She rises.”
Rachel groaned as she stepped out of his bedroom wearing his button-down shirt from last night and dragging the blanket from the bed along with her. Her hair was a tangled blond mess, her legs bare and beautiful, and every last thing he did with her in the limo flickered through his head like a movie.
Pushing her skirt up her thighs.
Peeling her panties down her legs.
Going down on her on the seat while she writhed, and when she was wet and ready sliding all the way home.
Okay, enough of that or he’d develop a limp from the hard-on already trying to make an appearance this morning. He couldn’t get enough of this woman. She’d saturated his life, and he’d soaked her in, allowing her to take up most of his space. For a guy who liked free rein of said space, he found he didn’t mind as much as he’d have thought.
“My queen,” he greeted, pouring her a cup of coffee. “How ya feeling?”
“Champagne gives me a headache.” She plopped on his couch, and he walked into the living room, her coffee in hand.
“Especially when you drink a vat of it. Here. This’ll help.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re sexy in the morning, Dimples.”
“Shut. Up.”
Next to her, he pushed her hair off her face and leaned in to lay a kiss on her mouth. “I let you sleep, so you have to take a shower with me. Wash my back.”
“I do not,” she said against the rim of her mug, but she was smiling. “What’s on the agenda today?”
“Make an appearance at the Crane for an invigorating conference meeting with the board.” He planned on presenting the plans for the Oahu bar.
“Are you giving a presentation?”
“Not officially. But I do have handouts.” He barely managed a saccharine smile. There was no love lost between the board that had stuck their noses in his business then out again, then asked for details at the last minute. But he understood it was part of the Crane gig. Plus, he was damn proud of those plans.
“Don’t forget to tell them about the redesign and the server’s wells.” Eyes bright, she turned to face him. “And how you’re going to move the bar back and provide extra seating. Oh, and…”
As she talked, he listened, admiring her pluck and her ability and the fact she was wearing a blanket in his penthouse. She looked at home here. She looked like his.
The thought sent him down another path, one laced with women who had been in this very penthouse, on this very couch, looking sleepy and satisfied like the girl there now. Thoughts about morning sex and breakfast and shared showers were nothing new, but this was the first time he’d ever thought the woman on his couch looked like she belonged with him. To him.
Maybe this was how it happened. The beginning of what Luc and Gena had. He remembered his best friend after he’d met Gena. Luc was a changed man. Walked around constantly with a goofy smile on his face. He was exclusive from the start with her. Tag was always exclusive with the women he saw, right up until the point he let them go.
Right about now, he would plan his escape, work out the details of how to send the girl on his couch packing.
“…the map for the liquor placement is important because there will be less spillage. Less spillage equals more profit,” she finished with zest.
“Got it.”
“Knock ’em dead.” She sipped her coffee and hummed in the back of her throat.
“Your turn. What’s on your agenda today?” he asked.
“Oh…just some…things.”
“Some things.”
“Yeah.” She bit down on her lip and elevated her coffee cup. He put a hand on her knee and watched her, waiting. Seconds ticked by before she rolled her eyes. “Fine! I’ll tell you.”
“Only if you want to,” he said easily.
“I’m looking for an apartment today.”
“Oh yeah?” His chest hammered at the surprise those words caused, and more surprise coated him as he realized he was surprised. She had roommates, but she’d stayed here some, too. He guessed he’d gotten a little used to that arrangement. His forehead creased.
“Which is a little backwards, because I haven’t found a job yet,” she continued. “I did get one callback, but it paid less than bartending for a receptionist position. I thought it’d be simpler to land a marketing gig since I can list Crane Hotels on my resume.” Her face scrunched. “That’s okay, right?”
“Of course it’s okay. I didn’t realize you were looking.” He stole her coffee mug and took a sip.
“Didn’t I mention it?” She looked genuinely perplexed.
“No.” He handed back the mug, once again in the position of being the last to know.
“Oh. Well. Now you know. I’ve scheduled a few showings at apartments today. I figure if I can find one within a reasonable price range, I can wiggle by until I land the elusive professional job I seek.”
“Why the rush?”
“Bree and Dean found a house. They’re ready to move out on their own, like yesterday. I don’t want to hold them up. Ideally I’d have secured a better-paying job by now, but as luck would have it, I’m doing things ass-backwards.”
“Can I help?” he asked, unsure what he was offering.
“No. I’ve got everything under control. And you have a meeting.” She touched her finger to his chin and rubbed his beard.
He frowned, irked, though he wasn’t sure why. He wanted do something—help somehow. Maybe he was irked that she hadn’t asked for his help. He owned a damn apartment building. He knew about rentals and the area. It would only make sense to ask him his opinion, but she hadn’t.
“You know if you needed money, I technically owe you for helping me in Hawaii.”
