“You didn’t say what Dylan wanted?” I called. We usually all had breakfast together, so it was probably that, but I liked to check. My anxiety at receiving bad news was at its peak.
Beck followed me. “Delta meeting. This is a pre-vote meeting and all current board members and heirs have to be there.”
Something cold trailed down my spine. I hadn’t seen Catherine since I caught her making out with her brother. Since all of the horrible shit I’d found out about her. I didn’t think I’d have to see her again until the vote … but here we were. “Is this a good idea?” I said softly. “What if … we fuck up and they somehow know what we’re planning.”
Beck’s grin was not nice. “We won’t fuck up. This is a game we’ve been playing for years.”
I shook my head in frantic motions. “Not me, though. I barely have a Delta face. What if I fuck it up?”
He cupped my face, slowing my agitated head movements. “You won’t,” he said simply. “It’s going to be okay, and soon, it will all be over.”
Over.That might have been my new favorite word.
27
Beck
When Riley stepped out of her room, I fought the urge to wrap my hands around her body and drag her back in there. She wore a power suit, one I’d never seen on her before. Black, with a deep red dress shirt, that cut low across her cleavage with the tiniest hint of lacy bra visible.
Fuck.I needed all my focus and concentration today, because this was where the mind games and power plays started, but with Riley dressed like that, her tight skirt skimming over her curves, black heels making her long legs look even longer...
“Trying to kill me, Butterfly?” I asked, stepping closer, needing to touch her.
She was the best and worst kind of drug. Completely addicting and intoxicating, and when I’d thought that I’d lost her for a short time, I knew I would not survive without her.
“You need to stop looking at me like that, Sebastian,” she said, her voice husky with need, “or we won’t be making a meeting.”
An annoyed grumble shot from me, “I’m not sure that’s a bad thing at this point.” I kissed her softly. “I have something for you,” I said when I managed to stop kissing her fucking perfect mouth.
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, I love things. What did you get me?”
I just stared. She was breathtaking, and I knew how fucked I was, but it was too late to change it now. This woman owned every part of me.
“Thought you might like a vest to match mine,” I said, trying to focus, which was not helped by Riley’s hands running in under my suit jacket and up over the black vest. “I got them for all of us—it’s an heir uniform. It also has a holster in it for your gun, which makes it useful as well.” And I would not let her go in there unarmed.
Her face lit up. “Fuck yes! Okay, hang on while I put it on.”
I handed her the light-weight vest, which was black to match her suit. She hurried off, reappearing a moment later, her gun in hand. After making sure the safety was on, I showed her how to holster it and then made sure the vest was securely fitted. “Perfect.” Just as I was leaning down to capture her lips, there was a heavy thud on the door.
On instinct, I shifted Riley behind me and had my gun in hand as I strode forward.
Jasper and Evan didn’t even blink at the barrel facing them. “Time to go, our ride is here.”
I nodded, slipping my gun back into the holster under my own black jacket.
“I fucking hate that these assholes want to control every aspect of their meetings,” I said, holding the door open for Riley, who strolled out.
Jasper ran his eyes down her body, starting at the tip of her shiny black hair before he let out a whistle. “Damn, girl. You look sexy as fuck!”
Like he just remembered himself, his gaze shot up to me, and he gave me a sheepish smile. I didn’t return his smile with anything other than a single curl of my lip. Jasper, Evan, and even Dylan—my fucking pathetically in love best friend—were the only guys I could tolerate around Riley. And only to a certain point.
Dylan thinking he was in love with her was starting to push my buttons. But I fucking got it. I really did. Riley was without a doubt the most beautiful, brave, strong, smartass, perfect woman in the world.
But she was mine. And I didn’t share.
Not even with my best friends … my brothers.
Dylan would just have to find his own.
