Sex Tape: Second Chance Romance

by Kylie Walker

  I guess I could have called Chase, but truth be told, I'd completely forgotten about him until I saw him slumped at Joze's bedside, sleeping off the night from hell.

  Their relationship was a weird one. I'd thought the exact same thing last night, but now, as I saw the furrows of stress puckering his brow and bracketing his mouth, I realized how deeply he cared for the woman on the bed. The woman who was so tiny, so defenseless I had to shake my head at the sight of her.

  That couldn't possibly be Joze.

  My fiery friend who'd stand up to the mega conglomerates of the world if she had the opportunity. Who lived life to the fullest and head butted anything and anyone who got in her way...

  But it was.

  She was curled in a fetal position, but I could see her face. She looked exhausted and what concerned me was her mouth. Sure, in sleep, we all got a little loose around the lips. I'd bet even Heidi Klum drooled at night, but this was a little excessive.

  “They said the paralysis will wear off.”

  Chase's voice was husky with sleep and tension. I blinked over at him and nodded. “That it?”

  He shrugged. “Initial tests show there's some nerve damage down her left side. But her mouth…? She somehow managed to bite down hard enough on her bottom lip to need fifteen sutures. They had to numb the area so yeah, she's not permanently affected.”

  “Good,” I breathed, heading deeper into the ward and grabbing a hold of Joze's hand.

  I stood there, staring down at her, willing her to wakefulness. But it didn't work.

  “They gave her something to sleep, Abby. She won't be awake for a while.”

  “No, I guess not. Still, I'll stay with her. You go home and get some rest.”

  He shook his head. “No. I want to stay too.”

  I eyed him. “You have work. We have to deal with the case. That isn't going to go away and the deadline is approaching. If we don't find something soon, Will Sheridon might not have a choice but to pay up.”

  “I wasn't sure if you'd still be bothered about that particular case.”

  “Why? Because of Will?” I firmed my lips. “I thought about it. Initially I was going to ask to be taken off the case but that would be unprofessional of me.”

  “It would, yeah, but it would also be human.” He hesitated, then got to his feet. “I'm here if you need to talk.”

  I kept looking down at Joze, gently squeezing her fingers in an attempt to imbue her with my strength, but at his words, I cocked a brow at him. “You're friends with Will, aren't you?”

  “Yeah, but I know what you think he did, and I'm also your friend. Like I said, I'm here if you need me. Tell her I was with her all night when she wakes up, Abby.” He blew out a breath. “I need all the brownie points I can get but I could use some sleep.”

  He left without letting me reply but his parting words gave me a fair bit to think about. Why on earth did he need brownie points? As far as I was aware, Joze and Chase's split had been amicable and mutual. That sounded like Chase had done something Joze couldn't forgive him for, and that he was trying to work his way back into her good books.

  And that aside, what did he mean by 'I know what you think he did'?

  There was no thinking about it.

  Will Sheridon had broken my heart as a kid, had soured my relationship with my father, and had made me lose faith in men.

  There was no coming away from all that without deep lacerations scoring the soul. If anyone knew that, it was me. I'd been living with the pain for so long now I don't know what it feels like to live without it.

  The thought made my throat ache as more tears gathered, but I crushed them back. Keeping a tight hold on Joze's hand, I backed into the nearby stool and managed to perch on it before rolling it closer to the bed for comfort.

  Will and Chase didn't matter in the here and the now. What counted was Joze and getting her back on track.

  **

  “You're certain the funds were sent off to that particular bank account?”

  A snort sounded down the line. “I'm a hacker, Abby. I'm as certain as I can be without a warrant.”

  I bit back a smile. “Thanks, Fred. I appreciate the help.”

  “You always do. But you don't let me take you out for dinner.”

  “When you're legally old enough to buy me a glass of wine, I'll reconsider. How about that?” I told the teenaged brother of one of my old college roomies.

  “That sucks. By the time I'm legal, you'll be married.”

