CHAPTER TWO
Damien was having a good time provoking the gorgeous man. Rhett Parks was much more than just the owner of Parks General Contracting, and he was comically unaware of the connection that existed between them. His reactions were priceless.
When the Master called him back to Chicago for a special assignment, the idea of handling the Blood Rose restoration had not been a consideration. But now he understood why he was back home and why he was here, standing in the burned-out husk of the Blood Rose.
The reason he was home was standing right next to him. Rhett Parks was his beloved. Two hundred and forty-two years of wonder and waiting, and then suddenly your reason for being is standing beside you, quaking in their boots.
“I like what you’re doing. Your design would expand the bar seating without compromising space on the main floor.” He placed his hand on Rhett’s shoulder and left it there for a few seconds. He took in the invigorating scent of his beloved, all fresh and outdoorsy, so delicious.
Rhett nodded his head, accepting the comment, and then explained his ideas for the kitchen.
Damien would have liked whatever he suggested; he certainly wasn't going to tell his beloved he didn't like his ideas.
Thankfully, Rhett was a gifted designer with vision and a practical sense.
Damien took a step back when the other men started to arrive, not wanting to embarrass his beloved.
Rhett looked off balance and nervous, looking around but always letting his eyes return to Damien, clocking his position.
Rhett moved closer, probably without even realizing he was doing it.
The draw was working, and although his nearness made him tense, he also yearned for it, such is the effect of a Fated match.
“I’ll introduce you to my foreman.” He said, just a little bit breathless.
“Okay.” Damien touched his arm, and he felt the muscle quiver beneath his touch. Damn, this really was delicious.
He brought him to a man standing in the main room.
He was about five feet five and around a hundred and eighty pounds.
He appeared to be someone who had worked in the industry for a considerable amount of time.
As Drakon had said, the man was a wolf shifter and therefore understood they were working for a vampire coven.
His expression was guarded, and his aura was thick with distrust. The attitude was odd considering their circumstances.
He simply worked for Parks; he wasn't dealing with him directly, so trust should not have been such an issue as it seemed to be.
As soon as he reached out his hand and Damien took it, the situation became clear.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Russo." He said.
"And you, Andy." Damien did not elaborate beyond that.
Andy was someone he would be watching. He wasn't just working for Rhett; he was also working for one of the larger operations in the area, a business owned by a local developer, William Henry of Henry properties.
Damien could scan a mind with just a simple touch, and Andy's mind was filled with duplicity.
William Henry was a man long on charm and short on ethics and was not always on the right side of the law.
It could be nothing, simply someone taking on extra work to get by in this tight economy, but it might also be a major conflict of interest, depending on Andy's relationship with Henry.
He would definitely be watching Andy, the foreman.
He clocked all the wolves in the crew and noticed one cougar. It's never good business to have a cougar in the mix, especially when working among humans. They usually give off an unpleasant vibe that deters hiring by humans, but he was probably someone Andy brought on board.
He sent a picture of Andy to Westley, one of their information specialists with whom Damien had somewhat of a rapport.
Not everyone enjoyed Damien's presence because, like this cougar, he had a vibe, and weaker paranormals tended to avoid him.
Although Rhett did not seem to be bothered.
Rhett walked with him back to the rear of the building and out into the alley.
“How long has Andy been your foreman?” He asked without intonation, just out of curiosity, as far as Rhett could pick up.
“This is his first major job with me, but he has a good work history. He was recommended by a friend.” Rhett was casual and seemed to trust the man, but Damien did not.
"Okay." He said and took a step away, but then looked back, giving Rhett the hottest of stares before walking away. Rhett stood still and stared after him as he disappeared into the warehouse across the alley. Damien wanted to make sure that he stayed in Rhett’s thoughts for the rest of the day, and by the look on his face, he'd be front and center for every heated daydream.
