I may be getting ahead of myself, but the idea of Bianca and me in an intimate position crossed my mind a few times.
Well, a bit more than a few.
I’ve not been laid in longer than I care to admit, because I’ve had to spend hours upon hours staring at the girl, reading her posts online, flicking through her photos... so you can’t blame a red-blooded man’s imagination for wandering.
She’s gorgeous.
I wouldn’t mind a moan-filled night with her, regardless of her hot-and-cold attitude, but the guarded façade is not my thing.
Every man has a type. While Bianca ticks my boxes on the outside, her personality’s a turnoff. I like girls who are strong-willed. Opinionated but delicate and sweet at the same time. Those who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Those who don’t fight for independence as if they live and breathe feminism.
“How long are we staying in Cleveland?” Arthur asks, derailing my thoughts.
It’s for the best.
Bianca spends way too much time inside my head.
“As long as it takes.”As long as it takes Bianca to realize she’ll be much safer in Columbus under Carter’s full protection.
At least that’s what Hailey whispered in my ear last night when I was on my way out. It almost sounded like she hoped I’d stage a scare that’d coerce Bianca into living with her and Carter. As lovely as Hailey is, I wouldn’t put a scheme like that past her, despite having Bianca’s best interest at heart.
“Fair enough,” Arthur says, rubbing his palms down his thighs while his knee bounces in nervous excitement. “Are we staying with her?”
“That’s the general idea of security detail. We breathe down her neck day and night.”
He nods a few times, either agreeing, letting me know he understands, or shaking his nerves off. “Koby and Broadway drilled me all morning about everything I’m supposed to do and look out for. I won’t let you down.”
“You better not. Eyes and ears open at all times. If I catch you sleeping on the job—”
“You’ll use me as your personal punching bag,” he finishes. “I know, Koby told me you like throwing your fists.”
“I much prefer my fists to a gun, but no, I won’t use you as a punching bag. I’ll send you straight back to Columbus so you can explain yourself to Carter and Hailey.” I flick the indicator on, turning onto Carter’s driveway. “And trust me, you don’t want to anger the boss’s girl.”
“Oh, I know. I’ve seen her wipe the floors with Carter more than once.”
“Now, that’s the kind of comment you shouldn’t say aloud. Someone might get the wrong impression and suspect you think Carter’s weak.”
His head swings to me. “No, no, no, that’s not what—”
“Relax, I’m joking.”
I throw the car into a parking space outside the enormous mansion Carter calls home and cut the engine. The guard at the front door bows his head before letting us inside.
Arthur is three steps behind me like an oversized shadow. He’s an inch or two shorter than Apollo, and that guy’s over seven feet tall.
We cross the entrance hall, entering the living area where Hailey’s on the couch, legs tucked under her butt, body angled toward Bianca.
Once again, I’m held captive by how fucking gorgeous Bianca is. She doesn’t look like Hailey, though they’re both short. Both petite. Still, the contrast between Hailey’s blonde head and blue eyes and Bianca’s honey eyes and dark, straight hair is jarring. They’re like two ends of a spectrum.
“Morning,” I say, heading straight for the huge fridge while Arthur hangs back in the doorway. “Ready for the road?”
“You said noon,” Hailey clips, accusation dripping from her words. “It’s not even eleven yet.”
“I also said that the sooner we leave, the more systems I can get set up before nightfall. Where’s Carter?”
“He left ten minutes ago. Broadway needed him.”
Bianca rises from her seat, the dark shadows under her eyes lighter this morning. I chug from the water bottle, grabbing three more for the road. Hailey and Bianca say their goodbyes. It’s an awkward scene to witness.
