I did.”
“Perfect.”
Logan runs past us with Julia on his back as soon as we get in the house, both of them yelling like banshees. My mom stopped asking about grandkids after I told my parents that Lily and I were struggling with infertility. And Logan’s not getting married anytime soon, he likes his freedom too much.
I figured kids weren’t in the cards for me after Lily died. I thought the same about remarrying, or even loving a woman again. But maybe, I realize as I walk into the kitchen and see Rey grinning at my Aunt Jackie, I was wrong.
Chapter Eighteen
Jonah
Darren Shields is a fucking creep.
It’s all I can do to keep my expression neutral as he touches Rey again—this time putting his arm around her waist to hug her close to him as they both laugh about something he just said.
It wasn’t even funny. And I can tell from the fire in Rey’s eyes that she wants to punch Shields in the face as much as I do.
I’m imagining how great that would feel when he steps away from Rey and says to me, “Hey Jonah, another drink?”
“Sure, thanks.”
He pastes on that slimy grin of his and says, “My plan is to get enough bourbon in you that you don’t notice if Tori gets in bed with you tonight and Renee ends up in my bed.”
I laugh, but only because I have to. Rey’s giggling like it’s the funniest fucking thing she’s ever heard. Shields’s girlfriend Tori, who looks maybe twenty and is at least two decades younger than him, just stands there smiling and looking compliant.
His nose would make a satisfying crunch beneath my fist if I could just get in one hit. Just one, that’s all I’d need to knock that cocksucker flat on his ass.
“How are you, baby?” Rey asks, coming over to sit next to me on an outdoor loveseat on the deck of Shields’s massive beach house.
“I’m hanging out in paradise with you,” I say, putting an arm around her shoulders. “I couldn’t be better.”
Shields may be an asshole, but he’s a very rich one. His ultra-modern beach house has to be at least 10,000 square feet, with multiple decks showcasing the million-dollar ocean view. We arrived yesterday and spent the evening partying on a yacht owned by one of his friends, and tonight he’s hosting more friends for a luau-style party.
He ought to be the pig getting roasted on a spit tonight, but I have to remember that his day is coming. The more I help Rey sell her cover story and get closer to him, the better her chances of putting him behind bars. No one has ever deserved a warm welcome from his fellow inmates more than this douchebag.
A few minutes later, Shields’s housekeeper comes out with a tray of fresh drinks and a plate of snacks. Her hair is in disarray and he’s looking extra satisfied with himself, so I’m guessing he uses her for more than just food and drinks.
Of course the bourbon is top shelf, and it goes down easy. I figure if I have to pretend to like the fucker, I’m gonna drink as much of his expensive bourbon as I can while I’m here.
I’ve been sneaking big gulps of Rey’s fruity hurricanes as often as possible, too. She told me she doesn’t want to get tipsy enough to let her guard down while undercover, so I’m doing what I can to help out.
“You like those girly drinks, Jonah?” Shields asks me, cringing.
“Only when they taste like her,” I say, looking at Rey.
She puts a hand on my inner thigh and squeezes gently, making my cock twitch beside her fingers. I’m hungry for more of the sex we had last night—hot and hard, but laced with the occasional laugh and tender touch.
My family loves her. My mom got tearful when she pulled me aside on Thanksgiving and told me how happy it made her to see love in my eyes for Rey and the same in hers for me. I don’t know if Rey’s just that good at faking it, or if she really does have feelings, like I do.
This is what she does all the time, though. She moves from assignment to assignment, assuming whatever persona she needs to in order to get the bad guys. I’ve got no reason to believe I mean more to her than anyone else she’s worked with, but I’d like to hope I do.
“You need a refill, Renee?” Shields asks,