by Violet Paige
“Ready to go?” He climbed behind the wheel.
“Not really, but I have to find my client. What if something bad has happened?”
“I can help you if you want.”
He pulled away from the vineyard and we turned onto the highway after meandering through country roads.
“Help me find her? You’re serious?” I looked at him.
He pressed his sunglasses to the bridge of his nose. The aviators had a different level of sex appeal on his structured face.
“Yes. By the time we get back it will be late afternoon. We’ll track her down and we can still finish off our weekend on a high note.” He grinned. “I have selfish motivations.”
“Really, you don’t have to do that. It’s my mess.”
All I could think about was how eerily reminiscent this was of Garrett. The familiar tightening in my chest returned. How many times had I searched for him? How many times had I called his friends desperate for answers?
He squeezed my knee. “Ell, I’m going to help you.”
“All right.” I wasn’t used to it. Accepting help. Even the offer was foreign. I was the one who always solved the crisis. I was the foot soldier. “If you’re sure.”
“I am. I want to do this.” I knew he wasn’t flirting anymore. He was genuine.
The rest of the drive we listened to music while I reminded myself Lana Foley and my brother had nothing in common. Their only connection was not returning my calls. The commonality stopped there. It had to.
Two hours later Vaughn pulled up in front of my apartment.
“Is your roommate here this weekend?” he asked.
“No. She texted and said she was staying with her boyfriend. I think she had to work most of the weekend anyway.”
“Think I’ll ever meet her?”
“I’d like that. She’s fun, but also a workaholic.”
He chuckled. “You do realize you’re the one working on a Saturday.”
“Touche’.”
“Where do we start to look for your client?”
I pulled on the handle. “I need to go upstairs and get my office keys. I have her paperwork at my office. Do you want to wait here while I get them?”
“I’ll keep the car running.”
I slammed the door and took the steps as quickly as I could.
Chapter Fourteen
We parked in a deck not far from the clinic. It was easier to maneuver the campus roads on the weekend. Vaughn walked beside me as I guided him to my office.
I turned the lights on as we walked through the halls.
“So this is where the magic happens?” He stood in the doorway while I searched for Lana’s file.
I laughed. “You make it sound more glamorous than it is.”
I opened the filing cabinet and flipped to the F stack. I pulled Lana’s file from the folders. There was a standard contact form we attached to all files. I took a picture of the address listed. It had always been a part of the process. I never imagined I would need the information to locate a missing client.
“Ok. I have her address. We can start there.”
“And if she’s not there?”
“I have no idea. I only have one option.” I closed everything I had opened.
Vaughn examined Addie’s desk. “Is this the infamous office mate’s space?” He shifted the phone and moved a stack of sticky notes.
“Yes. Don’t touch her stuff,” I scolded.
“You think she’ll notice if I do this?” He opened the top drawer a fraction of an inch.
“Vaughn! She’s super picky about her stuff.”
He chuckled. “Let me know if she notices.”
I tugged on the door. “Oh, she’ll notice.”
We walked to the car and plugged the address I had for Lana in my phone. She lived twenty minutes away.
“Thank you for doing all of this.” I looked at him as he drove us to the house.
“Sweetheart, it’s no big deal.”
Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to him, but to me it was an enormous display of just how much Vaughn was willing to do for me.
“Turn here and it’s on the right.” I pointed to the one-story ranch.
The sun had just started to set. There were long shadows across the driveway. I hadn’t pictured where Lana lived. She was young and newly married. She was also a woman who had an affair with her boss. This neighborhood looked like the kind of place people moved to raise families. Not the kind of place that was home to scandal and home-wrecking.
“I think I should go by myself,” I explained. “It’s a very sensitive case.”
“I get it. Confidentiality. I won’t ask any questions, but if you need me I’m right here.”
I appreciated that Vaughn understood my job. He didn’t urge me to reveal Lana’s name or why her deposition on Monday was so important. I yanked the door handle and walked to the front of the house. There were geraniums in pots on the front steps along with a few pumpkins. I pressed the doorbell. The chimes echoed like church bells. I waited for Lana to answer.
I heard footsteps on the other side. The door opened.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice was hushed and urgent.
Lana quickly joined me on the porch and closed the door behind her. Her strong brow was pinched together nervously.
“Why haven’t you returned any of the calls from the clinic?” I asked. I tried not to sound accusatory. But I was pissed I was here. From where I stood, Lana looked safe and healthy.
“Shh.” She pressed her finger to her lips.
My eyes widened. “Does he not know?” I whispered.
She shook her head. “Please leave, Elliot. I don’t want Simon to see you here. It’s too much to have to explain.”
“You have to tell him,” I urged. “If this turns into a news story he could find out in a headline instead of from his wife.”
Her eyes widened. “Is there a leak? Does someone know? Have you been contacted?”
Under the porch light I wasn’t sure she hadn’t turned pale.
“No. No. Nothing like that.”
I tried to put myself in her shoes. Imagine what was ahead of her. The uncertainty. The fear. Yet she was strong and certain Senator Mitcherson had to take responsibility.
