Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Annalee

“Pretty sure we need to get up and eat at some point this evening.” I snickered into Owen’s bare chest. It was after seven and we had yet to leave the bed. It turned out that Owen wasn’t kidding when he said he had every intention of getting me naked after the ice cream. I just didn’t expect our time in bed to last all afternoon and well into the evening.

“I’ve already eaten my dinner.” The crack of Owen’s hand across my ass filled the room.

“Eww, gross,” Gracie gagged from the other side of the door. “I don’t need to hear that shit! And who the fuck left perfectly good ice cream out on the coffee table to melt into a pile of goo? That’s a damn sin!”

I tried to scramble out of the bed but only managed to get myself further tangled in the sheets. “Jesus Christ, why are these sheets always trying to kill me?”

Owen was too busy laughing to be of any assistance. I would’ve glared at him, but if this shit weren’t happening to me, I would also think it was funny, so I let him slide.

I finally managed to get myself untangled and only half fell out of the bed before I caught myself in a squat and pushed on the mattress to stand up. Flinging my hair out of the way with a huff, I went in search of my clothes from earlier, but then remembered they were work attire and there was no way I was stuffing myself back into them. So instead I snagged a pair of Owen’s basketball shorts and pulled them up my legs. I had to roll them a few times to get them to fit but whatever. They were more comfortable. Then I grabbed one of his t-shirts and pulled it over my head. I fluffed my hair and called it good enough.

“How about you come back to bed and I show you just how much I like you in my clothes?” Owen wielded his signature smirk with the dimple popped like a damn sword but I refused to give in. Gracie was home now and my vagina needed a break.

“No can do.” I darted out the bedroom door before he could convince me otherwise, and slammed right into Gracie’s giggling body.

“Making a run for it?”

Would it be appropriate to tell her that her brother had the stamina of a hot-blooded twenty-year-old?

I was going with no.

“You mentioned melted ice cream, so I figured it was best to clean up my mess.”

There, that was the perfect excuse.

“Right . . .” Gracie dragged the one word out and gave me a knowing smile. The fact that my face was as red as a Christmas bulb probably didn’t help my cause. It was easy to see I was fibbing.

“I’m just going to go clean my mess up.” I pointed in the direction of the living room and then took off down the hall in hopes Gracie didn’t follow.

No such luck. Owen’s sister was hot on my heels and eager to call me out.

“I can’t imagine what could’ve been so important that you left perfectly good ice cream to melt like that.”

I knew without even looking, Gracie’s dimples were on full display. She also used those damn things like a weapon. Whoever the poor sucker was who fell for her would be in a world of trouble. She would get everything she wanted just by smiling at him.

“You know damn well what your brother and I were doing. I would even be willing to bet you stayed out of the house for that exact reason.”

I turned around just in time to see Gracie shrug her shoulders. “Maybe.”

“Thank you.” I grabbed the pint of ice cream that was now just a tub of liquid and carried it to the kitchen sink. There was no resurrecting the chocolatey delight. “It was nice to have some time together after everything we learned today.”

“My brother texted me and gave me the abbreviated version of what’s going on. I’m sorry this is happening to you.”

I rinsed out the container but managed to smile at her over my shoulder. “It is what it is. My lawyer assured me they have no leg to stand on. At this point I’m more interested in answers than anything.”

A large part of me doubted even if I spoke to Dennis, I would get them. He would try to play the victim like he did all his life.

My mind went back to dinner, and I changed the subject. “I know Owen mentioned you were getting dinner elsewhere but I’m making pasta. Care for some?”

“I’ll never turn down pasta,” Gracie sang.

Owen appeared while I was filling the pot with water and immediately came up behind me to nuzzle my neck. Every time we were in a room together, we gravitated toward each other. He made sure to always touch me if we were in the same vicinity, and I loved having his hands on me.

We kept the conversation light as I prepared a late-night dinner. It was good to talk about the town rather than what was going on with me for once. As much as I appreciated how attentive Owen was to what was happening, it was nice to take a break from it. I liked pushing my problems out of my head for a little while.

We were halfway through the meal when Owen’s phone started ringing. He didn’t look happy to be interrupted, but his face changed as soon as he got a look at the screen.

“Hey, Mav. Everything okay?”

I couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end of the phone, but based on the fire in Owen’s eyes, I knew it couldn’t be good.

“Why the hell are you still at the office?”

It was after eight at night. I knew the guys kept odd hours but it seemed late to still be working when there wasn’t anything pressing to deal with.

Well, except my problem, but Lex was all over that.

I put my fork down since I had it hovering in the air with pasta dangling off the tines since he answered the phone. I caught Owen staring at me from beneath my lashes and raised my head to meet his eyes.

“Can’t you tell him to come back tomorrow?”

I raised my eyebrows in question. Who the hell was the him Owen was referring to?

“Fine, we’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I glanced down at my outfit. I wasn’t going anywhere looking like this. I didn’t even have a bra on, so I wasn’t sure who this we Owen was talking about.

“We have to go to the office. Dennis showed up demanding to speak to you.”

I momentarily faltered.

I couldn’t believe Dennis showed up already. I thought for sure he would play some mental warfare just to screw with me.

“He’s there now?”

Owen nodded his head but it was obvious he wasn’t happy to admit that.

“And Maverick wants us to go there and speak to him?”

Another unhappy nod.

I blew out an audible breath. “I guess I better go put something else on.”

