Eden chuckled, then paused taking a closer look at Phoebe’s demeanor. “Oooh,” she sang.
Finally, Phoebe gave her sister attention. “What?”
“You did it, didn’t you?”
“Really, you go straight to that, asking if I gave it up?”
“That’s where you’re mistaken. I don’t think I need an answer because it’s written all over your face.”
Phoebe’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“Girl, I have never seen a glow like that. You all shining and shit. Oh my God, Phoebe…” she half cried, half celebrated.
“Sssh.” Phoebe grabbed Eden’s arm and led her to the bank of elevators. Pressing the button firmly, Phoebe shushed her sister again until the metal doors open, and they were safely inside alone.
Eden’s jaw parted.
“Close your mouth before something flies inside,” Phoebe said.
“You know I assumed when you guys left, Quentin would probably drop you off later. I figured after that brawl, he would be too upset to even think about being in a relationship with you. But I should’ve known better the second that man slipped you to his side and bucked up to Jonathon.”
Eden shivered. “I’ve got to admit, girl. That man wants you bad.”
“Because he stood up to Jonathon?”
“Hell yeah,” Eden said matter of factly. “Don’t forget, dear sister, there were four of our brothers there, and they’re notorious for starting a fight they can finish. Besides being celebrity playboys, they can whoop some ass. Jonathon went straight for Quentin and didn’t break him. And Quentin,” Eden kissed the tips of her fingers, “that brother was willing to go through them all for you. Realistically, all he had to do was give in and say he wouldn’t date you. Oh but no, that was obviously not an option as he squared them rock hard shoulders.” Eden shivered again. “I hope Derek stands up to them like that. I’d drop my panties for him, too.”
Phoebe threw her head back and let out a pitching laugh while Eden nodded.
“That’s how it happened, isn’t it? Tell the truth. You were so turned on, you just fell on top of it like this.” Eden sank to the ground going into a split just as the elevator opened on their floor.
Phoebe’s laughter kicked up, and Eden made her butt bounce in a floor twerk.
“Girl!” Phoebe said with the brightest beam on her face. She reached down. “Get up off of that floor!”
Eden reached for her hand and slid to her feet as Phoebe pulled her upright. She shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
“I cannot deal with you today. I’ve got to get to the office.” Phoebe continued to laugh while moving out of the elevator to their condo.
Eden closed in on her. “I don’t really want to know the specifics anyway,” she said as Phoebe took her key out. “The door’s unlocked. I was in a rush to be nosey when I saw Quentin’s car pull out front.”
Phoebe shook her head and strolled inside with her sister on her heels. “But like I was saying, I don’t need specifics, just tell me it was fabulous and how many times y’all did it, and I’ll leave you alone.”
“Oh my goodness, girl,” Phoebe smized, pursing her lips.
Eden waited with anticipation. “Well?”
“Twice, okay.”
Eden squealed and clapped her hands spiritedly. Phoebe giggled.
“And we never made it to the bed.”
Eden’s eyes popped, and her mouth dropped. “Shut up!” She shoved Phoebe and Phoebe laughed.
“And…” she continued as Eden looked on, “If he popped my cherry the first time, I didn’t know, but when we were in the shower…”
Eden gasped. “Ew! And Oh my God!”
Phoebe nodded. “That’s what I said. I was embarrassed at first, but it happens to all virgins I suppose.”
“But why wouldn’t you have known it the first time?” Eden questioned with her nose drawn up.
“Well when we left the wall, we kind of stayed connected all the way to the bedroom. We fell asleep like that, so it wasn’t something we checked for right away. I guess we should have.”
“Too late for that now!” Eden added.
“True,” Phoebe countered.
“Wait, the wall!”
Phoebe giggled and strolled away with a sway in her hips to get ready for her day, while Eden stood staring after her.
Chapter Fourteen
Quentin sat on the workout bench in a trance as he waited for his frat brothers Derek James Clark and Luke Steele to arrive at the gym. Thinking of last night’s turn of events was weighing heavy on his mind. Quentin had all but expected his friends to be upset about him dating Phoebe, but he never thought any of them would really try to reach out and touch him.
Jonathon did more than that, coming after Quentin like he was a random stranger on the street. Quentin knew his reputation with women wasn’t the best, but he’d always been up front and insisted that a relationship was not something he was willing to try. This was no different, except this time his heart was in it. Phoebe was the embodiment of what his soul longed for, and having to choose between her and his brothers was distressing.
“I think we may need to be in the bar instead of the gym.”
Quentin looked up, coming out of his musing, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “It’s about time y’all got here. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to ditch me, too.”
Derek folded his toned arms across the button-down shirt he wore and glanced at Luke who also stood in a button down, suit jacket and tie. The two men were both above six feet in height and projected masculinity with staunch personas, and daunting occupancy. With Quentin, the three of them could be officially dubbed “the beard gang” as they all kept nicely groomed hair outlining their faces.
“Ditch you, too?” Derek’s voice beat. “What am I missing?”
Quentin looked them up and down. “How are you going to work out wearing a suit?”
