His words stank of bullshit. I had fourteen years’ worth of life experience on this kid, and I’d seen it all, done it all. He didn’t fool me. “I discovered you. I brought you to Aspen’s attention.Don’t fucking disappoint me. Keep your feet on the ground and your head out of the fucking clouds, or you risk losing everything.”
His eyes flew wide. “Are you threatening me?”
“No. Like I said, just giving you some friendly advice.”
“Doesn’t sound all that friendly, Joz. And to think, I used to like you.”
He whipped around and strode away, his spine erect, and a definite swagger that hadn’t been there before.
I narrowed my eyes, watching him go. If the timing was right, I’d bring up my concerns to Aspen tonight. Having Presley Knox intrude on our date didn’t fucking thrill me, but she needed to know if trouble was brewing so she could nip his shitty attitude in the bud before it became a real problem.
Aspen opened the door wearing a black dress that could be described as demure if it weren’t clinging to every inch of her curves.
“Jesus, Spitfire.” I let out a low whistle. “You trying to kill me before the appetizers?”
She gave me that smirk—the one that made my dick far too excited for this early in the evening. “You’re late.”
“Ah, but I had a good reason.” I pulled the bunch of flowers from behind my back. “For you.”
Her brilliant smile sent a flush of heat to my groin. “You’re forgiven.”
Reaching for the flowers, she took them from me and stepped back to let me in. Her place could not be further removed from my sparse loft in London. Warm, inviting, homely, with anabundance of comfy seating, and a bank of windows overlooking Manhattan. “I’ll put these in water, then grab my jacket, and we can go.” She gestured to the nearest couch. “Make yourself comfortable. Won’t be long.”
She disappeared through an archway. Ignoring the offer of a seat, I crossed the room and checked out the view. London would always be my home, but Manhattan had a certain appeal. Not that I could ever move here. Leaving Arthur was not even a question. Being two hours away was bad enough, let alone putting an entire ocean between us.
“They’re gorgeous, Joz.” I turned in time to watch her bury her nose in the blooms and breathe deeply. She set them on the coffee table. “Won’t be a second.”
“Take your time.” My gaze followed her as she moved away once more. Damn, that woman’s arse should be illegal. And the way she swung those hips. Criminal. I glanced at my groin, the thick outline of my dick visible.
“Down boy,” I murmured. “You’re thirty-five. Time to do as you’re fucking told.”
“Ready?”
I looked up, spent a precious two seconds drinking in the fucking beauty before me, then grinned. “For you, I was born ready.”
She rolled her eyes, but a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “You’re what historical romance calls ‘a rake’.”
“And what does contemporary romance call me?”
“A walking red flag.”
“Hmm. Sounds like fun. Red is one of my favorite colors.” I sauntered over to her, taking my time. “Let’s go, Spitfire.” I held out my hand, and she immediately took it. Not a moment of hesitation. I called that a good sign.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere quiet.” I pulled up the collar on my jacket and tugged the peak of my cap down low.
As we rode the lift down to the lobby, Aspen studied me, thoughtful. “You’re good at that.”
“At what?”
“Being invisible.”
I nodded. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”
“Do you ever wish you were a private citizen who could wander the streets without the risk of getting spotted?”
“All the time, but this is the next best thing. It’s been a while since anyone recognized me if I didn’t want them to.”
