Lennox - One Month Later
“Hello,” I say vaguely into my phone as I press it up against my ear. I don’t often answer calls from an unknown number but this one has called a few times this morning.
“Hi, I’m looking for Lennox Rome, please.” The lady's voice is professional and it’s not just a solicitation call based on the confidence of her tone.
“Who’s asking?”
“This is Imani Harris, I’m calling from the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” she says, calmly, factually.
“As in the FBI?” I peer over at Jace who’s cooking shirtless in the kitchen. Damn, he really makes those scrambled eggs look sexy. He glances my way and his brows bunch together as he overhears my conversation.
“He might not be here right now,” I squeak out. “What’s this regarding?”
She clears her throat, not needing further confirmation that it’s me.
“I’d like to ask him a few questions about the Wings of Hope Foundation. It’s my understanding that he donated his own personal funds to make up for the $500,000 dollars that couldn’t be located after it was sent to them?”
“Oh.” I sort of put this behind me trying to forget about it like the media did. “Yes, that’s correct.”
“Ironically this has happened three separate times, along with yours, however, no one was made aware because those events weren’t as publicized. When yours came to light we were instructed by both the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission to step in.”
“Oh,” I say again. It might be the only word in my vocabulary at the moment.
She chuckles a bit, which relaxes me.
“Anyway, I just wanted to make Lennox aware that the Wings of Hope Foundation treasurer has been arrested. It appears she partnered with a couple of others in a money laundering and diversion scheme that’s gone on for years.
If it weren’t for the Lennox Rome and Jace Wilder rappelling fundraiser being so public I don’t think we would have discovered it. ”
“Wow. I’m stunned. I honestly just let it go because in researching it I was going in circles with the bank.”
“Yeah, one of her partners was the financial institution’s banker, who created an almost non-existent paper trail. But, we were able to locate your funds and I wanted to share with you that the replacement money you sent will be returned to you in full.”
“Bloody hell, are you serious right now?”
I glance up at Jace, who’s stopped everything he was doing in the kitchen. He’s leaning on his forearms, fully engaged in my one-sided conversation. He lifts his palms in the air, eyebrows raised.
“I’m going to get my money back,” I whisper to him and return to the call.
“Imani, thank you. I’m grateful for your investigation and, hey, maybe I’ll get lucky and be able to buy my house back.”
I’ve only agreed to stay with Jace until I get my own place. Even though we practically spend almost all our time together, I don’t want to move in too soon. He’s used to his privacy and I would hate to push him away because I smother him.
“I hope so,” she says. “My number is on your caller ID, if you don’t mind saving it, Mr. Rome? I may need to get in touch with you again.”
“Of course, thank you.” I hang up and glance down at the blank screen taking in everything that just happened.
“You’re getting the money back?” he asks, excitedly.
I nod my head as I disconnect the call. “Yeah, I guess so. They found who did it.”
Glancing over my shoulder at the delicious man standing topless as he cooks breakfast for us. My body gravitates toward him like it always does, even when I try not to. He’s got a towel swung over one shoulder and a wooden spoon in the other.
“You know, there are a lot of things I could think about doing with that wooden spoon that doesn’t involve cooking.” I pull it out of his hand as he steps back, leaning against the counter and I tap the side of his arse with it lightly.
He flinches and jerks off the counter as he drags a look over his shoulder and down at his backside.
“Woah, mister dramatic. I hardly touched you.” I raise my hands up in surrender.
“No,” he laughs, “I leaned on something sticky.” He pulls the fabric of his joggers to the side and a dollop of honey is stuck to it.
“Damn, be right back,” he says, stripping them off as he rounds the corner to the room and I press my lips together, hanging my head because now is the time I confess. If there’s any moment it’s now.
“So, I might have something I need to tell you,” I call out so he can hear me from the other room.
There’s a brief pause before he walks back into the kitchen giving me a concerned look, a curious squint in his eye. “Okay,” he says elongated.
I suck in a deep breath and sit on the barstool as I turn to face him.
“That morning in the cabin after the s’mores night. It wasn’t melted marshmallow on your shirt… it was my cum.” I spit it out so fast I’m not even sure if he heard it.
He tilts his head as he hears my words.
“I couldn’t help it. You were jerking off in the shower. The walls are like fucking paper maché. It was the first thing I could find.”
“Lennox. I licked it!”
“So, you lick it all the time now.” I wiggle my eyebrows.
“That’s different.”
“Hmmmmmm, not really,” I squeak out.
“Fine,” he says, relenting as he huffs out a long breath of annoyance but lifts his chin in confidence. He steps over to his desk in the den, opposite the island where his laptop sits and pulls open the top drawer. “I have something to tell you, too.”
“Oh, shit. What is it?”
He doesn’t reply. Instead he walks through the archway of the den and stops in front of me. His expression is full of concern as he places a manilla envelope in my hands.
It’s blank, no indication of what it could be. I peer up at him and he’s nervous, which sets me on alert.
“These better not be divorce papers.”
He scoffs. “We’re not married.”
“Not yet,” I say, giving him a wink as I grab the envelope.
I open the top lip and dump the contents out on the island. A folded piece of paper and a keyring with two keys attached drop onto the table.
I squint as I unfold the paper and see a Deed with my old address listed.
“What’s this?”
He runs his hand nervously through the side of his freshly cut hair looking between the paper and me.
“Your apartment…” his Adam’s apple bobs behind the column of his throat as he swallows nervously. “I was the all-cash buyer.” He peers back at me waiting anxiously for a response.
“You bought my fucking house?”
“Technically, you did.” He points at the vested name, Lennox Rome Co. “I created this corporation and you’re the sole beneficiary of it,” he admits.
“Oh, you sneaky bastard.” I toss the paper back on the table and grab his face, pulling his lips against mine. “I’m paying you back every goddamn penny, though.”
“Fine, whatever, but you’re not moving back into it,” he says, and I pull back.
“Me staying here is supposed to be temporary. I don’t want to freeload off my boyfriend until I get another job.”
He tilts his head and looks at me like I’m a bloody idiot. I guess I am. At least for him I am.
“We both start filming next week.” He kisses me again. “We’ll be so busy, when we’re home, I want you to be here,” he says and I love the new, emotionally available version of Jace since the night of the award ceremony.
“Okay, fine. You win.”
“That wasn’t much of a fight,” he replies.
“I know. What can I say, I’m a sucker when it comes to you, Moose.”