Wild Thing

20. Twenty

Twenty

brAX

S liding my hat on backwards as I arrived at the Studio Pase worksite, I couldn’t stop thinking about how fucking good the night before was.

I finally had a taste of her.

My Wild Thing.

But, fuck, I needed more.

I couldn't think straight, my thoughts we jumbled, confused almost, as I tried to navigate how to live with the guilt of betraying one woman and withholding from the other.

“Morning Brax,” Greg said, slapping me on the back. "You good?"

“Yo. Morning,” Squinting, I looked up towards the bright blue sky before putting my sunglasses on. “Yeah, all good. When’s Steven getting here?”

“Any minute.”

I was pissed off at Steven after his performance in the hotel foyer. Something was off with him, like he had an ulterior motive or an obsession with Dylan or something.

“Do you get a good vibe from him?”

Greg shrugged his shoulders. Clearly he hadn’t given Steven much thought, but he also hadn't seen Steven drunk off his ass and acting a fool.

“Don't know. Haven't thought about him too much, honestly. Why’s that?”

I shook my head and shoved my hands in my pockets. “No reason.”

As we waited for Steven in the early morning sun outside the worksite, Greg and I chatted about the project for a while before the conversation swung to my personal life.

“How’s things with Ally?”

I really didn’t want to be having this conversation with Greg, but I decided to answer him truthfully. “Not good.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. He took a moment, before he asked, “Still arguing?”

“Yeah."

"What about?"

"Pretty much everything. I’m not present enough, I work too much… all that type of bullshit.”

“Maybe you need some quality time together.”

“We don’t have anything in common, Greg. Not one thing.”

Truthfully, we were a strange pair. I loved to surf, she hated the beach. She loved cats, I’m allergic to them—yet she got one anyway. She was used to getting her own way, which wasn’t entirely her fault. Her family spoiled her.

“Well, you must have at one point. Relationships take work Brax.”

“Honestly, I should have ended things with Ally after… you know,” I admitted, not wanting to get into that . “We’re not right for each other.”

I felt Greg’s eyes burn into me. He crossed his arms over his chest and rocked backwards on his heels. “These feelings don’t have anything to do with a certain dark haired interior designer, do they?”

Even though I had sunglasses on, I tilted my head and looked at Greg dead in the eyes. “No.”

I didn’t like lying to Greg. In fact, I desperately wanted to tell him how I felt about Dylan showing up in my life. I could have used some guidance.

Greg chuckled to himself, like he could see right through me. He knew me better than I knew myself. “I was very impressed with her vision for Studio Pase. She’s a very talented young woman.”

“Yes, she is.”

“And very attractive,” Greg looked over to me for a reaction. “Remind me how you two know each other?”

I cleared my throat before I replied. “She’s an old friend.”

“Hmm hm. Just a friend?”

He wasn’t going to quit. I might as well just be honest. Besides, I didn’t like lying to the man who had done so much for me. Greg had always looked out for me, provided me with mentorship and connections in the industry that has made me a very wealthy man.

And, more importantly, I trusted him.

“Okay, she’s an ex,” I admitted. “From a long time ago.”

Greg sighed, uncrossing his arms. “Are you the love of her life that she left behind?”

I couldn’t lie to him. He seemed to have figured it out anyway. “Yeah.”

Greg looked at me concerned, before shaking his head. I could sense a lecture dancing on his lips. He was worried I was going to make a mistake, blow up my life.

I got it, the concern was coming from a loving place, but he wouldn’t understand. How could I expect him too? He actually married the love of his life, didn’t fuck it up like I did.

Greg stared at me intently. “Does she know about Ally?”

“Yeah.”

Well, kind of.

“It’s hard to believe, but I was a young man once,” Greg leaned back onto the side of the building, his leather jacket squeaking with his shift in posture. “I know what it’s like to be… tempted.”

I faced Greg, my frustration clear. “Greg–”

“You might think the grass is greener, but often it’s not. It’s fake turf, fooling you into thinking it’s a lush lawn…”

I chuckled, blowing out a breath. “That’s a fucking terrible metaphor…”

“Listen, Brax, I’ve known you a long time, and I’m not going to lie to you,” Greg continued. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of what’s at stake here. This is a very important, very expensive project with a lot of stakeholders. The last thing I need is my Project Manager having an affair with an interior designer…”

“I know Greg.”

“I understand things aren’t great with Ally, but just because something shiny and beautiful comes around, doesn’t mean you give up on what you’ve got.”

A pang of guilt struck me in the chest. I didn’t need reminding that I was an asshole two times over.

“Greg. I’m good. It’s all good.”

There was a beat before Greg pushed off the side of the building and clasped his hands together. “Can you handle this, Brax? Because if you can’t… I’ll have to take certain actions to protect the investment.”

“Like what?”

“I’ll remove the temptation. I’ll replace her on the development.”

My heart dropped to the floor.

Replace her?

Fuck, that would crush Dylan. This was the project of a lifetime for her. The job, the contacts… everything she had worked towards for her entire career could be taken away from her.

Because of me.

