Hide: Part One (The Black Letters Series Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Mitch hadn’t texted me in two days, which was a new record.

I didn’t want to go out with him but helping my best friend ease her nerves was more important to me. However, there was no way in hell I’d ever call him and ask for a date. I figured the very next day he’d send me some bullshit pick up line text, and I’d play with him, lead him on a bit, see how far he’d go. But nothing came through. Becca had asked me three times if I’d talked to him, but I dodged the subject, changing it to something about the wedding or work. She hadn’t pushed it, but I’m sure she would soon, and so would her fiancé and Nathan. They weren’t patient, especially when they wanted something.

Hopefully, I’d run into him this morning. I’d flown back to Miami last night because my phone was ringing off the hook while in Grand Rapids, flooding my inbox with calls regarding potential and current Miami clients. It was a wonderful feeling, but flying back to Miami on my own and staying in my condo by myself had my nerves on high alert. My eyes constantly opened whenever I’d hear the smallest sound. Every light was left on in the condo, including a few televisions. I only wished Nathan’s car was parked outside so it looked like I wasn’t here by myself, but Nathan loved his car too much to leave it in a mere carport.

Checking that my concealer covered the bags under my eyes, I headed into my quaint office, glad that Corey would be here for the second portion of the day.

Making coffee was essential this morning, and probably would be for the rest of my life. Sleepless nights weren’t a new experience, but I’d been fortunate enough to have fallen off Rod’s radar for almost a year, so I remembered what it was like to live a little and forget all that he’d taken from me.

My heart tightened as I recalled the most precious thing he’d stolen from me and my family.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood tall as I heard the door chime open, but settled once I heard who was here.

“Good morning,” a singing came from the front of the office.

Taking a deep breath, I filled two cups of coffee. “Morning,” I quietly replied, sipping my drink while taking a seat, setting the other one down toward the edge of my desk. I didn’t want to hand it to him because he didn’t need to automatically think I’d gotten it for him, but I was going to have to play nice in order to help Becca.

Mitch took a seat in one of the leather chairs across from my desk. I was waiting for his smart mouth to say something stupid, but he remained silent, mindlessly sipping the coffee I laid out for him.

“Did you need something?” I asked nonchalantly, opening up my endless list of emails.

He didn’t respond until I looked in his direction. “Just drinking my coffee.” He was slouched in his chair, eyes heavy in thought like he hadn’t slept either.

“I had a late night,” he finally admitted, taking another sip. “Tony has the week off to go on vacation with his soon to be fiancé.” He sighed heavily. “Makes my job duties double, and not in a good way.”

I knew exactly how he felt. I was swamped without an assistant. Nathan obviously helped with the bigger clients like Kobiashi, but there were quite a few smaller ones who were taking a toll on me, making my forty hour week turn into a fifty or sixty hour week.

“I shouldn’t complain. I should be able to handle this on my own.” His voice was soft, but his features tightened.

“No, it’s hard not having an assistant when you’re busy. I feel the same way.”

Mitch’s lip quirked. “Why don’t you bug your boss for an assistant? I’m sure he’d be happy to please you.”

“He’s too cheap, insisting I can handle it on my own.” My ego enjoyed the fact that I was managing my clients rather well, but after a while one can only spread themselves so thin.

“He brags about you,” Mitch said, the undertone of annoyance in his voice was apparent.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

Mitch rolled his eyes and sat up straight in his seat. “No, it’s not. Do you always get so defensive?”

I sat back in my chair, baffled by his statement. “I’m not getting defensive.”

“Then why’d your voice change?” he challenged, crossing his leg over his knee.

I sighed irritably, my eyes finding my computer screen again. I had to reign in my temper. Conceding to his typical approaches was something I needed to do willingly. Not that a half-assed yes, wouldn’t suffice him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, standing to leave. “I’m off. I probably won’t be around much the rest of this week and the following.”

My eyes furrowed as I watched him bring his coffee mug to the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” I asked as non-interested as I could.

