Chapter 25
25
Rule Three: Respect
Faith: How is your sister? Is she all right?
She tapped her fingers on her desk. For some reason, she felt anxious today. It was hard to concentrate. Last night, she’d texted Reuben when she’d arrived home.
He’d replied with a text telling her to go to bed. She’d obeyed. But only because she was tired.
Not because she was doing what he told her.
Ha. Who are you kidding?
Rule three had been waiting on her phone when she woke up. Respect? Did that mean that he wanted her to respect him? Did it go both ways? Did he respect her or just want her?
Now she had all these doubts whirling in her stomach. It didn’t help that it was now mid-afternoon, and she hadn’t heard from him since.
Which is why she’d sent the text. And now she kind of wished that she hadn’t.
She glanced up as the elevator doors opened, putting a polite smile on her face. They didn’t have any clients due since she’d moved all their appointments.
So she wasn’t sure who this could be. And she still felt somewhat uncertain after her encounter with that guy last night. Perhaps she should go down and talk to the accountants on level ten. But she was likely overreacting.
Then she tensed as a large, tattooed man with short dark hair stepped in and looked around as though searching out threats. Then a gorgeous, dark-haired woman strode into her office like she owned it.
There was a broad smile on her face as she walked over to Faith.
Clearly, the guy was a bodyguard.
And she knew who the woman was.
“You’re Catarina De Leon,” she whispered. She felt like she couldn’t speak out loud. She was awed.
This woman . . . she was stunning. Faith was convinced that when she walked into a room, she garnered everyone’s attention.
Faith had seen her photo once in the tabloids. There were a lot of rumors about her husband. Particularly that he was a criminal kingpin.
And she could believe it.
Alejandro De Leon was a dangerous-looking man. Reuben worked for Alejandro and she’d meet him once when he’d come into the office after hours. Reuben had quickly sent her home.
Alejandro hadn’t really looked at her, hadn’t said anything to her, but there was just this feeling of . . . danger.
So far, she’d only seen legitimate dealings, but that didn’t mean anything.
The other woman grinned down at her. “You know who I am?”
“Oh, um, yes.” Her heart raced with nerves.
“Good. That makes this easier.” Mrs. De Leon plopped into the seat by the desk.
Faith glanced over at the big man nervously. Was he just going to stand there?
“Oh, sorry. Ms. Blossom, this is Rafael. He’s supposed to be my bodyguard, but he’s more like a huge pain in my ass.”
“I can ensure that you have a pain in your ass by telling him where you are,” Rafael said.
Was that a threat? It sounded like a threat.
The other woman turned to glower at Rafael. “Nobody likes tattletales. Snitches tend to wake up with a penis drawn on their head. In permanent marker.”
Wow.
Either she was very brave. Or very crazy.
Faith didn’t know which. But she did know that she wouldn’t threaten Mr. Muscles like that.
She turned to Faith with a wide smile. “Sorry about that, Ms. Blossom.”
“That’s okay. And please call me Faith.”
“But Blossom is such an awesome name,” Cat said. “I think I’d go around introducing myself to everyone like that. Hey, I’m Blossom.”
“Um. I guess it is.” It had seemed like fate when she owned her shop.
Blossoms Flowers.
Yeah. Turned out it wasn’t fate so much as a freaking disaster.
“Can I help you, Mrs. De Leon?”
Cat wrinkled her nose. “Yuck.”
What was yuck? Alarm filled her.
“Call me Cat. Mrs. De Leon doesn’t suit me at all. She sounds stuffy and old. My Papi said that Reuben is out of town.” She glanced around, almost as though she expected Reuben to suddenly appear.
Her Papi?
Who was that?
“Cat,” Mr. Muscles said.
“What?” Cat asked.
“Papi?” Rafael repeated.
“Blossom here doesn’t care. We’re about to be best buds.”
“We are?” she asked.
“Uh-huh. Your man and my man are best buds, so that’s what we’re gonna be.”
“Oh, um, well.” Shoot. How did you explain this? “Reuben and I aren’t . . . I work for him.”
Not entirely true.
Cat’s eyes narrowed and she leaned in. “Best buds don’t lie to each other, you know.”
“Well, uh, right.” God, why couldn’t she talk in sentences? “It’s just that we’re . . . I’m not entirely sure what we are. Well, where this is going. hasn’t mentioned the future or what we’re calling this. But he likes to boss me around.”
“Yeah, that seems about right for these guys. My Papi is the same.”
“Your dad is the same?”
“Oh.” Cat laughed. “Sorry, Alejandro is my Papi. My Daddy. I’m a Little.”
Wow. She said that with such ease. As though it was normal.
Matt had never wanted her to tell anyone. It had been their dirty little secret. Even though her family knew about her, he still hadn’t wanted her to talk to them about it or let her Little out in front of them.
But then, when you were Cat De Leon, would anyone ever dare to make you feel bad about something?
“Cat,” Rafael growled.
She sighed and turned to him. “Relax, McGrumpface. We’re best buds. Blossom isn’t going to use that information against me, are you, Blossom?” Cat leaned forward. “Are you a Little too? Because I always had the feeling that Reuben was a Daddy Dom. The way he took care of his sister for years before she found her guys . . . yeah, I thought he might be.”
“I . . . I . . . ”
Faith swore she could hear Mr. Muscles swearing. Although he seemed to be a man of few words, so maybe she imagined that.
“I am.” Would Reuben want her to admit that? Too late now. Plus, it seemed like he and Cat were close.
Oh God. What if he didn’t want anyone to know, though? Now, she felt ill.
“Good. We can have playdates and go shopping together and think up some really good pranks.”
