Chapter One
Audrey
“Have you ever had a secret, Bridget?” I whispered to Bridget, my childhood best friend. I knew her answer, because I knew all of her secrets, but that wasn’t the point, the point was what I was about to confess to her.
She looked at me like I was an idiot and rolled her eyes before taking a long drink of her martini. “Are you playing dumb with me? You don’t remember that one time when I told you I went down on…” My eyes grew to size of saucers when I realized just what secret she was about to retell.
“Alright, alright! I wasn’t trying to be a dick about it. I was just asking because I’m about to tell you something I’ve never told anyone, I’ve never even spoken it out loud.” I could feel my cheeks reddening at the thought of Jameson Briggs, my father’s business partner and best friend. He was nearly twenty years older than me, and one of Seattle’s biggest business tycoons, and did I mention he was my Father’s best friend?
Bridget’s big blue eyes seemed to glow as she waited for me to start in on the secret I was holding in.
“You remember Jameson Briggs, right?” I questioned innocently. She took another gulp of her martini, and nodded her head yes.
“Mr. Six feet two inches of sexy, with a body made for fuc…” I cut her off that second because she was about to go into, what I called, a swearing fit.
“Yes, that guy! Well I… Uh… I’ve been crushing on him for a few years now.” I exhaled as I continued. “And I think maybe he also has a thing for me, there’s just two, maybe three pesky problems…”
Bridget’s lips pulled back into a big, bright smile. “OMG girl, you have the hot’s for your Dad’s best friend….” she all but squealed, drawing attention from a group of guys at the table across from us.
“Shhh… I don’t want everyone knowing about my secret crush.” My face was growing redder with every passing second.
“Oh shut up, and drink some liquid courage.” Bridget laughed, shoving my glass of wine directly into my face. “Plus, you think he might have a crush too.” Doubt filled my belly, because even if I did want to go a round or five with Jameson, I knew my father would never approve.
“Still, if any of these guys know who I am or who my Father is, they’ll report back to him about our conversation or whatever part of it they hear.” I knew I was probably overreacting, but there was no way I was letting a chance with Jameson go down like all my other dates had.
“How about this…” Bridget leaned into me. I could smell the alcohol on her breath. “You feel him out tomorrow, literally and figuratively, and find out if he gets the hint that you want to be more than just friends with him.”
“That would be easy, if he wasn’t my Father’s business partner and best friend,” I grunted, taking another swig of my drink. I didn’t know what appealed to me more, the fact that Jameson was gorgeous, or the fact that he was completely off limits to me.
“Come on, babe, like you’ve never thought of taking him into the bathroom and screwing the hell out of him? Your Father doesn’t have to know if it doesn’t take place in front of him…” Bridget giggled, and it hit me then. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?
“You’re a genius, Bridge!” I gripped her by the cheeks, wondering why the hell I hadn’t thought of that. “If he doesn’t know, then it doesn’t matter… Besides, I just want one taste…” I licked my lips at the thought. Jameson Briggs might be off limits but what my father didn’t know couldn’t hurt him right?
“At least someone realizes that…” Bridget frowned for a millisecond before covering it up with a smile. ”Anyway, I want to know all the dirty details…” I stood from the bar stool, knowing that our evening together was coming to an end.
“Yeah, if there’s anything to share…” I sighed, trying not to sound as desperate as I probably looked.
“Oh, there will be, believe me. If the man has a set of eyes on his face there should be plenty for you to tell me.” She laughed, standing and wrapping me in a hug that couldn’t have possibly come from her small form.
“I’ll take your advice and test the waters, but don’t be surprised when I have nothing to report back to you about.” I gave her a half smile, right as she released me. There were no more words about Jameson as we said our goodbyes, and paid our tabs. I walked out of the bar feeling all kinds of depressed. If Jameson was, as faithful to my father and the business as I thought he was, any type of flirtation would backfire on me.
The Uber I had called for five minutes earlier pulled up against the curb, and my eyes darted from my phone and then back to the cab. I knew where Jameson lived, and I knew I could show up without an explanation…
Thoughts coursed through me about professing my feelings to him. The wine I had been drinking sloshed around inside my stomach, overruling the logical side of my brain that was telling me not to do it.
“Do you want a ride, or what?” the driver of the Tesla called out the front passenger side window. His voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I made the choice then. It was now or never. I could wait. I could lurk. Or I could do what I wanted and act on my feelings.
“Yes, I still need a ride. Can you take me to Hanover Acres?” I questioned through the window, noticing then the man’s bright blue mohawk.
“Sure can, but you’ll need to get in the car before we can go anywhere.” He smirked and I realized then that I was still standing outside the vehicle like a chicken. I was doing this. I was so doing this. Jameson Briggs was going to be mine, once and for all.
“Of course, duh…” I spoke under my breath, climbing into the back seat of the Tesla, knowing that everything was about to change.
* * *
The drive to Jameson’s private home in Hanover Acres was just long enough for me to start sobering up and realize that this might be a fucking mistake.
“Holy shit, these houses are huge. Do you live here?” Uber driver spoke for the first time since I climbed into the back seat.
“God, no….” I bit the inside my cheek, shaking my head.
“Okay, for a second I thought I had a trillionaire in the back seat of my car. I don’t get very many requests for drop offs in this area…” His comment wasn’t all that surprising to me. Not many people that lived in Hanover Acres needed a ride anywhere, not when they had a BMW or Audi parked in their driveway.
“Yeah, I get what you mean,” I all but whispered, nibbling at my bottom lip nervously, watching as Jameson’s mansion came into view. The place was a fortress, made for a king, and even though it was dark, you could still see the beauty of the place.
“This is it?” Uber driver questioned, pulling up against the curb near the mailbox. I swallowed past the lump in my throat.
You’re really doing this, Audrey…
“Yeah, this is the house…” A shudder ran down my spine, as my belly filled with butterflies. This was it, my only chance to turn back… I gripped the door handle in my sweaty hand and opened the door.
“That’s going to be twenty-five dollars even…” Uber driver shot over his shoulder, watching me with a curious look in his eyes. I scrabbled with my purse, pulling out a twenty and a ten and handing them to him before I got out of the car.
My heart was in my throat, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever come back from what I was about to do. All I knew was that I had to try… I had to.
I watched as the Uber driver drove away, leaving me standing at the end of Jameson’s driveway. I twisted around on my heels, noticing that hardly any of the lights were on inside.
“Fuck!” I groaned as I headed up the driveway, the sound of my heels echoing throughout the neighborhood. If he wasn’t here, then I wasn’t sure what the hell it was that I was going to do.
I eyed the large as hell wooden door, before pressing a finger to the doorbell. Moment of truth…
The sound of the bell ringing echoed throughout the house, making the seconds that I stood there seem like hours.
Everything’s going to be okay, everything’s…
“Audrey?” Jameson’s smoky voice filtered into my ears, and I lifted my eyes from the concrete walkway and up to his green ones. As soon as our eyes connected, I knew I had made the right choice.
“Jameson… can we talk?” I titled my head, probably looking like a crazed lunatic. I was out here on his doorstep in the middle of the night, with no one else in sight. If he let me in his house, he was as crazy as I was.
“Are you drunk?” he questioned, before continuing. “Come on…” Jameson’s tall frame hovered over mine, while the smell of spice, with a hint of smoke clung to my nostrils. I wanted to lean into his chest and inhale his scent. Instead, I took his invitation to come in, tripping over the threshold within two steps, and winding up in Mr. Briggs’s arms.