As I lay back staring at the ceiling, my mind raced—Hiro, Tyler, Ashlee, Amber, Brantwood, Rajesh, Detective Reynolds...
And too many more.
VistaVision had cleared its first round, the handshake phase, and now we were heading into the real work: investigations, transitions, exposure. Helen’s voice kept echoing in my skull—The next stage will be the real test.
Those words had been hollowing a pit in my stomach ever since.
Then there was Tyler. I’d written him off as a jealous asshole. Now, come to find out, he might have actually had a hand in my kidnapping. Or was he trying to kill me? Frame me? I wasn’t sure.
There was the Amber and Hiro connection to consider, if there really was one.
And let’s not forget that I’d had an NYPD detective all but accuse me of murder two weeks ago.
Every day, the blade above my head dipped just a little lower—the Doom of Damocles.
A soft snore pulled me out of it. I glanced down, and there was Jessica—hogtied, sprawled on her stomach at the foot of the bed. Her red hair clung to her cheek, lips parted in sleep, a small drool stain darkening the sheets beneath her. It should’ve been pitiful. Instead, it was almost endearing.
I had to forgive the unattractive display… it was hard to hold drool against someone who’d been hogtied most of the night. Jess’s wrists and ankles were still bound behind her. Honestly, it was a miracle she’d managed to sleep at all.
Helen lay beside her, unbound, hair a wreck as her head rested on the maid’s bare ass like a pillow. A fleece blanket covered most of her, but her shoulders and the top of her chest were exposed, suggesting that she was naked beneath, save for the collar at her throat. She wore a faint, peaceful smile as she slept.
Curled up against me was a small body, her head lying on my arm, face half buried in my armpit. I could feel one slender arm draped over my chest, and her fingers gently pressed into my side, almost as if she were clinging to me.
I pulled back the blanket, expecting to see tousled silver silk, but found honey-brown.
Bobbi.
I glanced around, half expecting to see my assistant nearby—she and Helen had both joined us for the end of the night—but she was gone.
A quick check on my phone answered the question. It was just after eight, and Erin never slept this late. Even yesterday’s mid-morning lie-in had been out of character.
I looked back down at Bobbi and considered kicking her off me. We didn’t have the kind of dynamic that allowed cuddling after sex.
But as I watched her sleep, she looked so uncharacteristically peaceful.
Bobbi was a raging inferno… anger, irritation, and desire constantly battling for dominance alongside everything else she refused to manage. She was loud… stubborn… chaotic. I could only take her in short doses.
But like this?
I reached out and tentatively brushed a strand of hair from her face, revealing more of her elfin features. Those plump lips… that wide, expressive mouth… she really was beautiful when she wasn’t talking.
And that’s when I noticed it.
Bobbi had always been attractive. I’d fantasized about her long before I claimed her—usually in scenarios that ended with me fucking the attitude out of her against the break room sink.
But the lack of drugs, along with proper diet and exercise, had brought about a lot of positive changes. Emiko had pointed it out with Jessica last night, and now I could see it with Bobbi. She had clearer skin. She looked more youthful and vibrant. That edge of desperation had softened into something... luminous.
And for a moment, I imagined turning toward her and pulling her close, her eyes blinking open. That mouth finding mine…
No. Fuck that.
I’d shared a few tender moments with Bobbi in the past, but something about waking up with her like this just felt wrong.
I slid my arm out from under her and rolled away. She didn’t even stir.
None of them did.
I sat up and checked my phone. One notification stood out—the one I’d been waiting for.
Astrid had finally replied to the message I’d sent before bed, letting her know I was free tonight—Hello, Marcus! I have the perfect idea for us! Call me when you get this!
Knowing her, it probably involved hunting orphans for sport.
I slid into my robe, cast a glance at the three still-sleeping women, and dialed. As I passed Helen, I let my fingers drift through her golden hair. She gave a soft, contented hum.
Astrid answered on the second ring. “Hi Marcus! Slept well?”
“I did,” I said, shutting the door behind me. “You?”
“Indeed—in anticipation for tonight’s fun.”
“Hm.” I splashed cold water on my face. “What kind of fun?”
“Nothing crazy,” Astrid said. “Some friends are throwing a little party on their grounds. There will be drinking, a little dancing. Some games. I thought you might enjoy mingling with actual high society. Some of them have been asking after you, but you’ve been such a recluse.”
