by Sara Hess
I knew what I wanted. It had only taken a couple of minutes back in Shaw’s orbit to bring back the burning intensity I’d felt for her months ago. There was no way I was taking ‘no’ for an answer this time. She was going to be mine.
CHAPTER THREE
SHAW
Oh god, my head and stomach hurt…And my mouth felt like something had died and decomposed to dust in it…And something was squashing me, as well as making me suffocatingly hot. I was cocooned in clothes, a blanket, and whatever the hell was squashing me.
“I’m dying.” I groaned trying to wiggle out of the bed.
“Have a hangover do you?” A voice behind me asked huskily.
I froze. What the hell was Evan doing in the bed with me…on me? I was in my clothes so it was nothing sexual. Wait…it was coming back to me. He’d brought me to bed. Then he’d probably crashed in here with me since there weren’t that many places to sleep. I could handle that. No biggie.
But my temperature shot up even hotter.
I wiggled harder. “Not that bad, but I’m roasting alive in these clothes, the blanket, and you surrounding me. Let me out.” I growled in desperation. The need to get away from him wasn’t just because I was hot, it was everything about him.
Thankfully he moved and I was able to scramble away. I made the mistake of turning around and found him spread out on the bed in just his boxers with another erection tenting the material.
Holy freaking cow, that thing looked big. Desire shot through me and I had to clench my thighs at the startling intensity of it.
“Does that thing ever go down?” I felt myself blushing…because it was the natural enemy of a red head…but I was able to keep my tone disgusted…I think.
Smirking with heavy lidded drowsy eyes, not appearing embarrassed at all, Evan tucked his hands behind his head…which made his chest and stomach muscles tighten and look awesome. “This is down.” One of his eyebrows arched smug amusement.
His amber gaze moved over me, from head to toe, his expression hot and intense, and I swear I could feel my body temperature rising even more. The man made me feel naked with just his eyes alone. It was like optical copulation.
Heart thumping madly, unwanted tingles erupting everywhere, I spun for the bathroom grabbing my backpack on the way. “I’m surprised you don’t have a crooked nose from someone breaking it out of annoyance from your cockiness.”
I slammed the door on his chuckle and let out a shaky breath.
Shit, that man was beautiful, his body amazing, but it was his eyes that really got to me. They were piercing. Even though most of our conversations were inane banter that held no substance his eyes always seemed to be having an entirely different conversation with me. It made everything inside me quiver, and it took everything inside me to hide it.
I didn’t like the way my heart fluttered and my pulse hammered in my chest when I looked at him, or the way his voice turned me to mush.
It was not good.
Not good at all.
I didn’t want to feel this way toward him. He wasn’t to be trusted. Men were fucking asshole liars. All they cared about was getting laid. God forbid if they didn’t get laid, it might make everyone think less of them. Cocky, arrogant men were the worst, and Evan was all cock filled with a shit load of arrogance.
Although, his humor counteracted a lot of it. He had a unique sense of wit and intensity about him that made my insides light up and sputter with inner laughter. He was able to steal my breath away with one magnetic stare, and had my body responding in ways I that had me gritting my teeth.
I would not let myself be led around by any kind of need ever again.
That’s why I had to put as much distance between us as possible.
Locking the door I moved to start the shower. Stripping out of my clothes I stepped under the spray of water and washed myself up quickly, and when I was done I got out and moved to the sink to brush my death mouth. Using the hotels hair dryer I partially dried my hair and then put it up in my usual bun. Delving through my pack I pulled out fresh under-things, shorts, and a t-shirt, and I was set to go…go home that is.
Opening the bathroom door I found the bedroom thankfully empty. Now my only hope was that everyone else was still asleep and I could slip out unseen. Regrettably, when I got to the main room I found that a few people were already up; Nadia, Seth, Noah, and of course Evan. Two other people were also in the room; a male and female, barely dressed, wrapped together in each other and a blanket on the couch still asleep. I recognized the girl as one of the spa staff from last night and the male as one of the three Cruz brothers, Havi I think. Shit, the guy had some serious muscle…and tattoos…and piercings!
Nadia gave me a smile from the second lounge area. “Hey Shaw, we called for room service if you’re hungry.”
All four of them were staring at me with degrees of inquisitiveness, friendliness, and amber intensity. I knew I would feel like a douche-canoe if I just split.
“Yeah, I could eat.” I dropped my pack by the door and took one of the empty chairs.
“You feeling okay after last night?” Nadia smirked.
I smirked back through my slight headache and uneasy stomach. “Not too bad. Unlike you, I wasn’t trying to prove that Russians are better at everything.” The girl could handle her vodka.
She snickered. “It wasn’t like I had to try that hard.”
“Especially if you watered it down.” Seth chuckle, squeezing her thigh. Nadia jabbed him in the stomach but I don’t think he even felt it.
I narrowed my eyes on her. “What’s this about water and down?”
She shook her head with an eye roll. “Inside joke.”
“Uh-huh…right.” I kept my eyes narrowed on her but her innocent expression never waivered. There was a reason the girl was a card shark though. “Somehow I think you and the horse you rode in on are lying.” Take that, you and your well hung boyfriend.
