Page 19 of Covert Affair

I groan out loud and curse. Of course, she would message me right now.

Stacey: Uhm…well… I was really texting to tell you thank you. You know…for, uh, taking care of the security upgrade and clean up at my apartment and all that.

Okay so, I may have called in one more favor before I got on the plane. Felt like the least I could do after sleeping with her.

Another message comes through before I can reply.

Stacey: But…uhm…Jane just sent me a picture of you from TMZ. I’m sorry? Maybe. Those boxer briefs do look good on you though. ;) Anyway, since I kinda owe you one now, you can call Jane and we can work out a story to maybe make all of this go away.

Fuck. My. Life.

How the hell am I supposed to respond to that?

So much for putting Stacey Mae and the music scene out of my head and behind me.

10

CODY

One Year Later…

Turns out avoiding Stacey Mae is easier than I expected. Especially when just a few months after the whole stalker situation she started dating some hot shot record producer, Waylon Ellison. Rumors about her and I quickly died off and I faded right back into the background. Just the way I like it.

I still get a text from her every now and again. Usually related to either her bodyguard’s Taylor and Stefan or about security upgrades at her new place that she shares with the creep who I hate on sheer principle. I met the guy once, when she practically begged me to come check out the wiring in their Brentwood McMansion. I almost came back home and ran a background check on the guy, but Cole stopped me for whatever reason. Something about blurring lines and needing to mind my own business, especially if I wasn’t interested in the woman.

Interested? She was just a one-night-stand. Right?

Something like that.

Doesn’t matter. She seems happy and that’s what matters most. It’s really none of my business.

"Ah. There is my favorite brother in law," Molly grins at me the minute I walk in to work this morning.

She's in her usual spot at the front desk with my giggling niece in one arm while she tries typing something one-handed. Funny how her dreams and goals changed the minute Heidi came into the picture after everything they went through to have a child.

Big brother wasn’t the only one who was happy when she decided to come back to the ‘family’ business though. No one could quite do the job that Molly does around here, no matter how hard they tried.

"Mol's, I'm your only brother in law so that's not really saying much," I reply with a chuckle even though I know that I do happen to be her favorite around here - no matter what my big brother has to say about it.

Circling behind the desk I scoop up Heidi out of Molly’s arms and blow raspberries on her cheek. It’s her favorite thing for me to do to her, everytime I see her.

“Co-eeeee, mwauh!” Heidi kisses my cheek.

This little girl may be her Momma and Daddy’s girl, but she’s quickly turned into my whole world.

“Cole wants to see you,” Molly nods toward Cole’s office.

“Of course, he does,” I roll my eyes then bounce my favorite girl in my arms. “Come on, Heidi. Let’s go see what your funny looking Daddy wants now.”

“Dadda. Work,” she babbles.

God, I still can’t believe she’s talking already. Soon she’ll be telling me to fuck off so she can go hang with her friends.

Molly laughs and shakes her head. “Says the guy who literally looks like a younger version of his big brother.”

“Shhh. I do not. I’m handsomer,” I tell her over my shoulder before I step inside Cole’s office.

He’s sitting at his desk scrolling through something on his computer but stops and leans back in his seat the minute he spots me, and his adorable daughter. The smile on his face is almost enough to make me sick, except I get it. It’s hard not to smile like that when you look at Heidi.

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