6. Chapter 4

It"s time for my pixie to return home, and I find myself looking for a way to keep her here with me indefinitely. But the truth is I can work from anywhere, and New York is a good place to set up a security firm like mine. I"ve got the contacts to do it. What keeps me from making any sort of decision is that I don"t want my tigress to run. I know she"s strong and knows her own mind, but moving in together after a week would seem crazy to anyone. And she hasn"t told her friends about me yet.—not that I know of.

The PI in New York has been following Bradley Michaels, and it seems like the guy is trying to get money any way he can. He"s been seen with seedy characters that work for the mob. He"s contacted Amber several times, but she has ignored him. The texts are downright abusive, and I swear if I meet this guy face to face, I"ll beat the crap out of him.

My pixie sits on the edge of the bed, her suitcase beside her, but she seems far away.

"Hey, come back from wherever you are." I lift her face to look at me.

"I…"

"Maybe you should stay with one of your friends while I can settle things here enough that I can travel. Or I could set you up at a hotel. You love room service. They"ll treat you like a queen."

"I need to face him on my own."

"He sounded violent on those phone messages he left. I don"t want you to have to deal with him directly."

"I can handle him, Jason."

"Not if he gets violent," I protest.

"The man I knew…"

"Is not the same man he is now."

"You don"t need to come to New York. That"s too much. You have a business to run."

"Your safety and well-being is my priority. Besides, I don"t know how long I"ll be able to be apart from you without going crazy."

"I know, and that"s a whole other issue that we need to discuss."

I choose to ignore that comment. She"s not going to like what I have to say.

"Come on," I change the subject, "I"ll drive you to the airport."

I take her small hand in mine and pick up her suitcase. Inside the car I hired, I sit close to her and put my arm around her, but we ride in silence to the airport. A part of me is definitely leaving on that plane to New York, and I wish I were going with her. Our goodbye kiss is fierce yet tender, and tears roll down her cheeks.

"No tears, Pixie. I"ll see you soon." I wipe the tears with my thumb.

"You"ll let me know if your guy gets some dirt on Bradley? Something we can use to get him to back off?"

"We"re getting close. Don"t worry," I assure.

With a final hug and kiss on her forehead, I watch her board her plane to New York, leaving my heart in pieces.

I finally arrive home and lock myself in. I leave my suitcase at the entrance and go get a glass of water. The girls have been texting me all week, and I"ve put them off too long. But the one message that catches my attention is one from my friend Gemma. She seems to be in some kind of trouble. Money trouble. My first instinct is to talk to Jason about it, but he"s not here. I left him in Vegas with my heart.

A long call with Gemma tells me she"s in bigger trouble than I thought. So I contact Jason and give him the information I have on Gemma"s new beau. I think she"s being naive, but who am I to judge? I trusted Bradley all those years ago, and look where it got me. When Jason gets back to me, he tells me this guy Murphy is in all sorts of trouble. A con man. I immediately ask Gemma to move in with me for a bit until we can confront this guy.

My heart jumps when Jason says he"s coming to New York sooner than expected so we can help Gemma with her problem. How could I have fallen so hard for this man in such a short time? Maybe I"m the one being naive. It"s probably all about the great sex, and trust me, the sex is phenomenal. Surely, I"m being blinded by the things he makes me feel.

But I"m wasting time thinking about myself instead of being there for my friend. She comes over, and I fix her some chamomile tea to calm her down.

"Gemma, Jason is really good at these kinds of things. He"ll help you."

"Where do you know him from?" She asks after taking a sip of her tea.

"Las Vegas. I met him in one of the casinos I went to play at. He"s a security contractor for different casinos there."

"Is that why you didn"t return with the girls on Sunday?"

"He asked me to stay with him the week."

"And?"

"It was amazing, Gemma. But I think I"m just overwhelmed by all the hot sex we had. This can"t be real."

"You"re in love with him." She beams.

"No, no. Infatuated to the extreme, but I wouldn"t say in love. That"s… Are you in love with your con man?"

"Don"t call him that. I was slowly starting to give my heart to him, yes."

"Are you going to tell the girls about what"s happening?"

"Eventually. When I don"t feel like such a fool."

"You are not a fool. These guys know how to manipulate people to get what they want."

"Thank you for helping me. And thank your Jason, too. I think I"m going to lie down for a bit."

"Okay."

For the next two hours, I can"t stop looking at my phone to see if Jason has landed at JFK. I wanted to invite him to stay over, but I don"t think it"s wise with Gemma here at my apartment. I"ve missed him so much, and it"s only been a couple of days. Then, a message finally comes from him.

Jason: My plane has landed, Pix. Where can I see you?

Me: At your hotel? Gemma is resting here in the guest room.

Jason: I"m staying at The Plaza. Come meet me here. I"ll text you when I"ve checked in.

Me: Can"t wait.

When I set the phone down, I realize my heart is beating fast, and I"m more excited than I"ve ever been. I go to my room and make an overnight bag just in case. I change and put on some sexy underwear that Jason can peel off or rip if he prefers. I notice that Gemma is out of her room and in the kitchen, so I go see if she needs help with anything.

"Hey, do you need anything?" I ask.

"No, I"m just making myself some more tea. You look nice. Going out?"

"Jason is here, and I"m spending the night with him at his hotel. Will you be alright here alone?"

"Definitely. Don"t even worry about me. Go have fun with your hottie."

I take her into my arms for a big hug and hear my phone ding.

"That must be him. You have a good night."

I go get my bag and rush out of my apartment. Jason and I have some time to make up for, and I won"t rest until we"re even.