One paw lashed out and drew blood on the Aussie’s arm. “Damnit! Lucifer!” He cried.
“I am so, so, so sorry about that.”
He motioned to the side hall, “Ouch, you can keep the beast locked up in the guest room? Eh?”
I followed as Chance hefted my two large suitcases and carried them into the back hallway.
“I can’t believe Aubrey is married!” I told him through a smile. “I mean, she told me about everything…”
“Yeah…seeing is very different than hearing about it,” he laughed. At least the man seemed to have a sense of humor about this all.
“Yeah, well, thanks for letting me stay for a while,” I sighed, thinking about my day. Seeing was much different than hearing about it.
“No problem, any friend of Aubrey’s is a friend of mine.”
I hoped he didn’t regret that.
I spent the afternoon unpacking and setting up my temporary room before laying in bed with a new romance novel. Just as I got settled, a knock sounded at my open door, and Aubrey peeked around the corner. I pulled myself up, hugged her, and time seemed to melt away. We were just two lonely girls in the dorm again.
“I’m so glad you made it! I’m really glad you came,” She told me, still in her work clothes.
“I texted you last night, did you get that?”
She nodded and laughed, “Yeah. How did you like Ethan? He’s different…”
I sucked in a breath, “He’s a handful. I need to go visit his real assistant in the hospital for some tips.”
“You know, that job will be a great reference,” she told me, checking out my romance book.
I ducked my head, and we sat in quiet silence for a moment. “I’m so happy that you found Chase…”
She cut me off, “Chance. His name is Chance.”
“Of course, I’m sorry.” I shook my head. Maybe if you’d invited me to the wedding, I’d remember your new husband’s name.
Ugh, why was I feeling so petty?
“Have you heard from the attorney I suggested back in Maryland?” She asked softly.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I don’t have any legal ground to stand on. The school can terminate me at will. It was in my contract.” My eyes welled up and I sucked in a shuddering breath. “I just wanted to make a difference, you know?” My eyes filled, and I covered my face.
“Oh Caro…What jerks. You’d think the school would’ve stood behind you.”
“This is a mess! All they cared about was money and how it looked.” I smoothed out a tissue in my hand.
“Come on, it’ll be okay. Chance made dinner.” She took my hand in hers.
I gave her a watery smile, “And he cooks too? Does he have a brother?”
Laughing, she shook her head. “Nope, just a sister.”
Patting my face and eyes, I followed Aubrey to the kitchen, where three places had been carefully set.
Chance turned around and shuddered when he saw me. “What’s happened to your…” He circled his own face with his hand. “Allergies? Were you stung by a bee?”
I spotted Aubrey in my peripheral vision. She was shaking her head vigorously at her husband.
“I know I’m an ugly cryer, you don’t have to tell me that,” I said, sitting down and placing a napkin in my lap.
“Hey princess,” He whispered to Aubrey, kissing her cheek. The two were adorable; I couldn’t help but smile at them.
The Aussie began to dish out food onto his plate before addressing me. “Is this about a man? I reckon there are plenty o’ blokes around this area. There’s a whole military base nearby….Aub, maybe we should take her to Stampede?”
A skeptical expression crossed her face. “Stampede? That country bar where all the Bachelor contestants hang out? No. Besides, Caro’s upset about losing her job, not a man.”
Turning to me, he said, “There’s lots to do in Temecula. There’s Old Town, lots of antique stores, I know of a great bar and,” he turned to Aubrey, “what’s that big winery called? We could take her there.”
I pressed my lips together. “That’s really sweet of you, but I’ll be okay. I don’t want you guys to go out of your way for me.”
“So, how was working for Dumont?” The Aussie asked.
I laughed, “He’s…” I blew out a breath, trying to figure out how to answer that.
“Oh my god! Caro! I know that look!” Aubrey took a bite of her salad.
Smirking, I shook my head. “There’s no look.”
“Yes, there is,” she said around the food in her mouth.
