I chuckled, letting go of my unease and forcing myself to relax. Patting her on the back, I asked, “Do you want us to take you to your place or Noah’s?”
She groaned again. “Not Noah’s. He’ll just gripe at me.” Some fight returned to her tone. “He’s been on this kick lately that I shouldn’t go to Friday night happy hour. We had a big fight about it last week. He actually forbade me to go tonight. Can you believe that?” Her voice sharpened. “Forbade me? Like he could even do that, even if we were in a relationship. Forbade? Unreal. He started to tell me you shouldn’t even go, but he stopped himself. When I pushed him on that, he said it was none of his business if you went or not. I’m allowed to see you. That was his term. Allowed.” She barked a bitter laugh. “As if I’m some damn submissive wife. Hasn’t he learned anything over the years? Allowed. What a joke.”
I frowned, keeping my thoughts to myself. Noah was CEO of The Richmond, an international chain of hotels. Theresa had grown up with him. She worked for him too, but the real status of their relationship remained complicated. Her parents had been close with his before they died, so she’d been taken in by his family. I knew Noah had good intentions when it came to Theresa, and the two bickered like an old married couple, but he was never one to be controlling.
In fact, his initial concern about our friendship had faded as quickly as he had voiced it. He’d known Theresa wasn’t a fan of Carter, but as we all got to know each other, Noah and Theresa, along with Amanda—my last friend from my old life—had become like a small family to Carter and me. I owed them so much. They’d been there for me when my roommate, Mallory, was killed a year ago, and I’d been hunted by the Bartel family.
But it seemed Noah might have some reason for his current concerns. Something was going on. A man had been watching me inside, then from the street, and I’d heard him calling me, even if it was by the wrong name. Add in Thomas’ change in the usual seating arrangements and that added up to…something.
I turned to study Thomas’ profile, but whether he sensed my scrutiny or not, he didn’t react. He remained stoic and statuesque as we drove to Theresa’s building, but that wasn’t new. All the guards were like this. They preferred that I pretend they didn’t exist. Carter explained to me one night that this was how they’d been taught—to guard and not interact. When I interacted with them, it distracted them from doing their jobs.
When we pulled up to Theresa’s ritzy building, Thomas helped her inside. She had a doorman twenty-four-seven, so Thomas didn’t have to lead her far. He just took her to the elevator where a staff member of the building took over and pressed the button. Thomas returned to the car, and it wasn’t long before we’d arrived at Carter’s building.
Carter’s building. He’d correct me, if he had heard my thoughts.
“This is your home, too,” he’d told me many times, but it wasn’t. The car drove to the basement parking, the door was opened for me, and I took the elevator to the top floor. I don’t know why I did this. Carter had renovated the entire building so it was all one home, but he’d given me the top floor when I first came to live with him. I’d been scared, excited, and in a whole different element back then, hiding for my life.
Sometimes I still enjoyed my private elevator entrance, even though I could take the stairs. I would slip into my bedroom and change my clothes before going downstairs to the kitchen and living room on the first floor. Carter’s room was the third floor. As I did this tonight, I held my slippers in one hand and tiptoed down the stairs.
It was foolish to want to sneak up on Carter. He trained ghosts. He was one himself. When I’d gone through all the floors, I hadn’t found him on any of them. I checked the gym last. Still no Carter, so I went back out to the basement garage. Thomas had taken his perch outside the door, and I asked, “Where is he?”
“He flew to New York today. He’s on his way home now, Miss Mar—”
“I swear to god, if you utter that name one more time, I will steal your gun from you and shoot you in the leg.”
“—Emma.” He flashed me a rueful grin.
“Better. Remember it this time.”
He nodded, and I went back inside. Well. I had no idea what to do now. Carter wasn’t in the Mauricio family anymore, but he still had business dealings with them, as well as with the Bartel family now. He owned shares in The Richmond, too. Carter also had other businesses, ones he hadn’t even told me about because there were too many to mention, but I’d gotten spoiled over the last year. He’d made a concerted effort to be home, flying and conducting his business during the hours when I was at work myself.
Telling myself not to worry, as Carter was a big boy, I went back to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. Unlike Theresa, I hadn’t joined in with the beer. I preferred to keep a clear head when outside the house. It was a survival tendency I’d picked up after being shot at a year ago.
I was enjoying the wine and relaxing in the tub when the bathroom door opened.
I felt him before I saw him. A small grin appeared automatically on my face, and I opened my eyes to see Carter standing there.
It was always the same. A tingle started in the base of my stomach, and it would rise, spreading out through my body, warming me as it went, until I was almost salivating for him. When I saw him, I needed to touch him. It had been like this for a year, and I never wanted it to end. I always wanted to thirst for him.