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Several of them, really.
Just a series of one-night stands. All with the same guy.
“We’ll go our separate ways, I guess. When it’s time. But I should think we’ll always stay friends.” Even as I spoke, a tiny part of my chest went cold. Losing him in any capacity was the worst thing I could think of. Reverting to friendship, even though I’d said it with complete confidence, felt impossible.
I’d been in his bed. I knew what his lips felt like on mine. How could I stop wanting those things?
Charmaine laughed now, a peal of true amusement ringing out. “You think? Oh wait…you really do. You thinkwhen it’s timethe two of you will just part ways like none of this ever happened, and somehow end up as just friends? Think again, girl.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure things are everthateasy.”
My chest tightened. I didn’t know how I was going to let go, either. Or forget that he’d mentioned marriage. But at some point, Patrick wouldn’t want me anymore, and then I’d have to. There was no earthly reason the alpha of the Silver Claw pack and CEO of Apex Asset Management would have any interest in me. I couldn’t outlast his interest in Gold Moon.
I was someone for now, not forever, and that was certainly the deal I’d offered him to start with. I hadn’t expected to want the rules changed.
“Jo?” Charmaine prompted me as my silence stretched.
I sighed. “Yes, I’d like there to be more.” Then I shook my head. “But that’s not rational of me. Patrick and I have very different lives. I mean, look at this place, right? Do you need another example?”
She shrugged. “Opposites attract. Think of the fairytales…every peasant woman who finds her prince: Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast. Not that he’s a beast, by any stretch of the imagination.” She fanned herself. “Unless…is the man a beast in bed?”
My cheeks warmed and I laughed. I continued, ignoring her curiosity. “But what if it’s just Patrick’s nature drawing us together? He has an instinctive need to protect people, and we currently fall under that umbrella. What if the only reason for our relationship is my being in danger?”
Charmaine laughed again and she touched my hand. “Then I think you need to start living more dangerously.”
I studied her for a moment as she ate her breakfast, pastry crumbs fluttering to the otherwise impeccable countertop. She’d just given me the ideal segue into what I was about to say next.
She stopped chewing. “What? Is there something on my face?”
“I think I need to do something dangerous,” I replied.
She grinned, and it lit up her whole face. “Now you’re getting it. Yes, you absolutely do need to do that.”
“No.” I took a breath. “I mean, I think we need to go back to the warehouse.” That was truly dangerous, though, and I didn’t want to suggest it, except…
“I think Wes’s phone might still be in there. And I know that I recorded the footage of that call he made to me, but what if he has other evidence on his phone? Photographs?” The idea had struck me out of nowhere. How had I not considered pictures before?
Charmaine’s face was completely blank, with not one hint of emotion. It was as though she was ten steps ahead of me, already knowing the plan forming in my mind, when I was really just constructing it on the fly.
“I know you probably don’t want to…” I didn’t know what else to say. Of course she wouldn’t want to.Ididn’t want to. It was dangerous, and not the kind of danger Charmaine had meant.
“Patrick wouldn’t want us to, either.” Her voice was almost a whisper, and I swallowed the part of me that felt unappreciative and dishonest for even suggesting we should go back, like I was somehow shunning Patrick’s care and hospitality by putting too much at risk.
“And if that shipment that Wes found is still there, maybe we can tie it to the incomplete contracts. And we can bring the phone back to Patrick for his guys to look at, too.” I shrugged. “We can file a proper police report saying Gold Moon property was stolen and left in the warehouse under someone else’s name. We’ll be able to do more if we go back, anyway. The evidence could be right there still. We just have to do something with it.”
Her lips pulled down in a globally recognized tug of doubt.
I spoke again. “I think we can do it, and if there’s an active police investigation, if we can get something on record, that should resolve all of the illegal activities, anyway, right? I mean, who would try to carry on breaking the law if the police were involved and looking around?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I think you know that’s not what I meant bydanger.”
I nodded. “I know. But I think we need to do this to make sure we can get the police involved. We already know they won’t help us based on what we’ve already got. We need more.”
Charmaine sighed, and it was long and drawn out. When she spoke, it was almost a whine. “But have youseenLycan Heights? Do you know the power and wealth in this building? These people can do anything,achieveanything. They can get you whatever you need, and we won’t have to go anywhere to get it. Use the resources available to you here.”
I bristled a little. “But Gold Moon belonged to my dad. He started this investigation. I should finish it. Besides, I don’t like everything being out of my control all the time. I like to know what’s going on.”
“For Joe?” Her voice was small.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “For my dad.”
