by A. V. Asher
But she forced a smile into her voice. “I’m good. Had a few unexpected changes in the last few months, but, you know, I’m adjusting. How about you? How’s your security company?”
“It’s going well, actually. We’re moving into Europe, which will bring a wider variety of clientele. I now have forty full-time security personnel.” The pride in his voice was unmistakable.
“That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “I have to admit, it surprised me when you said you’re in London. What brings you here?”
“Oh, well, it’s a long story.” Mercedes laughed. “I’ve been here about six months, and I recently completed the requirements to practice here, so I’m ready to go. I’ve submitted my resume to every place I can think of, but I keep striking out. So, I thought I’d call you and see if you knew of businesses or practices that might be in the market for an American corporate attorney.”
“It’s possible, though I’m having a hard time thinking of any names off the top of my head. We’ve a lot of business associates who might be looking for someone. I can put a list together for you.”
“Oh, that would be so helpful, Alec. Thank you.” Her heart wouldn’t stop hammering in her chest.
“Of course. Always happy to help a friend.”
Was she a friend? There was a slight lull in the conversation, and she sensed he was searching for something to say.
“What are your plans tomorrow afternoon?” she blurted. When he didn’t say anything, she rushed on. “I mean . . . maybe you can come by the coffee shop after I get off work, and we could catch up?”
Holy God, what are you doing?
No help for it though, he’d think her nuts if she rescinded the offer. Maybe he’d decline.
“I actually don’t have any plans set for tomorrow. I mean, I have things to do, but I can do them anytime. I’m heading out of town for work, so I gave myself tomorrow off to take care of a few things.”
“Perfect. I work at Cap & Vin. It’s a little coffee and wine bar in Kensington.”
“Oh aye, I know the place. It’s close to my office.”
“Really?” She hadn’t known he had been so close.
“I’ll bring the list with me.”
“Thanks again. I really appreciate it.” Her heart was lighter than it had been in months.
“It’s no trouble. I look forward to seeing you again. It’s been a long time.”
Her breath caught. Did he ever think about her? “Me too. It’s been much too long. Goodnight, Alec.”
“Night.”
The phone went silent. She sat there for a moment, her smile fading as the realization of what she had done hit her.
Jason will lose his mind if he finds out.
Chapter Three
Alec sat with his phone in his hand, staring at the home screen, his thoughts all over the place. Had he actually accepted a coffee date with Mercedes Elliott?
Her voice had taken him back to nearly three years ago when they had been . . . Well, there wasn’t a name for what they had been.
He couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong. Mercedes had seemed . . . nervous? Was that it? Perhaps. He had been too.
She seemed more timid than he remembered. The Mercedes he’d known had been confident and charming. She lit up the room wherever she went.
But Alec had to admit he was likely biased. She’d held his attention from the first moment they had met.
He also hadn’t missed the lack of details regarding the loss of her job. She’d worked her ass off to get through law school, pass the bar, and find work in one of the most prestigious firms on the West Coast of the United States. She’d never have walked away without another position in line.
Christ, what the hell happened?
Looking at his watch, he calculated what time it was in San Francisco. Luke would be on his way to work. He dialed his younger cousin’s number as he locked the office door and headed for the lift.
“Oi, what’s up, ya Scottish prick?” Luke answered.
“Aye, fuck off, ya wee Yankee bastard. Dinna forget yer a Scot too,” Alec said, exaggerating his accent.
“Oh, I dinna be forgettin’. The folk around these parts think I’m posh. I canna imagine why, though.”
“Me neither.” Alec laughed, falling back into his normal speech pattern. “Do you have a minute?”
“Aye, just a few. I have a meeting soon. What’s up?”
“I got a call today . . . from Mercedes.”
“Ah.”
“So you knew she’d call me?” The lift door opened, and he walked toward his car.
“Aye, we hoped she would,” Luke said. “Charlie’s been trying to get her to call you for weeks. She’s so feckin’ stubborn, though.”
“She said she’s been in London for about six months and hadn’t yet found a job as an attorney. Did she just walk away from the firm she was at?”
“Nah, man. I don’t have time to go through it all right now, but a big case she was working on went to hell, and she took the fall for it. Personally, I don’t think it was all her doing, but what do I know. Anyway, she lost her position and couldn’t find work. So she made a big change.”
“But why here? Surely somewhere in the states would have been easier.”
“I know I told you she was with that computer programmer, Jason Marsh?”
“You did.” Damn. He’d hoped that had changed. They must have been together for nearly three years now.
“He convinced Sadie to come with him. Promised he’d introduce her around all over town to get her foot in the door. As far as we can tell, he hasn’t done shit to help her. If anything, he’s tightened his hold on her.”
“Sounds like a real winner.” Alec was unable to keep an edge from his voice.
“Well, let’s just say he and I don’t get along. Bit of a fuckwit,” Luke said. “He took a dislikin’ to Charlie a year ago, and after that, we saw less and less of Sadie.”
“He doesn’t like Charlie?” Charlotte Elliott McKinley was one of the sweetest women he’d ever met.
