OH GOD. BLAISE stared into Greyson’s smoky, gray eyes. The raw desire she saw staring back at her was nearly her undoing. When his lips touched hers, Blaise’s dropped the bag of beignets, and her hands automatically found their way into Greyson’s hair. The tenderness of the kiss took her by surprise, and her knees buckled when she felt his tongue caressing her bottom lip. Blaise granted him entrance, knowing full well that this was not the place to be doing this.
She felt Greyson’s hands resting on her hips, pulling her closer to him. When they began to make their journey upwards, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed gently.
“We can’t do this here,” she breathed. Her pulse was beating so rapidly she was surprised she didn’t just pass out.
“Blaise,” Greyson warned.
“I’m not running, Greyson,” she assured him. “However, this is my place of business, and I’m technically working.”
He rubbed a hand over his face, taking a deep breath. “You’re right. I apologize.”
“Well, don’t apologize, silly. It was nice. More than nice,” she added hastily when he raised his eyebrows at her. “Which is why I had to stop. Would you like some coffee?” she asked as she backed away from him. He smelled so damned good, Blaise didn’t trust herself to keep her hands off of him. She bent to pick up the bag she had dropped, setting it on her desk.
“Do you have to-go cups? I was going to bring you coffee from Ellie’s, but she said you have your own system.”
The bemused look on his face made her chuckle. “I do. Have to-go cups and my own system,” she explained. “It’s called ‘coffee roulette’. I give my carousel here a spin, close my eyes, choose and see what kind of day I’ll be having.”
She demonstrated, plucking out the first K-cup her finger landed on, and laughed.
“What’s the verdict,” Greyson asked, amusement tinting his voice.
Blaise turned to him, giving him a sly look up and down. “Jazzed Up. I’d say it’s a good system.”
His laugh was low and easy, and she felt her heart constrict at the sound. She cleared her throat and gave him a small smile before turning to prepare his cup of coffee. “Black, right?”
“Yeah. You wanna tell me what just happened?” he asked in a low voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, doll. Your demeanor just changed. What happened?”
Blaise sighed. She squared her shoulders and faced him. “You make me feel things,” she told him honestly. “Things I’ve never felt before. And, to be perfectly honest, I haven’t figured out if I like that or not. This is going really fast, Greyson.”
He nodded. “I get that, Blaise. I’m right there with you.” Greyson dipped his head to look her in the eye. “I’m not trying to pressure you.”
“Lunch with your parents is sort of putting pressure on me,” she admitted quietly.
He closed his eyes, and scratched his stubble. The silver flecks in his beard caught her eye, and again she thought about how distinguished—not to mention incredibly sexy—he looked.
“I told you we didn’t have to go, doll.”
“But it’s important to you.” She didn’t bother posing it as a question. Blaise had seen it in his eyes when he asked her.
“Of course it is. Eventually I would like for you to meet my family, but it doesn’t have to be this Sunday.” He stepped closer, laying his hands on her hips. “I’m not close with my family, at least not emotionally. But it is important to me that they see what kind of woman you are. What kind of woman I want in my life.”
“You just want her to stop setting you up with ‘hot, model types’,” she teased, but knew the statement was true.
“Since I have you, yes. No one else can compare.”
She searched his eyes, and saw nothing but the truth. “You certainly are a charmer.”
“Like I said before, I only speak the truth.”
Blaise felt herself leaning into him as though she were being pulled by some force greater than her resolve not to do this at her place of work.
“Ms. Knight?”
Blaise groaned as much for the loss of opportunity for a kiss than the ‘Ms. Knight’ coming out of Mer’s mouth.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt.” Blaise observed the bright pink color of Mer’s cheeks, and how she looked anywhere but at Blaise and Greyson. “The Wainwright-Harper clients are here to see you.”
Now Blaise groaned for a whole other reason. She still didn’t think that the bickering couple, who couldn’t agree on a single thing without the groom’s mother’s approval, would make it to the altar. But they were here now, so it was time to put on her game face.
