Aiden
BENTLEY ALWAYS CHANGED when he was interested in something. No one else would notice, unless you knew him. He spoke a little faster and used his hands more. His gaze never stayed in one spot, but instead, moved rapidly, taking in everything as he spoke.
At the moment, he was on fire. As he spoke with Jed Whitby, I knew he was already forming an offer. Maddox wandered around, stopping every few feet to take in the view. It was stunning. I pulled off my sunglasses to peruse the vast expanse of water. It was a warmer day, with a light breeze. I could imagine how it would feel under the heat of the sun, sitting with a beer, enjoying the view.
“Fucking awesome,” Maddox murmured beside me.
“Bent wants it.”
“No shit. I want it.”
“That makes three of us.”
“This is a fucking no-brainer. Whether we keep it, build it, or do some of both, we need to buy this place.”
I studied the property. “I wonder what’s going on with the pieces on either side?”
Jed appeared beside me with a chuckle. “You’ll find out in about twenty minutes. I told my neighbors I was selling, and they want in on the action.”
I inhaled hard at that information. The land formed a wide U configuration. If we obtained all three parcels, the possibilities were staggering. I met Maddox’s gaze, and I knew he was thinking the same thing.
Jed slapped my shoulder. “Look around and come inside for coffee. I warn you, my wife always told me it was tar. And that was when she was alive to oversee how many grounds I put in the pot.”
I smiled. “Fair warning.”
He made his way toward the main house, leaning heavily on his cane. He had told us his health was the main reason he was selling.
“Too much physical work in the season and difficult to find kids to hire anymore,” he explained to us. “They want tech jobs and things they can do while sitting on their asses, texting all day.”
We all chuckled at his description because he was correct.
“It’s lonely in the off-season. My wife and I did this together. Without her, it’s not the same. My daughter has a nice place for me, and her kids are there. Jane is close too, so it’s time to sell.”
Bentley stood, contemplative, and stroked his chin, while Maddox tapped his cheek, looking thoughtful. I knew they were both going through offers in their heads. I already had a number in mine. I had memorized everything about the area and the values of the properties. As Bentley’s right-hand man, and vice president of the company, my role was unique. Not only did I oversee all the security for the company and Bentley, but I was also involved in all aspects of our acquisitions, as well as legwork for the large projects we took on. Maddox was our numbers man, and he knew our finances inside and out. I was sure if I asked him, he could tell me our bank balances to the penny.
Ridge Towers was a huge project, both in scope and financially, but I knew we were on track with it. We were on budget, ahead of schedule, and the interest in it was already positive. Once we hired the right marketing team, sales would explode. Originally dubbed Bentley Ridge Estates after a joke from Emmy, we had decided to stick with Ridge Towers, agreeing the name worked with the location. It was going to be an extraordinary piece of our company’s holdings.
We watched Jed walk into the house before anyone spoke.
“That was unexpected,” Bent mused. “All three properties?”
“I know.” I snorted. “I thought this piece was impressive.”
“If we can get all the land, we can’t pass this up,” Bentley stated. “Even if we break it up and resell, we’ll make a fortune.” He paused. “I don’t want to play games with these people. No lowballing. We’ll listen to them and make a good offer. Wrap it up fast.”
I admired that about Bentley. He was never out to cheat anyone. He was fair in his dealings, especially when it came to his interaction with people. Shrewd and intense, but always honest. He had been from the day I’d met him.
“You have all the figures in your head, Aiden?”
“Yep.”
“I assume you know the stats on the adjoining properties?”
I gave him a scathing look, and he chuckled. “Just checking. Hit me with numbers.”
I threw out figures for each parcel, and he nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. We need to do some more due diligence, but I think you’re right. Maddox?”
“As always, my boy nailed it.”
“Can we handle it financially?”
Maddox smirked. “Easily.”
“Then let’s go and listen to what they have to say.”
I rubbed my temples, the words running together, worse than usual, on the page in front of me. Nothing was recognizable. None of the usual markers I could concentrate on and work with appeared. I glanced at my watch and winced. I had been at this for over two hours and had accomplished nothing. The notes I had were the highlights from the exceedingly unusual business meeting we’d had with the three owners of the properties, Bentley’s musings, and a few points Maddox had made earlier.
We had been quiet in the SUV. As usual, once Bentley got an idea, he was silent, working through the details in his head. Maddox had been busy on the phone, and I clutched the file folder Jed had stuffed into my hand, the paper covered in coffee cup rings and worn around the edges. Once we hit the office, we went our separate ways, with the plan to talk it over in the morning. I had hoped to break down the document more, but I’d failed.
