26. Wade

Pushing open the door to Ray's office, I felt rejuvenated watching her jump as she realized I'd arrived. "Morning, Raven," I grinned. "Don't forget we've got the cocktail party tonight. Dom's father is coming."

"Shit," she swore, her brows lifting. "I completely forgot. Are you going to get him to sign the contract?"

"Fingers crossed."

"Okay, uh, I might need to leave a little bit early, then. I don't have anything to wear. I can go shopping and get something," she offered. She stood from her desk, her cheeks a deep shade of red from her lack of preparedness. "I'm not exactly dressed for a fancy cocktail party."

I opened the door fully, stepping into her office with the large shopping bag I clutched between my fingers. "No need. I bought you something already."

She looked between me and the non-descript bag. "I swear to God, Wade, if there's a chicken suit in that?—"

I laughed as I set it down on her desk. "It's not a chicken suit," I promised, pressing a kiss against her forehead before motioning for her to retrieve her gift.

She pulled out the boxes one by one, followed by a garment bag. Her fingers fiddled with the zipper on the front before she lowered it, revealing the tight black dress I'd bought for her.

"Black? Again?" she asked with a sly grin.

"I couldn't stop thinking of that one you wore at the resort," I admitted. Her blush deepened.

The shoes were next. Four-inch heels, classy and not too high so that her feet would hurt. Red bottoms. "Louboutin? Jesus." The smaller box was next. Stockings, thin and sheer, with a solid black line that ran up the back. She hummed over them, slightly less impressed, and seemed suspicious when I pushed the final box toward her. "What's this?"

"Just open it," I grinned.

"It's a chicken suit, isn't it?" she deadpanned.

"It's not a chicken suit, baby."

She lifted the lid and nearly shrieked. "Wade!"

I couldn't help but laugh. I knew she'd love it, but I also knew she'd be downright awkward about it in the office, and I was entirely correct. Her blush spread down her face, over her neck, her eyes wide and brows furrowed.

"Like it?"

"It's… it's beautiful, but what the hell am I supposed to do with it here?" She glanced at the door as she lifted the lacy bra, examining the front and back. Then she inspected the thong, garter belt, and best of all, the discreet little choker that came with it. "I can't believe you brought lingerie to the office."

I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her in, our lips just an inch apart. In truth, I didn't give two shits if someone walked past the open door or if people found us out. Besides, if they looked at the news they'd have figured it out for themselves already. "I want you to wear it for me tonight," I whispered, "under that little dress. I want to be the only one there that knows exactly what's beneath it."

————

Twenty minutes after the last person left the office for the day, a shy knock sounded on my office door.

"Let me see," I called.

She stepped through into the room, every bit of her outfit assembled perfectly, and all I wanted to do was drop to my knees and worship the ground she walked on. The little straps that held the dress up, the way it hugged her every curve, the stockings, the shoes, that choker… the cherry on top was knowing that she was wearing the lingerie I'd picked out beneath it. I was desperate to see it.

"Fuck, baby," I groaned, tipping my head back and leaning backward in my chair for emphasis. "You look unreal. I could have you right here."

She grinned as she crossed the room, her heels clicking with every step. "Do we have time?"

I will make time if I have to.It was what I wanted to say, what I ached for, but I bit my tongue instead. "I wish we did," I sighed, pulling her into my lap in one quick move. "I do have one last little gift for you before we leave, though."

I tugged open the drawer on my right and pulled the rectangular, velvet black box from it. I slid it into her waiting hands and wrapped my arms around her, resting my chin on her shoulder.

"Open it," I said.

She flipped the top open. Sitting on a fluffy bed of moss, a platinum chain held a pendant of black diamonds in the shape of a raven with its wings spread wide. She let out a shaky breath as she touched it, almost as if she wasn't sure it was real, before looking at me. "A raven?"

"For my Raven," I said.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. Her hands shook as she tried to release it from where it lay, and I gently helped her, pulling it out from the box with ease. "Will it look okay with the choker?"

"I don't see why not."

She lifted her hair so I could place it around her neck. My skin heated as I fastened it in place, my fingers ghosting her flesh, and when she turned herself back around in my lap, I nearly lost my mind. I could worship this woman for the rest of my goddamn life and be happy about it.

