Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Mom was still trying to talk Konni into going on a dragon rampage as I sat in the backseat, fielding messages from my girls, who’d also read the article.
Miranda: I’m not kidding. Tell him I’ll meet him at the museum and pick off anyone who tries to run from the flames.
Me: I think that’s a little excessive. Half the people there probably don't even know what happened.
Wrenly: But someone knows. How else did they get a picture of you and the creep who’s hopefully taking a forever nap in a ditch by now?
Me: Still excessive. He tried to kiss me and slapped me. I’m not saying that’s okay, but I feel the ear bite and the knee to the procreation pearls were just punishment for the crime.
Miranda: Disagree.
Wrenly: Same. The pain will fade. He’ll forget the lesson and try it with someone else who won’t bite or knee.
I sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Konni asked as he took a turn.
“Wrenly and Miranda are being bloodthirsty about this.” I didn’t add, “Like you two,” but he knew, based on the look he gave me in the mirror.
“Are they, or are you so used to dealing with everything on your own that this level of protection and love makes you uncomfortable?” Mom asked.
I shot her a horrified look, and she laughed.
“Don’t let her fool you, Konni. She’s extremely affectionate once you’ve made it to her inner circle. She’s a hugger and a cuddler.”
“Mom.”
She turned to shoot me a sly look. “He should know a little bit more about you.”
“He has Miranda for that.”
“I’m your mother. I know more than she does.”
“Exactly.”
Konni chuckled.
“And in the spirit of transparency and to prove I’m not trying to deal with any of this on my own, unlike some people, did you notice the picture in the article was the same one I received in that text message? Did you find out who sent it?”
His humor faded as Mom asked, “What message?”
I handed her my phone so she could read the original.
“The number is associated with a burner phone registered with a fake identity,” Konni said. “I still have people looking into it, but it’s unlikely we’ll find the source.”
“That’s…odd,” Mom said, handing me my phone. “How would revealing your relationship with Konni benefit Hestian or your father?”
“It wouldn’t,” Konni said. “At least, not on the surface. Maybe there’s something we’re missing.”
“Or maybe they’re testing how close you are to Sophia to gauge how hard they can push her,” Mom said.
“Or maybe it’s not either of them,” I said, thinking of the other person who’d been at the reception. “Are you still installing software to track messages?”
Konni glanced at me, his look a little contrite.
“It’s already done. I had Marius handle it when you left your phone at your desk.”
“You’re lucky you asked first. Next time, please do things more openly. And I’m saying that to both of you.”
He nodded as he drove into a gated neighborhood of townhouses not far from downtown.
“Where are we going?” I asked as my phone buzzed again.
Miranda: Do you know where you’re staying yet? I have a bottle of tequila and a blender ready for some margaritas.
Wrenly: And I have my overnight bag packed so I can help you shower off the vomit.
Me: That was one time. Never again.
Wrenly: But it was so fun. Like wrestling an oiled piglet into submission.
Miranda: How many pigs did you wrestle in that private school?
Wrenly: More than I should have.
“Are you sure it won’t be a problem?”
Mom’s question brought me out of the chat conversation and back to theirs.
“Positive,” Konni said.
“What won’t be a problem?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said, parking in front of a charming brick townhouse. “Let me get the door for you, Mrs. Elmantas.”
He opened her door for her as I got out and stared up at the impressive three-story, narrow building.
“The code is Sophia’s birthday,” he said. “I’ll get the bags.”
Mom gave me a pointed look before hurrying to the door to verify it. I hung back by Konni, waiting until she wouldn’t hear.
“Is this your house?”
“It is.”
“The one you’re actively staying at?”
“Yes.” He closed the trunk and met my gaze. “Are you going to kick me out of my own house, Sophia?”
“You can stay. For now.”
“What does that mean?”
I shrugged.
He frowned and followed me inside, where Mom was checking out the first floor. The long, narrow space was mostly open, with a staircase along the left wall, a half bath under the stairs, a kitchen at the back, a dining room in the middle, and a living room at the front.
“The guest room is on the second floor,” Konni said. “The master is on the third. I’ll carry these up.”
“Thank you,” Mom said, waiting for him to walk away to wave at the space. “He has great taste.”
“He’d better, considering what he does for a living.”
She nodded and sat on the couch. “What did Miranda and Wrenly have to say?”
“Miranda wants to get me drunk, and I think Wrenly wants to wrestle me.”
