“Calm down, Brandon. I didn’t mean anything by it,” Kelly said. “All I meant is that we are notified any time a former member of a powerful crime family leaves prison. I just thought you should know that we know and if…” She paused and lowered her voice until it sounded sultry and alluring. “If there’s any interest in your father’s activities… or yours… once he comes home, well, Delancey and I just figured you might want to know about it. That’s all.” There was a long pause and Kane nearly stood up when a low male chuckle came through Kelly’s earwig.
“You two want to be my cops on the take, huh?” There was a grunt and Kane curled his fingers into fists. “What makes you think I don’t already have someone in the LAPD?”
“Do you?”
“At the moment, no. Come to think of it, you two just might be useful,” Moore said, sounding a hell of a lot more pleased with himself than Kane wanted to hear.
“You know I’ll do whatever I can to help you—for the right price that is. In addition, I can make our future interactions very pleasant,” Kelly purred.
Damn, she’s good.
Moore chuckled again and then whispered close to the earwig. “I can’t wait to test those interactions out, girly. You sure have the body to make me lose my mind.”
Kelly chuckled, low and sexy… and the sound did absolutely nothing at all for Kane. Ten days ago, that sound would have gone right to his dick. These days, the only thing that did that for him was thinking of Luca Price.
Fuck me.
“Thank you, Brandon.” Kelly sighed. “Well, lover, I need to get back to my partner. I think you made the right decision. Please don’t hesitate to call us when you need information and we’ll give you a heads-up if we hear anything that might affect your business, like I said.” Kane heard the rustling of clothes and he was pretty sure they’d gotten up from wherever they’d been sitting.
“It’ll be my pleasure to call you, baby. Just make sure you do give me that heads-up and I’ll see to it that you and your partner are the luckiest cops in the city. This should get you both started. Just don’t flash that around. I don’t need any heat,” Moore said. Kane was pretty sure he’d just given her an envelope of cash.
“Thank you. That will do just fine to start off,” Kelly said.
Kane was certain he heard a muffled grunt and another brush of skin but then he heard the door open and he quickly turned his attention to the stairway where the huge musclebound guy still stood guard. Seconds later, Kelly came tramping down the stairs with Brandon Moore close on her heels. They paused for only a moment at the foot of the stairs and Kane had to forcefully hold himself in his seat when he saw Moore pull Kelly in for a hot brief kiss. When they parted, he was smirking and Kelly was grinning widely. She turned away from him and came walking back to the table with a grimace on her face. As soon as she sat down in the booth faced away from the bar where Moore had taken up residence, she leaned forward.
“It’s done. The bug is planted right in the living room which I’m guessing most conversations take place. There’s a tiny eat-in dining nook, a kitchen around the corner from that, and a hallway on the other end of the room which I presume leads off to the bathroom and two bedrooms just like we saw on the floorplan before coming over here.”
Kane frowned as he nodded. “Thanks, Murphy. I know that couldn’t have been pleasant.”
“It’s okay. I had to elbow him in the ribs only once to keep his hands from straying too far but I think I sold it in the end,” she said, letting one corner of her mouth turn up in a small smile.
“Yeah, I saw the kiss. You sold it. Good job, Murphy.” Kane reached into his pocket and pulled out cash, tossing it onto the table before standing up. His first instinct was to take her hand and help her to her feet but then he remembered she was his tough-as-nails partner who’d kick him in the balls if he even tried anything remotely like that. He looked across the pub to find Moore using a bar towel on a glass and watching the two of them closely. Kane deliberately raised his hand and Moore cracked a smug smile, following the expression with a small nod. Kane couldn’t take looking at the scumbag any longer and he hurriedly steered Kelly out of the door in front of him.
｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
At around five in the afternoon, the door to Auerbach’s Jewelers opened and Luca glanced up only to find his incredibly handsome boss walking toward him dressed impeccably in an Armani suit. When he caught Luca’s gaze, Stephen grinned widely showing off perfect white teeth and twin dimples in his cheeks. This was the kind of man Luca should be dating. He was openly gay, he knew who and what he wanted, and he was always polite and kind. Stephen Auerbach was every gay man’s wet dream so why couldn’t Luca cast him in that role? Aside from the fact that he was Luca’s boss, there really was only one other reason not to date him. Unfortunately, that reason stood six and a half feet tall and growled like a grizzly bear. Luca forced himself to shake all thoughts of Kane Delancey out of his head, purposely directing his most dazzling smile at Stephen.
Stephen stopped about six feet away from the diamond cases and put both hands on his hips, looking down and side to side as he admired the displays that Sebastian had been working on all morning. Luca had come out of the office after his headache finally subsided and had walked around the entire perimeter of the primary jewelry cases located in the center of the store and examined each individual display. These cases displayed watches, gold, precious and semiprecious stones, and of course, the diamonds were front and center. Sebastian had done a marvelous job and Luca had decided not to change a single thing about them.
“Luca, this looks amazing,” Stephen said with a great deal of awe in his voice.
Luca smiled widely and then looked at Sebastian who puffed up with pride almost instantly. He reached over and patted him on the shoulder.
“Sebastian redid all the displays this morning and I have to agree with you, Mr. Auerbach. I think he did a fantastic job.”
Stephen nodded and stepped over to Sebastian, holding out his hand. “Fabulous, Sebastian. I’ve never seen the cases look so good.”
Sebastian turned beet red as he flushed with happiness. “Thank you, sir,” he said, shaking Stephen’s hand. “Of course, they wouldn’t look so good if your carpenters hadn’t done as fine a job as they did… and the new diamonds your buyer ordered? They are some of the most beautiful pieces Luca and I have ever seen. The store and the fine quality of the jewelry stock is a tribute to your name, Mr. Auerbach.”
Stephen smiled broadly and Luca was happy to see how much he loved the store now that it had been restored to order. “I thank you for your kind words. Between you and me, I’m pretty certain Louise Brimley, our diamond buyer, was happy to go shopping to replace the stolen goods. She flew off to visit the diamond market in Antwerp with a hell of a lot of enthusiasm.” He chuckled. “And by the way, I’d appreciate it if you and Luca would both call me Stephen, Sebastian.” He tapped his fingers on the velvet diamond pad sitting on the counter and bent to examine Sebastian’s displays at a closer angle. When he finally straightened, he was glowing with happiness. “This is truly fine work, my boy.” Stephen turned to Luca. “You too, Luca. Excellent work. You’ve returned the store to its former glory in only a few days. I know that was a big job.”
Luca bit his bottom lip to hold back a chuckle. Sebastian was probably older than Stephen so hearing him called “my boy” was just too funny for words but he nodded as Stephen’s praise washed over them both.
“Thank you, sir. Do you have the time to come to the manager’s office? I need a word if you don’t mind.” Luca hooked a thumb toward the back of the store.
“Of course, Luca.”
Mr. Auerbach followed Luca back to his office and as soon as Luca closed the door, he turned to Stephen and waved him into a chair beside his desk. Once he was seated, Luca unlocked his desk drawer and slid it open, pulling out the royal-blue bracelet box. He held it out and nodded to it.
“I’m so
sorry, Stephen. I can’t take this. It’s much too expensive…” He held up his hand as Stephen frowned and opened his mouth to protest. “But cost isn’t the reason. Even if you had given me costume jewelry, I wouldn’t be able to take it.”
Stephen reluctantly took the box out of Luca’s hand and snapped it open to stare at the lovely bracelet of gold, diamonds, and onyx for a moment before closing the box again. When he looked up, he was frowning.
“Why can’t you accept? We’re friends and I wanted to do something special for you, Luca.”
Luca stared at him for a few seconds. Stephen looked so serious but at least he didn’t look wounded. He couldn’t take it if he thought he hurt Stephen’s feelings after the man had been so kind to him.
“I understand why you gave it to me, Stephen. I really do and I appreciate it more than you know but I also want you to see things from my point of view.”
