Chapter 7
7
Christa
T he dinner date begins as soon as I’m out of the Hawthorne building and in the back of their personal limousine. They look dangerously handsome and confident as they take me to the Golden Goose, a ritzy restaurant on the eastern riverside with a splendid view of the water, Old Town, and the glimmering skyline.
I’m wearing their gift under my black dress, and it gives me seductress vibes. I hardly recognize myself, and I love it.
“You look stunning tonight,” River says.
We’re seated on the outdoor terrace under one of the heaters. The water murmurs somewhere below while soft jazz oozes from the restaurant’s speakers. Layering over this is a shallow sea of light laughter and glasses clinking—the restaurant is packed, and everyone seems to be having a great time tonight.
“Thank you,” I reply with a broad smile. “It’s not the dress itself but rather what’s under it that really ties the outfit together.”
“I can feel the blue lace on my fingertips from where I’m sitting,” Cassius replies, his gaze dark with desire. The man has a way with words.
“Careful, now, or I’ll soak right through my seat,” I jokingly warn him.
Nathan sits the closest to me, and he runs his fingers up my bare arm. “We aim to please, Christa. And the wetter we get you, the better.”
“Wine list?” The waiter pops in before the flirting can get out of hand.
River chuckles softly and takes the menu, briefly perusing it before he hands it back with fascinating confidence. “We’ll start with the Montepulciano. The Chardonnay.”
“Castello Rosa or Bosco della Madonna?” the waiter asks, somewhat surprised by River’s speedy decision.
“Castello Rosa, please. I think it’ll be more to the lady’s taste,” River says.
The waiter nods and leaves the food menus while he fetches our drinks. The conversation flows into the young night. As we go over today’s staff meeting and the promising new options for the company, I try not to get too excited about the after-dinner treat I know I’m in for.
They have a way of building anticipation.
“My apologies for Colin’s outburst, by the way,” Cassius says, loosening the top button of his shirt. “He’s not a bad guy, but he’s not the easiest to work with.”
“And I’ll be working with him?” I reply, half-smiling.
“If, at any point, you don’t think he’s good for your team, I can always transfer him to another department,” Cassius says. “It might make him quit, but I’ll take the risk.”
“Why don’t we fire him now? Or move him to another department, at least,” River asks his twin brother.
Cassius shakes his head slowly. “Despite his bitterness and abrasive side, Colin is a brilliant software programmer. I literally poached him out of Silicon Valley and pissed a lot of people off in the process. He is ridiculously good with the nitty-gritty Christa shouldn’t need to concern herself with.”
“I did some research on the guy after the staff meeting,” I chime in. “And from what I understand, he’s the author of the banking software’s beta version code. It is good, really good. It’s a marvelous foundation to build on, and I would rather work with that than start from scratch.”
“If I fire him or if he walks away before the software is launched, he might stand a chance in court over ownership rights regarding those lines of code,” Cassius explains to his brother. “Since hiring and firing people fall under my purview, I make it a habit to do my due diligence before reaching a decision. And trust me, I’ve been thinking about him since before the staff meeting. I knew he was pissed off.”
Nathan scoffs with mild disappointment. “He’s a prick. I don’t like him.”
“Honestly, I don’t have to like him to be able to work with him,” I say. “Let’s see how we get along first. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. I’m fine with writing new code for the banking software, too, if push comes to shove.”
“Let’s just hope he learns to play well,” River replies with a shrug. “Nobody is irreplaceable. Not even us.”
Cassius tastes the wine when the waiter returns, then gives him a nod of approval before we are served. Once the food comes, I can feel the color returning to my cheeks as the conversation dives deeper into the company. I love that we’re able to talk about pretty much anything with this kind of ease and open-mindedness. The Hawthorne brothers are a different breed on every possible level.
“The whole green energy department thing sounds great, too,” I say at one point. “How did you meet this Alexandra woman?”
“In Chicago at a dedicated event,” River replies.
“What’s she like?”
Suddenly, their eyes are on me. The intensity of their attention turns up my internal heat and I wonder if I overstepped a boundary here. But that’s not it. No, their shoulders are still very much relaxed; they’re all slightly facing me, and there’s no muscle ticking nervously in anyone’s jaw.
“She was really nice to me,” I add, then clear my throat and take a sip of my wine. Cassius was right. “Oh, wow, this is good.”
“Called it,” he chuckles lightly. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Alexandra Jones is an interesting woman,” River says, fingers resting on the base of his glass. “But we don’t really know her all that well just yet.”
“She likes you,” I say pointedly.
Nathan gives me a curiously amused look. “Does that bother you?”
