When Percy finally pulled back slightly to stare down at me, I felt more than a little dazed. And more than a little desperate.
He smiled slowly as if he knew exactly what I was feeling.
“Thank you for a wonderful night,” he murmured, then he pressed another soft kiss to my lips before turning to head to his car.
I stayed on my doorstep, totally astounded, watching him until his car disappeared down the street. Who would have thought? Certainly not me.
I lifted my fingers to my still-tingling lips, only to find myself smiling. I had a feeling that smile would be plastered on my face for days to come.
9
Percy
I grimaced as I stood outside my father’s office, not looking forward to the last-minute meeting he’d just informed me about. He hadn’t bothered to tell me what it was regarding either, so I was totally unprepared.
I wondered if he did shit like this on purpose; if he made up ways to prove to himself that I would never meet his expectations. Shaking off my foul mood as much as I could, I knocked on the door. Best to get it over with.
“Come in,” he called. When I entered, I found him sitting behind his massive mahogany desk, his arms folded across his chest as he reclined in his leather chair, looking at me with a hint of disdain. I internally cringed, though his expression was one I’d grown up seeing.
Immediately, my mind flashed back to my conversation with Easton at dinner a few nights ago. His childhood had been the complete opposite of mine. I wondered what it would be like to have a family who loved and supported you no matter what.
“Have a seat,” he commanded. “We need to discuss the case.”
I moved to the chair opposite my father, ready to update him on my progress, but before I could say anything, he got in first.
“How are things going with getting that Moore boy under control?”
I blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“That insolent P.I. trying to ruin the case for us. I told you I wanted you to keep him under control. But so far, it seems like you’ve done nothing.”
“I can’t stop him from doing his job,” I said carefully. “What exactly do you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to make him stop investigating the senator. Easton Moore is becoming a major thorn in our sides. How the hell are we supposed to do our jobs when he’s sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong?”
I felt a migraine coming on. What the fuck did my father think I could do to make Easton stop?
I took a deep breath and then chose my words carefully. “A young man is missing. Easton doesn’t seem like the type to let something like that go. And the senator’s wife is the one who hired him.”
My father’s face turned beet red. “You do realize he could ruin the case for us, don’t you? If he uncovers something…”
His reaction made me wonder if he knew more about the case than he or the senator had let me in on. It wouldn’t surprise me.
“I’m doing my job to the best of my ability—which means I’m making sure he isn’t breaking any laws that could jeopardize our case. I didn’t realize stopping Easton from doing his job was part of my own job description.”
My voice came out angrier than I intended, but this was too much.
“Since when did you get so soft? Maybe putting you on this case was a mistake.”
His words were meant to hurt me, but I’d stopped taking his jabs personally long ago. I was used to his criticism, and of never measuring up. It didn’t mean I wasn’t still driven by the desire to finally prove to him that I was enough, but at least it no longer sent me into self-loathing pity parties either.
“I’m handling things by the books. Leaving no room for error. No one can question my methods. Trust me here. Things will work out the way they’re supposed to.” Whether that meant the truth about Bates came out or not.
My father leaned forward, steepling his fingers under his chin. “Here’s what you need to do. You need to get that boy on your good side. Butter him up. That way, he’ll feel less obligated to go against you and fuck up this case for you. You know what I mean.”
I did. All too well. This wasn’t the first time one of my parents had not-so-subtly wanted me to “butter someone up”, which was a nicer way of saying seduce them to get them to do what benefitted our family most.
It made me sick to hear him say it right then, leaving me with an oily, slimy feeling. There was no way I would pull that shit with Easton. And I knew then that I couldn’t reveal to my father that Easton might be my fated mate or that we’d already gone out on a date. The further I could keep my father’s toxicity away from Easton and our relationship, the better.
“I know what you mean,” I said, avoiding an outright answer, but fortunately, it was enough for my father.
“Great. Keep me updated.” He opened a file on his desk, effectively dismissing me. I didn’t bother saying anything as I got up and left.
Back in my office, I tried to focus on my work, but my concentration was shot. Not just because of my bad feelings about the case and the senator, or my father’s disgusting methods of doing business, but like before, I couldn’t seem to get Easton off my mind.
All I’d been able to think about since our date was the way his lips felt against mine and how I couldn’t wait to kiss him again. More than kiss him, if I were being honest. While my mind had been full of him during the days, my dreams had been more than a little dirty at night. And I couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to spend some time with him in a more relaxed setting, where we could really be alone…
Before I could think better of it, I picked up my phone and dialed him up. Maybe we could schedule another date for this weekend if he was free.
“Hello,” he answered, his voice hushed through the line.
I frowned. “Easton? Why are you whispering?”
“I’m on a job right now. I got hired to follow this guy suspected of cheating. I found him with another woman, and now I’m filming the bastard to show the wife.”
I was flabbergasted. “Why the hell would you answer the phone during a job like that?”
“Well, I’ve been waiting for you to call, and I didn’t want to miss it.”
My chest felt a little tight at that admission. I cleared my throat and then smiled. “I wanted to see if you’d like to come to my house on Friday for dinner.”
“I’d love to,” he whispered, and I thought I detected a smile in his voice. But then he cursed, quite colorfully.
“I’ve got to go. Sorry.”
The line went dead, and I blinked at the phone before shaking my head. I’d never actually considered the fact that Easton’s job could be dangerous. I shouldn’t be that worried. It wasn’t like he was investigating a murder. But still… The thought of him getting hurt bothered me. A lot.
I shook off the thought, reminding myself that Easton was a professional. I may have initially thought he was just playing around at being a P.I., but after getting to know him a bit, I knew he took his job seriously. He knew what he was doing, and certainly wouldn’t appreciate me worrying over him like he was a child.