Recluse (Wolfes of Manhattan 2)

“I don’t work here,” was all I said.

“This concerns you as much as the rest of us,” Rock said.

“What I meant was, I don’t work here, so I can’t give Charlie orders.”

Charlie regarded me, her eyes slightly…sad?

Shit. Now I’d done it. But how? I was being respectful, not ordering her around. Right?

I held back a sigh. I’d never understand women.29Charlie“What’s bothering you?” Lacey asked, strolling into my office.

Your brother-in-law.

But I wasn’t about to say that. Lacey had told me that getting involved with Roy wouldn’t be a problem as far as she was concerned, so I certainly wasn’t about to tell her I was upset about him. I refused to make it a problem.

“Nothing. I’m good.”

“We’ve been working together for a couple years, Charlie. I know when something’s bothering you.”

“It’s Blaine,” I lied. “He wants to start things up again.”

“Ah.” Lacey smiled.

“I’m not interested.”

“I can see why.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“I mean…you and Roy.”

Apparently she was intent on talking about it. “Roy and I aren’t an item.”

“Even after the luxurious trip on the jet?”

I chuckled. “We didn’t join the mile-high club, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

She laughed then. “Rock and I didn’t, either.”

My eyebrows nearly flew off my forehead.

“That surprises you?”

Yeah, it did, given their tryst in her office the first time they met, but I didn’t want Lacey to know I’d heard them.

“Just…Rock seems…” My cheeks warmed. “None of my business, Lace. Sorry.”

“Don’t give up on Roy.”

“I promise you that anything that happens with Roy won’t interfere with my work here.”

“I know it won’t, and that’s not what I meant. I just meant…there’s something about Roy. Something special. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“He’s hiding something,” I blurted out.

This time her eyebrows took flight. “He is?”

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know for sure. I suppose it’s just a feeling. Something I sense in him. Something I see in his art, too.”

“How well do you know him, Charlie?”

“Not well. Only in the biblical sense.”

She smiled.

“I didn’t mean to say that. It kind of just popped out.”

“All the Wolfe men are gorgeous,” Lacey said. “But there’s something special about Roy. Something almost…angelic.”

“His long hair?” I said, though that wasn’t it. I knew what she meant. It wasn’t angelic. It was a weird sort of innocence that had been tainted.

“Maybe the hair is part of it,” Lacey said.

“Probably it’s the fact that he’s an artist,” I said. “He’s kind of a closed book on the outside, but then you look at his artwork, and you realize there’s so much inside him just clawing to get out.”

Lacey nodded. “You’ve given this a lot of thought.”

“I enjoy art, mainly, and I see some darkness in his. Don’t get me wrong. He’s an incredible talent, and his work is amazing.”

“I don’t know anything about art,” she said, “so I’ll take your word for it. I do think his work is beautiful.”

“It is. He has a beautiful soul.”

I suppressed a groan. Had I really just said that to my boss?

“Like I said, don’t give up on him. If he’s anything like his brother, he’ll be a tough nut to crack. But the reward will be all the sweeter.” She smiled and left my office.

Hmm. I definitely hadn’t cracked Roy Wolfe. Did I want to? Did I want to be a part of whatever he was hiding?

Did I want to be a part of that darkness?

The night sky was dark, and the most beautiful stars shone only against the black veil of night.

Perhaps Roy was like a star, shining most brightly in darkness.

Or perhaps I was simply starstruck.

This was getting ridiculous.

I had a job to do, and the Wolfes were paying me a ridiculous amount of money to do it.

Lacey had asked me to find a therapist who specialized in guided hypnosis, so that was what I’d do.30RoyI stood in front of Charlie’s door, my fist suspended in midair, ready to knock.

What was stopping me?

She was researching guided hypnosis therapists. I needed one.

I also needed her.

My fist came down on the wooden door lightly.

“Yes?” came through the door. “Who is it?”

“It’s me. Roy.”

A pause. Then, “Come in.”

I opened the door and walked in. Charlie sat at her desk, a pencil tucked behind one ear, papers scattered in front of her.

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

So professional. So polite.

So “we haven’t had the hottest sex ever.”

So strange.

“I was wondering…”

If you’d share the information about guided hypnosis, I finished in my mind.

Instead, what came out was, “if you’d like to have dinner tonight.”

She paused, biting her lower lip. “I have a lot of work to do. I should probably stay late.”

“A late dinner, then?”

Yeah, I wanted the name of the therapist.

But I wanted dinner with Charlie more. Just looking at her, I could feel the intense chemistry between us sizzling.

My dick responded, as it always did when Charlie was around.