We stared at each other across the table.
“How long have you had that brand-new BMW?” Chance asked, trying to change the subject.
My eye twitched.
Aubrey furrowed her brow as comprehension dawned on her. “I bet it’s a fleet vehicle, right? Or is it a perk?” Her eyes went wide as she examined my face for clues.
I blew out a breath. “Well, apparently it’s mine. That bastard, Ethan, apparently had my car crushed! Can you believe it? I’ve had that car for forever.”
Aubrey broke out laughing, “You still had that old Volvo? It was ancient when we first met! Good for him.”
“No, not good for him. I don’t mean to sound like a brat, but I’m screwed if I have to quit or find another job.”
“Then don’t quit,” Aubrey told me deadpan.
“So, what happens when you finish working for these people?” Chance asked.
“I get to keep it, I hope. Kind of weird, right?” I asked.
Chance nodded, but Aubrey bit her lip before speaking, “Actually, I’m not that surprised. Ethan is probably worth billions—with a B. That car was the equivalent of him buying you a Starbucks drink.”
“Seriously? Well, that’s not weird or anything…” I muttered sarcastically. “I’ll just think of it as a cup of coffee.”
“Look, Ethan’s a workaholic. I file several patent applications for him every month. This last quarter, he’s made millions from licensing alone. Not to mention what his company makes and other sources of revenue I don’t know about.”
“Has he ever given you anything?” I asked.
She smiled, “Yeah, have you seen that crate of wine in the kitchen and those bottles in the fridge?”
“Yeah?”
“Those are from him. At first, Chance was all suspicious…” The two shared a look. “Until he realized that he’s the only man for me.”
“Nah, I was never bothered…I knew Ethan didn’t have a Chance in hell.” He told us, watching for our response.
Aubrey closed her eyes on a long sigh, and said, “That was terrible, you’ve just been dying to use that, haven’t you?”
I cringed and laughed, “This one comes with his own dad jokes too?”
The Aussie laughed and kissed his new wife before getting up from the table to clear some dishes.
I wound the noodles around my fork and watched Aubrey eat. “Wow, I haven’t seen you eat carbs in a long time, and you’re eating spaghetti?”
She sighed, her face a bit dreamy. “Well, I’m a lot more active now.”
I raised my eyebrows significantly before she slapped my arm.
“Not like that! Chance works out all the time, I’ve begun running and….” She shrugged, “You know. People change.”
I pursed my lips and sucked in a breath. “Oh Aubrey Bloom…”
“It’s Bateman now.”
After we ate, I helped clean up before retiring to my room with the paperback I’d picked up on my cross-country drive.
I adjusted the pillow behind my head and fell into the pages. Just as my heroine had been forced into an unwanted marriage, giggles interrupted the story. The sounds clearly came from the master bedroom next door. Deep murmurs and a shriek made me roll my eyes.
I reread the paragraph, then read it again, wishing I owned a set of earplugs. Finally, I put my bookmark in and slapped the romance shut. Letting out a long-suffering sigh, I decided to read in
the kitchen.
Placing the kettle on the stove to heat up water for some tea, I curled up in the overstuffed chair that sat in the corner. Pixy wandered over to me, and I stroked his head until he’d had enough and meandered away.
Searching my paperback for the spot where I left off, I began reading again.
Then a door slammed, and I glanced up toward the hallway where the bedrooms were. Chance strode by completely naked, giving me a backside view of his muscular build.
Covering my mouth, I wasn’t sure what to do.
“Hey, just FYI, I’m sitting here in the kitchen!” I called out once the astonishment wore off.
“Aubrey, what’s that?” Chance strode back past the opening to the kitchen.
He stood there in the hallway wearing nothing but his birthday suit. As soon as I saw flesh, I gasped and flinched at the same time. The motion sent my glasses flying off across the kitchen tile past poor Pixy.
The goat, who’d been wandering around, stopped and fainted, falling into a heap.