Nothing new there.
Bentley walked in, tugged at his tie, and sat in front of me. He studied my face for a moment, then purposefully leaned forward.
“What’s going on?”
“I tried, Bent.” I indicated the sheets on my desk, shame coloring my voice. “I can’t-I can’t do anything with this information. I’m sorry.”
“There is nothing to be sorry for—don’t even go there. Jesus, Aiden. Have you been at it since we got back?”
“Yeah.”
He shook his head. “I glanced at it earlier. I could barely make sense of it myself. His writing is chicken scratch, and there’s no business terminology to focus on. Sandy will type it up for us tonight, and we’ll go through it tomorrow. All of us.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Did you not get my message?”
I picked up my phone. “Shit. I had it on mute while we talked to Jed. I forgot to switch it back on.”
“I called and told you to give it to Sandy. I knew you’d stress over this too much.”
“I hate how you have to dumb things down for me.”
“I am not fucking dumbing things down. Stop with that shit. You’re smarter than I am, for God’s sake. You just process it in a different fashion.”
I shrugged, not believing him.
He scowled. “Aiden, what’s going on with you?”
Denial tripped off my tongue fast. It was second nature to me now. “Nothing.”
He tilted his head. “Your boss isn’t asking—your friend is,” he informed me quietly. “Why are you so down on yourself lately? The nightmares—are they back? You look exhausted.”
I couldn’t meet his concerned gaze. “Nothing new and nothing I can’t handle.”
“You’re lying.”
My head snapped up.
“You forget how well I know you, Aiden.”
“Leave it, Bent. I’m handling it.”
He sighed. “I wish you’d go and talk to Chloe, the counselor we’ve been seeing. She’s been amazing with Emmy and me. I think you’d find it helpful.”
“I don’t want to talk about my past. I want to forget it.”
He shook his head. “You can’t forget your past. It shapes you, and if you don’t deal with it, it haunts you forever. That’s what I’ve discovered. Running away doesn’t fix anything. Talking it out, getting some help does.”
I scrubbed my face, wanting the subject closed. “Look, I’ll think about it. Just leave it right now, okay?” I picked up the papers in front of me. “We need to figure out how to make these people happy and buy this land.”
He knew when to let it go, so he changed the subject. “That was some of the most beautiful property I’ve seen in a long time.”
“I agree. The views are spectacular. I wanted to pull up a chair with a beer and just look at the water.”
He sat back, running his fingers along the crease of his pants. “Have you ever wanted a place outside the city?”
I pursed my lips. We all lived in very different locations. Bentley had the house filled with antiques, reflecting his old-fashioned manners and upbringing. Maddox lived in the penthouse of a condo building, high over the city, all clean lines, and modern. My loft in the warehouse district was open, with brick walls and wood floors, plain and utilitarian. We all enjoyed city living, simply in different ways.
“I never thought about it until today,” I admitted. “Something about that place . . .”
“I know. The openness and the views. Made me think.”
“Yeah.”
He stood, holding out his hands for the papers. “Sandy will clean these up, and we’ll talk it through tomorrow.” He snorted. “We have to be sure to include the fact that we won’t remove Mrs. C’s crabapple trees for four years.”
I chuckled. I had liked Jed’s neighbor, Mrs. Cartwright. Bossy and direct, she was determined. Plus, she was an awesome baker. I had devoured half a dozen of Mrs. C’s, as she insisted we call her, oatmeal raisin cookies. They were stellar. They were also the perfect antidote to the insidious brew Jed had plied us with. Tar was being kind. Adding milk made no difference. It remained blacker than the bowels of hell and tasted like burned asphalt. However, we all drank it as we listened, me memorizing the details of the conversation. A far easier task than deciphering the documents Jed gave us.
“Don’t forget we have to let Mr. Wilcox stay in his house for one last summer.” Jed’s other neighbor had stipulated that condition.
“How could I? He was damned adamant about it.” Bentley shook his head in amusement.
“Their demands, such as they were, are all workable. Bizarre, but workable.”
“If we decide to go ahead, we’ll give them what they want. We can do the offers this week once we hash it out. You and Maddox can work them up together.”
“Yep.”
“Great. Unexpected, but great. The potential . . .” Bentley stared out the window. “It’s astronomical.”
“You’re right.”
