Suerte doesn’t comment. He rarely does, but he nods his head, and that’s enough for me.
Anvil should be in soon. Like a lot of my guys, he has a gig some nights as a bouncer, so he trains later in the day.
My shoulders relax. That’s done. Arlo quietly observes everything but doesn’t comment. He just relaxes against me, his body loose. That I’ve earned this level of trust from him makes my chest ache in the best possible way.
We head to the office first. I brought my truck today specifically because I want Arlo to bring all of his belongings home. No more sleeping at the gym.
He doesn’t fight me, just gathers his stuff together and packs it in an old delivery box. I put it by the office door so we can take it with us when we leave for the day.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh yeah?” His smile is warmth and sunshine. “About what?” His tone is low and sensual.
I smirk.
“Always that, but later. About work.”
“What about work?” He sounds confused, and that’s not what I want.
“I’m thinking of training you on the bookkeeping stuff.” His pretty emerald eyes light up with interest.
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah, it’s really a chore for me but I think you might enjoy it. What do you think?”
“Yeah! I’d like that, Tier. Math was my best class in high school.”
That makes me grin because that fits him.
“Great. We can start right now. We’ll have to share until I can get another laptop but that shouldn’t be an issue while I’m showing you the ropes.”
“Yes! Just let me grab something to take notes on. Be right back.” He rushes off to find what he needs, face full of anticipation. Warmth unfurls in my chest at his enthusiasm.
We last about two hours before I want to throw my laptop across the room. Not because of Arlo. He’s doing remarkably well. It’s just that he’s asking questions I don’t know the answers to, and it’s frustrating. I’m going to have to get my CPA in here to help him out. I can tell he’s going to be much better at it than I ever was. My accountant will be thrilled. He never lets it show, but I know I’m an annoying client.
“Let’s take a break for a bit.” I say, needing some coffee and maybe a few minutes with the heavy bag. Paperwork is the bane of my existence.
Arlo gives me that gentle, understanding smile that makes my stomach swoop. I kiss him on the cheek, breathing in his clean soap smell. He’s different today, more confident, more comfortable in his own skin, and it’s beautiful to watch.
“I’m going to finish up some of the daily stuff.” He tells me as he heads to the back to grab today’s deliveries.
Filling up my water bottle, I decide to forgo coffee and hit the bag instead. Diesel tapes up my hands, and soon I’ve got a steady rhythm going. I drop into the familiarity of it, enjoying the comfort of routine.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Arlo come out from the back and begin to tear down the delivery boxes for recycling. With the almost break-in last night, I feel a lot better when I can see him. I checked the camera replay last night, and it gave me a clear picture of the guy, so if he comes back, I’ll recognize him. It was strange, though. He was wearing a suit and tie, not your typical attire for a thief. Especially in this neighborhood.He didn’t notice the cameras either, and it’s not like I have them hidden.
Arlo takes a load of boxes out to the recycling. I watch him go, absently wondering if I should go with him. I don’t, but I keep an eye on the door for his return.
When he doesn’t come back right away, I’m immediately on alert. I steady the bag and head for the door. Something doesn’t feel right, and my body tenses. I walk faster.
The minute I’m through the door, I know my intuition was on point. Arlo stands next to the recycling bin, still as a statue while some guy is holding his arm far too tightly. I immediately recognize the guy from the camera last night, even with the different suit.
He’s objectively attractive. Typical blonde, blue-eyed All-American type, but it’s all on the exterior. There’s a hardness to his face, and he looks at Arlo with ownership, not warmth.
“Arlo, I’m just worried about you. I know how you are when you get emotional. Let’s just go home. We can talk about everything there.” The man coaxes, but his eyes are narrow and his face is sly.
My jaw clenches because I’ve heard enough about Derek to know who this motherfucker is and there’s no way in hell Arlo’s going anywhere with him.
“I’m not going anywhere with you, Derek.” Arlo says, but I hear the wobble in his voice.
