Chapter 25: Chapter 25

TYLER

We were away for games the whole week. And when the weekend came, Kate was spending time with her sister. She said it was something important, but I missed her like crazy.

Her name was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Coach always raved about her, and the whole team loved her. And then there was me, who was actually ~in love~ with her.

I hadn’t told her yet; I wasn’t sure how. She was the kind of woman that deserved the world, something I’d never be able to give her.

I tried to get her out of my mind as I lay on my couch, feet up on the coffee table, watching mindless shit on TV. I switched the station to watch some playoff football and cheer on my team, who had surprisingly made it in.

An incoming text had me rolling off the couch to get my phone.

Kate

I miss you.

Tyler

Miss you more.

Kate

Not possible. Can I see you tomorrow?

Tyler

How could I say no to that?

Kate

xoxoxo see you then.

Tyler

Can’t wait, beautiful.

I smiled to myself, then called my best friend. Ben had been busy with work and I’d been busy with hockey, so we hadn’t been hanging out as much.

He had started dating some new girl after Piper stopped answering his calls. He raved about her for a few minutes before we hung up. An hour later, obnoxious knocks sounded at my apartment door.

“What’s up, little brother?”

“Shit. It’s you.” I moved so my brothers could step inside.

“Mom wants you over for dinner,” Steve said. “And she wins the awkward award by wanting you to invite your little girlfriend.” He added an annoyed tone to his words and laughed.

“Kate’s busy,” I said. “But yeah, I suppose I’ll head over with you two.”

I jumped in my car to follow my brothers to my parents’ new apartment. Midtown Manhattan was great, and they seemed to be liking it so far.

The brick walk-up looked like it was out of a movie. We climbed the stairs to the door.

“Baby!” My mom yelled, pulling Steve in for a hug. He was the baby and her favorite. “And my other two darlings,” she added, reaching for me and Jason.

I walked through their apartment with my brothers, then finally sat down for some lasagna. I missed my mom’s cooking, that was for sure; however, I did not miss her obsessive prying about Kate.

The next morning, I woke up knowing what I had to do. I threw on jeans and a black Blades pullover and made my way to Martin Financial.

I stopped in front of the building and felt slightly nervous as I thought of the hot-as-sin woman sitting on the top floor, running the world. I pushed my way through the glass doors, stopping at the security turnstiles.

“I’m here to see Kate Martin,” I said.

“Do you have an appointment with Ms. Martin?” the security guard asked, glaring at me.

“I don’t,” I replied. “Could you call her and tell her Tyler Carlson is here?”

The young man stared at me again, looking tough. He then called upstairs for the big boss.

“Ms. Martin,” he said. “There’s a Tyler Carlson here. If his ID checks out, shall I send him to you? Okay, you’re welcome. Yes, you as well, Ms. Martin.”

After checking my license, he led me to the elevators and pressed the button for the top floor. I rode alone till the tenth floor when a familiar face stepped in.

“Tyler!” Bill exclaimed.

“Hey, Bill. How’s Tessa?” I asked.

“She’s wonderful. Always looking forward to seeing you,” he said with a laugh. “How are things with you?”

“Wonderful actually. The team’s practically undefeated, but you know that.” I smiled at him.

“Every Blades fan is happy we acquired you. You’ve brought so much to the table.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’re here to see Kate, I assume?”

“Uh, yes actually.”

Bill straightened his suit and grinned slyly. “She’ll be happy to see you here.”

Kate hadn’t told Bill anything about us, but it was oddly exciting to know that others realized there was something between us. It wasn’t just a one-sided relationship. She needed me just as much as I needed her.

We stepped out of the elevator, coming to another set of large glass doors. An inscription at the center of the door spelled out her company’s name. Bill scanned his badge, pushed open the door, and led me straight to Kate.

Her office was encased in glass. I could see her sitting in a big leather chair, staring at one of the two screens in front of her. She hadn’t looked up or noticed me yet.

I enjoyed watching her in her work mode. She picked the phone up from the cradle, holding it tight against her ear. Her knuckles turned white. It wasn’t a good call. She nodded before slamming the phone back down.

Just then, she looked up to see me, a gorgeous smile spreading across her face. Nothing made me happier than knowing I was the one who made her smile like that.

She jumped up from the chair, and my breathing slowed. A tight, gray knee-length dress hugged her perfect body. Her black high heels with red soles made her look irresistible.