I couldn’t let that happen. I’d never forgive myself.

This was what was at stake though. It was bigger than us. It was our careers, our livelihoods… fuck.

“Appreciate your concern, but you don’t need to do that. We’re just friends.”

I needed to change the subject before Greg could sense the lies spewing from my mouth.

A cocky, booming voice sliced through the air. “Morning gents!”

I never thought I’d be stoked to hear Steven’s voice, but at this moment, I was. Steven strode up towards Greg and I.

He even walks like a douchebag .

“How are we this morning?” Steven extended his hand, which Greg shook.

I kept my hands in my pockets, refusing. I wasn’t shaking this prick’s hand. “How are you this morning?”

Smirking, Steven replied, “Good as gold.”

He looked at the building behind me which was set to be transformed into one of the country's most luxurious bridal stores. “Thanks for meeting me here this morning.”

Greg signaled for us to follow him, unlocking the door and letting the three of us inside. “I can’t stay, so Brax will until you get what you need.”

Annoyed that I even had to be here, I attempted to squash my personal feelings towards Steven. I needed to work with this asshole for the duration of the project, which was going to take months. I had to remain professional and not let him affect me.

Entering the giant warehouse, it was dusty as hell with loose floorboards and discarded pieces of wood stacked on top of one another. The morning sunlight streamed through the giant glass windows, and even though dust particles floated in the air, the space was breathtaking.

Steven let out a whistle. “She’s a beauty.”

Greg walked Steven around the site, pointing out key areas, before they made their way up to the mezzanine.

I stayed on the ground floor and checked my phone. I considered sending a text to Dylan to see how she was feeling. I wondered if she had any regrets about being so brash in public at the concert.

I didn't, but still, we should have been more careful.

I thought about last night. Boundaries were outright obliterated.

My mind instantly began to replay the vision. She was the sexiest woman on the planet. Her body was insane, she was flawless. If her striptease was any indication of what having sex with her was going to be like… she might just kill me.

The blood started to rush to my dick.

Stop.

“Brax,” Greg shuffled down the stairs and tossed me the keys. “Think about what I said. Talk later.”

I waved goodbye and loitered near the door, willing Steven to hurry up and take the imagery he needed already.

“Great space!” Steven called out from the mezzanine.

I nodded in response, still pissed off about the night before. I wondered if he would broach the subject.

“So,” Steven said, as he slowly descended the stairs. “How was your night?”

I narrowed my eyes, my silence a response in its own right.

“What? I thought you went out?”

“Surprised you remember considering how smashed you were.”

Steven chuckled as he walked towards me, typing on his phone. Sliding his phone into his pocket, he stopped when he got to me.

Cocking his head to the side, I wanted to slap the smug smile off his face. “So tell me the real story Brax.”

“With what?”

“How do you really know Dylan?”

“We’re old friends.”

“Sure…” He pulled his sunglasses off his head and began to clean them with his shirt. “I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

The prick was getting on my last nerves.

“Old friends… Or ex-lovers?”

“None of your business.”

He laughed to himself as he fixed his sunglasses back up onto his head.

I wanted to put my fist through his face.

“You know she’s got a boyfriend right…?” Steven's voice trailed off.

He was deliberately trying to bait me. Test me. I gritted my teeth.

Stay calm.

“She’s got the best rack I’ve ever seen…”

“That’s enough.”

“Tight little ass too.”

I took an intimidating step towards Steven. “Watch your fucking mouth.”

My reaction gave him the confirmation that he was looking for. Dylan was more than just an old friend. It took all of my willpower not to strangle the cunt.

“If she is an ex of yours… I have to know," he said. He was either ballsy or stupid, because he remained rooted to the floor, staring at me directly. "How’d you ever let that pussy go?”

I grabbed Steven by the shirt, pulling him towards me, before turning and slamming him hard against the wall, the loose floorboards shuddering upon impact.

I could kill this motherfucker.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you!” Steven exclaimed.

I didn’t give a fuck how unprofessional this was, I wasn’t letting anyone disrespect Dylan like that.

“If you think for one second that I give a fuck, you’re mistaken,” I hissed. No one will ever know the violence it took for me to be this gentle. "You have no idea who you're fucking with."

“Relax,” Steven put his arms up, eyes wide, slightly frightened. “It’s in your best interest to keep it professional, Brax. If not for your sake, then at least for hers.”

I clenched my jaw, my blood was boiling, heart pounding. "What the fuck would you know about keeping it professional?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm leaving… I'm untouchable." Steven’s eyes narrowed. “But you wouldn’t want Dylan to lose her job, would you?”

What the fuck is he talking about?

First, Greg's warning, now Steven's threat?

“Last time I checked, fraternizing with a client is a conflict of interest. People have been thrown off projects for less. Or even worse, terminated.”

The thought of Dylan losing her job because I knocked this fucker out made me pause. The rage under my skin simmered.

I let go of his shirt, but not before giving him one more hard shove into the wall. “Fuck you, Steven.”

Steven smoothed his shirt out, before turning to leave. “Thanks for letting me in, Braxy boy. I’ll be seeing you.”