Chapter 10
Iwasn’t a fan of Kat signing a contract to be with us, and from the sounds of it, neither was Alex. But it was her idea, and he thinks it will help Oli.
So I wrote one up this morning, regardless. I simply took it a little less seriously than I usually would.
“‘Reproduction, contraception, and any decisions pertaining thereto shall be at the sole discretion of Nathan. The parties intend to pursue the action of adding an addition(s) to their domicile and family through any combination of the conventional and unconventional methods.’ Oh, fuck, can I be here when she reads it? I want to watch her burn up.” Alex sounds almost as excited as I felt when I was writing it, but I’ll never tell him that.
“I don’t see why not.” I turn to look at the clock hanging on the wall beside my desk. “Though after last night, I’m sure she will be red the moment she sees the two of us together.”
The smile on Alex’s face is almost wicked as he sets the contract back on my desk before collapsing into one of the chairs opposite my desk to wait.
He looks like a kid waiting for Santa to bring his presents.
I pull out my phone and text her to come up to my office for a moment before I turn my attention to my monitor. After last night, Alex is well aware of the reason I’m watching them and raises a brow in question.
“She’s on her way up.”
We sit in silence, and I watch her from one camera to the next, happy to see that she seems less anxious than she would have just weeks ago.
When I’d had the security system put in the house, I never really expected to need it. Maybe once or twice, but daily? Never.
Now I can’t seem to stay off it. If I’m not at a PC with access, I have it pulled up on my phone. I’d love to say I do it to ensure she’s safe or check in, but it’s more than that.
It’s like I can’t control myself. I crave her, even if it's just seeing her for a moment.
I’ve never been more grateful that Oliver convinced me to go with the top-of-the-line cameras with all the bells and whistles than I have been these last few weeks.
“You're such a creep,” Alex says, and I glare at him despite hearing his teasing tone.
“I’m a creep? At least I waited to stalk her until after she agreed to move in.”
His lips pull down in a slight frown before he flips me off.
“Har, har, very funny.”
I’d say I’m surprised at how quickly he caught on to that, but I’m not. He is my brother after all, and he’s had more time than anyone else to get a feel for my sense of humor.
The doorknob turns, and I quickly reach out to click off the surveillance feed back to my emails just as Kat walks into the room. I hear Alex give a huff of laughter before he, too, turns to look toward the door where Kat now stands frozen, looking between the two of us.
The cameras don’t do her justice.
She’s breathtaking always. No matter if she’s fully dressed, freshly fucked, elbows deep in a dinner recipe, or simply sitting with Addy playing.
Kat was made for me, for us. I’m sure of it.
“You wanted to see me?” Her voice is steady, but I can see the slightest bit of uncertainty shine in her eyes.
I hate it. I want her to be comfortable with us in every aspect, not just in the bedroom.
But we’ll get there. We have all the time in the world.
“Alex said you were in need of a contract.” I hold up the stack of papers in a show of what I’m saying and watch as her eyes grow wide.
Had she not thought we would do it, or was she hoping we didn’t?
I stand waiting, watching her for a moment, unsure what to do, before a smile pulls at her lips and she makes her way across the room to my desk and takes the offered paperwork.
She flips through all six pages, and it would be a gross overexaggeration to say her eyes even skim the pages, let alone read a single word.
Despite not having read a single word, she flips to the last page and drops it onto the desk before plucking a pen from the cup and signing her name.
Just like that.
She has no idea what she’s signed, and while it’s nothing terrible, it was meant to be fun; this is a horrible way to do business.
“Do you have a habit of signing things without reading them?” Alex asks from behind her, and one look lets me know he’s just as concerned as I am.
I pray the answer is no.
“Oh, um, I’ve never really had to sign for much,” Kat says, putting the pen away before flipping to the first page and handing the contract back to me. “But whatever helps Oliver is fine by me.”