I thought about it. I couldn’t trust Astrid as far as I could throw her, but at the same time, I was aware that her family had a lot of connections with old and new money.
And my current social standing was... complicated.
The only people I’d gotten all that close to were the Tanakas, Rajesh Desai, and Astrid. I was at war with the Tanakas, and Rajesh Desai was dead only a few hours after visiting me.
And Astrid was… Astrid. God only knew what she’d said about me to the rest of high society.
“Who’s throwing the party?”
“Nicholas and Aurelia Wyn.”
“Never heard of them.”
“They run the Bernadine Foundation for World Relief.”
That meant nothing to me.
“...Cool.”
“Do a Wikipedia search, Marcus,” she sighed
“I’ll pencil that into my already busy schedule.”
Which reminded me… my date with Erin. After all, Astrid promised she would be sweet.
“Can I bring a date?”
“I already told you to bring Natalie.”
“It’s not Natalie. It’s my assistant. Erin.”
“That’s not a date, Marcus,” Astrid said flatly. “That’s you fucking the help.”
“No. It’s actually a date.”
“No,” Astrid said, her tone sharper. “Natalie is your date. I like her.”
“I—”
“In fact, bring both. Everyone gets a plus-one and an attendant. Your assistant can be the attendant.”
I paused. “Why the fuck do you care who I bring as my date?”
“Because that’s who I’ve been expecting,” she said airily, “and I’ve been looking forward to spending time with her. She’s charming!”
I sighed.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to bring Natalie. It was that I wasn’t so sure how Natalie would take to this world the way Erin seemed to. Natalie was tough, resourceful even, but she simply wasn’t on Erin’s level. Erin played in these circles. She knew what hid behind the pleasantries. Natalie still took them at face value.
“I’ll check with her,” I said reluctantly, knowing that she’d probably say yes.
“Oh, good!”
“No promises, though. This is kind of last-minute, and Natalie’s been busy.”
“I’ll light a candle for it.”
I assumed that was an idiom from her country that basically meant that she hoped it happened.
“Bye, Astrid,” I said, trying my best to hide my exasperation. “I’ll let you know something soon.”
I hung up and stared at myself in the mirror, trying to make peace with the fact that tonight wasn’t going to be what I’d planned.
Erin would need to hear it from me. I’d have to put things off—again.
Turning away, I found Psalter’s thread in my messages and started typing as I stepped out of the bathroom.
Hey, Wikipedia, I typed. Can you get me everything on Nicholas and Aurelia Wyn?
The response from Psalter was almost immediate. Wikipedia?
Inside joke, I responded.
*****
When I stepped into the receiving room, I didn’t expect to find Emiko waiting for me.
She stood with her hands clasped, dressed in a deep indigo cheongsam-style dress that buttoned up to her neck and hugged every curve of her frame. Her hair was pulled into a sleek bun at the nape of her neck. The hairstyle was a little severe, but the effect ended there. The warmth in her expression softened any sharp edges. The small smile she wore creased faint lines at the corners of her eyes—one of the few visible hints of age on an otherwise ageless face.
“Good morning, sir,” she said with a slight bow of her head. “I trust you are feeling refreshed after last night?”
“More or less,” I said, eyeing her. “Could’ve used a few more hours of sleep.”
“Late night?”
“You could say that.”
“And do you feel that Jessica has been properly instructed? Will she require any follow-up correction from me?”
Images from last night flashed through my mind—tearing the dress off Jessica, her large tits smashed against the cold tile as I fucked her from behind. I recalled the taste of Bobbi on her lips later that night, kissing her as she shuddered in my arms, gasping for air while tears streamed down her face.
And Bobbi? I don’t think I’d ever seen her carry out a command with as much enthusiasm as she went to town on Jess.
“God no!” I said. “In fact, give her the weekend off and maybe keep an eye on her.”
“There’s been no… permanent injury, I hope.”
“No,” I was quick to say, “But Bobbi might have been a little more… spirited than expected. Just…”
I glanced back at the bedroom door as if I could see Jessica through it. I’d never feel for her the way I did for the others… not even close. Still, there was something there.
“Maybe just look after her today… and get her something nice.”
