“I have to go to London for a few weeks.”
Reis frowns. “That’s sucks. You’re going to miss my first soccer game.”
“Sorry bro. Take Taylor.”
I’m not sure why I offer her up like a consolation prize, but I can tell he likes being around her almost as much as I do. She’s sassy and smart and doesn’t take an ounce of crap. It sort of reminds me of our mom, and I wonder if Reis feels that way too. She was the same way with us, easily keeping two rowdy boys in line with a single look. I smile at the memory.
“How long will you be gone?” Reis asks.
“I’m not sure, at least a few weeks.” I stuff a pile of papers into a stack and shove them in a file folder. I needed to get an assistant.
“Does Taylor know?”
“Not yet. I’m going to tell her tonight.”
He nods, looking at me thoughtfully. “I’ll take care of her while you’re gone.”
“Thanks, man.”
Bria pokes her head in my office. “You wanted to see me?” She grins, looking between Reis and I. I’m used to her eye raping me, but I don’t like the way looks hungrily at Reis.
He’s eating up the attention, holding her in his gaze too.
“This is my little brother, Reis.” I emphasize the word little, as in too young for you.
“Bria.” She moves closer to us, swaying her hips as she walks.
“What’s up?” Reis causally nods in her direction.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Can you leave us?” I say to Reis.
He shuffles out past Bria, his eyes on her the whole time. Bria watches his behind as he exits. Well that was annoying.
“So Colt Palmer is talking to me again?” Bria steps closer, placing her hand on my chest.
I lift her wrist and remove her hand. “You know it’s not like that between us anymore.”
A look of hurt flashes across her face, but she steps back and holds her head high. “Then what do you want?”
“I need your help.”
I explain the arrangement I’m trying to secure with Geoffrey and the British military contract and how I need her negotiation skills, which she loves. I ask her not to say anything to anyone, since I haven’t told Taylor yet. She grins and bites her lower lip. She likes that she knows about this trip before Taylor does. Maybe this was a bad idea. No. I have some making up to do with Taylor before I spring this on her.
“Bria, don’t say anything.”
She holds her hands up. “Fine, lover boy. But I doubt she’ll be happy about this.”
“I know.”
When Bria leaves I go online and buy our plane tickets and reserve our hotel. Then I email Taylor.
TO: Taylor Beckett
FROM: Colt Palmer
SUBJECT: Tonight
I know it’s against the rules, but considering I’m in charge…I don’t care. Please come over tonight?
Colt
A few seconds later, she responds.
TO: Colt Palmer
FROM: Taylor Beckett
SUBJECT: RE: Tonight
Mr. Palmer,
Even though it’s a gross misuse of power, I like when you’re in charge. I’m hanging out with Logan and MJ tonight, but after lights out, I’ll sneak down. But you have to promise you’ll talk to Vera if I get busted.
Yours,
Taylor
I’m lighting the last candle when I hear her tap softly at the door. I open it and pull her into my arms. Sweet vanilla and her floral shampoo fill my senses. “Hi.”
She wraps her arms around me, hugging me tight.
I walk us backwards and let the door swing closed behind us. The room is dim with just a few candles glowing softly.
“Wow. Thank you for planning this,” she says, noticing the candles once I release her.
“You’re welcome, baby.” I wanted to show her that she’s special to me.
“You just don’t want to go out in public with me after what happened last time.”
I grin, guilty as charged. “No. I just wanted tonight to be about you and me.”
She smiles up at me, lifting up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “Sometimes you say the sweetest things.”
Good. That’ll make what I have to tell her easier.
“But still, I think we need to talk about last weekend.”
“Oh.” I frown.
“We can’t just hide from your past.”
“Why not?” I nuzzle against her neck, breathing her in.
She giggles, but swats me away. “Because. I have a few more questions for you.”
Shit. I thought we’d been over this. I lead her to my bed, where I have a tray of strawberries, chocolate sauce and bowl of Cheetos.
“For me?” she asks, smiling.
I nod.
“Sweet of you.” She pops a Cheeto in her mouth, settling on my bed.
Her posture tenses, stalling around the questions she wants to ask.
“Lean back,” I murmur, arranging the pillows behind her. She leans against them so she’s half sitting, half lying down.
I dip a strawberry into the bowl of chocolate sauce. “Close your eyes,” I whisper.
She obeys, letting her eyes fall closed.
I bring the berry to her mouth and dab the chocolate on her bottom lip. She smiles and her tongue darts out to taste it.
“Mmm. It’s warm.”
Pride surges inside me, happy that I’ve pleased her. I lean in and lick the rest of the chocolate from her lip.
She inhales sharply at the surprise of my tongue on her mouth and her eyes fly open before slowly drifting closed again.
I want tonight to be perfect for her since I’d fucked up on our date last weekend and I still had to tell her about going out of town with Bria.
I feed her the strawberry and kiss away the sweet juice lingering on her bottom lip.
She smiles, lazily opening her eyes. “We’re still going to have that conversation.”
Damn. Distracting her wasn’t going to work. “I know.”
I fed her a Cheeto next.
She chews and swallows, watching me thoughtfully.
I pop one into my mouth as I give her another. Maybe if I keep feeding her, we won’t have to talk. I loose count of the number of Cheetos I feed her when she holds up her hand, stopping me.
“I’m good, thank you.”
I move the tray from the bed and settle in next to her. “I have something to tell you, but you go first. What do you want to know?”
“So last weekend…all those girls…it got me thinking.”
That’s exactly what I was afraid of.
“Why did you seem to change so easily for me? And how can I trust that you have really changed?”
What can I say to make her believe me? This change might seem fast to her, or not sustainable, but I know it is. Being with Taylor grounds me and gives me a connection I’ve been missing for years. And I don’t even care how sappy I sound. The love word pops into my head again, but I don’t want to tell her yet. I don’t want her to think I’m just saying it to smooth things over.
She’s waiting, watching me. I cup her face, and drift my thumbs across her cheeks. “I’m falling for you, hard, baby. Give us a chance, okay? Give me a chance to show you how much you mean to me.”
She leans in and kisses me. Thank God.
But after several minutes, she stops and pulls back. “What did you have to tell me?”
Oh, shit that’s right. I need to tell her I’m going away. But suddenly, telling her about Bria right now when things are still so fragile between us doesn’t seem right. I’ll have to tell her eventually, but not right now. Not when we’ve just made up.
I take a deep breath. “You know how I’ve turned down some of the assignments McAllister had lined up?”
She nods.
“I’m working on a new deal for the school, and it means I’ll have to go away for a little while.”
“Oh.” Her face falls.
“I’m leaving next week, and I’ll be in London for a few weeks while I work one case and try to secure a long term partnership with another agency.”