“I’ll be right there.” She sighed dramatically when Mer left.
“Problem?”
“Wedding,” she stated as though that explained everything. Greyson cocked his head to the side, prompting Blaise to be a bit more detailed. “Stacy Harper and Steve Wainwright have hired me to do the flowers for their upcoming nuptials. I, however, am not completely sure those nuptials will actually happen. Or should.”
“Steve Wainwright? Sounds familiar.” Greyson shrugged. “Are they that bad?”
Raised voices drifted back to them making Blaise laugh. “There’s your answer. They don’t agree on anything, the mother-in-law is overbearing, and he has a wandering eye.”
“Sounds lovely.”
The sarcastic comment had Blaise laughing again.
“Mmhmm.” She straightened Greyson’s already straight tie. “I have to go.”
Greyson smiled and nodded. “I should get to the office. I’ll call you later tonight.”
“I probably won’t be home ‘til late.”
She watched in fascination as Greyson’s mood changed, his eyebrow lifting as he scowled. “Have a date?”
“Don’t get all alpha-male jealous. I do have a date.” His mood darkened even further, and she decided to stop teasing him. She wasn’t sure she liked the thought of him getting mad that she had other plans. They would have to talk about that at some point. “I’m going over to Ellie’s. Ellie, Jessie and I have girl’s night a few times a month where we do all kinds of girlie things. Is that okay with you?” she challenged.
Greyson blew out a breath. “I suppose my reaction was a bit out of place,” he acknowledged. “I apologize.”
“One thing you should know about me, Greyson. I don’t date more than one person at a time. I told you I was in. I’m giving us a chance. I can’t do that if there’s someone else, can I? Now, I really have to go.”
Greyson bent down, brushing her lips with his. “Thank you for the coffee.” He looked over her shoulder at the cup that was still on the machine. “Have a good time tonight.” He collected his coffee, and a lid. With a wink and a smile, he turned towards the door.
“You can text tonight,” she called out to him. “I’ll do my best to answer if I don’t have cucumbers over my eyes.”
He laughed and nodded. “Would you text me when you get home?”
“Sometimes I stay over, depending on how much wine is consumed. But,” she continued when he opened his mouth. “I will let you know either way.”
“Thank you.” He leaned his head slightly out the doorway. “You may want to get out here before they start using your flowers as ammunition,” he quipped as the voices of her clients got decidedly louder.
Shit, I really don’t want to deal with them today. Despite her dread, she had to laugh at the mock horror on Greyson’s face. “Get out of here, you goof. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Have a nice day, doll.” He gave her one last sexy grin, then was gone.
“So much trouble, Blaise,” she muttered to herself before taking a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
BLAISE LIFTED THE two bottles of Prosecco when Ellie answered the door. “I am drinking one of these bottles. You’re more than welcome to help me with the second.” She shoved the cold bottles in Ellie’s hands, and walked strai
ght to the couch, flopping down dramatically.
“Rough day, dear?” Ellie teased. She walked through to the kitchen of the open concept apartment, putting the Prosecco in the glass door refrigerator. Blaise always wondered how the busy Ellie kept her fridge clean enough to have a see-through door.
She loved Ellie’s and Jessie’s apartment. While her own apartment suited her needs, Ellie’s was very much a ‘family’ home. Of course, the kitchen was decked out with the best of the best appliances. It was one indulgence that Blaise knew Ellie allowed herself. Any extra money Ellie had, went towards Jessie, and making this a warm and loving environment.
“Stacy and Steve came in today,” Blaise explained.
Ellie’s eyes widened in surprise. “They’re still together? I thought for sure after they came in to talk to me about the cake they would call the whole thing off.”
Blaise laughed as she thought about the story Ellie had told her. The engaged couple had gone in to see Ellie—at Blaise’s insistence—and ended up in a yelling match that Blaise knew, even not being there, was epic.