“No, why would it?” I scoff and try to play it off, though even I can hear the lie. “It doesn’t bother me; I’m just curious, that’s all. She stood up for me. Few people have done that in my life, except for you guys and Teagan mostly.”
“Alexandra seems nice. She holds a lot of financial power, so we’re trying to keep things strictly business to avoid any kind of future friction,” River assures me. “I certainly have no intention of getting too close. The partnership contract gives us a degree of safety, and I like that.”
“You sound like you’re afraid to let her get too close,” I reply.
“Not afraid.”
“Wary,” Cassius says. “I get it. We don’t want to ruin the green energy initiative by adding friendship into the mix. Our personal experience has taught us that.”
Now, I’m blushing, but not in a good way. “That puts me in a bad spot then.”
“No,” Nathan firmly interjects. “You’re different, Christa. Do not put yourself in the same category as other people. You’re not a stranger coming into our company.”
The food is delicious. The wine washes everything down and gives me the right kind of buzz while we talk more about the seven years I’ve been away. I keep the conversation focused on the time they spent in the Marines and about their homecoming.
“I was sorry to hear about your dad,” I say. “He was a good man. He left some pretty big shoes to fill, but from what I’ve already seen, you guys have really risen to the challenge.”
“That’s kind of you to say,” Cassius replies, raising his glass to me. “He actually missed you while you were away.”
“Did he?”
“Don’t sound so surprised,” River says, holding back a hearty chuckle. “The old man was fond of the way you and Teagan influenced each other. You two were better together, and he could tell.”
The mere mention of Teagan fills me with guilt again. I’m here with her brothers, doing the one thing I promised I’d never do. Nathan, perhaps sensing my inner turmoil, reaches under the table and gives my knee a subtle squeeze. It’s all I need to set the thought aside. I can feel guilty again in the morning.
“I missed him, too,” I reply. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t here when he passed.”
“Nobody saw it coming,” Nathan says. “An aneurysm strikes hard and fast.”
“Teagan was lucky to have you guys come back when you did,” I remember. “She was terrified she might have to get involved with the company. Tony was just getting started back then. She worried a lot.”
Cassius shakes his head slowly. “We were always supposed to come back. We just thought we’d have a bit more time with him running the company. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs.”
“Speaking of life and curveballs, I’m sorry things didn’t work out in Los Angeles for you,” Nathan says. “Whatever happened at Perry-Sage, you didn’t deserve any of it.”
“Perry-Sage,” I mumble, giving him a confused look before I turn my glaring attention to Cassius. “You told him?”
“I think you forgot something, Christa. We share everything,” he reminds me. “We don’t keep secrets from one another.”
“Not even mine?”
“Not even yours,” River cuts in. “We’re completely open with you, and while we respect your privacy about what happened at your previous company, it doesn’t mean we’ll keep the details a secret from one another. It doesn’t work like that.”
“We’re not asking you to tell us more about Perry-Sage, but don’t expect us to change our dynamic for your comfort,” Nathan chimes in. “But I will promise you that no one outside of the three of us will ever know anything unless you’re willing to disclose it.”
“That’s reassuring,” I say.
River puts an arm around my shoulders, and his cologne short-circuits my senses. The top notes of mint and lemon make me take a deep breath so I can inhale more of him.
“I read about the Perry-Sage shakedown. They crashed and burned like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Hell, I still remember the havoc it caused on the stock market. So we know that whatever happened internally had to be bad enough for you to want to keep your employment with them a secret.”
“It was a difficult time,” I concede. “I thought I was doing something, making something of myself, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me anymore.”
“Were you there when the Feds raided their offices?” Nathan asks.
I give him a long look, tempted to lie. But I can’t. I shouldn’t. It’s bad enough I haven’t told them the truth about my role in the downfall of Perry-Sage and that I’m keeping one hell of a secret from them—even though it’s for their own good and my personal safety.
“I left the company shortly before that,” I tell him.
“Good,” he nods slowly. “You’re better off staying off the FBI’s radar in general.”
Cassius gives me a warm smile. “I could do with some dessert after this. What do you say, Christa? They have an amazing cheesecake here.”
“Cheesecake?” I raise a curious eyebrow, thankful and relieved by the subject change.
“Your favorite. Strawberry,” he says.
“You’ll need your carbs for later tonight,” River quips and plants a delicate kiss on my temple.
That’s enough to get my blood flowing faster in a different kind of way. “Keep this up, and that fancy lace I’m wearing will be ruined,” I whisper in his ear.