His phone buzzed and he glanced down, grinning as he read the screen. “You still okay for tonight?”
“Tonight?” I repeated blankly.
He sighed. “You’re starting your self-defense lessons with Emmy and Cami? Ring a bell?”
My heart rate picked up at the sound of Cami’s name. Bentley hadn’t been happy about Emmy wanting to learn self-defense but had agreed it was smart and asked me to do it, rather than have her go to a stranger. It wasn’t a surprise when Cami said she wanted to learn as well.
“Right. Of course. But we can’t use the gym here at the office. That pipe that leaked last week is still being fixed. It’s a mess down there. We’ll need to replace the floor once it’s repaired.” I frowned. “Dee isn’t taking part?”
“No, she’s working a lot of overtime on some case. She told Emmy she would maybe join in later.”
“Okay. I can always make plans with her when she’s available.”
“Thanks, Aiden. I appreciate you doing this for me. For them. You’re the only one I trust enough. You want to use the gym in my place?”
I couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction his words gave me. I knew how much Emmy meant to him, and his trust meant a great deal. “No, you have too many machines. I need open space. They can come to the loft. I have a punching bag and everything we need.”
“Okay. I’ll bring them over later. Six?”
Bentley was my main priority during the day, but I didn’t have to accompany him in the car all the time anymore. It was convenient for us to go together since Frank went right by my place to get Bentley and parking in Toronto was a bitch. But some days, I drove myself into the office. We took it day by day, but I was always ready should he need me. In the evenings, he used his own car, unless he was attending a function with crowds of people and we felt it was better to have me on hand. When he and Emmy were alone in the evening, he was fine. He was smart and strong, and I had taught him enough moves that he could protect them if need be, and he liked the privacy.
“Fine. But you need to stay out of the way.”
“Why?”
“You’ll be all protective and make Emmy tense. I need to do this my way. You can pick them up later.”
“Emmy was wondering about Mexican after. Dee can join us around eight if we’re interested in a night out with the girls.”
Maddox strolled into the office. “Beers, tacos, and pretty girls? I’m in. I’ll text Dee and tell her I’ll pick her up so she doesn’t have to take the subway.”
Bentley and I shared a look, both of us wondering how often he texted Dee. Or saw her. However, we knew it was useless to ask. He would shut down. It made me think, though, perhaps she was who he was with last night. Maddox was a straight shooter, and he didn’t play the field. If he were interested in Dee, she would be the only one he would be seeing.
“Aiden?”
I shrugged, feigning indifference. “I guess.”
“Okay, I’ll let her know.”
I stared out the window, fighting the reaction I felt about seeing Cami. She was Emmy’s best friend. I liked hanging with Bentley. He liked hanging with his girl, and she liked bringing along her friends. I was doing my job by helping Bentley. It was smart to teach Cami some defensive moves too. Afterward, it meant nothing, just people enjoying some time together. Like Maddox said. Beers, tacos, and pretty girls. It was all good.
Fun. Lighthearted.
At least, that was what I kept telling myself.
When Bentley met Emmy, Cami Wilson crashed into my life like a wrecking ball. From the moment I saw her, kissing her was a temptation, fucking her was a fantasy, and hurting her was inevitable. Smart, funny, and gorgeous, she was difficult to resist. Especially when she made her feelings known—since she had no problem expressing herself to me. The difference between Bentley and me was the fact that he was ready for a permanent connection, and I wasn’t. I told Cami up front I didn’t do relationships, particularly long-term ones, and I didn’t want to start something with her that had no chance of going anywhere. She didn’t seem fazed by my words, and we had started an unconventional affair. By that, I meant she was perfect, and I was an ass. I called her on occasion, we texted, hung out with Emmy and Bent, often with Dee and Maddox joining us. In the darkness of Bentley’s movie theater, I held her hand, pulled her onto my lap to kiss her when no one could see. Snuck away to fuck her on occasion, and every so often, met up with her for coffee or lunch, but we never went on an official date. It was rare that we saw each other except when we were in the company of friends, and we both understood the rules. There was no PDA in front of them, nothing to indicate we were anything besides friends. I never discussed Cami with Bentley or Maddox; although from the looks I received from Bentley and Emmy at times, I was certain Cami didn’t follow my silence is golden rule.
