Cocky Fiance(19)

"Rebekah wants to meet with me," I said more to Mom as the others started talking among themselves. Her eyes went wide.

"What did you say?"   





 

"I said it could be a possibility."

"Even that's generous."

"Only because I don't have many female friends, you know. She was my main one, and it hurt that she used me to get to my fiancé."

Mom patted my hand in reassurance.

"Woman are bitches, honey," she started, and I couldn't help but smile. Mom never swore except for when it came to someone interfering with her family. Then all bets were off. "Stick with your brothers, love, they'll protect you." She always said that to me, about my brothers. And they have always protected me.

"Sooo," Ricky began, leaning forward in his chair while ripping a piece of bread. "Slate tells me you had a man at your place this afternoon, sis," he said, wiggling his eyebrows in amusement. While my brothers were extremely protective of their only sister, they also made me the subject of their jokes.

I looked to Slate who was suppressing a laugh.

"You knew?" I asked him.

"Of course, I knew."

I glanced quickly at Hawk who was rubbing his jaw, hanging onto every word.

"So, who was it?" Ricky asked. Before I could respond with a lie, I was interrupted.

"Damn, so you dropped off Hawk after the wedding and then went and picked up?" Harry shook his head, teasingly. "That's harsh, sis." People around me giggled, and I could feel my cheeks turning beet red.

"You know whoever it is we have to meet him."

"What? I think you're jumping the gun a little bit."

"Really?" Ricky asked, amused. "Is that why your voice has gone high pitched?"

"No, it hasn't!"

They all laughed, and I had to admit, I did sound like I had something to hide.

Time to change tack. "It was no one," I shrugged indifferently, hoping they'd get off my back or change the subject. They shook their heads, and Hawk finally chirped up and asked Ricky how business was going. When everyone was engrossed in their new conversations that didn't involve me, I sat back and exhaled slowly.

My mom passed the wine, but I was too tired for any alcohol.

My bed was calling my name and possibly a hot bubble bath to soak my sore body.

There was never a quiet moment around the dinner table at the Valentino residence. Throughout dinner, Hawk offered me reassuring glances and each time my stomach butterflied. When the boys migrated to the living room with dad, I helped Mom with the clearing of the table. I listened while she told me about her and dad's plan to travel when he retired.

When I could barely stand, I kissed my parents goodbye and snuck past the living room where the boys were engrossed in a football game.

Forty minutes later, I was home.

I promised myself a bubble bath, and as I lowered myself into the water, my aching body thanked me. Putting a towel behind my neck, I sunk deep into the bubbles, closed my eyes and worked through the backlog of questions that had been taunting me for answers.

Questions like...

Was this just a one-off weekend, or were we both expected to just sweep it under the rug?

Do we both pretend like it never happened?

Was it going to make working with each other super awkward?

Do I start looking for another job?

That question made me sad. I loved my job and I enjoyed working with Hawk. I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. But what if things turned sour between us? It would only be expected I find some other employment.

And then there was the issue of my brothers. Despite them all knowing I was at the wedding with Hawk, and Slate hearing someone in my bedroom, the last person they'd ever suspect it to be was Hawk. Because they didn't want it to be him. The idea seemed preposterous to them.

When the water turned cold, I dried myself off, made a cup of tea and headed to my bedroom with the latest edition of Suave. It was a fashion magazine, and Hawk Carnage had a feature article on the rise of his lingerie company. Getting comfortable, I flipped through the pages, and my cell phone rang.

I sighed heavily when I saw the name glowing on the screen.

"Hello," I managed without much enthusiasm.

Why hadn't I let it go to message bank?

"Britta," Rebekah greeted like an excited child. "Hi... wow," she continued, almost caught off guard. "I'm kinda surprised you answered my call, so thank you."

What could she possibly want? Shouldn't the woman be on her honeymoon?

"Everything okay?" I barely managed, unsure of the angle I should take.

"Yes, fine. I was just calling to see if you might be interested in meeting with me tomorrow? You know... like we discussed at the wedding?"

