Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
For most of the day, I manage to avoid them completely.
Working out of the conference room to avoid their staring and inappropriate comments and prying into my personal life.
Latham was relentless the entire way to work, poking his nose where it wasn't wanted. Looking out the window, I see it is dark outside and sigh, having once again lost track of time. My mind has been consumed with everything going on. My brother has been trying to ring me all day, and I have been rejecting his calls. I am not looking forward to going home on the off chance he is there. In fact, I am dreading it but know it is unavoidable. He would have figured out I canceled my credit card by now, and I hope he hasn’t been giving Jack a hard time by loitering around the apartment block.
“You’re still here?” I ask, walking past him and into the corridor.
“I did drive you here, so I have been waiting for you to come back to the office, but you didn’t.”
“You waited for me?” I ask him, a little shocked.
“Yes, Bella. Besides, I was working late too.”
“Blaine and Xavier?”
“Caught a taxi home,” he says with a shrug.
I walk out and press the button for the elevator.
I wait awkwardly beside this man. I am very aware of his presence.
There is something very strange about him—about all three of them.
The vibe they give me is a cross between creeping me the fuck out and turning me on until I am all hot an sweaty.
Stupid hormones. The fact they are all gorgeous is not helping.
“Why did you work from the conference room? Do we make you uncomfortable, Bella?” he asks.
Hell yes, they do. Who the hell could work with them around? I would spend all day cleaning my own drool instead of working or screaming at them for the inappropriate shit they say or how they stare like I am a piece of meat to be devoured.
“It’s a little cramped in there,” I lie.
“I thought you would say that, so we fixed the office up some more today,” he says, and I look up at him to find him smirking.
“So, let’s see what your excuse is tomorrow,” he says, leaning down before he laughs softly.
“Excuse?” I ask him.
Fair enough. I lied about why I wouldn't work in the same office, but he won’t understand my reasoning. Yet the way he’s said it is like he knows I am lying. Addie wouldn’t have told them how flustered I get around them, would she? I told her that in confidence.
The elevator doors open, and I step inside . Latham reaches over, pressing the button to the ground floor before moving to stand next to me.
Seriously, has he not heard of personal space?
“Yes, Bella, excuse. Anyone would think you were trying to avoid us for some reason,” Latham says.
“What possible reason would I have to avoid you?”
Latham doesn’t answer, but he chuckles softly, and I find my face heating up.
“Xavier told you about Blaine and me?” he says.
“Yep, a bit of an overshare of information. What you three do in your private life is none of my business,” I tell him while readjusting the shoulder strap on my handbag.
Can this elevator go any slower, and why is it so hot in here?
“Well, you know our secret, so why don’t you tell me one of yours?”
I roll my eyes and know he is asking about Brian.
“I don’t have secrets,” I tell him.
“No? I find that hard to believe. Everyone has secrets, Bella, but I’m not afraid of mine like you are of yours.”
“I am not afraid. Seriously, is this why you stuck around to ask about my brother? I don’t even know you, so what makes you think I would tell you anything?” I snap at him.
Latham spins on his heel, and I take a step back, only for him to block me against the elevator wall.
“Because your brother was caught by Blaine trying to break into your apartment this afternoon, that's why,” he says, and I feel my stomach drop.
“Did he hurt anyone?” I ask, worried for Blaine.
“No, your brother took off, and the owner called the police when Blaine reported it.”
“Fuck!” I curse under my breath.
My brother is going to hunt me down if the police comes after him.
“So, your brother, what's going on with him?” Latham asks, stepping back.
The elevator doors open, saving me from answering, and I head toward the front exit.
I open the emergency exit, slip out, and punch in the security code to lock the place down, but Latham is already doing it.
I turn toward the taxi stand, not intending to go with him if I would just be interrogated.
Spotting a taxi, I start walking over toward it when Latham grips my elbow, tugging me the opposite way.
“Now, why would you do that? Are you trying to hurt my feelings, Bella?”
“No, I just don’t feel like telling you information about my family,” I tell him, trying to tug my arm out of his grip but he is extremely strong considering he is only holding me with his fingers, yet I can't pry my arm free.
What sort of steroids is this man on?
“Fine, I will stop asking, but only if you agree to have dinner with us tonight.”
“I think I will pass on that,” I tell him, trying to free my elbow from his grip.
I seriously consider punching him in the nutsack to get him to let go when he stops beside his car. He opens the passenger door and lets me go, motioning toward the open car door. I look back toward the taxi stand.
“Get in the car, Bella. We live in the same apartment block. Why would you get a taxi?” he says, shaking his head and walking around to the other side of the car.
I sigh before getting in. I clip in my seatbelt, and Latham does his up before starting the car.
“So, about dinner. Blaine has cooked Italian, quite the cook he is.”
“I never agreed to have dinner with you,” I tell him.
“So, you plan on telling me about your brother then?” he says pulling onto the road.
“No,” I tell him before rummaging for a hair tie through my handbag. Finding one, I start pulling my hair into a bun to get it off my face.
“Well, then you are having dinner with us. Besides I already told Blaine and Xavier you were having dinner with us anyway, so you can’t back out now,” he says, and I glare at him.
“I never agreed to that?” I tell him, but he shrugs.
“So, you would rather eat a frozen microwave dinner than a home-cooked meal?” he asks, and I roll my eyes.
“I cook, thank you. Just not very often,” I tell him.
“Well then, it is sorted. You can have dinner with us tonight, and tomorrow, you can cook,” he says.
“I didn’t realize we stepped into a domestic relationship.”
“Hmm, kinda like the sound of that,” he says, and I roll my eyes.
“Can you be serious for one bloody second?”
“Who said I wasn’t being serious? Though sharing you might irk me a little, I am down for whichever you decide,” he says.
“Excuse me?”
He laughs and I swear his eyes flicker for a second.
“Chill, Bella. I was just playing. I have no issues sharing you with Blaine and Xavier.”
He is fucking nuts, absolutely fucking crazy.
“We are not in any relationship, and you can’t just order somebody to have dinner with you,” I tell him.
“But you're down for us sharing you. You didn’t mention that part?”
“What? No! What the fuck, Latham? Pull over and let me out,” I tell him, unclipping my belt.
He grabs my knee before reaching over me, gripping my seatbelt, and plugging it back in while I struggle to stop him.
“Seriously, Latham, pull over. You're scaring me.”
“Don’t be scared, Bella. That was never my intention,” he says.
I suddenly feel extremely light and floaty, the tension in my body leaving, and I am struggling to remember what we are arguing about. Are we arguing?