Hardwired (The Hardwired Series 1)(43)

“Obviously,” he said.

He set his mug down hard on the counter. He sounded bitter about it, though. As if the reality of it stung him. The tone spurred me, my protectiveness kicking in.

“I hope so. Because she’s hopeless over you. I’ve never seen her like this.”

A tell tale twitch in his jaw appeared. The same one that tipped me off when Blake was on the edge.

“If you hurt her, Heath...” I lifted my chin, ready to make a point, but my empty threat fizzled as I delivered it. How could I hurt him back? Shielded by his billionaire brother and the lifestyle he afforded, he was sheltered. Threatening him was beyond pointless.

“I won’t,” he said, his voice clipped with fatigue and irritation.

    When our eyes met briefly, I recognized a flash of pain behind them before he turned to go. I finished my breakfast and retreated to the bedroom to change while Heath slept off whatever had him looking so harrowed.






* * *

The yoga studio filled quickly and the instructor wasted no time warming us up, mentally and physically. I needed this. I needed to burn off all the decadent New York meals I’d been treated to, but what I needed more was clarity, to be centered. I couldn’t ever seem to empty my mind of the constant chaos that Blake created within me.

By the half hour, I was straining for perfection in a wheel pose, my torso bending up toward the sky. I breathed through the discomfort. I was sorely out of practice. The challenging movements drained me but awakened me at the same time, as each muscle activated to keep me in good form. In an audience of a dozen or so other attendees, I refused to falter.

The class ended just as I was ready to give up. We lay in relaxation and my thoughts floated to Blake. So much for emptying my mind. When we devoted our practice, I sent love and light to him. I missed him terribly. No sooner had I rolled up my mat, when my phone vibrated next to me, a quiet intrusion into my hard-earned calm. I fumbled for it, too eager. I hurried out into the hallway for some privacy.

“Erica, it’s Max.”

“Hi, how are you doing?”

“Great,” he said.

“Is everything okay? I mean, with the deal?”

“Absolutely. That’s why I called, actually. The legal prep is taking a little longer than expected, but everything is still on track.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “That’s great. Thanks for letting me know.”

“No problem. How’s everything with the site?”

“Going great. I’m actually in New York doing some networking. It’s going really well.”

“Excellent, that’s what I like to hear.” Someone was talking to him in the background. “I’ve got to go, Erica, but I’ll keep you posted, all right?”

“Wonderful, thanks again.”

“See you soon.” He hung up.

    We were so close to hitting this milestone, I could taste it, but even with his reassurances, I would worry until everything was absolutely finalized. I tried to ignore all the ways it could fall through, but knowing about the rivalry between Blake and Max now added exponentially more possibilities to the list.





* * *

Alli fussed over me to the point of ridiculousness. We went through a series of outfits before settling on a strapless black cut out mini dress. The dress was scarce in the fabric department, but the evenings were hot and the club was bound to be even hotter. Reluctantly, I agreed. We primped and polished until we were both satisfied. Heath let out a little growl when he saw Alli, scooping her up into his arms and giving her a chaste kiss, at least compared to the others I’d borne witness to the past few days.

I ignored them, scavenging the wine fridge for some chilled Prosecco. They broke their embrace when I popped the cork. As they disengaged, the intercom sounded. Heath went to the panel and buzzed his guests in.

“Who’s meeting us?” I asked Alli.

“Jess and Trevor.”

“Friends of yours?”

“Yes, Jess and I went to high school together. They’ve been in L.A. for college and just moved back and are engaged now, so they’re living it up before having kids and all that.”

Moments later a tall blonde in a fire engine red dress came through the door. After spending the week with the lovebirds, I was excited to have some new people to talk to, but soon realized I would also be the fifth wheel when Jess’s fiancé walked through. Trevor had jet-black hair and deep blue eyes, a rare and exotic combination. Slightly shorter than she was considering the heels, he made up for the height with his looks.

“I’m Jess.” She beamed as she came toward us.

Jess was bubbly and reminded me of Alli in that way.

“This is Erica, my best friend from school,” Alli said. “Erica is wildly talented and beautiful, so you two should get along great.” She winked and sashayed over to Heath, who sat on a leather armchair. He and Trevor caught up on something sports related that threatened to put me to sleep instantly.

Jess motioned toward the kitchen where she tasked herself with filling our champagne flutes.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Erica. I feel like I already know you. Alli raves about what you’ve done with your business.”

“Thanks. Yeah we’ve been inseparable for the past few years, getting it going.”