Emiko nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I hesitated then added, “I hope we didn’t go too far.”
Emiko studied me thoughtfully. “If you would like, I can report my findings after I’ve had a chance to assess and provide aftercare.”
“Yeah,” I said. “That’d be great.”
“It will be done.”
She handed me an envelope.
“What’s this?” I asked
“An invitation.”
A faint lavender note rose from the thick paper. My name was written across the front in ornate, curling ***********.
“Who’s it from?”
“Erin,” she said.
My heart skipped a beat.
I’d promised a date tonight, and for a second, I was afraid that she’d heard through Chloe or someone else that those plans might have changed.
Was she mad?
I tore the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of heavyweight cardstock. The edges were laced with faint scrollwork, and the letters were penned in silver ink, like her hair.
Marcus,
I’d be honored if you would have brunch with me at the As You Like It Café at 10:30. I’ll be the one staring at the door waiting for you. You can’t miss me.
Erin.
I held it up. “What is this?”
“It is an invitation to brunch, sir,” Emiko replied, voice smooth and without a trace of sarcasm.
“I get that,” I said. “I just—”
“Mr. Suhr, Miss Manalo, and Miss VanCamp will manage your schedule during your and Miss Malik’s absence. In the meantime, Miss Gellar has requested a few days off, so Miss Tanner will handle your personal training. She is waiting for you in the gym. I believe you have time before your appointment with Miss Malik.”
“I… okay?”
“Is there anything else I can do for you this morning, sir?”
I handed her the card. “Just put this somewhere safe for me, and thanks, Emiko.”
*****
Sure enough, Chloe was in the gym when I arrived.
We slipped into a twenty-minute warmup before sparring, and it didn’t take long for her to wipe the floor with me. She always won, but this morning, I didn’t even put up a decent fight. Between the sleep deprivation and the distractions, I was off my game.
While trading blows, I filled her in on the Astrid situation.
She didn’t look thrilled.
“My choices are pretty limited, Chloe. You know how Astrid is.”
“So, I’m going as your attendant, right?” Chloe asked, lunging at me.
I barely dodged.
“I don’t know.”
Chloe gave me a deadpan stare.
“I’m just waiting to hear back from Henry and then—”
The rest of my words were cut off as she slipped under my defenses and delivered a hook to my ribs. The rest of the air in my lungs came out all at once.
I slipped an arm around her neck, hooked her ankles, and sent both of us to the mats, my body half on top of her.
“Jesus! I mean… yeah, I’ll probably take you!!” I sputtered. “Let’s just wait to hear what Henry says about it first!”
She twisted, and somehow, I found myself on my back, with her legs across my chest, my arm in a lock.
And that’s how it went for the next thirty minutes until I was lying on the mat sucking oxygen while she was crouching next to me, breathing deeply.
She stood and offered a hand. I took it and let her pull me up.
“Did you tell Erin about Astrid’s demanding to hang out tonight?” I asked.
“I did. Was I not supposed to?”
“No. It’s fine.” I hesitated. “Just… her brunch invite felt a little out of nowhere.”
Chloe shrugged. “She said she owed you a date, and since you’re busy tonight, she moved it up.”
I felt bad. I’d wanted to be the one to take her on a date, not the other way around.
“It’s fine,” Chloe said.
“What?”
“She seemed excited to put your little brunch together.”
I nodded as I placed my hands on my lower back and arched, stretching now that we were finished.
“How’s Roger?”
“Hasn’t said a word since your visit. Won’t eat or drink either.”
“Make him. I want him kept alive, whatever that takes.”
“Did he tell you anything useful?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Quite a bit, actually.”
I grabbed a towel from the bench. “I’m going to shower and get ready for this date. In the meantime, I want you to pull Emiko, Psalter, and Helen. We need a full debrief.”
Chloe nodded. “What time?”
“One o’clock. My study. Erin and I will be there.”
*****
Friday, October 10th, 10:28 am
As I made my way down the indoor mall that was housed in the same building as my apartment, flanked by one of the Johns and another guard I didn’t recognize, a woman with short brown hair yanked into a sump of a ponytail, I tried to remember the last time I’d actually been in a place like this.
