walk four feet to the fridge.”
“You’re closer.”
Caleb couldn’t help but crack a smile. Alec was such a kid sometimes that it was difficult to take him seriously. Hard to believe he was a tech genius. “Tell me something good.”
Alec clicked away at his keyboard. “There’s a big fundraiser this week. Very exclusive guest list. Old and new money. From what I’ve been able to gather, our boy will be there.”
“What kind of fundraiser?”
“To benefit local artists. It seems Vincent has a thing for art.”
“Where’s it being held?”
“The Botanical Gardens.” Alec sat back and took a swig of his beer. “It’s not ideal. There are plenty of places to hide.”
“Lots of people. Media coverage. It’s the kind of place a dipshit like Matteo wouldn’t want to make a scene. Sounds like neutral territory to me.” It was time he and Vincent had a little chat. Caleb wasn’t a patient man and Vincent had pushed him well past his limit. The petty break-ins over the last year were one thing. Last night was a game changer.
Caleb couldn’t keep the smile from his face. The thought of having Vincent within arm’s reach satisfied the darkest regions of his soul. “Can you get us in?”
“Already done. You, Samantha, Amanda, and Joe are all on the guest list.”
Caleb was impressed. He hadn’t thought ahead enough to think about taking Joe with him for backup. Not that he had any intention of needing it. In his gut, he knew his time with Vincent was coming. The fundraiser would be just the appetizer. Caleb would do the right thing and give him a chance to back the fuck off. One chance.
It was more than the bastard had given them last night.
“How’d you pull that off?”
“Are you kidding?” Alec looked offended. “Besides my mad skills, society folks are frothing at the mouth to have the elusive daughter of media mogul Thomas Quinn show up at one of their events. Her attendance will keep their jaws bending for weeks.”
Caleb frowned. He’d forgotten about Samantha’s dad. She never talked about him and, as far as Caleb knew, didn’t see him either. “Is her dad going to be there?”
Alec shook his head. “That would be a deal breaker. Samantha wouldn’t willingly go anywhere she knew her father would be.”
Again faced with Alec’s knowledge of Samantha’s life, Caleb nodded and drained his beer. It bothered him that he didn’t know why she avoided her dad, and he wasn’t about to ask Alec for the information.
He wanted Samantha to confide in him, he’d realized. He already knew what made her scream, now he wanted to learn what made her tick.
Cursing, he turned away so Alec wouldn’t see the erection filling out his jeans and busied himself at the stove.
Last night had changed everything. His head still reeled from the three-sixty his brain had done when it came to Samantha. He hadn’t stopped to think it through. He’d acted on instinct and now could potentially be sharing the woman with his brother. At least that was the impression Alec wanted him to have, but a part of him couldn’t believe it.
It looked like Caleb and Samantha were in for a heart-to-heart. Which, for them, would probably result in another knock-down-drag-out fight. Because not only was she going to set the record straight about her relationship with Alec, she was going to come clean on what exactly she’d done for Carlotta Matteo.
Caleb lifted the lid off a pot and drew in a breath. “You cook this?”
Alec laughed. “Not hardly.”
“Samantha?” He couldn’t keep the surprise from his voice. He’d never pictured Samantha as the kind of woman who knew her way around the kitchen.
“What? You think I can’t do anything but annoy the hell out of you?” The playful lilt of her voice got his attention. “I’ll have you know, I’m skilled in a lot of things. Cooking is just one of them.”
“I’m certain there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”
Caleb was struck at how beautiful
“You’re closer.”
Caleb couldn’t help but crack a smile. Alec was such a kid sometimes that it was difficult to take him seriously. Hard to believe he was a tech genius. “Tell me something good.”
Alec clicked away at his keyboard. “There’s a big fundraiser this week. Very exclusive guest list. Old and new money. From what I’ve been able to gather, our boy will be there.”
“What kind of fundraiser?”
“To benefit local artists. It seems Vincent has a thing for art.”
“Where’s it being held?”
“The Botanical Gardens.” Alec sat back and took a swig of his beer. “It’s not ideal. There are plenty of places to hide.”
“Lots of people. Media coverage. It’s the kind of place a dipshit like Matteo wouldn’t want to make a scene. Sounds like neutral territory to me.” It was time he and Vincent had a little chat. Caleb wasn’t a patient man and Vincent had pushed him well past his limit. The petty break-ins over the last year were one thing. Last night was a game changer.
Caleb couldn’t keep the smile from his face. The thought of having Vincent within arm’s reach satisfied the darkest regions of his soul. “Can you get us in?”
“Already done. You, Samantha, Amanda, and Joe are all on the guest list.”
Caleb was impressed. He hadn’t thought ahead enough to think about taking Joe with him for backup. Not that he had any intention of needing it. In his gut, he knew his time with Vincent was coming. The fundraiser would be just the appetizer. Caleb would do the right thing and give him a chance to back the fuck off. One chance.
It was more than the bastard had given them last night.
“How’d you pull that off?”
“Are you kidding?” Alec looked offended. “Besides my mad skills, society folks are frothing at the mouth to have the elusive daughter of media mogul Thomas Quinn show up at one of their events. Her attendance will keep their jaws bending for weeks.”
Caleb frowned. He’d forgotten about Samantha’s dad. She never talked about him and, as far as Caleb knew, didn’t see him either. “Is her dad going to be there?”
Alec shook his head. “That would be a deal breaker. Samantha wouldn’t willingly go anywhere she knew her father would be.”
Again faced with Alec’s knowledge of Samantha’s life, Caleb nodded and drained his beer. It bothered him that he didn’t know why she avoided her dad, and he wasn’t about to ask Alec for the information.
He wanted Samantha to confide in him, he’d realized. He already knew what made her scream, now he wanted to learn what made her tick.
Cursing, he turned away so Alec wouldn’t see the erection filling out his jeans and busied himself at the stove.
Last night had changed everything. His head still reeled from the three-sixty his brain had done when it came to Samantha. He hadn’t stopped to think it through. He’d acted on instinct and now could potentially be sharing the woman with his brother. At least that was the impression Alec wanted him to have, but a part of him couldn’t believe it.
It looked like Caleb and Samantha were in for a heart-to-heart. Which, for them, would probably result in another knock-down-drag-out fight. Because not only was she going to set the record straight about her relationship with Alec, she was going to come clean on what exactly she’d done for Carlotta Matteo.
Caleb lifted the lid off a pot and drew in a breath. “You cook this?”
Alec laughed. “Not hardly.”
“Samantha?” He couldn’t keep the surprise from his voice. He’d never pictured Samantha as the kind of woman who knew her way around the kitchen.
“What? You think I can’t do anything but annoy the hell out of you?” The playful lilt of her voice got his attention. “I’ll have you know, I’m skilled in a lot of things. Cooking is just one of them.”
“I’m certain there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”
Caleb was struck at how beautiful
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