“Keep talking like that, and we’ll be skipping the cheesecake altogether because I’m already dying to bury myself inside you,” he replies, his voice low and dripping with desire.
As the bright morning light floods the hotel suite, my eyes peel open slowly. I don’t really want to wake up. I’m still coming down from heaven, still naked and tangled up with Cassius, River, and Nathan.
Judging by their steady breaths and closed eyes, they’re deep in dreamland, but I can hear my phone buzzing from the bottom of my purse, which is somewhere on the floor.
“You should probably get that,” Cassius grumbles, face half-hidden by the pillow. “And then come back here for round two.”
“Round two?” I giggle and rub my eyes. “We went at it all night.”
“The whole of last night is considered a single round,” River replies as he rolls over and grabs my breast, squeezing until I moan and part my lips. It’s all he needs to capture my mouth in a long, ardent kiss.
“Okay, fine, let me see what that’s about,” I reply and pull myself out of bed.
I already miss the warmth of their bodies, the silky smoothness of skin on skin, as my bare feet touch the cool hardwood floor. My phone is precisely where I thought I’d left it, and I bend over to get it, which gives my men a full view of my rump.
Nathan lets a grunt escape his throat. “I want to wake up to that view every morning. Come back here already.”
“Hold on,” I laugh lightly and give him a quick, over-the-shoulder glance. “Got a few messages to check. Oh…”
I can’t help but lick my lips at the sight of them. Buck naked, sprawled across the bed, watching me with twinkling eyes and huge hard cocks that twitch under my gaze. Somehow, I manage to pull myself away from that glorious view and go through my texts.
“Oh, shit,” I mumble.
“What’s wrong?” Cassius asks, already sitting on the edge of the bed, alerted to the sudden change in my mood.
“I’m supposed to have breakfast with Teagan on the other side of town.”
“When?” he replies.
“Half an hour ago,” I manage, giving him a horrified look.
River is the first to get up and reach for his clothes. “Tell her you’ll be there in twenty,” he says. “I’m sure you can think of a good excuse.”
“I don’t have my car,” I reply, panic taking over. “And I’m in a hotel. I need a shower. I can’t wear last night’s clothes either. My makeup…”
“Half an hour,” he insists. “We have concierge services here. They’ll hook you up with whatever you need. And I’ll drive you.”
I give him an astonished look. “Are you serious?”
“Would you rather cancel and arouse Teagan’s suspicions? You know she’s like a dog with a bone if she catches a whiff of something.”
“He’s got a point,” Cassius adds with a shrug.
Nathan is already on the hotel’s landline. “Hi, yes, I need to speak to your concierge.”
“Holy shit,” I exclaim and quickly text Teagan with a thousand apologies before I bolt into the shower.
“So rude,” Teagan lovingly chides me as soon as I find her at the Stepping Stone Café near Hillside, one of our favorite spots for weekend breakfast and artisanal coffee. “More than an hour late!”
“Sorry. So, soooo sorry!” I exclaim and rush to hug her.
“You’re buying breakfast for this. I am starving!”
I laugh, but it’s not a real laugh. Teagan doesn’t seem to notice as I join her by the window. There’s an empty cup in front of her.
“Again, I am so sorry. I overslept and I didn’t hear my alarm.”
She gives me a wink and waves my concerns away, gold bangles jingling on her wrist. “Relax. I had two cappuccinos and a little scone while waiting for you. I’m not that famished.”
“But you could eat,” I reply, browsing through their breakfast menu.
“You couldn’t?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m beyond peckish after the week I’ve had.”
After the initial agitation fizzles away, I sink into the comfy, plush chair and look around. They’ve changed the decor since the last time we were here together.
Once I get my coffee and our club sandwiches, I start to feel normal again.
“Yeah, I heard about your first week from my brothers,” Teagan says. “I met them for lunch yesterday. Nothing but good things, mind you!”
The pang of guilt returns with a vengeance. I knew I’d feel this way after the deed was done. And boy, was it done and then some. My core is still tingling from last night, and I already crave more.
“We have lunch every Friday. Bit of a family tradition after Dad passed away,” Teagan says. “We don’t get to see much of each other over the weekend. They’ve got their thing; I’ve got my husband and my married life.”
“That’s nice. It’s good you stay close,” I mumble and take a sip of my coffee.
“Yeah, family is important. Speaking of, have you—”
I cut her off and proceed to scarf down half of my club sandwich. “No, I haven’t reached out to Aunt Mary yet.”
Teagan narrows her eyes at me. “No need to get testy. It’s just that she called me the other day, asking about you.”
“She did?” I give her a troubled look.
“I think she heard you’re back.”
