5. That’s What Business Partners Are For
THAT’S WHAT BUSINESS PARTNERS ARE FOR
Mr. S.
Marlon.
By the time I made it to the restaurant, I’d already gone through three cups of coffee and a splitting headache that no amount of caffeine could fix.
I sat in the middle of the dining room, a hand pressed to the bridge of my nose, trying to blink the exhaustion out of my system.
When Dillon called earlier to say he was running late, his voice had that sharp edge to it that meant someone, somewhere, had really pissed him off.
I assumed it had something to do with me.
Or her.
Maybe the little bunny had said something. Maybe she’d been petty enough to tell him everything.
My grip tightened slightly against my face.
That mouth on her, and that attitude. The way she looked at me last night, pissed but calculated.
If she said anything—
“Little brother!”
Marcus dropped into the seat next to me without asking.
I didn’t even look at him.
“I asked you repeatedly not to call me that shit. What are you even doing here?”
“I dipped out early yesterday ‘cause my kid got sick. I already felt like shit for coming late after I bailed the day before, so I figured I’d catch you at breakfast.” He shrugged. “Dillon mentioned you two would be meeting here last night.”
“I don’t need your pity. I need silence.”
“Ouch.” He leaned back in his chair. “Not a morning person still?”
I finally looked at him. “Not after some dickhead had a party directly under my suite, and the hotel did nothing about it.”
His brows lifted slightly. “Really?”
“Yes.” I exhaled through my nose. “I can’t wait to go home.”
Back to Napa.
Back to waking up before the sun came all the way up. Walking the rows with Spades, checking the soil, the leaves, the fruit.
No assistants.
No noise.
Just work that required attention and gave something back when you did it right.
Out there, nobody was watching me. Nobody was asking questions I didn’t want to answer. The only thing that mattered was whether the work got done properly.
“Well, I hope you feel better soon.” Marcus pulled me out of my thoughts. “The launch was a success, though. You should be proud of that.”
I scoffed. “Yeah. Right.”
Marcus tilted his head. “You disagree?”
“I’ll believe it when I see the numbers.”
He gave a small nod, like he expected that answer. “Well, as someone who gives unsolicited legal advice to you and your friend, maybe it’s time you cut back.”
“Stop.”
“Marlon.”
“Marcus. Enough.”
He held my stare for a second, then lifted his hands slightly. “Fine.”
Silence settled between us again, more awkward this time.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I didn’t mean to be short with you. Dillon got me waiting here like a bitch, and it’s making me nervous.”
“I was wondering where he was,” Marcus said.
“He said he had to handle something.”
Marcus studied me for a moment, then offered. “Maybe it’s his daughter.”
I cleared my throat, reaching for my coffee.
“Right. Her.” I took a sip before setting the cup down again. “You know her? You two seemed cozy last night.”
“Please, Marlon.” He shook his head. “She’s a child to me. Plus, I am married, remember?”
I held his gaze. “So men don’t cheat on their wives?”
He returned it and I saw it in the way his expression tightened, just slightly. He caught on to my implications immediately.
“I don’t,” he declared.
Hm.
“Right.”
I took another sip of my coffee. “Tell me about her.”
“About my wife?”
My face screwed up unintentionally.
“About the girl,” I clarified. “Dillon’s daughter.”
He paused, studying me now. “Why?”
Because she shouldn’t still be in my head. But she is.
“Because I want to know.”
Marcus leaned back, considering it. “Aurora is a bright young woman with a… fondness for older men.”
Tuh. I bet.
“Daddy issues?”
“Could be.” He shrugged. “Or she’s punishing her father by sleeping with his associates.”
My face dropped a bit but I recovered quickly. “She slept with his associates?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
He watched me closely. “Why?”
I leaned forward. “Because I want to know, Marcus. Cut that legal lawyer bullshit out.”
“Interesting.” A faint smile touched his mouth. “Hm. Jason Montgomery.”
I frowned. “The fucking wax maker?”
“Yes.”
“When the fuck—?”
“August of last year, I believe.”
I shook my head. “How?”
Marcus let out a quiet breath. “Do I need to explain sex to you, little bro? You’re a bit too grown for that talk.”
“That’s not what I meant.” I stared at him. “How do you know?”
“It was the only thing they could talk about at the ski retreat.” He reached for his glass and poured himself water. “That, and I drew up the non-disclosure agreement myself. Dillon was pissed. I had to talk him out of shooting his ass.”
“I bet.” I leaned back again, jaw tight. “That girl… she’s a man’s worst nightmare.”
Marcus’s brow lifted. “Why?”
“She’s a succubus.”
He hummed under his breath. “Then you better stay clear of her. Unless—”
He stopped, looking at me now.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to.
