Chapter 28
Rhys
My phone rings, jolting me from a peaceful sleep.
My eyes search for the clock on my nightstand.
Fuck.
Keira snuggles a little closer to my body.
I kiss the top of her head.
My phone rings again.
With a curse, I reach for it.
When I see the name flashing on my screen, I close my eyes on a silent groan.
“Hey, Noah,” I say, accepting the call. My voice is still groggy with sleep.
“Hey, Rhys. Sounds like I woke you up.”
“You did.”
“What are you still doing in bed, you lazy bum?” His tone is jovial. It’s too early for that kind of cheerfulness.
“You’re calling me at six in the morning LA time to barrage me?”
“No, I’m calling you at six in the morning LA time because I’m standing at your door.”
I’m fully awake now.
I bolt upright in bed.
Keira frowns at me, upset I’ve disrupted her beauty sleep.
This fairytale is about to become a horror story, sweetheart.
“Noah? You’re at my door?”
“Well, the guard’s staring me down, unblinking, still needs the green light from you, but yeah, I’m at the security gate of your Fort Knox-like gated neighborhood.”
I hold the phone away from my ear, blinking at it in shock, hoping to God this is a prank.
“Rhys?”
I bring the phone to my ear.
“You’re at my door right here in LA?” I exaggerate each word. My gaze slides to Keira’s.
I’m sure the worry I read in her wide eyes matches mine.
I nod.
“Man, you can’t function without coffee.
” Noah chuckles on the other end. “Unless you bought another house in another ritzy gated neighborhood you didn’t tell me about, yes, I’m here.
I’m a short distance from your big ass mansion.
Come on, let your brother in. Tell the security guard I’m on your friend’s list. I want to see you and my sister. ”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to LA? I would’ve arranged for a car to pick you up.” I’m grasping at stalling straws here.
“Thanks, Mr. Billionaire, but I can afford a chauffeured car ride from LAX to Manhattan Beach.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” I say.
“I’m yanking your chain. I know you didn’t. Had I told you or my kid sister I was coming, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
My eyes move to Noah’s little sister in my bed.
She’s white knuckling the sheets underneath her nose, fear flashing bright in her eyes.
I feel you.
I should’ve called Noah and manned up. I thought I had time. He lives on the other side of the planet. I didn’t account for him dropping by. Who the hell flies thirteen hours for a visit, unannounced?
This is the worst possible scenario. Him finding out like this is like signing my own death sentence. My head is reeling at warp speed as I desperately try to find a spin that’ll keep him from knocking my teeth out.
“Shit,” Noah says.
“What?”
“I didn’t think of it.”
“Think of what?”
“Are you stalling because there’s a woman in your bed?”
I cringe.
“You keep your uncomplicated fucks away from your home. Have things changed?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose.
Telling him I’m alone in my bed would not only be a lie, but it would also be a slap in Keira’s face.
“I’m not stalling,” I say. “Give me five minutes to put on some clothes and brush my teeth.” I need to buy myself some time.
“No rush. The last thing I need is to see your junk,” he says. “Once I’m at your door, I’ll wait as I enjoy the morning sun.”
“All right. Be right there.”
I hang up with Noah and call the security desk. Once I’m done, I drop the phone on the nightstand. “I’m knee-deep in shit.”
“OhmyGod,” Keira says. “Noah is here.”
I rub my hands over my face. “Yes.”
“This is horrible. He’s going to freak out.”
“Yes, he will, and chances are I’ll be on the receiving end of him freaking out.”
“We’re in this together,” she says.
My eyes meet her determined gaze. “You know how protective your brother is of you. This”—I wave a finger between us—“isn’t what he meant when he asked me to look after you.”
“I’m an adult woman and I can do whatever I want,” she says with a firm nod.
Even in this dire situation, she’s as spunky as hell. “Baby, I need you to listen to me, and you can’t argue.”
“But––”
“What did I say?”
“Fine. I’m listening.” She crosses her arms over her bare chest.
And fuck if my cock doesn’t react.
Great. I’m about to walk the green mile and my cock is ready for a morning quickie.
Focus.
“We need to get up. I don’t have time for a shower, but you do. You need to wash my scent off your body. While I distract Noah, make sure to clean my bedroom. Hide the prop basket. Hide the whip. Hide the pink fuzzy leather cuffs. Hide the fishnet stockings. Hide the high heels. Hide it all.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t forget, your phone is still in the iPhone dock in the closet. ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ sends a definite message.”
“Got it.”
“Let’s play it safe. Let’s find out how long he’s in town for. We’ll give him a couple days to settle, and then, I’ll talk to him. I don’t want to drag things on too long. It’s too much of a risk.”