The very best thing about Kat is that she means that wholeheartedly. I see it in her eyes; she really just cares about what Oliver wants, which is much more than he deserves, given the way he was treating her when she first moved in.
They appear to have found some common ground, though, mostly Addy as far as I can tell. And with any luck, this contract really will help him.
“Was that all?” I stand in quiet shock for a moment before I manage to get a hold of myself.
“Yes.”
“Okay, great, because I need to get ahold of Des before he does more stupid things.”
As quickly as she’s here, she’s gone, and I’m not the only one confused, judging by the look on Alex’s face.
He pulls out his phone as I drop back into my chair and once again turn back to the feeds. She’s already down in the kitchen, and Des is clearly in the middle of a discussion that he finds all too funny, but the look on her face is almost one of horror.
I watch as Des pulls his phone out of his pocket, reading whatever it is Alex said, before his eyes flick to the camera for a brief moment.
To anyone else, it would simply look like he was looking around, but I know what he’s looking for, and it makes me worry that Kat might notice.
She doesn’t, but she could have.
I should have known he would realize what I was up to. He is my son after all, and after that day in the pool, I’m shocked he wasn’t using them too.
Though I guess I can’t be sure he isn’t.
“Des wants to take a vacation.”
Ah, that actually explains a lot.
“A little time away sounds good, actually. Who knows, it might just be exactly what we all need.”
“I’ll call and have the villa prepared.” Alex is already on the phone before he makes it out of the office, which only solidifies the idea that this was a good call.
Though I’m unsure, Kat will agree.
In the end, we plan to go home. Curacao was my first choice and Desmond’s as well, but thankfully, Oliver thought to look at the weather.
Next week, they have a good chance of being hit by a tropical storm, and I’m not sure that will help Kat relax.
“What’s up, boss?” Vince asks as he slips into my office.
The house is asleep, having spent the whole day planning or, in Kat’s case, trying to dissuade us from going.
It didn’t work, which is why I’ve asked Vince to come see me tonight.
“We’re going to Italy. I assume you're coming?”
“Of course.”
He stands by the door, stoic as if we haven’t been friends for twenty-plus years.
“Vince.”
It’s like my voice snaps him from his thoughts, and he relaxes, moving to the bar cart before he even looks at the chairs.
“Where was your mind?” I ask as he throws back a shot of whiskey without so much as flinching.
I’d like to say it’s because it’s the expensive stuff, but I know it doesn’t matter.
He could drink the cheapest stuff and have no reaction; that’s what years of drinking does, and while he might not drink as much now, there was a time when he used to.
“Would it have anything to do with a Little Beauty?” His eyes snap up to meet mine, narrowing as his jaw sets.
“Protecting her is also my job, is it not?”
I’ve hit a nerve. I can hear it in his tone.
Good.
“It is, though I was unsure if the nickname came with the job or simply was an added bonus.” He sets the glass down harder than I’m sure he meant to before stalking toward my desk.
“Did you actually have something worth talking about, or did you call me here to play silly games?” He leans in, bracing his hands on my desk so that he’s half leaning over it.
I don’t miss the way his eyes fly to my monitor or the way his nostrils flare seeing Kat in bed.
Tonight she’s alone. We have to let her get some rest once in a while, but I wish I didn’t have to, especially now.
How would he have reacted if he had looked over and found her getting fucked, the way Alex and I had shared her last night?
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting Kat, my friend.”
He growls, forcing his gaze away from the monitor and back to me.
“I don’t want her.”
I don’t even try to hide the smile that tugs at my lips.
Does he believe that?
He’s so damn stubborn; I bet he does.
I recline back, holding my hands up in a show of surrender.
“If you say so.”
“I do,” he growls, and I nod.
We can come back to this conversation later; we have all the time in the world.
“How goes our search for the trash?” I refuse to give him a name. He doesn’t deserve one, just like he doesn’t deserve each breath he’s currently being gifted by the gods.
But those won't last long; his days are numbered.