“Don't worry, hon. No one is as charming as you,” she says. I don't laugh or even break a smile.
“Just promise me that you'll stay vigilant,” I say.
“Brooks,” she says, “I got this.” I nod into the receiver as if she can see me.
“Okay, baby,” I tell her. “I know you do. Have a good rest of your day.”
“You too,” she says, and then she hangs up. I finish my last few meetings for the day before I leave the office. I check in with Gary, who is the only connection I have to my dad's rogue hiring procedures.
“So whatever happened to the hottie, Gary?” I ask.
“Oh, the brunette?” he says, and I hate the way she is whittled down to just one physical characteristic.
“Yeah, her,” I say, gritting my teeth the entire time.
“I think she got hired somewhere,” he says, playing dumb. “There's no way the powers that be were letting a piece of ass like that slip out of their hands.” I force myself to giggle beforeI tap the top of his desk and tell him to have a good night. I just needed to see what the consensus was about her around the office. I know Gary knows she was hired, but he's pretending not to know where, or maybe he really doesn't. But either way, it appears that her involvement at Everett Enterprises is still very much anonymous, and I would like to keep it that way.
Finally, I'm back in my car, cruising back to my apartment so I can change before dinner. She texted me shortly after to tell me she was on her way home and that everything went smoothly. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. I feel my chest loosen up a little bit, and I realize just how bad I have it for her.
My every thought is consumed by her, and if it's not how badly I want her body or how badly I want to totally possess her mind, it’s how desperately I need to keep her safe. It’s the lengths that I would go for her.
I'm pulling up outside of her apartment, but just as I'm getting out to go get her, I see that she's already waiting on the curb. I open the door and give her a look.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I didn't want you to have to walk all the way up four flights of stairs,” she says.
I get out of the car and scoop her up into my arms, and she lets out a little whimper. I slide her gently onto the seat and then climb in after her and close the door, and then I look at her.
“Don't ever do that again,” I tell her. She giggles, and I go in for a long, hard kiss. “I'm so glad today went well.”
“Me too,” she says. We spend the next few hours wining and dining at one of my favorite restaurants in SoHo. She gets pizza, and I absolutely love that about her. Most of the girls I date barely eat a piece of lettuce in front of me. They want me to believe they're totally happy and content with barely eating or barely showing any semblance of the fact that they are actually human. I love this about Wren. She's never shown me any otherside. She's been genuine the entire time I've known her, and I love that. I pay the bill, and she doesn't even reach for her wallet. I smile as the waiter comes back with it for me to sign.
I like that she knows how to be with me. I like that she's comfortable with how to act, and honestly, I like that I know how to be with her. I take her hand and lead her out the back entrance to the alley where Eddie has parked. I've had to do my research and find the places where we can be the most undercover. So far, I've stuck to the restaurants where I know the owners, and I know that we'll get anonymity. When we finally get in the car, I turn to her.
“I sent Stella out to go shopping today,” I tell her. She quirks an eyebrow at me.
“Okay…” she says.
“I gave her your sizes from Teresa's. She bought you some things.” Now she narrows her eyes at me.
“Brooks, you don't have to do that,” she says.
“I know,” I tell her. “But here's the thing. I really like spoiling you. And now you don't have to go home.” She can't help but break out into a giggle.
“What?” she asks.
“Now you have everything you need to stay at my house tonight. So, will you come back with me?”
She bites her lip, her eyes still narrowed on me, but she can't help but smile.
“Yes, Brooks,” she says. “I'll come back tonight.”
WREN
Ican’t remember the last time someone made me feel this wanted. I can’t remember ever feeling like this with anyone—not just guys I’ve dated, but anyone. My parents love me. They just don’t have the luxury of devoting all their time and affection to me. It’s something I have worked through on my own and in therapy. They have always loved me the best that they could with all that they had. They’ve just been living their entire adult lives in survival mode and can’t seem to catch a damn break.
But with Brooks, he does have the luxury. He has the time, the money, the stability. And he spends it all with me. He looks at me with a hunger in his eyes but also like he’s territorial over me. He wants me to be happy, but he also wants me right next to him. Safe.
