MASON
Outside, Roarke and Aiden take turns helping Greer float on her back while I sit at the table with my coffee. In a few hours, the contracts will arrive via courier. I don’t want to rush our little mouse, but seeing her in a bathing suit makes it difficult to be good.
She laughs in her husky way and it makes my cock twitch. We need to come up with a plan that works for all of us. Her included, but first I need to make sure she’s not going to fuck our lives up.
Leaving behind her tight little body and the shrieks as they play like children in the pool, I head down to my office. Once the door closes, no sound from the outside reaches me. I had this room soundproofed so I could work undisturbed.
Tossing my cell phone on the desk, I pull up my email to see if my contact has gotten back to me.
Subject: Greer Morrow
Foster records will take time.
She moved in with Chad Adams, age 24, six months ago. Before that, she lived in an apartment with four others. She works at Brighton Diner in West Hollywood. She aged out of foster care. No potential adoption records were found.
Parents: Jonathan and Crystal Morrow—Jonathan’s whereabouts unknown, Crystal died of overdose at age 28. Police report attached.
Sealed juvenile file—will take time to investigate
No police record
Credit moderate
I click on the police report from her mother’s overdose and skim over the details until the details about ten-year-old Greer come into sharp focus. Fuck.
Someone knocks on my door. I close the email as Zoe struts in, wearing jean shorts and a T-shirt.
“You didn’t come out to play.” She cocks her hip and pouts at me.
I don’t comment. Zoe’s been hanging out with us since she was a toddler. She’s like the little sister I never wanted. Attention is her drug of choice. When she isn’t getting it, she seeks it out in whatever way she can.
Especially when she drinks. She sits across from me, crossing her long, slender legs.
“What do we think about Greer?” She swivels in the chair as her hazel eyes meet mine.
“Aiden wanted to hire her. I think she’ll do a fine job.” And that’s all Zoe needs to know.
“You aren’t worried about her sneaking into your beds at night?” She arches an eyebrow and does a fake surprised expression. “Because that’s what I’d do in her position.”
“And that’s why we never considered you for the job.” I stand, pocket my phone, and gesture to the door. “Let’s go, Zoe.”
“I just want to make sure you guys are safe.” She stands and slides her hand over her curvy ass. Zoe is beautiful, and I haven’t failed to notice the woman she’s grown into. But to me she’s still the little girl that followed us around like a puppy.
“We’ve got it handled.”
She opens the door. “As long as you don’t fire her, because I don’t want to lose my new best friend.”
I shake my head as I follow her up to the kitchen. The dishes from this morning are already done and put away. The kitchen looks exactly like it always should. A calmness settles over me. I like things a certain way.
Roarke is chaos embodied. So if Greer can keep up with his mess, she’ll make me very happy.
“How are you going to keep Aiden sober when you have a bunch of wine right there?” Zoe gestures to the wine room.
“He doesn’t like wine.” I start a fresh pot of coffee. The others may not work until Monday, but I have work to get done. I need to prepare for the shoots we have scheduled for next week. Double-check the budget is accurate and that we won’t have any overages. And confirm everyone who needs to be on set is aware of that fact.
Zoe hops up to sit on the island. Giving me a sneaky smile, she crosses her long legs. “I don’t know. I think it’s too much of a temptation. You should give me all your wine and alcohol. Or better yet, let me throw a party and I’ll make sure it’s all gone by the end.”
“No, and fuck no.” I can’t afford the damage a Zoe party would create.