I had a few days off, which meant my time belonged to the side work that Will needed. The renovation was moving at a steady clip, and I had to catch up when I could between shifts at the station.
I was working on the master bath in the penthouse condo above the new home of Bridge Fitness. The floor was nearly done—a simple design that came around a custom centerpiece that I hadn’t figured out quite yet. Will had given me creative license to come up with something that hopefully he’d like. For being the bossy type, he didn’t seem to have a lot of specific preferences regarding this particular aesthetic, which was fine by me.
As I laid out materials to start my work for the day, Will came into the room, his boots scuffing along the subfloor. “We need to talk.”
I halted what I was doing and glanced up. I hadn’t seen much of him for the past few days. I figured he was working extra hours at the site, but whatever it was, he looked more intense than usual.
“Everything okay?”
“It’s about Olivia.”
We hadn’t discussed my rendezvous with Liv in the kitchen after their all-night fuck fest several nights ago, and I hadn’t seen Olivia since. I didn’t figure any of it needed an explanation, but the look in Will’s eyes hinted that something else was at stake.
“Is there a problem?”
He glanced away, gnawing at his lip for a second before returning his focus to me. “I want to be careful with her. This isn’t going to be a once-and-done thing for me.”
I stood and faced him, man to man. We were the same height and of similar build. He was leaner where I was a little stockier, but we were evenly matched. I’d never felt threatened by Will, but something about this conversation was putting me on the defensive.
“What are you saying? You want me to back off?” I sure as hell didn’t want to. If that’s what he wanted, I had to start looking for a new place to stay as soon as possible. I couldn’t have her that close to me. I couldn’t listen to her cries of pleasure night after night and keep my hands off of her. There was just no way.
“No, I like the arrangement we have. I just don’t want to scare her off because of it. We talked about it, and I think she’ll be fine. But I don’t want to take anything for granted.”
I lifted my eyebrows and rubbed my chin. I couldn’t imagine how that conversation might have gone. That she might be open to being with us both was as shocking as it was arousing. I was that much closer to having her for myself, and the prospect had taken over my thoughts in an instant.
“What did she say?”
“She panicked at first, of course. Getting her into my bed to begin with wasn’t exactly easy. She’s not like the others, Ian. You know I can talk anyone into having us both for one night after a couple martinis. It’s a fantasy, not a commitment. I want her to know what she’s getting into.”
I thought about his words. We’d never hooked up with the same girl more than once or twice. Negotiations were easy. They started with an indecent proposal and ended with a yes or a no. At the end of the day, we were a hard combination to resist. I hadn’t known anyone to leave unsatisfied, but Will and I weren’t the kind of guys to get tied down. Had I heard him right?
“You want a commitment?”
“No.” He bit out a curse under his breath. “Just be careful with her, all right?”
I winced and took a step toward him. “Have I ever been anything but careful with the women we’ve been with?”
His expression softened. He ran a hand through his already messy hair. “Sorry, you’re right. She’s got me twisted up. I don’t know what the fuck I’m saying half the time.”
“You haven’t been around the apartment much. What’s up?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been here trying to push the pace. If we can wrap up and get the gym open early, all the better.”
“Why the rush?”
“To be honest, I’m sick of getting death glares from her brother. I’m biting my tongue for now because I respect him, but I’m not going to back down. I’m pretty sure the only reason we haven’t come to blows is because of the business relationship we’re both trying to maintain. Working on this project together is an uncomfortable complication. I want to get past it as quickly as possible.”
I nodded. “Understandable.” On both sides.
I wasn’t sure what the future held for him and Olivia, but if I was going to be involved in any way, I only prayed that Darren never found out.
Chapter Eight
WILL
“Thanks for making the time,” Jia murmured into my ear as she hugged me. When we separated, she took a seat across from me at the barroom table and glanced at the cocktail menu. “What’s good here?”
“Everything,” I said.
We’d agreed to meet at Superhero, a new bar that had opened up in the neighborhood. The drinks were strong and the atmosphere was relaxed.
Jia’s dark-brown hair was held up in a twist. I imagine she’d changed out of her requisite pencil skirt and designer blouse in favor of the dark jeans she wore with a silky top that rippled every time a breeze came through the open-air bar.