Chapter Fifteen
Laddand I spent every moment we could together over the next week. The repairs were finished on the job, and we had gotten an all clear from the mold remediation guys. It turned out, there never was any black mold, to begin with, and the inspector had been wrong. It was weird, but we chalked it up to simple human error.
During the days, we worked together, had lunch together and even argued a little. Then every night, I went home with Ladd. We’d never discussed my moving back to the loft after we got the all clear. I didn’t want to move back, and Ladd never mentioned it, so we settled into a very domestic routine. Every night I would cook dinner, we’d watch TV or read, then at some point we would abandon whatever we were doing and make love before going to sleep snuggled together. I loved this feeling of contentment and routine we were forming together. Even Penny had taken to me which amused the hell out of Ladd because I was weirdly intimidated by his fluffy feline. That first night I’d slept over, Penny had abandoned her place by Ladd’s legs and taken up a place curled up beside my neck. I hadn’t noticed anything until the next morning when I’d opened my eyes to a face full of fur and freaked out.
I knew I had practically levitated out of the bed to get away from what I had thought was a wild animal attack. I had jostled the bed so hard, I scared the hell out of Ladd, too. He’d jumped up on the opposite side trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. Penny had remained completely unfazed. Now, every time I sat down or went to sleep, Penny, the traitorous bitch, abandoned Ladd and was right on top of me. Ladd said he couldn’t really blame her though.
“I want to be right on top of you every second of the day and night, too. On top of you, under you, wrapped around you like a kudzu vine around an oak tree, it doesn’t matter to me. I just want to be near you whenever and however I can.”
My man is the sweetest, God! What did I do to get this lucky?
It was now Sunday morning, and Rhett had finally called us to let us know he’d come up with a rock-solid plan to take care of the Troy situation for good. I couldn’t wait to get it over with, so we could forget the past and continue moving forward. Rhett had said we should meet him over at the main house that afternoon, but I had to send a text to Troy first asking him if he’d be available at five p.m. for a chat.
“I have no idea what Rhett means by a chat. I really don’t want to talk to him if I can help it.”
“I know, Conn, but if we can get this taken care of, then we won’t ever have to deal with him again. I for one would love that.”
Troy had texted back almost immediately and said yes, so a little before five we headed over to the house. Rhett and Remy were in the living room with Taylor and James, and the place looked like a movie studio. There was a laptop on the table behind the sofa so that I could sit in the chair opposite the sofa and see the screen. I was going to have Troy on a video call, and two other cameras were facing the laptop screen and a microphone standing right next to the laptop to capture sound and everything that he did on screen. I had a feeling I knew what they had in mind, but I was very reluctant to ask. Rhett took the lead to explain the plan.
“So, Connor, you’re going to sit in the club chair over there, and we’re going to set up a Skype call with Troy. We need for you to get him to give you some type of show or some kind of sexual situation so we can get him on tape. I don’t care what you have to say to him to get him to do it, we just need him to get naked, or close to naked, and put on a show. I understand this might be uncomfortable, but he’s going too far calling your mother and harassing you every day and night. I know you want this to end before the cops have to get involved, right?”
I felt really uncomfortable with this plan, but not for the reasons Rhett thought. Knowing that what I would have to tell Troy to get this to happen would be against every feeling I had was the reason I was apprehensive. Ladd knew what I was feeling with one look. “Conn, it’s fine. Don’t worry about us or me. I know how you feel and you know how I feel, too. This needs to happen so we can get him gone forever. I’ll be right here the whole time.”
“Actually, Ladd, can you stand right behind the laptop so when I’m talking to him, I can actually be looking at you? I’m a terrible actor, and I think that would help.”
“Absolutely, Conn, anything to make this work for you.” And Ladd walked over and gave me a light kiss before going to stand behind the laptop.
Rhett looked at me. “James and Taylor are going to be handling the recording equipment and Remy and I will stand by to let you know when we have enough and you can quit.”
“Now, listen, Connor, we all know this asshole deserves to be taken down, but we have to mention that we’re recording him for this to be legal. Tell him you want something for you to be close to him until you can be with him again soon. He has to agree though, okay?” It was a little surreal to hear Remy sounding so official and talking about laws.
“I got it, can we get this show on the road now?”
Rhett held up his finger for silence and then pointed it at me giving me the signal to get started. I went over to the computer and put in the information to connect with Troy. Sooner than I had thought, Troy was connected and peering back at me through the laptop screen looking as dark and pretty as ever. His dark brown hair and pretty brown eyes were the same, but they didn’t have the same hold on me that they used to. I’d have to fake it to get through this after all. I glanced at him, then lifted my eyes to Ladd’s just above the laptop camera and put on the best fucking front of my life.
“God, T, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Connie! Sweetie, I’ve missed you, too. I’m so glad you finally quit acting like a baby and admitted you still love me, sweetness.” Had his voice always sounded so high pitched and whiney? I didn’t remember it like that, but the sound grated on my nerves now.
I smiled through the pain. “T, you know me too well, you always did. I miss you so much. I know we can’t be together for a little while, but I don’t think I can wait, T. Let me see you so I can record it and remember what I’ve been missing.” I put all of my longing and lust I felt for Ladd in my voice, hoping Troy was going to believe me and go for it.
“Sweetie, I don’t know, I could just come down there and see you.”
“No, that won’t work, T, I don’t have any place good enough for you to stay down here and I know how cranky you get if the thread count isn’t high enough.”
“Well, that’s true. You did always think of everything to make me happy. I’ve missed that about you, Connie.” I just bet he missed me falling all over myself to make him happy when he never once thought about what would make me happy. Selfish bastard.
“Come on, T. Show me what I’ve been missing.”
He huffed but started pulling off his t-shirt. “Oh, all right, Connie, but you owe me. Tit for tat sweetie, if I have to show, you do, too.” His smile was meant to be seductive but just managed to look calculating. I cut my eyes over to Rhett at the side, and he nodded that I’d be all right, so I removed my t-shirt also. To distract myself, I started to share. I had never talked much about myself to Troy because he had never been interested, but I really wanted to share myself with Ladd and doing it now would make me feel closer to him while making Troy think I was actually interested.
I ran my hand over my tattoo on my chest, both Troy and Ladd’s eyes following my hand as I trailed it up and down in a slow rhythm. “I never told you about this tattoo, did I?” I was speaking to Troy, but looking at Ladd.
“No, you never did.”
“Slip off your pants, Troy, show me everything, T, and I’ll tell you. Put on a show for me. I’ve missed watching you.” He looked skeptical, so I stroked his ego. “Come on, T, you’re so incredibly beautiful, and I can’t stand not seeing you in ecstasy. You’re so gorgeous when you get hard and love yourself. Make me ache for you, T, and then I’ll put on a show for you, I promise.” The more I complimented him, the bigger his smile got. How in God’s name had I never noticed what a narcissist he was?
“All right, sweetie, I’ll show you what you’ve been missing.” He stripped without a second thought and in less than a minute, he was sitting naked in full frontal and stroking his cock.