“Go on,” his boss encouraged. He didn’t sound angry and Luca was relieved.
“I cherish our friendship but I’m really not accustomed to receiving gifts. I understand why you want to give it, especially after an enjoyable evening like the one we spent together, but that’s just not the way I’ve ever operated. Please understand, just knowing you and being able to call you a friend is enough.” Luca stared very hard, trying his damnedest to make a point by reaching out and covering both of Stephen’s hands which still held the expensive gift. “Your friendship is all I need.” He let go and finally sat back in his chair.
Stephen smiled. “You’re right, Luca. I guess I just wanted you to know how much the time we spent together meant to me.”
“Well, it meant a lot to me too. In fact, you’re very kind.” Luca paused and a slow smile spread across his face. “You made Sebastian feel really good out there,” he said, deftly changing the subject. “He hears it from me all the time but it’s awesome that you gave him positive feedback. I’m pretty certain he lives for this job.”
“You should let him do more displays. He’s very good, Luca, and I was happy to give him such positive feedback.” He paused a moment and then put his free hand on his thigh, brushing at it as he looked at his lap where his other handheld the blue box. Luca thought he looked almost shy when he glanced back up at him. “Can I take you to dinner, Luca? I happened to time my visit so that I could take you out if you were hungry,” he said.
Luca thought about his plans for the evening. For some damned reason, Kane Delancey’s glowering face popped into his head and he almost shook it to get the image to fade. Then he remembered what he had going on.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could go out with you and I’m really not trying to blow you off. I just promised a friend I’d go to a charity event at Hamburger Mary’s tonight.”
Stephen’s eyebrows elevated. “Huh. I didn’t realize Hamburger Mary’s held charity events.”
Luca grinned. “In fact, they actually call it Ham-Bingo night. A portion of all the money they raise goes to charity and they still have enough left over for prizes at the end of the night. It’s a fun event but then again, I love bingo.” Luca suddenly had a great idea. “Why don’t you come with me? My friends won’t mind another person joining us.”
Stephen grinned but he shook his head. “I shouldn’t. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, Luca, but I-I don’t like big crowds. They make me nervous. That’s why places like Mar’sel’s in Palos Verdes appeal to me so much. It goes without saying that the ocean views are fantastic, but I also like eating at a private table in a beautiful place with a gorgeous man across from me. Someday, when we get to know each other a little better, I’ll tell you why I can’t do crowds. I hope you don’t take me declining your invitation the wrong way, Luca. I can’t think of another man I’d love to spend time with.” He stood up and stepped close still holding the bracelet box as Luca also got up.
“I’d love to have you come with me tonight but I completely understand,” Luca said as Stephen reached out and placed his free hand on his shoulder.
“Well, I’m still going to insist that you let me take you out again. Maybe next week,” Stephen whispered, close to Luca’s ear. Luca shivered and he placed a light kiss on the shell of his ear before stepping back. When he caught the longing in Stephen’s gaze, Luca almost felt guilty.
“Of course I’ll go out with you again. Please call me and we’ll make plans.”
“I look forward to that.” Stephen patted him on the shoulder and then offered another small smile before turning and walking out of the office. Luca followed him as Stephen stopped to shake Sebastian’s hand once again, offering more praise. They continued to the double doors and Stephen paused again beside the armed security guards. When he stuck his hand out, both large men shook it and smiled at him. A couple minutes later, Luca followed his boss as he stepped out onto the street with regal grace. Stephen’s driver was waiting beside a Bentley that Luca hadn’t seen before. When he got to the door that the driver had open for him, he turned and beckoned Luca close. Luca came into his arms and the they exchanged a long hug.
Stephen felt solid in Luca’s arms, solid in a way that made him feel like maybe he should think seriously about giving this man a chance. When Stephen kissed him, Luca lingered at his lips, waiting for a feeling of forever to hit him like a lightning bolt. He badly wanted Stephen Auerbach to be the one for him. As much as he tried to feel passion and arousal for the beautiful, kind man, he just didn’t. Where there was no spark, there was never going to be any fire and Luca just knew he couldn’t go through life with no fire. When images of the detective popped unbidden into his thoughts, he felt frustrated all over again. He forced the images away, refusing to acknowledge them even as his body betrayed him and he began to grow hard.