  “I doubt it.”

  The kid huffed. “You watch, with my luck, your wedding day will be the week before my birthday.”

  My lips twitched. “Thanks for the help, Fred.”

  “You're welcome,” came the glum retort which was followed by the dialing tone.

  “Any joy?”

  I jolted at the sound of my boss's voice and reared back to see him standing in the doorway to my office. “Chase?”

  He nodded at the phone. “Fred. Did he find what you were looking for?”

  “I guess so.” I peered down at the notes I'd made. “Sheridon's blackmailer has definitely done this before. Those council funds that were reappropriated by Bradbury? They went into an offshore account owned by her. It's not her first rodeo.”

  Chase scraped a hand over his jaw. “I'm not certain if that's good or bad.”

  “I'd hazard a guess and say bad. She's practiced at this, and she's not afraid to throw her marks to the wolves if need be.”

  “Is there a way to legally tie her to the councillor?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “You're certain?”

  “Not really, but I mean, I gained this information illegally. Fred hacked into her bank account, for Christ's sake. It's not like I can take the evidence to the police.”

  Chase sighed. “Shit.”

  “Yeah. Shit is the word.” She drummed her fingers against the desk. “She doesn't have to know we gained it illegally, does she? How about we blackmail our blackmailer in return?”

  “That's not a bad idea, Abby.” His grin widened as he strode into her office and took a seat opposite her. After he crossed his legs, he murmured, “I think I'll run the idea by Will. See what he has to say.”

  “You do what you gotta do,” I told him brightly, stacking some papers together to neaten up my work area. There were sheets all over, had been since I'd arrived at seven thirty this morning. I wanted this case over and done with; only when Will was out of my life again was I certain things could go back to normal.

  That meant in the four days since Joze had been released from the hospital, I'd been pulling more hours than Chase.

  Hell, if he and the partners took note, I might even get a promotion out of this disaster.

  The one advantage to working all the hours was I didn't have time to think about Will on a personal level. Sure, he consumed my time at work but that man was a different beast.

  And beast, he seemed to be.

  I wasn't an angel. I'd seen things on the Internet, done some things with exes. BDSM had never been to my taste, not in the grand scheme of things. But I'd read the report on the video Will's blackmailer had sent to him as proof. Chase had asked if I wanted to see it and as I didn't get my kicks that way, and had no desire to watch two strangers whipping each other, I'd rejected the opportunity. He'd actually written down, in detail, the occurrences in the video though. Itemizing them so we knew what had happened and what hadn't. Sometimes, the devil was in the details.

  Reading that report and knowing it was Will, however, did stir me up a little.

  We'd only ever graduated to heavy petting back in the day. His kisses had been like a drug, though, and heat had spread through me like wildfire wherever he'd touched. I knew he'd shared the sentiment when it came to me.

  We'd wanted to wait until we were at college together, sharing an apartment, living as a couple. The notion of ducking and diving, of hiding from our parents, of sneaking around hadn't titillated us. We'd b
een too serious for that, and far too self-important. We'd thought what we'd had was love. That it should be treated as that and not as a quick roll in the hay.

  Looking back, I guessed I should have appreciated the fact the bastard hadn't taken my virginity. But I never had. I always wished we'd done it because until my dad had corrupted him, turned him against me and onto the path of easy money, I knew what we had was true.

  It was love. And no one, no one could make me believe otherwise.

  Still, it was hard to correlate that Will with the one who spanked and whipped, who tied up and collared his lovers. The Will I'd met the other day was a different beast though. He was strong, tough. He'd lived a life. Undoubtedly, this wasn't the first time some woman had come after him for money, irony of ironies, but it was the first time they had proof.

  I tried to picture him doing all those things and wasn't surprised by the flash of heat that swam from my core right to my breasts. The needy feelings that had been swarming me since I'd read that report disturbed me at a base level. I'd never wanted to be treated that way, couldn't imagine wanting it either. And yet, in my mind's eye, I could see him pushing me over his knee, his hand arcing through the air as it slapped against my ass.

