Cold Hearted Bachelor by Logan Chance
Fourteen
Vaughn
I pressthe last piece of transparent shellac to the living room window, making certain everything is set before I remove my hand. I did a quick fix of her window before we left her place last night, but now I want to get this fixed for Paisley.
I don’t like this one bit.
I don’t like the fact someone vandalized her house. When I arrived here today, I half-expected the place to be burnt to the ground. I was happy when it was still standing in one piece.
I glance at my watch, wondering how long her meeting will last before she gets out here. I stare out the window, hoping to catch her car pulling up the drive.
No such luck.
I really don’t like the idea of Paisley not being by my side. I know I sound like some macho-gung-ho-alpha-asshole, but I’m not. Not really. I just care about her, and furthermore care about her safety.
My phone rings, and I grab it before I can even check the caller ID. “Hello,” I say, half-expecting it to be Paisley.
“Dude, more bad news,” Spencer’s voice booms in my ear. His voice is ominous, making a lump form in the bottom of my stomach.
Did something happen to Paisley?
“What?” Does he know about Paisley’s house? Does he know about us?
“The Jorgenson project just fell through.”
“Wait.” Am I hearing this right? “That deal was done ages ago. We’ve got a contract. He can’t just up and decide not to follow through.”
Spencer huffs into the phone, clearly as frustrated as I feel. “I guess his lawyers found some loophole that lets him out early. I have our team of lawyers looking into it.”
“Did they give a reason?”
Spencer doesn’t speak right away, like he’s trying to decide if he should tell me or not as my heart beats through my ears. “Well, they just said they don’t like the way we conduct our business.”
I laugh, because he can not be serious. “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?”
“Afraid not. What are the chances?”
I’m no longer feeling like this is all a coincidence. The pit churning in my stomach grows, and the sudden need to punch something surfaces. I take a few deep, calming breaths and the nervousness subsides a bit.
“Yeah,” I scrub a palm down my face, “something’s not right.”
“I have Manny checking on a few of our other upcoming projects, making sure everything is all ready to go so we don’t lose any others.”
“Do you need me to come by the office?”
“Nah, we’re good. I still don’t understand what they meant about the way we conduct our business.”
“Yeah, we’ve been spot on. No code violations. I have no idea what they’re talking about either.”
“I have a few people trying to figure out what exactly happened.” Spencer lets out a deep breath. “If we lose any more accounts this won’t be good for us. We’ll need to keep this from hitting the papers, so none of our other projects hear about this.”
“Yeah, should we call Jeanne?” She’s a PR rep we’ve used in the past for a similar situation when we didn’t want bad press on our company. Well, it wasn’t really similar at all. A disgruntled employee threatening to make waves. It was an easy solution, but losing a few major accounts within a few days of each other is way bigger.
There’s definitely something going on here.
“I’ll call Jeanne to get her on top of this. Hey, how’s Paisley’s place?”
I glance at the window I just fixed, knowing full well I don’t want to tell him about the vandalism to add to his already full plate. “It’s coming together.”
“That’s good to hear. Ok, let me call Jeanne. I’ll talk to you later.”
After I hang up with Spencer, Paisley’s car appears down the driveway, and I breathe a sigh of relief she’s ok.
I step onto the front porch, letting the news of Spencer simmer for a while. I don’t know what it is about Paisley but the minute I see her getting out of her car, all my recent troubles fade away.
“Hey,” she says with a smile brighter than the sun. “The officer called.”
“What did he say?”
She shrugs, disappointment etched all over her beautiful face. “No real leads.”
Fuck. Of course they don’t have any leads. Most home robberies are never solved. I don’t know why I thought this would be any different.
I move away from the door so she can step inside. I take her purse from her, and lay it on the kitchen counter. “I got the window fixed.”
She stares at the window, a big smile on her face. “You’re amazing.”
I let her compliment puff out my chest a bit. And a warmth spreads through me. I want to wrap my arms around her, but I stop myself, so we can get some work done.
“Ready to get busy?” I ask her once we’re inside.
“Always.” And that’s exactly what we do for the next hour, finishing off her cabinets and hardware in her kitchen.
“Let me take you to dinner,” I say when I can no longer keep my hunger at bay.
