by Nana Malone
When we arrived at the office, Olivia was already in a mood. She had a stack of papers on her desk, things to be delivered, which I ignored, things that needed follow-up, which I managed, and personal things she wanted done for her, which I refused. It was our dance. She had yet to grasp that she wasn't my job. Theo was. I did not have time for her requests, but I had to deal with him. Lucky for me, it was technically my day off.
Theo had a round of meetings with Kyle concerning something about the board. Once I took care of those things, I'd be in the office of the Royal Elite trying to figure out what we were dealing with. I considered not telling him that I was leaving, but I wasn't a brat. I was a grown woman. I could deal with him. I knocked on the door. His response was terse, "Come."
I swallowed hard and pushed the heavy glass open. "Hey, I'm just letting you know Jax is on duty. You need to notify him if you're going anywhere. I'll be back at the penthouse later tonight."
He nodded, his gaze not leaving mine. "Zia—"
"I have to go." Then I turned around and left him. I wasn't going to blame him. I'd screwed up because I had wanted to believe. That had been my fault, not his, so it was me who needed to pay.
When I walked through the door of Royal Elite thirty minutes later, Tamsin found me in my office. "Hey, welcome back stranger."
"Hey. Was anyone able to sift through the information I sent back from Derrick’s office?' I asked Tamsin.
She nodded. "Ariel and Jameson are on it. We were able to determine from the information that you gathered that something is up with that acquisition. There are several board members on the defensive about it, but senior management is all for it. Up until recently, Arlington has been full steam ahead himself. But you said that in recent meetings, he didn't seem to want to do it. And there might be a good reason for that. Word is Inline Tech’s numbers don't add up. I don't have the forensic accounting background that Jameson does, but the more she sees the more she thinks the company is built on a house of cards. And anyone with half a brain would know the finances are bogus. I mean, they're buried, but anyone looking at acquiring the business should be smart enough to dig deeper. If they dig deeper, things don't add up."
"Maybe Derrick is just starting to dig in. He only became CEO six months ago." It was easier to call him his real name at moments like this.
She shrugged. "It might make sense, but why wait this long? This acquisition has been planned for a year."
"So what's changed in the last month to make him want to put the brakes on?"
"Well, maybe the rumors are true. Maybe he has been some kind of despot, only now he's starting to pay attention. I mean, he's clearly not an idiot."
I leaned back in my seat. "No, but he's up to something or hiding something. I just wish I knew what it was."
She narrowed her gaze at me. "What's with you?"
I lifted a brow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what's with you? You are... I don't know, tense. Watchful. Something is up."
"Nothing. I just really want to figure out what's going on."
"Uh-huh. Spill. What's happening?"
I shook my head. No way was I getting into what happened between us and explaining how I humiliated myself. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine."
She watched me with another narrow-eyed gaze, and then her mouth hung open. "Oh my God, you slept with him."
I blinked. Blinked again. "What the hell do you mean?"
"Oh my God, I knew I could see something different about you. Oh, yeah. You have that look of someone who has been fucked thoroughly."
"Would you keep your voice down? The walls are not that thick."
"Yes, they are. Ariel had this place renovated herself. So, are you going to tell me what happened or not?"
I shook my head. "No Tams, it's already too humiliating."
"Come on, you've had billionaire dick. I need to know everything about it."
"Oh my God, I am not telling you about it."
"Obviously, you want to talk about it, otherwise, you wouldn't have come back here. You could have gone back to the cushy penthouse and relaxed, but you came here. Which means there's something to talk about."
I swallowed hard. Was that right? I could have just called to check on their progress. Instead, I had come to the office on purpose. I hadn't wanted to be in the penthouse and forced to see the evidence of my screw up last night. I covered my face with my hands. "I just— It shouldn't have happened. It's such a nightmare."
“It happened after the gala? Makes sense. The adrenaline and all.”
“That’s what I thought too, so I stopped him at first. But then Deedee called saying she was arrested, and I had to go save the day… again.”
“I swear to God I’m going to kill your sister.”
“You don’t have to. Arlington gave her a harsh spanking last night. And not in a fun make-you-tingly way.” I filled her in on what had happened with Deedee.
When I was done, she sat back. "Wow. So he walked in and saved the day for you for once."
I nodded. She got me. "And it was hot. So hot… like brain-cell-killing hot. I’m pretty sure what that man does with his tongue is illegal in the islands. But then today, he’s telling me all the reasons why he can’t have me. He's gone back to being cold and remote. It’s like there are two of him, and I’m not sure which is real."
She shrugged. "Well, he could be both guys."
I frowned. "I need consistency."
"Well, maybe he's like you and doesn't open up easily."
"I’m not closed-off."
Tamsin laughed. "No, you're not. But you're suspicious of people, and you keep things close to the vest. But if anyone needs you, man, you ride to the rescue with your bag full of tricks. Birthday kits. Double-sided tape. All the things. It's pretty amazing. How you even carry around double-sided tape is beyond me. I'm just saying, you deserve someone who's going to, you know, look out for you."
