Page 86 of Beneficial Misfortune

Oliver would be staying behind as well, but despite the fact that he clearly enjoys her company, I have no doubt he will spend most of his time hiding away. It’s only a matter of time before he comes around, I’m sure, but I don’t want to leave Kat after everything that she’s been through recently. It’s all too clear she’s shaken by it, even if she’s trying to hide it.

This might be the perfect time to see how she does and how she handles what I want from her. Alex and Desmond have both made it clear that my distance from her is confusing her, andI don’t want that. I’d hoped to stay away and give her time to adjust, but it seems that had been the wrong choice.

Time with her will give me the opportunity to correct my mistake because that’s the only option now.

There’s no going back.

Chapter 27

The club isn’t bad. Honestly, if we had happened across it while on a business trip, I’d probably be pleasantly surprised by it. Unfortunately, that’s not why we're here. No, we're here to deal with a problem, one that has everything leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

We’ve been all over the place on business, different states and even different countries, and while I’ve been to Maine a few times, I’ve never been here. A few months ago, I would have been thrilled to scope this place out. They have a wide variety of things to do, from golf to tennis, and while that might not be my thing, the drinks are strong, and there are pretty ladies everywhere.

Too bad none of them are my Cherry.

I drain the rest of my drink, slamming my cup down on the table in annoyance.

“You know you didn’t have to come,” Vince says with a chuckle. I glare at him, but it only makes him laugh harder.

Asshole.

He’s lucky he’s Nate’s oldest friend and damn near like a brother to me, or he would have lost his job a long time ago.

As it is, he’s right. I didn’t have to come, and I almost didn’t. I could have easily stayed behind and let Desmond and him look into Kat’s asshole ex. Hell, I almost had, but in the end, I’d needed to see this guy.

I’m not sure if I want to hit him for hurting her or thank him for it. If he’d never broken her heart, she wouldn’t have ended up in New York or at our club that night. This agreement with Kat might be new, but I can assure you it’s going to last. I’ll make sure of it. I’ve never felt this way with anyone else, and it’s not just me.

Fuck, even Oliver is taken by her, and he’s never really cared to participate in sharing, especially not after what happened with Natasha.

Alright, so I’ll thank him and beat his ass. Both seem appropriate for the situation.

Although, based on the death grip Desmond has on his glass, I might not get the chance to do either before he gets to him.

I open my mouth to ask Vince if he’s sure we're in the right place for the third time, but before I can, some loud asshole cuts me off.

“Hey, beautiful, how about another round?”

I don’t even need to look to know this guy’s a prick, but I do anyway. All three of us turn, and I shit you not, this guy looks like a Ken doll. Not a hair out of place, his skin even looks like plastic.

What the hell did Cherry see in this guy?

“Of course, Mr. Wilmont.” The girl says, ducking her head and quickly walking to the bar. In no time at all, she returns, passing around beers to not just him but his five friends as well.

“Gross,” Desmond says, pulling a face as Carter very openly runs the back of his hand up the server's leg.

I agree it’s gross and not at all acceptable. Judging by the way the girl goes stiff, I’d go as far as to say it isn’t welcomed, either.

“Here we go.” I can hear the smile on Vince’s lips, and a second later, the scrape of Desmond’s chair legs against the stone ground lets me know just how right he is.

“Hey!”

All six of the guys turn our way as Desmond makes his way around our table toward them. They look him up and down, some with disgust and others with confusion, but not a single one of them appears to recognize him.

Fantastic.

“How about we keep our hands to ourselves?” Des raises a brow, nodding down to where Carter’s fingers still rest on the server’s thigh.

One of the guys at the table laughs before pushing to stand. He’s got a few inches on Desmond, and it looks like he might be one of those assholes who lives at the gym and is itching for a fight.

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