“Right? Look, I don’t want to invade her privacy, mate. Sadie’s a smart lass. We just both think she could have done better.”
Alec let the implication in Luke’s voice go unanswered. He and Luke had never gone into why he and Mercedes hadn’t worked out. He saved those sorts of heart to hearts for their cousin, Declan.
It didn’t matter anyway. She’d moved on.
“I’m seeing her tomorrow afternoon.”
“Are you? That’s good. Charlie’ll be thrilled to hear you’re helping. She’s been so worried.”
“I can imagine.” Mercedes had practically raised her younger sister. It must be so hard to have her on another continent.
“Look, mate, I have to go, my meeting is here. Can we talk later this week? I’m swamped for a few days.”
Alec said his goodbyes and hung up. The hollow feeling in his stomach had gotten stronger. Calling Luke had created more questions than it answered. Why was Mercedes with a man who kept her from her sister? Something felt off.
He had to admit some of this might come from his own desire to dislike the man without knowing a single thing about him. Yeah, there was a bit of envy there for sure.
Alec never had any sort of claim on Mercedes. He’d once hoped they would try to make a go of it. But the transcontinental relationship had been too much. Well, it was more abrupt than that, but it hardly mattered now. He had to put those thoughts aside and do everything in his power to help her as a friend should. There was no reason to make her already tough situation harder by being a prick.
Boyfriend or not, he was looking forward to seeing her.
Chapter Four
His phone lit up for the third time, but Jason Marsh only glared at it. He wasn’t in the mood to speak to the boss again. He’d said all he needed to say to that asshole. Anything else could wait.
As Jason crossed the road outside
of the Cap and Vin, he took a few deep breaths to calm his irritation. Work had been shit, and he wasn’t thrilled about eating dinner alone again. This damn job of hers was pissing him off. She spent far too many late evenings tied up in it. And what did he get out of it? Lukewarm takeout from the curry place again?
But he’d made a promise. It was one of the conditions he had negotiated in order to keep her. She’d get to work, and he’d have her with him in London. She had no idea how many strings he had to pull to put it together. And she never would.
As Jason pulled open the door to the cafe, he breathed in and held it to the count of three, like that overpaid head doctor in California suggested. Sometimes it worked. Other times his temper was a ticking time bomb nothing could stop.
The music from the live band blared as he found a table as far away from the trumpets as he could. Did it have to be fucking jazz?
Jason scanned the crowded room and couldn’t find her. He turned in his chair, searching every corner of the compact lounge.
Where the hell is she? His blood was rising. She better be where she was supposed to be.
He breathed deeply again.
Just as he was pulling out his phone to track her, Mercedes appeared in the doorway behind the counter, two bottles of wine in her hands. She smiled at her customers as she worked on the cork of one bottle. The tightening in his chest released.
That smile. Jesus.
They were so rare these days. When he first met her, she had been nothing but laughter and energy. In recent months, she’d faded, grown quiet and reserved. Not that he could blame her. Things in San Francisco had taken a toll. Regardless, he wouldn’t feel bad for the months of trauma she went through. Without them, she wouldn’t be here.
Mercedes must have sensed him watching. Looking up from the bar, she searched the room until she saw him. Her mouth quirked up in a flirty smile, and the irritation of the day melted away.
Mercedes pushed through the crowd to his table, a single glass of white wine in her hand.
“Hi, babe,” Jason said.
“Hey! Just got this Pinot Grigio from California today. I thought you’d like to try it out.”
Jason smiled and took up the stem. He loved good white wine, and she knew it. Crisp and chilled perfectly, he savored the flavors.
“Mmm,” he responded.
“It’s good, right?” She asked with a tinge of hope in her eyes. He loved how hard she tried to please him.
“Very. Thanks.”
Mercedes gave him a wide grin, her hazel eyes crinkling in the corners. God damn, she was as close to perfect as he could get. Desire for her pulsed through him. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her to him.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her ear. The feel of her body against his made him painfully hard. He pressed himself into her, trying to relieve the ache. “Come home with me. Right now.”
“Jace,” she murmured. “I wish I could, but I’m working till midnight.”
Mercedes’s palm settled on his shoulder, fingertips twitching against him.
Always fidgeting.
Jason captured her hand in his to stop the motion. “You don’t have to work until midnight. It won’t matter if you leave.” He brought her fingers to his mouth, brushing his lips against her smooth skin.
“It’d matter a lot. We’re short-staffed, and it’s packed.”
Damn the stupid ass job she insisted on having. Taking a few deep breaths, he worked to calm the storm. She was his, for God’s sake. He should come first. Was she trying to set him off?
Jason’s lips pursed together to keep from saying what was on his mind. Nothing good could come from losing his temper here. Too many people could interfere— too many who could try to take her away from him.
He forced himself to smile. “I know. I miss you, is all.”
Mercedes let her breath out in a sigh. Had she worried what he’d do? Another spasm of desire ran through him. He adjusted his hard-on through his slacks.
“I’ll see you in a few hours then?”
