by Piper Rayne
As she rounds the exit to an outside area that faces the lake, she misspeaks again. “Roar—Mr. Baldwin thought the outside would be nice in September. However, we do have heaters we can bring out if it ends up being a chilly weekend.”
“How exactly do you know Mr. Baldwin?” Chelsea asks.
I shoot her a look to say don’t ask questions.
“Oh, well,” Sonya stammers.
“Please, it’s none of our business.” I step outside onto the patio where tall bar height tables are set up, covered in black and gold linens.
“Too bad Navy Pier won’t be doing the fireworks in September. Then again that might be why we were able to fit you in.” Sonya smiles at me, and we both look out to the long entertainment Pier that juts out of Chicago’s shoreline.
“If I’d known this was the location I’d be holding it at, I would’ve planned for it to be earlier.”
“Then maybe you should change the date,” a deep voice from behind us interrupts our conversation.
I recognize it and I’m wondering immediately why my friends and co-workers didn’t warn me before he came up from behind me.
“Sonya,” he says, his arm winding behind her back and kissing her cheek.
“I didn’t know you’d be joining us.” Sonya seems shocked to see him and displays a nervousness she didn’t have before.
“Court got out early.” He sets his gaze on me. “Lucky day I guess.”
“You’d think you’d be exhausted from screwing people over.”
He steps away from Sonya and closer to me, leaning in. “Nah, I never get tired of screwing, Hannah.” He purposely uses my name almost as a way of punishing me for my outspoken comment.
“How do you two know one another?” Sonya asks, her finger waving between us.
“I represented her ex-husband.” Roarke stuffs his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels.
“That’s interesting. Is pulling strings for the venue an apology for screwing you over?” Sonya asks, humor laced in her voice.
“Oh, Mr. Baldwin wouldn’t—”
“Roarke,” he corrects me.
I side glance him. “Roarke,” I say his name with bitterness in my tone. “Wouldn’t do it for nothing. He demanded five favors in exchange.”
Her jaw slackens. “You didn’t?”
The way she’s so willing to question him makes me think they must have a close relationship.
“You know I have a black heart.” For some reason, he says this with some humor.
Sonya laughs like that’s the most absurd thought.
“Mr. Baldwin, so nice of you to get us this venue,” Chelsea says as she and Victoria join us on the patio.
“Chelsea, right?” he asks, extending his hand.
“Yes. Chelsea Walsh.”
He shakes her hand and then shifts his attention to Victoria. “Victoria?”
“You’re good with names,” she smiles, shaking his hand.
“I think I’ve seen you with your boyfriend. Reed Warner, right?”
A huge smile splits Victoria’s face. “Yes, how do you know him?”
“I run into him now and again at the courthouse. I think he lives out of his office.” Roarke laughs as does Victoria.
“I try to steal him away as much as I can.”
“Must be working because I haven’t seen him in a while.”
Victoria smiles up at him and I can tell he’s won her over. She’s too easy.
Chelsea digs around her purse, pulling out a bag of chips. Victoria elbows her.
“What? I’m eating for two here.” She opens it, having no shame and chomping down on a chip.
“You’re pregnant?” Sonya asks Chelsea. “I never would’ve never guessed. You look great.”
“She’s not too far along,” Victoria interjects. “Though she’ll probably be one of those belly-only women you can’t tell are pregnant from behind.”
“Oh I hated those women,” Sonya says and I whip my head in her direction.
“You’re a mother?” I ask.
She seems way too young.
She nods, her gaze veering over to Roarke for a beat. What am I missing here?
“Sweets were my weakness,” she says. “I almost killed for a chocolate cake once.”
Chelsea ventures over to Sonya, the two of them talking about pregnancy cravings and whether the whole pickle thing is actually true.
Victoria’s phone rings and she heads back inside the tent to answer.
“I guess that leaves us,” Roarke says stepping up alongside me.
“Unfortunately.”
He ignores my comment. “How do you like the place?”
“What’s not to like? It’s gorgeous. I have no idea how you got it, but I’m worried that young girl has a crush on you.”
He shakes his head, stepping up to the edge of the patio. “She’s doing me a favor that’s all. Before you get all single white female thinking I’m dating her, I’m not.”
“You’re so forthcoming.”
He turns around at the edge. I try to keep my gaze poised on the lake, but his eyes pull me in instead. “I’m many things, but a liar is not one of them, Hannah. I’ll always be straight with you.”
“Well, forgive me for not believing you. History, as they say, is usually the best teacher.”
He laughs, stepping forward, reaching out to push a stray hair behind my ear. I turn my head away from his touch and the loose strand from my sleek ponytail falls back down.
“When will I live that down?” His voice is low and tight. “We’ve been over this, he was my client. I did what I needed to do. That will never change.” He dips his head down to meet my eyes. “I thought we were moving forward after Sunday.”
“Because we shared a meal?” I scoff.
I pick my head up and meet his gaze head-on. I will not let this man intimidate me.
“Because you stayed. Because we laughed. Because we shared. Because I made the best opening statement of my entire career.”
“So arrogant.” I shake my head in disbelief.
