“Yeah,” I speak up. “A real hard ass too. Ian...Ian...What’s his last name?” I ask Gabe nonchalantly.
“Thompson, isn’t it?” he says.
Mark’s face falls slightly. “Ian Thompson?”
“Yeah, that’s him. What? You know him?” I look at Gabe then back to Mark.
“Yeah, I know him. Unfortunately…” he trails off.
“Unfortunately?” Gabe asks, raising an eyebrow.
Mark looks to me then to Gabe, eyeing us suspiciously.
“Alright,” Mark says, leaning back in his seat. “You want to tell me what the hell is going on?”
“What do you mean?” I ask innocently. Shit. Maybe too innocently.
“What I mean is, I know damn well you didn’t just drive two and half hours to sit and have a few drinks and catch up. And it’s not a fucking coincidence that your new Captain was transferred from my station not more than a week ago.”
I lower my head, a bit ashamed that we tried to trick him. His gaze catches my eyes and he lowers his head to me. “I may have been born in the day, boy, but it wasn’t yesterday.”
He turns his attention back to Gabe. “So now that you’re done bullshitting me, Gabe. Why don’t you tell me what you’re really doing here?”
“Alright, Mark. I’m sorry,” Gabe says, putting his hand in the air in defeat. “I’m really just here to put Conner’s mind at ease.” Mark’s eyes flash to me.
“What’s the problem?” he asks me directly.
“Ian,” I say firmly. “Ian is my problem.”
Mark laughs lightly. “Well, no surprise there. You seem like an alpha-male kinda guy, Smoak. I suppose having two strong personalities in one company makes things pretty tense around there, huh?”
“You have no idea,” Gabe intervenes, shaking his head. His eyes grow large as he rubs his forehead. I didn’t realize how stressful my conflict with Ian was for Gabe until now. He’s been trying to keep the peace this whole time and I really haven’t been making it easy for him. I pat his back in a silent thanks and sorry all in one.
“Look, I just want to know the real story. He’s supposedly this big hot shot around here. The golden boy. Hero of NYC. So why would he voluntarily ask for a transfer to a middle of nowhere company like ours when he could have easily gotten the same position around here and saw twice the action? Something doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make sense.”
Mark eyes me carefully and leans back in his seat again before taking a long sip of his beer. “You’re a smart man, Smoak,” he says slowly as he nods his head but doesn’t look at me. “But it sounds like you guys only have half the story. Which I guess was probably done intentionally. Thompson’s...indiscretions were kept pretty quiet. Even around here. There are only a few people who actually know about them.”
“And that’s why we’re here, Mark.” I interrupt him and look him dead in his eyes. “What’s the other half of the story? What is he running from?” I can feel my heart start to pound and my adrenaline begins building up in my body. I knew he wasn’t as perfect as everyone thought. I knew he was hiding something. My eyes rapidly search Marks. Waiting. Desperate for the answer.
He sits up in his seat and leans toward us. Gabe and I lean in closer too as if Mark is about to tell us a deep dark secret.
“Listen, guys. I’d love to help you out but I’m not allowed to say anything. It’s not my dirty laundry to air out and I feel some kind of way about exposing a man’s business. Besides, other than fighting for the spotlight with Junior here. It doesn’t sound like the issues he had here are going to be problems for you guys.”
No. He can’t do this. I need to know.
“Mark,” I sigh looking down at the table. “He’s been spending a lot of time with someone I care deeply about.” I feel Gabe’s eyes turn to me as I speak.
Mark laughs hard. “If you’re worried about him cutting in on your bromances I don’t think that’s his style,” he says.
“Her name is Brooke,” I snap and look up at him again. His face grows a little pale. “Are his indiscretions going to be a problem for us now?” I ask. My tone is serious and intense. I’m done playing games with him. My adrenaline is quickly turning into anger and my patience is wearing thin. Mark clears his throat and looks at Gabe then to me.
“Let me get you fellas another beer quick. Maybe we do have something to talk about after all.”
Mark tells us about the Ian Thompson he knows. He explains the public's view of Ian as a hero and an upstanding citizen. He then describes another side of Ian. A side that Mark has witnessed himself. The more he speaks the more I can feel the rage building inside of me. What a fucking piece of shit. When he finishes my body is so tense that I can’t move. I can’t speak. I feel like I’m shaking.
“Conner?” Gabe calls me cautiously. “Are you okay, Buddy?”
I don’t respond. I can’t. All I can think about is smashing his face in. Suddenly, my mind jumps to Brooke. She’s been spending so much time with him. Time alone with him. She could be with him right now. We have to get back. I have to talk to her. My blood runs cold and I feel my stomach twist into knots. I think I’m going to be sick.
“I think it’s time we head back,” I say as calmly as I can and stand from my seat. Gabe and Mark are on their feet in an instant. I quickly shake Mark’s hand and thank him for his time before turning toward the exit. Gabe stays behind and takes his time saying goodbye to his friend. He probably knows I’m about to explode right now and wants to give me some space.
