Boston Avant-Garde 2 - Crescendo (3 page)

She almost protested when he pulled away, but the satisfaction on his face changed her mind. Forcing her legs to work, she looked him in the eye. “I don’t have time for another test drive.”

Joshua burst into laughter. “Sweetheart, there’ll be plenty of time for you to drive. I promise.”

How was it possible for one room to hold a double dose of their arrogance? Turning away, she reached gratefully for the office door.

“You can put your stuff in the big bedroom all the way to the back,” Joshua called after her.

Leslie paused. “Why that one?”

It was Seth who answered. “It’s the only one with a bed big enough for all three of us.”

Wrenching open the door, she left just as fast as her legs could take her. Unfortunately, the only thing making her eager to leave was the promise of more to come. The hard part would be protecting her heart when it wanted so badly to fall in line with her body’s desires.

Chapter Two

Seth looked up from the contract he was drafting on his laptop when Joshua flopped into his desk chair and spun himself in lazy circles. Seth wondered how long his partner had been eavesdropping.

A well-placed shoe jammed against the corner of the desk stopped Joshua’s twirling. “Are you bored of practicing law or just trying to see what getting disbarred feels like?”

“Our representation agreement with Niles is strictly pro bono. There’s no mention of Leslie in it anywhere. Do I really look like that much of a dumb-ass?”

Joshua cocked his head and arched one eyebrow. It was a familiar expression. There really wasn’t much Seth could hide from him. They’d been best friends since the fourth grade. Eight years of boarding school, four years of undergrad, and three years of law school together had etched their relationship into an unbreakable bond that existed in all facets of their lives.

Josh laced his fingers behind his blond head and contemplated the harbor view. “She is a sweet piece of ass.”

“Leslie is more than a piece of ass. That chick Sara was a piece of ass, good for a quick lay and useless after that.”

Joshua’s smirk indicated he remembered the details of that failed relationship. “The problem with Sara was her mean streak.”

“And the lack of good conversation.” Seth remembered listening to Sara whine endlessly about a pair of ridiculously expensive shoes she’d wanted him to buy her.

“So, what about the percentage of Leslie’s string trio you just committed us to taking?”

Seth glanced back at the document on his laptop. The agreement for their percentage of the Trio’s profits was the trickiest part of this whole scenario, and the one thing that was likely to blow up in his face. He inhaled a deep breath before meeting Joshua’s questioning gaze. “It’s set up like an investment agreement.”

Joshua’s chuckle quickly escalated to a full belly laugh. “You slick bastard. Damn, you think fast.”

Seth did feel a little smug he’d managed to pull that one out of his ass. Overton & Breckenridge would get a 10 percent take of the Trio’s profits in exchange for legal counsel or representation, should it be required. But he’d also left room for them to cover any expenses they deemed necessary. So anyone questioning Leslie’s living with them would see it as a perk of their contract.

Joshua stretched before heading to the bag of clubs stationed near the putting green. “It gives us room to deny any impropriety.”

“That was my intention.”

Joshua examined a putter before tossing a ball onto a random spot on the Astroturf. “We wouldn’t want the poor girl’s reputation ruined while you get this ridiculous infatuation out of your system.”

The words were so unexpected it took Seth several moments to register them fully. Infatuation? More than that,
his
infatuation? Was Josh trying to imply he had no interest whatsoever in Leslie?

“You look surprised, Seth.” Joshua sent a long putt toward the hole. It skimmed the edge before going in a new direction. “Whatever happened between the two of you three months ago left you pretty fucked-up.”

“I invited her to move in with us that night.” Seth stood abruptly. “I invited her to
be
with us.”

“A bit premature, don’t you think?” Joshua’s next putt went wild, winding up off the turf altogether. “I seem to recall we agreed that sort of invitation has to be issued by both of us.”

Seth bit down to prevent an angry torrent from chipping away at the rift that had opened between them. It couldn’t be a coincidence that the friction had begun around the same time Leslie walked out three months before. Fists clenched, he counted to ten before opening his mouth. “So you’ve got no interest in her at all?”

“Not really.”

