Just a Bit Dirty (Straight Guys #10)(4)

Across from him, two very cute girls around ten were loudly arguing with each other. The girls must be related to the blond guy: they looked a bit like him, though most of all they looked a lot like each other. They clearly were twins, but they weren’t absolutely identical: one of them had a plumper, rounder face.

There was also a big black dog lying at the girls’ feet. The girls kept sneaking him food when the adults weren’t looking.

The blond guy was the first to notice Miles. “Good morning,” he said with a smile. “Come on in, don’t stand there! I’m Shawn. This is my husband, Derek. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Miles said, taking a seat next to one of the twins. He felt a little awkward. Although he wasn’t exactly socially awkward, he didn’t know these people at all.

The girl next to him turned, looking at him curiously. “Who are you? Why are you staying at our house?”

“Melissa!” Shawn snapped, a faint blush on his cheeks. “That’s very rude.”

“It was just a question!” the girl protested, pouting. “Derek, tell Shawn it was just a question!”

Derek Rutledge looked up from his cup of coffee and focused his hawk-like black eyes on the girl. They softened considerably. “I’m sure Bee didn’t mean to be rude.”

“Derek, don’t take her side!” Shawn said exasperatedly. “You spoil her rotten.” Shawn turned to Miles and gave him a weak smile. “Sorry about that. But it’s probably my own fault for not telling the girls about you. These are my sisters, Melissa and Emily. Girls, this is Miles Hardaway, Alexander’s friend from England. He was supposed to stay with Alexander and Chris, but you know they had to leave, so Miles will be staying with us for a while. Please be nice to him. Don’t prank him.”

Miles grinned at the girls. “I’m not too bothered by pranking. I have five siblings. I’ve seen it all.”

The twins’ eyes lit up. They exchanged a look that would have scared Miles shitless if he hadn’t been on the receiving end of Ryan and Nick’s pranks for years when they were kids.

“Besides,” Miles said. “It’s only natural that your sisters are confused. I would be, too, if I found some stranger in my home.” He looked from Shawn to Derek. “Really, thank you for your hospitality. I appreciate it, but it feels like I’m intruding in your home—”

“You aren’t intruding,” Shawn said. “It’s really no trouble.” He chuckled. “It’s actually a good thing that we’ll have another person in this mausoleum of a house.”

Even though he really appreciated the sentiment, Miles shook his head. “I would feel better if there’s something I can do to help around…” He trailed off, unsure what he could actually do to be useful. It wasn’t as though the Rutledges needed help around the house, considering how many employees they had. Any help of that sort would be useless for them, and they would be just humoring Miles if they let him work in the garden or the house.

Shawn seemed to share his thoughts. His handsome face looked vaguely uncomfortable, as if he wasn’t sure what to say without offending him.

His husband cleared his throat. “Actually,” he said. “There might be something you can help us with.”

Relieved, Miles looked at Derek.

Those black eyes seemed to be evaluating him before Derek spoke again. “You probably heard last night that our company recently entered into a partnership deal with the Caldwell Group.”

Miles nodded, his brows furrowing in confusion. But he didn’t ask any questions, waiting for Derek to elaborate.

Derek took a sip of his coffee. “While the deal is mutually beneficial, I’m concerned that Ian Caldwell, the owner of the Caldwell Group, might have ulterior motives. We aren’t exactly friends.”

Miles cocked his head to the side slightly, his confusion growing.

“You might be wondering why I agreed to this deal if I have concerns,” Derek said. “I’m not a businessman, Miles. I have neither the patience, nor love for business. Nor do I have the time. I’m a tenured professor at Harvard. Rutledge Enterprises was my father’s pride and joy, and until his death, I had nothing to do with it.” Derek grimaced slightly. “Since my father’s death, my brother-in-law was doing all the managing work, but he and my sister died in a plane crash half a year ago.”

Oh.

Before Miles could express his condolences, Derek continued, “So since neither Shawn nor I are interested in—or capable of—managing such a large company, we had no choice but to involve outsiders.” Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. “At first we tried to promote a few senior managers to the position of the CEO, but it wasn’t a good solution.” His lips twisted into a sardonic smile. “My father was a controlling son-of-a-bitch who didn’t understand what the word ‘delegation’ meant. My brother-in-law was the only other person in the company who understood how to efficiently run it.”

Derek shook his head. “After his death, the company started suffering heavy losses from incompetent management. So when the Caldwell Group approached us, offering a mutually beneficial partnership, with their CEO agreeing to manage both companies and us just reaping the benefits, it seemed like a good solution.”

“But now you don’t think that anymore?” Miles said, still unsure what all of this had to do with him. It wasn’t like he had any clue about how to run a corporation, either. He might be a business major, but this situation was way beyond his experience.