7. Easton
Easton
Other priorities.
It’s something I didn’t see myself having for a long time. But the more I think about it, the more I realize I’m ready for change. QVE Enterprises is more than successful. It made me and my two best friends billionaires.
We could all walk away tomorrow and never work another day for the rest of our lives and not be able to spend all the money we’ve made.
Watching my two best friends pull back and focus on their personal lives has shown me our business doesn’t need us to be as hands on as we have been in the past.
And with the possibility of a baby to care for, and the role I want Vivi to have in my life, pulling back and letting someone else run the day to day seems like a good idea.
But am I ready for my life to change that much?
I’ve spent over a decade working seven days a week. It wasn’t forced on me, it’s what the three of us chose to do to get QVE to where it is today.
But how much more successful does it need to be?
Like Vivi said, we have our fingers in multiple pies. Over the years we’ve diversified in a way that doesn’t require the attention it used to.
“Penny for them.”
Vivi’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. With a smile, I look over at her. “Just thinking about the changes that have happened over the last year.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Quade and Vail have found other things in life worth their time and attention, and I’ve seen them go from working seven days a week to letting others take over a lot of their tasks.”
“Tasks I’m sure those people are fully capable of doing.”
“Of course. We’ve employed highly skilled people over the years.” I frown. “And in hindsight, I don’t think we’ve taken advantage of their skills the way we should have.”
“Laney said Vail isn’t the grumpy workaholic he used to be.”
“She’s right. He’s handed over more and more of his workload in recent months. But that has more to do with her than anything else.” I grin. “I wasn’t at all surprised when they came out as a couple.”
“You weren’t?”
“No. There were a few times over the years when I caught one or the other staring in a way that said there was more to their relationship.”
“They didn’t have a relationship before Laney went to work for him.”
“Oh, I know, but those longing looks said it all, and it was only a matter of time once they were forced to see each other every day.”
“She’s happy. So is Hadley.” A frown tugs at her mouth and brow.
“That’s not a good thing?”
“Oh, it is. But I was thinking it’s odd that they seem so happy when they weren’t unhappy before.”
“You’ve known them a while.”
“About five years. We met their first week of college.”
“What were you doing there? I know you’ve got multiple degrees, but you weren’t in their classes, were you?”
“No. We met at the coffee shop just off campus. Hadley was having problems with her laptop and I offered to fix it.” She shrugs. “It didn’t take much and I’m sure she would have sorted it out sooner or later but from that moment on we kept bumping into each other and quickly became friends.”
“I’m grateful they met you. We wouldn’t have Van in our lives again without your help.”
“You all need to stop thanking me for that.”
“Never. Our thanks are the least of what we owe you for bringing him back to us.”
“I didn’t do it for payment or gratitude.”
“I know. But still.”
“There is nothing I hate more than people using other people against each other. And using a child?” Her fist clenches where it rests on her thigh. “That’s the lowest of the low and if I can stop it from happening, I will. Every time.”
I’ve hit a nerve. I’m not sure how or what exactly, but now that she’s moving in with me, I’ll have time to figure out what makes Vivian Lenore Garnett tick.
Not tonight though. Tonight we need to take care of the baby sleeping peacefully between us.
“Are you finished?” I reach for our shared plate. “We should clean up and get some sleep before little man wakes up for his next bottle.”
“Diaper or bottle duty?” Vivi asks as she stands and stretches. “Also, do you have something I can sleep in?” She wiggles her hips and my dick twitches in my pants. “I need to get out of these pants.”
Her words have visions of her peeling the skintight jeans down her legs, an inch at a time, slowly revealing the sleek legs I know she has, flooding my mind. And once she’s removed those jeans my imagination conjures images of her taking her top off next.
The twitch turns to a throb; my cock pulsing as it inflates. Shifting to the side, I try to hide my growing erection and think about the disaster my first diaper changing experience was in an attempt to banish all thoughts of a naked Vivi from my head.
“Easton?”
“Hmm…” I look over my shoulder to find her arching an eyebrow at me. It takes effort to remember where we are in our conversation. “Yeah, I’ve got something you can wear.”
I’ll hunt up the thickest and biggest sweater and sweatpants I can find. It’s bad enough she’ll be only feet away—in my bed—I don’t need the temptation of her being in a t-shirt and boxers.
“Just point me in the right direction and I’ll grab something while you take the plate to the kitchen.”
“It’s okay. I’ll get it.”
Pushing to my feet, I head for my walk-in closet, keeping my back to her and hoping I can calm my dick down before I return.
Once in the closet it doesn’t take me long to establish my quest to supply Vivi with maximum coverage is fruitless. I have little in the way of winter clothing—no need when I spend the majority of my time in warmer climates. What I do have for colder weather is in QVE’s New York apartment.
The best I can hope for is a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of gym shorts. Jeans and slacks won’t be any more comfortable than her own jeans and that’s the only long pants I have here.
“You all right in there?” Vivi’s voice floats into the closet and my dick twitches again.
“Yeah. Coming.”
Yeah, I’d like to be coming. It’s been so long since I had the pleasure of orgasming with a woman, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my excitement at sharing a bed with Vivi under wraps. Except I have to. And not only because I need her help with the baby.
I want her in my life. I want to explore this attraction I know isn’t one sided and see where it might lead.
I can admit to being jealous of my best friends. They’ve found women to love. They’re building families. And even if I hadn’t thought about a family of my own before I met Vivi, I want that—with her.
Will I get it? I don’t know. But I definitely want to try.
Shirt and shorts in hand, I move back into the bedroom to find Vivi staring at the baby. I can’t quite decipher the look on her face.
“He okay?”
“Yes. I was just watching him sleep.” Is that a blush blooming on her cheeks? “He’s so innocent, oblivious to the changes happening around him.”
Before I can say anything else, she yanks the clothes from my grip and disappears into the en suite.
“Well, okay then.” With a shake of my head, I pick up our plate and leave the room.
I know I locked up before I left for our date, but after I put the plate in the sink to deal with in the morning, I move through the house to check all the doors and windows anyway.
Taking my time, I steel myself against what I’ll find when I return to my bedroom.
Vivi in my bed.
It’s something I’ve been hoping for from the first time I laid eyes on her. In the months since then, I’ve discovered it isn’t just a physical attraction I feel.
Her intelligence blows my mind, and the way she dove into the search and rescue of Van gave me a glimpse of her heart. From our conversation earlier, I know she’s got some triggers and Van’s situation obviously pulled one.
She put herself, her freedom, on the line to help Vail get Van away from his mother. What she did took more than skill, it took bravery.
Like with the mysterious Lisa, doing the right thing isn’t always the easy thing, and I have to respect both women for following through in a difficult situation.
Of course the incidents are completely different but that doesn’t take away from the fact it takes a brave person to push through the hard stuff.
I don’t want to put Vivi in jeopardy and I know she’s been put on a watch list because of what she dug into to help Vail regain custody of his son.
Should I expect her to help me find Lisa?
She would be putting herself at risk and as much as I want to know who Lisa is and why she thought her son would be better off with me, I don’t want to threaten Vivi’s freedom.
But if I’ve learned anything about her in the time I’ve known her, it’s that she won’t listen to me if I tell her to leave it alone. The only thing I can do is help protect her.
Whatever she needs, whatever she wants, I’ll make sure she gets it. What’s the point of having billions of dollars if you don’t use them to take care of the ones you love.
And while I’m not there yet with Vivi, I have to admit I’m close. Closer than I’ve been with any other woman.