Tease Me: The Macintyre Brothers Book Two

by S. E. Lund

  "That's better. No one would have the slightest inkling that you'd just got laid in the photocopy room."

  "Good. I have a reputation to maintain," I said with a chuckle. "Now, I better go, or someone will try to get into the room and we'll be discovered."

  We kissed briefly, and I unlocked the door and checked the hallways. Luckily, they were empty and so I left the floor, saying goodbye to Sarah on my way to the elevator.

  "Is everything okay, Mr. Macintyre?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

  "Everything is amazing," I replied with a smile. I pressed the elevator button and waited for it to arrive, whistling a tune while I waited.

  When I arrived at my own floor, I went right to my office and closed the door behind me.

  It was sure good to be back home.

  I spent the rest of the day catching up on business that had piled up while I was away. I should have stayed late and worked until nine to make up for it, but I planned on taking Ella out for a nice dinner somewhere, so we could spend some quality time together. While our encounter in the photocopy room was very sexually satisfying, I needed more. I wanted to hear about her parent's visit and how she managed while I was away. For the past month since we started seeing each other, I'd grown used to falling asleep with her in my arms and talking to her every evening and I missed it.

  JOSH: I need a good steak and baked potato for supper. I think they also make the most delicious crème brûlée. Care to come join me? There's a great steak and chop house on Lexington.

  Ella responded soon after.

  ELLA: You had me at good steak. What time?

  JOSH: How about six thirty? Come up to the apartment and we can go from there.

  ELLA: Okay. See you then.

  I called the Cedars Second Chances rehab facility to talk with the intake coordinator about the best way to approach Penny. We spoke about how an addict had to be ready for help and I said I would call back when I had more of an idea whether Penny actually wanted to get sober.

  She had to. How could she be happy living that way?

  I pushed Penny to the back of my mind and at just after six o'clock, I cleaned off my desktop and left my office, taking the elevator up to the apartment. Once there, I freshened up a bit, brushing my teeth and hair. Once I was ready, I stood at the kitchen island and checked my cell for news from David.

  There was a message from him waiting for me.

  DAVID: Hey, bro. What's up? How are you doing being back in the Big Apple?

  I sent him a response right away.

  JOSH: Glad to be back but miss you. Hope Christian's looking after you. Let me know if you need anything.

  DAVID: We're good. Send me a pic of you with your new woman. I can't wait to meet her.

  JOSH: Will do. I know she'd love to meet you, too.

  DAVID: Thanks for coming out to LA and being there when I needed you.

  JOSH: I was glad to be with you. Make sure you get some counseling for the PTSD.

  DAVID: I'm fine. Seriously. I know I'm lucky to be alive. I just hope we can pull together and keep the band going. It's going to be a while before we can find another drummer like Terry.

  JOSH: Take it slow. You need to look after yourself first. Your fans will still be there when you're ready to go back onstage.

  DAVID: Hope so.

  JOSH: Take care. Love you.

  DAVID: Love you back, bro.

  I closed the thread and sat back, rubbing my eyes, wondering if David was as good as he was making out to be. At least Christian was with him. I didn't want David to be alone. After a personal loss like that, after a trauma which he felt responsible for causing, David was vulnerable. I wished he was living in Manhattan instead of LA, so we could all be together. But LA was David's home and where his band mates lived.

  I could hop on a plane at any time if needed to go out there and spend time with him, so I tried to put it out of my mind.

  The door to the apartment opened and in walked Ella, looking beautiful as usual. She was wearing the same black dress, prim but still form fitting, showing off her delicious curves. She had a coy smile on her face and came right over to me where I stood at the kitchen island and slipped her arms around my neck.

  "I missed you while you were gone," she said and pressed her lips against mine.

  "We fucked only two hours ago in the photocopy room," I said with a laugh. "But I could tell how much you missed me by how fast you came today."

  "You were pretty fast yourself," she said and leaned back, giving me side eyes. "I take it your sessions with Mr. Manuel didn't quite satisfy your needs."

  "I have many needs," I said and kissed her again. "You are one of them and I can't ever seem to get enough. But right now, I need a thick juicy steak and a glass of beer and a nice warm bath and then more of you in my bed."

  "I'll take it."

  We kissed once more and then left the apartment for the restaurant.

  We got a seat near the window and sat holding hands across the table. The restaurant was busy, but not too busy so I got my favorite table. I hadn't taken Ella there yet and so she was in for a treat. I knew she loved beef, so she'd be in heaven for the chef bought only grass-fed and pastured beef and aged it extra-long. It was a carnivore's paradise.

  We ordered and while we waited for our food to come, I saw a man walking by who seemed familiar. I then remembered seeing him earlier in the day at the airport and outside Ella's apartment building, for he was wearing the fedora with a feather in the brim. Now, I knew for certain that it was too much of a coincidence that I saw him before and then outside the restaurant.

  He walked by our window and I saw him glance inside. Our eyes met briefly but he kept walking and didn't show that he recognized me, but I recognized him.

  What the hell? Manhattan was a huge city. There was no way he was there coincidentally.

