Take Me: The Complete Series (Power Play #1-4) (12 page)

“Should I have?”

His tone is so hard it catches me off guard.

“I don’t know. Isaac… I mean, Mr. Drake… said he was going to have his lawyers look over the paperwork. I wasn’t sure if they’d been in touch.”

Declan studies me for a moment longer, then leans forward, his face intent.

“You know, I was actually going to ask you the same thing.”

I frown.

“Why would you ask me?”

He makes a tiny gesture with his hand.

“Given your history with Mr. Drake… I mean, Isaac—“ his face scrunches just slightly as he says the name, “—I thought he might have contacted you.”

“My
history
?” I repeat, more annoyed than confused. There’s something in his tone that rubs me the wrong way. “If there’s something you want to say, then say it…”

He holds up his palms, trying to placate me.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. We both know his feelings for you… Is it unreasonable to think he’d try to get in touch with you instead of me?”

I give him a hard look, still annoyed by his passive-aggressive comments.

“Mr. Drake is a professional. When he comes to a decision I’m sure you’ll be the first person he wants to talk to.”

“We’ll see…”

Why can this man be so infuriating sometimes?

“Declan, I didn’t come here to be lectured about my personal life.”

“I thought things between the two of you weren’t personal?”

“You know what I mean! If this is all you want to talk about then we might as well skip lunch and just head back to the office…”

I stand up to leave. Declan is on his feet in a flash, holding his hands out to stop me.

“Hannah, wait. Please, sit down.” He gestures at my chair. “I won’t bring it up again, you have my word.”

He’s giving me that soft gaze that I am all too familiar with. I’ve seen his games before, and I know how to read through them. He was testing me to see how far he can push. He should know better than to think he can walk all over me.

But still, there’s something weird about it. He’s never tried to test me before. He’s always taken me at face value. He may be overprotective, but he’s always trusted my judgment.

I sit back down, still giving him a hard stare. A tiny smile cracks on his lips and he returns to his seat, too.

It isn’t long before a waitress stops by to take our order. She’s skinny and blonde, and she spends most of her time eye-raping Declan, as though I’m not even there. When she leaves, I give him a tiny, knowing smile.

“You should get her number,” I say.

“Whose?”

“Don’t play dumb, I know you better than that.”

A tiny grin peels across his mouth.

“You know me better than almost anyone.”

“She’s cute,” I say, ignoring what might have been his attempt to flirt with me. “And she wants to fuck you. You don’t have to pretend you didn’t notice on my account.”

His brow pulls together.

“Well, well. Little Hannah has gone and caught a case of Sailor’s Mouth…”

“We’re all adults here, aren’t we?”

He considers me for a moment, then nods.

“Do you think I…
fuck
… every hot girl that wants me?”

“Don’t you?”

“People change.”

“Not much…”

His eyes narrow on me for a second.

“You might be surprised,” he says, softly.

That’s not a very Declan-like thing to say. It gives me pause.

“Are you trying to tell me that you’ve turned over a new leaf?”

He leans forward over the table, erasing most of the distance between us.

“I’m saying that nothing is forever. There comes a time in every man’s life when he wants something more…significant.”

His crystal blue eyes never waver as they lock on me. It’s the most honest and vulnerable thing I’ve ever heard him say. Could it be that Declan Cross, the man who had once been my father’s most trusted confidante, the man who had acted as my only family when Daddy had passed away, is finally opening himself up to me?

Tawny might have been right.

Maybe he’s always felt this way and I’ve been clueless? Or maybe, now that I’m back in his life, he’s finally realized what he’s been wanting all along?

Silence hangs over the table for a few long moments. His eyes stay fixed on mine until I feel like I’m going to burst with nervous energy.

“Are you free for drinks this weekend?”

My insides are in a free fall. Soon they’re going to crash into the floor and I’m going to die a miserable, painful death right here in front of him.

My voice hitches in my throat the first time I try to speak. I try again.

“I… I have plans, already.”

His face darkens in the slightest way, but I still notice.