“And that kiss was…?” Seth let the question hang.

“Just backing your play.”

Seth took an angry step toward the green. “You are full of shit.”

Joshua chose another ball, not even bothering to try to find the one he’d lost in the far corner of the office. “Actually, I’ve got a date tonight. So you’ll have Leslie all to yourself this evening anyway.”

“What date?”

Joshua sent the new ball careening toward the hole at a reckless speed and wound up leaving a mark on the cream-colored wall. “My advice? Strip her naked and fuck her in every way you can possibly imagine until your cock is bone-dry and she’s done screwing with your head.”

Seth ignored the intentional jab. “Who the hell are you taking out tonight?”

“That associate from Stein, Goldberg, & Krump.” Joshua chucked the putter back into the bag with enough force to lift the tripod off the carpet. “You know, what’s-her-name with the six-inch heels and the three-inch skirt.”

“Mikayla Stevens?” Seth’s jaw dropped despite himself. “The one with no tits, a flat ass, and the hyena laugh, who thinks batting her eyes at the judge is legal strategy?”

“Yup, that’s the one.”

Seth spread his hands wide, silently demanding an explanation. Why would Joshua go out with a woman he’d been avoiding for more than a year? The first time they’d litigated a case against her, they had both starting popping ibuprofen during the opening arguments to combat the effects of her grating voice.

The tension in his best friend’s body teetered on the brink of explosion. Muscles in his forearms stood out against the pinstriped fabric of his dress shirt. “I need to get laid.”

Guilt wrapped an iron band around Seth’s heart. “Josh.”

“No.” He held up a hand. “I get it. The earth moved when you fucked Leslie three months ago. But since then, we haven’t gotten laid, and I’m not wired that way. I don’t know what’s wrong with you. But until you get your shit together and things get back to normal, I’ve got to take care of myself. And my hand just isn’t cutting it anymore.”

“She’s moving in as we speak, Josh. She’ll be there by the time we get home. We can get this worked out. Don’t go and fuck it up with a woman you don’t even like.”

“A woman I don’t like? Is there any difference between Mikayla Stevens and Leslie Hampstead? They’re both just tits, ass, and pussy, Seth. I don’t know why you think Leslie living with us is going to make a difference. The woman walked out three months ago the minute you suggested something remotely serious. Why you believe she’ll change her mind now is beyond me.”

“Living with us will change her mind.”

“I love you, man, but sometimes you’re a fucking idiot. She’ll be there but not because she wants to be. She believes she’s got no other choice to help her friend. Tell me, Seth, how much do you think she’ll hate you when she learns the truth?”

* * *

Seth and Joshua’s place was nothing like a stereotypical bachelor pad. But Leslie suspected that was because of a talented decorator and a well-paid cleaning lady more than the domestic skills of the occupants. The penthouse was on the fortieth floor of one of Boston’s most upscale residential buildings. A two-story bank of windows to the right of the entryway offered a sweeping view of not only the city but the harbor beyond.

The sum of her worldly possessions fit into two suitcases and a battered box. She’d left all the household items in the apartment for Niles and Caleb. At this point, they needed linens and kitchen paraphernalia far more than she did. So she was down to her clothing, a few personal items, and her violin.

She moved toward the windows, drawn by the light spilling into the apartment. A space like this was an incredible find in the cramped Boston housing market. No view into someone else’s kitchen or bathroom, no empty blank wall, just a patchwork of Boston’s streets laid out below until it all disappeared into the sea. The effect was dizzying and exhilarating all at once.

Nibbling her lip, Leslie flipped the catch on the slider and stepped onto the balcony. Cool wind buffeted her face and sent her long red hair swirling out behind her. Other than a mismatched table and chairs, the balcony was empty.

She walked to where the corner of the building drew flush against the railing. Gripping the wrought iron, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. The air was clear and clean, spiced with sea salt and wet, spring rains.

In this moment, she could forget everything else. Niles’s dilemma and her devil’s bargain with Seth and Joshua fell away. Her heart stilled. For the span of one breath, she could almost believe it possible to go back even further, to a place where lies and betrayal had yet to leave a mark on her soul.