She beams, her eyes twinkling in the soft light of the sun pouring in through the windows. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, we’re halfway between Denver and Colorado Springs, how about something in the Springs?”
She nods. “I like that idea. There’s a great little sushi place there I’ve always wanted to try.”
“I’ll drive.” I swing my keyring around my finger.
A while later we’re pulling into the sushi joint, and I open the door for Paisley. It almost feels like a date, and I won’t let my mind be bothered with business, or my attraction for Paisley.
This is just two people sharing a meal.
I look over the menu once we’re seated in a little booth near the back. It’s quiet, and dark. It’s like we’re in our own secluded restaurant with nobody else around for miles.
The menu has sushi for days. Every type of roll you can imagine plus hibachi. It’s a bit overwhelming, and I end up letting my mind drift to the renovation job while Paisley looks over the menu like there’s a test on it later.
“What do you think?” I ask her.
“Maybe the lobster roll? Also, a tuna roll?”
The server stops by and I order both, and tell her, “Throw on a volcano roll as well.”
As soon as we’re alone, I turn just a smidge to look at Paisley. “I never knew you liked sushi.”
“Well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
“I just remember when we were younger you’d turn your nose up at any fish dish your parents would make.”
She leans in closer. “A lot has changed since I was a little girl.”
I suck in a breath. “I don’t need to be reminded.”
Her cheeks redden a bit as she takes a sip of her sake. “What about you?” She turns it around on me. “What’s changed?”
I crack a smile. “Well, I don’t need to sleep with the light on anymore.”
“Come on, you were always brave.”
“Not always.” I lift my arm along the back of the booth. “But I guess I am now.”
“What were you afraid of when you were a boy?” Her eyes are big and wonderful. Giant orbs that see the upside of the world.
I lower my gaze to her hands in her lap, wondering if given the chance I could get her to touch me again. I drop that thought like a hot potato. “I guess before you knew me I was scared of my father.”
Her hand reaches out to touch mine. “Why?”
I lift my head, meeting her eyes. “He wasn’t a very nice man.”
“I’m sorry.”
I wave her off. “Nah, it’s fine. You should be lucky you never had to meet him. He wasn’t like your dad.”
She laughs. “You mean he wasn’t embarrassing like mine.”
I smile. “Your dad was great. When did he ever embarrass you?”
“I remember the Homecoming dance where he interrogated my date for like half an hour before he let us leave the house.”
I move her hand from mine. One more reminder why a relationship with us would never work. Her father would murder me.
Like legit, straight up slaughter me. Even though we’re both adults and can make our own decisions, I still have this feeling he wouldn’t approve. That he’d forever think I’m not good enough for his baby girl.
Which let’s face it, I’m not.
“Well, I’m glad he did. That guy was an asshole.”
“Daniel Pinkerton was not an asshole.”
I scrunch up my face at her. “He was a complete prick.”
She laughs a little. “No, he wasn’t. He was sweet. I remember he was so scared the rest of the night.”
“Good. I’m glad your father put the fear of God into him.” I scoot closer on instinct. “Because he was no good.”
She wags a finger at me. “I think it was you who was no good.”
I wink. “Maybe. But, I got better.”
“Did you?” God, her fucking eyes are so innocent.
“Yeah.” I drop the subject, wondering if I should tell her how I got a whole lot better at things. Or maybe I should show her.
Back away. But I can’t. It’s like she’s a magnet I can’t separate from.
She laughs, placing her hand back on my thigh. And I stare at it, wondering why she’s put it there. Is it because she feels some sort of connection with me like I have? Or is it because she’s just a nice person who touches and feels a lot? “You didn’t even know him.”
“Didn’t need to know him. If your dad didn’t like him, then I probably wouldn’t have either.”
“Why?”
I lean closer, breathing in her scent. “Because he was no good for you.”
Her eyes stay connected to mine. “You know that because?”
“Because no one is good enough for you, Pea. No one.” I move my hand into her hair, bringing her face closer to mine. “Not even me,” I breathe out.
“Vaughn.” She pulls back. “Why would you think this?”
“It’s the truth.” And it is.
The server interrupts us and we break apart. She places our sushi rolls on the table and asks if we need anything else. My heart hammers in my chest and I try to calm down.
I tell the server, “We’re good,” and Paisley pulls out her chopsticks. “I’m sorry,” I tell her, trying to erase the mood from earlier.
