Page 86 of Dangerous Men
My lips twitch up into another smile.
That’s… interesting. So maybe she isn’t after Alec’s money, after all. As far as I can tell, she hasn’t directly asked him for anything. This could be a ploy, of course, pretending that she doesn’t want any help until he “finds out” and swoops in to save her. Considering how obsessed he is with her, he would do it, too. Hell, maybe she’s expecting me to be the one to tell him, to defy her request out of spite. Then her hands are clean, and she still gets the money.
But I have no reason to tell Alec.
If money reallyisthe problem, well… There's a way I can help with that, while still keeping Alec in the dark.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and type out a quick email to Ashton and his social media team. Maybe this is one problem we can solve without cash. Maybe Ash can fix this by doing what he does best.
Making someone look good.
31
SYDNEY
The Boss: Dinner? Tonight?
The textfrom Alec immediately puts a smile on my face, despite my foul mood. He’s finally back in Fortune City tonight, and, apparently, eager to see me.
I don’t get off work until late tonight.
The Boss: Late is fine.
I snort, setting my phone down. Instantly, it chimes again.
The Boss: I can take you out after you close for the night. Any time. My evening is all yours.
I’m almost tempted to say no. I’m exhausted. The stress of a new landlord and seeing Chase weighing on me more than I’d like to admit.
But…
My heart beats a little faster at the idea of having dinner with him. I guess I’m eager to see him, too.
Fine. We close at eight.
The reply is instant.
The Boss: I’ll pick you up then.
We’ve only spoken a few times since our last video call—the one where Ash picked up. Even thinking about it makes me blush, heat rushing to my cheeks and… other places. For a while, I was worried Alec might be mad. Or, at the least, irritated with what we’d done together without him.
But if he is, it’s not coming across in his messages. He sends me a text every day to wish me good morning, and another at night asking how my day was. If he’s terse, it’s no more than his usual communication seems to be.
And yet…
He wanted to take me out alone tonight.
I’m still not sure what thisthingis between us. Between all three of us. And I’d like clarification before things get any more intense.
Just the thought has me rolling my eyes. Yeah, right. Like things aren’t alreadysuper intense. Alec has to be the most intense man I’ve ever met. Followed closely by Ash.
Actually…
I look over at Sebastian, hunched over his laptop, typing away.
He might top them both, now that I’m getting to know him better. Sebastian feels like a rubber band, about to snap. He’s so cold, so quiet, but underneath that mask is a rage I sometimes feel in myself.
His tattoos… Now that I know they’re there, I spot them sometimes when his sleeves creep up. Stark dark lines against his skin. I hate that I’ve always had a thing for tattoos…
