Chapter Seven
CHAPTER SEVEN
Caleb
P rofound relief surged through me the moment Stevie agreed to stand in as my girlfriend, even though prior to Alyssa’s impromptu arrival I’d been thinking of dating her. We’d leapt right over that slow and steady exploration of our attraction and headlong into an exclusive, committed fake relationship for appearances’ sake.
It was enough to make my head spin, and I knew by Stevie’s wary agreement she was completely overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Even now, as I drove her to her apartment after leaving Owen with my sister, Cara, watching over him for the next hour, her uncertainty was nearly tangible. She’d been incredibly quiet during the drive, staring out the passenger window of my Audi R8 as I followed the directions she’d given me to her place in Elmhurst, Queens.
A part of me felt guilty for coercing Stevie into this mess that was currently my life, but my options were limited and I wasn’t taking any chances with Owen’s well-being. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d be dealing with Alyssa’s scrutiny over the next two months, that she’d try to find any way to tarnish my reputation and she wouldn’t have hesitated to drag Stevie into the fray, too.
The truth was, if I hadn’t claimed Stevie as my girlfriend, Alyssa would have painted a very sordid picture for her attorney of what she’d walked in on. She wouldn’t think twice about maligning Stevie’s character in the worst ways in order to further her own agenda, and the only way to protect Stevie from my ex’s malicious motives was to make her a part of my life.
Right now, with the custody case looming over me, Stevie being my serious girlfriend gave us more credibility than if she’d just been a one-night stand.
I know what I was asking of her was a lot—I’d seen her reluctance to get involved—but I had every intention of making it worth her while and judging by her reaction to the fifty grand I intended to pay her, I’d accomplished that goal. I got the impression she didn’t have much, and if that money eased her finances a bit in exchange for her being a part of mine and Owen’s life for the next couple months, then it was a win-win situation in my opinion.
Because Stevie had been so hesitant to accept my proposal, I’d told her to think of our agreement as a business deal, a temporary job, and I definitely regretted phrasing our situation that way when my attraction to Stevie was far more than just a fleeting proposition. As much as this fake relationship between us was for show, I truly liked the idea of spending more time with her, and now I had the chance to do so legitimately.
The circumstances weren’t ideal, and as stressful as the predicament was with Alyssa, I wasn’t mad about Stevie being a more integrated part of my life. In fact, shockingly, I welcomed it. She was the only woman since my divorce that had captured my attention so thoroughly and made me want to open myself up to the possibilities of…something more with someone again. And if this situation gave me the opportunity to explore that option with Stevie, then I was willing to take the risk, no matter how complicated it might get.
“Does your sister live close by?” Stevie asked, breaking the silence between us and surprising me with her random question. “She was at your place less than ten minutes after you’d called her to watch Owen.”
I smiled when I remembered Cara’s startled reaction to finding Stevie at my apartment when she’d arrived earlier. And her surprise when I told her that I was seeing Stevie exclusively. I didn’t explain the situation to Cara. I felt it was best, and easiest, to let her believe we were really a couple. There were a few people who were going to have to be privy to the truth—Stevie’s sister, Valerie, Raven, and even my partner at work, Beck Daniels—but the less who knew we were perpetuating a lie, the better.
I continued to follow the directions to Stevie’s place via the car’s navigation system, glad to have her talking again about something other than Alyssa, or our arrangement. “She actually lives in the building in one of the apartments I own.”
“ One of the apartments you own?” she asked incredulously.
I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the road. “I’m a realtor. I sell and buy properties for investment purposes. I own six other apartments other than my own at The Cortland and lease them out,” I explained. “After everything that happened between Lance and Raven last year, and my mother siding with my brother during his trial when he’d clearly assaulted Raven, Cara wanted out from under my mother’s thumb. She’s so much younger than Raven and me, but she’s a good kid, and the only way Cara could move out was if I helped her, since my mother refused to support her in any way.”
The muscles across my shoulders tightened as I spoke, because every time I thought about my mother’s refusal to assist Cara, it made me furious. I knew I was doing the right thing by providing a place for her to live, but it didn’t erase the sting of how my mother selectively treated me, Raven, and Cara, while putting Lance on a pedestal. Despite him being in prison. It was such a fucked-up situation.
“You’re a good brother,” Stevie said, her voice breaking through my thoughts, soft and sincere. “To both Raven and Cara.”
“I try to be,” I said as I drove the car over the Queensboro Bridge.
Stevie rested her head against the back of the leather seat and smiled at me. “Raven mentioned Cara is attending the Fashion Institute of Technology.”