“It’s ok.” She picks at her food before pouring soy sauce into a little dish.
“How’s your roll?” I ask after she’s taken a bite.
“It’s really good, try some.”
For the next few minutes we busy ourselves with sharing the sushi and enjoying small chatter between us. I’ve never hung out with her, and now I see why. Because I was right. I knew if I ever hung out with her I’d want to keep hanging out with her. That I’d be consumed by her, and that is exactly what’s happening.
“What?” she asks me when I’m caught just staring at her.
“Have you ever thought about doing something other than real estate?”
She sets her glass down. “Yes.”
“What have you thought about doing?”
“Ok, but you can’t laugh at me.”
I smile, because obviously this is going to be good. “Promise.” Although, I’m not sure if I can even make that promise. But for her, I’ll try.
“Remember how Gwen and I would play with our Barbie dollhouses?”
I roll my eyes, jokingly. “Yeah, I might remember that.”
“Well it was insane, but I spent most of the time decorating the actual house. Did you know I took one apart and rebuilt it?”
“No way, really?”
She nods. “Yep. And I even made my own dollhouse later out of wood. It was so great. My parents still have it in the basement.”
“I’d love to see it.” And I’ve officially lost my mind. I’ve just said I’d love to see a dollhouse. I must have a fever.
“Really?”
But I don’t care if I do. The way her eyes light up and sparkle when I ask to see it is enough of a reward for me. “Yeah, I do.”
“What about you? Spencer and I obviously come from a dad who was into construction.”
I laugh. “Well, as crazy as it sounds I think of your father as my own sometimes. He taught Spencer and I both how to build. How to construct.”
The sparkle in her eyes is gone. “Right.”
“Did I say something wrong?”
She shakes her head. “No. I’m glad my father was there for you.”
She doesn’t sound glad though.
“You sure?”
She smiles, and the twinkle is back. “No, I mean, yes. I’m happy you had him. He’s a wonderful dad.”
“Yeah, he is. But, it’s more than that. Your whole family took my mother and me in like we were part of it. And you don’t know how big of a thing that was for me growing up.”
“Can I say something?”
“Yeah.”
She doesn’t speak right away, and for some reason I’m desperate for her words. I’ve never opened up to anyone like this before about why I chose building as a career. “I’m glad you and your mom, Irene, came into our lives.”
I smile. “Me too.” My heart thumps, and more than anything I want to pull her close to me. But, I don’t. “You don’t understand what having your father there for me was like.”
“I’m glad.” She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
And a small part of me wonders if she’s feeling exactly what I am. “I want to show you something after we eat.”
“Ok.”
We finish our meal and twenty minutes later I’m pulling us into an overlook area halfway up a mountain. The air is crisp and the sun is just about to set in the west. “Want to take a little walk with me?”
“Yes.”
We go down a small trail to a shady spot overlooking the city of Colorado Springs. It’s beautiful and a big part of me wants to hold her hand. An even larger part wants to wrap my arms around her.
“When I was younger, I loved driving up into the mountains to think.” I smile. “Obviously not here, but the mountains have always centered me.”
We sit on a boulder, overlooking the city lighting up below.
Paisley nudges me with her shoulder. “When I was younger I used to like going to my dad’s job sites. I’d put one of those orange hard hats on and watch my dad build something.”
There’s just something about this girl, damn. “I remember when we were all building the fort in the tree outside. You would sit on the porch and watch us.”
“I loved watching you… erm… you guys. I loved watching you guys.” She turns pink and my body grows needy at her words. The fading sun lights her hair up, almost like a halo around her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her more beautiful than right now. “I used to get so mad when Spencer would yell at me.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I remember that. Your little nose would scrunch up.”
She laughs. “Would not.”
“You have a cute nose.”
She turns her face from me with a laugh. “Stop staring at it.”
“I like staring at you.” The air sizzles between us, and my breath catches on my last word, hoping she turns around so I can see her.
She does, and bats her long lashes at me. “You do?”
“I do.”
“What else do you like doing to me?”
This girl is trying to kill me. Fuck. “I like kissing you, Pea.”
“You do?”
I reach my hand out to cradle her face, because if I don’t touch her right now I might just die. “Yes, I do.” I move in closer, wanting to claim her lips again.
