For an intensely charged moment, we simply stared at each other. Blood rushed through my ears, and my breath came in short pants. I could feel the rapid thud of his heartbeat while mine was banging against my ribs. I took a tiny bit of comfort in knowing that perhaps I affected him as powerfully as he affected me.
His phone began buzzing again. “I think you’d better get that,” I said reluctantly.
His mouth twisted to the side, and he let out a soft sigh. “I should.”
He stepped back, and I instantly missed his warmth and strength.
After Nash left to attend a business meeting, I took a few minutes to explore my temporary lodgings. The staff condo, as Nash described it, was on the top floor of the same building where his offices were located. Apparently, he owned the entire building. The condo offered a view of downtown New Orleans with the ocean in the distance.
There was an open style living room and kitchen area with a tall ceiling and windows letting in lots of light. Dark hardwood flooring was a contrast to the cream-colored walls and the neutral colored furniture. A small oval kitchen island served as a dining area as well as a natural divider between the living room and kitchen. There was a round table beside the windows.
Beyond that main open area was a small entryway, and two bedrooms along with a bathroom. I certainly didn’t need both bedrooms. The wiry thread of tension I’d felt ever since I’d woken and discovered Brett gone several days ago had finally started to ease in my shoulders. At least I had somewhere to be for a few days while I came up with some kind of plan.
The moment I thought of Brett and my overall situation, restlessness nudged me. I walked into the larger of the two bedrooms where Nash had carried my suitcase and began to unpack. Maybe I would only be here for a few days, but I wanted to be comfortable.
In the back of my mind, I considered calling my brother Max. He was due back from his trip with Harlow today. It didn’t surprise me that he and Nash knew each other. Max knew a lot of people all over the country, most of them wealthy. Although my brother was quite wealthy, he was a good man and down to earth. We’d grown up solidly in the middle class in Pennsylvania. Our mother was now a retired teacher, and our father still ran his small mechanic garage right beside our parents’ house.
Max was brilliant, and money seemed to just happen for him. Fortunately, he had his feet firmly on the ground. If they hadn’t been before, they were even more so ever since he’d fallen in love with Harlow May, a hotshot firefighter from Alaska.
I adored Harlow and Max’s story. They met entirely by chance when Max attended a wedding of one of his good friends from MIT who’d moved his business to Alaska. At the wedding, Harlow had been one of the bridesmaids for her close friend. Max was smitten with Harlow from the moment he met her.
Now, Max went back and forth between his company’s headquarters in San Francisco and Alaska. It didn’t really matter where he lived since he could conduct most of his business online. Max was the one who seemed blessed financially—it was like money just walked up and climbed in his pocket. On the other hand, I wasn’t so lucky that way. I landed in journalism—which didn’t pay particularly well. In fact, most months I would go so far as to say it didn’t pay much at all. Barely enough to squeak by.
Brett had quite literally left me in the worst straits possible when he ran up all my credit cards. Even if I managed to straighten that mess out, I knew it would affect my credit.
“Fuck my life,” I muttered to myself as I scrolled through an email on my phone.
It was an email from Brett with the tickets for this trip. I couldn’t believe he’d gotten refundable tickets and canceled mine for the refund. Of course, since he screwed me over with my lease, I wouldn’t have had anywhere to stay when I got back to San Francisco anyway. My lease had just ended at my other place, and I’d put my things in storage until I could move into the new place the week after we returned. I’d been staying at a friend’s apartment for a few weeks while she was out of town for work.
Even though it made me nervous because Max could be overprotective and I knew he hadn’t liked Brett, I figured I might as well go ahead and let him know what happened. I quickly typed out a text.
Just so you know, Brett and I are over. I’m in New Orleans for a bit. I hope you and Harlow had a great trip. xoxo
After I hit send, I decided to take a shower. I needed to wash the sticky heat away from me.
Chapter 7
Nash
Lydia poked her head around the door. “Everything all set for Mari?” she asked when I gestured for her to come into my office.
“Yes. She’s upstairs in one of the staff condos. Thank you for getting it cleaned so quickly.”
Lydia smiled as she crossed the room and slipped into the chair across from my desk. “It was no trouble. I was due to call them anyway. Is Mari doing okay?”
“I think she’ll land on her feet. From what I can gather, that idiot Brett ran up all her credit cards and left her in a bind.”
“I hope you told her she could stay in the apartment as long as she needs. Does she intend to fly back home soon?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Apparently, Brett purchased refundable tickets for this trip and canceled her return flight for the refund. I’m gonna do a little digging this afternoon to see what other bullshit he’s been up to.”
Lydia pursed her lips. “Mari seems quite nice. Not that she would deserve it even if she wasn’t nice, but it makes his behavior all the worse.”
I chuckled at the fierce expression on Lydia’s face. “I agree with you on that. Don’t worry, Mari can stay as long as she needs. As you know, I know her brother, so I plan to reach out to him as well. We’ll find a way to make Brett pay.”
Lydia arched a brow, angling her head to the side. “This isn’t like you.”
“What isn’t like me?” I countered, even though I knew precisely what she was talking about.
“Going out of your way like this. I think you like Mariana Channing.”
“I’m just helping her out,” I said even though I knew Lydia was right. “I know Max well enough that it wouldn’t do for me not to make sure she’s taken care of while she’s here.”
Lydia’s smile was polite, but I didn’t miss the sly gleam in her eyes. “Of course. If you’re so worried, perhaps you should let her brother know what happened.”
I had a mini stare down with Lydia before I chuckled. “I was already planning on talking with Max.”
My main office phone rang, and Lydia stood quickly. “I’ll get that from my desk.”
After she left my office, I pulled up the contacts on my phone. While Max was a friend and business acquaintance, we didn’t communicate often, so I needed to find his contact information. I hadn’t spoken to him since he had helped with some of the tech for the security on the buildings I managed in downtown New Orleans.
Just then, my personal phone rang. I spun it around on my desk to glance at the screen. As if Max could somehow read my mind from thousands of miles away, his name flashed on my screen.
“What the hell?” I murmured to myself right before I answered. “Hey, Max.”