Out of the Storm(30)

"I'm just scared we're going to end up getting in deeper than we already are, and then we'll both be in trouble. Maybe what you said earlier was a good idea. Maybe you should just forget about investing. If anything happens, you can just say we were having an affair."

Shaking my head, I look directly into her big brown eyes. "We're already in this. It's too late to get out. Just trust me."

She nods. "I do. I do trust you. That's why I just told you. It was killing me to hide something from you. Do you trust me?"

Do I trust her? "Yeah, I do. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"I'm starving."

I can't contain my grin. "Finally."





Before I knocked on Theo's door, I took my engagement ring off and slipped it into my purse. I'm surprised he's not noticed it, but then again, his focus seemed to have been on other areas of my body-the dress, the shoes, my lips, my eyes.

And when I walked into his apartment, I don't think I fully appreciated the savory scent coming from his kitchen. However, after our romp in his bed, I've worked up quite the appetite. My stomach rumbles. "What'd you make?" I ask.

"Well, it's not what we had last night, so that should already make it more of a success, right?"



       
         
       
        

I can't help but smile. Even though I wasn't crazy about the entrée he chose, looking back on that dinner, there's not much I didn't like about it. I love he chose for me. I love that he likes it. Shrugging, I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. "What is it?"

"I made garlic shrimp with roasted broccoli, which will be served over angel hair pasta with a lemon butter sauce."

My mouth immediately salivates. "That's what I'm talking about."

He opens a cabinet, pulling two plates, then pulls a drawer to retrieve silverware. "And there's garlic bread that's probably cold now. Maybe even hard."

"I don't care. The reason why it's cold was so worth it."

He glances over my shoulder and smirks, but doesn't say anything, which is sexy and odd all at the same time. He usually has a comeback for everything.

Leaning my elbows onto the table, I rest my chin in my hands. "So, I guess we should start the business portion of this meeting sooner rather than later." The clock on the microwave stares back at me. It's almost one o'clock. I've been gone longer than I usually am for lunch. Even though I told Charlie I was meeting this mystery investor, I don't want it to be too suspicious. More than it already is, at least. Because never has there ever been a situation like this. "What's your next move?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Well, I had planned to set up an account with you and see if my money grew miraculously."

Shaking my head, I watch as he plates our food. It looks like something that we'd be served in the finest of restaurants. He's giving it meticulous attention. He takes a rag and wipes the edges. It's mesmerizing to watch him. But my thoughts go back to where they should be. "That won't work."

"What do you mean it won't work?" he asks, never even looking up from his task.

"He will see your name. Even the accounts that I handle, that are in my name, he oversees them." He sets my place with beautiful cutlery and a cloth napkin, then slides my plate in front of me. My mouth isn't just watering because of the succulent smell the food is emitting. It's also because of the sexiness oozing from Theo as he tends to my needs, all of them, before his. "I know you don't think he's smart, but he knows more than you think. Everything he does is calculated." Which makes me really regret not having cut off my phone before coming over here.

He smirks. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to put the account in my own name?" There's a glint of humor in his eyes. "I mean, do please give me some credit." 

Pressing my lips together, I try not to let my smile escape. "What name were you going to use? MG?"

He throws his head back laughing, which is infectious. "No, Connor Grayson."

"Connor Grayson? You know you have to have a valid social. You can't just make up names. Especially if the feds are already onto us."

His smile never fades, but I swear his eyes are somewhat twinkling as he gazes at me, then twirls some pasta around his fork and puts it in his mouth. He closes his eyes and moans. "That's so fucking good." Following his lead, I do the same. His eyes open and connect with mine as I guide the fork into my mouth, wrapping my lips around it and pulling the smooth pasta against my tongue-much like the way I did his cock. He drops his own fork, his breathing coming in short, heavy spurts. "Shit, Jules. Don't eat like that or we'll never finish what you came here for."

I giggle, then put my fork down. He's right. "Who says I didn't come here for that?"

"I mean it," he says, completely serious this time. "Stay focused."

"Okay. Talk."

"Connor is my nephew. My sister's son. I was going to establish the account in his name."

I swallow as Theo pours a glass of wine and pushes it toward me. Picking it up, I turn it up and drag in a large swig, letting the bold, sweet flavor envelop my mouth. "You can't do that."

"You have a better plan?"

I shake my head. "You can't bring an innocent child into this. What the hell are you thinking?"

He shrugs. "You said he oversees everything."

"Yeah."

Theo takes another bite. "Do you know his password? Is there a way we can hack into his account so we don't have to establish a fake one and wait for him to take our bait?"

Charlie doesn't share anything with me like that now that I really think about it. Even after all this time, so much of him is a mystery, and it's like I was in this trance where I was blind to it. "I don't know his password. I don't know anything about his accounts."

Theo's jaw tightens. "I'm not surprised."

"The only thing I know is that Charlie gloats about how he can combine events and dates. He loves scrambling things."

He nods. "I like unscrambling things. This should be fun."

"My guess is he has everything encrypted. He paid the best tech guys to establish our systems. Told me we couldn't expect people to give us all their personal info if there were security threats."

"Right. Because no one would imagine the security threat was the ever charming fuck face."

I can't help but laugh. "I didn't. I'm a fool, I guess."

He rounds the corner of the bar in a matter of a couple of steps and caresses my cheek. "Stop that. Right now."

Leaning into his touch, I nod. "Okay."

"Let's try to establish the account and see what happens."

Pulling my computer from my bag, I boot it up. "I am going to put in the personal information first, but then I need to get back to the office. I've been gone too long. I'll set the rest up there."

"Fine."

Theo proceeds to give me the information to get started. I should feel better. This should be giving me relief. But instead, there's a pit growing, gnawing at me, eating away at my soul. Something isn't right, but I can't place it. Closing my computer, I put it back in my bag. Theo takes my hand and pulls me up and against his hard body. "It's going to be okay. Trust me."

"I do. But I have to go."




       
         
       
        
He leans down and plants the softest, sweetest kiss on my lips, and again, I should feel better, but I don't. Why? "Text me when you get back so I'll know you're okay."

"I will."

Pushing past him, I make my way to the door. "Jules … "

I glance over my shoulder. "Yeah?"

He furrows his brows, then shakes his head. "Watch your front, back, and sides. All the time."

That certainly doesn't comfort me. "Yeah."

There's something about his expression that makes me want to run back into his arms, stay there, and never leave. But I have to go, so I turn the knob and walk out of Theo's apartment to go back to Charlie, a man I despise more every second of every day. A man who I still think of as the boy I fell in love with, and I can't believe I'm afraid of him now. A tear drips down my cheek. How has this become my life? How do I get out of this? One thing I know for sure is I'm not sure Theo's plan is solid. Everything in me is screaming no. I just don't have an alternative.

Trying not to look too suspicious, I do what he told me. My eyes wander to every direction of my surroundings as I make my way back to the subway. But I don't have eyes in the back of my head. If I'm looking left, I can't look right. If I'm looking straight, I can't look behind me. And that's when my arm is yanked, and I'm pulled against a chest. A warm chest. "I know where you've been. What I want to know is what the fuck you're doing. Are you screwing him?" A warm body and cold words spewed as icy blue eyes stare into mine. My voice flees. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. "That's what I thought. Let's go." He squeezes my bicep so hard I swear there will be a bruise there tomorrow. He drags me into the subway car. "I guess that explains your little outfit. Tell me, Jules, what you're planning with him. Because you're not a whore. Or are you?"