Page 53 of The Innovator

“Are you nervous?” I asked, loving the beating of her pulse against my finger. It quickened as I moved over it. She had an elegant neck, and I wanted to explore it with my mouth.

“Should I be?” Her voice came out soft and seductive.

Here we go again with the tug of war of a bet.

She could have moved away from my touch, but she didn’t. My finger traveled to her smooth chin. “You should be, because you’re trespassing.”

“Maybe I’m a detective checking out a hideaway. What secrets are you hiding here, Grayson?” She purred my name, and my blood heated several degrees.

“I’ll tell you my secrets if you tell me yours.”

She considered me for a long moment. “You really want to know?” A slow smile crept onto her mouth as she stepped away, breaking our contact.

“You have no idea.”

Blue fire gleamed in her eyes. “I’ll be here a week. Since this is your spectacular tree house, want to give me a tour? Maybe I’ll be inspired to tell you why I’m here.”

I took her toward the outdoor area furnished with cushioned chairs, tables, and a fire pit. To the right was another seating area with an awning and flowy curtains. Trees and flowers in large pots adorned the area.

“Sorry I dragged you into this Adonis mess. I’m glad it’s over.”

“I have no regrets. No one is allowed to hurt you. I’ll be your shield.” That was a declaration to her and to myself. The need to protect her was just as powerful as the need to touch her.

She stared at me for a moment, but didn’t comment. Instead, she walked over to a wooden bench made from a fallen tree and sat down, admiring the tree house. It was composed of three floors built intricately woven around the old oak tree. No one knew the reason I built this place, and I liked to keep it that way.

“I’ve never seen a tree house like this. You turned childhood fascination into marvelous architecture. It’s cutting-edge design. I could stare at this all day.”

Natalie got up, stepped farther back, like an artist needing extra room to view her painting, and studied the tree house. That gesture revealed she was a designer too.

I hadn’t realized I was standing so close to her until she whirled around and bumped into me, sending a surge of lust to my cock.

“When did you build this place? What inspired you? This is more than a simple tree house.” She faced it again and released a sigh. “It’s a . . . dedication.”

The windows to my heart flew open all at once, and something warm and sunny shone in. No one had ever nailed the truth like that. I hadn’t known Natalie well enough, or even long enough, for her to know me like this. And yet, she saw the truth as though it were obvious.

“I designed it right after graduating from Harvard, but it took a while for me to get the project going,” I said, trying to subdue the spiraling lust.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to know this much of me. What if she didn’t like the mess? What if it was too much for her?

She knew me as an architect, as a businessman she had to collaborate with on a project. But she didn’t know why I was here. This was where I stripped myself bare. There was no pretense for the world. I was simply a man trying to reconnect to myself.

The issue with my uncle—and the dangerous organization associated with him—weighed on me. The organization had tried to kill Derek. What info could Derek give me to help destroy this organization? Would he even want to help? Would he dare betray them? These people had killed Royce’s younger sister, and their crimes expanded to several continents, ranging from sex trafficking, drugs, and money laundering, to other illegal activities that powerful organizations were capable of. They lived in the shadows, which was why it was difficult to find out who the elite members were.

Would they leave me and my boys alone if they knew we’d witnessed one of their crimes? So far, they had no clue. But what if that changed down the road? What would stop them from coming after us and our families? There was only one way to ensure we were safe—destroy The Trogyn.

That would be a massive task that would take time and careful planning. One wrong move could be the end of all of us.

Why did Derek want to see me now? What did he want from me? But seeing him would only bring up anger and resentment.

What would Natalie see if she got close to me? She could touch me at a core level, and that scared me. I’d dated women from various backgrounds and nationalities with interesting occupations. But none of them pulled at me like Natalie. Maybe it was her wit, her intelligence—her ability to speak and understand the language of creativity.

After Natalie had been attacked at The Prism, I had my PI retrieve videos from the building and the surrounding area. My Natalie had been trying to break into the property. That was why she had the damn hammer. My Natalie wasn’t who she said she was.

She was like a complex masterpiece thrown in front of me, and I couldn’t resist wanting to know everything about her. What was her life like growing up? What inspired her? What were her fears? What were her dreams?

“It’s an inspiring creation,” she said, still studying the tree house.

“It’s a dedication to my father . . . and my uncle.”

---