“I just told you, my assistant’s out of town.”

“Oh, right,” I joked, even though I really was disappointed.

“Don’t sound so disappointed.” Mitch laughed as he took two steps back from the kitchen.

“I’m not,” I said quickly. Shit, that wasn’t supposed to sound so bitchy. “I mean, sometimes it’s nice having a construction guy around to answer questions for clients.”

Mitch raised a brow at me. I think I’d maybe asked him three questions total, two of them being smart ass remarks rather than actual questions.

“You know what I mean,” I mumbled, using one hand to fidget with my hair while staring down at the other picking at my nails.

When I looked up, Mitch was in front of me, his dimples smiling down at me, green eyes sparkling. “I’ll miss you too, Jay.”

He left before I could say a snide comment.

***

I’d received six texts from Becca, four calls from Nathan, and five texts and three calls from Tyler in the last week. They were driving me nuts, and I was running out of excuses to tell them. Surely Nathan knew both Mitch and I were busy; how could he expect us to just agree on a date?

But the shocking part was that Mitch hadn’t even texted me. I knew it had only been a week, and he was on his own at the construction sites, but it was unusual for him. Maybe he was no longer interested?

“Probably for the better,” I sighed out loud as I sat on the couch. Rod was dangerous to anyone who showed interest in me, no matter what their connection might be.

It was close to 10 pm, and I was exhausted. Sleep was still minimal, and I craved being able to close my eyes without worrying if Rod would creep into my room and tie me to my bed—
or worse
. Even with pepper spray and random sharp objects hidden all over the condo, I still didn’t feel safe.

My eyes began to drift as the TV played on the screen, but a loud buzz from the end table startled me awake. I reached for my phone instinctively.

Mitch:
I think I should tell you what people are saying behind your back…

My brows furrowed. Who would talk shit about me to Mitch?

Huh?

Mitch:
Nice Ass.

I snorted, feeling silly for not catching that it was one of his stupid pickup lines.

Hmm, I thought it was just your brother who said that…

Mitch: 
Sorry, sweetie, only me. Your butt’s not big enough for Tyler’s taste. He likes them Sir Mix A lot style.

I laughed louder. That was the truth. Becca had a perfectly round and curvy ass, and I was super jealous of her. Tyler almost always had his hand near her ass, and his eyes definitely kept close watch of it, too.

I was talking about Nathan, not Tyler!

Mitch:
Nathan’s not an ass guy.

Well, he’s definitely not a boob guy, either.

Mitch:
Touche’. Good thing I enjoy both of your assets.

I couldn’t hide the smile that escaped my lips. Normally I’d piss and moan at him, but for whatever reason, tonight I felt like I needed the compliment.

What makes mine so nice?

Mitch: 
I get rock hard when I see you. Is that a good enough explanation?

I shook my head, although my grin was still there.

Haven’t seen me a whole lot lately.

I casted my reel now, hoping he’d take the bait so I could help out my best friend.

Mitch: 
I have in my dreams.

Dreams are fragments of reality.

Mitch: 
Oh, mine are vivid, baby.

So were mine, and I was getting tingly thinking about them and the dangerous possibility of them turning into a reality.

Still not the same as in real life.

Mitch: 
Are you about to say you miss me?

Was he serious? Of course I didn’t! But I didn’t know what to type back because maybe, in the deepest part of my incoherent and bad judgment, I did miss him.

No.

He didn’t respond for ten minutes, and I was biting my nails in anticipation. I had him hooked, but was failing miserably at reeling him in to keep.

Corey’s been gone a lot, the office has been quiet.

So that was lame, but maybe he’d keep talking to me. Finally, five minutes later, he responded.

Mitch: 
So you do miss me…

Boy, was he making a meal out of this.

You have a big mouth and a huge ego, so it’s obvious when you’re not around.

I nodded, satisfied with my answer.

Mitch:
How about you say that to my face?

It’s almost 11:00 at night. I’m in bed.

