by Brynne Asher
How does he do that? He always knows when to get in my face at the same time when to give me the space and silence I need. If I wasn’t already freaked out, that would freak me out more.
But I take advantage of the silence he knows I need, dropping my head back to the seat rest, not believing the nightmare we just walked into. Thinking I was happy was crazy. Asinine. This is my life and as much as I want to get away from it, it always finds me—catches up with me, messing up everything beautiful I think I’ve found.
But the worst part is now I’m dragging Tony away from the beauty and down the ugly road that is my life.
Ugly.
Always ugly.
Chapter Fourteen
You’ve Claimed It
Tony
“I’ll call DEA in Tallahassee first thing in the morning. They can reach out to locals in Destin, see if they can find her. I’ll give them the background. We’ll see if they can do me any favors and find out if she’s really in trouble. If she’s a junkie like you’re sayin, she could be making this shit up just to weasel money out of her sister or she could really be in deep with her dealers. My guess, it could be a bit of both. Let me find out what I can and I’ll get back with you sometime tomorrow.”
“I appreciate it. Looks like I owe you big with all this on top of you taking the lead on my embezzlement case with Jude gone. Now you’re calling in favors to other agencies in Florida. Name your poison.”
I’m talking to Mac as I stand in my kitchen looking out toward my backyard into the black of night. Mac is Jude’s cohort at the FBI who’s helping with my case while he and Gabby are on their honeymoon. Who knew I’d need yet another favor from him.
“Not to worry,” Mac chuckles. “Just make it a large bottle of Makers instead of a small one.”
“Done. I’ll wait to hear from you tomorrow. And thanks again.”
“No worries. Later.” We disconnect and I set my phone down on the island and immediately turn to move toward my bedroom.
Once we got home from Leigh’s apartment we ate dinner. Or should I say, I ate dinner. Leigh picked at hers while staring off into space not saying a thing. Her face was void of expression, she was deep in thought and, as much as it killed me, I left her to it. We were just finishing cleaning up from dinner when, like lightening through our strangled silence, my phone dinged with a text.
Leigh jumped. She was wound so fucking tight, it wouldn’t surprise me if she exploded. I pulled in a calming breath so I wouldn’t throw my fucking phone across the fucking room like I wanted to. Then I walked straight to her, grabbed her hand without interrupting our strangled silence, pulled her straight through the family room, bedroom and into my bathroom. I flipped on the taps to the tub, let go of her, and went to my closet to grab my robe.
When I walked out of the closet, she starts, “Tony—”
“Shh.” I cup her jaw with my hand and quiet her with my thumb over her lips. “Take a bath. Relax. I don’t have any bubbles or bath shit, but just lay there and unwind. Gem, you look like you could combust and I don’t like it. I’ll bring you a glass of wine and leave you be. But you have to promise me to try not to think about your sister or your fucking mother until I can look into it.”
“Tony, you can’t—”
I press my thumb over her lips again and pull her closer. “I can and I’m going to. Let me find out what we’re dealing with then you can decide what to do. If there’s anything to do at all. Gem,” I pull her lips up close to mine, “we’ll figure it out and I’ll support whatever you want to do. But let me find out what we’re dealing with first.”
She sighs. Nodding her head in my hand, she whispers, “All right.”
“Okay.” I pull her in for a quick kiss. “I’ll be right back with your wine.”
That was forty-five minutes ago. Since then, I’ve called the police and made reports that Preston has been keeping tabs on Leigh, which directly or indirectly, is a violation of his restraining order. Then I called Paige to give her the day off at the firm tomorrow in exchange for hanging out with Leigh since Leigh doesn’t work tomorrow and I don’t want her anywhere around her mother by herself. Then I called Mac, Jude’s friend and partner at the FBI about Leigh’s sister, Tina, in Florida. Then I put a stop at the liquor store on my mental list of things to do for the largest bottle of Makers Mark I can find. I just might have to buy one for myself as well.
This brings me to now.
I walk into my bedroom and hear the water draining from the tub. I turn the corner to my bathroom where Leigh is standing. She has her back to me with her hair up in a messy knot and wet tendrils of hair falling down her back. She’s pulling my robe around her, slipping it up her arms. I barely catch a glance of her bare ass and milky skin before she pulls it up over her shoulders.
And now I have to fight against getting hard.
I clear my throat and she turns quickly to me while wrapping my robe around the front of her body. She immediately tips her head and glares, giving me her vexed look. I feel the side of my mouth tip in spite of myself because I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than Leigh, naked under my robe after climbing out of my tub.
“You could have knocked,” she spits.
I lean deep against the door jamb to my bathroom and cross my arms. I can’t help it, my grin turns into a large smile. “You slept in my arms naked last night. I’ve had my mouth between your legs, not to mention having you three times. We showered together this morning. Why would I knock now?”
Her back goes ramrod straight as she pulls my robe tight around her and ties the belt with ferocity. “Because it’s polite. And I thought you were an attorney, not an accountant. You sure are keeping track.”
“Yeah, I’m keeping track. And while I’m keeping track, I’ll just say, you’re the first person to use the tub. Did you like it?”