"Umm..."

"Because, well... Roman got called back into work, so that kind of spelled the end of the honeymoon. Who chooses to go to work on their honeymoon?" She laughed awkwardly, and I couldn't help but cringe.   





 

"I don't really know what you expect me to say to that, Rebekah."

"Shit, I'm sorry..." She paused. "Old habits." I was hoping she's referring to the old habits as in being able to tell each other anything as friends, and not the old habit of being a lying cheating bitch.

"I'm not sure about tomorrow, I am working."

"Oh... oh sorry," she nervously stumbled. "Why does it feel like I'm apologizing a lot?"

I wanted to say ‘because you slept with your best friend's boyfriend, then married him,' but I was working on becoming a better person from it all. "You're right, I know. I just want to talk to you. I miss you, believe it or not."

"I can do lunch," I finally caved, and she squealed into the phone.

"Thank you!" She sounded super excited, and I wondered about the sincerity of it all. "I'll see you then."

We said our quick farewells and I turned my phone on silent in case she was compelled to call again. Lying back on my bed, I wondered if I should call in sick tomorrow. I pulled the pillow closer, sliding a hand underneath. My fingers touched something cold and metallic.

The ring.

I was sure I'd placed in Hawk's hand before we left.

That sneaky...

I stared at its beauty before sending him a message.

You left something behind...



His reply was instant, and I watched as the bubbles showed up when he was typing.

I did, and she's in bed right now, isn't she?



I smiled despite myself and placed my cell on the bedside table. I lifted my hand and held it against the warm light and admired the glittery diamonds.

I didn't know what games he was playing, but Hawk Carnage was quickly winning me over.





Chapter 14


Hawk





She had managed to avoid me all morning.

I'd been so busy I hadn't had the chance to pull her aside and call her out on it. I caught an elevator down to the lower floor to spy on the latest photo shoot. Fortunately, all models were in attendance, and even better, they were all our top line.

The wide-open space was almost in complete darkness except for the bright white photographer lights. While I hadn't yet been noticed, I stared around the room of attendees but stopped when I saw her face. Britta was standing on the far-right side of the set. She was laughing at whatever the male model Jaxon was saying to her. That wasn't the problem. She was smoothing a bronzer over his muscled chest, and he seemed to be making the most of the situation. He was flexing his muscles as her hands moved over his skin. He was also peering down her blouse, watching her cleavage as she moved around him.

I wouldn't care, except it was Jaxon.

He was some hot-shot model notorious for bedding other models under my employment, treating them like shit and leaving them in tears. I'd had a handful of top beauties quit because they refused to work with him on set. Now, on probation, it seemed Jaxon had moved from models to those further up the corporate ladder, namely Britta.

Walking straight through the set, I met Britta on the other side. She didn't see me coming, and when I appeared by her side, she seemed startled.

"Isn't that the job of the makeup artist?" It was a genuine question.

"Kathy's running behind with the girls so I said I'd help out."

I look to her hands frozen on Jaxon's chest and back to her wide-eyed stare.

I took the tube of bronzer from her hand and held it to Jaxon's chest until he took it.

"Meeting in my office in ten, Britta," I said before walking off.

"Wait," she called after me. "I can't, not today. Tomorrow?" She looked around the room, conscious of everyone watching our interaction. I had just disrupted their shoot after all. "Can we talk upstairs?"

I nodded, and she followed me.

Inside the elevator, she seemed tentative, nervous. I wanted the confident Britta back and halfway to our floor she delivered.

"How's your ass?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

Fucking unicorn.

"It would be better if you looked at it, then proceeded to the front with your lips around my cock."

She shook her head at me in mock disgust.

"Is that all you think about? Fucking me?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "But I'd be lying if I said it didn't take up a great deal of my time."

"So..." she started with some hesitation. "What exactly are we?"

The elevator stopped to let someone in from the finance floor. When the doors opened, I waved them away and told them to get the next one. They did so, wide-eyed and stunned.