“That doesn’t mean you have to settle for a piece of shit,” I say, my voice tight from the residual anger.
“When I started dating Josh, I didn’t know things would turn out this way. He was nice in the beginning,” Dash argues.
Too fucking nice.
“Look at Danny, she’s twenty-seven, and she still hasn’t met the right guy. What if they just don’t exist anymore?” she voices her worry.
Dash is a lot like my older sister when it comes to love. They were both raised as princesses, believing there’s a fairytale waiting for them.
“If you don’t meet a decent guy by the time you’re thirty, I’ll marry you,” I mutter, trying to be subtle about a relationship between us.
Dash’s head pops up, and then she glares at me. “Don’t even joke about that.”
Fuck. Not the reaction I was hoping for.
Steeling myself for the blow of rejection, I say, “I’m not joking. If we’re both single, why not? Honestly, I’d marry you in a fucking heartbeat if it saves me from wading through the gold diggers and drama queens out there.”
My comment makes a burst of laughter bubble over her lips. Then she nods. “Okay. When I’m thirty, and we’re both single, then we call it quits on dating and get married.”
It’s a start.
Grinning at her, I say, “Deal.”
She snuggles against my side, then murmurs, “All joking aside, thanks, Christopher. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll never have to find out,” I whisper as I close my eyes.
Chapter 2
DASH
Dash 25; Christopher 27
Pressing Christopher’s extension, I wait for him to answer.
“Yeah?”
“Are you ready?” I ask. We still need to get dressed before heading over to Tristan and Hana’s place for the Halloween party they’re hosting.
“Ten more minutes,” Christopher grumbles.
Letting out a sigh, I turn off my computer before I get up and walk into his office. Where Christopher’s office is totally closed off for privacy, my office has glass partitions, so I have a clear view of the hallway seeing as I’m not only a director at Indie Ink but also Christopher’s PA.
He glances up, then mumbles, “I said ten minutes, Dash.”
“And we both know that’s bullshit,” I call him out. Reaching over his desk, I close the folder of our latest deal. “We’re already late. Let’s go.”
I walk to where his jacket is hanging, and taking it off the hanger, I hold it open so he can put it on.
Christopher lets out a huff, but at least he gets up. When he’s done shrugging on his jacket, he mutters, “You know I’m the CEO, and you’re the PA, right?”
I don’t get offended by his words because I know he’s overworked and tired. Between Danny, Christopher, Ryker, and myself, we practically run Indie Ink. “Yeah, and it’s part of my job to make sure you don’t work yourself to death.”
Christopher and I have a deal that what happens in the office stays in the office. We don’t let our work relationship affect our friendship.
Adjusting the lapels of his jacket, I glance up at him. “It’s already past seven. We still need to get ready.”
He takes a deep breath and luckily doesn’t argue with me.
The office is quiet as we leave, and once Christopher is driving us to our apartment block, I say, “You haven’t taken any time off since you started at Indie Ink. You’re going to work yourself into an early grave.”
Christopher shoots a glare my way. “You know taking a break is out of the question. With Tristan starting his own business, we’re down one person.”
“Delegate the work then,” I argue.
“Stop worrying about my workload. Besides, it’s only until Jade graduates.” Jade is the daughter of a close family friend. She’ll be taking over bringing in new business once she joins Indie Ink.
I shake my head, muttering, “That’s another two years.”
Christopher parks the car in our building’s basement. Once we’re out of the vehicle and walking to the elevator, he says, “I’m fine. Stop worrying.”
The doors slide open, and we step inside. I swipe my keycard and press the buttons for both our floors. “As your best friend, it’s my job to worry. You’re going to burn out at this rate.” Glancing up at him, I add, “When did you last date? God, I can’t even remember. We also haven’t had time for our weekly dinners.”
The doors slide open to my apartment, and I move forward to keep the doors from closing while meeting Christopher’s gaze. “I love you, and I’m not just going to stand by and watch you become a workaholic. There’s more to life.”
Christopher takes a deep breath, and sounding annoyed with me, he says, “After this deal, we can resume our weekly dinners.”
Shaking my head, I step out of the way so the doors can close while muttering, “Don’t do me any favors.”
Letting out a sigh, I walk to the stairs that lead to the second floor and my bedroom. I kick off my heels, and tugging my blouse out of my skirt, I pull it over my head.
Just then, Christopher comes into my room, saying, “Sorry, Dash –” His words cut off the second his gaze lands on my bra.
“Yep, you definitely need to get laid. It’s not like you to be speechless at the sight of a bra.” I joke as I walk to the bathroom. I turn on the faucets in the shower so the water can warm up, then walk back into my room. Christopher’s gone, and it makes a chuckle bubble over my lips.
You’d think he’d be okay with seeing me in my underwear with the number of times he’s seen me in a bathing suit.
I strip out of my skirt and underwear, then quickly shower. I wanted us to go as an Avatar couple, but seeing as we don’t have time for that kind of make-up, I settled for us going as Arwen and Aragon from Lord of the Rings.