Her vexed look turns surprised, tipping her head to the side. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I answer.
“How long have you lived here?”
“Just shy of a year-and-a-half.”
“And you’ve never used the bathtub?”
“Don’t have a lot of time to take baths, sweetheart.”
“Huh,” she mutters. I can almost see her snapping back to reality. “What did you find out about Tina?”
I sigh. “Leigh, come here.”
“Why?”
I lower my voice. “Because I’d rather have you close when I tell you what I found out.”
“I’m…” Her emerald eyes shift back and forth, looking uncomfortable and she crosses her arms across her front. “Good here. Now what did you find out?”
Not wanting to give it to her, I let her have her space anyway. “Your mom sent me the address where Tina’s supposedly staying with friends. From what she said, she doesn’t have a job right now and Tina told your mom she needs twenty-two thousand dollars.”
“What? Twenty-two thousand?” Leigh wraps her arms around herself tighter.
“There’s no way we can know what to believe. I made a call to Mac, an agent who works with Jude. He’s gonna make some calls to Florida for us tomorrow. See if he can locate her, see how bad she is, living conditions, things like that. I sent him the information your mom sent me, which isn’t much. Hopefully we’ll know more soon.”
Leigh starts to shake her head slowly back and forth. “You shouldn’t be dealing with my family. I can’t ask you to do this.”
“You didn’t ask me to do anything,”
“It’s just, my family, they’re … taxing. I don’t want you to have anything to do with them. They’re nothing like your family.”
“Again, you didn’t ask. But if you think I’m going to leave you to deal with your mom on your own, you’re outta your mind.”
“Tony—” she keeps on.
“Enough. There’s nothing we can do tonight anyway. We’ll talk about it when we have some real information. You can decide what you want to do and I’ll help you make it happen. But y
ou decide and I’ll support you. Period.”
Leigh stands there staring at me, the space of the bathroom still separating us. Finally, she starts nodding her head slowly and she mutters while repeating me, “I’ll decide and you’ll support me.”
“Gem,” I call for her.
“You’ll support me,” she mutters again.
“Leigh, come here.”
She goes from nodding to shaking her head no and starts to look around my bathroom. She pauses, bites her lip in the corner hesitating, then asks, “Hasn’t anyone else ever used it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your bathtub.” She juts her jaw toward the tub.
I tip my head. “No.”
“Oh,” she says, quieter.
“Gem?”
“Hmm?”
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” she lies.
I sigh. “Leigh, I know what the last four years of your life were like. I can guess from what Gabby’s told me, your ex shithead husband wasn’t the first man in your life nor did he support you on anything you wanted. Sweetheart, unless I’m worried about your safety, I’ll support you in your decisions. That’s what you do in a relationship. Now, about the tub, I’m twenty-nine years old and I’ve known you since you were in the third grade and I was in the fourth. I know you know there were women in my life.”
She’s looking uncomfortable. “I know. You don’t owe me an explanation.”
“I know I don’t owe you an explanation, but I’ll give you this. I’ve lived in this house for almost a year and a half and right now I’m thanking my lucky stars I was old enough and smart enough to do it right, because I can promise you, gem, I’ve never brought another woman here. I’ve never had another woman in my bedroom. And I’ve definitely never had another woman in my tub. You’ve made your mark, Leigh. Claimed it. It’s yours. I built this house not knowing it was for you, but it is.”
She’s still standing across the bathroom staring at me, taking in all I said with her arms still wrapped around herself.
“Although next time, I think I want to try out my tub with you.”
She doesn’t move but bites the side of her lip again.
“Are you going to come to me now?” I ask again.
She drops her arms immediately and walks to me. I watch her move, gracefully, her long, bare legs peeking out from in front of my robe. I stand up straight and she face plants in my neck, fisting my shirt at my waist. I thread my fingers through her hair and pull out her messy knot. Her damp hair falls over my fingers and I put my lips to her forehead.
“You okay now?” I ask.
“I don’t deserve to want all that to be mine, but I do. I didn’t even know I wanted it to be mine. Thank you, Tone,” she whispers in my neck.
I chuckle into her hair. “It’s not like I saved myself for you. But I’m glad I can give you that and I’m glad it makes you happy.”
I feel her smile against my skin and a giggle bursts from her lips at my comment about saving myself. She leans her head back and smiles. “I had a crush on you in high school.”
I grin back. “I know.”
She rears back in my arms, the smile wiped from her face. “What? How did you know?”
Holding on to her tight, I simply say, “Gabby.”
“What?” she yells even louder. “Gabby told you I had a crush on you back in the day?”
“Yeah, but not back then.” I give her a yank and pull her close again. “She told me a couple months ago. She thought I was trying to play you when you were still stuck in your head, came to rip me a new one, and I had to set her straight. I can’t decide if it makes me happy you crushed on me in high school or pissed off I didn’t know so I could do something about it then.”
“Oh.”
“Although,” I say, turning our bodies to walk toward the bedroom, Leigh shuffling backwards in my arms. “I could be a dick in high school and like any horny high school boy, I probably would have ruined my chances at having you right now because you’d still be pissed twelve years later. I guess I should be grateful I didn’t know you were into me back then because I’m likin’ where you are now.”