“We have a change of clothes, but what is this about ditching you?”
Quentin gave Derek and Luke the low down on what happened at Lamar’s the night before. Both of them listened with frowns on their faces and lines in their creasing their foreheads, not wanting to believe what Quentin was saying.
“So he rushed you?” Luke asked.
“Like a linebacker,” Quentin said, “and caught me in the jaw on the way down to the floor.
The two friends’ brows creased further, and their mouths hung slightly.
“I expected them to be upset, but yo, this brother came at me like we were old enemies.”
“What did the others do?” Luke asked.
“They pulled him off of me, but I told them to let him go.”
The two men nodded.
“I feel you. Friend or foe, if you come at me like that, we’re fighting on sight,” Derek said, and Quentin and Luke nodded.
“It’s just unfortunate you know, I mean, we supposed to be brothers,” Quentin said.
“Yeah, man, but you know, if it was your sister or my sister, I’d want to knock your head off, too,” Derek said.
They all nodded again.
“Yeah, but would you come for me though?” Quentin watched Derek’s response closely.
“I might,” he rubbed his chin.
“But you know, I would never date someone like your sister if I wasn’t serious about her. I mean cut me some slack, why would I be foolish enough to risk a lifetime of friendship to play around with her?”
Derek stroked his beard. “Yeah, I hear you. So you’re telling us that you’re trying to take Phoebe off the market?”
“She’s off,” he stated matter of fact. “There’s no trying to it, brother.”
The two men chuckled.
“Okay, then let me rearrange the question,” Derek said. “Have you taken yourself off the market?”
Luke nodded.
“Look, man, I’m all about Phoebe,” Quentin replied. “I would tell y’all how I really feel, but yo
u bustas wouldn’t understand.”
Derek glanced from Quentin to Luke with a raised brow.
“Try us?” Derek and Luke said concurrently.
That piqued Quentin’s interest. “Is there something either of you want to get off your chest?”
“Eden,” Derek said.
“Jasmine,” Luke added.
An easy grooving smile grew on Quentin’s face.
“Damn,” he said, “they got us.”
The men fell into laughter knowing exactly where Quentin was coming from. Neither of them refuted the claims because that was their commonality.
“Well you know what you have to look forward two with the Roses,” Quentin added as their laughter died down.
“I think I can take ‘em,” Derek said.
They all laughed again.
“I’m serious. I might have to knock some heads off because Eden, she’s a keeper, man.”
Luke nodded. “I can take Jonas,” he said.
Both Quentin and Derek cut their eyes at Luke with a smile.
“You can take on Jonas?” Derek questioned.
“Yeah, you don’t think you can?”
“We’re talking about an undefeated heavyweight champion,” Derek said.
Luke shrugged. “I can take him. Just because you don’t believe you can, don’t put your insecurities on me.”
Quentin laughed, and Derek frowned. “Insecurities? Boy, you trippin’. I can take Jonas, I was just worried about you.”
“Fellas, you realize you’re talking about which one of your brothers you’re going to handle, right?”
Derek held his hands out. “They’re coming for us, what should we do about it?”
Quentin glanced from Derek to Luke. “Check this out,” Quentin said. “I would have never in my life considered for a minute going against the brotherhood, but for the longest time, man, I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched Phoebe date these clowns. Then when dude would get out of pocket, Jonathon, Jordan and I would have to intervene. I’ve never felt like my heart could literally explode when watching her tears flow. It’s an unnatural possessiveness that even I worry about sometimes. We grew up together, I saw her laugh and was on the receiving end of some of her jokes, and it’s been like watching an award-winning film seeing her transform into the woman that she is today. Boy, when I tell you that shit has me on fire for her and never would I ever admit that about anyone if it weren’t true.” Derek and Luke nodded.
“All day, I’ve been thinking about how Jonathon approached me. Telling me to choose like wanting her was just this thing I wanted to check off my bucket list and if need be I could take it off altogether without giving a fuck. The shit turned me red, and I was ready to knock his head off his shoulders.” Quentin sighed. “The thing is he of all people should understand even a small ounce of what I’m feeling if he feels anything remotely close to it with his wife. But he doesn’t see it that way, so here we are.”
“Damn,” Derek said. “I feel all of that. Well look at it this way, with everything we’ve done in the past concerning women, it would be sweet irony that the one we really want is unattainable.”
Quentin and Luke nodded.
“It’s irony that all my life I’ve been represented as someone who breaks hearts when I’ve never willingly collected them,” Quentin said.
Derek and Luke laughed.
“I’m serious,” Quentin said. “I’ve never deceived women, always made sure beforehand that whatever arrangement we were in at the time was an understood one. Yet I’m the heartbreaker.”
The men agreed.
“It is unfortunate,” Derek said. “But, you’re in good company.”
“Let’s switch gears, fellas,” Luke said. “Let’s talk about something lighter… like New Year’s Eve. What y’all got lined up?”
“I know where I want to be,” Quentin said.
“Let’s make it a triple date,” Luke said.
Quentin and Derek thought it through.
“Are you bringing your nine milli because we might need them for the Rose brothers.”
