Chapter 27 #2
If I wasn’t so irate from that motherfucker getting a peek in to our private life, I think I’d be turned on.
The video is like a highlight reel of some of our most intimate moments since the cameras were installed, ending with the way Carley was sprawled out on the dining room table waiting for me the first night she moved in.
I shift in my seat to take some pressure off my hardening cock and chide myself for being such a dirtbag. I shouldn’t get any pleasure out of this. It’s despicable and such a gross violation of our privacy.
Just then my cell phone rings, bringing me back to the present. My own stomach churns this time, thinking it’s Emma. She texted me earlier, letting me know she got reservations at Boku—some swanky sushi restaurant—and reminded me not to be late picking her up. I don’t intend to.
Well, Izaak won’t be late anyway.
I’m sending him to pick her up while I take a cab. I want to limit the amount of time we’re together, and I especially don’t want to spend any of it in close quarters with her.
But she isn’t the one calling me. It’s the security desk from downstairs. I asked them to pull the footage from the penthouse lobby from the last week and check to see if there are any suspicious people who could have gotten past all of the security measures to get up here.
“Dimos Anastos.”
“Mr. Anastos, it’s Carl from the desk downstairs.”
“Carl, hi. What did you find?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, sir. Only you and Ms. Garrettson. And another couple who I’ve cross-checked with the guest logs, a Ms. Saylor Wright and Mr. Ren Wilson. In addition to the four of you, I only saw owners and approved guests from Penthouse B.”
How the fuck was he able to get on to our network without being within range of the Wi-Fi?.
Then an idea occurs to me. The range of a Wi-Fi signal doesn’t stop just outside of someone’s door. He could have gotten access from one of the floors beneath us.
“Can you check the hallway footage from floors sixty and up? Again, we’re looking for a loiterer. Someone who you don’t recognize. He could be in one of the common sitting areas, or he could be camped out in a dark corner. Check everywhere.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Anastos. I’ll review the footage as quickly as possible, but it will probably take me a week or two to get through all of it.”
“That’s okay, just let me know what you find out. I’ll pay you handsomely for the extra work you’re putting in. Thanks, Carl.”
Tossing my phone back down on the desk in my study, my fingertips find my temples and rub gentle circles over them in an effort to relieve the tension building in my head.
“D, I appreciate everything you’re doing, but is it really important that we find him on tape in our building? That’s not going to stop the letters from coming.”
I look up to find Carley leaning against the doorframe. I nod my head for her to come closer.
“I know, but if we have that footage, at least we can use it to help our case against him. Remember, Officer Harrison said the letters and messages aren’t enough to go after him. We need visual proof Blaine is the one behind all of this.”
Carley nods her head in agreement as she leans against my desk.
“Is your stomach any better now than it was earlier?”
“Not really.”
“I’ll go make you some soup. I think I have some in the cabinet.”
“Thanks, but what are you going to eat for dinner?”
Anxiety nearly cripples me upon hearing her question. I haven’t told her I have a meeting tonight, yet. I don’t want to lie to her, but I remind myself I will come clean about everything once I can confirm Emma is gone and not a threat.
“Actually, I have a last-minute dinner meeting tonight.”
“With a client?”
“Someone who isn’t going to be in town for very long but wants to meet in person.”
She looks at me as I speak, and I hold my breath, ready for an onslaught of questions.
“D, I …” Shit. Here it comes. “Are you meeting with your guy tonight?”
“My guy?” I’m genuinely confused now.
“I know you’re trying to keep some details from me, and I appreciate the lengths you’re going to in order to protect me. But Saylor told me you mentioned you have a guy tailing Blaine to see what he’s up to.”
Oh.
I consider my options here. I haven’t exactly lied about having a meeting with someone. Emma does want to meet in person, and I’m going to see to it she leaves town immediately when our conversation is over.
However, letting Carley believe I’m meeting with Travis is a blatant lie. I’d be leaving the gray area I’ve been in since not telling her about Emma from the start. As much as it kills me, for now, I need to make her believe what she thinks is true.
I will get information from Travis. Emma will leave town.
Once she’s gone, I’ll sit Carley down and explain everything. She’s a smart girl. She may not be happy about it, but she will see reason why I did what I did.
“Yes, we haven’t been able to meet in person yet as he lives in another state.”
“Thank you, D. At every turn, you’ve proven how much you care about me, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for you. The month we went without one another was awful. I kicked myself every single day for walking out without saying goodbye. I’m so glad the universe has given us another chance.”
“Me too, théa.” I pause for a minute, running my thumb over her bottom lip. “Carley … I—”
I’m feeling so many different things right now, but the one that stands out the most is love.
I love her. I love her, and I just lied to her.
I want nothing more than to tell her exactly how I feel, take her into our bed, and make love to her all night long.
She’s looking straight into my eyes, the window to my soul, and I know she can see what I’m feeling for her.
“What is it, D?”
I can’t tell her yet. I can’t lie to her one second and then profess my love for her the next. The timing isn’t right. It will have to wait until I come clean about Emma.
“I’m … going to go heat up your soup.”
Planting a kiss on the top of her head, I walk around her and out into the hallway.
I love you, théa.
I’ve made a mess of things. One Carley doesn’t even know about yet. I feel like I’m digging a hole for myself. I just hope Carley will see I did it because the only other alternative was losing her.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I never lose her again.