Page 21 of Beautiful Dark Temptation

Wren shook his head, running the smallcrucifix he always wore around his neck back and forth across hischin now that he didn’t have the ball. “That guy has got to let itgo. No one blames him.”

No, but Fox blamed himself.

I pulled back into the current problem.Tomás. “We know our files aren’t in the cloud. We’re too much arisk and information can get hacked.” I looked at Henry, ourhacker.

“It means there’s a paper file, but Dr.Casera doesn’t keep it here. No one knows where he keeps it,” Henrysaid.

“There’s somewhere else records are kept,” Isaid. “When students have to see a regular doctor. Emergencycontact can give us a reference point to start digging.”

“Tomás sees Dr. Shanahan regularly.” Wrensmirked, caught the ball again, tossing it to River. “She’shot.”

“Don’t start the stalking thing again,”River threw the ball back with a lot more bite. Wren easily caughtit with a laugh. “I swear to God, Wren,” River said. “I’m not goingto be your wingman this time.”

We all knew River would end up being Wren’swingman. Their friendship was beyond reproach and annoying.Sometimes, I wanted to wring their necks. “Let us all remember ourplan is in motion. No attention.”

“Well, then maybe you should stop stressingabout the new guy,” Henry said.

There was no judgement in his tone, but itbothered me anyway. I intercepted Wren’s ball from hitting the walland threw it at Henry’s head. It bounced off and skittered out ofreach. Henry rubbed his forehead with a hurt look on his face.“It’s only a stress ball,” I defended. The guy was sensitive.

“The medical records are stored in a closednetwork,” Henry went on, rubbing his forehead. “The only way to getthem would be to use their system.”

“How hard can it be to break into ahospital?” River asked.

“Not hard,” Henry answered. “But he needs tobeinthe hospital for us to get access.”

Well, hell, that wouldn’t be hard. Iwouldn’t mind putting that little shit in the hospital.

Wren’s phone buzzed. “Well, I have to beat.Let me know what you all decide.” He lifted his chin to River whorolled his eyes but followed.

Henry shook his head and started out. “Hey,”I said to him. He turned back, always so touchy. “You didgood.”

He pushed his glasses up his nose, nodded,and headed out.

Alone, I pondered the big question mark thatwas Tomás. The takeover was just a few months away. We were so damnclose. Was Tomás here to spy on us and report to the Brennans?

The questions made me too damn tense and Ineeded an outlet. I’d have to spar with Fox and soon. For now, Ihad to concentrate on schoolwork. I wasn’t a genius like Henry or asmooth talker like Wren who seemed to get out of every D he’d everhad. No one feared me like they did Fox, and River acted likeWren’s emissary. A two for one deal. I had to study. Business,accounting, law, were my fields of study. I needed to knoweverything to takeover and sustain Brennan Holdings. I wanted toruin my family, not the people who worked there. I’d written astrategy and used it as my thesis. Thanks to Mr. Flanagan, our econprofessor, the plan was made solid. I got an A in the class for it,he was so impressed. I’d lost track of time until a ping on myphone reminded me to eat.

Music drifted into the kitchen, and Ifollowed it to the living room. Tomás sat on the bench, his back tome, playing the grand piano we’d never used. His fingers movedacross the keys surprisingly fast and confident. His hair was wet,he wore a white t-shirt and basketball shorts. Tanned, smooth longlegs bounced under the piano, using the foot pedals. I rarely sawhim without one of his sweaters on, so I took a moment to take myfill of him. Tall, broad shoulders, narrow at the waist. He had abody born out of hard work and activity. Not from weight training.He had enough definition in his arms that made him look as if hecould hold his own in a fight. His neck was naturally thick andsmooth. If he wanted to bulk up, he’d have the perfect frame forit.

He moved flawlessly from classical to an EdSheeren song. Then he started to sing. A spark had ignitedsomewhere at my base and spread throughout the rest of my body,ending in my tingling fingertips. Tomás’s voice filled with moreemotion than I’d ever felt in my life. Something about that made mefeel as if I’d been stabbed a hundred times with tiny darts. Poisonfilled my veins. My body moved, always moved, toward him.

He stopped playing, lifting his hands justas I dropped the fallboard, missing his fingers.

“Keep it down. I’m studying,” I said like anidiot.

I caught him inhale deeply as if trying torein in his own anger, then he got to his feet and stretched,forcing the thin white cotton of his t-shirt to rise revealing asliver of tanned skin and a dusting of dark hair below his navelbecause the fucker had his basketball shorts riding low on hiships. I suddenly wondered if he was wearing underwear and snappedmy eyes back to his face.

I hated him. He drew out an instinctualresponse to wrap my fingers around his thick neck and squeeze untilhe stopped moving. The intensity of it scared me. I didn’t know howmuch longer I could restrain myself from acting. I wanted him dead,or I wanted something worse. I needed him out. “The guys and I weretalking. Perhaps it’s time for a truce.” The guy was alwaysguarded, but, while his body took that defensive stance, his smilealways deflected the threat. It bothered me that I couldn’t get aread on him.

He cocked a brow, then snorted. “Okay, I’lltake the hit. What are you proposing, exactly?” He crossed his armsover his chest.

What was I proposing? I wanted him out of mylife. “I want you to go speak with Casera. Tell him this is not afit for you and get out of my house.” I hadn’t intended my voice togo on the threatening level, but no taking that shit back now.

Tomás didn’t miss a beat. That smirk made anappearance and I wanted to slam my fist against his face. “Nah, Ithink I like it here.”

“I won’t make this request again.”

“Okay.”

---