The very notion was enough to drag her from the artificial high. Reality crashed in, and Leslie turned away from the balcony. No amount of wishing could change her life. She’d come to this penthouse palace for all the wrong reasons. No matter how much she wanted to believe Seth and Joshua were a couple of Prince Charmings in custom suits, she’d be a fool to forget the lessons she’d learned at her father’s knee. Better to take whatever pleasure they offered and forget about happily ever afters.

She stepped back into the living room and closed the slider behind her. Gathering up her things, she took a deep breath. This, like everything else, was temporary. No matter what went on within these walls, she was still Leslie Hampstead. She had no idea why Seth had picked her out of the entire female population of Boston to be an object of interest. For once, the cards seemed to be in her favor. Niles would get his legal help. She had a place to live.

And a chance to have mouthwatering sex with the two most incredible men in the Boston metro.

* * *

After Seth’s parting comment about a bed big enough for three, Leslie had half a mind to find the smallest bed in the apartment and claim it for her own. But the first door at the top of the stairs opened into a bedroom that screamed Seth Overton.

There was almost no doubt in her mind the man never lost control. The earth brown walls featured several black-and-white landscapes. The bed was immaculate and the floor completely devoid of any dirty clothes. There wasn’t a speck of dust on the chest or the dresser, and even the nightstand was bare of the usual spare change or forgotten receipts. A cell phone charger sat beside the reading light in a position that suggested the damn thing wouldn’t dare get lost in the crack between the wall and the furniture.

Great, I’m living with at least one neat freak.

Trying her luck with door number two on the other side of the hall, Leslie found what was obviously intended to be the master suite. Calling the king-size bed big enough for three was a massive understatement. Reaching the mattress would require a ladder. And if she ever managed to climb in, she would immediately drown in the silver and white down duvet.

She set her cases on the floor and looked around for a place to put her things. A partially opened door led to a bathroom designed to pamper even the pickiest guest. Marble floor, double granite-topped sinks, a corner tub complete with jets, and a glassed-in shower; in other words, everything a top-dollar penthouse apartment could possibly offer.

The most Leslie could muster for the decor was an eye roll. She and her friend Talia had always made a game of poking fun at overdone designs that took everyday activities like taking a bath to a whole new level of snobby. But unlike Talia, Leslie wasn’t impressed with expensive fixtures. In her experience, having money only made it easier to come up with excuses for bad behavior. She’d grown up with money, and so far the only legacy it’d left her was a healthy desire to avoid long-term entanglements with the opposite sex.

She found the closet just off the bathroom. It took minutes to transfer her motley collection of clothing to the drawers. She used only a fraction of the available space, and her one pair of low heels looked lonely on the shoe rack.

Leslie closed the closet door and leaned against it. This was a bad idea. No matter where she moved after this arrangement was over and done, it would feel like a refrigerator carton.

A quick glance at her phone told her it was nearly five thirty. Seth hadn’t said when they’d be home, but surely she had enough time to check out what was behind door number three?

The idea put a spring in her step. There was only one person the last room could belong to, and she found herself eager to see what it revealed about the occupant.

With a sense of anticipation she couldn’t have explained, Leslie went back out into the hallway and directly through the last door to find herself inside Joshua’s bedroom.

“Oh.” The word escaped on a soft sigh.

If Seth was a neat freak, then Joshua was a slob. A pair of jeans and two polos were slung carelessly over the arms of a much-loved leather chair, and more clothing was piled in haphazard stacks on the floor beside it. The dresser and chest were dusted clean, but the nightstand was a mess of Post-it notes, keys, spare change, and random pocket junk.

She took several hesitant steps in the direction of the unmade bed. There was a rumpled indentation near the middle. Her heart hammered, and her palms grew clammy. Reaching out, she rested her hand against the cool, charcoal-colored sheets.

The Egyptian cotton was soft beneath her fingertips as she brushed them through the spot where Joshua slept. A faint whiff of his cologne lingered in the air. The same spicy masculine scent that had flooded her senses when he’d kissed her breathless in his office only hours before.