~Twenty-Two~
It was the day of the party. It never ceased to amaze me the number of steps a woman had to go through to look beautiful. Tessa trusted Agnes to go with her to get her hair done as well as treating her to the spa. It was Jonathan’s treat, but only because he also felt the uneasiness that Tessa was having about the whole thing.
While the girls were doing their thing, Jonathan and I decided to go over a few things before the night's festivities. We didn’t want any surprises, and knowing Colin, this wasn’t just an investor meeting. He had something much more insidious planned, we were sure of it. In the middle of our discussion, my phone began to ring, displaying an unknown number. Everything inside me told me to let it go to voicemail, but I had a funny feeling that if I didn’t answer, these calls were just going to continue.
Excusing myself from the living room, I headed toward the kitchen and exited to the back deck. Swiping the screen to answer the call. I hesitantly said, “Hello.”
“Don’t hang up. Please just hear me out,” a familiar voice stated.
Looking over to the wooded area, I didn’t say a word and waited for Ryan to continue. “Josh, I know it’s you on the other end. Whatever the reason you had to fake your own death and run away, I get it. I want you to know I don’t care about that. Please just let me help you out of this mess. Even though we aren’t brothers, I feel we are. I know you better than anyone. Please Josh, don’t shut me out.”
I wasn’t sure how he managed to find my number, but his words hit me hard and I had no idea what the hell to say to him. All I could think about was what happened a year ago that led me here. How could I have been so obsessed to steal all that money and then to do what I did to him and the other guys? They did everything they could to make me feel like part of the team. Running away was only an excuse not to face the consequences of getting caught. Now, my past mistakes and regrets would be something I would have to live with. I didn’t deserve their friendship and I certainly didn’t deserve Ryan’s help. Taking the phone from my ear, the last thing I heard was, “Josh, please,” before I hung up the phone. Maybe one day when I could forgive myself for what I had done, I would be able to accept Ryan’s help.
Heading back into the house, Jonathan was still in the living room. I hadn’t been gone very long, but long enough to see that Kyle and he were in a heated discussion. Hearing only bits and pieces of the conversation, I interrupted their dispute and said, “If you two are talking about Tessa, I think I have a right to know what it is about.”
Sliding his hand down the back of his head to his neck, Jonathan inhaled and exhaled deeply before answering, “Kyle, why don’t you tell London what you just told me.”
“You may want to brace yourself,” Kyle suggested with his eyes pinned to mine.
Taking a seat on the couch. I spread my arms along the back of the couch while resting my ankle on the opposite knee. Whatever Kyle had to say, I wanted to make sure I was as comfortable as possible. “I’m all ears,” I stated clearly.
“I heard Colin talking with one of the guys. He said something about taking both of you down. He has no intention of introducing you to his investors. He wants you both out of the way so that he can have Tessa. He doesn’t want anyone in his way to get her and keep her for good,” Kyle explained.
Everything that he said didn’t surprise me in the least. I knew the minute I met Colin that he was a man who could never be trusted. Just like I said, with him there was always an agenda, and to think I almost fell for it. Gazing over at Jonathan, I asked, “Any thoughts?”
Scratching his head, he was silent for a moment as he contemplated a plan. I, of course, had one of my own, but I wanted to hear him out to make sure we were on the same page. When his silence finally broke, he stated confidently, “I think that we should still make the party. I also think that Tessa needs to be wearing a tracker in the event we get separated. I will get a hold of my security team to get her set up with one. I also think that we need to have additional reinforcements to cover our backs. I am seeing now that Colin hasn’t changed a bit. He is still the same bastard he was ten years ago.”
Saving an argument, his suggestion was right in line with what I had in mind. Actually, even more so. If anything went south and I ended up separated from Tessa, at least we would know where she was at all times.
We continued to hash out the details and Jonathan made a quick call to his security team. For the most part everything was in place, other than letting Tessa know of our plans. Even Kyle was on board with the plan, which surprised me. The women were still in the city doing their girly thing, and even though there were still five hours until the party, I wanted to make sure everything was ready. More than anything I need to make sure that Tessa was going to be protected. It was for this reason that I suggested we make sure that everything would be in working condition.
Heading to the warehouse, we met up with the head guy that ran the security for Jonathan. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he was one of the guys back in New York. There was such a strong resemblance between him and Peter Hewitt, who was the head of the security company that I had been a part of. Seeing him work jarred so many memories of working with the team.
Pushing my thoughts away and concentrating only on Jonathan’s security chief, I listened as he began explaining how the tracking device worked and the best place to hide it. I knew every inch of the dress that Tessa had chosen for the party, and the best place to hide the small device would be in the lining, which stopped just above the knees.
Feeling more confident that Jonathan’s security was more than capable of protecting Tessa, we headed back to the cabin to put the final touches on our plan, namely getting the tracking device sewn into Tessa’s dress. Hopefully the women would be home by now since another hour had passed. Given the fact that women in general took a long time to get ready, it would be cutting it close.
When we pulled up to the house, the Audi was parked out front, which indicated that Tessa and Agnes were finally home. Parking the Rover behind Jonathan’s car, we both exited and headed inside the cabin. There was no one in sight when we opened the door, which meant that Agnes was probably in the kitchen and Tessa upstairs in the bedroom.
Climbing the steps two at a time, I could already smell her scent as I made my way to the bedroom. It must have been my male instinct, but I would know Tessa’s scent anywhere and the onset of my erection was proof.
Adjusting myself, hiding what I could of my hard-on, I pushed open the door to be greeted by her soft voice singing. I didn’t know the artist, but the words hit home, because everything she sang replicated my feeling for her. Leaning against the doorway, I didn’t want to move. All I wanted to do was to watch her bathe and focus on the way she slid the soapy sponge up her leg and back down again, paying attention to her perfectly painted pink toenails. She was perfect in every sense and she looked like heaven with the bubbles caressing her soft skin.
Pushing from the wall, I made my way to the tub, letting her know exactly what she was doing to me. As I sat on the rim, I couldn’t help but smile as she looked at me, moving her body closer to mine. I would have loved to join her, but I knew that would mean it would make us late for the party. Bending over, I placed my hand behind her neck and pulled her closer. Her lips were soft and tasted of champagne as I pushed my tongue between them.
Nibbling on her lower lip, I said, “If we continue, we are never going to make it out of this bathroom.”
Kissing her way down my neck, she said mischievously as she began unbuttoning my shirt, “Would that be so bad?”
Hating to break this perfect moment, I reached behind her and grabbed the towel she had placed on the vanity. “Hurry and dry off. There is something we need to discuss about the party.”