An Indecent Proposition
Part V
By Stephanie Julian
An Indecent Proposition Part V
Stephanie Julian
Published by Stephanie Julian
Copyright 2013. Stephanie Julian.
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Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].
All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
Chapter One
“You need to go back. You need to talk to him.”
Keegan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he drove Jules home. He heard her voice through the pounding of his pulse in his ears, heard the concern. Still, he shook his head.
“No. He made himself clear enough. He doesn’t want to talk to me and he can be damn stubborn when he’s angry.”
Silence descended, so thick he swore he felt it press against his skin.
He glanced at Jules to find her staring at him with wide eyes.
“Angry? Are you serious?” She sounded shocked. “You practically tore his heart out. How can you not see how hurt he was?”
Because Erik wasn’t hurt. Erik didn’t get hurt anymore. The scar tissue from the burns had toughened him, inside and out.
Keegan’s chest tightened but he forced himself to say, “He’s not hurt. He’s pissed because I told him the truth. Everyone’s let him wallow for too damn long. Revenge is going to eat at him and warp him until there’s nothing left of the old Erik and I can’t watch him do that.”
“Then you have to help him.”
Frustration tasted like acid in his throat. “Do you think I haven’t tried? Do you think I don’t want the bastard who did this to him to rot in jail? Of course I do. But if I tell Erik to send the information Katrina dug up to police, he’ll say no.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yeah, I do. He wants to go after Eggert himself. You haven’t known Erik as long as I have, Jules. You don’t know him like I do.”
She fell silent again and he felt her tension ratchet up another notch.
Sonuvabitch. You’re an idiot. Are you fucking trying to alienate her?
Between this tension with Erik and the uncertainty with Jules, his head was spinning. What the fuck was wrong with him? His stomach rolled and his fingers began to ache with the force of his hold on the steering wheel.
“Shit, Jules, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“No.” She held up one hand and he bit off the rest of his words. “No, you’re right. I don’t know either of you as well as you know each other. But have you considered that maybe you’re too close to the situation to see it clearly?”
He wanted to growl, he was so fucking frustrated. Yes, he was too damn close to the situation. He and Erik had known each other too long and cared for each other too damn much not to be.
He loved the guy like a brother, their lives entangled in so many ways. He couldn’t imagine going to the lab and not working beside him or spend a weekend without catching a meal or hanging out. Just the thought created a knot in his stomach.
Since the accident, their relationship had become even more complicated as they spent more time together. Other friends had drifted away. Some because of Erik’s accident, some because they just hadn’t done enough to keep them close.
And then they’d added Jules to the mix…
Jesus.
He took a deep breath. “What I think is that Erik just needs a few days to cool off. Katrina laid a huge amount of shit on him all at once. He needs to process.”
“And then what?” Jules’s disbelief came through loud and clear. “You think he’ll just decide that you’re right and that’s the end of it?” She paused. “Would you?”
No, of course he wouldn’t.
Still… “He just needs some time. Kat waylaid him—”
“No.” She turned more fully in her seat toward him. “You know this isn’t his sister’s fault, right? She’s just the messenger.”
One who hated him enough to try to screw up his relationship with Erik. “Who’d be more than thrilled if Erik and I never worked together again.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I know it. She told me as much after Erik decided he wasn’t going through with any more operations.”
“Well, obviously he didn’t listen to her because you two are still in business together.”
Yeah, they were.
But for how long?
Christ, had just a few words completely screwed up their working and personal relationships?
Damn Katrina—
No. No, he knew that wasn’t fair. As much as he’d like to blame Erik’s sister for this, he knew it wasn’t her fault. Not all of it.
She loved Erik. At least as much as she could love anyone, she loved her brother. And Erik had always been protective of her. Erik had bit his tongue when he and Katrina had started to date. And when they’d gotten engaged, the only thing Erik had said was, “You better be really sure you know what you’re doing because if you hurt her…”
He’d left the rest unsaid, but Keegan had known what Erik meant.
And when he and Katrina had called it off, Keegan had expected Erik to call off their fledgling partnership.
He hadn’t, though, but that was only because Kat had told him not to. At least she’d been able to get past the bitterness that had consumed her to see that what he and Erik were building was better than anything they could have made apart, and they’d gone on to build TinMan into the company it was today.
Keegan had to believe they’d survive this as well.
“Keegan?”
He sliced Jules a quick glance, saw the worry in her eyes…and realized he wasn’t the only one with something to lose here.
“Yes?”
“Promise me you’ll go back and check on him. As soon as you drop me off.”
“I plan to.” The words dropped out of his mouth immediately and he knew he hadn’t said them just because she wanted him to.