“I’ve been keeping a low profile, though.”
“This is Portland, not Los Angeles. Someone must’ve spotted you. Or, most likely, she heard it from one of the dinosaurs still working at the corporate office after the quarterly staff meeting.”
I nod slowly. “I’ll go see her one of these days. I’m still settling into the job. There’s so much to go over, stuff to organize. It’s hard when you’re putting together a whole new department almost from scratch.”
“River says you’re doing great, though,” she says with a warm smile. “I knew you would.”
“Your faith in me is astonishing, Tee. I don’t deserve you.”
“Nobody really deserves me, but, hey, you get me anyway.” She winks.
“How’s married life?”
She was dying to tell me about the honeymoon and the whole moving-in-together-as-newlyweds process, and I gladly sit and listen to the story, thankful to have veered away from my lateness without her digging deeper into the reason. Teagan is too excited and happily married to focus on details these days, and I feel bad for taking advantage of it.
But Cassius made a good point. My personal life is still mine. All mine. I choose what to disclose and what not to.
“I’m glad it’s going well,” I say. “Though Tony is one of the rare ones, if you think about it.”
“Oh, yeah. A man who cooks and cleans? I’m a lucky girl. On top of that, he’s rising pretty quickly through the company as well. Cassius thinks he could put him up for a promotion as soon as next year. Junior VP in the HR department. He says Tony is really good at spotting talent and potential in both interviewees and current employees.”
“That’s great. Your brothers seem to work very well together.”
“I mean, the three of them always got along. I was always on the outside looking in. The little sister who needed protection.”
“Oh, I remember them scaring away plenty of boyfriends,” I chuckle lightly.
“They scared off some of yours, too, if I remember correctly,” Teagan shoots back.
My ears burn as I remember. “Yeah, you’re right. Dave Copeland, junior prom. Your brothers were on leave.”
We laugh at the memory, and I shake my head. I decide to pry a little and throw her off any possible scent. “How are your brothers doing these days? On a personal level, I mean.”
“They’re okay. Work keeps them pretty busy, but they do go out.”
“Any of them seeing anyone?”
“Christa Campbell, are you crushing on one of my brothers again?” She gives me a faux suspicious look.
“No, no…” I nervously laugh. “You made me promise to never touch any of your brothers.”
“I’m a protective sister; what can I say?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
“They’re old enough to take care of themselves, Tee.”
“No, I mean, I’m a protective sister to you .”
That gives me pause. I am speechless as I realize what my best friend is trying to tell me. It only makes me feel worse about the whole thing. So far, I’ve avoided lying directly to her face about them—technically speaking, I did oversleep this morning.
“You’re amazing,” I tell Teagan. “But I’m also old enough to take care of myself.”
“I know, babe. It’s just… Trust me, you don’t want to get involved with any of my brothers. You’re a good woman with a heart of gold. You deserve a husband, a wonderful family,” she says, her gaze drifting off to the side. “My brothers are awesome, don’t get me wrong, and I’ll go scorched earth on anyone who tries to say otherwise, but they have a different lifestyle. You wouldn’t pair well with any of them.”
Alarm bells go off in my head, and I realize I never talked to her brothers about what Teagan knows about their lifestyle. I never asked them if she knows they share women. Hearing her speak now, however, I think I’ve got an answer to that question.
But my curiosity is piqued.
“What do you mean a different lifestyle?” I ask her in a most innocent manner.
“Oh, it’s complicated. It’s not something they want me talking about with anyone else,” Teagan sighs. “Just trust me, they’re guaranteed heartbreakers for an amazing gal like you. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“I believe you,” I gently concede, briefly staring at what’s left on my plate. “I just hope they find happiness someday.”
It’s a grim reminder that what we have won’t last. I shouldn’t get my hopes up.
“Oh, don’t worry; they’re frequently entertained.” Teagan rolls her eyes. “There’s always one chick or another hovering around, looking for a way in. This month, it’s that Alexandra Jones lady.”
“Alexandra,” I mumble, ignoring the thud my stomach makes as it drops.
“Yeah, you met her.”
“Their partner on the green energy projects,” I confirm with a slight nod. “She seems nice and all. Are they… you know, personally involved with her?”
“River said she’s trying, but he hasn’t told me whether they’re interested or not. My brothers keep their personal lives to themselves, to be honest.” She pauses and chuckles quietly. “Besides, I think she’ll run screaming for the hills if they do decide to let her in. A lot of women do. I mean, they go for one night, maybe two, but then—” Teagan stops herself altogether, giving me a wide-eyed stare as she realizes she’s given me too much information.