It takes me an hour to get dressed and do my make-up, and once I’m ready, I grab my clutch and head up to Christopher’s penthouse situated above mine. Our keycards are programmed, so we have access to each other’s apartments. We also chose this building because it’s close to the office, and it was the only one with two apartments available.
When the elevator doors slide open, I see Christopher sitting on the couch, fast asleep.
As I walk toward him, I take in his square jaw with the light stubble. Feeling a slight flutter in my stomach, I shake my head and instantly suppress the emotion. It has always been a constant battle to not fall in love with Christopher. He’s everything I want in a man. Dominant, loyal, protective, successful, hot as hell… damn, the list is endlessly long.
For a moment, I consider canceling our plans so he can rather go to bed. But knowing Tristan and Hana are expecting us, I walk over to the couch.
I sit down beside him, and placing my hand on his leather pants, I give his thigh a pat. “Christopher.”
His eyes snap open, and he shoots forward. When he realizes he dozed off while waiting for me, he brings his hand up and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Sorry.”
“We’ll only show our faces then call it a night,” I say.
When I get up, Christopher’s eyes drift over me. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as he rises to his feet. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.” I nod to the elevator. “We’ll stay an hour at most. Okay?”
He nods as we leave his penthouse, and seeing how tired he is, only makes me worry more. Unless we have a family function to attend, Christopher works from five in the morning until midnight, every damn day. He’s been surviving on only three to four hours of sleep since Tristan left Indie Ink.
Walking toward the car, I say, “Ryker and I can deal with the contracts, so you have more time to focus on bringing in new business.”
“Ryker has a lot on his plate as the company attorney,” Christopher states the obvious as we climb into his Mercedes Maybach. Uncle Carter got Danny, Christopher, and Tristan one each when they started at Indie Ink. I have
my own car but hardly ever use it.
“Then I’ll handle it,” I offer.
“You’re already swamped,” he argues.
“I can get an assistant,” I try to come up with a plan which will help us both.
Christopher glances at me. “That’s actually a good idea.”
Surprised, my eyebrow pops up. “Yeah?”
He nods. “Get someone to take over the basics, then I’ll hand the contracts over to you.”
“That’s a deal.” I grin at him, happy to have found a solution.
CHRISTOPHER
Walking into my brother’s penthouse, I let out a chuckle when I see all the skulls and tombstones. Halloween has always been Tristan’s favorite holiday.
“You made it,” Tristan says as he comes from my left.
“Of course,” I reply as we lean into each other for a brotherly hug.
Tristan’s gaze goes to Dash, and then he says, “Thanks for making sure he came.”
“You’re welcome.” Dash lets out a chuckle, which turns into a squeal. The next second she’s zipping across the room to get to Noah and Carla and their baby girl, Hayley.
I watch as Dash scoops Hayley into her arms. She loves her niece as if she were her own daughter.
“Want a drink?” Tristan asks.
“Sure.” Knowing Dash will be glued to Hayley’s side for the rest of the night, I walk with Tristan over to the drinks table. He pours me a bourbon, to which I murmur, “Thanks.”
After we’ve taken a sip of our drinks, I ask, “How’s business?”
“Good,” he answers in his usual brisk way.
The entire family is aware of Tristan’s love for all things dark.
Why haven’t we stopped him from getting involved in the illegal trade of goods? The answer is pretty straightforward. We tried, but you can’t make Tristan do anything he doesn’t want to do.
Instead of alienating him from the family by trying to force him to walk the straight and narrow, which was the only alternative, we’ve accepted him for who he is. We keep an eye on things, and we’ll be there to help if things go sideways.
But I’ll never force my brother to be someone he’s not. Yes, I worry about his safety, but knowing one of the best assassins in the world is his best friend, helps me sleep better at night.
Tristan is Tristan. You either accept him for who he is, or you lose him, and I have no intention of turning my back on my brother because his morals and life choices are different from mine.
“Christopher,” I hear Alexei’s thick Russian accent behind me.
Talk about the devil.
Turning to greet the most intimidating man I’ve ever met and Tristan’s best friend, the corner of my mouth lifts into a smile. “Alexei.” As we shake hands, I say, “It’s great seeing you again. I trust you’ve been well?”
“Yes, business is good, so I’m good,” he chuckles.
“You look tired,” Tristan says to me.
“Not you as well.” I let out a chuckle. “Dash already lectured me today.”
“Don’t burn yourself out,” my brother says, concern lacing his words.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Glancing around the room, I say, “Let me greet the others. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Walking to where Ryker is talking to Noah, I catch the tail end of their conversation, as Noah says, “At least that’s done now.”
Noah notices me first, and a smile spreads over his face. “Damn, you actually left the office. It’s a miracle.”
We all work together at the family business, which was started by my grandfather, who I was named after.
“Don’t start,” I grumble. I look to where Dash is sitting with Hayley on one of the couches. “She’s growing so fast.”
“So are her lungs and attitude,” Noah mutters. “She takes after her mother. If she doesn’t get what she wants, there’s hell to pay.”
I let out a burst of laughter, then mention, “Whenever you need a break, Dash will be more than willing to babysit.”
