“Uncle Ryker’s on his way up,” I said to Annie, dislodging her. “Can you amuse yourself for a few minutes while I talk to him?”
Her gaze firmly fixed on the TV, she nodded. “Sure.”
I sent him a onetime code for the elevator, and mere seconds later, he arrived in my apartment, fizzing with an energy few others on the ROGUES board possessed. We all worked hard, very hard, but Ryker just had that extra edge, stemmed no doubt from his poor upbringing. The other members of the ROGUES board had grown up in a more middle-class environment. We hadn’t exactly had money to burn, but we’d lived in nice neighborhoods with enough money for an annual vacation, a nearly new car, and plentiful food. Ryker’s childhood had been very different. Lucky for him, he was one of the smartest—if not the smartest—men I knew, and he’d won a scholarship to college, where we’d all met. From there, ROGUES was born, and now we all had more money than we’d ever manage to spend.
I sometimes wondered whether ROGUES would be as successful as it was without Ryker’s drive, ambition, determination, and vision. I doubted it.
“Hey, pumpkin.” Ryker kissed the top of Annie’s head. She greeted him with a distracted wave. “Huh? Too busy to give me a cuddle?”
She twisted around on the couch, raised up on her knees, and held out her arms. “Not for you, Uncle Ryker.”
She gave him a cursory hug, then returned to her previous position and stared at the TV.
He grinned. “And just like that, she brings me back to earth.”
“Kids.” I cocked my head toward the kitchen. “Coffee?”
“Got anything stronger?”
Narrowing my eyes, I removed a bottle of scotch from the top cabinet where Annie couldn’t reach, not even when on her step. Overcautious was the name of the game when it came to curious minds.
I poured two glasses, pushing one across the counter to him. “Anything I should worry about?”
He knocked back at least half. “I want your advice.”
I smoothed my eyebrow with my thumb. “Now I am worried.”
“It’s Elliot.” He blew out a slow breath and slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar, then downed the rest of his scotch.
I instantly knew what Ryker was referring to. Around five months ago, Elliot’s sister—Ryker’s girlfriend at the time and now his wife after they recently married in Paris—was snatched off the streets, drugged, and kept against her will. A ransom demand landed in Elliot’s lap. He paid the ransom—or rather Ryker arranged for the payment—and Elliot’s sister was returned unharmed, at least physically, but it had been a terrible time. Since then, Elliot had become almost obsessed with finding the person responsible.
“He won’t let it go, huh?”
Ryker scraped a hand through his hair. “It’s not about letting it go. I won’t let it go, either. I want that bastard caught just as much as he does. The trauma Athena went through haunts me every fucking night. It’s the way he’s going about it that’s concerning. It’s like everything else in his life has taken a back seat. Nothing carries as much importance as uncovering the truth.”
“How’s Brie handling it?” I asked, referring to Elliot’s girlfriend.
“Not well. That’s why I’m here, actually. She came to me asking for my help, but I honestly don’t know the best way to do that. Every time I broach the subject, he bites my head off.” He went to take another drink of scotch, realized his glass was empty, then pushed it away. “It’s getting out of hand.”
I stood, grabbed the bottle, and refilled it for him. “What can I do that you can’t? You’re his closest friend, and Athena’s partner. If anyone understands what he went through, it’s you. Surely that gives you a common ground from which to discuss the best approach.”
“I think that’s the problem. I’m too close to what happened, too close to Elliot. If I ask him to calm down, to rein it in, he accuses me of not giving a shit about his sister, and then we get into a pointless argument.”
I swirled my scotch, watching the amber liquid slosh up the sides of the glass. “What do you want from me?” I asked, already anticipating the answer.
“Will you speak with him? Just to see if he’ll listen to you.”
“Of course I will,” I said. “I’ll take him for a beer one night this week after work. I’m sure Harlow won’t mind working a little later than normal.”
“How’s the nanny working out?”
“Yeah, good,” I said. “Annie likes her.”
“And what about you?” Ryker asked with that curve to his eyebrow that demanded a response.
I pulled my lips to one side. “She’s nice enough. The important thing is that she’s good with Annie.”
Ryker narrowed his eyes. “What are you not telling me?”
I pressed my lips together in a slight grimace and lowered my voice so Annie wouldn’t pick up on our discussion. “We had a bit of an argument. Last night. I think I might have overreacted.”
“What was the argument about?”
Focusing on my drink rather than Ryker’s insightful gaze, I sighed. “Sara.”
I briefly told him what I’d overheard outside Annie’s bedroom, and how I’d responded. Reciting it back had me wincing. I sounded like an arrogant prick.
“Jesus, Oliver,” Ryker exclaimed in a too-loud voice. “When are you going to forget that woman ever existed?”
“Keep it down, for fuck’s sake,” I hissed, casting a glance at Annie. Fortunately, she was too engrossed in the TV to notice our heated exchange.
Ryker expelled a frustrated sigh. “You and Annie, you’re so much better off without her,” he whispered. “If you allow that woman to continue to have this kind of hold over you, you’ll never move on. Is that what you want? You’re twenty-fucking-eight, for Christ’s sake. You really want to spend the rest of your life alone?”
