with Arik.”
Arik spun away from the two of them. “I’ve already made myself clear. There’s no need for conversation.” He started toward his office. “Cael, get in here, or get out.”
As he expected, his brother told Chevelle he would see her later and followed Arik into his office. Arik spent the next two hours lecturing Cael on what he wanted of him. At the same time, he wondered about that text Chevelle received. Was she unfaithful to him? Their original agreement was that neither would see anyone else. Arik liked to think he didn’t give her room or energy to handle another man. Was he wrong in his assessment of the situation?
Arik sat at the head of the table with Chevelle at his right and Cael at his left. Chevelle had cooked everything for their meal. He’d told her he could order it, but she insisted, and he was impressed with her selection and skill. She’d chosen curry pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Although the food looked good, the domestic atmosphere gave him pause. A better choice might have been to invite his brother out so they could talk. He didn’t want to give Chevelle ideas, but every time he looked at her, he sensed her distance. Something distracted her from him—or someone. If Cael weren’t pulling so much of his attention, he could deal with whatever was happening with Chevelle.
“Brand didn’t answer?” When he thought of Brand, regret washed through him that he’d let Chevelle talk him into all of this drama.
“No, I called twice, and he didn’t return my call.”
Arik clenched his jaw but said nothing. He picked up his fork and began serving himself and eating. The other two did the same. Cael ate with gusto, complimenting Chevelle’s cooking skills.
“Even my sister can’t cook this good,” Cael bragged. “Or my mom. Come to think of it, she never was that good. Dad would eat it though and tell us to choke it down and smile.”
Arik stilled his fork, but it was Chevelle who asked the question. “You have a sister?”
Cael beamed. “Yeah, she’s great. Her name is Marianne. She’s five years older. When my parents realized they couldn’t have any more kids, they adopted me. So I grew up with Marianne. We’re pretty close. When Mom and Dad were killed, all I had was Marianne.”
Arik noted the stirring of something in his gut but ignored it and questioned the look in Cael’s eyes at that moment. He wasn’t sure if it was sadness since Cael continued to smile. Something lurked in his eyes.
Chevelle reached out and touched Cael’s hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”
His brother shrugged. “That was years ago but…”
“But what?” Chevelle continued to encourage him to speak while Arik listened.
“I can’t do what Uncle Reinhart wants.”
This time Arik spoke up. “What is that man asking of you?”
Cael ducked his head, his grin turning sheepish. “Change my name from Miller to Johansson. Can’t do it. That would be like leaving Marianne.”
The room grew quiet with only the sounds of silverware clattering to plates breaking the silence. Arik understood Cael’s reasoning. Reinhart had swept in to try to railroad them all into doing his bidding. Arik had never caved to anyone, but he wondered if Cael would give in to what the older man wanted if he ended up moving into his mansion.
“Good for you,” Chevelle said after some time. “You’re still a Johansson by blood even if you don’t have the same last name. And it’s not like you’re underage and need Reinhart to adopt you.”
Cael winked at her. “I loved you the moment I saw you, Chevelle.”
Arik glared at him.
His brother laughed. “You can be my little sis and marry my big bro. I’ll accept you. Then I’ll have two sisters.”
Arik grumbled. “No one needs your acceptance!”
Cael threw his head back and laughed harder. The doorbell rang, and Arik sighed. Who the hell was interrupting his dinner?
Chevelle scraped her chair back. “I’ll get it.”
“Sit,” he ordered. She stayed where she was, and he rose to go answer the door. When he opened it, he was only half surprised to find Brand standing there.
“Too late?” he questioned, indifference rolling off his being.
Arik stepped back. “Come in.”
Chapter 8
Chevelle listened as Arik argued with Brand. She hardly caught the words because she kept thinking about how Cael announced right in front of Arik that a man was texting her. She’d seen Arik’s face. He was really good at controlling his features, but she knew him well enough to recognize annoyance at the news.
It wasn’t like she was cheating. She and Eli were friends. The problem was, Eli still liked her. Because of that she should have sent him on his way, if nothing else so she wouldn’t tempt the man. But Eli was sweet and so different from Arik. He was kind and gave her compliments that had nothing to do with sex. He laughed and joked, and they had fun being silly together on the phone and the two times she’d had lunch with him.
Arik wouldn’t be caught dead acting silly. If he didn’t hold the weight of the world on his shoulders, he would look just like Cael being a nut. Sometimes she looked at Cael imagining he was Arik. Not that she didn’t love Arik. Goodness knows she still loved the ground the man walked on, but it hurt like hell to know it was one-sided. Maybe she got her ego stroked being friends with Eli. She was upfront with him. He knew. There was no hope for them, not as long as she was with Arik.