  "Excuse me for a moment," I said and stood, leaving Ella and slipping out the front door. I checked the direction he'd been walking but couldn't see him because of the thick pedestrian traffic.

  I went down the street about a block, looking for him but he'd disappeared completely. He may have gone into one of the stores but if so, I didn't see him when I walked by, checking inside through the windows.

  Foiled in my attempt to find him, I went back inside the restaurant and sat back down across from Ella.

  "What happened?" she asked and squeezed my hand when I took hers.

  I saw someone," I said. "Someone I saw outside your apartment last week and then again today at the airport. It was just too big of a coincidence to see him outside this restaurant tonight. He glanced inside and saw me. I felt like he recognized me and then looked away a bit too quickly. Almost guiltily."

  "That's strange," she said. "You saw him outside my apartment? You’re sure it’s the same man?"

  "Same black hat and raincoat." I shrugged, trying not to make too big of a deal of it. "I'll talk to Mark in Security and see if he has any ideas."

  For the rest of the evening, I put the man out of my mind and focused on Ella. We discussed the accident and Terry's death, how David was doing and how he wanted to meet her.

  "Let me take a picture of us together," I said and held out my cell. We leaned in together and I tried to get a good perspective.

  "Can I help you with that?" the waitress asked on her way by.

  "Yes, thanks," I said and handed her my cell. Ella and I leaned in together, still holding hands, and we smiled for the camera. The waitress snapped a couple of pics and then handed the phone back to me. We checked the pics out and I sent on to David, with a message that read, Here we are, enjoying a nice steak at Mandy's in Mid-Town.

  I knew he'd be happy to see us together.

  About half an hour later, I saw the same man walk by again. This time, I ran out, not even saying anything to Ella. I almost tripped over the stairs on my way out, but once again, by the time I got out on the sidewalk, he was nowhere in sight.

  I stood in the
middle of the block, watching, but he didn't appear out of any storefront.

  Whoever he was, I was sure he was following me...

  I went back inside and sat back down.

  "Did you see the man again?" Ella asked, her brow furrowed.

  "I did," I said. "But I lost him again."

  "Maybe he knew your father and wanted to say something but didn't want to interrupt your dinner. If he's an old friend or something, he'll come by."

  "Could be."

  It was just too much for me to think it was accidental. Whatever the case, I was unnerved by it. I'd never hired a bodyguard before, but I was considering it now. The very last thing I wanted was some nutcase to target me -- or Ella. My father's television empire and news channel had been a target before of disgruntled viewers who didn't approve of our political leanings. Ella's own father had a grudge against my father because of past news coverage of his former business partner.

  I'd speak with Mark at the security company that worked for MBS and see what they suggested.

  We walked back to the building, and I hoped Ella would agree to stay with me in the apartment for the night. Although we'd already had great sex in the photocopy room, I wanted her in my bed.

  My king-sized bed, rather than her Murphy bed in her apartment in Chelsea.

  "Are you staying with me tonight?" I asked when we reached the door.

  "I thought you'd never ask," she said and smiled up at me. "I even brought a change of clothes and have them hidden away in a drawer in my office just in case I needed them."

  "I've slept alone enough this past two weeks," I said and pulled her against me. "I want to fall asleep with you and wake up with you."

  We kissed and then went inside the building. I nodded to the security guard at the front desk and seeing him made me think once more about the man I'd seen who I suspected was following me. I decided to talk to Mark, the security guard at the front desk and check into hiring someone to watch my back for a few days, see if they could see anything worth noting. Many of the guards had been in the service and had training in reconnaissance. They'd make good bodyguards in case I ever needed any.

  I walked Ella to the elevator and kissed her quickly. "You go up. I'm going to talk to Mark about the man I saw following me."

  "Do you really think he was following you?"

  I nodded. "I have this sense he was trying not to be observed, but he failed. I'll be up in ten."

  "Okay," Ella said and pressed the button. "You're scaring me."

  "I don't mean to, but it raised the hair on the back of my neck when I saw him for the third time."

  She nodded, and the elevator doors closed.

  I went out to the security desk and leaned on the counter.

  "Hey, Mark. Do any of you guys have any training in protection? I'm thinking of hiring a bodyguard because I think I have someone following me."

  "Oh, yeah, sure," Mark said. He removed the hat he wore and rubbed his forehead. "You should talk to Reg. He has a couple of guys who did some bouncer work before and were involved in military police over in Iraq and Afghanistan. You think someone was following you? Tonight?"

  "Yeah," I said and hesitated, feeling a bit crazy for even mentioning it. "I saw the same guy at the airport and then twice when I was out tonight. When I tried to follow him, he disappeared."

  "What did he look like?"

  I shrugged. "Fifties, stout. Had this old fedora on with a feather in the brim."

  "No shit," he said and frowned. "That sounds like someone I saw hanging around outside the building earlier tonight. Guy my age, long raincoat, black hat. Could be a stalker."

  That made me feel extra nervous, but I resisted. "Could also be someone completely innocent. Let me know if anyone at the head office is interested in doing some protection work for me for a couple of weeks. I'll make it worth their while on short notice."

