I groaned. “Seriously? You can’t just make a call later today?”
“No,” James said. He got to his feet and stretched. “Busy week at the office. But look, man, you don’t have anything to worry about. My guys are good. They’ll find your friend.”
“He’s not my friend,” I said darkly. “He’s just someone I feel like saving from a life on the streets.”
***
After leaving Lowe’s, I walked around for an hour before going home. The weather was bright, sunny, and dry – a perfect Boston spring day – but I couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation I’d had with my brother. It had been years since I’d seen him, and I’d imagined that our reunion would be thorny and difficult. But surprisingly, things hadn’t gone that poorly. Or did they, I wondered as I walked along a sidewalk, weaving in and out of tourists shopping. Am I too stupid to see it? Does he still hate me for all the things that I’ve done? Although James had made no reference to the past besides a few vague comments, I realized that I had no idea of what he really thought about me. I’d been a horrible man, but I’d changed. My whole life was different.
Surely that entitled me to a little forgiveness?
A group of boys pushed past me, laughing and cursing and punching one another. I stopped and stared at them. They were young – fifteen or sixteen at the most – and they still had the boastful arrogance of childhood. I wondered what kind of men they’d be in the future: would they grow up and lead successful lives?
Or would they meet all the wrong people and fall into a life of bad habits, just like me?
By the time I got home, I was feeling depressed. It was strange – I knew, deep down, that I should have just been grateful for my brother’s willingness to help me. But he’d been so cool, so detached, that I wondered if he would have done the same thing for anyone.
The next week, I met with James at his luxurious condo. He introduced me to Nathan, one of Boston’s most expensive private investigators, and I told Nathan all about Leo McKinney…and why I felt so compelled to save him.
After I left James’s condo, I met Laci for dinner. She looked sexy as hell – she was wearing a dark green sundress that made her eyes look bluer than the ocean. When she hugged me, I felt her breasts push against my torso and a ripple of lust crawled down my spine.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I said, leaning in and kissing her. Laci moaned softly as I slipped my tongue into her mouth. She smelled like vanilla and caramel and my cock throbbed in my underwear as I slid my hand down Laci’s back and squeezed her delectable ass.
Laci pulled away, blushing. “Jordan! We’re in public!” She looked scandalized, but I knew that she’d enjoyed every second of our passionate kiss.
“So we are,” I said with a smirk. “Hungry?”
Laci nodded. “Hungry enough to eat a horse,” she said. “I had the worst day at school.” She sighed and ran a hand through her silky brown hair. “These stupid standardized tests are ruining everything. You know, some kid actually told me today that he used to love reading…but now he hates it because he feels like it’s not fun.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s what I said when I was studying for the brokerage exams,” I replied, putting my arm around Laci and pulling her close.
Laci wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. “Yeah, like reading about brokerage would have been fun in the first place,” she said, rolling her eyes.
I guided Laci inside the restaurant and the hostess led us to a small table by the large open window. Laci sighed happily as she sat down.
“I missed you,” she said. She pouted. “You know it’s been three whole days since I saw you last?”
“Well, we’re together now,” I said archly. I leaned in close and raised an eyebrow. “Besides, absence makes the heart grow fonder, don’t you know?”
Laci flushed. Just as I was about to look through the wine menu and select a bottle for us, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
“Just a second,” I told Laci. “It’s probably the office – I had Megan work on a bunch of older clients today, and she’s probably having trouble.”
Laci nodded.
“Hello?” I held the phone to my ear. “This is Jordan.”
“Jordan, it’s Nathan,” a deep, booming voice said. “I think I found your man. Leo McKinney?”
My heart skipped a beat and my mouth went dry as I frantically looked across the table at Laci. To my immense relief, she seemed thoroughly entranced by the menu.
“Yeah,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “That’s him.” Thankfully, Laci didn’t look up.
“I spotted him in the West End, trying to break into an apartment,” Nathan continued. “The cops came and dragged him off, but he shook them.”
“You’re kidding,” I said, still keeping one eye on Laci. “So, he’s…?”
“He’s out there, somewhere,” Nathan said darkly. “I snapped some photos, I’ll email them to you once we get off the phone.”
“And you’ve been tailing him since?”
“I know for a fact he keeps to a certain area of the city,” Nathan said. “Jordan, this would be a lot easier if you could meet me at my office – you think you could come in this evening?”
“No,” I said. “I’m sorry, I can’t – I’m out right now. Tomorrow?”
Laci looked up and frowned, biting her lip.
“Tomorrow’s not good for me,” Nathan replied. “How about this – I’ll send over the pictures and you can just get in touch with your brother when it works for you.”
I sighed. This wasn’t the way I’d wanted things to go. Not at all. But I couldn’t exactly get up and leave Laci with no explanation. She’d know for sure that something was wrong…and I still wasn’t ready to tell her everything about my past.
“Okay,” I said. “I guess I don’t really have another choice, do I?”
Nathan laughed shortly. “Talk soon,” he said.
