“We’re here to—”
“Washington crossed the Delaware in 1776!” I curled my lips in as my face heated to nuclear levels. Mrs. Corse, my teacher, had drilled that into my head when I’d failed the answer on a test. She’d shamed me in front of the entire class, and I hadn’t forgotten that history lesson since.
Emerson stared at me as if I had Tourette syndrome.
“Yes, he did.” The woman gave a slow nod. “But since that was over two hundred years ago, would you mind telling me why you’re here in the present?”
“My cousin is here to pick up his dignity, and wallet.” Emerson chucked a thumb at me. “Don’t mind him, ma’am. He gets weird when he hasn’t eaten. You wouldn’t happen to have a corned beef sandwich lying around, would you?”
The woman looked at me with confusion. “No, and I don’t know anything about a wallet. And if I know nothing about it, then the problem doesn’t exist.”
“Gabriel Rothe,” Emerson said. “Just ask him about it.”
“He’s in a meeting and can’t be disturbed,” the woman said.
“His driver.” My brain finally rebooted, and intelligent thought returned. “Gabe said he’d have his driver check his backseat.”
“Wait right here.” She started to walk away then looked back at us. “Don’t touch anything and don’t wander anywhere.”
“What are we going to do, steal the chrome plating on the walls?” I asked. “I got my eye on that big potted plant in the corner.”
She sniffed and walked away.
Emerson snickered. “Good one.”
I wasn’t going to wait by the elevator like I was some homeless guy who’d wandered off the street. I took a seat in one of the plush chairs and crossed my legs.
“Emerson, be a good gent and sue everyone I don’t like.” I made my voice sound haughty. “And then pass me the Grey Poupon mustard for that corned beef sandwich. Chop. Chop.”
“Shall we play a rousing round of tennis afterward?” He dropped into the seat next to mine. “Could you imagine a life like that? Why couldn’t we be born with a silver spoon? I’d be driving a Lamborghini instead of my busted Civic.”
That wasn’t a dream of mine. I loved my life, my family—as weird as they were—but a little extra cash would’ve been nice. That was one reason I still lived at home. I worked as a cashier at Piggly Wiggly, made shit as far as my paycheck, and couldn’t afford to live on my own.
Even my bills had bills.
Luckily I had the best parents in the world, even if they thought the government was spying on them. They didn’t charge me for staying with them, and my mom still did my laundry.
Not every twenty-three-year-old was ready to face the big, cold world. Besides, I was saving what I could because Emerson had asked me more than once to move in with him.
Uncle Glen also lived with us. He was senile, but I loved him.
“Do you think that lady would tackle us if I stole this candy dish?” Emerson pointed to a decorative glass dish fill with peppermints. “It would look cool on my coffee table.”
“Dude, you’ve never stolen anything in your life,” I reminded him. “Besides, where would you put it?”
The dish was a bit big for Emerson’s pockets, and we weren’t wearing any jackets, and why on earth was I even thinking about how he could smuggle the damn thing out?
I sat forward when Gabe walked down the hallway with some stuffy-suit guy. They were talking, and Gabe hadn’t noticed me yet. He shook the guy’s hand, and they said their pleasant good-byes.
“Hey, Gabe,” Emerson said. “Glad to see you weren’t lying about where you work.”
Gabe turned, and his light brown eyes drilled into me like I was the only person in the room. He crossed the carpet and held out his hand. I reached to shake it, but he pulled me to my feet instead. “Did the receptionist give you your wallet?”
“What receptionist?” I asked. “The only person who said anything to us was a woman who looked like my high school social studies teacher.”
“She had a pinched look,” Emerson added. “Like her shoes were on too tight.”
“Ah, Penny.” Gabe nodded.
“She’s the receptionist?” I asked. “I hate to tell you this, but she’s not very friendly.”
Gabe chuckled. “She’s hardly the receptionist.” Gabe looked behind him, and that was when I noticed an empty desk. “Susan must’ve stepped out.”
Gabe still hadn’t let my hand go, and I didn’t pull away. I was still in lust with the guy and wouldn’t mind being taken to his office for some fun.
Sadly, Gabe let it go and went behind the desk. He searched around while frowning. “It should’ve been here.”
“If you lost it, you’re replacing it,” Emerson said. “Fitch had five hundred bucks in it.”
I did? “More like five bucks,” I corrected.
My cousin whispered something under his breath that I didn’t catch and was pretty sure I didn’t want him to repeat. I loved Emerson, but sometimes he didn’t know when to be quiet.
“Hang on a second.” Gabe pulled out his phone and then walked to the windows as he spoke to whomever he’d called.
Emerson slapped me on my arm with the back of his hand. “Dude, why didn’t you go along with the five hundred bucks?”
“Because it’s dishonest,” I said in a harsh whisper. “Since when have you become such a crook?”
“I’m not,” Emerson huffed. “I was just teasing. Jeez. Lighten up, Fitch.”
Emerson hadn’t been teasing, but I let the subject drop as I waited to see what Gabe would do. I was also trying not to drool as I looked at him standing by the window. What was it about business suits that made a man so damn sexy?
My heart stuttered when he turned around and looked at me. Those intense light brown eyes had my body tingling. Gabe hung up his phone and tucked it into the pocket of his jacket.
“Sorry about that. My driver tells me he left your wallet with Mr. Russo’s assistant. I’ll go have a talk with Derek. It shouldn’t take but a minute.”
Emerson and I dropped back to our seats. I felt bad because I’d lied to Gabe. There was nothing I needed to do in a few hours. I’d just said that so I could see the stud again. Not even Emerson knew the truth because he still thought I was in deep trouble for getting myself involved the other night, feared someone would come after me.
I hadn’t told my cousin about the guy who had followed me, either. Emerson would freak out and tell my parents, and then they would freak out and try to put me on lockdown.
I’d witnessed someone trying to kill Gabe. No other facts would’ve mattered.
“I’m getting bored.” Emerson slouched in his chair and yawned as a few people walked by them, files in their hands, looking busy and important while I sat there with no prospects in my life.
I stood when I spotted Gabe walking toward me. He had my wallet in his hand, and when he passed it to me, our fingers touched. My lust shot through the roof, and I wanted to shove myself into his arms and beg him to fuck me.
Jeez. I needed to get laid more often. My blue balls were making me insane.