Mercedes leaned in to kiss him gently. Unsatisfied, he grabbed her hair and plunged his tongue into her mouth. She tensed against him. She always hated making a scene, but he didn’t care. This was his to take. When he released her, her breaths were coming in shallow pants.
She could pretend she didn’t enjoy it, but she did.
“I’ll see you tonight.” Mercedes gave him a tight smile and walked back to the bar.
He was looking forward to it.
Breathing in the crisp air of the sleepy streets, Mercedes stepped out of the shop and set out for home. Her throat ached from shouting to be heard over the thrumming instruments. It’d be a while before the pounding headache would taper off.
She didn’t mind the five-block walk to the one-bedroom flat she shared with Jason. On a usual night, she’d enjoy the moment, reflect on the day and relax.
But tonight, she couldn’t keep the unease away. Jason didn’t like to be told no. The look that had passed behind his eyes set off alarm bells. Mercedes wasn’t sure what she was going home to.
She walked up the narrow stairs to the flat and pulled her keys from her purse to unlock the door. Jason was stretched out on the loveseat, a glass of wine on the table in front of him. A British sitcom blared on the television. She laid her things on the small table next to the door.
“Hey,” she said, her voice low. Which Jason would she get this time?
He looked up and smiled, unnerving her. It seemed genuine, not his usual sneer when he was irritated. His crystal blue eyes were relaxed and affectionate.
“Hi babe,” he said. “How was the rest of your shift?”
“Good. Customers were happy.” She paused to regard him.
“That’s good. Did you eat?”
“A while ago.” She shook off her jacket. “I’m not hungry, just tired. I’m going to shower and get to bed. Are you going to stay up?”
“For a while longer. Any news on the job hunt?”
“Not really. I might have a lead. I spoke with one of our regulars today who might know of an opportunity. It’s a bit of a stretch, but he might have some news for me in the next week.”
“A customer from the shop?”
“Yeah. Not holding my breath, though.” She hoped he wouldn’t hear the lie in her voice. “Hey, I’m wiped out, and I have an early shift. Night.”
Mercedes went to their bedroom and closed the door, her heart racing. As she gathered her things and headed to the bathroom, a tremor of guilt washed over her. She hated lying.
She stepped into the shower, unsure what to make of his change in behavior. It wasn’t the first time his mood swings had startled her. The catalysts for these changes were arbitrary, always keeping her guessing about how the evening would go.
It was exhausting to always be on alert.
She’d tried to leave a couple of times. Once, too humiliated to tell Charlotte and Luke, not wanting them to learn how fucked up her relationship was, she checked herself into a hotel while figuring out what to do.
Jason had found her within an hour, begging her to give him another chance. He’d been so broken when he came to her, his handsome face tracked with tears. He begged for forgiveness and agreed to couple’s counseling. For months, he attended all the counseling sessions and took full responsibility for his behavior. The Jason she loved came back to her, and she fell for him again.
It was that change in him that got her through the roughest time of her life. She’d be forever grateful for his steady hand when she needed him most.
Mercedes finished her shower and dried her hair. By the time she left the small bathroom, Jason was in bed waiting for her. She held back a sigh.
It wasn’t a surprise. He’d been worked up at the bar. No doubt the time he waited for her had only made him hornier. She wasn’t in the mood but resisting him would be pointless. At best, he’d sulk for a few days, at worst… well.
Mercedes tosse
d her towel in the hamper and climbed into bed naked.
Jason was on her before she could pull the covers up, kissing her neck and stroking her breasts with his thumbs. His mouth moved up, a wet tongue snaking in her ear. She hated when he did that, but she didn’t bother to tell him again. She turned her face and kissed him. Jason moaned as she ran her hand down his abs and feathered his hardness.
Jason was a gorgeous man. With his pale blue eyes and wavy ash-blond hair, he could have walked out of a magazine. He wasn’t a towering figure, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in strength and athleticism.
Sometimes she wondered what was wrong with her. She should be eager to have a man like him in her bed.
Jason positioned himself atop her and pressed inside her tight walls. Mercedes winced at the initial dryness. It passed quickly, and she relaxed, letting him take his pleasure. She moaned for him, her fingers roaming his back.
But her mind wandered. She had a few things to do in the morning. Luke’s birthday was coming up. She needed to get something in the post soon. Maybe she could pick up a nice whisky.
Jason’s pace became fevered, and he pumped harder until he cried out, finishing in rhythmic spasms. Panting as he rolled off her, he murmured, “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
Mercedes smiled as he pulled the sheet over himself, settling into the bed. It wasn’t a surprise when he didn’t make a move to reciprocate. She was good with it. Exhaustion had hit her hours ago. Sleep sounded better.
Heading into the bathroom, she hopped back into the shower for a quick cleanup. It would have saved a lot of time if he had made his move before she showered.
When Mercedes came out, he was already asleep. She turned off the bedside lamp and settled against her pillow. Her fingers stroked a delicate tune on the soft edge of the blanket. Moonlight Sonata was one of her favorites to help her sleep.
The meeting with Alec came to mind, and she tensed.
Maybe I should cancel.
She pushed the thought away. There was nothing wrong with meeting with an old friend for coffee.