Storefronts flanked both sides, glossy and well-lit, selling everything from designer handbags to curated candles that probably cost more than a tank of gas. A stone fountain burbled in the center of the floor, drowning out most of the ambient chatter. The air smelled like espresso, overpriced perfume, and lemony floor polish.
Shoppers drifted through in lazy circuits, killing time before the weekend rush turned the place into a pulsing hive of noise and elbows. I caught snippets of conversation—someone complaining about nail appointments, a kid begging for a pretzel, a woman laughing too loudly on speakerphone.
Some basements had root cellars.
Mine had a shopping mall.
Every day was a new goddamn wonder.
And then we reached the café.
The As You Like It was a high-end establishment specializing in brunch. It was the kind of place you’d find in the background shots of influencers who took pictures of their food or selfies of them drinking specialty mimosas, where avocado toast cost more than the water bill in my old apartment.
As I stepped into the interior, it looked completely empty save for the hostess and two people behind the bar, and a single patron.
Erin.
She stood beside our table, looking resplendent. Soft blush lace layered over skin the color of warm bronze, a slit in her dress teasing high up her thigh that I was sure one wrong move would cause a wardrobe malfunction. Her hair was half-pinned, the rest tumbling in silver-lavender waves that caught the light just right. Pearls glinted at her ears. A ribbon trailed down her spine. And when she looked at me, chin slightly tilted and lips already curved in a delicate smile, all words were driven from my mind.
Barely aware that my bodyguards stayed just outside the door, I drifted past the hostess without giving her a second thought. I only had eyes for one girl right now.
Meanwhile, I was in charcoal slacks and an open-collar shirt, sleeves pushed to the forearm. A little underdressed compared to her, maybe, but she didn’t seem to mind. I caught the way her eyes tracked my shoulders and down my chest. Even if I felt my clothes weren’t to the same standard as hers, I couldn’t tell that she minded. “Hey, Marcus,” she said, her tone more subdued than usual—like rose petals brushing skin instead of my Girl Friday cutting through the noise.
“Erin…”
A faint blush crept across her cheeks; she held her arms out slightly and turned, giving me a three-sixty view of everything.
No matter how many times I saw her naked… no matter how many times we kissed, fucked, or made love, her slender, little hourglass frame always seemed to leave me breathless.
“My god…”
I was still at a loss for words.
“Glad you approve,” she said with an uncharacteristically shy smile.
Unable to contain myself, I closed the distance between us and took her hands in mine, leaning in…
Only to brush her jaw as she tilted her head at the last second.
“Nuh-uh, sir,” she said in barely more than a whisper. “Not before we’ve finished the first date. I’m not that easy.”
I stepped back to allow some daylight between us, grinning at the game she was playing. “Oh. Of course… how thoughtless of me.”
I circled behind her and pulled out her chair. She sat, graceful as ever, and I took the seat across from her.
One of the girls at the bar approached almost immediately. “Welcome to As You Like It. Can I get you started with drinks?”
We placed our orders, and I added, “One of every appetizer.”
Erin smirked. “That’s quite the flex, sir. Trying to make an impression on our first date?”
“Is it working?”
Erin shrugged, giving me a teasing smile. “Hard to say. Right now, I’d say, it’s at least earned you a kiss… after the date.”
“Ordering every app on the menu at a place like this only gets me a kiss? I’d hate to see what second base costs.”
“Well,” Erin said, picking up the menu. “Let’s see if we can find out, shall we?”
We spent the next few minutes perusing the menu while waiting for the server to return with our order. In the end, we ordered seven things between us, planning to share everything. The waitress’s eyes nearly fell out of her head as she collected our menus and left us alone.
Erin’s eyes tracked the young woman as she walked away.
“On a scale of one-to-ten… what do you think?”
“What?” I asked, following Erin’s line of sight. “Oh… her?”
I let my eyes roam. Tight black slacks clung to a generous ass, and her chocolate-brown hair tumbled in thick, glossy waves down to the small of her back.
“From the back, definitely an eight. I missed the front.”
“Oh, come on,” Erin said. “You had to notice. I personally picked her out.”
I turned back to my date. “Erin, I don’t think you realize what you’re doing to me right now. It’s hard to notice anything else.”
Another pleased smile graced her dark-painted lips.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“And I’ll never get tired of it.”
She tilted her head, chin resting in her palm. Her smile seemed to grow, which was something I hadn’t thought possible.
