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I muttered a curse at my immaturity and left my office, nearly jogging down the stairs. Charlotte was at the front door, a purple backpack on her back. She had a knitted cap on her head and wound a scarf around her neck. While I was happy to see she had changed into warm pants and boots, it wouldn’t be enough. Not if how cold she was when she arrived was any indication.
“Charlotte,” I said as she reached for the door handle.
She spun around, touching the straps of her backpack. “Hi, did I forget something?”
“No,” I said. “I’ll give you a ride.”
She smiled at me. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m dressed much warmer than I was the other night.”
“You were freezing when you got here,” I said.
“I’ll walk faster.” She gave me a wave. “Bye, Mr. Steele.”
“Charlotte.” My tone was sharp, and she stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “You’re not walking to the bus stop.”
She hesitated before turning back to face me. “My transportation issues aren’t your problem, though.”
I grabbed my jacket before taking her hand. “If I didn’t want to do this, I wouldn’t offer.”
“Are you sure? Or do you feel sorry for me?” she asked. “Because I don’t want your pity.”
“It isn’t pity,” I said as I led her to the garage.
“Then why?” she asked.
I opened the car door and winked at her. “It’s one hundred percent selfish, little Charlotte. If you freeze to death, I won’t get to taste your sweet pussy again.”
She blushed and giggled self-consciously. “Oh. Okay. Well, I definitely want that to happen again, so I’ll happily accept your offer of a ride to the bus stop.”
I didn’t bother telling her I was giving her a ride home. She’d find that out soon enough. I opened the car door for her and she climbed in and gave me another sweet smile that made my chest tighten. “Thank you, Mr. Steele.”
“You’re welcome, Charlotte.”
CHAPTER 13
Deacon
“You’re fucking kidding me?” Leo sat up straight on the couch, the beer in his hand forgotten as he stared at me. “Fraud?”
“Yes,” I said. “I reported them this afternoon, right before I quit.”
“Holy fuck,” Leo said. “Why the fuck did they hire you to clean up the finances if they were committing fraud?”
“He thought I would go along with it,” I said with a shrug.
Leo took a drink of beer. “You’re a goddamn stickler for the rules. You have a reputation for being by the book for a reason. Why in hell’s name would this guy think you’d ‘go along with it’?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “But now I’m out of a job, and my next client isn’t booked until two months from now.”
“Like you need a job, moneybags,” Leo snorted.
“I like to keep busy,” I said.
“Speaking of keeping busy, how’s it going with the new girl?”
“Well,” I said. “She’s eager to please and happy to learn my rules.”
“You fuck her yet?” Leo asked.