  I'd never been spanked. If Will was doing the spanking, I had a feeling my body would welcome the attention though.

  Gritting my jaw, I shook off the thought. I wasn't going anywhere near Will, not if I could help it. I hadn't had to meet him thus far; Chase had always been the one to deal with him as a client, and I was quite content with the status quo.

  As the phone buzzed, my gaze flashed to the Caller ID. Chase indicated I should answer it and quickly left. I smiled as I demanded, “What's up, Bee-yatch?”

  “I'll have you know I'm Queen Bee-yatch,” Joze told me smugly.

  “After last week's scare, I'll let you have the title. I'll fight you for it another day. What's up?”

  “Can't a girl call to see how her BFF is doing?”

  “Nah. Not at three in the afternoon.” I quirked a brow at her tactics but kept on scanning the document in front of me. “You're usually too busy to bother me.”

  She sniffed. “Well, it's nice to know I'm wanted.”

  Laughing, I told her, “Oh, you're wanted, just not during work hours.”

  “You're so good for my ego.”

  “I know I am. How are you feeling? All sensation back in your arm yet?”

  “Most of it. It's still a little numb, and the feeling is so irritating! It's my lip that hurts the most.”

  “I'll bet,” I sympathized. I'd seen the sutures in her mouth—they were huge and she was going to have scar tissue there. “You've been keeping them clean and washed out, right?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Don't go all nursy on me.”

  “The day that happens, I'll let myself be disbarred. How's that for a promise?”

  “It's a start.” She heaved a breath. “So, guess who just left my office.”

  Surprised, I frowned at my laptop. “Is this a random question? Have you just had Zac Efron in there? Did he propose?”

  “Nope, no Zac, although I expect him some time this year. It's someone we both know. Or, well, I guess knew is a better way of putting it.”

  “Will?” My astonishment was clear.

  “Yeah. Bang on.” Joze exhaled noisily. “He came here and asked after me, did all the niceties, you know? But I knew he wanted something.”

  “Like what?”

  “Information. On you.”

  “Why would he want that? All he has to do is ask Chase.”

  “Yeah, it was different kind of information.”

  “Spill, Joze. Don't keep me hanging,” I complained.

  “He wanted to know if you had a boyfriend.”

  For a second, her words hung suspended in the ether. Then, I roared, “He asked what?”

  “Don't shoot the messenger!”

  “I won't, I won't!” I fumed, banging my fist down against my desk and making the crap on top rattle and shake. “How dare he!”

  “He seemed genuinely interested, Abby. Like, he wasn't asking to check out the lay of the land. I got the feeling...”

  When she broke off, I gruffly asked, “What? What did you think?”

  “I think he wanted to know if you were happy or not.”

  My brow puckered. “Why would he care?”

  “That's just it. I don't know. But it doesn't add up, does it?”

  “He's screwing with me. The jackass. He must have known you'd tell me the instant he left the office. What's it to him if I'm happy or not?”

  “Calm down, Abby,” Joze told me, her tone blunt. “There's no point in getting stressed about this.”

  “Isn't there?” I bit off. “I'm going to go and give him a piece of my mind. That bastard. How dare he check up on me?”

  “No matter what I say, you're going to interpret it your own way.” Joze huffed. “Look, if you see him, be sure to let me know what happens, okay?”

  I nibbled my bottom lip. Declaring to Joze that I was going to see him and rain hellfire on his head was one thing, but actually doing it was another. Somehow it felt like I'd be bearding the lion in his den if I returned, and yet, how could I allow him to think he had the right to ask after me?

  It was none of his damned business if I was happy or not.

  “Yeah, I'll keep you in the loop. See you tomorrow for lunch at Pepe's?”

  “I'll be there.” She paused. “Be safe, Abby.”

