Handle with Care

by Hunting, Helena

  I record his speech, and as soon as he steps away from the podium, the entire room erupts in applause. I stand and clap along with everyone else, wearing a proud, silly grin. He stops to shake a few hands on the way back to his seat, to me, which is where his gaze is fixed. When he reaches me, I remember where we are and that Gwendolyn is watching. So I turn my head away when he pulls me in for an impulsive hug. I pat him on that back, hoping it looks friendlier than it does intimate.

  “I told you you’d be amazing.” I drop back into my chair as soon as he lets me go.

  “I did all right?” Lincoln takes his seat beside me, angling his chair in such a way that his foot brushes my calf.

  “Better than all right. You were a natural up there.”

  I can feel his eyes on me, and Gwendolyn’s vulture-like stare drifts our way every so often—either that or I’m being paranoid.

  I consider how incredibly eloquent Lincoln is, how despite not having been part of the family business, he’s stepped in with grace. If he wanted to, he could easily take over permanently and make Moorehead into something amazing. But he’s said on more than one occasion that he can’t wait to get out of the city. My contract is up when he goes, so I’m not sure this warm feeling in my chest is a good thing. I worry I’m setting myself up for heartbreak.

  Once speeches are over, I excuse myself to the bathroom while Lincoln is pulled into a discussion with some influential people. Now that the hardest part is over, I can breathe easier. I stop at the bar to grab a scotch for Lincoln and a glass of wine for myself. I’m on my way back into the hall when Gwendolyn’s cold hand wraps around my elbow.

  “A word, please, Wren,” she says icily.

  “Of course, what can I do for you?”

  She pulls me away from the guests to a private corner. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

  I look down at the drinks in my hand. “Now that the speeches are over, I felt it reasonable for Lincoln to have a drink. I thought he was exceptional.”

  Her grip on my arm tightens. “Don’t play coy with me, Wren. You’re far too intelligent for that. I’m paying you to make sure Lincoln looks good in the eyes of the media and that he presents a good face for the company.”

  I roll my shoulders back, a hot feeling creeping up my spine. “And that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

  “Lincoln was supposed to bring a date, and you couldn’t even ensure that happened. And now Armstrong has commanded the attention of the woman I invited for him.”

  “I had no idea Jordan was supposed to be Lincoln’s date. I tried to convince him it was in his best interests, but—”

  “Are you sure about that, Wren? I see the way you look at my son and how he’s been looking at you.”

  “I don’t know—”

  “Don’t think for a moment I don’t see what you’re doing here,” she whispers angrily.

  The accusation in her tone gets my back up. “I’m sorry. What exactly am I doing?”

  “You know what this company could be worth with the right management. You’re trying to get your claws into my son so you can cash in on what’s his. I can understand the allure. He’s quite a catch, but you’re rising above your station, Wren. Lincoln is too many rungs above you on the ladder for it to be a good match. You need to be careful about allowing yourself to get too distracted. I wouldn’t want you to lose sight of your goals.”

  I’ve never felt any particular warmth for Gwendolyn, but this is a side of her I’ve never seen before. I don’t have a chance to respond—which is a good thing, seeing as I doubt it would’ve been anything less than scathing—because Lincoln’s voice breaks the silence stretching between us.

  “You disappeared.” Lincoln’s warm breath caresses the back of my neck, indicating how close he is. “I’ve been looking everywhere for—oh, Mother.” He looks between us. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine. I thought you might like a drink.” I pass him the scotch. “Gwendolyn and I were discussing how well the speech went.”

  “And how important it is that people see how capable you are. Make sure you post on social media tonight, Wren.”

  Lincoln takes the glass from me and shoots his mother a look. “Lighten up. Wren’s been on all day. I think it’s safe to say she’s done her job for the night and deserves to enjoy herself for a few minutes without being hounded.” He settles a hand on my lower back, but I step out of reach.

  His smile is stiff. “Come on, Ruby and Amalie were asking where you went. If you’ll excuse us, Mother.”

  “Of course, enjoy the rest of your evening. You would’ve made your father proud tonight.”

  Lincoln gives his mother a curt nod, and I follow him back to the hall. “Everything okay? That looked intense.”

  “Everything’s fine. She really just wanted to make sure I wasn’t shirking my responsibilities.” He’s in such a good mood, totally in his element, and I won’t take that away from him. He needs to see he can do this, that he’s good at it, and that his presence here will only make this a better company.

  But what his mother said sticks with me for the rest of the night. As much as I care about Lincoln, I worry about Gwendolyn’s ability to come between us, and exactly what kind of recourse will follow if she finds out what’s really going on.

  CHAPTER 16

  SETTLING IN

  LINCOLN

  “I’m not kicking you out of your penthouse. I’ll get out of your hair for a few days so you can have the place to yourself,” I tell Griffin. I can see about staying at Wren’s, but that could be complicated. In the weeks since we started sleeping together, it’s been pretty standard for her to come to the penthouse, and it makes sense since she’s contracted to work with me, but the other way around is tricky.