“Anything else?”
“No.” I folded my arms. “I’ll go, but will you be there Monday morning?”
She nodded. “Yes, but I still have to talk to Simon.”
I moved for the first step. “Could that change things?” I wanted to know. “Is there a chance you won’t show up?”
“No. I’m going forward with it, but I haven’t told him yet. I’m waiting for the right time.” She looked over her shoulder.
“There is no right time for something like this. I’m sorry.” She had to know that by now. It had been weeks since we first met. Every time she came to the office she reported she was about to break the news to her husband before the deposition.
“I’ll do it before Monday.”
“I’m just glad you’re ok, Lana. I was worried when you didn’t call or email.”
“Thank you, but other than this god-awful morning sickness I’m fine. I couldn’t find a time to respond.”
I smiled sympathetically. “I’ll see you Monday?”
She nodded. “I’ll be there.”
“Good luck with the conversation.”
“Thanks.” She smiled wryly.
I walked to the car where Vaughn was waiting.
“Is that her?” He saw Lana watching us from the porch.
“Yes.” I snapped the seatbelt in place.
“She looks fine to me.” He started the car.
I sighed. “She is.” I was annoyed our weekend was ruined for nothing. That I had pulled Vaughn into this when Lana was perfectly ok.
“You don’t seem happy about it.” He steered us back toward the city and out of Lana’s corner of the suburbs.
“I am. I’m glad there was nothing wrong. I’m f
rustrated we had to change our plans. I liked the winery. I’d rather be there than here.”
“We can do the winery again. Let’s go back to your place and order some dinner. No roommate, right?”
“Right. Just you and me.” I smiled. I wanted the irritation to evaporate.
He grinned. “Ever thought about getting a four-poster bed?”
I laughed. “No.”
“Maybe we should change that.”
My heart raced. My pulse quickened. Vaughn only had to suggest it and I was ready to do it. I’d shop for new furniture tomorrow if it meant more nights like last night.
“Maybe.” My voice was soft with promise.
“That’s my girl.” He turned the radio up and I grinned.
Exactly. I was his girl.
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you really going to steal the last donut?” I teased, poking Vaughn in the side.
We were stretched out on the chaise lounge on the deck. I had a blanket wrapped around me. I don’t know how the cold didn’t bother him. He was wearing jeans and no shirt. We read our tablets, scanning the Sunday morning headlines.
This was our third weekend like this since our trip to the winery. Our bodies fit together as if this piece of furniture was designed for only us.
He lifted the lid on the cardboard box and dangled the pastry in front of my face. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
“What’s that?” I put my tablet down to hear his proposal.
“I’ll split the donut with you.”
I looked at him. “In return for?”
He winked.
“Don’t you think that deserves the entire donut?” I knew exactly what he wanted. My pulse raced. I moved to straddle him.
My hands landed on his button and I yanked the zipper down.
He grinned, folding his hands behind his head while I stroked his hard shaft through the denim. I almost groaned. I loved his body. Every part of it. He was cut and sculpted to perfection. His skin was always warm. He smelled like heaven, and I loved tasting him. His lips. His body. And his powerful dick.
I looked at him, my eyes heavy with lust. I pulled the blanket around my back so I could shimmy down between his legs and shield myself.
“I was kidding. But, yes, the entire donut. You get the whole thing.” His lips turned from a playful smile to something that looked like a smoldering sex grin when he realized I was going to go through with it.
I reached inside his jeans. He wasn’t wearing underwear. My hand wrapped around his silky skin, pumping his shaft to free it. I bent down to taste him, when I heard the front door slam.
I popped forward. Vaughn whispered. “What in the hell is that?”
Greer emerged on the deck and I blushed instantly.
“Oh, shit. Sorry.” She turned around.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were coming home.” I threw the blanket on Vaughn and awkwardly stood next to him before sitting again.
Greer took her time to face us again. Vaughn was covered and I hadn’t gotten to do what I had intended, so there was nothing to see.
“I didn’t know you had company.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Greer this is Vaughn. Vaughn, this is my roommate Greer.”
He nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
I realized under other circumstances he probably would have stood up.
She looked back and forth between us. “Do you think we could catch up for a quick second? Inside.”
“Oh yeah. Sure.”
“I’ll just eat this last donut.” He wagged his eyebrows and I slapped him on the shoulder before I followed my roommate inside the apartment.
“Who in the hell is that?” She spun on her heels.
I stepped backward. “That’s Vaughn.”
“Vaughn? Vaughn? Who is Vaughn?” she sputtered. I couldn’t remember seeing her flustered like this.
I looked at the ceiling. “He’s my … he’s … we’ve been dating.”
Her eyes widened. “You have a boyfriend? Since when?”
I shrugged. “Since a few months, I guess.” It sounded terrible. As if I had kept a dark secret from her.
“Why didn’t you mention him? I don’t understand, Elliot.”
“You’re never here. Did you want me to text it to you? That seemed weird.”
