A Moment Like You (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,35
house is ready so they can move in. Mine won’t be until the Thursday after I arrive. Monday comes too soon, and with that, my sentence begins. The movers wrap the few pieces of furniture I own with plastic film. They pack my shoe collection which is already packed up in bigger boxes.
I’m leaving most of my clothes. Just taking the necessities to keep me clothed for the first week or at least until my new wardrobe arrives. On Saturday, I felt like it was time to get brand new attire and spent a few hours in my favorite stores on Fifth Avenue trying on clothes and having them ship everything to Baker’s Creek.
During my shopping spree, I tried to hurt Henry through his wallet, but once I was done I realized that more than a hundred thousand dollars in clothing and accessories is spare change to him.
My parents aren’t taking much since this is a vacation. Mom made me promise her that I wouldn’t move her out of New York. I swore that would never happen, and I told her that for now they’re just visiting me for a couple of weeks—or less if that’s what they prefer. They flew earlier today, using the company’s jet. Santiago flew with them. He wanted to make sure that I truly amtaking them to a safe place.
To piss off Henry, I decided to take a commercial flight. I’ll arrive when and however I choose to do so.
When I get in the car service, I receive a text from him.
Henry: Have a safe trip. Vance will be waiting for you.
I stare at the screen unsure of how to answer his text.
Henry: Your parents and brother have arrived. A heads up would’ve been nice.
“So, Merkel is going under,” Vance says as he picks me up and looks at the luggage. “You travel light. I drove and brought Pierce’s truck thinking you’d have boxes with you.”
“The movers are bringing most of my stuff, and I shipped the rest,” I smirk.
“Something tells me you did something to piss off my brother, and I approve.”
I grin. “So far, I think I’ve scored three points today. It’s my privilege to make his life as miserable as possible.”
“Three?” He counts and then laughs. “Of course, your brother and your parents arriving separately was the first one. I wish I had come with him just to see his face.”
“Me too,” I agree, getting inside the big SUV.
Once we take the highway, he asks me about Merkel’s situation and the inappropriate behavior of the executives. “Sounds like a big deal.”
“Somehow, I think you want to ask something else,” I say.
“Has Henry been inappropriate with his employees? I know that before you he was going through assistants as fast as he drank his coffee.”
“You might’ve noticed that he’s not an easy person to work for.”
“The understatement of the year,” he retorts. “He’s never been an easy person to deal with, but…he’s been better.”
I glance at him wondering what that means, but instead of asking I stick with the conversation. “Exactly, but he’s never taken advantage of his employees. He is an asshole who doesn’t tolerate mistakes, so he tends to fire people on the spot—at least he tries. I make sure to keep the people employed.”
“How about you?”
“Me?”
“Has he been inappropriate with you?”
I study him. He looks a lot like his brother, but Vance is about two inches taller than Henry. His skin is darker, and he has a few more pounds of muscle on him. Those green eyes though, it’s the Aldridge signature. This guy is quiet, and this conversation is uncharacteristic of him. Yet, that last question explains everything.
“The last Sunday I was here, as I was leaving town, I wondered if the cameras you installed were functioning,” I say and then explain, “I was drunk, horny, and lonely. Evidently, I wasn’t thinking and…nothing more than what you saw in the video happened. He’s never taken advantage of me or…you know.”
My cheeks heat up thinking about what he saw and now wondering if all the brothers know what happened between us.
“They are functional, I didn’t see the video. Henry asked me to delete it. No one has access to the tape but me,” he reassures me. “I just want to make sure you are safe.”
“He’s your brother. Shouldn’t you be looking after him?”
“I don’t care who he is, if he does something inappropriate, I’ll make sure he pays for it.”