As I was slipping my shirt on over my head, I saw Presley rummaging through the top drawer in my nightstand.
I grunted. “Those are just decorations.”
“Right,” he said slowly.
I chuckled, shaking my head.
“And these pages are stuck together because?” He raised an eyebrow, trying to open the dirty magazine.
“Because they’re old.” I never used those magazines for the reasons he suggested.
“Sure, Shane.” Presley tossed the magazine back in the drawer and slammed it shut. “We reached ten thousand followers on Instagram.”
“Oh that’s fucking awesome.” Not that I knew if it actually was or not. I wasn’t a social media expert. That was Presley’s area. He ran all of our social media and marketing for Coffee Beans & Love, our café by day and bar by night. The business had been doing better now that we were online.
“It really is. Trying to grow our other platforms as well but I’ll take this as a win.” Presley left my bed and went up to the door. “Oh, before I forget. Brady’s dad mentioned something about doing a joint collaboration. I don’t know the details but he needs some help. He said that if he works with someone, it’ll give him motivation to get his shit together. He’s old school and wishes he could just cook good food, sell beer, and that be it. Cam explained to him that it doesn’t work that way anymore. I don’t know any more than that but I told him that you would be willing to work with him.”
My eyes widened. “You did what? Why can’t Cam work with him? That’s his job, isn’t it?” Cam was Brady’s boyfriend and Rhett’s silent business partner. Although he wasn’t so silent anymore.
“You handle the books and our events. Not sure exactly what he wants to collab on, but I figured that you would be the best person, out of the four of us, to discuss it with him.” Presley grinned. “Unless you’re busy of course.”
I swallowed hard. “Nope. Not busy.” But the idea of working with Rhett alone, made my stomach clench and my dick throb.
“Good.” His grin grew. “Now hurry up. We have a business to run.”
When I was finally alone, I ran a hand through my hair. My heart raced and my stomach felt like it was twisting in on itself. It was like butterflies had taken up permanent residence in my gut.
Collaborating with my best friend’s father, nothing could go wrong. Not when I jerked off to thoughts of him every single morning for who knows how the fuck long.
Nope. Nothing could go wrong.
TWO
Rhett
“I don’t know whyyou won’t accept my offer.”
My brain hurt.
“You know you could use the money. Hell, you could use it to take a trip. I don’t give a shit. But I know it would help you out.”
My brain really hurt.
Listening to my silent business partner who wasn’t so silent at the moment, argue with me for the last hour, was beginning to give me a headache.
Rubbing my fingers into my temples, I took deep cleansing breaths trying to ward off the throbbing inside of my head. I needed to take up meditation or yoga. Owning a business was stressful as fuck and with a partner like Camden West,who needed to be in control of everything, I was beginning to rethink my life choices.
“You’re ignoring me now.”
I lifted my head, finding Cam sitting with his arms crossed under his chest and a dark eyebrow raised.
“If my son wasn’t in love with you, I’d kick your ass out and do this all myself.”
“Nah, you wouldn’t.” Cam chuckled. “Even if your son wasn’t in love with me, you’re a good guy, Rhett, so you wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize our business relationship. Besides, I know you love me. I’m your favorite.”
I grunted, rolling my eyes. He was right. Maybe not that he was my favorite but when we started working together, we became good friends right away. I went in assuming it wouldjust be all business. I never expected to gain a friend out of it. Although he did have different intentions at first. He said often that I was hot as hell, and he would love to see me on my knees for him. I ignored his advances, and we quickly became friends instead. Truth was, he didn’t do it for me. He liked to be too in control and so did I. Maybe not so much of my business because clearly, I needed help there,but when it came to sex, I craved my partner’s submission.
Cam owned several businesses around the country and moved quite often. But because of my son, he stayed in our city and decided to slow down a bit. I was thankful for that. Even though Brady was an adult, I couldn’t handle not seeing him every day. His mom and I had him young. So, we were more friends than father and son. Only when he was being an ass did I treat him like my kid.
