Six Weeks of Seduction by Ellis O. Day
CHAPTER 6: NICK
Nick stared at the computer, unable to think about anything but finding Sarah. He’d done some digging but he wasn’t a private investigator. His friends were but they refused to help. Besides Patrick, he’d reached out to Hunter, Patrick’s top investigator, but the guy had ignored his calls and texts. His friends sucked.
He clicked through the spreadsheets. He had to focus on business. It’d been almost two weeks since Sarah had dumped him and he had to get over it. He poured himself his third drink. Working from home had its perks. It was two in the afternoon. He was doing better than last week.
The doorbell rang.
He opened the door. “So, you decided to stop ignoring me.” He stepped aside so Hunter could enter.
“I wasn’t ignoring you. I was working.” Hunter strolled across the room and dropped onto the couch.
“Drink?” Nick walked to the kitchen.
“A little early for me.”
“It’s five o’clock somewhere as they say.” He finished his drink and poured another. It was time to get drunk. Someday, when he gave up on finding Sarah he’d go back to the Club but right now he wasn’t interested. All he wanted was to find her and fuck her. He didn’t even care anymore why she hadn’t showed. She obviously didn’t want him as much as he wanted her, so all he cared about now was to getting her out of his system.
“Yeah, but I go by our time.” Hunter crossed his long legs at the ankle.
“You got my messages?” He sat on the chair near the couch.
“Yeah.”
“And?” He hated monosyllabic answers.
“Why do you want to find her?”
“Why does it matter?” Great, here he went again.
“Because it does.” Hunter’s light brown eyes were sharp in his narrow face.
“Why?” He couldn’t pull off the same half-truth that he’d told to Annie on Hunter. The man knew him too well.
“Men have been known to do stupid things when a woman doesn’t want them.”
“You think I’d hurt her?” He almost stood, filled with pent up passion and anger at Hunter’s statement. “Jesus. How long have you known me?”
“A long time and I’ve never known you to give two shits whether a woman wanted you or not.”
“Sarah wants me.”
“She just doesn’t know it yet.” Hunter barked a laugh. “We’ve all felt like that.” He sobered. “And we’ve all been wrong.”
“I’ve never felt like this,” he mumbled into his drink. Sure, there’d been women who’d preferred one of his friends to him, but he hadn’t wanted them, not like he wanted Sarah.
“Lucky you.”
“Yeah. Lucky me.” He was a mess, all because of one woman. “I’d never hurt her.” He wouldn’t, not physically.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Go fuck yourself. And get out of my house.”
“Hold on.” Hunter didn’t move. “I didn’t mean you’d hit her or hurt her in that way.”
“Well, what did you mean?” He was afraid that Hunter understood him a little too well. He did want to hurt Sarah. He wanted her to feel like he did right now—confused, miserable and angry.
“As you said, I know you Nick and you’re tenacious but you also lose interest fast. That’s why you excel in your profession. By the time you’re bored with the small business you’re helping, the job’s done.”
“Yeah?”
“That works for businesses but not women.”
“So, you’ll only help me if I want to marry her? Is that what you’re saying?”
“No.” Hunter gave him a disgusted look. “But if all you want to do is fuck her again then…leave her alone. She’s—”
“You already found her, didn’t you?” There was something about the way Hunter talked about her that reminded him of Ethan. “Tell me where she is, you son-of-a-bitch.” He leaned forward, prepared to beat the shit out of the guy if he didn’t tell him what he knew.
Hunter leaned forward, eyes locking with Nick’s. “Tell me you won’t hurt her and I’ll tell you what I know.”
“I can’t tell you that. I have no idea where this will go.” He had no plan of letting it go anywhere but the bedroom. Not anymore.
“What’s your intention?”
“What are you her father?”
“Fuck you, Nick. You know what I mean.” Hunter stood. “Find me when you’re ready to answer my questions.” He headed for the door.
“Wait.” It was now or never. “Yes, I want to fuck her and yes, I’m pissed, but…I can’t get her out of my mind.” He rested his glass against his head. “I should be at the Club fucking anyone who’s willing, but I don’t want them. I want her.” There it was—the truth, part of it anyway.
“You’ve had many relationships where you didn’t want to see the woman again.”
“Yeah, so?”
“What would you have done if they showed up at your door?”
“Kicked Ethan’s ass.” His mouth dropped open. Fuck. He’d screwed up big time. “I didn’t mean that.”
“Too late.”
“Come on. This is different.” Nick hurried over to Hunter.
“The only thing different is that you want more and she doesn’t instead of the other way around.”
“Fuck you.” He turned and went back to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle.
“Let it go, Nick.” Hunter walked out the door.
He dropped onto the couch and chugged down some scotch. Hunter was right, the stupid mother fucker.