“Where the hell did you come from, Erin?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your academic record is impeccable, you can speak a billion languages, you’re witty, funny, bisexual—”
“Aggressively bisexual,” she added. It was the term she’d used when we first met.
I grinned. “You’re the perfect wingman and you sleep with me. You’re stunning, terrifying, smarter than I am…”
The look she gave me suggested she could listen to this all day, but beneath the bravado, I could see a young woman who was a little uncomfortable with the amount of praise being heaped on her.
“I don’t get you,” I said quietly. “You feel too good to be true.”
Her smile faded a little, becoming more delicate. “I’m not perfect, Marcus.”
“It feels like you are.”
Erin shook her head. “Thank you, but I’m really not.”
“Oh, yeah?” I forked through one of the appetizer plates as our server returned with another trio. She set them down and walked off, hips swaying just enough to remind me Erin had a good eye—definitely a nine out of ten.
“Prove me wrong,” I said, turning my attention back to Erin as I popped a piece of shrimp in my mouth.
Erin shrugged. “That’s not how first dates go, Marcus. Aren’t I supposed to be dazzling you with my best qualities?”
“I already know those,” I said. “Honestly, any man in the world would be lucky to wife you up. I think we need to hear about what makes you more human.”
She’d been studying one of the plates—but at that, her eyes flicked up.
“Marriage talk on the first date? Big faux pas.”
She was teasing me, but something in the undercurrent of her tone told me that this conversation was getting a little too heavy.
“Fine. First-date small talk it is,” I said. “Should I ask where you went to school? Oh, wait—I know that already. Maybe what you majored in? I know that too. What do you do in your free time? I…”
I blinked.
I wasn’t actually sure.
I couldn’t recall Erin ever taking any time off, and when she did, she was usually spent with me or one of the other girls.
“What do you like to do for fun?” I asked.
Erin snorted. “You haven’t figured it out?”
I leveled a look at her. “I know there’s more to you than just work and sex.”
“To be honest,” she said, “not really. I like sex. I love it. I love flirting… coming up with different ways to make it happen. I love having it in different places, and with different people…”
“And that’s it?” I asked, still skeptical.
“No,” she admitted. “I like to read.”
“See? That’s something I didn’t know!” I said. “What kind of books?”
“Mostly philosophy, psychology, legal precedents, sociology, anthropology… especially when it comes to sexual dynamics. I read a little fiction, but a lot of its erotica, and only recommendations from people I trust.”
“So even in your main hobby, sex plays a part.”
“Doesn’t it for most people?” she countered. “Look at guys who game. How many characters have tits bigger than their heads? Look at anime. Movies… half the internet. Sex leaks into everything.”
The waitress came out and set down a couple of dishes, and then the other two women pulled another table next to it as we were starting to run out of room. It felt weird having the place all to ourselves.
Once they were gone, I turned my attention back to Erin.
“Tell me something else about you that’ll surprise me.”
“Nope,” Erin said, considering as she picked up toast with runny eggs, turkey sausage, and avocado on it. “My turn. You tell me something.”
“Fair enough,” I said, spooning hash onto my plate. “I…”
“Why did you date Jessica?”
I blinked at that question, pausing mid-scoop. “Whoa…”
“What?”
“I just thought we were keeping it light today.”
She looked at me as if I were the dumbest human she’d ever met.
“Marcus, there’s talk about ‘wifeing me up,’ and then there’s a conversation about our exes. Maybe that’s a third-date thing, but your dick’s been in my ass while a woman old enough to be my mom had her fingers in my pussy. I think we can accelerate the timeline.”
A sharp inhale tipped us off—one of the waitresses had approached with another plate and clearly caught the last of Erin’s sentence.
We both looked up. Erin gave a sheepish little grin. My cheeks were on fire.
“Sorry,” the girl said, her cheeks going ruddy. “Does everything taste good?”
“This is all so beautiful,” Erin said. “Almost as beautiful as you. Thank you.”
The girl’s blush deepened. “Thanks. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”
And then she left us alone.
Erin watched her leave again, snickering behind her fingertips.
“She keeps eye-humping you when she thinks I’m not watching.”
“Maybe we’ll have to pull a Lillian on her,” I said, referring to the Scottish lass Erin and I seduced and ravaged for the better part of a week.
