Chapter 4: Acts of Salvation: Chapter 3

I roll up to my brother’s house and note that all the usual cars are here with the new addition of William’s black Range Rover. Now that he’s single, he can start coming to our get-togethers again.

Poor schmuck. His ex, Heather, sucked the life right out of him. I swear, if you looked up the definition for a soul-sucking demon you’d probably see Heather’s picture.

Naturally, being his best friend, it’s my job to get him back on the straight and narrow… aka lots and lots of sex.

Sex. The mere word conjures up images of Angel, the beautiful blond I met last weekend. No matter how hard I try, she’s always in the forefront of my mind. Whether it’s the delicious way she writhed underneath me or the ridiculous amounts of Sinatra trivia she impressed me with, she’s always there, popping up at all hours of the day.

I roll my eyes as I make my way through Aiden’s palatial home. I wonder what Angel would think of Aiden’s ostentatious abode. It’s such a waste of space if you ask me.

There are only four people living here—my brother, niece, and twin nephews—yet this ‘house’ boasts twelve rooms, a gym, a bowling alley, a tennis court, and an indoor/outdoor pool. A bit of overkill if you ask me.

The hot summer air hits me as I step out into the backyard. Music plays over the outdoor speakers and the area is decked with various food and beverage stations spread throughout. To my right there’s a massive metal trough full of ice which holds an assortment of adult beverages as well as bottles of water.

A little past the drinks is the cabana and outdoor kitchen where Aiden is manning the grill as he talks to a brunette. A brunette who’s eying him like he’s her next meal. Chuckling, I decide to catch up with my brother later. It seems he has his hands full at the moment.

Grabbing a couple of beers out of the trough, I head over to William and Titus by the pool. As I approach the two I see their attention is focused on the two women stationed right across from them, my niece Bella and possibly one of her friends.

“Watcha lookin’ at?” Titus shoves at William’s shoulder, a wide grin splaying across his face.

I narrow my eyes at William. “You’ve got that same look you did at the bar last week. Too bad the ladies by the pool are off-limits.” I let out a chuckle before getting serious and cocking a brow. “Especially my niece.”

“You’re off your rocker, Ren. I’m not interested in Bella or her friend. I was just in my head, thinking of a new contract I’m trying to pull in.” William tries to remain passive, but I can tell my words have gotten to him. He’s been so tense lately, but I mean who could blame him with everything he’s got going on.

“Sure. That’s what that look of desire was all about. Your desire for a new contract.” I roll my eyes as I hand him one of the beers I’d been holding.

Titus lets out a low whistle. “They have tight little bodies. I wouldn’t fault you for looking.”

I’m about to smack him for talking about my eighteen-year-old niece like that when my eyes land on Bella’s friend. Bella’s very beautiful and blond friend. A friend that looks an awful lot like Angel…

The pounding of my heart throbs in my head, effectively muffling all the noise around me. Could my Angel be friends with Bella? Fuck. Does that mean she’s Bella’s age? I’m thirty-two—almost a decade and a half older!

William’s barely audible voice buzzes in the background, but the word blond has me tuning back in. “…how’d it go with the blond you set your sights on, Ren? I haven’t heard you talk about anyone since. Has the eternal bachelor finally settled down?”

His words sucker punch me in the gut, making me spit out the swig of beer I just took into my mouth. Fuck. That’s most definitely Angel.

“Whoa there, buddy.” William taps me on the back. “What happened?”

“Beer went down the wrong pipe… I think big bro might need some help manning the grill. See y’all later.” I spin on my heels, needing to avoid William’s inquisition. There’s no way I’d be able to live it down if he found out the very blond he’d just asked about was my niece’s teenage friend.

I need to get out of dodge, and fast.

As I approach Aidan in the cabana I notice that he’s looking rather uncomfortable. That’s extremely odd because Aiden never shows discomfort. As an ex-Navy SEAL, he’s all about keeping his cards close to his vest and never displaying emotion. It’s why he’s the lead on most of our high-profile contracts. Granted, most of the people who hire our private security firm are notable, but if it’s a high-risk case with notoriety then Aiden gets first dibs.

“Fratellino.” Aiden’s eyes find me, immediately displaying a sense of relief as he calls me brother in our native tongue. I can tell he’s happy to use me as an excuse to get out of the situation he’s in, and I don’t blame him one bit.

This cougar has clearly set her eyes on him and if there’s one thing I know about my brother, it’s that he’s still hung up on his dead wife.

It’s been three years and the man has yet to go on one date.

“You remember Mariana, my wife’s sister?” Aiden cocks a brow as he reintroduces me to the brunette.

“Oh yeah… I thought you looked familiar. I believe the last time I saw you was at the funeral. Excuse my memory. That was a very emotional day for all of us.” I purse my lips to the side trying to figure out why Mariana would be hitting on her deceased sister’s husband.