Searching out my wayward glasses, I was relieved to find them only a little scratched from their journey across the floor.
Chance had obtained a towel from the bathroom and stood in the doorway to the hall. He gave me a ‘you’re in our house’ shrug before turning back to the master bedroom.
Back on the overstuffed chair, I tried to get into my book again but found it a lost cause. I could overhear an awkward convo being muttered between my hosts before both emerged, thankfully dressed—Chance in a t-shirt and sweatpants and Aubrey in a long robe.
“Eh…” He began.
I help my hand up. “Nope. There’s nothing to talk about. Let’s just move on.”
When the two exchanged a look, I forced my eyes back to the book. I reread the same paragraph over and over again, waiting for them to leave.
Instead, the two hung out, and Chance began making himself a sandwich.
“Aub, want one?” He asked.
I could feel my cheeks burning furiously and Aubrey’s eyes on me. Instead of saying anything, she filled a glass at the tap and sipped her water.
Finally, the whistle blew on my kettle. I got up and poured my tea while avoiding eye contact.
After adding sugar and milk straight to the cup with the steeping tea bag, I murmured a goodnight and hightailed it out of there.
I’d been too selfish to consider what my presence would be like for the newlyweds. Maybe this was a mistake coming here to California.
4
Driving toward De Luz, I considered my full first week working at Dumont. I’d settled in with Chance and Aubrey, and found my footing for the most part at my new job.
The work was pretty easy, and to my utter feminist chagrin, being an assistant came naturally to me. The majority of my job was taking care of Ethan. I made sure his water bottle was full, ordered his lunch, and sometimes dinner when he worked late. I arranged his schedule and fielded calls and emails, but overall the job was a walk in the park.
I hated to admit it, but I really liked my new boss. There have only been a few times in my life when I’ve been around genuinely innovative people. It’s like they don’t tell you they’re brilliant; you simply witness it. Ethan was one of these people—and he knew it. But he treated his brilliance as a responsibility—continually working, constantly thinking, drawing, or dictating code into a small device. My boss was a creator and loved what he did.
Unlike me.
Even though I did the job and found it interesting and comfortable, my heart was elsewhere.
Every time I passed a school or saw a group of kids crossing the streets on my way to work, my heart ached. I missed teaching, and I missed my students.
But I hadn’t started looking for a teaching job. Something about Ethan had drawn me in and held me captive. Just being near him sparked an excited energy inside me.
What was I doing?
I was a regular everyday woman—pretty in that girl-next-door kind of way with glasses, B-cup, and freckles. The women that visited Ethan were gorgeous, made-up, big-breasted, tiny waisted, and dressed to the nines. Every day during lunch, a new female would slide into my boss’s office and come out rumpled with glazed eyes.
Ethan never introduced them.
Who were these women?
Could he really get booty calls delivered? Were these high-end call girls, or did Ethan just have that kind of pull?
I lay in bed at night, chiding myself. I had no right to be jealous.
Ethan Dumont was the last guy I should be attracted to.
He was basically married to his job, and he was a philanderer.
I may be a bit flaky, but if anything, I was practical. Ethan was one of those guys—a guy that would only break my heart.
I needed to stay away from him.
I needed to find a new job.
Turning onto the narrow road that leads toward the main office building, my mind circled back to that moment I’d shared with my boss on my first day, when he’d held his signet ring out for me. When I’d taken it from him, it slid down onto my index finger, the metal warm from his body heat.
Suddenly, a small animal darted out in front of my car, and I swerved to avoid it, my heart racing.
Hand on my heaving chest, I continued up the winding road that led to the Dumont Campus. When I neared the security gate, it began opening automatically for me. Something either in my phone or on my car prompted the entrance to open automatically—every day.
I shook my head; conspiracy theorists would have a field day with something like this. However, I shrugged it off. What did it matter if Ethan or his company knew where my phone or car was? It’s not like I had anything to hide.
