Page 83 of The Tomorrows After You
She paused and slumped in her seat, frowning. I nodded, still unsure where she was going. “Okay… that sounds like a pretty smart move. What’s wrong with it?”
“Hementionedthe moneywasinvestedinto real estate and medical. But hepulledout of real estate before the market collapseandbefore the news of the class action against the builder whoputup the valley homes.”
Her eyesdartedaround like shewasreadingsome invisible text in front of her,workingout her thoughts in real-time.“Thereforeallthechurch’s moneyiswrappedup into investments in the medical field. Ithoughtmaybe Echo Chemicals could be one of the investments, which I guess isn’t a conflict of interest. Besides… a tiny little fluoride order for a town the size of Godot would never be enough inflate Echo Chemicals’ stock price. And I guess a chemical company doesn’t exactly fall under medical.”Sherolledher neck around.Fuck,shewassexy when shewasthinking.
“Yeah, well that’s an old truck,” I told her. She whipped her head in my direction. “Brennan worked for them for about a year before they had a massive merger about ten years ago and laid off half the staff. That must be an old truck, ‘cause they’re no longer Echo Chemicals.”
“What are they now, Riot?”
“Echidna Pharmaceuticals.”
32
Nicolette
“Ineed to speak with Dr. Moore right away,” I barked into the phone as Riot pulled up to the house. I was out the door before he even put it in park.
“I’msorryhe’snot here tonight. I can take a message?”
“I need to know how far along one of the Echidna Pharmaceuticals drug trialsis.”
Irritatingly enough, the womanlaughed.“Oh, honey,I’mjust the night nurse, I don’t know that information. I can leave a message with the doc—”
“Yes, please, tell him to call Nicolette Parker back. It’s urgent.”
“Is that Nicolette with one L or two—” I hung up. He’d never get the message, anyway.
I flipped my laptop open, my knee bouncing in anticipation. Riot entered the house behind me.
Remorse pricked at me for derailingour date but let’s face it, Katiehadalready done that and our conversationwasheadednowhere positive. Glassclinkedaround in the other room before Riotappearedin my doorway, two glasses of red wine in his hands. My computerstirredto life.
Ismiledandpulledout the chair next to me. Iopened a browser andsearchedfor companies running drug trials for cancer treatments. Ittooka few clicks to find a list, but Iclappedmy hands together,spottingEchidna Pharmaceuticals on the list. But sowereabout sixty other companies. Iknewbetter than to jump to conclusions but holy shit, I might be on to something here.
My fingerstappedfuriously,searchingfor Echidna Pharmaceuticals’ latest SECfiling. Iputa request in for the full report. Within twenty-four hours I shouldhavethe basic details of their top shareholders in my email. Ishutmy laptop andsatback in my chair,satisfied, taking the glass of wine from Riot.
Ilookedover to find himwatchingme with a strange gleam in his eyes.
“Sorry, I disrupted our date.” I grimaced, hoping he wasn’t disappointed.
He smiled at me and wrapped a warm hand around the back of my neck. He leaned in close.
“Do you know how fucking sexy youarewhenyou’reexcited?”Hepulledhis bottom lip in between his teeth and my faceflushedwith a crazy mix of embarrassment and desire.
Ileanedin to meet his lips, the warm, dark taste of red wine still fresh. His tonguebathedmy mouth in ownership. Ipressedcloser to him,settingmy glass on the table beforeclimbinginto his lap, my knees on either side of his hips.
A long sighescapedhis throat, and Idrankit in. His strong handswrappedaround my back and hepressedmy body tighter against his. All the heat in my bloodrushedto my center. I couldn’t help but clench my thighs together to relieve the pressure but his bodywasbetween them and a soft, needy whimperslippedthrough my lips. Hepushedhis hips up into mine and Iletmy head fall backward.
Riotmovedhis mouth expertly down my neck and Ishiveredat the scratchy way his close-cutshavescrapedagainst the most sensitive parts of my skin. Ipushedmy chest up closer to his chin anddrankup the breathy exhale heletout when Iranmy fingers through his hair.
I was about to start moving my hands down his chest when he pulled back. I groaned, giving him my best pout. He smiled, and it was a grin that touched his eyes.
“Stay with me tonight. In my room,” he whispered. I bit my lip to keep from grinning like a fool, realizing I had never been in Riot’s room. We’d been holing up in mine all week. I had oftenwondered what it looked like, what his bed felt like, but something told me his space was private to him.
Still, itwashard to ignore the echoes of our conversation from earlier. Hesawthe hesitation on my face, and hejumpedinto it before I could.
“Look, I know we don’thaveany resolution about what tomorrow looks like.I’mhere for another four years and change and believe me, thethoughtof beingstuckhere without youispractically crippling because the truthis, these last few weekshavebeen the best of my goddamn life. I don’t know what the tomorrows after youwilllook like but believe me when I tell youI’dfollow you anywhere, Nicolette. And I know I can’t. But I want you anyway. And ifthat’sgoingtomake all the tomorrows after youhurteven more when you leave then so be it. Because I can’t live another second without your hands on me so, please, at least for tonight, right nowisall that matters. Please, stay with me. Tonight.”
My chestwarmed. Iknewthat hewasn’tjustaskingme for tonight. I didn’t know how to answer about tomorrow or the endless tomorrows after that one but I alsoknewI couldn’t live another minute withouthishands onme.
