Page 17 of Vail

“You’re done running your mouth in my presence. If you don’t want the shipment tomorrow, fine. Cancel it. I’m keeping your money because the products would have been delivered. Consider it your last payment to me. We’re done. So, what’s it going to be? Accept the shipment tomorrow or be out of your money and your product?”

His hands clenched in fists by his sides, and his teeth ground together. “Fine.”

I nodded and gave a quick wave so he could be escorted from the building. Once he had the shipment tomorrow, I was severing ties with him. Fuck him and his demands. One day late in five years and he thought he could pull this shit? I didn’t fucking think so.

8

VAIL

Hartley played with my hair where I lay with my head on his stomach. We were naked in bed, waiting for Jordan. He said he had business to tend to and made sure he emphasized it was legitimate business. I wasn’t certain what was happening, but in this, I’d support him. In his illegal stuff… Well, I’d be here when he got home.

“What do you think he does all day when we’re not around?” Hartley asked.

We were trying to mesh our lives together, which had its rocky moments. We each lived independently before. Getting us in one place at night proved difficult at times. Between me working at the club or giving private cooking lessons, Jordan in meetings, and Hartley staying late at his studio, we had to arrive home on time to be with one another. To have dinner together when possible.

“I don’t want to know.”

“What if he does boring shit like paperwork and accounting?”

I turned to see Hartley’s face. His wavy brown hair was still damp from his shower, appearing darker than normal. There was just enough of a beard on his face to give a nice burn when we kissed. “Do you really think he does his own accounting?”

“Good point. I’m thinking like me, not him. Okay, but what about an assistant at the businesses? Does he have someone there who drives him crazy?”

“Did you forget about Vivian already?”

“Oh yeah.”

“From the little I’d gathered; he has people who do everything for him while he makes the big decisions and leaves the rest to them. I don’t see him micromanaging anyone.”

“Oh my god. No one would get anything done if he was always breathing down their necks.”

I chuckled. “They’d probably piss themselves rather than be productive.”

“I’d pay to see it. Not that I want to watch people squirm. Well, I kind of do. Is it weird that I find it hot when Jordan gets all bossy?”

“No. It’s not like he’s talking that way to you.”

“I can handle him being possessive and telling me what to do to a point. I don’t feel like he’s trying to control us. More like he wants to help us reach our dreams.”

Facing the ceiling again, I closed my eyes. “It’s harder for me. I don’t like anyone telling me what to do. In bed with you both is one thing, but out in the world, if I don’t have control, it’s like everything spins and I can’t grasp what’s going on. I need something to be grounded.”

Hartley ran his fingers through my hair still, combing them through the longer pieces on the top. “He knows. We both do. He doesn’t get angry.”

“He wants us to be safe and be the one doing the protecting.”

“Yeah. He does like the protecting.”

“He’s trying and I appreciate that. I have to try too. Meet in the middle where we both get what we want. And you too, of course.”

“I know I’m second best.” He said it in a teasing lilt, but I didn’t like that he said it to begin with.

Rolling to my side, his fingers dropped from my hair. I braced my arms on the other side of him and put my upper body over his. “Hart, you’re never second best.”

“I was joking.”

“I’m not. There’s no first or second with you and Jordan. I love you equally. While you say you’re joking, I need you to understand how much I care about you. Okay?”

He nodded. I didn’t miss the way his bottom lip trembled ever so slightly.

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