Her mouth twitched into a sad smile that quickly faded. “Good.”
He grabbed her hand lying on her thigh. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.”
Her smile reappeared for an even shorter amount of time. “I hope so.”
Hating the worry he heard in her voice, he squeezed her hand. “He’s stubborn, not stupid. We’ll get through this. Just…don’t abandon us.”
Her fingers slipped between his and clung. “Of course not.”
But she looked less than reassured when he forced a smile for her.
And the pit in his stomach opened a little wider.
They reached her house minutes later, the silence widening the chasm growing between them. A chasm he didn’t know how to fix. He had way too much stuff running through his head right now.
Most of the house was dark; the only light he could see shone through the window next to the front door. Jules’s mom was probably already in bed. It was close to midnight and most of the houses on the street were dark.
The growing need to turn around and drive back to Erik’s made every muscle in his body tighten. They should hash this out now. The three of them. Together.
But he knew if they did, he and Erik would go right back to yelling at each other. And he didn’t want Jules to
see that.
We’ll figure this out. Then we’ll worry about Jules.
Jules got out of the car without saying a word. She didn’t wait for him to open the door for her. She even got to her bag in the backseat before he could help her.
Walking beside her to the front door, he wanted to wrap his hand in the long, silky hair that hung down the back of her coat. Wanted to pull her against him and seal his mouth over hers and kiss her until she melted against him.
He wanted that so badly, he had to fist his hand in his pocket to keep from reaching for her.
When she stopped at the door and turned to face him, her sad excuse for a smile made him want to punch the brick wall.
“Thanks for dinner. I really…” She sighed. “You know I enjoy spending time with you, don’t you, Keegan?”
His heart began to race but instead of pumping his fist in the air, he settled for a nod, lifting his hand to cup her cheek. “Yeah, I do. And I hope you realize the feeling’s mutual.”
She nodded, rubbing her cheek against his palm. “Talk to Erik. And call me. Soon.”
“I will. Jules…”
Her lips curved into a sweet smile. Rising on her toes, she pressed a heated kiss against his lips. “Good night, Keegan.”
***
Erik stalked through his house, wanting to throw something, but the person he wanted to throw something at wasn’t here for target practice.
Instead, he headed to the basement.
When he’d remodeled the house, he’d had the basement completely redone into a gym. He’d made sure the area was open and bright. And had no mirrors. That’s the main thing he’d hated about going to physical therapy…all those damn mirrors.
Now dressed in sneakers, gym shorts, and a tank top, he started with the bench press but shoving heavy metal around wasn’t doing it for him tonight.
So…treadmill.
Setting the speed at a steady eight-minute mile, he pounded away. It was always slow going at first. He used to run outside but after the accident… Well, he didn’t do much of that anymore.
Mostly he used the gym at the lab. They’d had it installed as an incentive for their employees but he and Keegan—
His foot nearly slipped and he had to jump onto the stationary sides to get his balance.
Damn him.
What right did Keegan have to talk to him like that?
The right of a best friend, maybe?
His jaw tightened until he swore it’d pop out of joint.
But Keegan had him all wrong. How could his best friend not know how important the information was that his sister had brought?
How could Keegan expect him to ignore the fact that their major competitor had tried to cripple their business and nearly killed him in the process?
All right, no. Keegan didn’t want him to ignore it. Keegan wanted him to pass it off to the cops. Who’d already bungled the investigation the first time, according to his sister.
Anger began to burn in his gut again and he kept pushing the speed higher.
It’d been three fucking years since the explosion. Three years of pain and heartache and operations and coming to terms with the fact that he would never be the same person he’d been before.
But you are the person Jules takes to bed with her.
He nearly lost his footing again but managed to keep steady. Punching in a lower speed, he adjusted his pace and sucked in air until he could breathe regularly. He hadn’t realized he’d been gasping.
Would she have liked him before the explosion?
He’d like to think the answer to that question was yes but…he wasn’t the same person.
That guy had been interested in two things—making money and getting laid. Okay, three. Partying.
And three years ago, Jules hadn’t been old enough to drink and had been supporting her mom through her cancer treatment.
Christ, he was an ass.
But that didn’t change the fact that Keegan continued to want to stick his head in the sand about what had happened. Wanted to let it go.
He couldn’t let it go.
With a sigh, he brought the treadmill to a walk then finally to a full stop.
Sweat dripped down his body, his clothes soaked through. He should go upstairs and take a shower then head to bed. Hopefully he’d worn himself out enough that he could sleep.
Because he had a hell of a lot to sleep on.
Grabbing a towel from the pile on the weight bench, he turned—
And found Keegan sitting on the stairs, staring at him.
“You almost killed yourself on that thing.” Keegan shook his head. “Erik—”
“Why are you here?”
