Chapter 9
WYLDER
The next day, Neo shows up on time.
Right on the dot.
It startles me so much, I just stare at him as he approaches, his eyes meeting mine in triumph.
“So, you do know how to show up on time?” I ask finally.
“I had motivation.” He grins, that telltale rasp in his voice making my cock twitch.
I didn’t touch myself last night, didn’t dream of the different ways I could fuck him, either. I slept like the dead.
It’s only made me grumpier.
Neo flops down in the chair next to mine, scoots it infuriatingly close, and then holds out his hand. I reach into my suit pocket and pull out my phone.
He doesn’t even ask for my password anymore, just taps it in and pulls up the delivery app.
He hums under his breath, and when he’s done, he tucks it into my coat pocket, patting it gently. I should shift away from him, but I know if I do, he’ll just scoot closer.
That’s why I don’t. The only reason.
“All right,” he says, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s get started.”
I watch as he grabs his laptop and leans forward, his fingers flying over the keyboard. I half expect him to address last night, to bring up the way I snapped and fucked his throat.
I’m surprised he hasn’t said anything about it.
In fact, he’s acting like it didn’t happen.
Part of me wonders if it was just a dream, but I know it wasn’t. The way my cock was overly sensitive last night from having come so hard that I lost the ability to breathe was the first indication.
And the lingering scent of bubblegum was the other.
“How’s Candace?” he asks instead, and I grunt. The only reason I’ve thought of her at all is that she reached out via text.
Apparently, the video Neo uploaded last night has made its rounds. It’s gone viral, or so Harley tells me.
The thought of having to mitigate that disaster has my head throbbing. I’ve chosen not to deal with it this morning. For my mental health. But I will have to later today. I’ll probably have to pay a hefty fee to her and her family to avoid any kind of legal repercussions for Neo.
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken with her.”
Not strictly true, but I don’t fancy explaining my avoidance tactics to Neo. He already sees too much for my peace of mind.
“She’s probably too busy trying to scrub that shit off her skin before she figures out how to exploit it. Greedy fucker.”
My lips twitch at the memory of what Neo did. It’s rather…amusing.
Not that I’ll ever admit that to him.
He stretches in the chair. “All right, come on. While I have a minute, tell me a deep, dark secret.”
I freeze, and my eyes close. They itch. I want to take these damn contacts out.
Like he can read my mind, Neo asks, “No glasses today?”
“No,” I reply curtly.
“Shame. That’s one disappointment; don’t give me another by holding back.
I want my detail. Come on. You can do it.
” He pats my thigh encouragingly. “You could tell me about that raven tattoo on your chest. Do you have any other tattoos hidden on your body?” His fingers clench on my thigh.
I shift my leg out of the way. He only follows, leaning into my chair to tap against my leg.
“It’s part of my employment package, remember? ”
I exhale. “You know more about me than most. Isn’t that enough?”
“Hell no.”
“Who’s the greedy fucker now?”
He points to himself and grins, the smile making my heart flutter. “Me. Maybe you have a type.”
That makes my lips turn down. Maybe I do, but it has nothing to do with greedy fuckers.
“I’m going to break up with Candace. Officially.” Because, let’s be honest, I don’t think anyone truly believed we were in a real relationship after the last dinner.
Neo gasps, his eyes wide. “Fuck yes, about time! Everyone is going to be so fucking excited.” He pulls out his phone as if to send a text, but I snatch it away.
“No. Don’t say anything until it’s done. This is going to be messy.”
“Why?”
“I told you last night. She’s the face of her family. The sum of money I’m going to have to pay to make her not come after you…”
Neo drums his fingers in annoyance. “Let her come after me. She can’t do anything.”
“Her family has some of the finest lawyers in the city. She absolutely can. You could be charged with assault and battery or even sued.”
He shrugs. “I have nothing anyway.”
My chest expands. “No. I will not see you in jail over this.”
Neo’s lips tremble, and he turns his gaze forward. His throat bobs. “Jail?”
“You didn’t think of the consequences of this before you acted, did you?”
“Obviously not,” he says, his voice slightly hoarse and wobbly. The sound of that, of the vulnerability he’s showing me, has me softening slightly. “Fuck, Wylder. I can’t go to jail. What am I going to do?”
“Don’t panic.” I cup the back of his neck until he stops trembling. “You won’t go to jail. I promise. I’ll fix it.”
His eyes are glassy as they meet mine. “Really?”