I palmed the back of my neck. “Don’t you think I’ve tried? I just don’t trust women anymore, Ryker. Sara stole that ability from me. And what’s a relationship without trust?”
“Maybe you haven’t met the right woman yet.” He faux punched my shoulder to lighten the heavy mood that had descended without either of us intending that consequence to our conversation. “I bet the perfect woman is right around the corner.”
“Possibly,” I murmured, disagreeing with his assessment but unwilling to expend the necessary energy to argue about it.
Ryker set down his glass, his drink half finished. “I’d better be off. Athena’s reserved a table at the Rainbow Room tonight, and if I’m late, she’ll be sure to let me know.”
He rolled his eyes, but I could tell he loved it. Loved her. Envy pulled at my gut and tightened my chest.
“I’ll talk to Elliot on Monday.”
“Thanks, buddy. I owe you one.”
After Ryker left, I cooked dinner for Annie and me, making enough for three in case Harlow decided to join us. She didn’t. Annie’s bedtime came around, and I put her to bed. We’d had such a busy, exciting day, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. I closed her door, leaving it slightly ajar, and walked back along the hallway, stopping outside Harlow’s room. I couldn’t hear any movement from inside.
I took a breath. Time to make that apology.
I lightly knocked and waited. An interminable amount of time passed, and I was about to knock again when Harlow opened the door.
“Hi.” I met her gaze. “Do you have a minute?”
She nibbled her lip. “Actually, I do. We need to talk.”
“I agree. Would you like to join me for a glass of wine? And I bet you haven’t eaten dinner either. There’s leftover casserole if you’re hungry.” I smiled. “That sounds bad. I mean, there’s a casserole. I made enough for three.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said. “But a small glass of wine sounds good.”
She followed me downstairs. I removed the wine from the fridge while Harlow loitered by the window and stared out at the lights of Manhattan, twinkling in the darkness.
“Here you are,” I said, joining her.
She took the drink from me and immediately walked away, as if I’d ruined her enjoyment of the view simply by standing next to her. I ran a hand down the back of my head and waited to see where she’d settle. She pulled out a chair at the dining table and sat, swirling her glass by the stem.
I chose a chair opposite, wanting to give her the space she so clearly desired.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Her head snapped up. “For what?”
I inclined my head. “I think you know, but you’re entitled to make me work for it. I behaved atrociously last night. I’d like to say I didn’t know what came over me, and pull out a few bullshit excuses, but dishonesty isn’t really my thing. I know exactly what buttons you pressed that garnered that reaction.”
“Your wife?” she asked, her full attention locked on me now that I’d begun to open up a little.
“Ex-wife,” I clarified. “Sara walked out on me and Annie right before Annie turned one.” The familiar stab to my chest brought up a curled fist that I rubbed against my sternum.
“Why?” Harlow asked, and then she shook her head. “Ignore that. It’s none of my business.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said, an urge to explain myself making me more forthcoming than normal. “Honestly, I’m not sure. One minute we were happy, and the next, we weren’t.”
I decided to refrain from telling Harlow about Sara’s affair. I didn’t know why. I guess it made me feel like a failure, and I didn’t want her to see me in that light.
“After she walked out, she refused to talk to me, or see Annie. I tried everything. Emails, phone calls. And then out of the blue I received a letter from her lawyer saying if I didn’t end the harassment, she’d apply for an injunction. That was when I filed for divorce. She didn’t fight me, although she demanded a huge financial settlement, which I paid. I didn’t have it in me to fight her over money when my daughter had just lost her mother. I haven’t seen her since.”
For the first time since I’d yelled at her last night, Harlow’s face softened. “God, I’m sorry. I completely understand why you were angry, although the things you said did upset me. Annie asked me a question, and I answered as best I could have given the knowledge I had, which was zero by the way.” She smiled. “Relationships are hard. People are complicated. Life is tough.”
“How true,” I mused at her perceptiveness.
“Shall we call a truce?” she asked. “Until last night’s unfortunate incident, I really liked it here, and I kinda thought we had a good working relationship.”
“We did,” I said hurriedly, following up with, “We do.”
“Then let’s move on. Forget it ever happened.”
“I will… on one condition.”
She leaned away and defensively crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s that?”
I smiled. “Eat something.”
She chuckled. “If you insist.”
Rising from my place at the table, I strolled over to the kitchen and fetched her a plate of chicken casserole. I set it in front of her, retaking my seat. She hungrily dug in.
“This is good. You can cook.”
I laughed. “You sound surprised.”
“I guess I am. I always imagined the super-rich would have oodles of staff catering to their every whim, but you don’t. Why is that?”
I pulled my lips to the side. “I’m a private man. I don’t like strangers in my home, and I don’t want Annie thinking life is a breeze and her demands are instantly taken care of by a whole team of people. I want her to grow up with a desire to work hard and earn her place in the world.”
“That’s admirable.” She ate another morsel of chicken. “I’m a stranger.”
“Were,” I corrected. “And I wasn’t happy when I realized Mom’s trip meant I had no choice but to hire someone to help me take care of Annie.”
She grinned. “You hid it well.”