Mitch:
Wow, I was thinking a date, but hey, I could always come your way now.

And secretly, I wanted him to. If anything to keep me company in this lonely condo in my terrified state of mind, but I had too big of an ego to let him know I wanted to spend time with him.

I’d prefer option one.

Mitch:
Really?

I think you can read between the lines.

Mitch: 
Well, shoot. This went in a different direction than normal. Too bad I’m in Grand Rapids this weekend.

Swallowing my pride, I reluctantly replied:

I’ll be there too.

Chapter Fourteen

Controlling the random flutters in my stomach throughout the flight to Grand Rapids from Miami was anything but distracting. Normally I flew easily, not needing any type of drug to relax me, but today was different. I had lied to Mitch, telling him I had meetings to attend to in Grand Rapids, but Nathan wasn’t with me, and I was purely flying back to help Becca, Tyler, and Nathan get information from Mitch. And, of course, Rod had left another letter on my doorstep. I didn’t have the strength to open it, so I tucked it in my purse for another time. My heart couldn’t take any more anxiety.

For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what to pack for the evening. Everything was boring or plain, or I’d worn it one too many times, making me feel less than attractive wearing it. When Becca picked me up from the airport and saw that I was wearing jeans and a simple T-shirt, she eyed me skeptically, her eyebrows crinkling.

“You feeling all right?”

“Yes,” I said easily as I threw my bag in the backseat. “Why?”

Her face smoothed as she shrugged. She looked adorable in her cream shift dress and nude heels. “You don’t normally dress down for a flight, that’s all, and you hardly ever wear your hair up. I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay.”

I threw my head back against the seat. “I know, I’m a hot mess. Maybe I’m feeling a little out of sorts. I sure hope I’ve got something cute in my closet here because nothing seemed appealing in Miami.”

Becca pulled out of the airport pick-up and onto M-37 toward downtown, Grand Rapids. “It’ll be fun getting you ready for your hot date.”

“It’s not a real date,” I groaned.

“I know. This really means a lot to Tyler, and to me. Thank you,” she said gratefully. Even though I couldn’t see her eyes, I knew she was worried.

“How’s Tyler been?”

A small smile broke through. “Better. He’s been showing more interest, making a point to call, and tell me he misses and loves me. I’m excited to see him tonight. It’s been a week,” she sighed.

“Oh, does that mean you two are staying at your place in Grand Haven tonight?” I asked casually, secretly hoping she’d say no and that she was planning on waiting up for me to come home from being out with Mitch.

Becca laughed. “Like Tyler’s going to let you off the hook that easily. He’s just as eager to see what you can get out of Mitch as Nathan. I’m surprised Nathan isn’t rushing his way to Grand Rapids to wait up for you.”

Picturing Nathan pacing by the door like an anxious father made me giggle. “Kobiashi has his press conference Monday and wants Nathan to help PR with the announcement of building the amusement park.”

“The what?” Becca gasped.

Oops. “Well, I didn’t tell you, but Kobiashi signed with Conklin to build an amusement park in Miami. Crazy, isn’t it?”

Becca covered her mouth and shrieked with excitement. “Oh my goodness, that’s so amazing! I bet Nathan’s been on cloud nine.”

“You have no idea.”

From what I knew, Kobiashi had a very aggressive goal, and Nathan was one to please. With Mitch and Tony working on-site, I was sure it would get done in time. My confidence in Mitch and his assistant surprised me. I’d become more fond of him as a co-worker and respected his professionalism. I’d even had the clients he’d been working with drop me a few emails saying how much they adored him and how great he was to work with.

Pulling into the Condo’s at Riverhouse felt soothing. Being back here, with Becca by my side, felt right. It was comforting and a feeling I’d desired the past few months since Rod had worked his way back into my life.

Becca grinned as we walked toward the elevator. “Feel good to be back?”

I glanced at her, loving how she could read me so well. It was like we were sisters and it made me long for my family, especially my brother.