“Tone,” she breathes, as we come to a stop because the back of her legs hit the side of my bed. I lean back a bit, yank the tie on my robe letting it fall open on her body.
“This is way better than high school, gem. I would’ve royally screwed my chances with you back in the day.” I lift my index finger up to her neck and it makes its way down the center of her body. I feel her shiver and when I reach her belly I round her waist with my hand pulling her to me. “It’s better having you now knowing I knew you then and you’ve been a part of my life for a long time. We’ll always have that, Leigh, and I like it.”
“I like that too.”
“We’ll be able to give those memories to our kids and their kids,” I add. “I like that even better.”
Leigh turns her head. I know that reminds her of her child she’ll never know, but I need her to look to the future and show her what will be.
“Sweetheart.” I give her a shake in my arms. She finally looks at me again, pain slicing through her features. “It’s true. I can’t wait for that. You need to know what I want—where this is going.”
“This is going really fast,” she says quietly.
“It doesn’t seem fast, I’ve known you since you were eight.”
“Tony.” She lowers her voice with meaning.
“Sweetheart.” I move my hand up her bare back in between her shoulder blades. My other hand dips in my robe to cup her bare ass making my robe fall completely open on her. I lighten the conversation. “Come Friday, we’re gonna have a dog. Don’t you think Fin’s gonna want some kids to play with?”
She narrows her eyes. “Finny.”
“Fin,” I correct her, grinning. “No way am I calling him Finny.”
“Whatever.” She shifts under my hands to yank my shirt up my torso.
This I allow, moving back a step to yank my shirt off. Her hands come to my chest to run her fingers over me. Then her gaze follows her left hand down to my scar and she does what she’s done countless times over the past two months. She runs her fingers lightly over it with a faraway expression on her face. This lasts mere moments like always before she looks up at me, but this time she tips up on her toes to kiss me, fitting her bare body to mine. I pull my robe off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground.
Then, finally.
Leigh is where she’s supposed to be. Completely mine, in my house, my room, and my bed.
And I’ll do everything I can to keep her here.
Leigh
“Do not go see your mother. And do not answer your phone if she calls. Don’t answer her texts, either. I’ll call you as soon as I hear from Mac. The crew should be here finishing the fence, call me if they need anything. If there’s something special you want for dinner, let me know, I’ll pick it up on the way home or we can cook here. And you know the code, keep the alarm set. But call me if you need anything else.”
“Good gravy, bossy man. Would you just leave already? I was happy to have the day off from the front desk, but now I’m freaking elated I get to spend the day with Leigh and not you. You’re awful. Why she likes you, I’ll never know.”
Yep, this is Tony giving me orders for the day. And yep, again, this is Paige not putting up with crap from her older brother. Here I am again, sitting silently in the middle of yet another one of their sibling verbal combats.
“Bite me, pest,” Tony spits, glaring at Paige. “Why are you complaining, you have the day off.”
Paige rolls her eyes at her brother and they eventually land on me. “Honest to goodness. I like you Leigh. I like you in the middle of the chaos that’s my family, but seriously. Why do you like him?”
I press my lips together to keep from smiling and look to Tony. He’s glaring murderously at his sister and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“We’re good, honey,” I interject quietly, still trying to suppress my grin. “Go to work.”
“We’re cooking today,” Paige informs Tony. “My friend is paying me to make dinner for a party of six tonight since she can hardly manage Ramen Noodles. And because I like Leigh,” she stresses, “I brought enough to make dinner for her. If she feels the urge, she can share with you,” she finishes, smiling fake-like at her brother.
Tony glares at his sister then looks to me and shakes his head. I just shrug, losing my battle to suppress my grin. He moves to where I’m sitting on a stool at his kitchen island, grabs his suit jacket with one hand and tags me behind the head with the other, leaning down to kiss me. He pulls back two inches, I smile big and he shakes his head, barely grinning back.
“Bye,” he says.
“Have a good day,” I respond.
He kisses me quickly one more time, moves around me and while passing Paige on her stool next to me, quickly sticks out his elbow and jabs her shoulder hard enough to make her rock to the side.
“Hey!” Paige yells and, just as quickly, reaches around and punches him in the back of the arm.
I hear Tony laugh as he makes his way to the garage door where he slams it shut.
I look back at Paige when I hear her talking while she moves to the coffee pot. “I mean, I know why you like him. If he wasn’t my brother and gross, I’d think he was hot, too. I’m just really glad he finally picked someone I like. We all like you, Leigh. Everyone’s happy you’re together now that the proverbial cat is finally out of the proverbial bag. But I will tell you this, love has made him way more annoying than his normal level of annoying, which I thought was off the charts to begin with.” She turns holding up the coffee pot and raises her eyebrows in question, silently asking me if I want another cup. I silently give her a nod and she moves to me with the pot. “We’ve never seen him like this. The Carpino women have been chewing it up all weekend since the wedding Saturday. And Sophia passed on the intel about your new dog, which I hear is cute by the way.”
