I can hear Keith talking, and I purposefully avoid that room until I’ve looked around the whole house. I know he mentioned he isn’t usually at this place since he travels a lot, so there isn’t much to discover during my snooping. Most of the decorations are staged, and there isn’t much of a personal touch anywhere in the home. It makes me curious what details I’m missing about him. Where does Keith live if he’s usually experiencing this nomadic lifestyle? Or does he have one main house that’s more personal than the others?
Licking my lips, I know I’m prolonging the inevitable. This has been, without a doubt, the wildest night of my life. And it’s thanks to Keith intervening. I thought getting into the trunk would change my life, and it did. It gave me the chance to cross paths with Keith, and I can’t regret that. I’m just sad that the end is nearly here.
I knock on the door, guessing it’s his office, and hear his voice stall mid-conversation. He doesn’t call out for me to come in, so I shift awkwardly on my heels, unsure if I should just let myself in. But I don’t, because it doesn’t feel like we’re at that level.
A moment later, the door swings open, and I hadn’t even realized he was walking toward it. He’s got a phone pressed to his ear and gives me a quick wink before motioning for me to step inside.
“Yeah, I hear you, Beck. We can upload everything later this week and compare footage.”
Oh, that makes sense. He’s talking to his team. I fiddle with my phone as I sit down across from him, the desk between us, and eye the screen. The only person who cared where I was, out of all of my friends, was my sister. And I literally sent my location to her.
Some of the people at the party have my number, but none of them have reached out. Maybe I’m expecting too much from that crowd. There’s nothing from anyone, not even Scott or Lisa, the ones who talked me into getting in the trunk. I guess that says all I need to know.
“Yeah,” Keith continues, and I tune into his conversation. “I still have one to sign and then I’ll head out. Don’t wait for me, I’ll meet up with you when I can.”
I look at him curiously when he hangs up the phone. I’m still getting used to seeing Keith in full lighting since most of our time together last night was in the shadows. His face is rugged, the beard really giving him a distinguished look that contradicts the wildness of chasing storms. His eyes are bright as he studies me, leaning back in his desk chair as he raises a brow.
He’s wearing a t-shirt and another pair of jeans. It makes me wonder about the underwear he stole, but I can’t quite make myself ask. “Things okay?”
Keith laughs. “Things are fine, Hayden. I’m making plans for later. Are you feeling better?”
From the dicking or the hangover?I wonder to myself.I wet my lips and stare at him, unsure what he’s hinting at before responding. “I’m okay.”
He nods, reaching across the desk to capture my hand. His thumb brushes across my knuckles, and I relax at the touch. “Hayden, if you’re under the impression that I aim to dismiss you, I want you to abandon that train of thought.”
My eyes widen. “Why—”
“You have a very expressive face,” he tells me, the corner of his mouth hooking up into a smirk. “You aren’t acting clingy or begging or doing anything that I associate with a problematic person. You're just acting like I’ve sidelined you. Is it because I’m not affectionate when I sleep? I’m not a cuddler, you need to know that. But with the way you slept last night, I don’t think cuddling was an option anyway.”
He has a point. Other than the sheet there was very little on his side of the bed when I woke up. “I didn’t… cuddling isn’t a big deal to me.”
He raises a brow. “So you aren’t feeling dismissed because I let you rest and didn’t fuck you again this morning?”
God, why is he so direct? I’m used to the avoidance tactic, where people ask speculative questions and pretend to not know what you’re talking about. Keith just asks directly, and it’s disarming. “I, um… I’m not being dismissed.”
“Correct,” he agrees. “Just because I have enough control to let you rest and explore doesn’t mean I want you less, Hayden.”
He gives me a pointed look and I blush, letting his words roll over in my head. I kind of like that he ravished me thoroughly and then let me do my own thing for a while after. He's talking to me like we're equals and I love that.
“I have this for you,” he continues, handing over an envelope. I’m confused for a moment before the lettersOGBcatch my attention in gold across the front. “It’s a copy of your contract. One will be emailed as well if you would like.”
I nod stiffly. It definitely sounds like a goodbye.
Keith studies me, and I wonder what he sees now that it’s light. A lost college girl, or maybe a dramatic meet cute that he’s going to forget about by tomorrow? It’s impossible to read him.
After a moment he stands, circling the desk as he slides his cell phone into his pocket. He pauses beside me, and I tilt my head up to stare at him. “I have something else for you too.”
“Another contract?” I ask immediately, and his brows shoot up. “Just… an idea.”
Keith grins. “As much as I want to see you again, girly, I have a few things to take care of. I told you the OGB is a society with many means, and sometimes my associates hire me to help them out. There’s something I need to take care of next week.”
I frown. A secret society hiring a member to do something sure sounds interesting. What does Keith do when he isn’t storm chasing?
Winking, he offers his hand and helps me stand up. There’s something in his palm, and he flips his hand over to reveal it. “It’s a card, Hayden. So you can contact the OGB again if you ever want to meet up.”
Not his personal number? I glance down, seeing the contact information, and a second number with his name penned in below that. My eyes meet his again.
“Of course, if you want to meet up again to get these back from me,” he continues, my eyes popping when the green lace panties from yesterday appear from his other pocket, “you can call me personally.”