The small parking area, paved with cobblestones, was empty except for two other cars. One was a Tesla that sat plugged in, and the other was a two-toned BMW, the same model as mine.
I shook my head and thought of Aubrey’s words. Buying you that car was like buying you a cup of coffee.
Striding up to the large main entrance, I found it locked.
I checked my phone, 7:45 am.
I was early.
Leaning against the stone exterior, I pulled out my vape.
“That’s a nasty habit…” Came Ethan’s slightly accented voice.
“Gah! You scared me,” I put one hand to my chest and turned toward the doorway that he leaned out of.
His eyes lingered on me, a smile tugging on his lips. “Come inside. Aster hasn’t given you the chip by now? It’s time to fix that.”
“Is that the same thing she has in her hand?” I asked, pondering how to say no as I tried to keep up with his long strides through the workroom to the break room.
The space was so still I could hear my own breath as I walked. When my boss suddenly stopped, I ran into him.
“Careful there,” was all he said as he took a step away.
From a cabinet, he pulled out iodine, cotton swabs, and a box of Band-Aids.
“Whoa. Wait a minute here. What are you planning on doing with this medical stuff?” I adjusted my glasses and pursed my lips.
Ethan continued about his business as he washed his hands, dried them, and then donned plastic gloves. “All right. This will only hurt for a second.”
When he withdrew a needle from a sterile paper sleeve, I stepped away.
I laughed. “Slow down there speedy. Buy me a drink first…” I regretted that last part as soon as it slipped from my lips.
Ethan laughed, showing off his even square teeth. “I thought Mel or Aster talked to you about having your chip implanted. All employees are required to have one for security. I have one too.”
He held up a tiny silver object the size of a grain of rice in his gloved fingers. “This is your key and identification for Dumont Tech. You won’t be able to access anything without it, and Aster and Mel can’t keep doing it for you. Not your phone, not your computer, not the door…”
I cut him off, “Not my car?”
“
Actually, no. You can still drive your car, but I like where your mind went. It’s like having a key and identification that you can never lose.” The curve of those full lips brought a slight smile to my own.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Hmmm...”
“I’m not going to make you do it,” he said barely above a whisper. “But I’d prefer you did.”
My eyes popped open, as an internal battle waged between Ethan and all logic.
Ethan’s gaze bore into my soul.
This man was dangerous.
Dangerous and mesmerizing.
When I was young, about ten or eleven, my family had gone to Ireland to visit my grandmother. There was a cliff near her house, and one day, I stood on the edge, gazing out over the ocean. Without realizing it, I’d almost fallen off the rim before my father yanked me back. I remembered sitting there on my bum, still staring out to sea, not caring if I fell or not.
Ethan Dumont was just as dangerous as that cliff.
And just as breathtaking.
As if he’d read my mind, without any confirmation, Ethan took my wrist in his gloved hand. He smeared it with iodine before quickly piercing my skin with a small tool.
“Ouch! I never said yes,” I breathed.
“You never said no. Just one second, and it will all be over,” he told me, quickly inserting the microchip with a medical tool.
“Are you legally supposed to be doing this?” I asked as I watched him work. Once the small object was under my skin, he dabbed the area with a cotton ball before sealing the hole with medical glue.
He let out a silent laugh. “Well, here in California, chips like this are considered biohacking and lie in a gray area.”
Ethan applied a bandage over the spot. “There, all done. The chip is embedded just below your skin.”
I splayed my fingers out like a starfish. “Huh… that wasn’t so bad.”
He gave me a classic euro shrug, and I helped him put the supplies away. “Do you have anything you want me to start on this morning?”
He considered my question for a moment before answering. “Yes. Follow me.”
Inside his office, he scrawled out an address in his small slanting cursive before handing it over, along with a cream envelope. “Go visit Ashley in the hospital and give her this. Also, you were never properly trained. Ask her to go over everything she usually does as well.”
Bloodthirsty Bastard: A Hero Club Novel Page 3