“I don’t need your help,” Brand snapped, capturing her attention. He sat at the table beside her, his posture lazy and relaxed, but if she had to guess, he was far from it.
A vein bulged in Arik’s temple. “I didn’t offer my help. I simply asked if you’re fine financially.”
Brand swore and shoved his plate away. He hadn’t done more than taste the food she served him. Chevelle tried not to let it hurt her feelings.
“You think you can swoop in and run my life? Just like I told Reinhart, not interested.”
“If that’s what you think, that’s your prerogative. I don’t know what his motives are. Mine are just—”
“Just what?” Brand growled. “To get rid of your guilt?”
Arik’s eyes narrowed. “Why should I feel guilty over you and Cael?”
“You were living here all along. You never looked us up. Maybe you’re like her.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Brand made a sound of disgust, and Chevelle touched his hand. “Guys, don’t fight, okay? This is an awkward time when you’re trying to get to know each other. But acting hostile won’t help smooth the way. Brand, you were a
dopted too, right?”
He seemed to take a moment to gain control of his anger. “I was. No adopted siblings. Mr. and Mrs. Walsh are in their later years.”
“You call them Mr. and Mrs. Walsh?” His impersonal attitude shocked her.
Brand colored. “I thought it would be easier to say it that way, but I did call them Mom and Dad growing up. I learned I was adopted at eleven years old—by accident.”
“Oh, Brand.”
He stiffened. “I didn’t share it to gain sympathy.”
“Why are you so damn angry?” Arik growled.
His brother glared back just as hard and not intimidated in the least. On some level, Chevelle found it funny. Arik and Brand were just alike, and neither could see it. Brand seemed like he could blow at any second. Arik might be icy, but he was always in control. One couldn’t say he was angry, just distant. Plus, his younger brother came across as defensive, as if he were protecting himself against his family. She ached to know more about his background, but Brand hadn’t answered many questions.
“You asked me to eat with you,” Brand said. “There was no request for a good attitude. Not that I would have given a damn.”
The two men faced off across the table. Chevelle wished she had invited another woman to balance things out. At least she could ignore all the testosterone flying about. She thought of the blonde at the party and cringed. That woman had been all over Arik. There was no way she would have invited her to dinner.
“What are you hiding?”
Chevelle jumped, thinking Arik was talking to her and not to his brother. She looked at him, but his focus was on Brand. Trying not to draw attention to herself, she let out a pent up breath. Life was far easier when she wasn’t playing games. She didn’t know how some women did it. Maybe she should just come right out and tell Arik about her friendship with Eli. He had never dictated her friendships, but if he sensed Eli’s interest he wouldn’t go for it. Arik had a jealous streak, and he didn’t tolerate other men in her face.
“Hiding?” Brand sneered. “If my life was any of your business, you could say I was hiding. Since it’s not… Well, it’s none of your business.”
“I could find out if I wanted to.”
The temperature in the dining room dropped, and Chevelle shivered. Brand didn’t move a muscle. “Don’t push me.”
“Is that a threat?”
Alarm bells peeled in Chevelle’s head. “Guys, you’re brothers.”
“So what? It’s obvious he doesn’t give a damn, and neither do I.” Arik’s blue eyes matched Brand’s and held a challenge. Brand straightened on the opposite side of the table, ready to take up the gauntlet. Chevelle’s mouth went dry. She searched her mind for a solution or anything that would calm them down. Near panic wouldn’t let her come up with a single idea.
Brand scraped his chair back and stood. Arik jumped to his feet. Chevelle leaped to run around the table to Arik’s side. She might not know Brand that well, but she had some influence over Arik—when he let her. She grabbed hold of his arm, but it was like grabbing a steel beam. He didn’t budge.
“Why did you come?” Arik growled.
“Temporary insanity,” Brand shot back. He turned and started toward the door.
“Stop!”
Chevelle groaned. Didn’t Arik know by now Brand wasn’t taking orders?
“Please.”
Her mouth fell open, and so did Cael’s, although Cael had been enjoying the fight while wolfing down his dinner. Brand paused and glanced over his shoulder. Chevelle let go of a bit of tension seeing curiosity rather than hostility in Brand’s face.
Arik tapped fingertips against his thigh as he considered what he would say. Chevelle hoped it would be something gentle and less overbearing. His piercing gaze stabbed at his brother.
“Keep your secrets. I don’t do background checks unless I have business to conduct with a company or individual.”
Brand snorted in derision. “Kind of you. Fine.” He returned to the table and dropped into his seat. Conversation from that point went a bit smoother, but Chevelle stayed on alert. She steered the topics of discussion in a direction everyone could participate in without feeling threatened. The most eager to chat away, sharing everything that came to mind, was Cael, and Chevelle encouraged him.
