by J Grayland
The thudding in my head brought me back, and I moved toward the glass cabinet above the sink in search of some pain relief. As I opened it, Nate’s head lifted to look at me through the glass. “Hey,” he greeted, but all I could do was groan.
“You alright?”
“My head is killing me,” I said, continuing my search through the collection of aftershave bottles, new tubes of toothpaste, and various other bathroom essentials.
“There’s some Tylenol in the drawer next to the stove in the kitchen,” Nate said, turning off the shower and stepping out. I passed him a towel that he quickly rubbed through his hair and wrapped around his waist. “Why don’t you hop in the shower, and I’ll grab you some,” he said, dropping a quick kiss on my lips before heading out of the bathroom.
Stripping myself of the clothes that I had been wearing for the past 24 hours and had just slept in, I got into the shower and turned it on. Before the water had even wet my body, Nate was back with two pills and a glass of water. “Thanks,” I said, taking the glass, downing the pills, and handing the glass back to him.
“Are you okay? You look pretty pale,” he said, his eyes showing concern.
“Just all the travel and a messed up body clock. I’ll be okay. What about you?”
“It’s just good to be home,” he said, smiling. Then he added, “If you’re okay, I’m going to get dressed and go down to the office.”
“Yeah, you go see your brother. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, be back soon,” he said and left the bathroom to get dressed. I stayed in the shower until my fingertips started to shrivel, and then I dragged myself out, dried off, and slipped into a pair of shorts and tank top. I headed downstairs to the kitchen and poured a large glass of orange juice that I took over to the wall of glass to gaze out at the city beneath us. As I sipped the juice, the pain in my head finally started to ease. Grabbing my phone, I sat on the couch and flipped Flynn a text message letting him know that we had arrived home safely and that I would call later when he was awake.
Draining the glass, I dragged the suitcase and our bags into the bedroom and started to unpack. I was transferring things from the case to the closet when my fingers hit something firm. Pulling it out from under the clothing, I realized it was my mother’s journal, which I had thrown into the suitcase. I just stared at the worn cover. I did want to read it, but I still wasn’t ready. Walking around to the side of the bed, I slipped it into the drawer of the bedside table and went back to putting things away. I shoved the huge pile of laundry I had collected into the washing machine before heading back to the kitchen to make myself something to eat.
Chapter Fourteen
Nate
As soon as the elevator doors opened into the lobby of my office, I finally felt at home. Ignoring my office doors, I walked past them and down to Paxton’s office, knocking once before entering. Paxton sat behind his heavy, glass desk reading something on the computer screen that sat in front of him.
“What?” he said, sounding slightly angry without taking his eyes away from the screen.
“Fuck you, too,” I said.
Paxton’s head whipped up, his face breaking into a huge smile. He immediately got up and came around his desk to greet me with a brotherly bear hug. “What are you doing here? I thought you would be sleeping off the jet lag,” Paxton said, pulling back and looking me over.
“Yeah, we did sleep some of it off. We got back pretty early this morning.”
“I am so glad you are back. I feel like I can breathe again now,” he said, grinning.
“Smartass,” I said, sitting in one of the two black leather chairs that sat in front of his desk as he dropped into the other.
“Really, Nate, I’m glad you’re back,” Paxton said.
“Me, too. I mean, don’t get me wrong, what little I saw of Australia was spectacular, and I can’t wait to go back, but hopefully under different circumstances. I’m glad I went with Casey, but damn, it’s good to be back on home ground again. Speaking of home, why are you here at work on a Sunday when you have a wife and daughter at home?”
Paxton’s brow raised as he looked at me. “I think that jet lag has rattled your brain more than you think because today is Saturday.”
“Shit, you’re right. The time difference is a bit of a mind fuck,” I said, scrubbing a hand over my face.
“Anyway, I needed to catch up on some work, and it was a good excuse to be here when you got back. Speaking of paperwork…,” Paxton said. He got up, rounded his desk, and opened the top drawer, pulling out a large white envelope. He dropped it into my lap before taking a seat again. “That’s the deed to your new home.”
Lifting the envelope, I tore open the top, pulling out the papers, followed by several keys on a small silver ring. “That was fast work,” I said, giving him an appreciative smile.
“You’re welcome.”
Pushing the papers back inside the envelope and pocketing the keys, I said, “No, this is really great, it’s just what Casey needs.”
“And before I forget, Lynda is expecting you both at the beach house tonight for dinner. She’s missed you both.”
Pulling out my phone, I tapped out a quick message to Casey, letting her know to pack an overnight bag for the beach house.
“Don’t tell me you have to ask the little woman first,” Paxton said, grinning.
“Fuck off,” I playfully sneered back at him.
“So, fill me in on your trip.”
“You’re up to speed on most of it, the whole whitewash with the parole hearing and shit.”
“Yeah, that was bullshit. How the fuck did they get away with that one?”
“I have no idea. Flynn filed a grievance with the courts, but Casey wanted it dropped.”