“She is, which makes living at The Cortland convenient since the institute is only ten minutes away. That, and I like being able to keep an eye on her.” I switched lanes to maneuver around a slower vehicle. “And having her close by is nice because, like today, I can call her up and have her watch Owen when I can’t get my regular sitter at the last minute. She adores Owen, and he loves her too.”
“It’s nice that she’s taking him out to the waterfront and for an ice cream,” Stevie said, glancing back out the window with a sigh. “It’s a beautiful day.”
I agreed. “I’ll probably meet up with them after I drop you off.”
Even as I said the words, I wished she were coming along and spending the afternoon with us. I thought about asking, but considering what I’d already roped Stevie into, I didn’t want to press my luck. Besides, she undoubtedly needed time to decompress after this morning’s ambush with Alyssa.
“I do have a question for you,” she said when another comfortable stretch of silence passed between us. “I saw the concerned look on your face this morning when Owen told you about Alyssa not feeling well this past week and him staying with her parents. Do you worry about her relapsing?”
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say the thought wasn’t in the back of my mind. But I do know she’s prone to getting migraines, or so she says, so I can’t jump to those conclusions. Not without evidence,” I said, even though it was difficult not to make those assumptions. “But yes…it’s concerning because I’m not sure how closely her parents regulate her. They had a difficult time facing the truth that she had an addiction problem to begin with, and they think she’s fine just because she went to rehab and completed the treatment program, but there’s always the chance of her falling back into addiction.”
The navigation had me turning down a street that made me frown. For the most part, Elmhurst, Queens, wasn’t a bad place to live. As a realtor, I knew it was solidly middle class with some decent gentrified areas, but it was the outer lying areas of the community where we currently were that I found questionable and concerning.
“That’s my place, right there,” she pointed out. “You can drop me off at the curb.”
My gut twisted with unease as I slowed the car as we approached an older brick apartment building and I slid into a vacant spot between two beat-up, unkempt cars. The exterior of where Stevie lived wasn’t well maintained, nor was the general neighborhood. The area was run-down, the buildings and homes neglected and weathered.
As soon as I parked, she started to open her door to get out. “Thank you for the ride—”
I caught her wrist to stop her before she could take off, and she glanced at me in surprise.
“I’m not just dropping you off ,” I insisted, my tone as stern as my stare. “I’ll walk you to your apartment.”
She had the audacity to roll her eyes at me. “For crying out loud, Caleb, I’ve lived here for three years. I know it’s not the greatest neighborhood, but it’s broad daylight and I’ll be fine. It’s better than when I arrive home after a night shift at the bar, but that’s why I carry pepper spray.”
My jaw clenched. Her alone and vulnerable at night wasn’t something I wanted to consider. “There isn’t even a security door leading into the complex to keep anyone out,” I said, then scowled, my defenses flaring as I watched a group of twenty-something-year-old men walk out from the park next to her complex, a breeding ground for crime and drug deals.
“I’m walking you to your door,” I all but growled.
She arched a brow, giving me a bit of attitude. “Are you sure you want to leave your fancy sports car parked out here, unattended?”
She had a point. My Audi stuck out like a sore thumb, along with a black BMW parked a few car lengths ahead of us. And those guys who’d just exited the park were eyeing the R8 like it was theirs for the taking, but I didn’t give a shit. Stevie’s welfare was far more important. A car was replaceable. Stevie was not.
“I’ll take my chances,” I said, meaning it as I released her wrist. “That’s what insurance is for.”
“Fine.”
She huffed out an annoyed sigh I would have found amusing if I wasn’t so on edge about where she lived. Which on some level I recognized as ridiculous considering she’d resided here for three years, without incident. It didn’t matter. One night with Stevie and my protective instincts toward her were on overdrive.
We got out of the car and I met up with her on the cracked and uneven sidewalk. We started toward the brick building, with me glaring at the men who were eyeing Stevie in her sexy dress and heels from last night, despite me being with her. Oblivious to those leers, she absently glanced over at the black BMW parked at the curb up ahead and abruptly stopped walking, her posture stiff and her expression startled. She must not have seen the car when we’d driven up, because she was now staring at it with a look of trepidation.
I stopped beside Stevie, her troubled reaction confusing me. “Is everything okay?”
Before she could answer, the vehicle flipped a quick U-turn and sped away in the opposite direction.
She glanced at me, her unease palpable. “I’m pretty sure that was Mark’s car.”
“Mark?” I asked, trying to follow her explanation.
“Valerie’s ex,” she said, reminding me of the conversation we’d had last night at the party, of the abusive relationship her sister had just gotten out of.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Ninety-nine percent. He drives a black BMW, and just like your car, there aren’t a lot of sports cars like that around here,” she said, and then her eyes flared with fear. “Shit, if that was Mark I need to check on my sister and make sure she’s okay.”