She looked angry. “This is somehow my fault?”
“Are you mad I’m dating someone?”
She folded her arms. “No. Yes. I’m mad I don’t know about it. How did this happen?”
“We met at that bar you took me to—”
“No, not that. The part about you and me not sharing big information like this. Although, yeah I do want to know about him. But, this. You and me. How did this happen? I knew more about what was going on your life before you moved here. How could you have dated a man this long and I had no idea?”
I sighed. “You’re busy. I’m busy. You have Preston. It’s not like our calendars really match up anymore. Or have at all since I moved in.”
I looked over my shoulder. Vaughn was finishing off the donut and reading the news. Over the past few months the apartment had felt like ours. Vaughn’s and mine. We spent every night here except one or two when he needed to leave earlier than usual for a meeting. Occasionally he was gone for business.
Greer hadn’t slept here in so many nights I had lost count. I knew she had dropped by to grab more clothes because she would message me, but that was it. I thought back to how things evolved.
“When I first went out with him it seemed too new. I didn’t want to jinx it. You know that feeling?”
She nodded sadly.
“And then it kept going. We kept seeing each other and I didn’t know how to drop it into a conversation. I’m sorry, Greer.”
“It is my fault.” Her shoulders slumped.
“It’s no one’s fault. I’m not mad at you. I miss you. I do, but I’m not mad. I’d love it if you could hang out and get to know Vaughn a little bit. Are you leaving right away? Can you stay?”
“Preston wants me to go to brunch with his parents, but I think I can get out of it.” She pinched her lips together. “I’m going to get out of it. Hold on, I’ll be back on the deck after I call him. This is more important right now. He’ll understand.”
“We can plan something later, if you want.”
I noticed she had brought in her work bag and a few file boxes and dumped them in the living room.
“No. No time like the present. I’ll be right out.” She shooed me, pulling out her phone and I walked out to the deck to talk to Vaughn.
“How did that go?” He looked up at me.
I laughed. “Besides her walking in on what I was about to do, it was fine. She was embarrassed. I think she’s going to hang out for a little while so you two can get to know each other.”
He sat forward. “How long?”
I nuzzled in next to him, stretching my legs out next to his and pulled the blanket on top of me.
“I’m not sure. She’s calling her boyfriend Preston now.”
Vaughn clicked off the tablet. “I could go if you two need time.”
I shook my head. “I want you to at least meet her for more than five seconds.”
Greer stepped onto the rooftop. “Sorry about that. I’m all free.”
“No problem.” I smiled. “I would offer you a donut, but Vaughn ate the last one.” I elbowed him in the ribs.
“Guilty.”
Greer pulled up a chair next to us. “I brought some coffee out. It’s cold out here this morning. You two don’t look very cold though,” she teased.
I wrapped an arm over Vaughn’s chest. “Not at all. He’s more snuggly than he looks.”
“Thanks,” he grumbled.
“What are your big Sunday plans?” she asked.
Vaughn and I looked at each other. “This.”
I smiled. I knew it was a stupid smile. But I couldn’t help it. We had some kind of calm that ran between us that when I wasn’
t looking could instantly turn into something wild and passionate. I bounced back and forth between utter contentment with him and unreal lust.
“Wow. I wish I could do that sometime.”
“What kind of work do you do, Greer?” Vaughn slipped his fingers through mine under the blanket.
“Actually, I have a little bit of news to share about that,” she explained. She brushed her bangs to the side.
“What is it?” It seemed strange that neither of us knew what was going on in the other’s life.
“I got the promotion.” Her smile was wide. “It was way sooner than I expected, but I found out last night.”
“You did? That’s awesome.” I untangled myself from Vaughn to give her a hug. “That’s great. Really great.”
She nodded. “I’ve worked my ass off.” She looked around me to explain to Vaughn. “I work for the senate committee. I’ve been trying to get an advisor position. I thought it was at least a year away.”
He nodded. “Congratulations. Sounds like you put in a lot of hours.”
“Yeah, I’ve sort of been married to my job the past few months. Maybe I should spend a few nights here for a change. Give my work marriage a break.”
“What about Preston?”
She shrugged. “He can come over if he wants.”
It hadn’t occurred to me how much I liked that my roommate was absent until my freedom was being threatened. I liked the setup, but I knew that was because of Vaughn. When he was here I felt safe. I had fun. I had amazing, mind-blowing sex all over the apartment. More Greer wasn’t a good thing.
“Are things ok between you two?” I asked.
“They’re fine. But it wouldn’t hurt him to spend a night or two over here.”
There were other advantages to Greer staying at his place. I didn’t have to deal with him.
“I have an idea,” Greer spoke. “Why don’t we make dinner tonight? The four of us. Here.”
I looked at Vaughn. I didn’t know what his reaction would be. We had never done anything with another couple. We hadn’t hung out with other people. It was as if we lived in our own bubble. And I liked it that way. I thought he did too.
But at some point, we had to let other people into it. We had families and friends. We had jobs. The cocoon couldn’t last forever.