She laughed and winked. “Oh Bog, that was perfect. I hope it won’t be forever for us to get together again, Shaw. Carrie says you work a lot, but it was loads of fun hanging out with you last night.”
A wave of agitation swept through me. I’d had a lot of fun last night too, but I couldn’t promise anything because I hadn’t decided quite yet what I wanted to do.
Luckily a knock sounded at the door pulling the attention away form me. Seth mumbled ‘finally’ as Noah jumped up to get it.
I felt Evan’s amber gaze drilling me and couldn’t stop myself from glancing at him. Yep, he was staring, and wearing a small grin.
“I feel like we’re missing another inside joke with that horse comment.”
Nadia waved him off. “Just boring girl stuff from last night.” Standing up she headed for the large cart of food Noah wheeled in and Seth was right behind her. He smacked her ass and she threw him a saucy look over her shoulder.
I rolled my eyes at their behavior and stood up to trail after them. Evan moved in next to me. The musky scent of him was like an aura that reached out and captured my senses…no matter how hard I resisted. Last night I’d been weak and drunk and allowed myself to be sucked into it, but today I was in my right mind. I just had to remember to breathe through my mouth and not my nose.
“So Shaw, is Monday a good time to come in and start on that program finding expedition?”
I frowned. Program finding expedition? “What are you talking about?” I gave him a barely there side glance.
“Last night Landon and I were talking about how the company accounts weren’t adding up. Money looked like it was gone but we couldn’t find from where. You mentioned something about a program…”
I raised my hand to stop him as my stomach rolled in more agitation. “Yeah, it’s all coming back to me now. You asked me if I could find it and I said easy peasy.” I was so lame. “You really want me to go tip-toeing through your system and accounts? And Landon’s dad, the big guy; what’s he going to say about it?”
We each snagged a pl
ate and while Evan loaded his I just grabbed some toast, several pieces of fruit, and poured myself a cup of coffee.
“Well, I do have to run it by him first, but both Landon and I think it’s a good idea, and we think he’ll agree with us.” Evan answered.
“A lot of money is involved. I think you would want to hire someone more professional.” I mumbled heading over to the dining table.
Evan took the seat next to me. “You make it sound like it will be no problem, and if you can’t do it…” He trailed off with a smirk and I glared at him.
I knew what he was doing, implying that I couldn’t hack it…ha, hack it…but I wasn’t a child that would be egged on. The implication that I couldn’t do it still irked me though.
“What are you guys talking about?” Noah asked sitting down.
Evan gave him a brief explanation while I tried to figure a way out of this. I could totally blame my agreement to do it on the alcohol and back it up by telling him I was too busy with summer course work and exams.
“You’re going to pay her, won’t you?”
My attention focused outwardly again at Nadia’s question.
“Of course.” Evan stated.
That detail made refusing a little bit harder because I could really use the money.
“Something like that would be a chunk of change.” Nadia waggled her brows at me. “Like maybe a few thousand?”
Nadia stop!
“Possibly five.” Evan hiked into the stratosphere tipping me over. I couldn’t refuse that kind of money.
“I don’t have a car to get over there.” I grumbled down at my plate.
“I can send one of the company cars for you.” Evan said, eliminating that excuse.
“I have morning classes I have to work around.” I nibbled on some watermelon.
“You have classes this summer?” Evan’s brow rose.
“The quicker I’m done with college the better.” College was only slightly better than high school, and I’d loathed high school.
Evan frowned at me. “Why in such a hurry to get to the real world?”
Only someone who had a charmed life would ask something like that. I narrowed my eyes on him. “Because fake world sucks.” Nadia coughed out a laugh, while Seth and Noah just stared. I mellowed my expression, tapping down on my emotions. “I’m just ready to get working and earn some real money. So, yes Evan, I can start finding your problem Monday. Have someone pick me up at one.”
He stared at me, his eyes speaking to me in that way of his. “Great.”
“Yeah, great.” I stated brusquely, looking away.
“Well…you guys sound like you’re going to have buckets of fun together.” Nadia looked like she was holding back a grin. I glared at her.
“Oh god, I’m never drinking again.” Carrie shuffled in holding her head, her black hair all over the place. Nic trailed behind her and as she sat at the table he went to the food cart.
Poor girl looked almost green. “You okay?” I asked.
Shaking her head slowly she bent over to lay her arms and head on the table. Nic came back sitting next to her with a plate of food for both of them, and rubbed her back soothingly. Carrie turned her head on the table, saw the food, and jerked back up.
“I need to…go lay back down again.” She nearly ran from the room.
Nic jumped up and ran after her. That was why I put up with the guy. Sighing, I found myself looking over at Evan, and found him staring at me. My stomach flipped at whatever was in his eyes.
Pushing my plate away I stood up. “I’ve got work. Nadia it was fun. Can you give Maya my apologies, but I’ve got green I have to make so I can eat. Evan, you can get my information from Carrie or Nic.” Grabbing my bag I gave them all a salute and dashed out the door.
Suddenly I could breathe so much better.
But my day also felt less animated.
It was a bitter trade-off.