“No,” he said.
“Stop.”
“You don’t need to stay clear of her.”
“Marcus.”
“You already had her.”
I leaned forward, voice low. “I need you to shut the fuck up for five seconds.”
He shook his head, almost in disbelief. “You’re disgusting.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Fucking a girl half your age?” His voice dropped. “And your friend’s daughter, no less.”
“I did not know she was Dillon’s!”
“Still.”
I dragged a hand down my face, the headache pressing harder now. “Marcus. Please. I feel sick enough as is.”
Marcus didn’t say anything at first.
He just sat there beside me, elbows on the table, watching me like he was working through something in his head.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he said after a while.
I leaned back in my chair, dragging a slow breath through my nose. “It’s already done.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s over.”
“It is for me.”
He turned his head slightly, studying me. “You believe that?”
“I don’t repeat mistakes.”
“Right. So what now? You’re done and she’s just gone forever? You don’t see her again, don’t talk to her, don’t acknowledge anything?”
All these fucking questions.
“That’s the plan.”
He let out a quiet breath. “You really think she’s the type to just fall back? ‘Cause I’m telling you she isn’t.”
I didn’t answer because in my short encounter with her told me that. I picked up my coffee, but didn’t drink it this time.
“It doesn’t matter what type she is. I’m not entertaining it.”
“You sure?” Marcus watched me, unimpressed. “You entertained it before.”
“Exactly. That was before.”
“Before you found out who she was?”
All these lawyer questions.
“Yes.”
He leaned forward now. “So what happens when you see her again? ‘Cause you will.”
My grip tightened slightly around the cup.
“I’m not gonna put myself in that position. I’m leaving today, Marcus. For a very long time.”
“That’s not dealing with it,” he said.
I looked at him. “You got a better solution?”
Quiet.
“Exactly. Now shut the fuck up and stop asking me all these bullshit questions.”
He studied me for a long second, then spoke quieter. “One more. What if Dillon finds out?”
My expression didn’t change. “He won’t.”
Marcus gave a short laugh. “You’re putting a lot of faith in that.”
“I don’t need faith,” I sighed and closed my eyes, massaging my temples. “I need silence.”
“And her?” he pressed. “You trust her to keep quiet?”
That made me pause and Marcus caught it immediately.
“Exactly.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Sounds like faith.”
I open my eyes and look at him. Then finally, he leaned back, shaking his head once.
“Just make sure Dillon never finds out.”
“Trust me,” I said, picking up my coffee again. “I got more than enough secrets to take to the grave when it comes to Dillon.”
Before Marcus can question that, the devil himself stormed in. He had sunglasses on and his shoulders were tense.
He didn’t even wait for us to stand and shake hands before he said, flat as concrete, “I’m over this bullshit.”
I sat back in my chair, wary. “What’s wrong?”
“My daughter.”
Marcus and I exchanged looks.
Something about the way he said it made the hairs rise on the back of my neck.
God, please. Not today.
“What about her?” I asked carefully.
He ripped off his sunglasses, eyes blazing. “That damn degenerate woman threw a party in her suite last night and cost half a million dollars in damages!”
I blinked. Then exhaled long.
Thank you, Jesus!
I hadn’t realized how tightly I’d been wound until that moment.
So that was her version of punishment? Sleep deprivation?
I huffed out a humorless laugh under my breath and Marcus caught it. We both exchanged looks.
“What?” Dillon asked.
“Nothing.” I straightened in my chair, schooling my expression. My chest loosened, and then a sharp, private sigh slipped past my lips as I leaned back in my chair.
Wait. I know he ain’t paying for shit with my money!
“And where the fuck you gone get this half a mill?”
“Relax, relax. I’ll handle it separately from our account. But our company card is on file, so…”
I rubbed at my temple again, fighting the start of another headache. “Our funds will be frozen until we pay it back.”
“Then there’s the hold…”
My eyes widened. “So not only was it her party that had me up all damn night, she basically fucked us for the next week or so?”
“Afraid so,” he muttered.
I exhaled deeply. “Nah, it’s cool. I’ll transfer the bread to the account in the morning. I refuse to stop payroll.”
“How are you—”
“It’s from my personal account. Which I expect to be reimbursed before the months out. I ain’t got no kids, and I don’t pay for other people’s.”
“Right.” He exhaled. “I’ll take care of it. Thank you.”
“Hm.”
“That child of mine will be the death of me, I swear.”
I nodded slowly, keeping my face neutral even though my thoughts were anything but.
“Honestly, Dillon,” I said, leaning back, trying to sound casual, “I don’t know how you deal with that shit. That girl’s a problem.”
He grunted in agreement.