“You ready?” Chance asks.
“I’ve been ready. I’m exhausted.”
“Tabitha, you ready?” Chance asks.
“Yes.” She smiles and joins us.
“Hank?” Chance asks.
“I’m just going to sleep upstairs tonight,” he tells us. “I have a new vendor coming early in the morning to meet with me, and it’s just easier to stay here.”
“All right, man. See ya.” Chance waves, as do Tabitha and I, as we follow him out the door.
“Who’s that?” Tabitha asks.
I turn to follow her gaze, and my heart stops.
“Deacon,” I whisper.
“You good?” Chance asks me.
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“I am.” I smile at him, hoping he can’t see the tremble in my smile. I know, or at least I think I know, that Deacon would never hurt me, but being alone with him in a dark parking lot isn’t exactly a smart move.
“Hi,” I say, breaking away from my coworkers and slowly approaching him. He’s leaning against the side of his truck that’s parked next to my car. “What are you doing here?” I ask him with a quivering voice.
“I left a couple of hours ago,” he confesses. “Then I got home and started thinking about you getting off work late and walking out alone, and well,” he shrugs, “here I am.”
“One of the guys always walks us out,” I tell him. “And I have this.” I raise my Mace to show him.
He nods. “Good. That’s good.”
I take a step closer. “You were worried about me?”
“Yeah,” he says, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m good.”
He stands from where he’s leaning against his truck and takes a step toward me, bringing us toe-to-toe. “Can I touch you, Ramsey?”
My breath stalls in my lungs, making speech impossible, so I nod.
Lifting his hand, he tucks my hair behind my ear before letting his index finger trace my jaw. “I had to make sure,” he whispers in a gravelly voice.
“You good, Ramsey?” Chance calls out.
His voice breaks our trance, and Deacon drops his hand. I turn to look at Chance. “Everything is fine. Thank you for walking me out. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Chance studies us for a few minutes before climbing into his car but doesn’t drive away.
“He’s not going to leave until I do.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Deacon asks with more edge to his voice than I’ve yet to hear from him. It’s not mean, just… disapproving maybe.
“No. Just a good guy. Hank, my boss, insists that one of the guys is with us girls, and they stay until we drive off. They’re good people.”
“That’s good to hear. You better get going.” He steps next to me, places his hand on the small of my back, and leads me the few final steps to my car door. I unlock the door and toss my purse inside.
“Thank you for checking on me.”
“I’m going to lean in close,” he tells me. I nod, and he leans in, pressing his lips to my cheek. “Drive safe, darlin’.”
The blood is rushing through my ears, making it hard to hear anything but the thunderous rhythm. “Night, Deacon.” I settle behind the wheel. He waits until I’ve fastened my seat belt before he closes the door and taps twice on my hood.
My hands shake as I start the car and put it into gear. Slowly, my foot presses against the accelerator, and I pull out of the lot. I think about Deacon the entire way back to my apartment. I don’t know what tonight was. I’m so damn confused, but I can admit, even if it’s just to myself, that his attention isn’t unpleasant. Deacon seems like a nice guy. He’s gorgeous and off-limits. He’s my best friend’s older brother, and if my cousin’s reaction tonight is any indication, he’s not impressed with the mere thought of something happening between his best friend and me.
six
Deacon
This has been one of the longest days of my life. I didn’t sleep for shit all weekend, and my concentration, it’s vanished in the face of a blue-eyed angel named Ramsey. It’s Monday evening, and I’m still at work because I can’t stop thinking about her long enough to get my shit together and get through this brief. I’ve been working on it since Saturday, the day I met her and the day she infiltrated my mind without permission.
Thankfully, the office was mostly quiet today, and my bosses were too busy with their own caseload to recognize that I’m not on my game. I’m never not on my game.
Never.
At least not until the last few days. It’s a little after eight, and my stomach is growling. I missed lunch today. I was determined not to leave my office until I was finished. It should have been done this weekend but working at home didn’t happen. Nothing has happened except for my mind constantly thinking about her. There are a million reasons why thinking about her is wrong. She’s too damn young for me. She’s my sister’s best friend and my best friend’s little cousin.
I didn’t miss the looks Orrin was giving me on Saturday night while Ramsey was sitting with us. He went on to tell me that she’s been through hell and that he worries about her. I got the underlying message. Leave her alone. He didn’t come out and say it, but I heard him loud and clear. And he’s right. I need to leave her alone. I’m at least ten years her senior, and she’s already too close to people I care about. That can only end in disaster. I’m a workaholic, and she deserves someone who is going to give her their time. The time that she deserves.
Reaching for my bottle of water, I see that it’s empty. Fuck it. I’m going to go to the break room and grab a cup of coffee. I need to head home, I need food, but I also need to finish this. I have just a few more pages, and I’m bound and determined that I’m going to finish them tonight. I’m not leaving here until they’re done.
Standing from my desk, I make my way to the door. My phone alerts me of a message, and when I glance down at the screen, I see that it’s my younger sister.
Palmer: Deacon! These images!!
Her text is followed up with three fire emojis. Palmer doesn’t need to tell me how hot they are. I was there. I lived the moment that she only witnessed through her lens. I had my hands on Ramsey, tasted her lips, and had my cock nestled between her thighs. Three fire emojis are not enough to describe what went down that day.
Not even close.
Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I continue down the hall to the small break room. When I push open the door, there’s a woman standing with her back to me as she wipes down the counters. She reminds me of Ramsey. Nope. Not going there. I clear my throat to alert the woman to my presence. “I’m sorry. I just need to grab a quick cup of coffee, and I’ll be out of your way,” I assure her.
The woman slowly turns to face me, and my mouth drops open in shock.
“Ramsey?”
She lifts her hand in an awkward wave and smiles. “Hi, Deacon.”
“What are you doing here?” I take two steps toward her and stop. I want to pull her into my arms and hold her tight. I want to kiss her lips and just… fuck! I can’t have thoughts like this about her. This has to stop.