“Don’t distract me,” Erin said, picking up a fork and brandishing it like a weapon.
I smirked at her and said, “Fine. I dated Jess because I couldn’t find anyone really interesting around here.”
Attention back on me, Erin looked puzzled. “You couldn’t find anyone to date? In New York?”
I shrugged.
“Marcus, either you’re the pickiest man I’ve ever met or you’re blind. This is New York. There’s so many interesting girls here.”
“I don’t know what to tell you,” I said, reaching for an apple slice.
She narrowed her eyes at me.
I popped the fruit into my mouth and met her gaze with a challenge.
“I call bullshit,” Erin said. “You guys met online gaming or on some kind of forum or social media. Daily chats turned into habits, and you just fell into a comfortable rhythm with each other. Even if the sexual chemistry wasn’t fire, you were both attracted enough to each other, and you decided to start dating because it’s better than being alone. Am I on the right track?”
“See?” I jabbed my fork with a piece of sausage at her. “That’s what I’m talking about. How can you be this smart and this gorgeous? You’re almost too perfect.”
She ignored the compliment entirely.
“Marcus, that’s not you struggling to find someone to date. That’s you having no confidence.”
It was hard to argue with a woman who was right.
“You’re right,” I said, surprised by how little the rebuke stung. “Jess was safe. I could see her on a semi-regular basis, play the perfect boyfriend for a few hours, then slip back into whatever I wanted once she left. She didn’t have to see the ugly parts.”
“It’s not just that,” Erin said. “You were afraid to aim higher.”
She picked up a piece of toast, took a bite, and chewed thoughtfully.
“Jess is a pretty girl,” she went on. “A solid seven in Nebraska.”
“Kansas.”
“Kansas. Nebraska. They’re all the same to me. Strictly fly-over.”
I snorted.
“But Jessica is a New York four. Five at best.”
“Rude.”
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“I mean…”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’d eat her for lunch in a second. In fact, I did just that last night. Went back for seconds, if I recall.
“But that’s hardly the point. Marcus, you’re a good-looking guy. You’re tall enough to meet most girls’ standards. When you walked off that elevator, and I saw you for the first time, I was like ‘Oh, fuck yeah!’”
“Would you have dated me if we met in a bar or a club before I came into my money?”
That was the billion-dollar question I’d been wondering since I’d asked her if she’d be with me if I lost it all. Was it just my money she was into?
Erin arched an eyebrow at me. “Let’s be real. Were you ever anywhere near a club?”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not the point.”
She sighed. “Promise you won’t get mad?”
“Promise.”
“No,” she said. “I wouldn’t have dated you.”
I’d have been lying if I said hearing that didn’t twist something in my gut.
“Please,” I said dryly, “don’t hold back on my account.”
Her face fell. “You’re mad.”
“I’m not,” I said, keeping my voice even. “I have you, Erin. The alternate, poverty-stricken Marcus can get fucked.”
That earned a genuine laugh, and she reached for her drink, eyes steady on mine.
“So, if I lost my money, would we be done?”
“Ah.” Erin put down her fork. “That.”
Last time I asked, she didn’t have an answer. Maybe during the date was close enough to count.
“Marcus… the reason I wouldn’t have dated you back then is because we lived in two different worlds. You wouldn’t have been on my radar. Sure, maybe I’d have noticed you… pointed you out to my friends. But would I have thought about dating you?” She shook her head gently. “Probably not.”
She gave me a sad little smile. “Besides, I had terrible taste in men. I liked the bad boys who would steal yachts for me. I dated rich married men. The poor Marcus was a sweet boy who probably wouldn’t have held my attention.”
“And now?”
“Marcus, I’ve been honest about why I wanted this job. I wanted hedonism, money, and power. I wanted a fuckbuddy who could open doors so I could sleep with influencers and celebrities.” She gave me a wry little shrug. “I’m selfish. I love this life, and I love what it lets me do.”
I looked down at the table, hands clasped together, suddenly unable to meet her eyes. I guess I got the answer to my question.
“For the first few weeks,” she said, voice softer now, “if you’d asked me then, I’d have said that I’d leave you if you lost it all.”
She trailed off…
“But now…”
I looked back up.