Keegan drew in a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “Jules thought we should talk.”
Erik tilted his head back. “Just Jules?”
Keegan’s jaw tightened. “No, not just Jules.”
Tossing the towel away, Erik took the stairs two at a time, passing Keegan without a glance, knowing he’d follow.
Without a word, he headed for the kitchen to get some water, Keegan close at his heels. The anger he thought he’d worked out of his system was creeping back, curling his hands into fists.
Fuck water. He needed something stronger.
For so long he hadn’t been able to drink alcohol. It had fucked with all the pain pills and antibiotics and other shit he’d been taking. In the past year, he’d been able to tolerate a drink or two at a time. But he hadn’t gotten crazy, sloppy drunk. Not like he used to do. Before the explosion.
Some people might say he’d matured.
Well, tonight was the night he proved them wrong.
As he stalked to the bar near the fireplace, he was acutely aware of Keegan’s measured footsteps behind him. For some reason, the sound made him furious. He felt the rage building, felt it singe his stomach.
By the time he’d poured a glass of whiskey and downed half of it in one swallow, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold his tongue this time.
Earlier, with Jules between them, he’d barely kept his tone civil. Every word Keegan had said had made him bleed. Erik wanted to return the favor.
Keegan walked up beside him and poured himself a drink when Erik didn’t offer.
They stood next to each other in silence for at least a minute.
Finally, Erik turned to face his best friend. But he didn’t say anything and Keegan took the cue.
“I don’t think you’re an invalid.” Keegan continued to stare at the wall in front of him. “And I’m not unaware of how people looked at Jules that night.”
Erik waited, knowing Keegan wasn’t finished. Not trusting himself to say something that would make them start yelling at each other again.
And this time, he wasn’t sure they wouldn’t say something irrevocable. The fact that Keegan had returned didn’t mean much. Erik had known he would. If he hadn’t come back tonight, he would have tomorrow. Keegan couldn’t bear to let things fester.
Erik could go days without talking if someone pissed him off.
“You want to go after Eggert,” Keegan said. “I get it. I do. I just…don’t think you’ll be satisfied with the result.”
Erik frowned. “What do you mean?”
With a sigh, Keegan turned to face him, his expression tired. Sad. “Short of blowing up his lab, what can you do to him that will make what you went through better?”
Erik wanted to rip into Keegan’s logic, tear it apart bit by bit. He’d had years to think about what he would do when he discovered who’d torn his life apart. None of those scenarios involved handing over the information to the police so they could fuck up the investigation even more than they had already.
“Nothing will ever make what I went through better.”
“Exactly.” Keegan’s steady gaze held his. “Give the information to the cops and let them handle it.”
Erik held on to his temper by a thread. “And what if they don’t do anything? What if they can’t do
anything? No. I’ll handle this my way. And I need you to be onboard with that.”
“And if I’m not?”
“Then I need you to back away.”
“Erik—”
“No. Just listen to me.”
Keegan looked like he was biting his tongue but he nodded.
Erik took a deep breath. “You have no idea how I feel. How utterly fucking pissed off I have been for so damn long. It’s eating me up from the inside. For three years, it’s been a living, breathing cancer in my gut. The rage never goes away. All the therapy in the world isn’t going to make it better. No amount of talking about it or ignoring it is going to ease it. Bringing down Eggert for what he did… That will make it better.”
“How do you know? Erik, you could end up just like the bastard who did this to you.”
“Do you honestly think I’m going to go blow up his labs? Do you really think, after what I went through, that I would purposely put anyone else’s life in danger the way mine was?”
Keegan had the grace to look ashamed. “No, I don’t think you’d ever do anything like that.”
“Then why can’t you trust me to handle this?”
Keegan shook his head and looked into his almost-empty glass. “I told you. I don’t want you to crawl in that hole again. The one where all you think about is screwing the person who screwed you. I thought…”
Since Erik didn’t know where Keegan was going with that, he said, “You thought what?”
“I thought we were going to take our relationship with Jules to the next level.”
Erik’s guts twisted and he tried to tamp down the surge of emotion. “Have you really thought about what that relationship might be? Seriously, how does a three-way relationship work in the real world? And she’s only twenty-two. We gave her enough money to do whatever the hell she wants. She’s talked about culinary school. The good ones are in New York and Philadelphia, and those are only the local ones. The great ones are in Europe. Do we really want to tie her here?”
Keegan’s gaze remained on his glass. “I’m not talking about tying her anywhere.”
“But we’re tied to this place. This is our home. This is where we work. Our entire lives are settled here.”
Keegan’s jaw flexed. “Do you think I haven’t considered these same things?”
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