Damien took the list of permits needed and headed to City Hall and the Department of Buildings. He breezed through the waiting room, and the receptionist brought him directly to the man in charge. Damien walked in, and the man jumped to his feet.
“You do not have an appointment, and I have no clue as to why my receptionist brought you in.
Go back to the outer room, or rather, go home, because I guarantee you I will not be seeing you today.
" Damien kept walking until he was at the man's desk.
His name was Mr. Kinny, according to the placard on his desk.
Mr. Kinny stood, but he stayed nervously behind his desk as some part of his mind told him he was in danger.
“Get out of here.” He moved to call for help, but Damien caught him with a stare and held his gaze in a death lock. Mr. Kinny could not look away. Damien filled his mind full of the most horrifying images until drool leaked from the side of his mouth and his eyes glazed over.
"Sit down, Mr. Kinny." He said, and Kinny did so without question. Damien’s request moved along quickly after that, and he left with every permit in hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Kinny," Damien said as he was leaving his office. Kinny came back to himself, but with a clear understanding that he'd just barely escaped something terrifying.
"Of course, whatever you need, just ask." He said his voice shaking as Damien closed his office door.
“The project at the Blood Rose has begun this morning, Mr. Henry." The man reported and waited for directions. William Henry had bid on that job and had been shut out by a small upstart contractor. No one undercuts Henry Properties.
“Is Andy on site?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell him to begin as we planned.” He smiled and turned to the large window behind his desk that looked out over the Chicago skyline. “We will have Rhett Parks bankrupt and homeless before the week is over.”
“Maybe sooner.” His man chimed in, and William laughed.
"The men are breaking for lunch and will be back at two," Andy told Rhett, who was helping to unload the lumber for framing, which would begin tomorrow. Rhett nodded, and Andy motioned for everyone to stop and return at two.
Rhett went inside and walked through the cleared area, seeing that large parts of the main room were salvageable, apart from sections of the wall that butted up against the front entrance.
That could prove to be a considerable savings.
He then went out back to his truck and sat on the tailgate with his lunch.
He started on his ham sandwich and poured a cup of coffee from his thermos.
As soon as he started to relax, visions of Damien Russo's man came rushing back to his mind.
He was a stunningly good-looking man, so good-looking that Rhett could not stop thinking about him.
Working with him throughout this project was going to be a definite challenge.
A challenge to keep his hands off the beautiful man and a challenge not to start humping his leg.
Rhett smiled at that thought and took a big swig of his coffee.
Rhett’s salacious thoughts and visions must have called to him because within minutes, the man of his daydreams walked up beside him and leaned on the tailgate.
"Here." He said and handed Rhett a stack of papers.
He quickly thumbed through them and saw that Damien had successfully obtained all the necessary permits.
“Did they give you trouble?” Rhett asked, stunned that Damien was able to get them so quickly after Rhett hadn’t even been able to secure an appointment.
“This is fantastic.” Rhett was astonished, and Damien looked at him with those sexy eyes and smiled.
Rhett’s heart started to pound, and he felt a heat building in his core.
“The guy in charge wouldn’t even agree to see me. ” He added.
“They wanted to dance around for a while, but I pointed out the urgency, and they were more than willing to accommodate.” Damien was painting a picture that bore no resemblance to Rhett's experience with the building department.
But then, who could say no to this man? One look and Rhett would give him anything he asked for and do it with gusto.
“Would you like a cookie? I made them myself, peanut butter and chocolate chip.” Damien again smiled and accepted the small gift.
He watched the way the cookie went between Damien’s lips and the way his tongue jutted out to lick his lips.
The entire thing was so erotic that Rhett could not take his eyes away and found himself licking his lips as he watched, totally enthralled.
“Delicious.” Damien complimented and finished the cookie.
Rhett wanted him to eat another and then maybe press those lips somewhere else.
His mind was racing with visions, and that hot desire that had started in his gut was spreading throughout his body.
If he didn’t get a hold of himself and calm down, he was going to do or say something embarrassing.