“How did your adoptive parents pass?” Chevelle asked Cael. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
A flash of sadness glimmered in his eyes but was gone in an instant. “They were great, my parents, but they were killed in a car accident about seven years ago.”
“I’m so sorry.” Chevelle’s heart broke for him and his sister even if she didn’t know the woman. She looked forward to getting to know her sometime, and she told him so.
“Thanks.” He grinned.
Chevelle began to ask Cael additional questions, but she felt Arik’s gaze on her. He didn’t say anything and hardly participated in the conversation. Yet, his attention never wavered.
With dinner over, she rose and began gathering dirty dishes.
“I’ll help.” Cael picked up a plate. She took it from him.
“No, you guys can go to the living room. I’ve got this. All I’m going to do anyway is load them into the dishwasher.”
Cael and Brand drifted out of the room, and Chevelle piled several serving dishes on top of each other to make her escape. She made it to the kitchen sink when Arik moved up behind her. His strong arms encircled her, and he removed the burden from her hands.
“Who are you talking to?” The question wasn’t threatening in any way, but it brooked no beating around the bush. She swallowed.
“I’m just about to clean up. My phone’s in my purse.” She was by no means encouraging him to go rooting through her phone. Arik had more pride than to do so anyway. He didn’t stir from behind her. She felt the heat off his body, and even though he wasn’t threatening her, his presence cornered her from every side.
“Chevelle.”
He spoke the name simply and in a low tone. Goosebumps broke out on her skin. She rubbed her arms. The dirty dishes sat where he’d put them down. She couldn’t even make herself turn on the water to rinse them. Not that she was frightened of him, but she wasn’t ready to face whatever this was going to be.
An argument? A breakup?
Her heart pounded.
“Can you wait till I’m done, Arik? We can talk later.”
“Is it so complicated to tell me?”
“No, of course not.”
He moved closer, and his muscular thigh brushed her ass. She bit her lip, caught between desire for more of his touch and an impulse to get the heck out of there.
He stepped back a bit and laid heavy hands on her shoulders. She resisted for just an instant but then let him spin her around to face him. With gentle fingers, he raised her chin. The question in his eyes said why was she hesitating? And why was she? She hadn’t done anything wrong.
Her heart ached. She loved him so much. The friendship with Eli wasn’t even two weeks old. If Arik told her to get rid of him, would she? A slight feeling of defiance rose inside, but then she started analyzing that too.
What is my deal?
“Tell me,” he said.
She sighed. “I made a friend. Not a big deal.”
“Yet you hesitate to tell me.”
She took the defensive. “I know how you are, Arik. Look how you treated Brand in there. You’re bossy and controlling and—”
“Is this about my brother or us?”
She snapped her teeth together. Guilt washed over her. “All right, look. Like I said, I made a friend. He’s just a friend. Really. I wouldn’t cheat on you in a million years. You know that.”
He frowned. It didn’t take women’s intuition to feel his displeasure. “But I had to ask, and you started acting guilty. Even your tone sounds different. You blushed when Cael mentioned this person.”
“I know. Because you’re so funny about men and me. Arik, we’ve never had a problem.”
He nodded.
“Say something, please.” She couldn’t shake the guilt, but she wasn’t going to admit it either.
He released her and stepped back. A cold chill raced over her skin, and she rubbed her arms. With effort, she kept her attention on him, trying to read where his emotions were taking him.
“You don’t think you can manipulate me into a more serious relationship?”
Anger rose in her. “I’m not that type of woman! If you don’t want me like that, I don’t need you!”
His eyes narrowed. He didn’t like hearing that, but so what? Was she supposed to grovel at his feet and beg for a little bit more commitment? No way.
“My friendship with Eli is not about you, Arik.”
“Eli.”
She bit her lip with regret. “He’s just a friend like I said.”
“You’re beautiful, Chevelle and extremely sexy. There is no way for a man to see you as just a friend. Period. Maybe if I meet with him—”
“Hell no!”
“You can’t convince me he sees you as a friend.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Okay, fine, but you’re not bullying him. So forget it. I’m going to keep being friends with him… I hope you’re okay with it. I don’t see him as anything more than a friend. Honestly.”
His hands flexed at his sides. “I trust you.”
She smiled. “Good. That settles it.”
Stretching up to tiptoe, she kissed his lips. He grasped her arms before she could pull away and dragged her closer. His mouth opened above hers, and he devoured her lips in a hot kiss that curled her toes. Fire in his hands melted her skin as he ran them over her back down to her ass. She whimpered under the onslaught, and he raised her up so high, her feet left the floor. The strength in his arms reminded her of what and who she dealt with. If she thought she was in control when it came to Arik, she was in for a rude awakening.
Ice In His Veins Page 6