“Absolutely not.” Her eyes were fierce, her tone angry.
“Dimples.”
“No, Tag. I can’t and won’t take your money.” She pressed her lips into a line, giving him a flat smile. “Thank you for the offer, but I don’t need to be bailed out.”
He blew out a breath of defeat. That stubborn streak of hers was a mile wide.
“At least let me call you a car so you don’t have to take cabs all over the city.” She wouldn’t let him help her with the place to live, fine, but he could at least get her transportation for the day.
She shook her head.
“You can ride home and decide then. I’d drive you myself if I didn’t have work.”
Her turn to sigh.
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Okay. Yes, thank you.”
“Yeah?” Her giving him that inch made him feel as triumphant as if he’d won a mile.
“A car would be great. You’ve been great.”
“An hour work for you?” he asked as he dialed on his cell phone.
“Better make it two. I did promise you a shower,” she replied with a wink. “You have a big back.”
* * *
By afternoon, Tag had finished his pitch to the board, ending it with, “Construction starts tomorrow. Oahu is the test.”
From the board came nothing but a penetrating silence. He and Reese exchanged glances.
“This is some nice work, Tag,” Frank said.
Well, knock me over with a motherfucking feather.
Reese’s eyebrows lifted, mirroring Tag’s shock.
“This is definitely one way to go about it,” added Lilith, the only female board member. She was less impressed, and Tag had expected that. She probably didn’t want to agree with Frank publicly either. Those two.
Frank tucked the proposal under his legal pad. “Now. Who’s going to Dylan’s for Cobb salad?”
The board stood collectively, commenting on dinner and drinks and in general filing out of the boardroom like a pack of lemmings. Or a herd of lemmings. As the last person vanished past the window of the conference room, Tag faced his brother.
“What do you call a group of lemmings? A herd or a pack?”
“No idea.” Reese smiled, understanding Tag’s reference. “I guess Frank’s comment is as close to a compliment as you can expect.”
“Whatever.” Tag stood and gathered his pencil and blank pad of paper. “I don’t need to be coddled.”
“Tag,” Reese said from behind him. “Great work.”
Now that praise he could feel proud about. “Thanks, bro.”
“Too bad you’re dating her,” Reese said as they walked the corridor to his office.
“Why?” Tag stopped short of turning right toward Bobbie’s receptionist desk.
“Rachel’s smart. Knows more about business than your average bartender.” Reese wrapped a hand around the doorknob. “She’d fit in around here, but I’m guessing when you break up with her, you don’t want to bump into her at the office.”
Tag tracked back to his brother and stopped, crossing his arms over his chest. “Something on your mind?”
Reese folded his arms, mirroring Tag. “You’re not in a hurry to blow this one off, are you?”
“Since when do you care about my love life?”
“Since you referred to it as a ‘love’ life.” His lips hitched into a smirk.
Had him there.
“She doesn’t want to be entangled with Crane money and me at the same time.”
“I respect that.” Reese nodded.
“Yeah?” Tag paused to listen, interested in what his brother thought. Because Tag would like to solve her problems, and Rachel wanted to do everything herself.
“You may have found the first girl you can’t appease with money. That’s probably why she’s still around.” At that parting observation, Reese opened his office door.
“Hang on. I don’t buy my dates, if that’s what you’re saying.” Tag’s defenses rose. “I have money. I spend it. End of story.”
“And if you weren’t footing the bill, how many of those dates do you think you’d have had over the last decade?” When Tag didn’t answer, Reese cocked his head. “Rachel being independent isn’t a bad thing. It works for Merina and me.”
“You two were married before you liked each other.” Tag shook his head and smiled. “I think it’s safe to say your playbook is unique to the two of you.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” Reese said dryly. “I’m stopping by to see Eli tonight. Coming?”
“He still in a cheery mood?”
“Oh, the cheeriest,” Reese deadpanned. “The therapist ramped up his rehabilitation today.”
“I bet his swearing can be heard from here if we listen closely.”
They fell silent, their smiles slipping away, the seriousness of what had happened to their brother settling in the air between them.
“I hate this for him,” Reese said, his voice steel. “I can fix anything. But I can’t fix this.”
Tag had felt a similar helplessness since the moment he saw the flattened bit of sheet in the hospital room. “I know.”
“He doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s hurting. And not just physically.”
“I know.” Tag had seen it too. Behind the bitterness and anger, Eli was in pain. The loss he’d suffered, the atrocities he’d witnessed.
“I’d rather have him without a leg than not at all,” Reese said, and it might have been the first time any of them had admitted as much aloud.
They shared another penetrating length of silence.
“Tonight then?” Reese asked.
“Yeah.” Tag would do anything for his brothers. They’d drag Eli through this kicking and screaming if they had to, but Eli was going to be whole again. That was a vow Tag wouldn’t break.