∞ ∞ ∞
Several hours after I left Carrie stopped in at the apartment, but only to grab more clothes because she was staying over at Nic’s. They went back and forth between this apartment and his house. Even though all the guys had graduated they were still living in the same rental house they’d shared during college, except for Landon. He and Maya were already living together.
They all planned to go to Graduate school at UVA and didn’t see the need to move out.
While Carrie was grabbing her clothes Nic stepped into my bedroom. “Evan told me what you’re doing for him. How come you never mentioned you were so good with computers? And does Carrie know?”
I glanced sideways at him as I punched away at my keyboard, Rosie curled up in my lap. “How many times have you been here and seen me on this thing?”
The corner of his mouth twisted. “I always thought you were some kind of internet or computer game junkie.”
I gave a tiny shrug. “I do like those; I’ve just drawn the line at vegging out with my Cheetos bag while playing them.”
Grinning, he stepped further into my room to sit on my bed…my cheap ass bed. Everything in my room was second hand or discounted…except for my computer. That brought in my bread and butter so it got the first of all my money. I kept it top-notch and loaded.
I spun my chair to face Nic, stroking Rosie’s soft fur. She purred in pleasure. All the affection I withheld from people I poured into my cat. I was so on the road to being that crazy cat lady.
“You know I want to start a sporting goods line, right?”
I gave a nod. “I’ve heard it come up here and there. You’ve enlisted Landon as your artist.”
He returned my nod. “I’m going to need someone who knows their way around a computer for a shitload of things.”
My brows shot up in surprise. “And what…you want to hire me?”
He held up his hand in a ‘hold your horses’ gesture. “Possibly. I want to see what you can do first, see what your qualifications are.”
“I can do anything on a computer.” I avowed immodestly. “Has Carrie told you anything about what I do for my ‘job’?” I air quoted ‘job’.
“Only that you’re self-employed, take pictures, and work on your computer.” One of his blonde brows rose in a way that said ‘please explain further’.
I smiled at the knowledge that Carrie had kept my secret from her much beloved boyfriend. It was why I trusted her implicitly. “Have you heard of Deceivers.com?”
He snorted. “Yeah. I’ve heard opinions about it all over campus. People can get them to find out if their boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating.” He frowned. “Do you work for them?”
My smile widened. “I am them. I created it.”
Turning around I pulled up my website and business details. I split the screen for both windows on my 25” monitor. Nic stood up peering over my shoulder. I clicked through the pages quickly. It was pretty confidential material and he didn’t need to see names, or any of the pictures.
“Nic, you can’t tell anyone else about this. Only three others know, and now you. Certain people would be rioting at my door if they found out.”
“Damn. What are your profits with this?” I clicked on a graph of my progression of profits since starting the business. “Uhh, do you even need a job?” His tone was impressed.
“It’s not something I want to do my whole life. I started it to get back at someone and it snowballed from there. I make pretty good money, and I even hired a photographer a few months back.”
I had been really jazzed that I was making enough to hire an employee, since it also freed up a lot of my time. Tori, a sophomore photography student, had been looking for some extra money and answered my Ad in campus job listings. Following people around trying to snap a picture of them cheating wasn’t all that enjoyable, and with her working for me I only had to focus on the computer snooping part.
Nic frowned. “Someone cheated on you?”
I stiffened, realizing I’d disclosed a little too much in my explanation. “No.”
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br /> I could feel his gaze boring into me at my short, stiff-faced reply.
“Well, it looks like you do know what you’re doing.” He acknowledged after a small pause.
My shoulders slumped as the subject passed.
“Does my business proposition sound too mundane for you?” He joked.
Reaching into my desk I pulled out some folders, holding them out to him. Frowning in confusion he rifled through them and his brows slowly rose in astonishment.
“I got bored one day.” I offered as explanation.
He continued to flip through the papers of possible business plans, building sites, future expense and revenue statements, and a host of other material he could use to fire up his company.
“I’m shocked as shit that you did this for me. It seemed like you hated me when we first met and now I thought you only tolerated me.” He smirked but I could read the query in it.
I waggled my hand back and forth. “Ehh, you’re barely tolerable.” I smiled letting him know I was kidding. “I do like you, Nic. Mostly because of how you treat Carrie, and for that reason if you asked me to hack your father I would bleed him dry for you.” Nic and his father did not get along.
Nic’s brows shot up in astonishment.
My smile dropped away. “But remember this; if you hurt her I will bleed you dry.”
He grinned.
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. I threaten him and he grins. “Don’t think I’m kidding. Hacking you would be like playing Pong.”
“Oh, I believe you. It’s why I’ve put up with your feisty-ass for so long, because you love Carrie too.” He smacked me on the head with the folders in his hand.
“You’re finally bonding.”
We both looked over at the door to see Carrie watching us with clasped hands and an exaggerated excited expression.
I shook my head vehemently. “This isn’t bonding, this is business.
Carrie jumped onto Nic’s lap and he caught her to him closely. “I’m pretty sure I heard the words ‘like’ and ‘love’.”
“I like Cheetos, and I’m going to love taking your future husbands money.” I retorted.