BLIND: A Mastermind Novel (37 page)

XO,

Scarlet

There were wiser things to do than place himself right back in a situation he was quickly losing control of. “Shit.”

“What’d she say?” Hunter whispered.

“She wants to see me.”

“So see her.”

He shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

His friend sighed. “Only because your letting it be. Get out of your damn head and do what your heart wants, Ash. She’s clearly upset and misses you. This isn’t difficult.”

As he glanced at her table, she was smiling, her eyes no longer weary, but full of hope. It felt good to restore a bit of what he’d taken from her. Maybe Hunter was right, but he couldn’t just walk over to her—especially not with Nicole there.

He typed out his reply, glancing quickly at the time. It was four-thirty.

I’ve missed you too. Pennyworth can pick you up at six. I’m sorry I hurt you.

Yours,

Mr. Stone

He waited as the message traveled to her phone. Her face illuminated, an expression of pure joy banishing all signs of worry. She stood and Nicole sulked over her unfinished coffee. As she gathered her belongings, he lost sight of her face and any chance of reading her lips.

She tossed some money on the table and left, her friend wearing a look of abrupt confusion as she trailed behind.

He grinned. He’d have to plan their evening quickly. He only had a little over an hour. He quickly shot Steve a text. Shutting his laptop, he paused as he noted Hunter’s expression of shock.

“What did you say to her?
”
his friend asked, a look of pure awe in his eyes.

Asher shrugged. “I just told her I missed her, said I was sorry, and she asked if we could get together tonight.” His phone chimed and he grinned. “Steve’s picking her up at six.”

Hunter’s head shook slowly. “Just like that?”

Asher smiled, surprised as well. “Just like that.”

He stuffed his laptop into his shoulder bag and dug out some money. As he tossed the cash on the table Hunter continued to stare at him. “What?”

“If you mess this up with her, you’re an idiot.”

Drawing in a slow breath, he confessed, “I’m reevaluating my concerns.”

“Good, because I gotta tell you, no matter how many secrets you two have, something there is real for her to go running off to you like that. Don’t mess that up, Ash.”

He swallowed, deciding that was the biggest goal, not to mess this up. “I’ll try.”

****

That night, as he paced by the window awaiting her arrival, it became apparent how much he’d actually missed her. When the lights of the Mercedes cut through the limpid twilight his stomach knotted with eagerness.

The dizzying effect of her nearness rocked him as he opened the door wide. Steve helped her from the car and he stared unblinking as she approached.

“Thank you, Pennyworth,
”
he whispered, his voice a touch husky under the bulk of his appreciation. “Good evening, Ms. Farrow.”

Her chin trembled as she stepped over the threshold. He reached to unbutton her coat and she surprised him by throwing her arms around his waist and squeezing him tight.

Warmth filled him as he allowed her genuine show of affection, needing her touch as much as she apparently needed his in return. Slowly, his arms wrapped around her and he simply held her for a moment. 

Her hair smelled of sweet apples, bringing nostalgic comfort to his senses and easing his tension.

“I missed you,
”
she whispered.

He pressed a light kiss into her hair. “I missed you too.”

They slowly drew apart and she beamed. He unbuttoned her coat and hung it beside her scarf. He bent to remove her boots. Placing them by the wall, he also removed his shoes.

He hadn’t worn a suit today. Rather, he kept his clothing casual, jeans and a soft sweater he’d recently purchased. “I thought we’d do something a little different this evening, Ms. Farrow.”

“Okay.
”
He walked her to the ballroom, his fingers laced with hers. She continuously gave his hand subtle squeezes. He’d missed those tiny gestures. When they reached the bed, she smiled and said, “You’re not wearing shoes.”

Supposing she usually tracked his movement by the sound of his footfalls, he grinned at her cleverness. “Not tonight. I want to hold you. I have a bed. Nothing sexual will happen. I just want to give you the experience of being held. You’re welcome to nap and perhaps when you wake, you’ll finally know what it is to wake up in a man’s arms, something you’ve confessed to never experiencing.”

Her appreciative smile was slow, displaying her straight pearly teeth. “I love that idea.”

He placed her hand on the bed. “It’s tall, so I’ll guide you to the pillows.”

She carefully maneuvered her way onto the mattress. Feeling around for the pillows, she turned and lowered herself to her back.

“Comfortable?”

“Mmm. Very.”

Rounding the four-post bed, he sat beside her and drew the covers over them, settling in to her side.

She sighed, the sound full of contentment. Observing her, he said, “Tell me about your week.”

“I worked, cleaned out all my pantries, and reorganized my cabinets. Got rid of some stuff I no longer use.
”

Was she purposely not mentioning how his absence made her feel? “Is purging something you do regularly?
”
His fingers picked up a lock of her hair, admiring the fiery highlights of red and rubicund gold.

