Sleeping With the Enemy

Chapter Thirty Eight-Sadie

"So it went well then?" I asked, taking a bite of my Cesaer salad. Brandon had gotten back late last night and we were having lunch before he had to head in to work. I hoped once this thing with Herrera died down, he wouldn't have to be working around the clock like he currently was. It was wearing on him and I wasn't content with only seeing him during a few stolen hours in the early morning.

Brandon shrugged. "It went better than expected, but that's not saying much."

"I think you're being modest. It sounds like you got everything you went for." I pursued my lips, teasing him a little bit.

"I appreciate your optimism but I'm not chalking it up as a job well done until Herrera is gutted like a fish at the bottom of the Hudson." He said.

I winced, setting my fork down loudly. "Can we please refrain from talking about gutting someone until we're done eating?"

"Sorry, babe." He chuckled. "How was it back here? Did you give Alex a hard time?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not. That's only for you."

"Figures." He snorted.

"But we did have a good time. He was swamped at the restaurant with Ro gone so I helped him out a little bit. And your mom took me out to the winery she's remodeling. She wants me to design the gardens."

"That's a great idea." Brandon smiled, leaning back in his chair and resting his hands at the back of his head. The stretch caused his shirt to pull up a little bit and the V of his muscles was enough to make me lose my train of thought. "I like the thought of you helping her there much more than you working at Brodo. Believe me, I've seen how some of those men treat the waitresses and they're real assholes. And the girls who come in are no better. You don't belong in a place like that."

"Oh please. I put myself through nursing school by bartending in the middle of downtown Denver for three years, I learned a thing or two about how to handle myself. Plus, aren't the girls that frequent that place your type?" I quipped.

Brandon frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"That blonde girl you were with the night I got there?" I smirked, dangling the bait out in front of him.

"Cass?"

"Oh yeah, that was her name."

"She was definitely not my type, and definitely never my girlfriend." Brandon laughed. "You know when you left, I tried to find someone who was the exact opposite of you. You were all I could think about, and if I was with someone that even remotely reminded me of you, you were all I could see. So it was easier to entertain myself with girls who were the exact opposite of you. And that's how Cass came to be."

"Entertain yourself?" I about choked on my food.

"That's all it was to me after you. I didn't want anything serious, and as much as I don't want to admit it, I used a lot of girls. Nothing ever measured up, so I figured why even try to connect with anyone else. I'm sure that sounds ridiculous." Brandon shifted his weight, taking a bite of his burger.

"It's not ridiculous at all.". I draped my ankle over his, intertwining our legs beneath the table. "You want to hear ridiculous? I knew the second you were single you were going to have all kinds of girls fawning over you and begging for your attention. I was the one who chose to leave and put us in that situation and yet I made myself miserable with jealousy, so much so that I hated every girl you ever dated without ever even knowing them or if they existed. I couldn't even be happy knowing you were happy because I was so jealous."

"Believe me, baby, I was never happy. Not with a single girl other than you. Certainly not Cass." Brandon tucked my hair behind my ear, pulling my closer to him and grazing my lips with his. "But since we're on the subject of jealousy, what about you? You must have had a few boyfriends over the years."

I liked the jealous side of Brandon, I always had. I loved the way he would pull me close and put his hand on my butt when we were in a room full of women eyeing him. Or the way he would glare at any guy who even attempted to look my way, God forbid one who would speak to me. He had been protective, and I always felt so chosen when he'd act that way, even before we started dating. When he'd defend me when Alex was trying to make me do something stupidly dangerous like jump off the roof onto the trampoline, or the way he'd let me ride his bike and stand on the back of Alex's, or take the blame when we'd come home late for curfew and my dad was furious. I never felt like he was doing it because he didn't think I could, but because he loved and cared about me. The truth was he had absolutely no business being jealous. Brandon hung the moon and stars in my world, and that would never change. And I knew that was mutual. Neither of us should have ever been jealous because even though we were miles and worlds apart, nothing had changed.

"I went out on a few dates, but I was like you. Nothing felt right so I eventually gave up." I shrugged.

"Did you sleep with any of them?"

"No." I shook my head. "I never let it get that far."

Brandon bit his lip and paused. "This might make me sound like a chauvinistic asshole but I'm glad. I like knowing your only mine."

"I am too." I smiled. "Are you sure you have to go in this afternoon? We could drive down to the Cape, maybe get away for a few days..." I knew I was pushing my luck but it was worth a shot.

"Princess, when this bullshit with Herrera is done, I will take you anywhere you want to go. London, Africa, you name it." His kiss was gentle and sweet.

"Really?" I lit up. Traveling had always been the way to my heart and it was usually like pulling teeth to get Brandon to go.

"I promise. We'll take a nice, long break, just you and me." He threw some cash down on the table and started to get ready to leave.

"That sounds like a fairytale." He was doing his best to make this work and the effort wasn't lost on me.

"Good." He beamed, offering his hand to me. "We're going to have a life fit for a king and queen. Just have to slay this dragon first."

"I love it when you talk Disney to me." I grinned, standing up on my tiptoes to kiss him one last time. It was like I could never get quite enough.

"What are your plans this afternoon?" He asked, wrapping his arm around my waist as we walked to the car.

"I told Alex I'd help him at Brodo." I scrunched my nose, ready for Brandon's objections.

He sighed heavily. "After today, I don't want you working there, deal?"

"Deal." I smiled, a little surprised he hadn't put up more of a fight. "If it makes you feel any better, it's just with inventory and ordering. They won't even be open; I'll be the only one there."

"Well, you and Jav." He said, checking his watch.

"Oh right, my babysitter." I rolled my eyes. It was getting tiring having someone follow me around all day. I couldn't exactly ignore him and so I felt like I had to constantly make small talk.

"There's that spicy attitude I know and love. Be careful or I just might bring out those ropes and whips Cass told you about." He winked playfully. "Call me when you're on your way home, okay?"

"Will you be home for dinner?" I asked, hanging on to his hand.

"I'll do my best." He gave me a tight smile, knowing I wasn't going to be satisfied with that answer.

We said our goodbyes and I climbed into my car right as Brandon drove away.

Brodo was quiet when I got there, and I used the key to let myself inside. Jav stayed outside today, working on something on his truck. I knew something big was in the works because all of the guys were busy and they were all pretty tight lipped about whatever was going on. It made me anxious, but maybe it meant Herrera would be gone sooner rather than later.

I pulled out the paperwork and got to work on it quickly. Alex didn't know much about ordering for the bar and so it was quite a mess to sort through. At first, I thought I had bit off more than I could chew but eventually I started to work things out.

I heard the bells on the door and looked up quickly. Had I forgotten to lock it?

"I'm sorry we're closed..." I started, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw who it was. Herrera, flanked by a few of his other agents.

"Hello Sadie." Herrera gave me an evil grin. "Miss me?"