“Don’t act like you don’t love how arrogant I am. I’m arrogant because I can back it up. You find that quality sexy.” He steps even closer, his lips right at my ear. “Your shoulders straightened when I announced my arrival and you sucked in a breath. I guarantee that if I was to slip my fingers between your legs right now, I’d find your panties wet.”
My mouth drops open at his crassness. I really wish it didn’t turn me on.
“Wrong.” I let the one word fall from my lips. “You’d find the complete opposite.”
“If we were alone I might challenge you to prove it.”
“Well, we’re not alone.”
Come on Hannah, you can do so much better than this.
“If what you say is true then favor number three shouldn’t be a problem.”
My eyes lock with his. “Favor three? You’re really whizzing through them.”
“Are you complaining?”
“Not at all. The faster we’re through them, the faster I’m done having to be in your company.” I give him a saccharine smile.
He leans in again and chuckles lightly in my ear. Although not even a fingertip touches me, my body anticipates it, is eager for it like Lucy is when I bring home a special bone from the pet store.
Oh my God, did I just compare myself to my dog salivating over a bone? What is happening to me?
“Let’s revisit that after all five favors are fulfilled.”
“What’s the next favor?” I ask, trying to move the conversation forward.
“I’m sorry to steal you for another weekend, but I need you to be my date for a wedding.”
“This Saturday?” I ask. I’m supposed to have a girl’s night with my college friends, but I’ll cancel to get these favors over and done with.
“It’s not local. We’ll be leaving Thursday night and coming home Sunday evening at some point.”
“What?” My voice raises and R
oarke steps back, readying himself for a fight I’d guess. “That is a huge imposition.” I cock my hip and place my hands on my waist. “Way more than a favor.”
He stuffs his hands back into his pockets, a cocky smirk on his lips. “Well, I think favor one was pretty easy. Who’s to say favor four won’t be just as simple? We never agreed to the extent of the favors.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “So, you could ask me to move to Africa and I’m expected to consider that a favor?”
“You’re being a tad dramatic. It’s three nights. You’ll have your own room and we’ll be around other people almost the entire time.”
“Almost?” I raise my eyebrows at him.
“You can’t fault me for stealing away a few private moments with you.”
“Actually I could.” A smile fights to tip up my lips, but I’m able to control it enough to stop myself.
“I’ll pick you up Thursday at seven pm.” His arm extends out and wraps lightly around my waist and for some reason, I don’t swat it away like I should. His lips press to my cheek and once again I let myself down by not fighting him off.
I tell myself it’s because I don’t want to make a scene but who am I kidding? I want to know what it feels like to have his hands on me.
His musky cologne acts like a vibrator right between my legs and I have to squeeze my thighs together. His soft lips only deepen the ache. “Think about changing the date. I’d love to stand out here and watch fireworks with you in my arms.”
I stiffen. “We’re almost half done with the favors and I still don’t want to date you.”
He chuckles, his body leaving mine. “Don’t worry. You will.”
Walking past me, I force my gaze to remain glued to the slow rippling waves washing up against the edge of the wall. “Bye, Sonya. Thanks again, ladies.” He waves goodbye to them and then he’s gone.
A whole weekend away with only him. Me at his mercy.
I spin on my heel and face my pregnant employee. “Chelsea, I need to borrow your pepper spray.”
Chapter Twelve
On Wednesday evening, Lucy and I exit the Uber in front of Victoria and Reed’s new place beside her mom’s house. She must have been waiting for us, because I’m barely out of the car before her daughter Jade is running down the sidewalk jumping up and down in excitement.
“Hi, Hannah.” She claps and falls to her knees. “Hi, Lucy girl.” She runs her hand through Lucy’s thick fur.
“Hey.” Victoria jogs down the steps, her hands outstretched. “Let me help you.”
“This dog does come with a shit load of stuff.”
Jade’s hands stop moving and she looks up at me.
“Sorry,” I cringe.
Her shoulders shrug and she continues petting Lucy as she falls to her back, signaling that she wants Jade to rub her stomach.
“She’s heard worse. Pete,” Victoria references her ex-husband. “Come on in. I know you’re probably eager to get back to your condo and prepare for this weekend.”
“Oh yeah, can’t wait. If I wasn’t wearing a dress, I wouldn’t shave my legs.” I haul Lucy’s bed under my arm and her bag of food with her leash over my shoulder. “You sure about this?”
Jade runs up the sidewalk to their front door, Lucy at her side. “REED!” she screams.
He comes to the door, smiling tentatively at Lucy. “Hey, Lucy,” he says, patting her head like she might infect him with the rabies virus.
“Are you sure Reed’s okay with this?” I ask as we make our way up the path to the house.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t he be? It’s all Jade’s talked about. Since she leaves for California next week, it will be nice for them to spend time together,” she says.
I forgot Jade is going to stay with her father in Los Angeles for a month this summer.
“How are you doing with that?” I ask Victoria.
She shrugs. “I’m fine. It will be fine. I met the nanny over Skype and I’ll see her face-to-face when we get there. Reed and I are staying the weekend in a hotel just in case. Then, we’re taking Henry back with us and staying longer when it’s time to bring her home.”
