she wanted the same damn thing.
The distant ring of a house phone was the only sound to break the silence and I knew it was coming down to a battle of wills between us as we waited to find out who would break first. But my control hung poised on the tip of a knife and I knew I was about to break for her. I'd break and she'd fall with me until somehow, we found a way to rebuild ourselves in each other.
I stood suddenly just as she reached out and grasped my tie, yanking me towards her as she said my name and commanded me to come for her.
I reared over her, my cock hard and aching as I leaned forward, tasting her on the air as I gripped the top of the piano either side of her hips and prepared to claim what was mine.
The sound of footsteps barely permeated the air, but I managed to snap myself out of this spell Tatum had cast on me and I jerked away suddenly, whirling towards the door as she gasped in alarm.
My heart thundered as I realised what I'd almost just done. If anyone in this household had seen us together, they wouldn't have waited around to ask questions. Tatum was Kyan's wife and death would be an easy price for us to pay if any of them thought I had stolen what was his. Niall knowing was one thing, but Kyan had assured me he would take that secret to the grave. There was no one else so trustworthy in this family and I couldn’t risk us being discovered together a second time.
The door pushed open and I schooled my features into an emotionless mask as the housekeeper, Martha stepped into the room.
"Good evening, Mr Memphis," she said cheerfully as she held a cordless phone out for me. "You have someone calling to speak with you."
I couldn't even force my tongue to bend around the thanks I should have given her as I wordlessly took the phone from her grasp, nodding stiffly as the feel of it overwhelmed me like it was burning.
Martha bobbed her head, giving Tatum a warm smile over my shoulder then turned and headed out of the room, the door slowly closing behind her.
My throat was thick as I turned to look back at Tatum, her eyes wide where she now sat on the very edge of the piano, her legs crossed and dress straightened out with her hair hanging perfectly. I doubted the housekeeper would have suspected a thing. But that was the least of my concerns right now.
I turned the phone over in my hand as I took a step back towards the girl who had changed everything, finding the handset on hold.
I expelled a breath and placed a finger to my lips, warning Tatum to remain silent as my heart raced in my chest. Not that I was letting it show. My features were a mask once more, nothing slipping through the cracks of my defences, least of all fear.
"Father," I said curtly as I connected the call and placed it on speakerphone so that Tatum could listen in too. I knew it would be him. No one knew I was here and no one else would care to call even if they figured it out.
"Son," he replied in that clipped tone of his that told me right away I should expect the worst. "It appears you have been rather busy."
"I could say the same about you," I replied evenly.
"I have a problem which I am certain you can help me with," he said, not acknowledging my words and I fought against the flicker of unease that sent through me. I never had gotten over being ignored after those months of disregard.
"Oh?" I asked innocently, not a shred of guilt colouring my words, but he wouldn't just be calling unless he was certain I knew what he wanted.
"Recently, some masked assailants broke into an exclusive club which I run and they stole from me. They took countless assets, ransacked my office then set the place ablaze," he said and my heart leapt at the barest hint of rage to his tone. He was about as close to losing his shit as I think I'd ever heard him to be and knowing that me and my family were responsible for rocking the foundations of his hardwired asshole behaviour like that made me want to smirk in triumph. But I knew he