  “Course I will. He's the one in danger. Not me.”

  Chapter 8

  ABBY

  Standing outside Will's townhouse that evening, looking up at the magnificent facade, I had to admit, the guy had done good.

  Hell, my dad was rich. Richer than some of the richest thanks to his private clinics and the trusts he worked for and some smart investing, but Will's wealth was out of the stratosphere.

  I knew he had it in him. I always did. My dad had been so myopic. So goddamn short sighted when he'd sneered at my choice in boyfriends. In a way, that had pissed me off more than anything. I didn't choose to date Will because of his potential, but his potential was a part of him. I'd been attracted to his intelligence, to his kindness and generosity, his innate common sense. They were traits you couldn't pick up. He'd been born that way. He'd been born to succeed.

  I always figured I'd been born to be at his side. An equal. Both of us doing our thing, both of us taking on our chosen sphere and rocking it like we were King and Queen of it.

  The front door opened right ahead of me and I jerked to attention. My cheeks flooded with color when I saw Will standing there, looking at me, a Hispanic woman at his side. He kept his eye on me as he spoke to her in Spanish, and she waved farewell before heading down the Brownstone's steps and into my path.

  When she saw me, she frowned but nodded a polite if terse greeting, and then scurried away.

  “My housekeeper,” Will called out, leaning against the doorjamb as he studied me. “Just so you didn't get any funny ideas, you know?”

  My blush deepened. “I don't care who is or isn't leaving your house.”

  “That color in your cheeks tells me differently.” He pursed his lips. “I'd ask what you're doing here but I guess you've been talking to Joze.”

  “You have no right to interfere in my life.”

  “No, you're right. I don't.” He stood up straight, stared at me a second then shrugged. “I'm not talking about this on the street. Come in and close the door behind you.”

  He stalked off, leaving me gawking at the empty space in the doorway. With no choice but to do as he said if I wanted to have this out with him, I trudged up the stairs and into his home.

  Again, I was left with the feeling that I was doing a very stupid thing by coming here.

  My intention was not to get involved with Will Sheridon again. And yet, here I was, getting deeper into it with him than I had to.

  So what, he'd asked about my love life? I should h
ave followed my gut and left it alone. Because my problem hadn't changed, not in all these years of hating him… I was still attracted to him.

  Like I'd always been, and I had the feeling I always would be.

  That was why I should have stayed away. The more I was with him, the deeper the attraction would set in, and I couldn't afford that.

  This bastard had hurt me once, I couldn't let him do it again.

  But it was too late now. I was in his home, walking in his hallway, and admiring the three very nice Hockney paintings hanging on the wall.

  “I'm in the kitchen. You know the way,” he called out.

  I followed his voice down the corridor, spying a lounge that opened to the left and came complete with every man's wet dream of a TV and a huge sofa that called me to come and sit on it. On the right, there was a room that looked to be his study—the doors had been closed the other day, so I hadn't had a chance to snoop. Now I had, I wished I hadn't. Because in the corner of the office, right where he'd once told me he'd put one, was a baby grand piano.

  It was like a knife to my goddamn chest. He'd loved that I could play the piano. He'd had me practice when I was there and he'd been my study pal as well as the one who'd held my hand before any recitals or exams I'd taken.

  He'd told me once that when we were rich and had made it, he'd have a study for us both. We could work in there, then, at the end of the day, I could play him a song.

  The memory was so clear, those earnest moments where he'd told me that seemed like they'd happened yesterday. And my heart felt like it was about to beat its way through my ribcage with the longing that tore into me.

  Why?

  It always came back to that.

  Why had the boy who had promised me all that sold me out like I was nothing?

  Why?

  I sucked in a shaky breath and carried on down to the bottom of the hall where the kitchen lay. A large white space with gleaming marble counters, crisp cream cupboards that gleamed in the sunlight, and heaps of copper accessories, it was a room that was definitely the heart of the home.