“Nice is girl code for bleh,” Becca pointed out with a cringe, and Angel shrugged.
“He’s been good to me. I’m not seeing him that much anymore, anyway. I felt like I was leading him on. I know he wants more and I don’t.”
“No shit? Probably the bleh factor kicking in,” Becca deadpanned. “He’s not bad looking, but his personality—not so much.”
“He’s not that bad. He’s sweet.” Angel shook her head and chuckled.
“Yeah? There you go with more code-speak again. Translation? Boring. You need to get out more, Angel.” Becca shook her head knowingly. She was well aware that Angel was not into this lawyer at all. “When you start using adjectives like amazing, fuckhawt or magic peen, then I’ll know your vag is at attention.”
“Magic peen is an adjective and a noun,” Angel pointed out with a smirk.
“Yeah, well, I think you get my point.”
Alex paced back and forth in front of his desk, impatient for Cole to call him back. It was Saturday and the office was empty, most of the lights were off, and it was eerily silent. Avery Enterprises had three entire floors of the John Hancock Center, and Alex’s office was on the Southeast corner of the top floor. Of course, it was the best view of the city and the waterfront, and it was more like a small apartment, with luxurious furniture and a full private bathroom, sitting room, and closet. The sofa was oversized and Alex had found himself asleep on it many times while working late on an acquisition deal or schematics for a new hotel.
Ever since that damn phone call last night, his thoughts were consumed with the incomplete glimpses he’d seen of the mysterious woman named Angel Hemming. He didn’t have her face, but he had her words. Just that sultry voice intrigued him more than he was willing to admit, and he was compelled to know more about her. Words were the only thing between them, yet he’d been more aroused than if she’d grabbed his cock and begged him to fuck her.
He huffed in disbelief at his own weakness as his mind darted to the picture Darian had sent and the mystery surrounding the woman attached to it. She was intelligent and seemed to understand how a man’s mind worked. Which, in and of itself, was a huge turn-on and something he hadn’t come across before. Topped off by that damn snarky, teasing banter, and he was captivated. Alex wanted to know more. Much more.
He hadn’t slept much and dawn was breaking over the horizon, shining into his penthouse. As coffee brewed in the kitchen, Alex was already in his personal gym. He spent an hour rowing and running until he’d exhausted himself; the sweat casting a thin sheen on the skin of his muscular chest and arms and running lightly down his face. His original plan had been to drive out to his house and pick up his dog, Max, before going to his parents’ acreage on the north side of the city. Instead, he found himself in front of his computer Googling Angeline Hemming.
He shook his head in utter astonishment. Alex fucking Avery Googling a woman? Pathetic. The worst part was, he found almost nothing. A nod to her chairing some women’s empowerment organization, and small mentions about her in articles surrounding a couple of the highest profile abuse cases that Chicago had seen in the two years since she’d gotten her PhD. The nature of her work kept the details quiet as most of the case files were sealed, but it was apparent that she was well respected and sought after. Alex was impressed. She was professional and she had ethics. The only other thing he found was a press release issued about the new radio show being a platform for her charity work. Nothing personal. Not one damn thing. And what burned Alex’s ass more than anything was that there wasn’t a single picture to ease his burning curiosity.
He moved across the room, raking both hands through his thick hair, and stopped in front of the windows. It was a clear day and the water of Lake Michigan sparkled in the sunlight, contrasting its dark hues against the light blue, spring sky.
“Fucking hell,” Alex muttered to himself. He felt irritated that his thoughts were consumed by a woman he’d never met, and he was angry at Darian for taunting him. He shook his head in disgust. He hadn’t even seen her face. Stupidly, I fell for the goddamned bait!
It had only been minutes, yet seemed like hours when his brother finally called back.
“Cole, what the hell took you so long?” Alex admonished sharply. He was younger than Cole by two years, but of the three Avery children, Alex was, by far, the most responsible. Cole worked because his father and brother forced the issue, but if he had his preference, he’d be laying on a beach in the Bahamas or Bali instead.
“I’m not home. Otherwise engaged, dude.”
Alex grimaced at the slang term. Ugh.
“Uh, can’t say I give a shit what your state of engagement is, Cole. What’s the name of that investigator? The one that Dad has on retainer?”
“Whoa. The CFO doesn’t remember the name of the investigator?” Cole teased lightheartedly. While Alex was serious and focused, Cole could make any situation into a joke. “I mean, if I was in charge of all the money, I sure as shit would know who the head of security was.”
Alex sighed and ran his hand impatiently through his hair again, his fingers stopping to yank on the strands. “Cole, if you want to be in charge of the cash, I suggest you take it up with Dad. For now, can you help me out?” His voice was flat and resigned, like a parent dealing with a disobedient child.
They shared brotherly love, but there was a decided competition between the two. Cole held a degree of resentment toward Alex because he was technically his boss. Their parents, especially their father, Charles, didn’t trust Cole’s slacker nature. It was always Alex who stepped in to clean up the mess, and it didn’t go unnoticed. He was the model child; always excelling, always doing what was expected and more.
“Bro, forget work. Let’s go to the Cubs game this afternoon. Get Darian and Dad, and I’ll call Josh, too,” Cole rattled on. His complete lack of focus made Alex’s mouth tighten in annoyance.
Joshua Franklin was their sister Allison’s husband. Ally met Josh on a spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas six years earlier. His family was from a small town in Oklahoma, and though he wasn’t wealthy, Allison loved his gentle charm and easygoing nature. Charles hadn’t accepted him easily; at first thinking no one was good enough for his youngest child and only daughter. But with fortitude and grace, Josh eventually won him over. Josh refused to take a job within the company, preferring to be self-sufficient and started a small insurance agency. Alex ensured Josh’s success by running all of the corporation’s insurance policies through the Franklin agency. The Avery account and the connections with the family soon had his agency well networked and extremely lucrative.
“Can you please just give me the. God. Damn. Name?” Alex enunciated every word.
“What’s got your shorts in a wad up your ass? Jesus, Alex, you need to lighten up. Have some fun for Christ’s sake.”
“Someone’s got to earn the money, and between the two of us, we know who jacks off. If you want me to go to the game and front the beer, stop pissing with me and tell me what I want to know. I can get my business done while you call the rest of your little playmates.”
Cole laughed softly in response. “Fuck you.”
“Maybe later, dickhead. The name?” Alex wasn’t laughing, but he was grinning from ear to ear, and the amusement in his voice told Cole he was joking around.