Henry is Jade’s little friend from school. “You sure have your hands full.”
“Welcome to my life.” We step up into the house, Reed taking the dog bed from me.
“Hannah,” he says, kissing me on the cheek. “Excited?”
My lips dip and I stare at him like someone just said I have to get a root canal.
He chuckles to himself sliding the bag off my arm. “That bad, huh?”
“Do you know Roarke Baldwin?” I ask.
Reed places the bag of food on the dog bed in the corner of the room.
“Only a little bit. Obviously, I know his reputation, but it’s not like we work in the same field of law.”
“He knew you were dating Victoria,” I say.
Victoria picks up the bag of food and heads to the kitchen where I hear her pour the food into a dish.
“Can I take Lucy out back?” Jade asks Reed.
He gives her a fleeting look. “Yeah, but we’re going to have to walk her you know. We only have a postage stamp square of grass back there.” His gaze shifts to mine. “City life.”
“Well, she’s used to just going on concrete. Downtown life.” I shrug.
He chuckles again and nods into the kitchen. “Come on. I was just preparing my shrimp linguini. Join us.”
If it’s a choice between dinner with the Warner/Clarke’s or me sitting around alone anticipating spending four hours in the car with Roarke tomorrow on top of an entire weekend, shrimp linguini wins.
“Thanks, I’d love to.” I follow him into the kitchen.
“You know how he knows that we’re dating, right?” He taps Victoria’s ass to slide over so he can reach the stove.
“You lawyers have your ways I’m sure,” I say.
“We have private investigators and sources.” He holds a piece of pasta in front of Victoria.
She chews it and swallows it down before giving him a chaste kiss. “Maybe a minute more.”
He nods and she continues on with what she was doing.
I watch in fascination. Truthfully, I never had this. Todd and I never prepared a meal together. We dined out almost every night when we were married. Our kitchen was only for late night snacks and when we had the occasional gathering, the caterers were the ones to take it over.
“I know he’s looked in on me before. I mean during the divorce.”
Reed places the spoon down next to the stove and turns around drying his hands on a dishtowel.
“Then I think you can expect he knows everything about you now.”
Victoria returns from where ever she went. The woman never sits down.
“Where’s the spontaneity then?” I ask.
“Are you looking for spontaneity? I thought you hated him?” Victoria asks with her usual half-cocked grin saying she knows the answer, but she’s enjoying putting me in the hot seat.
“I do hate him, but if he wants to win me over—his words not mine—then why find out about my friends and all the personal stuff? Half the fun of dating someone new is discovering who they are.”
Victoria pulls out a wine bottle from the fridge, holding it up at me with her eyebrows raised.
I nod because, hello, I’m wound tighter than a spool of fishing line and I need something to relax me.
“Roarke Baldwin strikes me as the type who doesn’t like surprises,” Victoria says.
Without testing the pasta a second time, Reed grabs two hot pads and picks up the pot, taking it over to the sink. A rush of steam erupts like a volcano as he pours the pasta out into a colander.
My eyes focus in on the wine splashing into the two glasses. “But what would be the point of finding out about you guys?”
Reed turns around bringing the colander back to the other pot with the sauce and shrimp inside. Seriously, Victoria should be thanking the heavens above every night for bringin
g her Reed.
“I think he only knows about us because I’m the Assistant DA. It wouldn’t take a whole lot of digging to find out. When a guy stops pulling all-nighters and starts cutting out early on Fridays questions get raised. Assistants talk and rumors circulate. Everyone knows I found my dream girl.” He winks over at Victoria.
A lovesick smile overtakes her face. “Here.” She slides the wine glass across the table to me.
Tension fills the space and I wonder if I’m keeping these two from fucking on the counter with my presence. Lucy barks from outside and then I don’t feel so bad, remembering that Jade is here, too. Not to mention Victoria’s mother lives right next door. Reed must be used to having multiple cock blocks around at this point.
“He knows Victoria works at RISE,” I say.
Reed’s casual demeanor continues. “I know he has this reputation around the divorce court, and Vic told me how he represented your ex, but honestly, I thought he was a pretty cool guy when I met him at your party.”
My party. I snap my fingers. “That’s where he figured it all out.” Irritation sets in as I remember a couple months ago when a woman I’d invited to a gathering at my place brought Roarke as her date.
Reed’s eyebrows furrow. “Hannah, you seem to think this guy is still out to get you.”
Victoria hands Reed plates and he dishes out the meal on each then places them on the breakfast bar. Wanting to earn my dinner, I slide from my stool and carry the plates to the already set table.
“Can you blame me?” I sigh.
There’s no arguing with Reed. But the fact that he knows more about me than he should, puts me on edge because I’m at a disadvantage when it comes to him.
Victoria brings Jade’s smaller plate over to the table. “I’d say just do what you have to this weekend. Retire to your hotel room saying you don’t feel well. Try to mingle with whoever you think will talk your ear off so he can’t wedge himself into your conversation. Whatever you do, don’t be alone with him.”
I nod like she’s the Dalai Lama giving me advice on life.