“I wish I could be around more for the kids but working with the Bureau keeps me extremely busy, always traveling and never in one place for long.” Mariana bats her lashes up at me as she places a hand on my chest, not so discretely stroking the muscles underneath.

And just like that, it becomes clear. This woman will hit on anything with a cock.

Smirking, I lift her hand off my chest. “Yes. I understand it must get extremely lonely. Would you excuse us? I would like a word with my brother.” Ever since being with Angel, the thought of any other woman just feels wrong—even if it’s just harmless flirting—the sooner she’s gone, the better.

“Oh, of course. I think I’ll go check on the twins.” Mariana feigns a blush as she saunters off to the kiddie play area where all the adults dropped off their offspring upon arrival. Gotta give it to Aiden—or more likely Bella—for thinking of everything. They even hired child care so that the grown-ups could relax without having to stress about what their kids were doing.

“Thanks for the save,” Aiden mutters under his breath. “Can you believe the balls on that one?” He motions toward Mariana’s retreating frame.

“Awe. She’s just lonely, Brother.” I laugh, knowing I’ve probably set him off with that. Wanting to stop any verbal sparring session, I quickly cut into his thoughts. “So… who’s that with Bella?” I point my beer bottle toward the gorgeous blond whom I’m pretty positive is Angel.

“Huh?” Aiden looks up from the grill and toward the pool. “Oh, that’s Cassie. Isabella’s new bestie.” He makes a face before continuing. “Bestie. Kids these days. They shorten everything.”

Cassie. Her name echoes in my mind.

“How come I haven’t seen her before? You know, since they’re ‘besties’ and all.” Taking a sip of my beer I turn to my brother. I need to know more about Cassie but I don’t want to come off overly interested.

“No clue. You’d have to ask her.” Aidan raises a brow. “Why?”

Shit. I need to shake the bloodhound off my trail. “No reason, just wondering.”

Aiden purses his lips to the side. “Uh-huh. Well, like I said, you’ll have to ask her.” He quickly gives me side-eye before returning his attention to the grill.

Oh, I plan to, little angel.

Cassie

I’m making my way back into this palatial home in search of the bathroom when someone calling my name stops me dead in my tracks. “Cassie.”

That deep baritone voice has me slowly spinning around. I’d recognize it anywhere, seeing how it’s the one that haunts me every single second of every single day.

“Bella mia.” The beautiful stranger walks up to me, lifting the back of his hand and running it along the bare skin of my arm, just as he had the first night we met. “Where you off to?”

“You must have me confused. Bella is over by the pool.” I motion toward my best friend, lying on the lounge chair where I left her. I need to shake this man, and fast. Never in a million years would I have thought that the very subject of my fantasies would be in my best friend’s home. What are the odds?

He chuckles. His laugh sending a ripple of desire through me as I remember it in the context of our one amazing night together. He opens his mouth to speak and the next words that come out leave me absolutely floored, “I’m not confused, my beautiful Angel. I was calling you ‘my beautiful’ in Italian, and I definitely wasn’t talking about my niece, Bella.”

My breath halts as his words suck the air out of me. “Your… niece?” My eyes practically bug out of my head.

Okay, if I thought seeing him here was random, the fact that the man I’ve been lusting over for the past week is my best friend’s uncle seems to take the cake.

Not a second later, this gorgeous man has me pinned against the house, his large palms bracing my back and pulling me into him.

“Cassie,” he groans, his breath tickling the soft skin of my neck as he breathes me in, causing me to shudder in his arms.

This man has a hold on me I can’t explain and I find myself helpless against his magnetic pull.

“Yes?” my voice comes out a ragged whisper.

Running his nose down my neck, his luscious lips pepper wet kisses along my skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. “God, I’ve missed you, little angel.” His eyes sear into mine, flickering back and forth, seemingly as confused and overwhelmed with emotion as mine.

He begins to lower his face, hovering his lips over my begging mouth when Bella’s voice breaks into our little bubble of lust. Her laugh serving as an ice-cold bucket of reality, temporarily dousing any desire right out of me.

“Yes, I’ll be there. I promise.” Bella appears as she turns the corner leading to the back yard. “Okay, I’ll call if anything changes.” Removing the phone from her ear, Bella looks up at me and then her uncle, who’d reluctantly released me upon hearing her voice.

He stands a couple of feet away from me bearing a tortured look on his face.

“Uncle Ren? What are you doing back here…” Bella shifts her gaze back and forth between us. “with Cassie?”

“He was just helping me find the bathroom.” I give her an awkward laugh, hoping she’s buying what I’m selling. “But now that you’re here, you can help me.” I grab her arm and drag her the rest of the way into the home, not daring to look back at the man who’s managed to snake his way into my every waking thought.