Owen followed me into our bedroom and sat on the bed while I riffled through the closet. It didn’t take him long to clear out a good section for me. Even though we had yet to talk about it, I doubted I would be moving into that sublet when it became available. It seemed silly to pay for another place when I would be spending all my time with him here anyway.

“I wish Dennis hadn’t chosen tonight to show up. I know this morning I was in favor of getting this over with, but I’m pissed he’s ruining the good mood I had you in.”

I grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a shirt. Scooping up a bra and a pair of panties, I brought my loot out and dropped it onto the bed next to where Owen sat. Stepping between his legs, I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with his hair.

“I know it’s not ideal, but it just means that when we get back home, you can do it all over again.”

My statement got the desired effect. With his head resting on my stomach, Owen chuckled. “I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”

“It’s the only way. Now let me get ready so we can get this over with. I have no desire to spend more time with Dennis than absolutely necessary.”

Exactly twenty minutes after Owen got off the phone with Maverick, we were pulling in front of the Willow Creek Security building.

After several reassurances that I was okay with meeting up with my stepbrother, I rushed through getting ready. I didn’t care to impress Dennis, I already knew what he would say regarding my outfit. According to him and his mother, a woman of my stature was supposed to dress the part every minute of the day.

“Wait for me to open the door for you.”

I’m not sure what Owen expected to happen in front of our place of employment but I did as he asked. It was a simple enough request and not worth the argument. Owen rushed around the front of the SUV and had my door open seconds later. He helped me out of the seat and didn’t drop my hand as we walked in together.

Dennis was waiting for us in the reception area next to my desk. I guess Maverick didn’t want him to see any further into the building. I couldn’t blame him; I didn’t trust Dennis not to cause trouble when he was here.

“Really, Annalee? That’s how you show up to speak to me after making me wait. The least you could’ve done was pull yourself together.”

I called it.

“It’s a good thing I don’t care what you think.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why are you here, Dennis?”

He looked around at the other men in the room. “You want to do this with an audience?”

I wanted as many witnesses as possible, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. I didn’t need Dennis feeling any more superior than he already did. It was no doubt my stepbrother thought he had the upper hand by showing up and calling me back here this late at night.

“I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“Fine.” He huffed and straightened his suit jacket because, yes, he showed up in a three-piece suit like he thought he was someone more important than he was. “I’m here to get you to sign the paperwork to revert Dad’s will back to what it was before you asked him to change it.”

I forced myself to take a deep breath.

Then another.

Then a third for good measure.

But it did nothing to tamp down the inferno that was now my blood pressure.

“First off, he wasn’t your dad. You were seventeen when our parents married and never did my father adopt you, or show any signs of doing so. If I remember correctly, your mother mentioned it and you threw a fit. Second of all, I have no idea what my father’s will said before he changed it. That was between him and his lawyer, just like the changes were. My father asked me to respect his wishes and that’s what I plan to do.”

Dennis slammed his fist down on my desk and sent papers flying everywhere. “My mother stayed married to that ungrateful asshole for twenty-eight years! She’s entitled to everything and was assured she would be taken care of for the rest of her life.”

Ungrateful, my ass.

“I have no idea how you could ever come to the conclusion that my father was ungrateful, but he made sure Seraphina was taken care of. It’s not my fault she can’t survive on the very generous allowance my father left her.”

Dennis continued to fume. “Theodore never understood the doors she could open for him if he just allowed her to. He was content being another cog in the wheel when he should’ve been running the business by the time of his death. His net worth could’ve been millions more, but instead, he insisted on donating too much every year.”

Un-fucking-believable. I was tired of listening to this shit already. I was right. I would never get anything other than whining out of this man because it was always about him.

“You and your mother are the ungrateful ones. My father was happy with his life. He adored being at the top of his company without actually being in charge. He had plenty of money to meet his needs and he loved to donate. It made him feel rewarded. If you can’t see that, then I can see why he changed his will in the end. I wouldn’t want you to squander away all my hard earnings either.”

Wrong thing to say.

“I knew you had something to do with it, you bitch.”

“Watch how you fucking speak to her or this meeting is over,” Owen growled and tried to push me behind him but I was having none of it.

I was no longer afraid of Dennis. He was a giant man-baby, prone to temper tantrums. He would never do anything to me physically because that would mean he had to take the chance of me fighting back. Dennis would never do such a thing; he preferred to destroy material objects that couldn’t give him problems.

“I have no idea why my father changed his will, but I wish I did. I would love to know what finally made him see who you and your mother really are.”

Dennis looked back and forth between Owen and me. For a second I thought he was going to back down, but then he puffed out his small chest and dug his grave just a little deeper.

“He saw nothing. Just like you won’t see anything. We’ll make sure of it. You think you’ve won but the games have only started. Watch your back, Annalee. You never know who’s going to stab you in it.”

I held Owen back from going after Dennis as he stormed out of the building. I didn’t want Owen getting into trouble for me.

“I’m going to destroy that fucker.”

“And you’ll have plenty of help, but we do it legally.” It was the first time Maverick had spoken since we showed up. I had almost forgotten he was here while I was exchanging barbs with Dennis.

I had my arms wrapped around Owen so that my front was pressed into his back. I could feel the adrenaline pouring off him in waves.

“He’s not worth it.” I tightened my hold on him. “Besides, I believe you promised to put me back in a good mood. I’m holding you to that.”

Owen entwined our fingers together on his stomach. “You’re right. Let’s get out of here.”

Easiest decision ever. I would follow him anywhere.