“I want to come back here, eventually. Well, as soon as Nathan lets me,” I joked.

“Good luck with that.” The doors to the elevator opened as we both continued laughing our way down the hall and to our home.

As if Becca’s grin couldn’t get any wider, it brightened like the lights in Chicago. “Ty! I didn’t know you’d be back this early.”

Tyler was standing in the kitchen, the Conklin grin on his face as Becca made her way to him. He held her tight while kissing her forehead, his eyes closing as though he were in heaven.

“Figures you’d be here early to give me hell,” I grumbled, walking past their display of affection. “I’m gonna go throw-up now.”

Finding my room, I tossed my bag on the neatly kept bed. A housekeeper maintained the beauty of the elite condo from every high ceiling to each expensive piece of decorative furniture. Becca’s family gifted this place to us and told me I was welcome to stay as long as I liked. They were too kind, and I didn’t deserve it.

“Thanks for doing this,” Becca said, interrupting my thoughts. And there it was, the soft sparkle in her eyes, showing her kindness and how she was always looking out for everyone else. I had to pull it together, push my hormones and pride aside, and help Becca get her fiancé and our company out of the trouble they thought they were in, even if I knew it was a load of crap.

Plopping down on my bed, I threw my arms up in surrender. “Make me irresistible.”

***

Becca pulled out the tightest dress she could find in my closet, cursing me for being so small. The cream color made my tan look perfect, and my hair was curled, brushing down my cleavage. I was sure to get whatever I wanted out of Mitch tonight.

Becca studied me as she fussed with my hair. “You should use the red lipstick.”

“Planning on it.” Puckering my lips, I applied the rich color, dabbing it with the napkin she handed me.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were excited for tonight.”

I brushed her off, ignoring the small flutters that were rising in my belly. “What? For a date with a man who acts like a frat boy?” She couldn’t contain her smile, and I scoffed at her reaction. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t like him.”

“Never said you did. Wear the red Jimmy Choos.”

I nodded in agreement, sliding them on and enjoying the extra height they gave me. I didn’t mind being taller, it gave me the sense of dominance.

“How do I look?”

“Like a minx.”

I gave her a wink along with a superficial smile as I passed by her to head into the kitchen.

Tyler did a double take when he saw me coming, but I smiled inwardly when I realized he was gazing at Becca. She’d jumped out of her work clothes into gym shorts and a T-shirt, throwing her hair up and scrubbing her face clean, but Tyler still looked at her like he’d never get enough.

When his eyes finally peeled off of Becca’s body, he looked to me.

“You look like Mitch won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I meant what I said. If he touches me, he won’t ever be able to have children.”

Becca laughed. “Maybe we should put a cardigan on you and dress pants.”

That wouldn’t work. Besides, a part of me really loved making him want me. “No, because a girl only gets what she wants if she looks the part. How else am I supposed to tempt him into telling me what I want to know if I don’t seduce him a little?”

“Jamie, I think you are underestimating your ability to control my little brother. There isn’t that much going on up there,” Tyler smiled, pointing a finger to his head.

I let out a growl and stomped into the kitchen. Maybe I needed a quick shot to get me through this.

The buzzer from the front desk rang, letting us know my time to test my ability to keep Mitch at arm’s length while getting what I wanted had arrived.

“Okay, put on your game face. What do you have to do?” Tyler asked in the short amount of time it would take Mitch to get to our floor.

Did he think I was an idiot?
“Try and get Mitch to spill about the drugs. Find out if he’s working with anyone on the side and where and how many properties.”

He nodded, wrapping an arm around Becca’s waist.

She glanced up at him affectionately, then walked eagerly toward the door to greet Mitch when he knocked.

Resisting my urges to jump him might be hard tonight. He looked delicious in faded, tight designer jeans and a button-up shirt that showed off his bulging muscles. His sandy hair was neatly trimmed, and the green of his eyes was anything but dull.