By the time Stephen ended the kiss and stepped back, all Luca could do was smile lamely and watch him get into the car to be driven away. His departure somehow felt final. He stood there for long moments and when he finally came to his senses and turned to go, his eyes locked with none other than Detective Kane Delancey. The man was standing across the street in front of a pawn shop and he was glaring at Luca with an expression of such anger, it sent a chill through Luca. He stared at him for only a few seconds, filled with the knowledge that Kane had seen the gorgeous man he’d just been caught kissing. Luca had no idea why the thought of that distressed him so badly but it did.
The door to the pawn shop opened and Detective Kelly Murphy stepped out onto the street beside her partner. She said something to him and when he pointed across the street, she turned to look at Luca, immediately grinning and lifting her hand to wave. Luca returned her sweet greeting and then to his horror, he watched them step off the curb and start crossing the street, coming right toward him.
Oh shit.
“Hey, sweetie,” Kelly said, pulling Luca into a hug as soon as she got close enough. “We were just coming to see you.”
Luca hugged her back, noting how clean her hair smelled, kind of fruity with definite undertones of apple. He liked the fact that she didn’t soak herself in perfume. He hated the smell of most women’s scents. He wasn’t usually a fan of men’s cologne either and only used a dab of Dolce and Gabbana after he shaved. He wasn’t a fan of their politics but Luca was pretty sure a lot of their pro-traditional family hype was just that—hype. His mind was wandering again and he pushed thoughts of perfume and cologne out of his mind and focused on Kelly’s warm embrace. He adored this lady detective and he held onto her just long enough to make sure she knew how much he cared for her but not long enough to make a spectacle on a public sidewalk—as if he hadn’t already done that by kissing his wealthy boss on this very spot.
“Hi, Detective Murphy,” Luca said as she turned him loose. “How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you, Luca?”
“Fine. Come on into the store.” Luca forced himself to turn away from her and glance at Delancey who was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at him coldly. “Hey, Detective Dela
ncey.” He could hear the slight shake in his voice and it made him slightly sick to his stomach.
“Price,” Delancey said with no warmth at all. The deep tone of his voice sent a shiver through Luca anyway. He cleared his throat.
“Seriously, let’s go inside. I was just saying goodbye to…” Luca realized what he was about to say and slapped his lips closed so he wouldn’t blurt out the fact that the man he’d just kissed on the street was his boss. “… a friend,” he finished stupidly. He felt a burning flush creep onto his face and he turned away quickly, walking to the door of the store and yanking it open, deliberately looking down as he held it open to let the two cops walk inside before him. He could feel a palpable tension rolling off Delancey as he passed by, recognizing it immediately as sexual. It took every ounce of strength he could muster not to reach out and grab one solidly-muscled bicep, so he clenched his free hand, gritted his teeth, and deliberately waited until the man was ten feet away to finally let go of the door and follow them in.
“Wow,” Kelly said. “This looks amazing, Luca.” She practically vibrated with appreciation and Luca was so relieved to have something else to talk about besides the kiss Delancey had witnessed, he let out a long sigh.
“Thanks,” he said, walking toward the diamond case where Sebastian was sitting, helping a customer. Luca could feel Delancey’s glare boring into him as he came up to stand beside them both. He ignored the weight of the tall detective’s gaze on him. When he finally turned they were both watching him. He refused to even acknowledge Kane’s cold regard, keeping his gaze fully on Kelly’s sweet face. “What are you guys doing here? Were you at the pawn shop across the street?”
“We sent out your inventory list to all the pawnshops in town,” Kane said. Luca was forced to tear his gaze away from Kelly to look at Delancey. “We got an email from a couple of them including the one across the street so we came over to ask the owner a few questions and look at the pieces he bought.”
Stay with Me (The WITSEC series Book 1) Page 17