One to Keep (One to Hold 2)

Derek texted last night. We were meeting for a recon in the fitness center before lunch. I was freaking walking on air and feeling more in control than ever. My confidence was even restored about handling the Star situation. A week of distance, a return to normal office behavior, and we could put what happened behind us. Or work out a financial settlement.

The same was not true of my senior partner. I didn’t know what, but something was off with him. For starters, he hadn’t overloaded the bench press bar. He didn’t even seem to be paying attention to what I was lifting. Granted, I’d only known the guy a month, but I’d never seen him so distracted. I did a full set of eight reps and then guided the bar back to the rack—without my spotter’s help.

Sitting up, I threw the towel around my neck. “You going to tell me what’s up?” I asked after several quiet moments.

He blinked to me as if coming out of a daze. “Sorry, what?”

I watched him pick up the dumbbells and slowly curl one then the other. It was half the weight he normally used.

“What’s the case you’re working on?” I picked up my water bottle and went over to where he stood, studying his expression. I couldn’t put my finger on what was different, but he seemed more relaxed somehow. Possibly happier, definitely troubled.

He put the weight down and went over to sit on the bench. “Domestic case,” he said, not meeting my eye.

“I thought we didn’t do those.” I put my stuff aside and lifted a dumbbell.

He wasn’t working out, and I was ready to finish my set and get lunch. I’d been up since eight sitting through meetings, and I wanted to spend the afternoon by the pool or possibly hitting the links.

“It’s for a fellow I used to know,” he said. “But I’m not sure I can help him now.”

Again, I heard that tone in his voice, like he was surprised. Or bewildered. I couldn’t put my finger on which.

“Can I help?”

He glanced up at me, then stood. “I can handle it. Things just got more complicated than I expected.”

“Hey,” I threw my towel at his head, hoping to snap him out of it. “Meet me at the Bluefin Grill for lunch. We can talk about it. And about what’s going on back at the office.”

“Sure,” he said, folding the towel and setting it aside.

Something was definitely off with Mr. Control. But if I’d been sent to the desert to get my head straight, there was no reason he couldn’t do the same.

Chapter 8 – Broken Rules

It was only Day Three. My massive screw-up waiting back at the office was still hanging over my head. My focus on work and building clients was still top priority on my mind. And in walked Elaine Merritt like a stealth bomb straight to the heart.

Derek had gone up to shower, and I was supposed to be getting us a table at the restaurant. I gave my name to the hostess and stepped over to the huge aquarium to wait, and just like that, she walked right up to me and introduced herself.

All she had on was a green sundress and flip-flops. I’m pretty sure she wasn’t even wearing makeup, but everything about her hit me hard, from her perky nose to her bright green eyes to her shiny blonde hair. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

Still, I fought it. “All work and all work.” That was the plan.

“Are you here for the convention?” It was the same question Barbara had posed, but the words were a thousand times more tempting coming from Elaine’s soft lips.

Her voice was clear and confident, and with the slightest hint of playfulness. Shit. I almost said No. Clearly, I came here to meet you, but I calmed those thoughts.

“Yeah,” I said, finding my control. “Are you?”

“We’re here for the spa.”

The term we, prompted me to look behind her where I noticed a pretty brunette holding back. She was clearly not interested in socializing, but I greeted her anyway. Elaine introduced her as her best friend Melissa, and I tried to be polite, but my focus was drawn back to the glowing nymph in front of me. I asked them to join us for lunch, and I could tell Elaine was interested by the way she looked at me. Melissa blocked it with some excuse, so I went for dinner. Yes.

I handed her my business card, and her eyes briefly moved from my hand to my torso and up my chest. Then she realized I’d caught her checking me out, and the faintest pink touched her cheek. Gorgeous.

A flicker of my first meeting with Kenny crossed my mind—the sweet blush, the curiosity. But again, everything was different with Elaine. For starters, she was closer to my age, and what I was feeling was not brotherly. I knew exactly what I wanted from this woman.

They were gone when Derek finally joined me for lunch. We decided to sit at the long bar that ran in a curvy circle around the center of the restaurant rather than at a table, and I couldn’t help sweeping the room for her before we sat. No luck.

“I almost started without you,” I said as the bartender put large club sandwiches in front of each of us.