He hesitantly led me through.
I heard a female voice and looked at Pierce, who returned an apologetic smile, which only served to incriminate Blake and knot my gut.
I headed toward the voices, which came from his office, and knocked on the door. Being ajar, it opened.
A very attractive woman with a notepad sat opposite him. Blake had his legs stretched out, denoting a casual, intimate discussion. He turned toward me, and the color in his face drained away. “Penny.”
I bit my lip. “I thought I’d drop in.” I looked over at the blond woman with the long legs and fitted blouse showing her curves. I felt faint. “Am I interrupting something?”
“This is Amelia.” Blake looked at her and said, “And this is Penelope.”
Not his girlfriend? Just Penelope. Mm…
My fingernails impaled my sweaty palms.
“I see you’re occupied. I just thought I’d drop in to say hi.” My eyes wandered over to Amelia, who remained blank faced.
I turned and walked out. Blake followed me into the living room.
“Hey.” He took my hand. “It’s not what you think.”
“Really? You looked pretty chummy. Why do I get this feeling I’m intruding?”
“Because you are.” His matter-of-fact tone felt like a slap in the face.
“Well, then, fuck you.” I stormed out.
He followed me to the door. “Penny, don’t be like this.”
A flicker of vulnerability coated his eyes, wielding some kind of talismanic power over my heart. The best I could do was throw daggers at those gorgeous blue eyes. I wanted him to be ugly, not beautiful, especially with that woman being in his office.
Burning jealousy raged through me. I ran off, bludgeoning myself with the gut-wrenching question: Did he taste her with the same hunger dripping from his lips?
I ended up at Sheldon’s house. He opened the door. “Hey, Penny.”
“I hope I’m not barging in on anything.”
“No. Roger’s gone to work.” He smiled. “Let’s have a coffee.”
I sat up at the kitchen island, cupping my chin. “I think I just behaved like a baby.”
Sheldon passed me a cup of coffee. “What happened?”
“I found Blake at home in his office talking with a beautiful busty blonde, and now I’m spitting blood.”
A slow smile grew on his face. In the retelling, I sounded ridiculously melodramatic.
“Did he explain?”
I shook my head. “He just told me he was in the middle of something.”
“He’s mad about you. At the party, last weekend, he spent the whole night either with his arm around your waist or watching you dance.”
I smiled sadly, reflecting on the nicer moments from our night out. “It got very dark and seedy after that.”
“Oh… that sounds yummy.”
I shook my head. “Not like that. I mean literally. These two guys attacked Blake, and he went wild.”
Sheldon’s eyes widened. “Really. That’s so alpha.”
“Trust me, it’s sexier in the telling. At the time, it was terrifying.” I puffed out a breath. It had been one hell of a week.
“He knew them?”
“I think so. He has this childhood connection who’s blackmailing him. He’s really evil and after Blake’s fortune.”
My cell vibrated in my bag. I looked up at Sheldon apologetically. “I might see who that is.”
“I think you should, sweetie.”
It was Blake.
I picked up and walked into the other room.
“Penny. At last. I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I only left your house an hour ago,” I said.
“Can we meet. ASAP. Please.”
His tension came through the phone as I gripped my cell. “Okay.”
“At your place. In an hour?”
The tough side of me that didn’t take crap screamed that I should get an explanation. My emotions, on the other hand, had me capitulating with a wimpy “Okay.”
After I closed call, I looked at Sheldon apologetically.
“Let me guess. Blake?”
“Am I being too forgiving?” I asked.
“You haven’t heard his excuse yet. For all you know, she could be a KGB spy.”
I laughed. “You’re worse than me.”
“That’s why we’re artists,” he said with a giggle.
I hugged him. “Thanks for being here for me. I have to go.”
“I miss having you around.” His mouth turned down.
“There’s just so much going on.” I shook my head. “I’m not even myself anymore.”
“Hey. It’s a new chapter. It sounds pretty exciting. Do what you’re great at. Make art.”
“I have so many sketches from our time away at Raven Abbey. It was Gothic in the true sense of the word.”
“Yum. You must take me there.”
“I will, one day soon. Promise.” I hugged him and left.
* * *
THE SAME TWO BULKY men sat in a car parked near my home. If they were trying to fit into the scenery, it wasn’t working. If anything, it resembled a scene in a movie, only I couldn’t turn it off.
When I entered my house, I found Blake sitting on the couch, his legs crossed, and his arm stretched over the back of the settee. If only I could have edited that earlier encounter in his office, I would have pounced on him. Wearing a cream cashmere pullover, he looked like he should have been on the cover of Vogue. His tongue ran over those lips, and all I wanted to do was sit on his lap and let him fondle my breasts, with his hard cock buried deep inside me.
“You’re not using Patrick to drive you around,” he said.
I plonked my bag down. “I know this is technically your home, but I feel a little invaded with you letting yourself in like this. You wouldn’t let me do that in your house.” I tilted my head.
“Although this is your home, it’s also our home.”
“Who was she?”
“Please sit down, Penny.” He tapped the cushion by his side on the sofa.
I sat with space between us.
“Amelia’s a journalist. She’s staying at my house.”
I glowered at him. “Why?” Before he could answer, I added, “And you didn’t think to tell me?”
He bit his lip and frowned. “I’m sorry. I should’ve. But I didn’t want to speak over the phone.”
“Hello, I’m around the corner.”
He touched my arm, and I pulled it away roughly.
“Don’t try to charm me, mister.”
His lips twitched into a faint smile.
“Why is she staying at your house?” I persisted.
“She’s onto a story that needs to come out. When it does, it will free me from Fox’s clutches.”
“Why does she have to stay with you?” I was more interested in the domestic detail than the cloak-and-dagger stuff.
“Because it’s dangerous for her to be anywhere else.”
“She’s beautiful.” Fighting back tears, I hated how weak I’d become.
“She’s not my type. And… I’m with you.” He stroked my cheek. “I’m very loyal. I don’t cheat.”