“Really,” I repeat firmly, squeezing his neck in emphasis. “Trust me to handle this, okay?”
“Okay.” He exhales shakily. “Thank you. I really should’ve thought things through.”
He should have, but I don’t make any further comments about it. I’m too busy listening to my monster roar with pride that Neo’s allowing us to fix this.
That he’s trusting us to.
“You’re welcome.” Before I can stop myself, I’m giving him another truth. “I should have gotten rid of her ages ago.”
“You should have.” Neo sniffs. “She’s so mean. A cow, but not a friendly one. Like the ones with big horns that gore people. That’s what she is.”
My lips curl up, and I nod. “She is.”
A moment passes between us. I don’t know what it is, but it makes me smile.
Neo smiles back.
A small spark kindles in my chest.
My phone vibrates, breaking the moment. Neo turns his attention to his computer screen. I ignore the call for a moment, instead tracking how Neo’s hands move like lightning across the keyboard, the way his bottom lip is pulled between his teeth.
I want to ignore the call for longer, but I need to make sure nothing happens to Neo, that he’s not harmed by his poor choices.
“Does this mean I won’t be a target for your pranks anymore?” I ask as I pull out my phone and see several messages from Candace and a few missed calls from a number I don’t recognize.
He smirks but doesn’t turn his head. “Eh, you probably still will. It’s your fault though, because you’d never chuck me in jail.”
I try not to smile as I stand up. He’s right. I wouldn’t.
I move toward the door. I’m not going to speak to Candace or her lawyers with Neo listening in.
I don’t want him to learn the lengths I’m prepared to go to to keep him safe. To never see that fear shining in his eyes again.
“I’ll pay you back, you know, in blow jobs,” Neo says, and my fingers fumble with my phone. “With interest.”
I step out of the office and force myself to focus.
There will be no more blow jobs. Neo and I need to find a way to coexist that’s more…healthy.
First though, I need to make sure there’s no more Candace.
I dread the meeting I have to step into, but I am also determined to put an end to this. Any kind of waiting will only prolong the headache sitting at the base of my skull. I pushed for a meeting today, and Candace’s family agreed.
They want revenge for the state of her skin, for the humiliation she will suffer when the knowledge of our union ending becomes public.
But I’m certain they want money more.
So here I am, seated in a comfortable chair at Simon and Wilton’s Legal Group, my contacts in, my suit impeccably pressed.
As I stepped from my office earlier this afternoon, Neo asked where I was going.
I told him I was off to see Candace.
The hurt on his face made me add that I was going to meet with her and her lawyers to reach a settlement. That seemed to assuage some of the frustration lining those expressive eyes, but I couldn’t look too long, or I might have done something I’d regret later.
Like kiss him.
Or get the blow job he’s promised me. With interest. Not sure what that would entail, but I can’t help but be curious.
Matthias is seated next to me at the large conference-room table. My fingers brush over my watch; the one all of us Buckinghams wear. Wyatt too. It’s not just a flashy show of wealth, but a tracker, a device that enables us to know where one another is at the click of a button.
I wish I were anywhere else other than here right now.
Candace is on the other side of the table, her skin still blue, albeit less so than the other night. Her father and three lawyers sit next to her.
If I were any other man, I’d be afraid of what they may do.
But I know I’m untouchable. They know it too. It’s why they agreed to this in the first place.
“For the record,” one of her lawyers begins, “my client’s skin was intentionally dyed blue without her consent. The discoloration, as you can see, is still present and causing physical and emotional distress, not to mention reputational harm.”
Matthias meets his stare. Ever the professional, his lips do not so much as twitch as he surveys Candace. “We’re not disputing that an incident occurred, but I assure you, there was no intent to cause permanent injury.”
Candace interjects, her pink lipstick an awful contrast to the blue on her cheeks. “I can’t go to work. I can’t leave my house without people staring. And the video online…”
Matthias nods solemnly. “I know. I’m not minimizing it.
But know that there was no intent for permanent disfigurement.
Your skin has already recovered dramatically.
I’ve looked into the chemical compound myself, and can assure you that the dye will be completely faded in the next two to three days. ”
Huh. Neo must’ve divulged the formula to Matthias. To make this easier for us, or for himself?
If it were Candace, I’d know the answer. She only does things out of her own best interests. But Neo…
I think about the coffees. The pastries. How he was tackling my emails before I offered him a job.