“Yeah, they weren’t much better today. I honestly don’t know why Stacy would subject herself to that. I think they even scared big, bad LtCol Steele.”
Ellie tapped her spoon on the pan that held something amazing, Blaise was sure.
“Blaise, sweetie, what have I told you about priorities? Stories about Greyson always come first.”
Blaise shrugged, pushing off the couch to stick her face in the steam coming from the pan. “Mmm. Chicken Marsala.” She snickered when Ellie bumped her hip. “You know perfectly well that Greyson came to see me since you gave him beignets.”
“True. However, I don’t know what happened after he gave you said beignets.”
“I was at work, El. What do you think happened?”
Ellie smirked. “For my beignets? I think anything could happen,” she winked saucily.
Blaise laughed heartily. “You are full of yourself.”
“No, I just know you. You have a weak spot for my sweets.”
Ellie turned quickly, but Blaise could have sworn she saw her blush. Wonder what that’s about.
“We kissed.”
Ellie glanced at Blaise over her shoulder and smiled. “And?”
“And, it was really great.”
“What was really great?” Jessie ambled into the kitchen, grabbing a soda from the fridge.
“Um…” Blaise scrambled for a suitable answer for the teenager. “The pastries Greyson brought to me this morning.”
Ellie snorted, and Blaise slapped her arm playfully.
“Mmhmm. Pastries,” Jessie repeated with skepticism. “You kissed Greyson, didn’t you?”
Blaise’s jaw dropped, and Ellie erupted with laughter.
“She really is your daughter,” Blaise muttered. “Yes, little Miss I-Think-I-Know-Everything. I kissed Greyson.”
“Cool! Just kissed, or…?”
“Jessie!” Both Ellie and Blaise exclaimed.
Jessie giggled. “Oh come on. You’ve already had ‘the talk’ with me, Mom. I know what goes on.”
Blaise was sure her eyes were as big as saucers. “You had ‘the talk’ already?”
“Already?” Ellie asked, exasperated. “She’s sixteen. She’s the same age I was when I got pregnant with her. Of course we’ve had ‘the talk’.”
Ellie turned backed to cooking, a bit too abruptly, making Blaise wince. She knew this was a touchy subject for Ellie. “Hey.” Blaise touched Ellie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“Mom, I didn’t mean…”
Ellie touched Jessie’s cheek. “I know, honey.” She turned to Blaise apologetically. Sorry, she mouthed.
“I’m starving!” Blaise announced, deciding it was time to lighten things up again. “Plus, it’s Jessie’s turn to give me a facial.”
STAYING AT EL’S, courtesy of a full bottle of Prosecco. Miss you. —B
Oh crap. Did I just tell him I missed him? Note to self, she thought, her mind a little blurry from the alcohol. Don’t drink and text.
Miss you, too, doll. Drink some water and take some aspirin. It’ll help with the headache you’re bound to have. —G
She smiled at his text. Sweet.
Yes, sir. *Salutes*—B
Careful, doll. I could get used to that. ;) —G
Now she laughed outright.
Don’t hold your breath, stud. :-* Plans tonight? —B
Blaise hated to admit that she was overly curious about what Greyson did in his free time. She didn’t want to think about all of the parties or beautiful women that were no doubt a part of Greyson’s lifestyle.
Just staying in, doing a little research, doll. Talk tomorrow? —G
She smiled, feeling a warmth in her belly.
Of course. —Doll
GREYSON FELT A tug of guilt over the small fib, but still grinned at the text. Blaise was either warming up to their relationship, or she was completely inebriated. Whatever it was, it made him happy.
He slipped his phone into his back pocket, and fit the earpiece in his ear. “Got me?”
“Got ya, brother.” Cade answered through the com. “You remember the schematics?”
“Don’t insult the talent, man.” Cade chuckled in his ear, and apologized. “The red space, is that off limits?”