“I can understand why. How is she?” Paxton asked, concerned.
“She’s amazingly good. All she wanted to do was get back here. You should have seen her, Paxton. She didn’t even look like she belonged in her own home. It was weird.”
“Yeah, well, I guess it doesn’t hold any good memories for her,” he said.
“The only one she has there is Flynn, and he’s got a lot more going on than he’s letting on.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t be sure, but I think he is much more than just a lawyer. I’m pretty sure he has some kind of double life thing going on.”
“What, you mean like undercover type thing or illegal type thing?” Paxton asked, looking interested.
“No, I don’t think it’s anything illegal, but there’s more to him than meets the eye.”
Paxton nodded and then studied me for a moment. “So, what are you not telling me?”
Taken aback by his question, I smiled as I realized that I could never hide anything from him.
“Are you sure you want to go there?” I asked him with a slight grimace.
“What did you do?” he asked, his annoyance obvious in the tone of his voice.
“Nothing that you wouldn’t have done,” I said, placating him.
“Nate,” Paxton growled.
Rubbing my hand on the back of my neck, I tried to think of just how to put it all into words.
“On the last night, Flynn took us out for a meal and then onto this weird kind of cross between an old style bar, lounge, and nightclub place. It was a good night.”
“And…” Paxton said.
“And that fucker, Max Sullivan, turned up. He grabbed Casey while Flynn and I were waiting for a cab.”
“What the fuck?”
“She had gone to use the bathroom, and when I got to her, he had her by the throat, pressed up against the wall,” I said, my anger resurfacing at the memory.
Paxton stood shaking his head. “Please, don’t say what I think you’re going to say,” he said, pushing his hands into his pockets.
“Depends what you think I’m going to say,” I said sheepishly.
He huffed out a breath before saying, “Well, if some sicko had Lynda pushed against a wall, I would rip him to pieces with my bare hands.”
“When I saw that bastard with his hands on her, Paxton, I saw blood,” I said through gritted teeth, looking straight at him. “I didn’t think at all; I just reacted.”
“Fuck, Nate. At least tell me you didn’t kill him?” When I shrugged my shoulders, Paxton started to pace. “Did anyone see you? What about cops?” He started a barrage of questions that I halted by standing right in front of him and placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Look, the last thing that I know is that he was in the hospital, unconscious. There were no witnesses, and Flynn took care of everything. He’s going to keep me updated, okay?”
Paxton reluctantly gave me a nod before saying, “So, Casey…she’s alright?”
“Yeah, she’s good. What about Peterson, anything new?”
“Nah, I’ve been keeping an eye on the little fucker. Nothing since you and Jax paid him a visit.”
“That’s just the way I like it.”
Making my way back up to the penthouse with a promise to Paxton that we would meet him down in the garage in an hour and with the large white envelope clutched in my hand, I was hit by loud music playing as soon as the elevator doors opened. Walking in, my heart hitched a little at the sight of Casey dancing around in the kitchen, cleaning down the counters. I leaned against the wall for a moment and watched her wiggle and sway to the loud, thumping music as she busied herself with the task at hand. She looked so comfortable and relaxed, and it was a welcome sight to see this beautiful woman clearly very comfortable in my home. When she turned and saw me staring at her, she smiled, picking up the remote and silencing the music.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” she said, her cheeks turning a little pink with embarrassment.
“Please, don’t stop. I was enjoying the show.”
“Funny guy,” she said leaning a hip against the kitchen island.
“You know I have a housekeeper who does all the cleaning, right?” I asked her.
“Yes, the elusive and stealthy Mrs. Winters. I’ve heard her name and woken up in the morning to a clean place and a well-stocked fridge, but I haven’t been quick enough to see her yet.” She smiled.
“Well, I’m pretty sure you’ll be seeing a lot more of her over the next couple of weeks.”
“Really? Why is that?” she asked, brows raised in curiosity. Walking closer to her, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bunch of keys.
“Because over the next few weeks, I have a feeling that I am going to be pretty busy with the Bank contract, and I don’t want you to be on your own for long periods of time.” She opened her mouth to protest, but I held a finger against her lips and continued. “Besides, even though I know how incredible you are at multitasking, I still think you’ll need a hand looking after two places, and I’d like to know you have some help decorating this.” Holding up the keys, I gently swayed them in front of her eyes. She looked at the keys then back to me, and I noticed as a small crease formed in between her brows.
I watched as she studied the keys for a moment. Then she broke into a huge smile and said, “The beach house?” I took her hand and nodded, placing the keys into her palm, closing her fingers over them.
“It’s all yours.”
Looking down at her hand then back up to me, she whispered, “Ours.”
Wrapping my arms around her and pulling her against me, I kissed her forehead. “I didn’t expect it to happen so fast,” she said.
“You can thank Paxton for that. I have no idea how he gets things accomplished so fast, but he’s a slick little shit, and this is the one time I am not going to question him.”