“Tyler, please come in,” she said, her voice raspy and seductive. Her eyes lit up as she watched me, biting her lip.

I closed her door behind me, immediately hating that her office had all-glass windows. Apparently, that didn’t matter to her.

She pressed her chest into mine, wrapped her hands around my neck, and pulled me into her. Her big, soft lips crushed against mine, and just like every single time, she melted into me.

Our bodies were a perfect fit, so perfect that at times it was hard for me to breathe. Girls had fallen all over me since high school, but none were like Kate Martin.

I couldn’t believe I had scored her, and I didn’t intend on letting her go. Meanwhile, she couldn’t believe she had scored me. She told me so all the time, and I thought she was crazy.

“God, I’ve missed you,” she breathed her warm breath against my neck.

“You have no idea. I didn’t think you’d kiss me with all this glass,” I joked.

She slowly backed up, sitting back in her chair. “I doubt anyone saw, but if they did, they work for me. The people on this floor are my most trusted ones. I’m not worried about it.”

I nodded along. “One day we’ll be able to do whatever we want, wherever we want,” she responded with a half-hearted smile. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“You’ll find out in a minute.” She pointed to the couch in her office. “You can sit if you’d like.” Business Kate was back and gone was the goddess I just had my arms around.

She waved to someone, pulling open her office door. Piper walked in, graced me with a hug, and then a semi-awkward exchange took place between me and Kate’s little sister.

“Hi, Tyler,” she said, holding out a hand to shake. “I’m Nicolette. Also, I owe you an apology.”

I turned to Kate, and she laughed. “Hi, Nicolette. It’s in the past, don’t worry about it.”

She sank into a chair next to the couch I sat on. “Jesus, you sound just like my sister.”

When Kate and Nicolette were together, I noticed the similarities between them. Both had bright blue eyes and dark brown hair, along with the same pointed nose and high cheekbones.

Both were beautiful, but Kate had an edge of sex appeal that her sister lacked.

Kate looked at me. “Do you mind waiting outside my office or coming back a bit later?” she asked. “Nicolette may want some privacy for this.”

“That’s fine,” Nicolette intervened. “He should stay. He may have ideas or something that we haven’t thought of.”

Kate gave her sister a curt nod, then Piper moved to sit on Kate’s desk right beside her.

I was lucky enough to work with people who were like family to me, and Kate had her uncles and Piper by her side. We were both very lucky, and I planned to always be grateful for that.

Piper handed an envelope to Kate. She sifted through it, then picked up the ringing phone on her desk. “Kate Martin,” she answered. “Yes, send them up immediately. Thank you, Greg.”

She rubbed a hand through her hair, looking stressed. All I wanted to do was relieve her tension, but that’d have to wait until a more opportune moment.

“You trust me, right?” Kate asked Nicolette.

Her sister nodded eagerly. “I don’t trust anyone more than you.”

They looked appreciatively at each other. Clearly, their relationship had undergone some transformation I was unaware of.

Nicolette spun in the black leather chair beside me. “Our mom is suing me, then she’s going after Kate.

“She wants all our money, and she wants Martin Financial as her own.” I stared wide-eyed at her while she spoke. “So now you’re pretty much filled in.”

“What are you going to do?” I directed my question to Kate. Those blue eyes peered at me with a sense of determination. She was strong, smart, and at that moment, quite scary.

“Nic is going to dump her whole trust fund into my company so Mom can’t sue her for anything. Then I’ll repay her in a secret account with my personal money.

“Lawyers are on their way up. Hopefully, they’ll be able to solidify this plan.”

The wheels within my mind began to spin. I needed to help Kate get through that situation.

I couldn’t believe someone’s mother could be that money-hungry, suing her own daughters to steal what they were rightfully given.

Kate buried her face back in the papers Piper had given her. “You said your mom was going to sue Kate next?” I asked, and Nicolette nodded.

“Kate, you can’t have Nicolette dump her money into your company if she’s planning to sue you.” Kate’s eyes slowly lifted up to meet mine. I wondered if I should have kept my mouth shut.

“Everyone will know what you’re doing if that’s the case. You don’t want to risk that backfiring on you guys or the company.” Both sisters and Piper watched me intently.

“I know nothing about business, you know that.

“I could be way off, but wouldn’t it make more sense for her to dump the money into a charity or a project of some sort where it’ll look like she’s giving it away to someone other than you?”