“Give my sister half a chance, and Carla and I won’t see our daughter again,” Noah jokes.
Dash gets up with Hayley, and coming toward us, she asks, “Where’s her bag? I’ll change her diaper and give her a bottle.”
“It’s in the first guestroom,” Noah answers.
While Dash is spending some time with Hayley, I make my rounds, greeting our friends and catching up with them.
When two hours have passed, and there’s no sign of Dash, I take the stairs up to the second floor. Checking the first room, I find Dash on the bed next to a sleeping Hayley.
The sight makes warmth spread through my chest.
“Hey,” I whisper.
Dash shoots me a grin before she goes back to staring lovingly at her niece. “Isn’t she gorgeous?”
I glance down at Hayley’s chubby cheeks before turning my gaze to Dash. “She is.”
I’ve been working my ass off so I can offer Dash the world when she turns thirty, but damn, the wait is killing me. With every passing day, I’m growing more impatient. I don’t think I’ll be able to wait another five years. The past five have been hard enough.
It’s been playing like a broken loop in my mind to talk to Dash about us. She hasn’t given me any indication that she’s interested in more, though, and it’s the only thing holding me back.
Carla, my cousin and Dash’s sister-in-law, comes into the room, and then she gives Dash a thankful smile. “Thank you so much. We’re heading home so she can get to bed.”
“You know I love spending time with her,” Dash says. She presses a soft kiss to Hayley’s cheek before getting up.
I wait for the women to hug each other goodbye, then I give Carla a sideways hug.
It takes another fifteen minutes for us to say bye to our family and friends before we get to leave.
Once we’re in the car, and I’m driving us home, Dash stares out of the window. When she lets out a sigh, I ask, “What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Every time I see Hayley, it makes me want a child of my own.”
Dash hasn’t been in a relationship since the fuck up with Josh, for which I’m thankful. I think I’d lose my mind if she meets someone now.
The thought causes the familiar panic to rear in my chest, which only makes me more determined to talk to her about us.
I don’t want to do it while driving, so I murmur, “One day.”
She shakes her head again. “I’m tired of hoping I’ll meet Mr. Right. I’m thinking of doing it by myself.”
My gaze snaps to her. “What?”
“Contrary to popular belief, women don’t need men anymore. I’m going to visit a sperm bank to see what my options are.”
What. The. Fuck?
My eyebrows pop up, and for a moment, I’m too stunned to say anything. When I finally process what she just said, I ask, “Are you serious?”
Dash nods as I bring the car to a stop in the basement. I wait until we’re out of the vehicle and heading to the elevator before I say, “You have no idea where the fucking sperm comes from. There’s no way I’m letting you put that shit in your body.”
“The donors have profiles, and they’re all vetted thoroughly. At least I won’t be settling for some narcissistic bastard.”
When the elevator doors open to her apartment, I walk inside with her, saying, “A baby… that’s for life.”
Dash lets out a burst of laughter. “I know. I’ve been thinking about it since I heard Carla’s expecting. This isn’t something I decided overnight.”
“Why haven’t you told me before?” I ask as I take a seat on the couch.
“Because I knew you’d react this way.”
Of course. I mean… fuck.
Dash sits down next to me, and for a moment, we stare at each other. I can see she’s made up her mind, which only increases the panic I’m already feeling. “A fucking sperm bank, Dash?” I shake my head. “Fuck, this is the last thing I exp
ected from you.”
“You know I’ve always wanted children,” she justifies her actions.
Christ, not like this.
“Yeah, but from a damn sperm bank?” I repeat. “It’s…” I struggle to find the words, “It’s so cold… clinical.”
“I don’t care about the process, Christopher. I just want a baby.”
“You’re only twenty-five,” I try to talk some sense into her. “Wait a couple of years.”
“Why are you fighting this?” she asks.
Because it’s a baby. With some stranger.
And what the fuck about me?
First, our studies kept us busy, then work.
Fuck, I thought I had more time.
Shaking my head, I take a couple of seconds to gather my thoughts. “I just don’t want you doing something you’ll regret. What if you have a baby, and then Mr. Right comes along?” I try to play for time, so I can figure out the best way to address the possibility of a relationship between us.
Dash just shrugs. “If that happens, he’ll be fine with it, seeing as he’ll be Mr. Right. Not that he exists.” She leans back and lets out a deep breath. “Besides, I can live without getting married. I have you and my family. The only thing missing from my life is a child. I really want to be a mom.”
I turn my head to look at her. “You really want this?”
Dash nods as she reaches for my hand. Linking our fingers, she says, “It will mean the world to me to have your support.”
I pull her closer so I can put my arm around her shoulders. Pressing a kiss to her hair, I murmur, “If it’s so important to you, then I’ll be there every step of the way.”
But there’s no goddamn way I’m letting her go to a fucking sperm bank. Over my dead body.
My mind begins to race. Just thinking about Dash having some strange guy’s kid… no, she deserves so much more than that. She deserves everything, the whole package. Marriage. A family. The whole fairytale.
And I want to give it to her.
I have to approach this right. One fuck up and it might ruin everything we have.
Tempted Heir Page 2