They howled with laughter, unbelieving that they were on the opposite side of the totem pole. It was interesting and a little understanding of what their predecessors had once experienced.
“Man, I’m not fooling with y’all,” Luke said, waving them off.
“We have to try and make light of the situation somehow. Jordan wasn’t in attendance last night,” Quentin said, “but I plan to stop by and see him at the firm today.”
“Yeah, talk to the man, try to get him to at least give you the benefit of the doubt,” Derek said. “Invite him out not to a bar, but let’s find a place and have a serious conversation with our boys, man. We can’t let it go down like this.”
“You’re right,” Quentin added.
“You still have those tickets to the game?” Derek asked.
“Yeah, and no, I’m taking Phoebe.”
“In public?”
Quentin’s brows creased. “Yeah, in public, why wouldn’t I?”
“You know paparazzi will have a field day once you two are spotted,” Luke said.
“I know, but neither of us cares about that.”
“You’re really diving right out there, huh?”
“There’s no need to walk on the edge, my man. I plan to show Phoebe what being with a real man is like.” Quentin stretched back with a smile, laying down on the bench to lift the weights sitting on the bar.
Derek and Luke exchanged smug smiles.
“I can’t wait to see this myself,” Luke uttered, and Derek chuckled. The men left the machine area for the changing room. While they were away, Quentin rested in the notion that in his heart he understood playing games with Phoebe wasn’t on the agenda. He wanted her, every last inch and whoever he had to fight to keep her would meet him head-on, no holds barred.
Chapter Fifteen
Phoebe unbuttoned the top of her blouse while readjusting her bottom in the swivel chair as she reached for the desk phone. It was ringing for the fifth time in a row as the interns working with her on the Weatherby case called with information or questions about their assignment. From the moment she’d entered the firm, Phoebe knew everyone was hard at work as the office was compact with boisterous activity.
Phoebe had gone straight to her office and removed her jacket; since then, she hadn’t had a moment to think or check-in with Quentin. Whenever her thoughts crossed over to him she’d smile and bite her bottom lip but just as quickly an interruption would cause her to go from one emergency task to the next.
“Yes,” she said as she answered Christian, her intern’s question. “Stay with that, if you can get information don’t switch up, get as much as you can, then report back to me.” She paused. “Yes, thank you.”
Phoebe dropped the phone in the cradle just as a swift knock on the door pulled her attention.
“You got a minute?”
Phoebe nodded. “Of course, what do you have?”
Jordan slipped into the room with a disc in his hand, giving it over to Phoebe.
Interested, Phoebe took the disc and pressed a button on her computer that pushed out a door for the CD. She slipped it inside and waited for the information to load, crossing her legs with a slight bounce. Jordan stood at the window with his hands thrown in his pockets, his heavy gaze overlooking the skyscrapers.
“So, you and Quentin are really doing this,” he blurted.
Thrown off a bit by the question, Phoebe turned slowly. “This?” she said. “You make it sound like we’ve agreed to rob a bank or something. Get over yourself.”
Jordan turned and strolled to her side to stand in front of her.
“Get over myself?”
“I’m not doing this with you here.”
“Then where should we do it, sis, because I can’t seem to talk to you any other time.”
“This is not something we’re going to discuss because this is not a topic of conversation. This…” she rei
terated, “is my life, and you are completely out of line for interfering or shaming Quentin as if he’s not good enough for me. Totally out of line.”
“Okay,” Jordan traipsed to the door, “but for the record, I’m not shaming him, I’m just calling it like I see it.”
“Whatever, just leave if you will.”
“Damn it, I don’t like this anymore than you do.”
“Then why don’t you drop it?”
Jordan glared at Phoebe. “Fine, whatever you like, sis.” He left the room with an air of finality.
“Ugh,” Phoebe grumbled, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. She grabbed her cell phone to send Quentin a quick text when the disc began to play.
It was foggy to begin with. It appeared to be someone entering a cellar with a recording device, but the room was dark, so the only thing that could be seen was the red blinking recorder indicator. Without notice, a man began to speak, he sounded much like their defendant’s father Allen Weatherby. He casually spoke his name, time, and date that the recording was taking place.
“I, Allen Weatherby, have spent nine months crafting this beauty.” A light flickered on, and the camera zoomed in on a metallic like device reminisced of a bomb. I’ve been given direct orders, and my mission on this plane will end whilst my journey to the next world begins.”
Allen Weatherby stepped out in front of the camera with a sinister smile. As he moved so did the video, following him around as if he was not the one recording himself. The picture froze, and a reflection could be seen bouncing off a mirror leaning against the wall. Phoebe leaned into the film, trying to make out the person in the image. When the revelation hit her, she gasped and jerked back against the seat. Her mind whirled, and she jumped from her chair, removing the disc and heading straight for Jordan’s office.
She knocked swiftly then opened the door and strolled inside without hesitation.
“So I’m just supposed to forget about you boning my sister!” Jordan barked at a calmly posed Quentin.
They both turned as she entered the room and became silent.
“Oh please,” she said, “don’t stop on my behalf.”
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