“When I’m stressed.”

“Other than our relationship, is something stressful happening in your life?
”
She had friends and family. It was arrogant to think her behavior only resulted from his actions.

He’d also been under a lot of stress lately, but nothing out of the ordinary was happening in his private world. His levels of tension had dramatically lowered since deciding to see her again.

“No. I was upset and couldn’t reach you. That’s stressful.”

His fingers traced the freckles along her brow, teasing the edge of the blindfold. Guilt was a great responsibility he momentarily shied away from. “Tell me about your favorite time of day.
”

Her voice was pitched low in a hypnotic tone as he stroked her face, softly teasing each delicate arch, learning the curves of features he’d committed to memory long ago.

“I like the morning. Not waking up—I’m grumpy when I first get up—but once I’m awake, I love long, quiet mornings.”

“What do you love about them?”

The corner of her mouth curved as she drew in a slow breath through her nose. “The stillness, the scent of coffee, how lovable my cat is because he wants food.
”
She laughed.

“What’s your cat’s name?”

“Thor. He’s a white Persian, but thinks he’s a part Doberman. His goal in life is to steal all my socks and knock over as many lamps as possible. He also steals food, but that’s my fault. I feed him from the table.”

He liked imagining her with her cat. “Do you have any other pets?”

“No. I was thinking about getting a dog, but
…
you came along.”

He laughed. “Should I take offense to that?”

Her cheeks darkened. “I just mean I haven’t had much time. Puppies require a lot of attention and my life’s been busier than usual since meeting you.”

“I’ll accept that. How do you take your coffee?”

“At home I just take cream and sugar, but my favorite’s the white biscotti they sell at the caf
é
near my house.
”
She snuggled closer to him, her hands curling by her chest as she fit her body against his and rested her face in the niche of his shoulder. “You smell good.”

“So do you,
”
he rasped.

His lips rested on her hair, breathing in her warm scent. She felt right in his arms. His body recognized her nearness, but he quelled his lust for this woman, wanting tonight to be peaceful.

“Tell me something that makes you happy,
”
he asked.

She hummed. “You know what makes me happy.”

“Aside from a man’s esteem. Tell me something tangible. Something quantifiable that the mere sight puts a smile on your face.”

“Like a sock monkey?”

Her answer was unexpected enough to make him chuckle. “Sure. Do you have a thing for monkeys?”

“No, but I like sock monkeys.”

“What’s a
sock
monkey?
”
he asked.

“It’s a monkey made out of socks. Haven’t you ever seen one?”

“No. Are they new?”

She shook her head. “I think they date back to the Victorian era.”

“Do you collect them?”

“No,
”
she said, her brow slightly kinking. “I should. I think they’re adorable. I don’t even own one.”

He’d have to remedy that.

Their conversation dwindled as a sort of restful peace settled between them. He never stopped watching her, knowing the exact moment she fell asleep as her breathing softened and her head slipped slightly to his chest.

It was tempting to shut his eyes and join her, but he couldn’t do that. Her soft mouth so close to his was another temptation. He could so easily trace his lips over hers, but he’d waited too long to simply steal a kiss now, without the pleasure of looking into her eyes.

As the hour passed his mind contemplated how they’d spend their last few nights before he would bravely remove the blindfold. He still feared disclosing who he was; worried his past could botch his progress. But if he never tried he’d never know, and he feared missing out on something spectacular with her more than anything else.

Not only was his past a hindrance, he wanted her response to be sincere. Women often acted differently when they learned he was a co-founder of GeekPeek. There was wealth, and then there was a level of comfort even he had trouble measuring. He didn’t want his success to influence her decision in the end. Neither did he want her memory of him—if she had one—to deter their future.

When it started getting late, he traced a finger over her jaw. “Scarlet.”

Her chest lifted as she drew in a long breath, her hand fluttering to the mask covering her eyes. Gently catching her fingers, detouring them from the blindfold, he placed a kiss on the back of her knuckles. “Did you have a nice nap?”

She hummed and curled into his side. “I passed out. I didn’t mean to.”

Holding her fingers, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over her knuckles. “It’s okay. I told you to nap if you wanted.”

“But now the night’s over.”

“We have more nights ahead of us.”

“Promise?”

He placed his hand on the curve of her hip. “I promise.”

She twisted closer to him, her chilled nose rubbing along his throat. His body tensed as she pressed a kiss under his jaw. Each encounter left her a bit more brazen.

“Thank you,
”
she whispered.

It took everything he had, not to roll her to her back and kiss her then and there. Passion tunneled through him, leaving him in a state of need so intense it bordered on agony. “You’re welcome,
”
he rasped.