“I want to be there when you talk to him, Rhys.”
“It’s best if I do it man to man—”
“Like I’m not involved?”
“Keira, we don’t have time for this.”
“Fine.” She purses her lips.
I fling the sheets off my naked body and rush to the bathroom. I take care of business, brush my teeth, and splash cold water on my face. To hide the smell of sex, I spray a generous amount of expensive cologne all over my body.
Shit.
The scent is overpowering.
I might have overdone it, but at least it might extend my life for a few more days until Noah curls his hands around my neck and chokes me for fucking his kid sister.
Pushing my imminent death aside, I run back to my bedroom.
In a mad rush, Keira picks up damning evidence from last night’s naughty peep show.
Good girl.
I race to my walk-in closet, jump into a pair of jeans and pull a t-shirt over my head before sprinting barefoot to the front door.
When I swing it open, my best friend greets me with a warm smile.
He doesn’t wait. He steps inside my home and grabs me in a back thumping man hug. “Jesus, Hartford.” He breaks our embrace, taking a long step back. “Did you pour the entire bottle of cologne over your body? Those damn New Yorkers can smell you all the way from the east coast.”
“Sorry. I was rushing. I didn’t want to make you wait too long.”
“You’re excited to see me too, right?” His blue eyes sparkle with glee.
Finding out Keira and Noah had different fathers explained a lot.
They’re complete opposites. With his light blue eyes, blond hair, and super pale eyelashes, Noah looks like a Viking.
“I knew I did the right thing by surprising you.” He grabs me again and squeezes the life out of me. “It’s been way too long.”
When he lets go, I can breathe again.
“It’s a surprise for sure.”
“Since I couldn’t make it to Vietnam while you were there, I figured I’d make up for it.”
“What about the show? You always complain about how hard it is to get away.”
“New Zealand was hit by a series of severe storms this past month. It’s caused some serious delays in filming to keep everyone safe. There was a small window for me to get away, so I jumped on it.” He slaps me on the shoulder. “Where’s my kid sister?” He glances over my head.
I’m six-two.
Noah is six-seven.
I’m quite tall.
He’s a tree.
A very large tree.
My eyes land on his wide chest.
Jesus, he’s bulkier than before. Has he put on some extra muscle?
Dread washes over me.
The man has always had a mean punch. With more muscle, he becomes a destroyer.
How much plastic surgery will be required to set my jaw once he breaks it?
“Rhys?”
I snap back to the moment. “Sorry. I’m a little tired. My brain hasn’t kicked in yet.”
“Did you leave my sis home alone while you got some pussy at Dark Compulsion?” He doesn’t give me time to respond. He leans into me. “You and I could drop by tonight…”
“No. I wasn’t at the club,” I say. “I haven’t been there in a while.”
“Then, my timing back in town is perfect.” He grins wide.
I’d argue with that.
“We should go tonight. I love being your guest.”
“Don’t you want to spend time with your sister?”
“I will. During the day. But we’re talking about tonight.”
“You’re on your own, Noah. I can make arrangements for you, but it’s unlikely I’ll be your wingman.”
“Why the hell not?” He frowns, crossing his bulky arms over his massive chest.
He looks as menacing as fuck.
I offer him an evasive answer. “Too much on the go.”
“This COO gig is killing your sex life, Hartford.” He chuckles.
I beg to differ.
“Like I said, you can go without me.”
“Nah. If you’re not going, I’m not going. I’ll stay here with you and my sister. Speaking of which, where is the little devil?”
“I announced your arrival. She must be in the shower.”
“I can’t wait to see her.”
“Where’s your luggage?” I change the subject.
“It’s only one suitcase. I’m only here five days. Let me go grab it.”
“Okay.”
He returns in a flash.
I close the door and lock it behind him.
“Leave your suitcase at the door. We’ll grab it later.”
“No problem,” he says as he removes his shoes and then his socks.
“Let’s go to the kitchen. I’m sure you must be hungry.”
“I’m starving,” he says. “What time are you leaving for work?”
“Since your visit is unexpected, I’ll head to the office later––probably after lunch. I’ll text my assistant to warn her.”
“It’s good to be the boss,” he says.
I chuckle. “On most days it is.”
He follows behind me.
“Fuck, Hartford, you’re living large.” His booming voice resonates.
“Wait till you see the rest of the house. I’ll give you the grand tour after coffee and breakfast.”
“The last time I saw your place, it was the beginning stages of the renovations.”
New Zealand to LA is a long haul, which makes this unexpected visit even more mind-boggling.
“Lots of changes since then,” I say.
“Speaking of transformations, I still can’t get over Keira’s. She sent me tons of photos. I love the new hair. It suits her.”