  I don’t necessarily care if my family finds out we’re sleeping together, but I get why Wren is so adamant that we keep it between us. I don’t want to compromise her contract or her reputation, and I get what the optics are like, even if they’re a pain in my ass.

  “The penthouse is huge, and you know you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. Besides, Cosy and I are only in town for three days, and then we’re back out again.”

  “I should really get my own place.”

  “What’s the point if you’re leaving in a few more months, anyway?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t want to be in the way.”

  “Or maybe you’re getting comfortable in the concrete jungle.”

  “Just thinking it might be a decent investment.”

  “Can’t argue with real estate. Anyway, we’re traveling for two more months. We didn’t expect to stop in New York at all, so you don’t need to worry about being in the way. Oh, and the penthouse across the hall might be available soon, so if that looks like something you’d be interested in, let me know and we can get you into that.”

  “You sure you want me for a neighbor?”

  “Better having you all up in my business than my brothers nosing around, as they do. How’s the city treating you? You managing okay?”

  I consider how things have changed in the past few weeks, particularly since Wren and I stopped fighting our attraction. I’d call it dating, but mostly it’s the two of us holed up in my cousin’s penthouse in the evenings since we can’t do the whole dinner and a movie date in public without all the speculation that comes with it. Naked movie watching is my new favorite pastime. “It could be worse.”

  “Hey, we still have that place upstate, right? I’ve got a meeting as soon as I land, but I’m free after that. We could head out there, get away from the grind, drink too much beer, eat hotdogs for dinner and breakfast like we used to when we were in college.”

  I tap on the arm of my chair. Wren and I are supposed to spend the weekend together. Out of necessity, I’ve been quiet about what’s going on between us with everyone except Griffin. He’s a vault, and I trust him not to say anything about my relationship with Wren. “Would Cosy come?”
<
br />   “She doesn’t have to if you need it to just be you and me.”

  “Nah, I’m supposed to spend the weekend with Wren, so I want to run it by her.”

  “This sounds like it’s getting serious there, cuz.”

  “I like her, but I still have projects out of the country lined up for the next year.” I rub my chest at the sudden twinge that thought brings with it. It’s too soon and we’re too new for me to start merging what I want and what she wants into something we could take on together. At least I think it is.

  Griffin chuckles. “A lot of things can change in a few months.”

  I avoid commenting on that, because he’s sure as hell not wrong. “Let me talk to Wren and see if she’d be interested in roughing it for a night.”

  “Okay. We’re getting on the plane now, so just message and let me know.”

  “Sounds good, safe travels, cuz.” I end the call and head back inside, peeking in the bedroom. Wren’s still sleeping, although, it’s early and a Saturday, so it’s understandable. Also, I kept her up pretty late last night.

  I’m hoping I can convince her that a camping trip with my cousin and his girlfriend is a great idea.

  I drag the sheet down—she’s naked underneath it—and watch goose bumps rise on her skin as I brush her hair away from her face. I look forward to waking up with her in my bed several days a week. I hate New York and my job less, and work isn’t painful when she’s in the office. She makes things better, brighter, more alive. She makes me believe that Moorehead Media could be something good with the right leadership.

  I sit on the edge of the bed and bend to kiss her neck and then her shoulder. She hums in her sleep and rolls over onto her back, exposing her lush, full breasts. Her nipples peak in the cool air, so I circle one with a fingertip.

  She slaps my hand away and covers her eyes with her arm. “What time is it?”

  “Almost eight.”

  She peeks out from under her arm. “We went to bed at two in the morning. You know I’m grumpy when I get less than seven hours.”

  “Your nipples don’t look grumpy.” I lean down and suck the right one, flicking it with my tongue.

  Her fingers slide into my hair and she arches. “If I’m bitchy later, it’s your fault.”

  “You can take a nap later if your attitude is a problem for me.” I release her nipple long enough to pull my shirt over my head and drop my briefs on the floor. Then I latch back on as I fit myself between her legs.

  Half an hour later, Wren is stretched out beside me, head resting on my chest. “How do you feel about camping?”

  “In tents?” she asks.

  “Or a trailer.”

  “I was a Girl Scout, so I have some tent experience, and I’ve done the trailer thing a few times.” She props her chin on my chest and gets a faraway look in her eyes. “When I was little, my parents rented a huge RV and we went on a three-week camping trip. It was so much fun. We stopped wherever we wanted. It’s probably one of my favorite childhood memories.”

  “That sounds like a great family trip.”

  “It was. Did you ever go on family vacations?”

  “Not with my parents, but me and my cousin Griffin have done a lot of traveling together. He and his girlfriend are flying in for the weekend, and he suggested we head upstate, get away from the city, and relax for a night. What do you say?”

  Wren’s expression grows wary. “I don’t know if that’s such a great idea, Linc. How are you going to explain your handler tagging along?”

  “Griffin knows what’s going on, Wren.”

  She pushes off my chest, pulling the sheet around her. “I thought we agreed to keep this between us.”

  This isn’t quite the response I was going for. “You haven’t even told your best friend about us? Dani?”

  They spend a night every week binge-watching some show and drinking wine or whatever. All I know is Wren doesn’t sleep over that night.

