Page 99 of Honor

I thought it would be just the two of us on that journey, but Charlotte crammed all of her luggage into the back just as we were about to leave. When she got in and announced she wanted to discuss wedding plans, there was little I could do but sit in the front passenger seat and watch Evie handle the car like a professional.

It turned me on in a way I wasn’t expecting. I hoped that once we got back to New York, I could convince her to go home with me, but Charlotte threw yet another wedding-related wrench into that plan.

They’re currently at Charlotte’s apartment, choosing music for the bride and groom’s first dance. I’m at the office, decidingwhat client files will require my immediate attention tomorrow morning.

“It’s Sunday, Reid,” Vance says as he appears at the open door of my office.

This might be one of the few times since we started this venture that I’m decked out in jeans and a T-shirt, and he’s sporting a three piece suit.

Vance, like me, has been known to put time in at this office on weekends but rarely in full business attire.

“Sure is.” I toss him a wide smile. “Did you forget that when you got dressed this morning?”

He drops his gaze to the suit before he adjusts the perfectly straight gray tie around his neck. “I had a meeting this morning. It was an important one. I wanted to give the client the respect she deserves.”

I keep close tabs on my business partners’ work calendars, so I know that he had nothing penciled in for today. “A meeting with who?”

He scratches his chin. “I don’t want to get your hopes up, so let’s wait until I have something concrete to report.”

Vance is the most pragmatic of our trio. When he initiates a deal, he almost always holds off on sharing anything until the prospective client is close to agreeing to his terms. It’s not the ideal way for us to do business, but I respect his process. I have to since he’s brought some of our biggest deals to date to the firm.

“You’ll let me know when the time is right,” I say what I know will be the next words out of his mouth.

“As I always do.” He shoves both hands in the front pockets of his pants. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at home recovering after your bachelor beach party.”

I should be at home recovering but not from the party. The sex left me exhausted, and yet, I want more as soon as possible.

“I’m heading back home soon,” I say.

I had Basil pick me up from the drop-off location of the SUV. He took me home, but within the hour, I was too restless to sit still, so I made my way here in a rideshare since I had already told Basil to take the rest of the night for himself.

“I had Natalia check Randall’s gift registry because I wanted to be sure the firm gave him a wedding gift to remember.” He chuckles. “Were you ever going to mention that he’s marrying Charlotte Rushing, the heir to Emmel’s?”

I planned on making that big reveal once I had a clearer understanding of whether Randall’s fiancée is open to the idea of selling her family’s legacy to us.

“My sources have told me she’s thinking of selling, Reid.”

Since everyone’s sources already know that, I nod. “I’ve heard, but I haven’t approached her yet.”

“Because of the wedding?” he asks, perking both brows. “Or because you sense that her desire to sell is baseless chatter?”

Mildly surprised that he’s pushing this as hard as he is, I easily shut down the conversation, “I’ll talk to her about it when the time is right. Randall trusts us. I believe he’ll trust us again with Azelius, so it stands to reason that he’ll see the value in recommending us to his soon-to-be-wife if she’s serious about unloading Emmel’s.”

“You seem damn sure of yourself, Reid.”

“I am.” I give the calendar on my laptop screen one final glance before I shut the cover. “I’m too damn tired to care about what I’ve got scheduled for tomorrow. Do you want to grab something to eat?”

“I could go for a burger,” he says. “My treat.”

I’ve never been one to turn down free food, so I round my desk. “A burger and a beer, and then I’m calling it a night.”

He casts a gaze down at the watch on his wrist. “It’s not even five. This trip wore you out.”

He has no fucking idea. It’s not just my muscles that are tender and aching. I’m experiencing emotions I’ve never felt before. I have no idea how to handle any of that. I need to turn off the world and think.

My phone starts ringing, so I glance to where I set it on my desk, hoping that Evangeline’s name is dancing on the screen.

It’s not her.

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