Erin’s eyes were overly bright, and she softly pursed her lips almost as if she were trying to keep them from trembling. She placed her small, delicate hand on top of both of mine.
“Now, I can honestly say I don’t know,” she said, “but it’d break my heart if I did.”
We stared at each other for a tense ten seconds. The air hung heavy with everything that wasn’t being said… that might be said.
I’d never seen Erin quite like this.
“So, here’s what I can promise,” she said. “You’re not going broke. Not with me around. I will do whatever it takes to keep you a billionaire so neither of us have a chance to find out what I’d do if you lost everything.”
Her slender fingers squeezed mine.
“I’ve never lied to you, Marcus. And I won’t start now… not even to make you feel better. I don’t want to find out what I’d do. That’s all I’ve got.” She searched my face like she was trying to memorize it. Or maybe read my mind.
“Please… can that be enough? For now?”
Something told me it’d been a long time since she’d teared up this much. There was something small and terrified in her expression, like a girl who’d lost a lot in her past and was terrified of experiencing it all over again.
Any normal man might hear the words ‘I don’t know if I’d stay’ and walk away.
But… I wasn’t just any normal man.
And Erin wasn’t really my girlfriend.
But she was a woman who would do anything I asked, sitting there with tears in her eyes, asking if her answer could be enough.
And she was right. As far as I knew, Erin had never lied to me. The fact that she could be this brutally honest even now?
And goddamn, that had to count for something, right? If I couldn’t trust someone this honest, who could I trust?
I sighed and nodded. “I’m not going to ask for more than you can give, Erin. I just want you to know that if I lost you, I don’t know that I could ever recover from that.”
My thumb slipped out from under her palm and stroked the back of her fingers.
“Erin, I think I might be in love with you.”
And then her look of fear suddenly vanished, replaced by the broadest smile I’d ever seen. It was like the clouds had parted, revealing the warm rays of the sun. Unshed tears began spilling freely down her cheeks.
“Dammit, Marcus,” she breathed, laughing softly through them. She swiped at her tears, and more spilled over the ones she’d cleared away.
I didn’t press for her to say it back. I didn’t need to. Not with the look on her face, the fear she’d given voice to, the way her hand hadn’t let go of mine. I had a feeling she felt at least some of what I did, and that was enough… for now.
So, I did what I do best. I deflected with humor.
“Just in case you decide to leave me for whatever reason, though, I’m gonna need you to mentor someone who can replace you.”
She let out a scandalized gasp and flung a piece of boiled egg at my chest.
It was my turn to feign outrage. “That’s insubordination, Miss Malik!”
And I flung a piece of shrimp at her, hitting her squarely on the nose.
She stood, hands planted firmly on the table, eyes narrowed in mock fury, the tears already drying on her cheeks. That playful spark rekindled in her eyes.
I stood as well, meeting her glare.
Then I broke left, lunging to catch her.
Erin shrieked, ducked under the table, and popped out on the other side where I’d started.
She turned and gave me her patented Cheshire cat grin, eyeing me and ready to spring into action.
I glanced at the bar, where the two girls who had been waiting on us were standing, staring.
“Is there anyone in the kitchen?”
The girl whom Erin had been eyeing shook her head.
“Good!” I said and vaulted over the table.
Erin squealed and tried to flee, but I caught her around the waist, picked her up, and threw her over my shoulder, her ass pressed against the side of my face.
“We’re going back there.” I pulled out my wallet, thumbed out a credit card, and tossed it on the counter of the bar, all while managing a squealing, giggling, and squirming Erin. “Add a thousand-dollar tip each… for all three of you and another five thousand for the restaurant. We’re about to make a mess. Don’t come back there till we’re done.”
“Wait!” Erin giggled. “Turn around!”
I obliged, shifting so my back was to the servers so that Erin could face them.
“Unless you want to join us!” Erin said, supposedly to the waitress who was a nine out of ten.
I swatted Erin’s ass. “Not today! You’re mine and mine alone!”
“Argh! Fine!” she pouted.
Then I heard a slight shift of paper and the jingle of a pen as it left a container. “If you’re interested,” Erin said, “write down your number and leave it on the counter!”
“You’re ridiculous,” I muttered, pushing through the swinging kitchen door with my squirming brunch date.
“Please be interested!” Erin shouted behind us, just before the doors swung shut.