  "Will do. In the meantime, I'll keep my eyes peeled and will let the next shift know about it, so they can keep a watch out. You should call Reg. He'll be able to help."

  "Much appreciated," I said and left the lobby. I took the elevator up to the penthouse, glad that I had at least started the process of hiring someone to act as a bodyguard until we had a better idea who it was who was following me and why...

  11

  Ella

  I woke up in the middle of the night to find Josh sitting bolt upright in bed.

  "What's wrong?" I asked, my heart racing.

  "Oh, damn," he said ad ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I woke you. I had a nightmare."

  He lay back down and rolled over to pull me into his arms.

  "What was it about?"

  "The accident," he said, his voice sounding exhausted. "I was trying to pull David out and the SUV was on fire."

  "I'm so sorry." I stroked his shoulder. "I think it's normal after something traumatic like that to have nightmares."

  He shrugged. "I saw worse that than over in Afghanistan," he said softly. "Dead bodies, blown up from IEDs, firefights, outright murders. I should be able to handle the accident better."

  "This was your brother," I said and kissed him. "It's harder to take when it's a family member. You have to give it time. Once David's back completely healed, it will get better."

  "I hope so," he said and exhaled, burying his face in my neck. "I think the man following me just set off my alarm bells."

  That worried me too, but I didn't want to make too much of it. Josh had enough on his plate as it was.

  "Don't worry. Soon, you'll have a guard in place and you won't have to worry."

  It took a while, but eventually, we both fell back to sleep.

  When I woke, Josh was already up and had beaten me to the bathroom to brush his teeth. It was a regular battle between us to see who could get there first.

  "Beat you," he said, his toothbrush in his mouth, his amused eyes meeting mine in the bathroom mirror.

  "No fair," I said and hip-checked him out of the way so I could get my own toothbrush ready. Soon, we were both brushing and smiling at each other like a couple of teenagers, and once we were both finished rinsing, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

  "We have time before work," he said and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

  "Shower or bath?" I asked, pulling away.

  "Shower," he said.

  We got dirty before we got clean.

  After I finished dressing and fixing my makeup, I went to the kitchen where Josh was talking on his cell. He turned and saw me and held his finger up for a second.

  "Okay, I'll come right down. I'll be interested to see it."

  He ended his call and placed his cell down on the island countertop carefully.

  "What's up? Who were you speaking with?" I asked, when he came over and pulled me into his arms.

  "Now, I don't want to freak you out, but the security manager, said they caught some video of a man about fifty-ish with a fedora that has a feather in the brim hanging around the building. I'm going down to check it out, but I suspect it's the same man I saw at the airport. If so, I want you to be extra careful and not go out alone. I'm going to hire a bodyguard to ghost both of us."

  "Why me?" I asked, frowning, a chill running through me. "I'm no one."

  "You're crazy, right? Your father is Governor Carter of New Hampshire..."

  "If anyone is the target of a nutcase, it would be you. You have all the money."

  Josh nodded and stroked my cheek. "Whatever the case, I want you to be careful. No going anywhere alone, okay? At least until we learn who this yahoo is."

  "Okay..." I said doubtfully. "I think it's unnecessary on my part."

  "I'm serious. Promise me."

  I sighed. "I promise."

  "Good. I don't want to have to worry that someone's planning to abduct you for ransom or anything."

  We kissed again and then I went down to my office. I sat down behind my desk and opened my laptop, then read emails for the first fifteen minutes, but my mind
kept going back to what Josh said about me being a potential target of a kidnapper because of my father's position as a Governor. My father had security in Concord, of course, but I never had any worries. I tried to brush it off, but a sense of unease descended over me that nothing seemed to dissipate.

  At around ten thirty, Josh popped into my office and closed the door behind him.

  "Josh," I said, surprised that he had come to my office. "What are you doing here?"

  "I saw the security video from last night."

  "And?" I asked, my heart beating faster.

  He took in a deep breath. "It's definitely the same man."

  "Oh, Josh," I said in alarm. "What do you think he was doing?"

  He shrugged. "Hanging around the building, watching for me, or you -- or us. For a while he stood across the street from the front entry and pretended to read a newspaper, but he kept a pretty close eye on people entering or leaving the building. Then, he crossed the street and stood outside, also pretending to read his paper. He stuck around for about half an hour and trailed us when we walked down the street to the restaurant."

  "That's so creepy," I replied. "Who do you think he is?"

  Josh folded his arms. "I have no clue. He could be a disgruntled employee who was fired. He could be a former business associate of my father's who is here to find out what happened to my father. He could be a private detective collecting info on me or you. He could be a nutcase, planning on harming one of us for notoriety or for some grudge."

  "What do you think?"

  He shrugged. "I have no idea. The best option would be a friend of my father who is curious about me but didn't want to bother me in public. We were out having dinner and maybe he didn't want to intrude. But if that was the case, he could have come up to my office at any time and introduced himself. The next best would be a private detective doing some research on me for a client. Could be my ex trying to find some dirt on me. Who knows?"

  "And the worst?" I asked, although I already knew. I held up my hand. "I know. A crackpot who had a grudge and was trying to find a time to hurt you. Or me."