“Pranks?” Oh no. She couldn’t do that. Reuben would kill her. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Wise? No. Fun? Yes.”
Fun? When was the last time she’d had fun?
“Oh yeah, we’re going to be the best of friends, Blossom. I don’t really have many here in the city, do you?”
There was something in Cat’s face. A flash of vulnerability. Maybe even loneliness. She glanced up at Rafael and saw him watching Cat closely with something like . . . affection?
“No, I don’t.”
She used to. But now it felt like she didn’t have anyone except Cammie.
Was she lonely?
Yes.
“Perfect. So we’re going to be great friends. Starting with our double date this weekend.”
“To the charity dinner?” Faith asked.
“Uh-huh.”
There was a grumble from Mr. Muscles.
“Rafael isn’t happy because he doesn’t get to go.”
“He wants to go?” Faith whispered. He didn’t look like the charity banquet type.
Jeez. What was with all the judgment? What was wrong with her?
“No, he doesn’t want to go. But he does want to protect me. He’s worried about me. He loves me lots.”
Mr. Muscles just glared at her.
Right. Yeah. He looked like he was full of love. All of that previous affection was wiped off his face.
“He’s worried that something is going to happen, which is just silly. We’ll be fine.”
Rafael grunted.
“That’s the way he communicates. Don’t worry. I need your phone number so we can start planning our shenanigans.” Cat held out her hand.
Faith retrieved her phone and handed it over to the other woman. She flushed slightly as Cat stared down at her old phone. She’d had to give back her newer one after she’d been unable to pay the installments.
But Cat didn’t even blink as she entered her number, then rang Faith’s phone. “There, now you’ve got mine. We can get up to all sorts of fun together. And Reuben won’t worry about you because I have Rafael with me.”
Did Mr. Muscles just start to pray?
Poor guy.
Cat stood. “So, do you have a dress and everything?”
“Um, yes. I do.”
“Good. I’ll see you Saturday night.” She halted and turned. “Are you all right here on your own?”
Faith smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Surprised Reuben didn’t take you with him.”
“He wanted to, but I don’t fly.” She shuddered at the thought.
“Worried about the big tin can falling from the sky?” Cat said with a nod. “I get it. Don’t worry, though, Reuben would never let anything happen to you.”
Once Cat was gone, Faith leaned back in her chair with a sigh. That had been a bit . . . crazy? Fun?
Were they really going to become friends? But what if this didn’t work out with Reuben?
Then you’ll be out of a job and a friend.
Fudge knuckles.
Her phone buzzed and she checked it. Relief filled her as she saw Reuben’s name.
“Hi,” she said, answering the call.
“What’s wrong?” Reuben demanded.
She cleared her throat. “Nothing. Why?”
“Because you sound breathless. Were you running? Why were you running?” he demanded.
“Because there was an ax murderer chasing me. But don’t worry, I told him to pause because I had to answer a call from my paranoid boss.”
“Hmm, then while he’s pausing, perhaps you should knock him out. So your paranoid boss can sleep better at night.”
Instantly, she softened. “You’re not sleeping? Wait. You don’t sleep anyway.”
“I usually get a couple of hours. But even those seem to be eluding me.”
“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?” He must be worrying over his sister. She could only imagine. If it was one of her brothers that had been hurt . . .
Then you’d be here and they’d be home. It’s not like you could get to them quickly.
Ouch.
“Fly here and be with me.”
She froze.
Did he . . . did he need her?
Why the hell had she let her fear get the best of her? She should have gone with him.
“Do you need me? I can try and book a ticket for tonight,” she said, already bringing up the search engine on her computer. Her hands were shaking as she tried to type one-handed.
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
“Sir? Reuben?” she asked.
“I thought you were scared of flying,” he said in a low voice.
She frowned, remembering the honesty rule. “I am.” Did he think she was lying?
“But you just offered to fly out here.”
“I . . . you said you weren’t sleeping and that you needed me.” She didn’t understand why he sounded so strange.
“I do need you. I can’t sleep because I’m worrying about you. About Juliet. Fuck. She was my only real vulnerable spot. Until you.”
Why did she feel like she should apologize?
And yet, at the same time, she felt almost elated.
Faith was worried that she wouldn’t live up to his expectations. That she wouldn’t cope with his desires. Reuben Jones was a man who knew what he wanted. And had high standards. She was certain that she’d never meet them.
But if he actually needed her . . . if he truly cared about her . . .
That made a big difference. It made her feel special. Wanted.
Like this could actually work.
“I, uh . . . I am?”
“You are,” he grumbled. “I’m not happy about it.”
And just like that, her mood plummeted. He wasn’t happy that he cared about her?
That. Sucked.
“You’re not? Why? Is it something I did?”
“Why would you immediately assume it was something you did, baby?” he asked in a low voice.
Because she was a fuckup. It was a well-known fact in Public, Missouri.
Faith Blossom was a huge fuckup who’d had to run away from home to get away from the shame . . .
“I just . . . I guess I assumed it was my fault you were unhappy.”
“Don’t make assumptions,” he ordered.
She saluted him. There were some advantages to him not being around. Though not many.
To her surprise, she really missed him.
“No, I’m not upset over anything you’ve done, baby. I’m just . . . I need to be in two places at once. I have to be here for Juliet to make sure her men take proper care of her. But I don’t like leaving you.”
“Oh.”
That was so nice.
She sniffled.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“Nothing.”
“Faith, tell me. Honesty, remember,” he growled at her.
“Does that rule mean that I have to tell you my every thought?” she challenged.
“Yes, it does.”