When I hung up, Laci cocked her head to the side and gave me an inquisitive look. “Who was that?” She asked innocently, picking up her glass of water and taking a long sip.
“No one,” I lied.
Laci narrowed her eyes. “Someone you couldn’t tell you were on a date,” she said. She licked her lips. “Jordan, are you seeing anyone else?”
“No,” I scoffed, shaking my head. “Laci, it was just a friend – just someone I met the other day.”
Laci looked uneasy. “A girl?”
“No,” I said firmly. “A man – his name is Nathan. I…I hired him to do some work for me,” I said. Internally, I was wincing. I knew it wasn’t technically a lie, but I hated the idea of keeping something so huge from Laci.
Laci nodded, but she didn’t look relieved. “Oh,” she said.
“Really,” I said. I reached across the table and took her hand in mine. “Laci, I swear – you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Laci nodded again. “I believe you,” she said. She bit her lip. “Jordan, I know this probably isn’t my place to say…but I’m new at this. I’m not used to being with people who conceal things from me.”
“I don’t keep things from you,” I lied. At least, I won’t forever, I added silently. The guilt seeping into my heart was making my chest hurt.
“You do, though,” Laci said. “You won’t even talk about your family!” She nervously tossed her head. “And I really like you, but someday I want to know everything about you.”
I lifted Laci’s hand to my mouth and kissed it. “I know,” I told her. “And I promise, you will.”
Laci smiled for the first time since I’d hung up the phone. “Okay,” she said. “I believe you.”
As I sat across from her, I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Should I just come out and tell Laci everything?
I’m such a coward, I thought, clenching my jaw. I’m falling in love – and I can’t even tell her the goddamned truth about myself.
Chapter Eight
Laci
I yawned, rubbin
g my eyes with my hands as I flopped back against the pillows.
“Still tired?”
I glanced up at Jordan. He’d just gotten out of the shower and he paraded across the room naked. Dragging my gaze away from his muscular body was an act of willpower. I’d never seen a man like Jordan before – heck, I didn’t even think men like Jordan existed outside of the movies. As he pulled a shirt over his head, the delicious muscles in his torso rippled and a warm feeling of desire began to grow in my belly.
“Yes,” I said.
“Enjoying the view?” Jordan smirked as he pulled a pair of trousers up his muscular thighs and belted them around his waist.
I flushed hotly. “Maybe,” I said coyly. “It’s sort of hard to look away.”
Jordan grinned. He yanked the sheet off me and stared down at my body until I was squirming self-consciously.
“I know what you mean,” Jordan said. He dipped his head to my belly and kissed the exposed skin. The rough stubble on his jaw scratched my tummy and I shrieked and giggled, pushing Jordan’s head away. Jordan growled and crawled on the bed, pushing me into the mattress. He took my chin in his hand and kissed me, pushing his forehead against mine and staring intensely into my eyes.
“I have to go,” I shrieked, still giggling. “I told Jenna I’d meet her downtown!”
“I think I should keep you here all day,” Jordan said. He winked at me and dipped his head to my neck before nipping at my collarbone. “I like you in my bed. In fact, I don’t think I should ever let you leave.”
“I’ll lose my job,” I said, pretending to pout. Jordan rolled over and sat up, straightening up his shirt. He reached for his discarded necktie and wrapped it around his neck.
“Yeah, well, at least you’re not wearing a noose every day,” Jordan said. He groaned. “I swear, that’s the worst thing about my job.”
I laughed. “You own the firm,” I said. “Why not just skip wearing a tie?”
Jordan laughed. “Yeah, and be chased out by my own secretary, more like,” he said. “That’s the thing about working in a trading firm. You have to look like you’re about to meet a client – like, all the time.”
I shuddered. “I couldn’t wear heels every day,” I said. “That would honestly make me want to die.”
Jordan grinned. “You look wicked sexy in heels,” he said. He leaned down and kissed me again, adjusting the knot of his tie until it was perfectly crisp.
I flushed. “I really should go,” I said. I yawned again. As much as I knew I had to get up, the thought of leaving Jordan’s warm, cozy bed was torture. Outside, it was a windy, rainy spring day, and I had no desire to huddle under a giant umbrella while traipsing around campus with Jenna.
“Stay here for a while,” Jordan said. He shrugged. “Just lock up when you leave.”
The idea was awfully tempting. “No,” I said firmly, shaking my head as if to persuade myself further. “Jordan, I really can’t. I promised Jenna.”
“She’s an adult,” Jordan said. He raised an eyebrow at me and slid his phone into his jacket pocket.
“I know,” I said. I frowned. “I just feel guilty.”
Jordan shrugged. “Do what you like,” he said. He leaned down and gave me one last, lingering kiss before grabbing his briefcase and sauntering out of the condo. As soon as he’d gone, I relaxed back in the nest of pillows I’d built for myself. I knew I had to get going, but it was next to impossible when I was so comfortable.