Cami tried to reach out to me. She would text and invite me places or ask me over for dinner at her apartment. She would check up on me and listen if I had a bad day and wanted to talk. When we were together, she was warm, affectionate, and always patient, never pushing me for more than I could give. In bed, she was passionate and strong. We fit together. However, there was no us. There never could be. She was persistent, but I was determined not to allow her to become too embedded into my life. I wasn’t capable of what she was looking for. Love came with pain and rejection. The only thing that followed when I allowed myself to care was disappointment and regret. I had enough of that to last me a lifetime.
I thought back to our first time together. It had been brewing below the surface for both of us, and the night Emmy had been kidnapped, Bentley and I’d had a huge argument, which threw me off-balance. I was anxious, drowning in guilt, and seeking something. What it was, I didn’t know until I ran into Cami.
Fueled by anger and a need to escape, I went upstairs, taking the steps two at a time, and there she was, as if she had been waiting for me to show up. She was upset and emotional, and I knew what I needed. What we both needed. Before she could blink, I had her against the wall, kissing her like a drowning man, desperate for air, and she was right there with me. Somehow, I knew she was what I needed to get through that moment. She would be the one thing that would calm me. I needed to lose myself with her. Only Cami.
Minutes later, we were naked and in her bed.
She was everything I had imagined and more. Her skin was like silk, stretched smooth over her bones, and it glowed ivory in the dim light. I sat back on my heels, staring down at her perfection. Her breasts were full, the nipples taut and ready for my mouth. Her waist was narrow, and her hips fit in my hands as if made for me. Her wavy hair spread out over the pillow, ink spilling on white paper, the pink highlights bright in the dark. Her green eyes were hooded, radiating back at me the want and need I felt. There was no shyness; in fact, she lifted her arms over her head, her legs falling open, showing me her soft, pink center.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whispered against her breasts, capturing a hardened nipple in my mouth and swirling my tongue around it. She whimpered, arching her back to get closer to my mouth.
We spent long minutes exploring each other. Her hands felt like heaven on my overheated skin as she touched me. I had never known lips as soft as hers as she traced the ink on my arm, nor had I ever wanted anyone as much, as she explored my torso. Her mouth was wicked and hot when she wrapped her lips around my shaft and tongued the head of my cock. I hissed with pleasure, sliding deep into her mouth, until it became too much and I pulled back, wanting to finish inside her.
“My turn.” I grinned.
The small group of freckles that always teased me at the base of her neck was thoroughly licked. I pulled her hand to my mouth, kissed her wrist and made my way up her arm, slow and teasing, tasting and nibbling as I went before I bit down on the curve of her neck. We kissed for endless moments, frantic and wild, then slow and gentle, until she was pleading with me for more. I eased her onto her stomach, gliding my hand down her spine, tracing the delicate ridges and curves, following my fingers with my mouth. I cupped and stroked her luscious ass, biting the right cheek, then sliding my fingers between her legs, groaning at how ready she was for me.
“Like this, baby? You want me like this?” I demanded, pumping into her with my fingers. “You want my cock?”
“Yes.”
I reached for my pants and grabbed the condom from my wallet. In one smooth move, I was buried so deep inside her, I moaned. I wrapped my hands around her waist, lifting her up onto my thighs. I grabbed her chin, turning her face, and kissed her as I began to move, holding her flush to my body. She grabbed my hair and tugged as we fucked. It was intense and profound. Hard and fast. Exactly what we both needed. She tightened around me, her breathing rapid, her low moans telling me she was close. Our kisses became frantic, our movements hurried. She came, her pussy milking my cock like a fist, and she gasped my name. I exploded inside her, groaning and cursing until we were both spent.
I slid us both down onto the mattress, pulling her close. It should have felt uncomfortable. Normally, when I was with someone, I itched to leave as soon as we were done. But with Cami, I wanted to be close.
“Stay for a while,” she whispered. “You need some sleep.”
“I have to get back.”
She rolled over, facing me. I sighed as she began to stroke my hair, and I leaned into her caress. “Just a little while.”
I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. I gave in and tugged her to my chest, falling asleep until I woke from a gripping nightmare a short time later, trembling violently.
“I’m here,” she whispered. “Right here, Aiden.” She stroked my hair again. “You’re okay. I have you.”
It made me feel safer than I had in my entire life.
I shook my head at my thoughts. It was odd how often she skipped through my mind. How the thought of her could bring a smile to my lips when I least expected it. It was useless and crazy to think of her, but at times, I couldn’t stop myself.
I grabbed my things. I’d make sure Bentley got home, then head to the loft and prepare myself for the whirlwind that was Emmy and Cami.
Especially Cami.