"Yeah, and look what I got. Today, of course, he was full of regrets. He started spewing, 'we shouldn't have done that,' and 'you don't understand how bad this is.' I'm not putting up with that again. I've done it before, and it's not worth it. I'm not that person. I can't be someone who second guesses myself and be somebody's secret. I don't deserve that. I deserve better than that."
"Hell yes, you do. And he's an asshole if he doesn't see how awesome you are."
"Yeah, well, he's an asshole. I agree."
"He's got the T-shirt and decorated his man cave with posters that say I'm a giant douchebag." She bit her lip. "Just one question though."
"Shoot."
"How was it?"
My body flushed as I thought about how he put his mouth on me this morning, worshipped me, and then held me. I’d almost felt I was cherished, but then I felt like I'd been had, because where was that guy? "He's next level in bed. The kind of guy who makes you want to slap the guys you were with before because they clearly had no idea what the hell they were doing. He's that guy."
"Even if he is a dick, I'm so jealous. I guess every woman should be shagged at least once by someone like that."
"How can I ever be with anyone else who doesn't give me five orgasms a night? I have standards now."
I wasn’t kidding. Derrick Theo Arlington had ruined me. Just like I’d known he would.
Twenty-Two
Theo…
I had no choice. After what had happened at the charity event, I'd been running my options over and over in my head. It was time to throw in the towel. At least partially.
I found Kyle in the office down the hall. Zia had tried to come with me before she left for the day, but I'd waved her down. She didn't want to talk to me. And it was too difficult trying not to touch her, so having her in close proximity was a problem.
I knocked on his door, and Kyle looked up, frowning, surprised that I'd come down to see him.
I closed the door behind myself, and he studied me closely. "Theo, what's up?"
"Listen,
I need a favor."
He nodded. "Anything."
"Protocol H. I need you to go home."
Kyle's brows lifted. "What?"
"I need you to go home, man."
"Why? What’s happened?"
"Someone tried to grab me at the charity event."
He blinked once, twice. "Then why the fuck aren't you coming with me?"
"Because, I still have things to do here."
"Jesus Christ, Theo. Are you out of your fucking mind?"
"Yeah, probably. But I’ve got to see this through. There's two million dollars on the line for us. For my mother. I need to do this."
He shook his head. "I have told you, stop trying to do this for me. Stop trying to do this for her. Look, your whole I'm-not-worthy shtick," and he stopped. "You're worthy. You don't have to do this. Those motherfuckers tried to grab you again? It's time to go. We can both be on a plane tonight."
"I hear you, but I can't. If I leave now, I'll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life."
He sighed. "Jesus Christ, Theo. How did we end up here?"
"I don't know. But can you do it? Can you go back to Jersey and look out for her? She's staying with my aunt. I just need someone to make sure she gets the treatments and that she's safe."
"Look, you know for you I'll do anything. I just—"
"I know. I know."
He ran his hands through his sandy blond hair. "I feel responsible. I was joking. I hope you know that. When Arlington walked in, and I suggested you body-double him, I was kidding. I didn't know you’d take him up on it."
"I know. You were just mouthing off. I mean, how many times does an identical stranger walk into your life? I thought it was the craziest shit ever. It just turned out that it was a lot more complicated than that."
"Jesus Christ, if you're sending me home to your mother, it's bad."
"Look, I'm still in one piece, I have a damn bodyguard. I'll be fine. But I can't do this and worry about her. If someone's in fact watching her, I want someone I trust covering her."
He nodded. "Okay, you got it. But listen, Theo, Inline, Timothy Arlington, you're in a whole nest of vipers. None of this shit is safe."
"I know. Right now, I trust no one who isn't you."
"You need someone else to trust. Because it's going to get lonely and complicated. You can always call me, of course, but someone on the ground."
I knew what he meant. "I'm not bringing her into this. I need to keep her safe."
"You might not have a choice. And guess what, she’s a bodyguard. She knows how to deal with this shit. These dudes mean business, Theo."
"I can't with her. This isn’t her mess. Besides, I have to stay away."
Kyle frowned. "What? Why? Since when?"
"Since I had a conversation with the king. He warned me off of her, and he has a point."
Kyle groaned. "No, that is bullshit. The king actually told you to stay away from her?"
"Yep."
"And you're listening?"
Yep. Like a pussy. "No, it's not about her. It is, but it isn't. It's about the lies. She deserves better than this.”
"You'll never know unless you give it a real shot. When this is all over, tell her the truth. Try and take her on a normal, nice date."
"You say that so casually. When this is all over. I don't think it is ever going to be over."
"T, you care about her, right?"
"It doesn’t matter. It was never going to work. At least I got her saying my name."
He shook his head. "I won't bust your chops. Because I know you care about her."
"I care about her more than I should. And I'm terrified it's going to get her killed. So right now, I need you to go be in Jersey and cover my mom. Then I can focus on this stuff here." And try and forget all about Zia Barnes.