“Both nights?”

“Tawny and I are going clubbing on Saturday…”

I don’t mention what I’m doing Friday because I’m hoping he will take the hint. I’m hoping he will understand that my silence means I’d rather not talk about it.

“And Friday?”

I give him a level stare before answering.

“I have plans.”

His lips pinch together and his face darkens more visibly this time. If that answer wasn’t obvious enough then nothing will be. I don’t want to tell him that I have a date, and I
really
don’t want to tell him that I have a date with
Isaac
, of all people. I don’t want to tell him because I know he’ll blow up. And I don’t want to tell him because I know how it will look.

I groan, inwardly. I know I should keep my distance from Isaac. It’s the smart thing to do. I just wish I knew how to actually do it. It’s not often you find a guy that’s genuinely fun to be around. Not to mention the mind-blowing sex.

He holds his hard gaze for a few beats, and then his face softens.

“Of course you’re busy. It’s your first real weekend back in town, I’m sure all of your friends want to hang out with you.”

He gives me a relaxed smile as he leans back in his seat. I let out a held breath. Even if he’s only saying it to be polite, I still appreciate it.

“What’s the rush, right? We’ve got all the time in the world.”

This seems to put a genuine smile on his face. I don’t know why I said it, it just seemed like the right thing at the time.

What am I getting myself into?

“How do I look?”

“Like the gorgeous bitch you are.” Tawny gives me a look as she sizes me up. “Is that a new dress?”

“I picked it up after work yesterday, do you like it?”

Her mouth scrunches to the side as she gives me a flat stare.

“It looks like it costs more than I make in a week.”

I blush, giving her a soft smile.

“I may have splurged a little on it.”

She shrugs.

“I guess there’s no point in having money if you’re not going to spend it.” She considers me again. “I can’t believe you got a date already. You’ve been here all of a week and you already have guys lining up.”

I let out a groan.

“I didn’t even tell you the latest…”

Her eyes widen and she sits on the edge of my bed. She morphs into a giddy middle-schooler before my eyes.

I tell her about everything that happened with Declan at lunch the day before. I tell her how he basically asked me on a date, to which she grumbled about me getting asked on
two
dates in the last week, not just one. Then I told her how I had all but promised to go on one with him sometime in the future. Even as the words come out of my mouth I feel miserable. Here I am getting ready for my date with Isaac and I’m telling my roommate that I’m pretty sure I promised to go on a date with another man in the near future.

“I told you he was interested.”

“I know, you were right. But I have no idea what to
do
about it.”

She gives me a flat look and then shrugs. “Do what I do and just date them both. Odds are they’ll both get sick of you eventually and leave you for someone hotter and younger.” She looks me up and down, her eyes fixing on the black heels that match my new dress. “Although, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hotter woman than the way you look right now.”

I give her a look.

“Thanks for the advice,” I say, dryly.

She lets out a groan. “Don’t listen to me, I’m just horny and bitter. It’s really not a good combination.”

I squeeze her shoulder and fix her with a comforting smile.

“Tomorrow is going to be all about us. We’re going to go to that new club you mentioned, have some drinks, and flirt with every cute guy that so much as looks our way.”

“I don’t know about you, but I plan on
making out
with every cute guy that looks my way.”

“That works, too, I guess.” I smile at her, then add, “But maybe only make out with one of them at a time…”

Her eyes go wide in mock horror.

“That brings back way too many fuzzy memories of freshman year.” She shakes her head. “I’m never going back to that dark place, again.”

We both burst into laughter. It’s a little too scary to think that she might not actually be joking around. Sometimes she says things that make me wonder just how crazy her life used to be.

Just then there’s a knock at the door. We lock gazes for a second before Tawny leaps to her feet and rushes to the door.

“What are you doing?” I call after her, hiking up my dress in an effort to keep up.

“You don’t expect me to miss the opportunity to check out the guy you’ve been shacking up with all week, do you?”