I finally make it back to my truck. I unlock the door and step in, slamming it closed behind me. I sit there for a minute and the rage starts to build again as I recall Mark’s words about Ian. He’s got a reputation for having quite the temper...accusations from his last two girlfriends of him being physically abusive...I saw him take hold of one of his girlfriends and shake her around after she hugged a male friend of hers goodbye at her birthday party...he’s got a hell of a jealous streak in him...after the last accusation came back founded he had a choice to resign or transfer elsewhere...Because of his distinguished reputation in the public eye, the chief agreed to keep these incidents quiet.
I can’t take it anymore. My body feels so hot. I rub my hand down my chest and realize I’m sweating...a lot. I squeeze my hands into fists and start hauling off on my steering wheel. I scream and pound and scream and pound. Every once in a while my horn beeps when I accidentally hit it but I don’t stop. I continue pounding against the wheel until I’m completely out of breath. I rest my forehead on the wheel and try to catch my breath. I suck in air filling my lungs. Then I hear a small tapping at my passenger side window.
I roll my head to the left and see Gabe standing outside the truck. I unlock the door to leave him in.
“You wanna take a walk or something? Get some fresh air?” he asks calmly.
“Yeah,” I reply, still breathless. “I think I could use some air.”
****
Brooke
I try my best to fall asleep, but I just can’t. Now I’m lying here, wrapped in Ian’s arms, wide awake, staring up at his ceiling. Ian’s breath is hot against my neck and I think I can make out a faint snoring sound. I smirk to myself and lean my head into his. He’s adorable. I pull on his arm wrapping it tighter around me. This is what I want. Who cares if I didn’t get off this time. It’s just sex. It’s not all that important.
I look around his room but it's difficult to see anything because of the darkness. Besides, he got me off when we were in his car. No, Conner got me off. I squeeze my eyes closed in frustration but immediately see Conner’s face. He’s smirking at me. The smirk that I find most irresistible. I feel a tingle stir in my center. My eyes flash open. No. No. No. I am not about to lay here and have a sex dream about Conner when I’m wrapped up in Ian’s arms. What the hell is wrong with me?!
“Ugh,” I groan and roll over, facing away from Ian. I hear him shift behind me but I don’t think he wakes up. How can Conner have a h
old on me this deep? I want this with Ian. Hell, I begged for this to happen. I ugly cried beside my bed for something to happen to break the connection. How is it that I have all I could ever want sleeping beside me and I still can’t get Conner Smoak out of my head. I feel tears start to build in my eyes. Because I love him. I let a few tears fall silently from my eyes. The wet trail they leave behind tickles my cheek and I wipe them away with the blanket.
I’m not going to lay here and cry over him in Ian’s bed either. That’s just as bad as having a sex dream about him. I sit up slowly and reach around for something to cover myself with. I pick up an article of clothing and I realize instantly that it’s Ian’s t-shirt. I slip it over my head and tip toe towards his door. I carefully move down his hallway feeling my way as I go. It’s so dark in his house and we came back here so quickly I can’t remember how long the hallway is or when it finally opens up to the kitchen.
I spot a small glow on my right and turn to find the kitchen. It’s luminated enough that I can see where everything is. I go to the fridge and look around. I wonder for a moment if Ian will think it’s odd if I open the bottle of wine and drink it without him. Then I decide I don’t care. I need something to drink and I need it to contain alcohol. Lucky, it’s a twist top bottle and not a cork so I don’t have to go rummaging through his drawers to find a corkscrew.
I open the bottle and pick up a glass from his dish drain on the counter beside the sink. It’s not a wine glass but it will serve its purpose. I fill the tall glass to the top and sit at the table, bringing the bottle with me. I gulp down my first glass with ease and fill it back up. I guzzle down half of the second glass quickly. A very unladylike burp escapes my lips and I blush for a moment until I remember there’s no one else around me. I smile lightly to myself.
I look down at my half empty glass, spinning the dark red liquid in it around. Maybe I just need time. I’ve been in love with Conner for years. I can’t just expect that to all go away after one week with Ian. I could learn to love Ian just as much...no. More than I love Conner. I just need to give him a chance. I need to give myself time. Yeah, time. Time heals all wounds, right? I drag my fingers through my hair.
I sip back the last of my wine and take the glass to the sink. I put the bottle back in the fridge and quietly try to make my way back to Ian’s room in the dark. His bedroom door creaks a bit when I open it but he doesn’t wake up. I tiptoe back to his bed, pull back the covers and climb in beside him. I slip his shirt off over my head and toss it on the floor. I scooch closer to him and shimmy lower beneath the covers. His body feels so warm against my cool skin.
He groans a little then slides one arm under my head and wraps the other around me, pulling me tighter against his body. I snuggle my head into the nook at his shoulder and feel his lips press against my head. I let out a deep sigh and smile. Yes, I could learn to love this.
What Happens Next?
Things are heating up for Brooke and Conner! Get the next book in the series to find out what happens!
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Where There’s Smoak Series
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Nadine is a sloppy romantic at heart. She loves to curl up on her front porch swing in the mornings with her extra large cup of coffee and lose herself in a blissfully, butterfly-filled, pure romance story. However, her guilty pleasures are found within the pages of the steamy romances with sexy alpha’s that ignite temptation, desire, and lust.
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There's Trouble: A Friends to Lovers Romance Page 7