After a few delicious minutes, I forced myself to get up. Jordan kept the air conditioning in his condo at a frigid sixty degrees, and my teeth were practically chattering as I pulled on the sundress I’d worn the day before. It wasn’t really appropriate for the rain, but I didn’t have another choice. After strapping my sandals on, I washed my face and left Jordan a note in the bathroom. As I left his condo, I felt a twinge of regret. Jordan was right, I thought as I reluctantly walked to the elevator bank and waited. Jenna is an adult – and maybe it’s time I started treating her like one.
By the time I made it downtown to the city college where Jenna would be attending, I knew something was wrong. The sky was still heavy with clouds, but the campus was surprisingly empty. I frowned as I walked through the common buildings, looking for groups of bright-eyed new students with nametags and branded backpacks.
There was no sign of Jenna anywhere. I even looked in the bathrooms, dipping my head down to check under the stalls.
“Jen?” I called. “Are you in here?”
There was no reply. Biting my lip, I pushed open the bathroom door and stormed into the common room.
I spent an hour walking around campus, looking for my sister, before I decided to give up and go home. My phone was dead – I’d spent the night at Jordan’s without my charger. It was raining harder than ever by the time I got off the bus and climbed up the stairs to our apartment.
Jenna was on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on her lap. She didn’t look up when I walked in.
“God, it’s raining cats and dogs out there,” I said, kicking off my sodden sandals. My feet were wrinkled and pruned on the bottom from hours of walking though the rain. “You were smart to skip that college thing.”
Jenna didn’t say anything. She took the remote in her hands and turned up the volume of the television until it was earth-shatteringly loud.
“Jenna,” I said loudly. “Come on, we have neighbors!”
Jenna stood up and threw the remote at the wall. It cracked open with a loud pop! sound and plastic flew everywhere.
“Jenna!” I yelled. “What the hell is your problem?”
Jenna glared at me angrily. She was breathing so hard that her nostrils were flared. I stormed across the room and yanked the television’s cord out of the wall. The screen went black and the apartment was filled with silence.
“I can’t believe you,” Jenna said. “You missed my college orientation! What, let me guess *** you were with that guy, Jordan?”
“Yes,” I said sharply. “And I didn’t miss it! I took the bus and got there at noon!”
“It was over at eleven-thirty!” Jenna yelled. Her face was turning red and purple. “Laci, what’s the matter with you? What, did you suddenly forget that you have a little sister?!”
“No,” I snapped. “I didn’t forget – and what do you mean it was over?”
Jenna grabbed a crumpled flyer from the coffee table and threw it at me.
“Here,” she said in a sulky voice. “If you don’t believe me.”
Before I could stop her, Jenna stormed into her room and slammed the door. The walls shook and a few seconds later, I heard music blaring from inside.
With a sigh, I grabbed the flyer and looked down. Sure enough, the orientation had begun at eight-thirty and ended with a brunch. My stomach twisted unpleasantly and I sat down on the couch, biting my lip and gripping the flyer with stiff fingers.
I can’t believe it, I thought as I struggled to make sense of what had happened. I’m the world’s worst sister! The guilt was eating me alive. I’d done what I’d always said I’d never do: break a promise to Jenna. And even worse, I’d broken it because of Jordan!
I walked over to Jenna’s closed door and knocked gently. When there was no response, I knocked again.
“Go away!” Jenna yelled. “I don’t want to talk to you right now!”
“Jenna, I’m sorry,” I said. I sighed and rested my forehead against the door. “I really am, okay? I didn’t mean to forget – it was in my calendar and everything. I must’ve just gotten the time wrong.”
Jenna turned down the music a notch. “Well, too bad,” she said sourly from the other side of the door. “I’m sorry you were too busy fucking Prince Charming to remember your sister!”
“For god’s sake,” I snapped. “You’re an adult, remember? You’re the one who’s always so keen on reminding me of that!”
“Don’t turn this around,” Jenna said. “You told me you’d be there, and I waited for you like an idiot! Eve
ryone else was with their family!”
I sighed. I knew she was right, but I couldn’t deny that I was frustrated with her for treating me like this.
“I’m sorry,” I said again. “It won’t happen again.”
“It can’t happen again,” Jenna said harshly. “That was it – there’s no more orientation. I start classes next week.”
I leaned against the door and crossed my arms over my chest.
“And I think you seriously need to consider slowing things down,” Jenna continued loudly. “I mean, if you’re already forgetting your sister, what else are you forgetting about?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have to dignify that with an answer,” I said angrily. Turning on my heel, I went to my own room and slammed the door, just like a teenager.
The next morning, I wasn’t feeling much better. Jenna was still ignoring me – she hadn’t emerged from her room by the time I left for school – and the rain hadn’t lifted. By the time I got to my classroom, my hair was a frizzy mess around my shoulders.
The end of the school year was rapidly approaching and the kids could practically smell their freedom. It took me over ten minutes to get my class corralled, and by the time the bell rang, I was feeling more like a rookie teacher than ever.
At lunch time, I met Taylor in the teacher’s lounge. She barely looked up when I sat down next to her and started unwrapping my brown paper bag lunch.
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