He lifted the heavy crystal glass to his lips and took a sip. His eyes closed as the smooth liquid warmed a path across his tongue, down his throat, and to his belly, filling his senses with the essence of dried fruits, spice, orange, and wood smoke.
He held the glass up and turned it in front of the desk lamp, enjoying the way the light sparkled in the amber liquid.
This particular bottle of scotch had cost a pretty penny, but Leonard was making bank these days and deserved to spoil himself.
Since coming back from her girls’ night, Melissa had only left the room one time. He’d heard her moving around in the kitchen, thepopof a cork, then her footsteps retreating to the bedroom again. That time, figuring she’d already made her point earlier, she hadn’t bothered locking the door.
He’d checked on her about an hour ago and found her passed out on the bed, snoring like a buzzsaw, not even having bothered to change into her nightgown.
He’d pulled her shoes off, tossed a blanket over her and grabbed the empty bottle of cabernet from the nightstand. Her wineglass had fallen from her hand and landed on the white carpet she’d insisted on getting. He put it next to the bottle. She could deal with the wine stain it left behind.
Before leaving the room, he’d stared at her for some time, wondering what had happened to the beautiful, funny, carefree woman he married. Then he shut the door and left her alone.
The scotch started to kick in, and he remembered back to when Melissa was all he wanted, back to when they were happy. Then life happened, and things changed between them.
Other women happened, you mean.
“That, too.” He chuckled, unrepentant, and raised his glass in a toast to the empty room. “To dames who give it up easily.”
Leonard finished off the last of the scotch in his glass and set it on the leather desk blotter with a thud.
He leaned back in his big chair and let his head settle against the soft leather. He threaded his fingers together and rested his hands on his belly. His eyes became heavy, and as his body succumbed to sleep, his last thought was,Vince will take care of everything.
Never in a million years would he ever guess how wrong he was.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Hawkjoggedthelastfifty or so yards to the house, clomped up the wooden steps to his porch, and tugged his keys from his pocket. He reached to unlock the door when it swung open.
He and Charlotte looked at each other for a long moment, then she bolted forward and threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her against him, lifted her right off the porch, and she automatically wrapped her legs around him without loosening her hold. He closed his eyes, buried his face against the side of her neck, and filled his lungs with her soft scent.
“Thank God you’re okay.” She levered back, held his head still and planted kisses all over his face, then took his mouth with hers and kissed him like he was the most important person in her world.
He kissed her back with an equal amount of enthusiasm. Having her here, waiting for him to return, was intense, and definitely something he could get used to.
“Ahem.” Someone cleared their throat behind them.
They broke the kiss, turned their heads, and saw Eddie standing with one foot on the bottom step, his hand on the rail. He had his customary shit-eating grin on his face.
“Um, hi, Eddie.” Her pink cheeks glowed beneath the porch light, and she slowly lowered herself to the ground.
“Hey, Charlotte.” Eddie looked at Hawk. “I hate to disturb this beautiful moment, but I thought you might want to say a few last words to Kimball before we take him away.”
Damn right he did.
“I’ll be right back.” Hawk kissed Charlotte, jogged down the porch steps, and headed over to the helo.
Kimball was seated on the grass next to one of the skids, his hands secured behind his back and his ankles connected by zip ties.
He and Viking reached down. They each grabbed one of his elbows and jerked him up off the ground, then tossed his fat ass onto the seat behind the copilot’s chair.
“Ahhh! My shoulders!” Kimball cried out in pain. “What the fuck?”
“Oh, dear, did we hurt you?” Eddie’s voice oozed with feigned remorse.
Kimball—proving what a dumbass he was—tried to get up and make a move on him.
“Sit the fuck down.” Eddie put a hand on each of the guy’s shoulders and, none too gently, shoved him back onto the seat. He lifted the harness over Kimball’s head and belted him in, then he patted his belly. “Might want to lay off the doughnuts.”
