Justice Falling (Falling #3)(27)
“I see that it is just that. Mornin’ sweetie. Everything peachy?”
God, take me now. I nodded and tried my best to wrestle out of Nate’s arms. He was having none of it. He squeezed me tighter, molding me to his side.
“Pick up my fancy coffee?” Mr. Jensen asked, his Southern drawl strong and amused
“Yes, absolutely, Mr. Jensen.” I turned and scooted away from Nate. I pulled out Hank’s pure black Sumatra blend coffee and handed it to him.
“How’s Aspen? Did she tell you we had a bite together late last week?” Nate asked.
“She did.” Hank’s gaze shifted to me as his head tilted to the side, assessing me. I hated when people scrutinized me. Ignoring both men I pulled up the start program and logged in, bringing up his schedule for the day.
“My wife is doing just great. Glowin’ and taking great care of our daughter to be,” he said.
“Brilliant! Love to hear things are so well. I just came by to wish my girl here a great morning.” Nate nodded to me and I could sense a blush flutter along my cheeks.
“Your girl?” Hank had no qualms about zeroing right in on the comment. This couldn’t possibly get any worse. My personal life was spilling into my professional life like a pancake coated in too much syrup, too thick and sickeningly sweet, the kind you couldn’t stomach. I didn’t know how to deal with this change in my world.
“If she’ll have me…” Nate’s words smoothed the jagged edges of my heart like calamine over poison ivy filling the wounds with a healing balm. I couldn’t help but smile through my nerves.
“Mr. Walker was just leaving. Right?” I prayed he’d take the hint. Nate looked at his watch. “I should shove off. Due in court within the hour. May I see your phone, Camille?”
Without thinking, I pulled my pay as you go flip phone out of my purse. His eyes narrowed and flipped it front to back as if it came from outer space. He pressed buttons, his eyes hyper-focused on the task. Then all of a sudden a sweet chiming sound filled the room. He pulled out his own phone from his breast coat pocket and hit a button.
“Now I have your number.” He grinned. Sneaky. “Until Sunday then. Expect a ring from me this evening.”
I opened my mouth but didn’t know how to deny him in front of my boss. With a wink and a smile, Nate turned and held out his hand to Hank. “Good seeing you, mate.”
“You as well, partner.”
Without even a glance back Nate took his long, lengthy muscled body out the door and out of the office.
“So, you and Nate, eh?” Hank waggled his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
***
Today by far was the best day I’d had in what seemed like forever. Starting my morning off with the sweet taste of my Camille’s lips left me feeling like a million bucks. And I knew exactly what a million dollars felt like…abso-f*cking-lutely brilliant!
Court went smashing and consisted of putting a daft bastard away for embezzlement, getting another client out of tax trouble, and settling a battle against a suppler who’d sent faulty equipment to the Jensen job. Overall, I jumped tall buildings in a single bound. I was on top of the world and there was only one reason.
Camille Johnston.
I could hardly wait to get home. I pulled my 2014 BMW 7 Series into the carport, took the elevator to my floor, tossed my keys and money clip into the ceramic bowl by the door with little concern, and settled into my flat. I changed into loose cotton pajama bottoms, poured three fingers of an eighteen year old Macallan, and stared out over the cityscape. The caramel honeyed notes from the scotch slid along my taste buds warming me from the inside out. It was lovely at this time of night. All the lights of the cars trailed one another in a game of follow the leader. The copious numbers of yellow cabs weaved through sleek sports utility vehicles like little ducks waddling after one another.
The itch to ring Camille was strong laced with a heaviness I wasn’t familiar with. Women were always a means to an end. My career and the success of my career had always been forefront in my mind. Watching Collier fall for a woman, do everything to make her happy and fail taught me a great lesson. Women can hurt you in more ways than one.
When Collier suggested five years ago that we take a leap across the pond to the States, I jumped at the chance. I was twenty three and working myself to the bone alongside my elder brother. We built something magnificent, and it had been successful beyond our wildest dreams.
We were both multi-millionaires with great flats. Our Mum and Dad’s house has been paid off. We owned a stick of apartments in a swanky building in New York and business was booming.
Only now things were different between Collier and me.
A few months ago, I watched Collier almost die. Then I watched him find love again. This time he fell for a woman who was more afraid of love than a cat was of water. He changed because of her in the best possible way.
I missed that it was no longer me and my brother fighting battles and kicking arse. We still worked together, ran our empire as a solid unit, but it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t, and I wasn’t. The past year, I no longer looked forward to going out at the end of a dastardly work week to find a willing bird to bed. It was very hollow and unsavory in the light of day, and I was tired of it.
And now, there was Camille.
I thought of our time together, though all too brief. The woman’s pointed small nose, high cheekbones, pink kissable lips, and emerald eyes that were surrounded by a halo of golden brown hair did things to me. Sod all; the woman brought me to my knees to worship at her feet, all to capture her sweet smile. That tiny tip of her lips, and I was a gone. Lost forever.