Mom chuckled. “Sounds about right. Are you going to invite them over so they can see for themselves that you’re safe and well?”
“No. I think today’s been enough of a circus. And as much as I love them and hanging out, I think an early bedtime sounds better.”
She agreed.
Konni came downstairs a minute later, without his suit jacket and on the phone. Mom and I listened to his half of the conversation.
“Thank you, Edi.”
“Yes, we’ll be in tomorrow.”
“No, not yet. I want to talk to her about it first.”
“Block her calendar for lunch tomorrow. She has a meeting.”
He chuckled. “You’re probably right. Have a good night.”
After hanging up, he joined us.
“The photos were sent from a different burner number that my people couldn’t trace. The articles have been taken down, and the team is watching for new ones.”
I knew taking them down was only a temporary stopgap. Even though they’d been removed, they’d been seen, and people wouldn’t forget any time soon.
“HR received two calls to verify your employment before they were made aware of the situation, which means reporters have questions. And until we’re ready to release a statement, they’ll likely try to get one from you, either at work—which we’ll control—or at your house.”
“So we’re here for a few days then?” Mom asked.
Konni looked at me, waiting for my decision.
Did I want a press release to announce to the world that I was dating Mr. Drokonnen Steele, one of Motan’s elite bachelors, or quietly avoid the press and maintain professional distance until this blew over?
“Looks like,” I said as if we didn’t have any choice in the matter.
Konni’s phone buzzed, and I read the message over his shoulder.
Smother: I saw the articles, which means so did half of Motan. It better not happen again.
Konni turned off the screen and looked at us.
“What would you like for dinner?” he asked.
We decided on some pizza, which was seriously delicious, paired with a bottle of wine from the collection in the pantry off the kitchen. Whether due to the food, the wine, or the fact that Konni was in the kitchen, cleaning up, I was feeling mellow and pretty affectionate toward him.
Mom, who always seemed to read the situation too accurately, sat next to me and patted my knee.
“Are you going to take pity on him and share the master, or are you going to crowd me in the guest room?”
“Seriously, did you find me in an alley when I was a baby?”
She swatted my leg. “I’m giving you good advice. You’re afraid of relationships. He wants one with you. This is the perfect time for a trial run. I’m here if you need me, but not in your space to make it weird.”
“Oh, you’re definitely making it weird.”
She snorted and stood. “Thank you for dinner, Konni. I’ll see you in the morning.”
With a narrowed gaze, I watched my mom walk away.
She wouldn’t lock her door, would she?
The answer was yes, she would.
Standing in front of the locked guest room door, I glanced at Konni, who’d paused at the bottom of the stairs to the third level. I could easily see the gold in his eyes from this distance. He held out his hand to me. Like the sucker for handsome men that I was, I caved and joined him.
The master bedroom was spacious with a king-size bed and a private bathroom. My bag was already waiting for me on the bed.
I was in the bedroom of a man I’d been afraid to get close to weeks ago because of my attraction to him. I was ready to give in to the panty-wetting need I had for him to rock my world, but not for the emotions that would come with it. Just the thought made my palms damp with cold sweat.
Take the wheel for yourself, Soph, I told myself. Stop letting fear hold you back.
I walked over to my bag, pulled out my pajamas, and started to strip.
Pants? Kicked off.
Shirt? Tossed aside.
Bra? Unnecessary confinement.
It landed on the floor with the other items.
The sudden embrace from behind would have toppled me over if not for the arms he had wrapped around my waist. I looked down at the bed in disappointment. It wouldn’t have been the worst place to land.
A low rumble, like a purr, vibrated from him as he kissed my neck and moved his chest against my back. I didn’t hate it. The heat he was throwing felt nice, especially since I was now only wearing my underwear.
A hand skimmed up my stomach and cupped one of my breasts, kneading it and teasing the tip. I leaned back into him, surrendering to his touch.
The rumbling doubled.
“Shh. My mom is right downstairs.” I tapped his arms, ready for him to let go. Making out was fun, but it couldn’t go any further than this. At least, not tonight.
He released me, but when I turned to face him, the hungry look in his eyes said he wasn’t finished with me yet.
“Whatever you think we’re going to do, we’re not,” I said.
“There’s soundproofing between the floors. Listen. You can’t hear anything. Not even traffic.”
“It’s a quiet neighborhood.”
He slowly shook his head and reached up to unbutton his shirt. Each inch of sculpted chest he revealed eroded my reservations.
A little cuddle time couldn’t hurt, could it?