“I’ll thank him later, then.”
“Speaking of which, we had better go down to the garage before he comes looking for us,” I said, giving her ass a squeeze.
Chapter Fifteen
Casey
We had just put our overnight bags and a bag full of presents into the boot of the Audi when the lift doors opened and Paxton strode out, arms open to engulf me in a warm hug.
“Hey, Casey, how are you doing?” he asked as he pulled me back, looking at me with concern.
“I’m great, Paxton, and really glad to be back.”
“Well, we sure did miss you both. Speaking of which, we better hit the road before Lynda starts calling me to see where we are.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice; I can’t wait to see them both.”
We followed behind Paxton for most of the journey. It didn’t matter how many times we made this road trip, I still loved taking in the view from the window. I was conscious of the change in the air. The smell of the salty breeze coming from the ocean and the sound of the waves got louder the closer we got to the beach house. As soon as we pulled up outside the house, Lynda was at the door with Emily in her arms, her face alight with an excitement that matched my own. Jumping out, we embraced each other, being careful not to crush Emily who was sandwiched between two sets of boobs. Breaking apart, I took Emily from Lynda and hugged her close, breathing in her beautiful baby scent and dropping a light kiss on her forehead. “Look at you, little girl! You have grown so much,” I said, looking into her sweet little face before turning to look at Lynda. “And you look wonderful! I see motherhood agrees with you.”
“It does, but not so much at three in the morning!” Lynda said, smiling. She continued, “Come on in, I am dying to hear about your trip.”
Leaving Paxton and Nate to bring in our bags, I followed Lynda into the house where we sat opposite each other on the couch. With Emily still in my arms, we both broke into a flurry of excited chatter at the same time. Lynda bombarded me with questions about our trip that I tried to answer quickly before asking her questions about Emily. We didn’t even notice the men come in. It was only when they both joined us in the living room, each holding opened bottles of beer, that we broke from our talking. Nate placed his beer on the coffee table. He came to sit next to me, and I handed him his niece. He was just as lost as I had been in the little bundle, cooing at her and gently running his fingers over her wispy hair and chubby cheeks. I watched as his eyes softened and then grew wide with love as she blew little raspberries as he spoke to her.
“She is so beautiful,” he said, looking up at Paxton.
“What do you expect, with two of the most beautiful people in the world as her parents?” Paxton said, grinning.
“Well, at least one,” Nate said to Paxton.
The afternoon was spent catching up, watching as Paxton and Lynda enjoyed the gifts that we brought back with us, and of course, play time with little Emily. We thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful dinner and time out on the back deck with a glass of wine, surrounded by the smells and sounds of the ocean.
“So, I hear you have a new house to furnish,” Lynda said, patting my leg.
“I guess we do,” I said, looking over to where Nate sat stretched out in an armchair, making him grin before he said, “Oh, no, that’s all yours, baby.”
“I don’t think so, you’ll be living there, as well.”
“Yeah, but shopping is not my thing,” he said, rubbing his fingers along his chin.
“And it’s not mine either, remember?”
“Really?” Lynda said, a slightly shocked look on her face as she looked at Nate and me. “You’re just as bad as each other.”
“Yeah, what woman doesn’t like to shop?” Paxton said.
In unison, both Nate and I pointed in my direction with me saying, “Me,” and Nate saying, “Her,” making us break out into laughter.
“Then you might have a bit of a problem. I mean, you do need something to have that wild monkey sex on, otherwise you guys are going to end up with splin
ters,” Paxton said, smiling. We were all silent for a moment, contemplating an easy solution to our decorating dilemma when Lynda jumped with excitement.
“I know, you can purchase furniture online! All we need is a computer, some more wine, Nate’s credit card, and we can fill that house with everything you’ll need.”
“Sounds good to me,” Nate said, looking straight at me. “What do you think?”
“I think it sounds great, but you still need to be involved,” I said, giving Nate a pointed look.
“Really?” he almost whined like a 10-year-old being told he had to clean his room.
“Of course. I don’t want to be responsible for buying some ugly couch that you decide is uncomfortable down the road. I’ll never hear the end of it!”
“Fine,” he breathed out. “Go grab the laptop, and let’s do this before I change my mind.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I said, causing his brow to arch as he said, “Try me.”
Over the next couple of hours, another bottle of wine, and a few beers, we managed to furnish our new home from top to bottom with the basics to move in. The purchases included an obscenely sized, flat screen TV with a complete surround sound system to go with it, of course, at Nate’s request. When I saw the total of the invoice, I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly decided to zip it when Nate gave me a shake of his head and a wicked death stare as he pulled out his credit card and tapped in the number and delivery address. I was amazed at just how much you could purchase online without even stepping foot into a showroom. Satisfied with our furniture quest for the night, we headed off to bed where I quickly fell asleep, my cheek pressed against Nate’s hard chest with the excitement of exploring our new home in the morning.