Chapter 21
Rob
Few things were able to anger me past the point of reason.
At the very top of that list was my shitty ex-brother-in-law.
I’d meant to keep my promise to Anne, I really had.
Until he had the audacity to show up at headquarters the day after Restaurant Days were over.
He asked for me to help him with a new business, to put in a good word for him with the banks so he could get the loans he needed.
He'd chosen the worst possible moment to approach me. Anne and Lindsay had just returned from France, and Lindsay had mentioned that he’d forgotten to call again.
“Let me get this straight. You hauled ass without notice, divorced my sister, and now you want my help?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
Why did I let him in the building in the first damn place? Why didn’t I just kick him out on the street from the start? He’d hurt Anne, and I wanted to hurt him. He just went on with his life, the arrogant prick, while my sister was a ghost of herself. Fucker.
Lindsay! I couldn’t forget about Lindsay. She’d have the most to lose if I connected my fist to his jaw.
“Get out,” I said.
“What?”
“Get out. Before I forcibly remove you.” I yelled louder to make sure he heard me this time.
“I was the CEO of this company. You can’t just ignore that.”
“Yes I can. And I will.”
“There’s plenty I can say or do to hurt the image of this company.”
I smirked. “Go ahead. Think any bank will approve you for a loan after that? I have them all in my pocket.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yes.”
“You bastard. I’m not the first person to divorce his wife. Anne got boring as fuck, so I looked elsewhere for fun.”
I didn’t even realize when I lunged over to him. Anger pushed out any thought. Instinct prevailed. I punched him square in the stomach, relishing the way he curled forward from the impact, letting out a strangled cry.
“That’s for hurting Anne and Lindsay,” I said, pushing him back.
He nearly crashed into the door. “Let me make one thing clear. I forbid you to hurt or disappoint my niece. It’s too late to take back all the hurt you caused Anne, but you will call Lindsay on a regular basis. Spend time with her. Or else.”
“Or else what?” he challenged.
“The name Dumont means something in this city. The whole country. Piss me off, and you’ll see just how much power it has.”
“You don’t intimidate me.” Though he sounded damn intimidated.
“Call her. Man up and be responsible.” I was at the edge of reason again. “Now get out.”
He opened his mouth, closed it again. I was standing straight, feet wide apart, hands in my pockets, balled into fists. Something in my body language must have made it clear that I was out of patience, because he left my office immediately.
I was restless for the rest of the day. Even I could tell I wasn’t just being difficult at work, as usual—no, I was being a jackass. When my assistant burst into tears because I barked at her to hurry up with a report, I knew it was time to give up on this day.
Outside, I sat on a bench in Tompkins Square Park under the shade of elms. Damn it, I was still restless. I had no idea how to cool down. Sitting here wasn’t helping either. No, I wanted something else.
I needed Skye.
That thought just slammed into me all on its own.
Taking out my phone, I hesitated with my thumbs above the screen.
I wasn’t used to needing anyone. When shit happened, I dealt with it on my own or ignored it until it wasn’t an issue any longer.
But this last week, I’d had her with me every evening at the hotel, and it had been glorious, no matter if we were talking, if I was sinking inside her, or just falling asleep curled into each other, which happened on two nights the second we slid into bed because we’d both been exhausted. I craved her nearness.
I finally made the call.
“Hey,” she said, sounding happy to hear from me, but I detected unease in her voice too.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying not to pull my hair out.”
I laughed. “That good, huh?”
“We had a zillion cancellations today, and I just figured out it was because our payment system crashed. It’s just not keeping up with demand. You?”
“In Tompkins Square Park.”
A pause followed before she said, “Damn, so your day is worse.”
“How can you tell?”
“Hanging out in parks without a reason? Not your style.”
“You’ve got me all figured out, huh?” Surprisingly, I liked the thought of that. And just like that, she was cheering me up.
“Well, no, but everything you do has a purpose.”
“I suppose you’re right. Can I persuade you to hang out with me?”
Say yes . I was breathing easier just at the prospect of spending the evening with her. It was just six o’clock, but maybe she could leave the store earlier.
“Depends, what do you have in mind?”
“Nothing, but I’m open to suggestions.”
“Have you ever been to Ancient Aire Baths? I haven’t been in a while, and we have a sales assistant here tonight. She can close without me.”
“No, but I know them.” They were practically across from the restaurant in Tribeca.
