26. Chapter 25
Leo
Kai - How is Seduction Stone progressing?
Kai - Updates Brent!!!
Kai – Leo Brent??
Kai - Are you well?
Leo - I’ll fill you in later.
Kai - Phew you are alive.
Kai - Tell me, did you walk around shirtless?
Leo - Yes
Kai - And she isn’t now in your lap?
Leo - Kai Harris!
Kai - But you want her to be.
Leo - I’ll speak with you later
Kai - I want all the details
Leo - Shouldn’t you be playing soccer right now?
Kai - I’m going to pretend you didn’t just call it soccer
Leo - Well it isn’t football
Kai - We literally use our feet and only our feet—by actual definition it’s FOOTBALL
Leo - Debatable
Kai - Don’t deflect, Brent. You’re having a life-changing moment and I’m a part of it. It needs to be documented.
Leo - If you tell me you’re journaling this we need to reconsider our friendship.
Kai - What I do with my time isn’t your concern.
Leo - But how I spend mine is yours?
Kai - Absolutely.
Blowing out a breath, I stare up at the ceiling of my office.
Focusing has been tough today. Being in Ria’s house last night, I couldn’t sleep, especially after how close we got and how vulnerable we both were with each other.
There has always been something about her that caused my brain and mouth not to work in sync.
I’ve spent years perfecting the think before you speak mentality, but this ring on my finger seems to stop all rational thought.
I messaged Kai to let him know that I would be living with Ria, and he instantly messaged back, telling me exactly what I needed to do.
He said that this would speed things up and we would be a proper couple in no time.
And when he messaged—just before my head hit the pillow—that in the morning I needed to walk around shirtless and see exactly what her reaction would be, I was torn about whether I should do it.
I don’t want to make her uncomfortable in her own home.
But I did see her checking me out when she thought I wasn’t looking.
What she will eventually learn is that I’m always looking at her, so I saw.
She was so busy trying to be surreptitious while looking at me, that I don’t think she noticed my internal struggle as she came into the kitchen this morning in her loose-fitting silk pajamas.
The shorts ran high on her thighs and made her legs look impossibly long, and the top?
Fuck, the top was delicate and thin. I could see her nipples hardening underneath the fabric as it brushed against her soft skin.
She looked sleepy, and her hair was tied up in a messy knot on the top of her head.
She looked fucking beautiful. If we really were a couple, I wouldn’t have been able to resist. I would have scooped her up and taken her back to bed.
But instead I distracted myself by making her breakfast, mainly so I could stand with my back to her to hide what having her so close in those pajamas was doing to me.
I practically leap out of my seat when my phone rings next to me as I’ve gone into a Ria-induced daydream again. Seeing Hunter’s name flash up on the screen, I instantly feel regret for my train of thought. Swiping across the screen, I answer breezily, “Missing me already, honey?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” he says, but I can hear his smile through the phone. “I was just seeing how things went last night and this morning.”
Well, I’m totally in love with your sister, and have been forever.
I married her because I’m an impulsive asshole and now we have to live together so we can keep up the act and she can win the client that will boost the family business, potentially making her one of the most valued CEOs in the financial industry.
I had to fight off a raging boner seeing her in tiny pajamas this morning while I walked around shirtless in hopes that she will fall in love with me.
You won’t fly off the handle and will welcome the relationship declaring you couldn’t be happier for us and we all live happily ever after.
“Good.” I think that’s a wiser choice of words right now.
“Good? Is that it?”
“What do you want me to say? Nothing happened last night or this morning,” I rush out.
“Sorry, I’m just worried. I’ve still heard nothing from Deacon and I’m getting twitchy.”
“He’ll be in touch soon, I’m sure. Then we can speak with Ria.”
“Do you think I should tell her?”
“I think you should have told her before you asked Deacon to look into him.”
“Ugh. Why are you being sensible?”
“Because Ria isn’t some helpless damsel in distress.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right, but Ezra broke her, man.”
“I know,” I say softly as the familiar pain hits me in my chest as I think of how crushed she looked that day she realized he had left.
I wanted to hurt him for what he had done to her.
How he could discard Ria when she was totally devoted to him made no sense to me.
“But she isn’t broken now, Hunter. If anything, she’s stronger. ”
“I guess.”
“Stop trying to save her. She won't thank you.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Good.”
“Have you seen the email from Cole’s assistant?”
“About the gala next weekend?”
“Yep, should be fun.”
“You’ve changed. You hate these things normally.”
“I still do, but Jade is excited.”
“Not long until the big day. You ready?”
“I’d have married her months ago if I had my way. I would have eloped, but I couldn’t rob Olivia of the chance to walk her daughter down the aisle.”
“It’s going to be perfect. I’m so happy for you.”
“Cheers, man. I want you to be happy too.” Concern is laced in his voice.
And once again I do the one thing I swore I’d never do to Hunter.
I lie.
“I am happy.”
Deacon - I’ve got some information you may be interested in.
Leo – Well, hello to you too, sunshine.
Deacon - Why waste time with pleasantries?
Leo - Oh no. Who kicked your puppy?
Deacon - No one, but you’re currently getting on my last nerve.
Leo - Oh great, I’ve still got one to go.
Hunter - Leave the man alone, Leo.
Deacon - Cheers H
Leo - Ganging up on me isn’t cool
Hunter - Stop being weird then.
Deacon - Seriously I haven’t got time for this. Meet me at the bar at seven and I’ll tell you what I know.
“She is going to flip that we’ve done this without her knowing. She is the CEO, and she should be here.” Going behind Ria’s back to use Deacon and his connections just isn’t sitting right with me.
“I’ll talk to her when we know more.” Hunter swirls his scotch in his glass.
“And Jade? Does she know about your little plan?”
“No,” he says quietly, before downing the rest of his scotch. “I know it’s wrong. I’ll deal with the consequences later when I’ve fixed it.”
“It just makes me uncomfortable. Those women are more intelligent than we are. They should be here. You’ve got to stop being protective.”
“We’ll talk with them tomorrow when we’ve seen everything.”
“Evening, gentlemen.” Deacon slips in the booth next to Hunter and places a sleek black folder on the table.
“This”—he taps the folder—“makes for interesting reading.” He signals to the server to bring another round of drinks before he opens the folder.
“Especially this part right here.” He points to a sentence and Hunter and I lean over.
“What the fuck?” we both say in unison.
“I know. I was shocked too. But now it all makes perfect sense.”
“That snake.” Hunter grabs the folder and flips through the pages.
“I had no idea they even knew each other.” I place my head in my hands just as a fresh glass of scotch is placed in front of me.
“Me neither.” I can physically feel the rage rolling off Hunter’s body as he continues to go through the document. “You’re kidding me?” He throws the folder down and points to a particular paragraph for me to look at.
“Fuck.” I stare wide-eyed at the paper, not believing what I’m reading.
“Fuck, indeed,” Hunter snarls.
“We need to talk to Ria.”