She turned toward the apartment building and all but ran up the sidewalk leading to the entrance. My long strides kept me by her side.
“I thought you said there was a restraining order against him,” I said, as we entered the complex. There was no lobby, no security or safeguards in place whatsoever to protect the residents, and definitely no amenities. Just a bank of metal mailboxes, an elevator with an “out of order” sign posted on the doors, and a flight of stairs straight ahead.
She scoffed as she rushed up the first set of steps. “Like that would keep an egomaniac like Mark away from Valerie.”
I couldn’t argue with her logic which was fueling her anxiety, and since I had no idea where her apartment was, I could only follow her up two flights of stairs to a third story. Out of breath, she dug through her purse as we hurried down a hallway, and when she reached her place she used a key to unlock the door.
She burst inside, leaving the door open for me to come in, too. “Valerie!” she yelled in a panic when an initial sweep of the very miniscule living room and kitchenette showed no signs of her sister.
“Jesus, Stevie, I’m right in here sorting clothes for the laundromat,” Valerie said, walking out of what I assumed was a bedroom, carrying a basket with clothes. “You don’t have to shout.”
A startled look passed over Valerie’s features at seeing me there, too. “Oh, hey…hi, Caleb—”
“Was Mark here?” Stevie demanded to know, interrupting any pleasantries.
Confusion flickered in Valerie’s eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m pretty sure I saw his car parked outside the building.”
Valerie set the laundry basket down on the couch, her demeanor turning cautious. “You think , or you for sure saw him?”
“It was a black BMW, Val,” Stevie said, and I could hear the genuine worry in her voice. “I don’t know if Mark was for sure behind the wheel, but what are the chances of a car like his being in this neighborhood, just hanging out in front of the apartment building?”
Valerie visibly paled, which told me how frightened of this asshole she was. “If he was here, he didn’t come up to the apartment.”
Stevie’s lips flattened into a grim line. “Maybe he didn’t have the chance to because he saw me first.”
Finally, I stepped forward and offered my advice. “You should call the police and report the incident.”
“There’s no proof,” Valerie said, shaking her head, which did nothing to chase away the distress that was plain on her face. “The restraining order does prohibit Mark from contacting me in any way. By phone, text, email, social media, or in person, but…if he didn’t actually come up to the apartment, neither I nor Stevie can prove that he was here because it would be his word against mine.”
That was true because there were no fucking security cameras to record and catch suspicious activities around the building. I was beyond frustrated by those lack of safety measures, but kept my tone neutral. “If you report it, the police will at least have it on record.”
“He’s right, Val,” Stevie said, taking her sister’s hands in hers and looking into her eyes. “If Mark is getting ballsy enough to start stalking you again, then we need to make sure these incidents are reported because there’s no telling what lines he’s capable of crossing.”
Valerie folded her arms over her chest, as if trying to hold herself together. She nodded her agreement, tears of legitimate fear shimmering in her eyes, which gave me a good indication of how scared she was of this asshole. That despite a restraining order, she knew her safety was in jeopardy. And by association, Stevie was equally vulnerable if Valerie’s ex was that determined to get to her, by any means necessary.
The whole situation set me on edge and I had to take a deep, calming breath while Stevie consoled her sister, then retrieved her cellphone from her purse and made a call to the police to file the report for Valerie, which she was able to do over the phone.
That gave me too much time to look around the apartment, to really realize how small the place was with minimal furnishings, though the living area was neat and tidy, and so was the compact kitchenette. From what I could see, there was only one bedroom. The fact that there was a blanket and pillow folded up on the couch told me that Valerie was probably sleeping on the sofa for now.
I regarded the less-than-desirable neighborhood. Both of the women’s safety. The cramped apartment. I took everything into consideration and came to a single conclusion which I expressed to Stevie once she was off the phone.
“Okay, that’s done,” she said, setting her cellphone aside before glancing back at me. “Thank you for bringing me home, and I appreciate your concern, but we’ll be fine—”
“You’re not living here,” I interrupted her, my tone unapologetically direct. “You’re moving into one of my apartments at The Cortland.”
She gaped at me, then quickly bristled, spine straightening. “I might have agreed to be your pretend girlfriend, but that doesn’t give you the right to dictate where I’m going to live.”
I was getting a quick lesson on just how independent and stubborn Stevie was. Which, admittedly, impressed and aroused me because it tapped into a very alpha, dominant side of my personality that had the urge to show her who the boss really was in this situation.
“Pretend girlfriend?” Valerie glanced between the two of us in confusion.
“A lot has happened since last night,” Stevie told her sister. “I’ll explain later.”
“Ohhkay,” Valerie said, looking intrigued by this new dynamic between me and Stevie as she took a step back. “I think I’m just going to go hang out in the bedroom and let the two of you hash out your living arrangements.”