“That’s what they say.”
There was something in Cade’s voice that had Greyson pausing. “You want me to forget it’s off limits?”
“There’s something there, brother. They’re payin’ a shit load of money to make sure the company is secure. Why keep any section vulnerable?”
“Trade secrets?” Greyson suggested.
“Is there a room like that at Steele Industries?”
“Yeah. Mostly it holds information on other companies, our shareholders, and any company we may be going after.”
“Like a war room?”
“Exactly.”
“This company? You say they’re after Steele Industries. Why not check out their war room? See what you’re up against.”
“That’s unethical, Cade,” Greyson warned.
“Maybe. But don’t you find it odd that Steele Industries has been successful for decades, only to be on EK’s radar recently?”
“Preston made poor choices.” Greyson slid the black cap on his head, completing the totally black ensemble of black cargo pants, and a black long sleeve shirt.
“Preston is a lot of things, brother, but he isn’t stupid. He’s been running that company for years. How long has EK Enterprises been at your door?”
“Since Preston…” Greyson cursed under his breath. EK came sniffing around the company ever since Preston almost ran the company into the ground. As much as Greyson hated to admit it, Cade was right. Preston wasn’t stupid. Greyson could never figure out what had happened to cause Preston to make such terrible decisions. He had to have known how bad they would be for the company. “What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know what to think, brother. Hell, it doesn’t matter. Like you said, it’s unethical to go in that room without permission.” Cade let out a short, sarcastic laugh. “Think of it this way, if EK succeeds, you’re free to come work with me.”
SECURITY WAS ABYSMAL to say the least. The infrastructure was weak, easily penetrable. He took out his B & E tool, and began unscrewing the outer shell of the system. Once he got it open, he checked each wire to see if the device routed to any backup security. No extra wires, no modules other than the typical components. Once that was determined, he clipped the wire from the decoder to the system, and after pressing a few buttons, hit enter. Within mere seconds, he retrieved the passcode. Child’s play, he thought disgustedly, slipping his decoder back into the thigh pocket of his cargo pants. That had been way too easy to hack into. “Who the hell designed this system?” Greyson whispered.
“Cutting corners, brother. Competing security companies come in, bid rock bottom prices and give inferior systems that look go
od on the outside.”
“And, have Lego parts on the inside,” Greyson finished for him. “But now they want something more?”
“Coincidence?”
“You think it has something to do with their sudden interest in Steele Industries?”
“We’re military, brother. We know better than anyone that there are rarely coincidences.”
“Right. Going in.”
“Careful. I doubt they have anything more sophisticated, but…”
“You never know.” Greyson walked down the dark hallway, sticking close to the wall. “Will they be hiring guards?” he asked curiously as he scanned each office. The doors were left open; a policy they did not allow at Steele Industries. All offices were to be closed and locked, and all electronic equipment had to be shut down completely. Steele Industries had also hired some of the best geeks and hackers in the world to build the latest and greatest firewalls to keep their servers impenetrable.
“That’s the plan, and part of our pitch,” Cade answered.
Greyson nodded his approval, knowing Cade couldn’t see him. When he reached the end of the hall, he reached EK Enterprises ‘war room’. Wrestling with his conscience, curiosity about what was going on won over his ethics. All’s fair in business, he thought. At least that was what he had always been taught. With a deep breath, he pulled out a hand-held scanner, and skimmed the door and surrounding area. When it beeped and lit up green, he smiled. “We’re about to test your gadget, man. Cross your fingers.”
Cade snorted his disapproval. “Please. That thing is brilliant. If it says it’s clear, it’s clear.”
“Let’s find out.”
“You sure about what you’re doing, brother?”
“Just gathering intel, man. It’s what we do.” He repeated the process with the decoder, making sure there were no surprises, and heard the door click. “We’re in. How’s it looking?”
Coming Home: An LA Lovers Book Page 16