I leaned back in my chair, sipping my wine, an overwhelming urge to spend more time with this perceptive, funny, smart woman coming over me. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”
She shrugged. “No idea. I’ll stay out of your way, though. Probably hang around in my room and read or watch TV.”
My spine stiffened. Did she really think she had to hide away in her room every weekend? “Would you like to spend the day with Annie and me?”
She dropped her fork, her eyes widening at my unexpected offer. Unexpected to her, and to me. I wouldn’t take it back, though. The only fear I had right now was that she’d decline.
A beaming smile broke across her face. “I’d love to.”
11
Harlow
I cast a glance around my bedroom at the clothes strewn everywhere. I’d tried on pretty much my entire wardrobe, yet still hadn’t decided on a suitable outfit for my day out with Oliver and Annie. His offer last night had both stunned and thrilled me.
Careful, Harlow.
Oliver Ellis was a man it would be all too easy to fall for. Gorgeous, kind, funny, sexy, a brilliant dad, and he had quite a bit of money in the bank.
I had to remember that I’d sworn off men.
All men.
And that included Oliver.
Not that he’d shown an inkling of interest outside of his duty as my boss. Given what he told me last night about his ex, I wasn’t surprised he kept a cool, polite distance. What a cow to just walk out like that on your husband and baby without a backward glance. What kind of person behaved in such a way? Annie had only been in my life for a short while, and already I dreaded when the time came to leave her, and she wasn’t even mine. It took a special type of woman to turn her back on a child she’d carried for nine months, given birth to, nurtured for that precious first year. And when I said ‘special’, it wasn’t meant as a compliment.
Even if Sara had fallen out of love with Oliver, surely any normal mother would want to be with their child.
Still, I only had Oliver’s side of the story. There were always two points of view in any disagreement. It wasn’t fair of me to judge.
I did, though.
Because that woman walked out on her child.
Frustrated with my inability to decide what to wear, I snatched up a pair of faded jeans and, as the weather promised to be nice for this time in September, a frilly short-sleeved blouse in a smoky gray that went well with my hazel eyes. I paired the outfit with my comfy sneakers, added a touch of makeup, brushed my hair until it shone, and made my way downstairs.
Oliver and Annie were in the living room talking to Oliver’s mom over Skype. Annie’s excited voice as she regaled her grandmother with the events of the week brought a smile to my lips. Oliver spotted me and pointed to the pot of coffee, then held up five fingers. I nodded to show I understood, then poured a cup and wandered out onto the balcony, tilting my face up to the sun. The fall breeze blew my hair around my face. I tucked it behind my ears and leaned on the railing, the sounds of Manhattan on a Sunday morning unable to reach me this high up. I could just about make out people moving around on the street, though, and already it looked as if New Yorkers were up and about early, eager to make the most of what would undoubtedly be one of the last warm days until spring.
I loved everything about this city. The sights, the sounds, the smells, even the constant honking of car horns. On a day like today, I could just about tolerate Times Square. But seeing Oliver’s mom reminded me that I might have to leave Manhattan once my tenure here came to an end. I had to go where the work was, especially as I’d be homeless and jobless, and although I’d fallen on my feet with this particular gig, lightning was unlikely to strike twice. I wasn’t that fortunate.
My happy mood took a dip, but I pushed the sadness to one side. One day at a time. I still had over two months remaining on my contract and I was squirreling away every spare penny I could. In a few weeks, I’d give Tamara a call and remind her I would soon be back on the market, looking for opport
unities. Recruitment consultants tended to need a firm nudge. Clients were easily forgotten.
“Sorry about that.”
I glanced over my shoulder and smiled at Oliver. “How’s your mom enjoying her trip?”
“She’s loving every second. So much so, I asked her if she still intended to return home.”
A false flicker of hope burned in my chest before it quickly withered and died. As if Oliver’s mom would stay away forever. I wouldn’t want that for Annie—or Oliver—even if it gave me a chance of a more permanent position here. Oliver was clearly very attached to his mom. And Annie… well, the love she had for her grandmother shone bright as a super moon.
“I’m glad she’s having a nice time.”
Oliver’s steady blue gaze locked on mine. “She isn’t the only one.”
A flutter set off deep in my abdomen, a glimmer that maybe Oliver did like me—and not only because I was good at my job.
I plunged in. “Oliver, I—”
“Come on,” he said, interrupting me. “Let’s get going.”
He spun on his heel and disappeared. I hung back, disappointed, trying to figure out if I’d imagined what just happened, or if there had been a brief connection between us, one that Oliver had quickly severed.
“Harlow.” Annie ran over and hugged me. “Daddy says you’re coming out with us today.”
“If that’s okay with you.” I kissed the top of her head.
She wrinkled her nose as if what I’d asked struck her as strange. “Of course it is.”
I chuckled and held out my palm for her to take. “Then let’s get going.”
“Duh,” she said, planting her hands on her hips in a way that, on kids, was cute. On adults it appeared petulant. “We haven’t had breakfast yet.”
I slapped my forehead in an exaggerated manner. “Silly me.”
Enraptured: A Billionaire Romance (The ROGUES Series Book 2) Page 7