"Thank you," she whispered. She pressed her lips to mine, just briefly, as she touched the pendant around her neck. "I love it. Genuinely."

You wouldn't if you knew how much it cost, I thought. I didn't want her walking on eggshells all evening and never wear it again out of fear she'd break it or lose it, so I kept that to myself. "You're welcome."

"I need to call my mom before we go," she said. "I didn't tell her I'd be out tonight. She should be fine, I think Dani's there. But I don't want her to worry."

"That's fine," I grinned. I kissed her on the nose and lifted her back up onto her feet so I could stand. "I'll meet you down in the garage. Okay?"

She nodded. "Sounds good."

————

An unsettlingly familiar figure filled the space between the parking garage doors and the flickering lights of my car. I hit the button again, locking it instead, and stuffed the keys in my pocket. "The fuck are you doing here?"

"I was just coming to see you," Zane grinned, all teeth and condescension. He crossed his arms over his chest, the black suede of his jacket pulling taut across his shoulders. "Didn't even have to climb the stairs. Lucky me."

"I don't have time to deal with whatever this is," I bit out, our shoulders colliding as I walked past him toward my car. If I was antagonistic enough to him, there was a chance I could get him to leave before Ray came down. "Please fuck off back to whatever hole you crawled out of this time."

"Oh, come on, Wade," he drawled. He spun on his heel to face me as I glanced back over my shoulder. "Can't we just have a brotherly chat?"

My jaw felt like steel. Every single time he brought up our technical relationship it made me want to bury myself in the frozen ground, never to see the light of day again. Being related to him, even if it wasn't by blood, was enough to turn my stomach. "I have a meeting with Dominic's father, so no, we cannot have a chat. Call my assistant and she'll pencil you in for a few years from now."

I wrapped my hand around the handle of my car door and pulled. Nothing. Fuck. Forgot I locked it.

"Ah, you're meeting with Alec?" he mused. His voice was getting closer, the echo of his footsteps getting louder. I pushed the unlock button on my key fob. "Mind if I tag along? I'd love to tell him all about your little ploy with Raylene."

Ice snaked its way down my spine.

"How much, exactly, are you paying her to pretend to be your one and only?"

Say something. Say something right now or you're fucked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

I watched from the corner of my eye as he leaned against the side of my freshly-polished Aventador. All I could do was pray that he'd tried to figure it out on his own, tried to connect dots that I'd ensured weren't connectable.

His smug grin was enough to tell me I was royally fucked. "You don't? I guess Chloe must have been under the wrong impression, then."

Shit. The goddamn weasel had got it out of her. Maybe she thought that since the wedding was over and the deal would be done tonight, she was free to talk about it. Or maybe he knew exactly what to say to get her to open up like a book. He'd always been an actual brother to her, able to talk his way into her heart in order to truly destroy me.

"I'm sure Dominic would be quite intrigued by the story. A playboy, a failed skier, who had to essentially hire an escort to convince his brother-in-law's father to invest. Was it that hard, brother, to convince him you're a good person?"

I could hear the scratching of paint as my nails dug into the door handle of my car. "Ray is not a fucking escort," I snapped. "Do you honestly think that anyone will believe this stupid little lie you've crafted?"

He shrugged. "Seemed believable enough when Chloe spilled the beans. It explains a lot, really. Hire a girl to play the part and give her all the money she needs. Ray sounds a bit like a gold digger, if you ask me."

"Keep her name out of your goddamn mouth, Zane."

His lips peeled back, exposing too-bright teeth. "Aw, don't tell me you've got feelings for her. You know what will happen." He laughed as he leaned closer, dropping the timbre of his voice. "She'll leave you the moment your business begins to fail. You've given yourself another Emily without even taking a second to recognize it."

The urge to punch him was severe. My fingers curled into a hard fist, denting the metal beneath them, and all I could think about was the burst of pleasure I'd feel right before the sting of pain as my knuckles collided with his face.

But I couldn't do that. I had to be the bigger person, the better brother as he would say. I'd fought my demons before and come out ahead. He was wrong, and although I knew that in the pit of my stomach, his words still felt like knives, digging into my skin and pulling all the worst parts of me to the surface.

I needed to get him out of there before I well and truly snapped.