“We can’t go back to the office like this,” he said. “We’ll stop by my place and clean up.”
Aspen
I stood in the huge shower, the size of my entire bathroom, and washed my hair.
I seriously coveted this bathroom. Liam had given me his master bath, and said that he’d shower in a guest room. The guy had four other bathrooms to choose from.
Desperately, I was trying not to think about the fact that Liam stood in this very spot every day, naked, with water cascading over him.
Heat curled in my belly.
With a groan, I dumped my head under the water.
Think about Nexus, Aspen. Think about poor Jake.
My thoughts turned to the Bronx warehouse.
What the hell were they after in that place? The place was a dirty, crumbling mess. There was nothing inside of it. Why the hell were they poking holes in the walls?
All I had were lots of questions, and no answers. I climbed out of the shower and dried off with a huge, fluffy towel. I’d sponged the worst of the dirt off my slacks, but my shirt and jacket were write offs.
In my bra and panties, I toweled my hair dry, then bundled it up damp on my head.
I needed to borrow a shirt.
When I stepped into Liam’s glorious bedroom, I paused.
It was so nice. The huge bed was covered with a soft, gray comforter and lots of pillows. A rich-looking, cream rug was centered under the bed. I’d put a tall plant in the corner. Some smaller ones on the dresser.
Quit redecorating the man’s bedroom. I saw a white button up shirt laid out on the bed and smiled.
I pulled it on and moaned. So soft. I was going to steal it. I buttoned it up, and my gaze snagged once again on the view of the city.
“Hey, are you decent?” Liam appeared in the doorway.
I spun. His gaze flared, seeing me in his shirt, then slowly drifted down my bare legs.
Lots of places blazed to life inside me. I cleared my throat. “You haven’t showered yet?”
He was still in his ruined shirt, tie, and trousers.
“I got a call from the office.” He cocked his head. “What are you wearing under that?”
I rolled my eyes. “None of your business.”
He grinned. He was so damn handsome. No one had the right to be so gorgeous. It was unfair to us mere mortals.
“It’s nearly lunch time. Why don’t you see what I have in the kitchen for us to eat before we head back to the office?”
“Sure.” I could manage a sandwich without poisoning our taste buds.
But Liam still didn’t move. “I really like you in my shirt, Aspen.”
“Fair warning, I’m stealing it.”
He crossed the room, and suddenly I got the feeling like a predator had entered my space.
“Keep your distance, Kensington.” Wow, that sounded really unconvincing.
He stopped, just inches between us. My hands itched to touch him. To rip those clothes off and drag him to the floor.
“I’ll stay right here,” he said. “Think you can keep your hands off me?”
“I don’t know how you walk around with that big head all day.”
“Walk right past me, Aspen, without touching me.”
I lifted my chin and strode to him. Then I grabbed his tie and yanked his head down.
The kiss was hard and hungry. Desire was a wicked rush inside me, and I pulled in the taste of him.
Then I broke the kiss and leaned back, licking my lips.
He was grinning.
“I kept my hands off you,” I said. “I touched your tie. And lips don’t count.”
He laughed, and I strode out smiling. My slacks needed a bit more time to dry, so I left them tossed over a chair.
I figured Liam had already gotten a good look at my bare legs.
I opened the enormous refrigerator. Briar and Juno loved to cook, and they’d squee all over this fancy kitchen and its expensive appliances.
I pulled out some meats and cheeses. I was thinking about making sandwiches, but the fancy prosciutto, brie, and—I squinted at another frou-frou cheese. I had no idea what it was, but it had blue bits in it. I didn’t do moldy cheese. These weren’t really the right fixings for humble sandwiches.
I heard a beep, and the front door opened.
Oh, hell. I froze.
Two tall men sauntered in and I recognized them instantly.
Not many people in New York wouldn’t recognize Zane Roth and Maverick Rivera.
They spotted me and stopped like they’d hit a wall. Zane Roth was the perfect definition of tall, dark, and handsome. A frown crossed his attractive face.
“What the fuck?” Maverick clipped out. “What the ever-loving fuck?”
Maverick Rivera wasn’t handsome. He was too rough and rugged to be called anything as tame as handsome. He was a few inches taller than Zane, and his shoulders were broader. He looked like he should be a bouncer at a club, not a billionaire.
I’d seen a bad winter storm roll in over New York once. Rivera’s face looked like that.
I guessed that Liam had mentioned the whole blackmail thing to his friends at some stage.
“Penn Channing,” Zane said.
I stepped out from behind the island. “Um—”
Instantly, they took in my bare legs, Liam’s shirt, my wet hair, and my makeup-free face.
Both men’s faces darkened. I held out a hand. “It’s not what it looks like.”
I winced. Oh, that was really lame.
“What are you doing here?” Zane asked.
“Who gives a fuck?” Maverick pulled out his phone. “I’m calling the police.”
“Don’t.” Shit, where was Liam? “Look—”
“Hey, have you made some food? Our activities this morning have me starved.” Liam waltzed in, wearing new suit pants, and a fresh shirt that was still unbuttoned.
Oh. Hell.
This all looked and sounded really bad.
He jerked to a halt, looking at his friends. “What are you two doing here?”
“Well, we heard you were very cozy with a redhead last night at the fundraiser,” Zane said. “Then we stopped by your office, only for Eleanor to inform us that you were out, and lunching at home. So, we stopped by.”
Maverick crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “We didn’t expect to find you fucking your blackmailer.”
I winced. Maverick Rivera had one hell of a temper. “I told them that it isn’t what it looks like.”
Liam made a face. “I bet that helped.”
I leaned against the island and gave him a small shake of my head. We couldn’t reveal the details of what we were doing to these men. The more people who knew, the greater the chance of it getting back to Doyle and Nexus.
Liam nodded and sighed. “I need you guys to trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
Zane was watching us intently, something working in his eyes.
“No!” Maverick snapped. “You’re one of my best friends. I’m not going to let you get dragged under by some blackmailing, criminal bitch.”
“I’m asking you to trust me, Mav. There are things I can’t share yet.”
Maverick cursed, his hands on his hips and his gaze dropping to his shoes.
“You sure?” Zane asked, his tone intense.
Liam nodded.
“If you need us, we’re here.”