Page 47 of Sugar Coated Lies
“What do you mean,still?” Daire’s fingers, no longer at my waist but at his side, curl into a tight fist.
Oh shit. I’ve said too much. And I’m touching his shirt? I drop my hand, inhale a breath, push the memory to the dark recesses of my mind where it belongs, and paste a smile on my face as I look up at Daire. “I shouldn’t drink around my bosses.”
“Bosses?”
“Boss. You won’t think the same of me now.” I lower my head.
“I don’t think any less of you, Everleigh. But if I ever meet the guy who did this to you, I will destroy him.”
Chapter13
Daire
Gatheringinformation from her was easier than I thought it’d be. I have more than enough extra facts to share with the PI to help with his investigation of the event with Benedict.
I can’t be certain if Benedict is the guy she’s referring to, but he could be, considering what I know about his sexual preferences and BDSM fetish. Benedict doesn’t own a yacht, but his dad does, and he lets Benedict take it on occasion. He brings his friends, and they each claim to own the yacht to entice the ladies. Benedict isn’t the only one into BDSM, either. Ever sinceFifty Shades of Greymade it popular, most of the guys I know have played around with it, if the girl was willing.
I want to ask more about physical traits to determine who exactly did this to her, but the conversation needs to be over. She’s upset, and I am too, dammit! Finding the identity of this guy will haunt me. But I’ve broken enough rules tonight.
Everleigh is an employee, and I’ve asked enough personal questions to give the human resource department a reason to reprimand me.
I pray the guy who locked her on a yacht and put her in that situation isn’t Benedict. If I discover it is, the situation will cause a multitude of problems for me. My family is too involved with his for me to take retribution the way I’d want to, and I’d want to do horrible things to him, especially knowing what I know about her and her family and all she’s been through. My stomach twists with a knot the size of one of the silos at the farm.
Everleigh staggers away from me. “Is that the lake?”
I hadn’t realized we’d made it there. Edison bulbs brighten the wood ceiling of the dock on the big lake.
“It’s huge!” Everleigh steps onto the wooden platform with a bench swing, outdoor dining table, and kitchen with a grill. To the left, three dock slips house wave runners, a ski boat, and a pontoon boat, which is Mom’s favorite. A small bathroom with a shower is tucked under stairs that lead to a rooftop sundeck.
Everleigh drops her shoes to the side and twirls underneath the glowing lights, looking like a vision in red. A sweet temptation that stirs my protective nature and fuels my desire to make her mine and mine alone. Dangerous thoughts.
Everleigh stops spinning and pins me with a sexy grin that has my pants tightening against my swelling groin. This was a bad idea.
“At least out here I’m appropriately dressed.” She strolls around, touching everything and seeming much more at ease. “I felt out-of-place back there.” She tilts her head in the direction of the house and lowers onto the swing, frowning at her toes where they touch the wood floor.
“Not out-of-place at all.” I’m compelled to say, hating seeing her sad about anything at this point. “You’re more beautiful than any of the women in that house.” More because her beauty goes beyond the skin and radiates just as brightly from within.
She laughs, the sound scraping her throat with the cutest snort. She’s been doing it a lot. “You’re just saying that to be nice. I’ve seen your type.”
“Where?” I shuffle closer to her, surprised by her comment. Has she been looking me up on the internet?
“Tabloids.” She shrugs, her gaze still on her toes, her lips now curved with a grin. “Sadie is a great investigator.”
“Ahh.” This pulls a smile from me. I might like it too much that Everleighandher friend were looking me up.
Although, they couldn’t have found much. I had my past wiped clean from social media—not that there was much to erase. My dad taught me about protecting my image and, therefore, the farm’s image at a young age. After I graduated, I made sure any possibly leaked party photos, tags, or implicating images of me were erased. Can’t be a VP with a polluted past.
Everleigh stands, her grin playful as she teeters around the furniture and stops at the edge of the dock where it meets the water.
I chase after her, afraid she might trip or, worse, fall into the lake.
She spots me and gasps. “Oh, God. You scared me.”
“What are you doing?” I raise my hands slightly, ready to grab her if necessary.
“Take off your shoes.”
“Excuse me?”