"Okay, if you say so. Look, I'll give you a call when I get there. I still think it's a mistake you're not coming with me, but I get it."
"I promise, as soon as I tie this up, I'll be back. And I'll have the money we need."
"Like I keep telling you, I don't need you to have money. We'll survive on our own."
"Yeah. I hear you." But I didn’t hear him. I was doing this. Seeing it through. I had to or the people I cared about would never be safe.
Theo…
It had been two and a half weeks since Royal Elite had been assigned to me and three nights since I’d slept with Zia. Last night, she hadn't stayed at the penthouse. It had been her night off, so Trace had stayed in the guestroom. Elena hadn't even asked any questions as to who he was or what he was doing there. She just made him breakfast and was happy to fuss over him. She said he was too thin.
Today, Zia was back at the normal time, but it was as if there were a shield around her. One I couldn't penetrate. One I maybe shouldn't penetrate. We both thought it was a good idea to back off, so why did I feel like I'd been hurt? Or maybe she felt like she'd been hurt.
Crap. I didn't know what to say to her or how to make it better, but I itched to hold her, to touch her. God, I wanted her. Once wasn't anywhere near enough. And she was only days away from the end of her job. This shit wasn't getting any easier.
I had to figure out what I was going to do. In less than two weeks, two million dollars was supposed to transfer into my account. I would have what I needed. I could go home.
Yeah, but where the fuck is Arlington?
Those people who had tried to grab me hinted that they had him. Was that the truth? Was it a ploy? Was it just a way to make sure I went with them? I didn't know what the truth was. I hadn't spoken to Arlington since he’d hired me. I was still running his company as if it were mine.
And I was losing my goddamn shit.
There was a knock at the door. I expected to see Zia standing there, but instead it was Sebastian fucking Winston. I gave him a nod as I stood. "This is starting to be a habit."
He shrugged. "Well, I like you better now."
"You keep saying that."
"It's true. You got gym gear with you?"
I frowned. "What?"
"Gym gear. Do you have any?"
I nodded absently. "Yeah, I keep a set in the closet."
That was an understatement. I had a full wardrobe in there for any occasion. There was even a tux just in case I was at the office and needed to do black tie quickly. It sure was handy.
Sebastian nodded. "Good. Gear up. We're going to play basketball."
This again. "What if I can't play basketball?"
"Then you're going to get your ass beat by me, Lucas, Xander, Alexi and Roone. Tristan sucks at basketball. Football is his thing, so at least, you might beat him."
"So, what, we're all just going to hang out?"
Sebastian nodded. "Remember how we said we were going to do better? This is me doing better. Now, gear up. You look like you need to work out some shit anyway."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
"What that means is that you've got the look of a man who has been beaten by something. Something nasty that won't let you go, and I guarantee you we've all been beaten by that thing."
"I don't even know what you're talking about."
Sebastian grinned. "Yeah, sure you don't."
I changed quickly. I didn't have any meetings until later that afternoon, and I figured I’d be back long before then. When I stepped out into the main office area, I stopped short. There were no less than six guards in there. All wearing black tailored suits, all clearly concealing their weapons.
Olivia was curtsying so low her knees nearly brushed the ground. Zia stood but she didn't curtsy.
"Your Majesty, should I join you?"
She gave me a beaming smile and sauntered around the desk. I watched that sway in her hips, and something tightened inside me. Sebastian chuckled when Zia sidled up to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "You want me to come with you, honey?"
Honey? I had no idea what she meant by that. Was she still pissed at me? Did she want me again? Ch
rist, my dick was all about that action. Would she accept my apology? Because if she would, I was not above groveling. I wanted her more than I’d wanted her before. How could it possibly be worse?
I was on a verge of kicking everyone out of my office when Sebastian suggested, "Why don't you come? You've never seen the palace, have you Zia?"
Oh, this was about the role she was playing. Her undercover job.
"Oh wow, Your Majesty. Nothing would make me happier."
"Join us."
Sebastian turned to Olivia. "I'm sure Miss Tullman can hold down the fort?"
Olivia blinked up at him, eyes wide at the use of her name. "Yes, Your Majesty. Of course."
I marveled at how he'd done that, taking the thing that would make her feel left out, and making it seem that she was doing an important job for the crown.
I'd have to remember that trick.
When we arrived at the palace, Zia excused herself. "If you don't mind, I'll go visit with Queen Penny."
Sebastian gave her a smile. "Sure. She's painting. You know where to find the studio, right?"
Zia nodded and vanished around the corner.
"I guess she's been here a lot."
Sebastian gave me a smile. "She's one of our best knights. One day, she's going to be as good as Ariel."
"I don't doubt it."
Sebastian watched me for a moment. "So, you've been beaten, huh?"
I followed him down through the gardens toward the sports complex. "Beaten by what?"
He just laughed again. "If you don't know, I won't tell you. You'll figure it out for yourself."