“Hey, Becca,” he greeted, giving her a big bear hug. Tyler cleared his throat and gave him a death glare. He got extremely jealous when any male gave Becca attention. Mitch was obviously doing it just to piss off his brother, the similar game I played whenever Nathan was conveniently around.

“Surprised to see you here, Tyler. This isn’t a double date, is it?” Mitch asked, looking between us all.

I walked around the island counter, my heels clicking loudly. “Nope, just you and me.” My lips popped, trying to hold back my annoyance for his attractiveness. Why did he look so damn good when he was dressed down?

Mitch’s eyes grew wide as they landed on me. Pure lust filled them. The tingle between my legs needed to calm down because I wasn’t going to give in to it tonight, no matter how badly my body wanted him.

“You look amazing,” Mitch breathed.

“Thank you. What’d you have planned?” I asked, batting my eyelashes in full-on flirt mode.

Mitch licked his lips, proving I’d be able to get anything I wanted from him tonight. “Let me tell you on the way out,” he flirted back. He held the door, checking me out as I walked by, and my ego lifted, knowing he loved what he saw.

“Have fun! Be good to my best friend,” Becca called after us.

“You trying to kill me tonight?” Mitch said gruffly as the elevator doors closed.

“You’d already be dead if that were the case.”

He laughed under his breath. “You’ve always got something smart to say, don’t you?”

There was no need to argue with that statement, so I simply shrugged while pulling my sunglasses from my purse. “So, what do you have planned for the evening?”

Mitch took one large stride so he was standing in front of me and pulled my sunglasses from my face, his emerald eyes holding my stare. “There are two rules tonight. No walls and no excuses.” His eyes provoked me to argue with him, but I didn’t make a sound. “Okay?” he asked slowly, making sure I understood he was serious.

I nodded, my words lost in his eyes. Then he smiled. My heart thumped harder when his dimples made an appearance. “I want to get to know the real you tonight, Jamie.”

I gulped, my voice still paralyzed.

The elevator binged, and Mitch nodded to follow him. “I thought we’d walk around the city for a bit. It’s a beautiful night, and ArtPrize just started.”

ArtPrize was very new to me, but I couldn’t wait to explore the city because of it. Artists from around the world travel to compete against each other, and the city was posted with all forms of art.

“Whoa!” I jumped as I nearly ran into a horse standing outside of our condo complex. He was attached to a buggy, and a man with a tall hat held his reins. He waved at Mitch.

“Hey! Sorry we’re late,” Mitch greeted the gentleman. He returned Mitch’s greeting with a warm smile as he jumped from his seat.

“Don’t worry about it. Where can I take you two tonight?” The gentleman took off his hat, bowing toward my direction and reaching for my hand.

“Um, what?” I asked.

Mitch turned in my direction. “This is our mode of transportation.”

Looking at the giant horse made my eye twitch. Those things were huge, and shouldn’t be trusted.

“Come on, don’t be such a baby,” Mitch teased as he hopped into the carriage. He held his hand out to me. “Trust me, it’ll be fine,” he encouraged.

Reluctantly, I took his hand, and he pulled me upward in one swift movement, right to his chest. He cocked his head, slight grin in place.

“That was shockingly easy.”

“What was?” I asked, my eyes never leaving his broad shoulders.

“Pulling you into the carriage. I thought for sure you’d give me shit about doing it yourself like you did with my truck.”

“I gave you shit because you wanted to grab my ass and push me in your truck.”

“Hmm, I might have to do that later tonight.”

I shoved him, pulling my hand from his grip and taking a seat. He only chuckled, then found the seat next to me.

“Can you take the long way to the Grand Rapids Art Museum?” Mitch asked the coachman.

The coachman nodded, clicking his tongue and moving his reins. The horse moved forward, causing the carriage to jerk. I wasn’t expecting the movement, so I gripped the seat, but caught Mitch’s knee instead.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, moving my hand to my own knee as quickly as I could.

Mitch chuckled. “No problem, just grab higher next time, okay?”