Stevie’s lips pursed. “There are no living arrangements to hash out.”
Valerie glanced at me, and seeing my determined stance, a small smile touched the corner of her lips before she shifted her gaze back to her sister. “You know, I’m betting on Caleb winning this argument, but give it your best shot, Stevie.”
Valerie turned around and walked into the adjoining bedroom with Stevie glaring after her for siding with me. I had the urge to laugh, but Stevie was not amused and I was already bracing for a battle and didn’t need to aggravate her any more than she already was.
I didn’t mean to bulldoze her. But after what I’d seen, compromising on this issue wasn’t an option for me. My offer would at least give her two months to figure out a different place to live, and with the money I planned to transfer into her bank account in the morning, she’d definitely be able to afford an upgraded apartment with security for her and Valerie once her commitment to me was through and she was ready to move on.
She lifted her chin. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m not taking advantage of your generosity. You’re already paying me a small fortune to be your girlfriend. Living at The Cortland is above and beyond what we discussed or agreed upon.”
No, she didn’t strike me as a woman who’d ever take advantage of me or my money, which only made her that much more attractive to me. That authenticity also made me want to give her all those luxuries she’d clearly grown up without, because I knew she’d appreciate them without entitlement.
“It is more than we discussed,” I agreed as I slowly closed the distance between us, which didn’t take long in the tiny living room. “And you’re not taking advantage of anything because I’m insisting on making this a nonnegotiable part of the deal we made.”
She tipped her head back to look up at me and arched a brow. “Nonnegotiable?” she repeated, her tone incredulous.
“Yes. As in, not up for argument.” I gentled my tone. “I have a fully furnished, currently unleased apartment and it’s yours for two months, or longer if you need it. And since I’m insisting on you staying at The Cortland, I’ll pay the rent on this apartment for the next two months so you don’t lose it, and you can decide what you want to do once the custody case with Owen is over.”
Her chin jutted out. “I’m not leaving Valerie.”
“That’s not an issue,” I assured her. “She’s coming with you. The apartment has two bedrooms. There’s plenty of room for both of you, and as I said, it’s fully furnished. And most importantly, the building is secure, with a doorman and security cameras, and she’ll be safer there than here.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could issue any other argument, I quickly continued.
“This place is not safe, and neither is this neighborhood, Stevie,” I reiterated. “And being my girlfriend, there is no fucking way I’d let you live here.” Hell, even not being my legitimate girlfriend I was having a difficult time with her living in this neighborhood.
“An apartment in your building wasn’t part of the deal,” she said, and I didn’t miss the flicker of pride in her eyes.
“I’m making it part of the deal,” I said softly. “It’s a matter of safety. If I ever need you to pick up Owen, or be with him…this area would not go over well with Alyssa.”
Finally, Stevie nodded in understanding. “Okay.”
Relieved, I reached out and slid my hand along her neck and beneath the fall of her hair, grateful when she didn’t pull away but instead leaned into my touch. I skimmed my thumb along her jawline as she looked up at me. “Thank you.”
“I’m starting to feel like a kept woman,” she grumbled beneath her breath.
Grinning, I resisted the urge to tell her to get used to it, that I was already starting to enjoy spoiling her. Instead, I said, “I would never mistake you for being a kept woman. You’re much too stubborn and self-sufficient for that.”
Her full lips finally curved with a smile, the first one since before Alyssa had barged into my apartment and changed the course of my relationship with Stevie. For the better, I was hoping, though I sensed it was going to take more to convince her that my growing feelings for her weren’t for the sake of pretenses.
Without even thinking because it felt so natural, I tipped her head back and touched my mouth to hers. The contact started off soft and slow, and she even sighed against my lips as her hands came up and pressed lightly against my chest. But then the kiss gradually deepened, real and potent, and she didn’t hold back as our lips parted and I swept my tongue inside, swirling and tangling with hers, quickly elevating the desire smoldering between us. My dick hardened, and forcibly reminding myself that Valerie was right in the next room, I finally let us both back up for air before I pushed her down on the couch and did all the dirty, wicked things to her playing through my mind.
Stevie stared up at me, her eyes soft, all of her obstinance gone. Mostly, anyway.
“Two months,” she said breathlessly. “That’s it.”
“Agreed,” I replied with a triumphant grin, taking it as a win. “And you’re moving in today, so pack whatever you and Valerie need to get through the next few days, and we’ll come back for the rest later.”
That glimpse of a teasing sparkle in her eye, along with a sassy salute and an equally impudent “Yes, sir” told me we’d weathered the storm. That things were mostly back to normal between us and would hopefully stay that way.