My scary girlfriend’s palms pushed away from the table. She paced the length of the office, her eyes darting between me and the girls. She opened her mouth to speak, yet no words formed.

She marched to me with purpose and stood before me. Her face broke into a slow, delicious grin.

“You’re brilliant, Tyler. I can’t believe that didn’t cross my mind. God, I’m an idiot,” she mumbled to herself. “Seriously, what was I thinking?”

She bent, kissing me roughly on the lips, then sauntered back to her desk. I watched her as she typed away furiously on her keyboard, still not knowing what the fuck was going on.

Ten minutes later, Piper ran out to the reception to greet the lawyers. Three men in dark suits made themselves comfortable in Kate’s office.

I got off the couch to give them a seat, then felt annoyed watching them stare at my girlfriend inappropriately.

I didn’t listen to much of the details, but Kate and Nicolette decided on a project she was funding to build schools for third-world countries.

Kate was always doing good for others. I was proud to call her mine; I couldn’t wait for the day I’d be able to shout that from every damn rooftop in Manhattan.

“You’ll need to sign in a few more places, but the rest of the paperwork is drawn up and complete,” one of the lawyers said to Nicolette.

“Someone at my office is faxing the last one over now with the new project information.

“And Ms. Martin, what is the amount and when would you like to transfer the money into an account for Ms. Piper Bellencourt?”

“I think we should spread this money around. I’ll buy her some vaults for her apartment. Nicolette should keep a chunk in cash, invest some in stocks, et cetera,” Kate said, still thinking.

“Let’s formulate a plan, but I need this false account to open today. I would like 150 million dollars wired and given back to Nicolette.”

I was touching the hem of my shirt when she spoke those words. I’m pretty sure I had heard Kate wrong.

There was no way Nicolette’s~ measly~ inheritance was 150 million dollars. I was more blindsided by the fact that Kate spoke of the money like it was nothing.

Her face was hard as stone, protecting her sister and their ridiculous shared finances.

More paperwork was drawn up. I parted ways with the group when the girls had to go to a few banks to finish executing their plan.

I walked wordlessly down the block. I had taken a cab to Martin Financial, but I just wanted to walk for a while then.

I refused to be one of those insecure men who couldn’t handle their women making more money, but Kate made me look poor. And I wasn’t.

I had a salary of eight million dollars a year with the Blades, along with some endorsements. That was a lot of money; yet in comparison with the owner of Martin Financial, I had nothing.

Kate had worked her ass off. I never wanted her to feel bad for making more than me. But the difference in our financial status wasn’t exactly a happy thought. I was officially being selfish.

I rang Jason to meet me for lunch. He climbed out of a cab in front of a steakhouse near Kate’s office building. With juicy steaks and a beer each in front of us, I filled him in on my morning.

“150 million, just like that?” Jason breathed out, not really speaking to me but more to himself.

“Seriously,” I replied, taking a sip of my cold lager. The hops tasted good sliding down my throat. “She’s so out of my league, it’s not even funny.”

“Yes, she is.” I shot him a murderous look, and he held his hands in front of him in surrender. “I’m just fucking with you. You guys are perfect together. Money doesn’t mean shit.”

I nodded, still not believing him but choosing not to argue on that point.

“Did you hear Steve has a new girlfriend?” Jason asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

I enjoyed the lighter conversation. Our younger brother was dating a chick named Stephanie. I planned to call him later and harass him about it.

My twin brother and I wiped our plates clean. I didn’t regret all the carbs I’d eaten since I knew I’d just burn it all on the ice the next day. I also planned to work it all off later with my girl.

“So what’s your deal? You’ve been avoiding women altogether,” I pointed out.

Jason appeared uneasy, putting his already empty glass to his lips. We had that twin shit going on; we both knew things the other wished we didn’t.

“Just tell me,” I said. “Who is she?”

He grunted, frustrated. “I was banging my assistant, then I stopped. She quit, and now I’m waiting for her to open her big ass mouth and claim sexual harassment or some shit.”

I just laughed. Only my brother could find himself in a situation like that, not that my situation was any easier. We joked together about our outlandish women issues and ordered more beer.

The restaurant door was in view from where we sat. I had been watching people enter all day. The few who I made eye contact with waltzed over to me, asking for autographs.

I never minded doing that. I loved my fans; they practically paid my salary.

The face that walked into the restaurant right then caused me to do a double-take. Something very familiar yet also very different stuck out to me, bringing a sense of darkness.