Shane backs us up and around a bit and his father walks onward in the direction of the lobby. “Oh my God,” I say, letting Shane lead me into the elevator, burying my face in my hands, and turn around as he finishes punching in our floor to face me. “He just looked at you like you’d scored the prize. Like you’re the brother who got his secretary in bed, to use me for information.”
He snags my hips and walks me to him, his back to the doors. “Which, of course, you know is not true.”
“I do know, but that doesn’t change how naked I feel right now.” My fingers curl on his chest. “Really. Can this night end any time now?”
“Not for a while, I’m afraid, but when it does, it’ll be us, in bed, preferably naked.”
“Should we even be this close in an elevator? Or I guess we can, because it’s kudos to Shane for fucking the secretary.”
“Emily—”
“I know. I know it’s not you, I promise. That look your father gave you just got to me. Icing on the cake, or more nails on a chalkboard, or someone smacking bubblegum over and over.”
“My father and bubblegum smacking,” he says, reaching up and covering my hands with his. “Those are two things I never thought I’d hear in the same sentence.”
“I can’t imagine what it was like to grow up with that man,” I say, still fuming and feeling kind of dirty. “At least my father made me feel loved.” I grimace. “Until he decided to desert me. Maybe that’s why my brother is the way he is. He’s selfish like my father.”
“Don’t give him that excuse. I sure as hell don’t give it to Derek. We all choose who we want to be in life.”
“We don’t choose everything. Or maybe we do.” The elevator dings and stops moving. “I could have stayed and faced this.”
“I told you,” he says, lacing the fingers of one of his hands with mine. “Trust your instincts.” He leads me into the hallway.
“They told me to run.”
“Then you needed to run.”
At the expense of law school, I think, but I shove that thought aside before it starts shredding me to pieces all over again. “I’m pretty sure I’m fired,” I say, as we reach his apartment.
“He won’t fire you,” he says. “He’ll make you a player in our game. He’ll taunt Derek about me winning over his secretary, not him.”
We reach the door and he opens it, and his past warnings about Derek come to mind. “Isn’t that trouble?” I ask, walking inside and turning to wait on him. “Won’t he dig into my background?”
“We’re going to clean up your background,” he says, shutting the door and motioning me toward the archway leading to the kitchen. “Let’s make coffee and talk.”
“I’m too wired for coffee,” I say, walking with him, both of us claiming a spot at the rectangular bamboo island, facing each other. A million seconds seem to pass, the implications of this night, and all we have been and could be, expanding and shifting between us.
“Shane,” I whisper, because I do not even know what it is I want to say, just that I need to say it.
“Emily,” he replies, his voice a low, velvety rasp. “Reagan. Whoever you are. I’m not deserting you.”
“Maybe you should.”
“Never. Things happen for a reason. I believe that, and you belong with me now.”
“If that is true, then I believe I’m supposed to help you fight for the company and win. And it gives me a purpose I need right now. So if you’re going to tell me I can’t work for Brandon Enterprises—”
“I’m not.”
I blink in surprise. “You’re not?”
“No. I’m not, because I cannot have you in my life and hide you from my family, but you are above sitting at my father’s door. Capable of so much more.”
“I appreciate that, Shane, but it’s where I belong now. It’s where I can make a difference.”
“Unfortunately, I have to let you win this battle at least for now, because we need to buy time to let Seth clean up your electronic records.”
“Buy time how?”
“We need to let everyone think that I’m using you for a few more days. Just long enough for me to make a few strategic moves with Brandon Enterprises, and for Seth to fill in the holes in your background and assess what’s going on with your brother.” He leans on the counter. “I don’t want you in the middle of my family’s drama.”
“It’s your family, Shane. If I’m not a part of it, I’m not a part of your life. And I’m pretty sure my family drama tops yours.”
“Don’t count on that one.” He runs his hand over the stubble shadowing his jaw and quickly changes the subject. “Just tell my father you were weak and ended up in bed with me again.”
“But I’m living with you and everyone is following everyone else.”
“We’ll keep your apartment, but you’ll stay here. They’ll think I’m keeping you close to manipulate you.”
“What about your brother? I know you said you’re going to clean up my records, but what if hearing your father saw us together sparks new interest in me?”
“Knowing him, as long as you’re nothing but a conquest to me in his eyes, he won’t dig deeper. And by the time we let it be known you’re more, there won’t be anything to find.” A knock sounds on the door, and Shane pushes off the counter. “That will be Seth.” He walks away and I twist around to watch him, folding my arms in front of me, and wondering about his comment. I know there is trouble at Brandon Enterprises, but I handed him murder and hackers tonight. That’s pretty hard to top.