“Well, you’re in for a treat. I love them. Meet me there in half an hour?”
“I think I’ll need forty. I’m in the East Village.”
“Okay. Unless you want to do something over there instead?”
“And miss out on the opportunity of seeing you naked?”
Skye laughed. “You don’t know how these thermal bath things work, do you? We wear bathing suits.”
“I’m sure we can sneak some naked time somewhere.”
“Oh my God! Promise you won’t.”
“Won’t what?”
“Tempt me.”
I smiled for the first time since my encounter with the jackass. “Can’t lie to you, Skye. See you in forty minutes.”
I arrived earlier than anticipated. Skye was already on the white steps, waving at me. Just seeing her did things to me I couldn’t explain.
“Hey, broody guy. Let’s go inside.”
Instead of answering, I pulled her to me. We were in full view of Tribeca, so I limited myself to a simple press of my lips against hers. For now.
Inside at the reception desk, I was given onetime-use shorts. Skye had brought a bikini from the store. We both received flip-flops and towels.
“I know my way to the changing rooms,” Skye told the receptionist. Taking my hand, she led me down a few corridors, right to a series of changing rooms. We’d been given the same one.
Stepping inside, Skye hung her bag on one of the hooks, her dress on the other.
Watching her take off her clothes was a special kind of torture.
She seemed oblivious to my pain as she kicked off her underwear, putting on a simple black bikini.
Her ass and breasts looked too fucking delicious.
Groaning, I gripped her ass, sliding my fingers inside her bikini.
“No funny business.” She swatted my hand away playfully.
I drew her to me the next second, kissing her wet and deep, digging my fingers in her ass, rubbing against her. It was so easy to get wrapped up in her taste, her scent. I only came to my senses when I pushed her against the metal wall and buried my mouth in her neck.
“You haven’t changed,” she murmured.
Pulling back, I wiggled my eyebrows. “Want to help me?”
Laughing, she shook her head. “I’ll wait for you outside, or we’re never going to make it in the water. Come on, hurry up.”
I didn’t want to let her out, but changing with her in here was too risky.
I was already hard and having trouble behaving myself.
I could already imagine bending her over, one leg up on the bench, sinking inside her.
After she left, I took off my clothes, putting on the shorts.
They were a little more fitted than what I’d wear, so I waited two whole minutes for my hard-on to subside before joining her.
She took my hand, leading me out of the changing rooms and down a corridor that opened to a huge hall that did the name ancient baths justice: high ceilings sustained by columns and brick walls. There were multiple pools of various sizes. All light fixtures resembled candles or torches.
“That’s my favorite one,” Skye said, pointing to one of the larger pools. “It has saltwater, and it’s warm.”
I was pleased that the place wasn’t too full. We had one corner of the pool all to ourselves. Skye floated for a bit. I swam a few lengths, but I tired quickly from the warm water and the steam, so I stretched my arms on either side of a corner. Skye joined me, looking at me intently.
“Want to talk about what drove you to hang out in a park?”
“Anne’s ex showed up at the restaurant, asking me to vouch for him with the bank.”
“Does he have a black eye?”
“No, but he got a punch to the stomach. He tried to blackmail me. The idiot.”
“How?”
“By implying he can say shit about us in interviews. So I blackmailed him back. Said that if he doesn’t own up to being Lindsay’s dad, he’s gonna have a problem getting a foot in the door at any bank.”
Her eyes bulged, but then a smile edged at the corners of her mouth. “I like how you think.”
I laughed, tugging her closer by the shoulders. “Really?”
“Yeah. I like that you care so much about Anne and Lindsay’s happiness and that you fight for it. But I thought he was calling her?”
“He promptly forgot they existed while they were in France.”
Skye grimaced, drumming her fingers up my arms. “I’m sorry. I think it’s great that you’re insisting he call. A divorce does leave marks, you know?”
Suddenly, she seemed smaller, vulnerable. I put my hands on her waist, pulling her closer, wanting to make it go away but knowing I couldn’t.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” I asked.
She shrugged but nodded. “It’s just that… sometimes, even when I’m happy, I can’t shake off the fear that I can lose it at any moment. We were all affected in our own way by the divorce. Tess the most. She thought I didn’t notice, but I did. I just didn’t know how to comfort her.”
“Fucking hell, you’re amazing. You were hurting, but that didn’t stop you from wanting to care for those around you.”