His feelings must have shown on his face because Jason smirked.
“She’s here because she needs someone to watch her back until they catch Megan,” Todd said.
“And she chose you.”
She had. That was worth something, right?
In fact… The seed of an idea formed in Todd’s mind and he looked at his friend. “Hey, do you still have a way to contact Brandon Marlowe?”
“Thanks, Misha.” Lindsey ended the call with her new accountant and leaned against the railing with a sigh. She wouldn’t blame the young woman if she quit, but so far Misha still planned to start work October 1st.
Lindsey took a minute to enjoy the fresh air. Jason’s third-floor balcony overlooked an inviting grassy area with tree-shaded picnic tables. He lived about fifteen minutes from Todd in a bustling part of town, surrounded by a mix of commercial properties, apartments, and condos.
She didn’t mind the traffic noise. Her own apartment was located on Pacific Coast Highway, a busy street with too many stoplights and too many cars.
She ached for it, surprised by how much she wanted to show it to Todd. Although, after it had been vandalized… Her stomach tightened.
Thankfully, the landlord had already hired someone to clean the mess and repaint the door. Tacking the bill onto her next rent payment, of course.
Slipping the phone into the back pocket of her jeans, she peered through the sliding glass door, across the living room to where the men sat at a small round dining table. Based on their expressions, the conversation had turned heavy.
Reluctant to interrupt, she watched squirrels chasing up and down the trees and reviewed her conversation with Misha. She’d reassured the woman that she could start working from home in October if it wasn’t safe to be at the office. And if Misha quit, she’d just have to find someone else.
Goddamn Megan.
Lindsey couldn’t continue to put her life on hold. She needed to find a way to reel in Megan and be done with her.
The door behind Lindsey slid open and Todd stepped onto the balcony, filling the small space with his presence. “Hey.” He stopped beside her, leaving at least a foot of room between them, his hands gripping the rail. “Everything okay?”
No, goddammit. She wanted him to come up behind her and wrap his arms around her, nuzzle her neck, spin her around and kiss her. But she couldn’t afford that kind of distraction right now.
“Fine. Misha is being amazing about the uncertainty.” The warm breeze blew her hair into her face and she impatiently hooked it behind her ears. “But it’s not an auspicious beginning, and I could see her moving on if this thing with Megan drags on for too long.”
Todd faced her, and she slowly matched the move, hesitant to experience the majesty of him in full force. “Jason and I might be able to help with that,” he said, his deep voice curling around her like smoke. “Come inside and we’ll talk.”
She followed behind him, admiring all the rippling muscles exposed by his gray 10K T-shirt and blue cargo shorts. They returned to the table where Jason munched on a donut.
Todd waited for her to take a seat and then said, “Megan’s a big Brandon Marlowe fan, right?”
“Well, yeah. Name a straight woman on the planet who isn’t.”
Jason chuckled.
Todd threw him a frown.
“But, seriously, I’m not sure fan is a strong enough word. Stan is more like it. She spent a lot of time on his dedicated subreddit, and snapped up every bit of news about him she could find. I think she identified with him because he came from humble roots and became a huge success. She had done the same thing in her own way.” Lindsey had been impressed with how Meg had clawed her way out of an impoverished childhood. Unfortunately, wealth had become her only goal, to the point that she’d been willing to kill rather than lose a lucrative source of income. “I told you she was disappointed when Brandon had to back out of the book festival, but that’s too tame a description.”
Meg had been some strange combination of angry and despondent. As if his absence had been personal.
“So…” Todd’s brows rose with the air of someone about to impart a secret. “Jason actually knows him.”
The surprise must’ve been clear on her face because Jason shrugged and said, “We have a mutual friend.”
Had he been an actor at some point? He was incredibly handsome, with a sharp nose, a strong jaw, and plush lips. Not to mention all those golden brown muscles. Honestly, being in the room with both him and Todd was a little dizzying.
“I’m not sure I understand,” she said. “How can Brandon Marlowe help us with Megan?”
Todd rested his injured arm on the table. “Megan’s obviously angry that you and I are walking free, right?”