I let out a groan when she reaches the door and slides it quickly unlocked. Isaac isn’t supposed to be here yet. He didn’t even call to get buzzed up… He must have snuck in with someone else.

When Tawny pulls the door open his bulky frame fills the doorway. He’s leaning against the doorframe with that sexy British smirk on his face and a single red rose in his hand. My eyes widen as they take all of him in.

He’s wearing a tailored, charcoal sports jacket with matching slacks. Beneath it he has on a bright red shirt, unbuttoned at the top. It matches the color of the rose almost perfectly. The stubble on his face is just right.
 

He looks sexier than ever before. And that’s saying a lot.

“Come. To. Mama.”

Tawny’s mouth gapes open as she eyes him up and down.

“Tawny,” I say, sharply, ribbing her in the side.

She shakes her head, snapping herself out of a daze as Isaac gives her a warm smile. When he looks over at me the smile fades and his mouth hangs open. His eyes fall down the entire length of my body. He looks like he’s about to start drooling. I try to bite back my smile at his reaction, but I don’t do a very good job of it.

“Bloody hell, look at you,” he says, sounding extra British. “You’re like a fucking angel come down out of the sky or something.” I let out a laugh, my cheeks blossoming red. He shakes his head. “Seriously. I want to take a picture of you and send it to Mum. She’ll never believe a classy girl like you would be seen with a heathen like me.”

My smile spreads wider and wider with every word. Tawny gives him a stiff look.

“Keep it in your pants there, big fella.”

He looks over at her, finally snapping out of his stupor.

“Pardon my language, but—“ he points at me. “—Look at her.”

Tawny rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I get it. You Tarzan, she Jane.”

He fixes her with that sexy smile.

“You must be the lovely Tawny…”

He holds his hand out to her, and she eyes it, suspiciously, before placing her hand in it. His sparkling, gray eyes hold her gaze as he lifts the back of her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss into it.

“I’m Isaac Drake. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Tawny actually blushes when he does it, but she composes herself quickly.

“From what I’ve heard you’ve had quite enough pleasure for one week, already.”

I give her a sharp look, but the smile on Isaac’s face doesn’t waver for a second.

“We should get going, yes?” I say, quickly.

“Wait just a second,” Tawny says, placing her hand on my arm. “I have a few questions for the Sexy Brit here.”

I mutter her name under my breath, but neither of them is paying attention to me.

“I’d be happy to answer anything you want to know.”

She gives him a flat stare.

“Good. First, I’d like to know what your intentions are with my roommate? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, since all you seem to do is run off to the bedroom, but we’ve got a pretty good thing going on around here. I don’t need you doing something stupid like putting a baby up in her to mess that all up.”

“Tawny!” I say again, this time even louder and sharper.

Isaac gives me a smooth smile. “No, no, it’s fine. She has a right to know who’s stealing her friend away.”

I fold my arms, giving them both a discontented look.

“For the record, you’re not
stealing
me,” I mutter.

It’s the only thing I can come up with to get a word in edge-wise.

Isaac cocks a brow at me and that knowing little smirk appears on his lips.

“When we first met you didn’t even want to talk to me. And now we’re going on a date. I’d say it’s possible I’ve stolen something or two in that time…”

He holds that smirk a beat longer.

Damn him. Seriously. Damn him straight to wherever sexy Brits go when they’re damned.

He gives Tawny a square look, his eyes leveled at hers.

“I can assure you that I have only the most honest of intentions. And if I do, by some chance, manage to—“ his jaw tenses as he rolls the words through his mouth, “—put a baby
up in her
, I can assure you it will not affect the lifestyle to which you’ve grown accustomed.”

It’s weird hearing him speak all properly in front of her. Where’d the typical, vulgar Isaac go?

Tawny studies him for a second, her eyes narrowing as though she doesn’t trust him. Then she gives a decisive nod and a smile appears on her face.

“Good. Now that we have
that
cleared up…” She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, giving him a playful smile. “Do you have any sexy British friends you can introduce me to? Preferably single and without kids, but I’m willing to negotiate on the first one.”