  She makes a face. “Well, yes, Dani knows we’re … involved.”

  “And you trust her to keep it to herself, yes?”

  “We’ve been friends since grade school.”

  “Well, I got you beat. Griffin and I have been tight since our mothers were pregnant. He’s a fortress, and he knows to keep that information to himself. Come on, Wren. Let’s do something normal and coupley and fun. I want to share how awesome you are with the people I actually care about.”

  “It’ll just be Griffin and his girlfriend? What’s her name again? Casey?”

  “Cosy.”

  “Like cozy up next to me? Or a tea cozy?”

  “Either works, but the British spelling of the word.”

  Wren’s nose wrinkles. “I think I like her already.”

  * * *

  A few hours later, after I firm up the details with Griffin, we stop at Wren’s place to pack a bag of camping-appropriate gear. While she tosses things in a bag, I check emails and sift through social media posts. It’s hot in her apartment, so I shed my hoodie and drape it over a chair, leaning on the counter as I scroll through my alerts.

  “Okay. Ready to go.” She drops her bag on the counter. It looks like she’s packed for a week, not a night.

  Most of the time I get to see Wren either in dresses or naked, so I’m digging the faded jeans and T-shirt ensemble.

  “Oh no, this is no good. Obviously I need to change.” She spins around and takes a step toward her bedroom.

  I grab her wrist before she can get too far. “What? Why? You look hot.”

  She motions from her chest to mine and then to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room. “Look at us. We’re all matchy-matchy.”

  I take in our reflections. We’re both wearing white shirts and jeans. “This is like the perfect couple selfie opportunity, isn’t it?”

  Wren rolls her eyes. “We look ridiculous.”

  I wrap my arms around her from behind and kiss my way up her neck to her ear with a chuckle. “I’ll put my hoodie on, and no one will know but us.”

  “It’s too warm for hoodies,” Wren argues.

  “We can wear them just until we’re in the car. Then we can lose them.” I kind of like the matchy-matchy, so I take a bunch of crappy selfies while Wren tries to free herself from my hold.

  We both cover the T-shirts with hoodies—not matching ones—and shed them once we’re in the protective cover of the vehicle’s tinted windows and head out of the city toward the campground. It’s about an hour upstate. We’re going early, so we can make sure it’s all set up when Cosy and Griffin arrive.

  I’m not sure camping after a six-hour flight and a meeting would be something I’d jump at, but apparently Cosy is superexcited, and Griffin does pretty much anything to make that woman happy.

  “Can I ask you something? It’s kind of personal, though.” Wren’s sitting in the passenger seat, hair pulled up in a loose ponytail, lips glossy. She went for highlights a week ago, so there are more blond streaks. It softens her face and makes her look sun-kissed. She’s mind-numbingly gorgeous.

  “Sure.”

  “How did you and Griffin manage to stay so close when you were in boarding school?”

  “We wrote letters to each other until computers became a thing, then we’d email and stuff. He’d keep me informed as to what was going on with Armstrong, since there was usually some trouble.”

  “Even back then?”

  “Armstrong was always … different, I guess. I don’t really know what’s wrong with him, but he’s always been an instigator. He used to push my buttons constantly, and then when I snapped on him, he’d go crying to the nanny or Gwendolyn. It drove me up the wall, honestly. He had a hard time with rules, as if they didn’t apply to him.”

  Wren covers my hand with hers, fingers laced between mine. “That must’ve been difficult.”

  “It was frustrating. At first when I got sent to boarding school, I’d been so angry. I’d considered it a punishment because they were taking me away from ev
erything familiar. Griffin and I spent a ton of time together. I spent weekends at their place and so would Armstrong. He and Lex were super tight back then, actually.”

  “You mean the Lex that’s with Amalie? His ex-wife?”

  I grin at how shocked she is. “It’s like a soap opera.”

  “It really is.”

  “Anyway, it was hard at first, because Griffin and I were close, but he’d come up for a weekend once a month. After a while, I realized it was better for me to be out of that house and away from all the dissention. The more distance I had, the more I realized I was always the one Gwendolyn favored, and Armstrong could never seem to meet her expectations. It was a difficult position to be in.

  “Whenever I came back for holidays or whatever, it seemed to make the animosity between us grow. So I stayed where I was, or found camps or charity stuff to do during the summer. When we were a little older, Griffin would do the same thing, so we’d have those months together.”

  “And that’s how you stayed close.”

  I nod. “Exactly. We went to the same college and shared an apartment for four years. In a lot of ways, he’s like another sibling. We were both the oldest; we both liked to travel. We have the same core values. Griffin was always a relationship-oriented guy. He was with the same girl all through high school, and then he dated the same girl all through college, but then, his parents were solid, so I guess it makes sense.”

  “Wow, that’s uncommon in this generation.”

  “Mmm, it can be, depending. Anyway, early last year I spent some time in China between projects, and Griffin was there. It was before everything imploded with Imogen, and we had time to just be guys and hang out and do good stuff. Griff excels at the hotel business, and he likes it, but he’s always taking extra side trips, doing volunteer work where he can. He never says anything about it, just works it into every trip he goes on, makes it part of the job.”