Evan's Addiction (8 page)

     Heart thumping madly, unwanted tingles erupting everywhere, I spun
for the bathroom grabbing my backpack on the way. “I’m surprised you don’t have
a crooked nose from someone breaking it out of annoyance from your cockiness.”

     I slammed the door on his chuckle and let out a shaky breath.

     Shit, that man was beautiful, his body amazing, but it was his
eyes that really got to me. They were piercing. Even though most of our
conversations were inane banter that held no substance his eyes always seemed
to be having an entirely different conversation with me. It made everything
inside me quiver, and it took everything inside me to hide it.

     I didn’t like the way my heart fluttered and my pulse hammered in
my chest when I looked at him, or the way his voice turned me to mush.

     It was not good.

     Not good at all.

     I didn’t want to feel this way toward him. He wasn’t to be
trusted. Men were fucking asshole liars. All they cared about was getting laid.
God forbid if they didn’t get laid, it might make everyone think less of them.
Cocky, arrogant men were the worst, and Evan was all cock filled with a shit
load of arrogance.

     Although, his humor counteracted a lot of it. He had a unique
sense of wit and intensity about him that made my insides light up and sputter
with inner laughter. He was able to steal my breath away with one magnetic
stare, and had my body responding in ways I that had me gritting my teeth.

     I would not let myself be led around by any kind of need ever
again.

     That’s why I had to put as much distance between us as possible.

     Locking the door I moved to start the shower. Stripping out of my
clothes I stepped under the spray of water and washed myself up quickly, and
when I was done I got out and moved to the sink to brush my death mouth. Using
the hotels hair dryer I partially dried my hair and then put it up in my usual
bun. Delving through my pack I pulled out fresh under-things, shorts, and a
t-shirt, and I was set to go…go home that is.

     Opening the bathroom door I found the bedroom thankfully empty.
Now my only hope was that everyone else was still asleep and I could slip out
unseen. Regrettably, when I got to the main room I found that a few people were
already up; Nadia, Seth, Noah, and of course Evan. Two other people were also
in the room; a male and female, barely dressed, wrapped together in each other
and a blanket on the couch still asleep. I recognized the girl as one of the
spa staff from last night and the male as one of the three Cruz brothers, Havi
I think. Shit, the guy had some serious muscle…and tattoos…and piercings!

     Nadia gave me a smile from the second lounge area. “Hey Shaw, we
called for room service if you’re hungry.”

     All four of them were staring at me with degrees of inquisitiveness,
friendliness, and amber intensity. I knew I would feel like a douche-canoe if I
just split. 

     “Yeah, I could eat.” I dropped my pack by the door and took one of
the empty chairs.

     “You feeling okay after last night?” Nadia smirked.

     I smirked back through my slight headache and uneasy stomach. “Not
too bad. Unlike you, I wasn’t trying to prove that Russians are better at
everything.” The girl could handle her vodka.

     She snickered. “It wasn’t like I had to try that hard.”

     “Especially if you watered it down.” Seth chuckle, squeezing her
thigh. Nadia jabbed him in the stomach but I don’t think he even felt it.

     I narrowed my eyes on her. “What’s this about water and down?”

     She shook her head with an eye roll. “Inside joke.”

     “Uh-huh…right.” I kept my eyes narrowed on her but her innocent
expression never waivered. There was a reason the girl was a card shark though.
“Somehow I think you and the horse you rode in on are lying.” Take that, you
and your well hung boyfriend.

     She laughed and winked. “Oh
Bog
, that was perfect. I hope
it won’t be forever for us to get together again, Shaw. Carrie says you work a
lot, but it was loads of fun hanging out with you last night.”

     A wave of agitation swept through me. I’d had a lot of fun last
night too, but I couldn’t promise anything because I hadn’t decided quite yet
what I wanted to do.

     Luckily a knock sounded at the door pulling the attention away
form me. Seth mumbled ‘
finally’
as Noah jumped up to get it.

     I felt Evan’s amber gaze drilling me and couldn’t stop myself from
glancing at him. Yep, he was staring, and wearing a small grin.

     “I feel like we’re missing another inside joke with that horse
comment.”

     Nadia waved him off. “Just boring girl stuff from last night.”
Standing up she headed for the large cart of food Noah wheeled in and Seth was
right behind her. He smacked her ass and she threw him a saucy look over her
shoulder.

     I rolled my eyes at their behavior and stood up to trail after
them. Evan moved in next to me. The musky scent of him was like an aura that
reached out and captured my senses…no matter how hard I resisted. Last night
I’d been weak and drunk and allowed myself to be sucked into it, but today I
was in my right mind. I just had to remember to breathe through my mouth and
not my nose.

     “So Shaw, is Monday a good time to come in and start on that
program finding expedition?”

     I frowned. Program finding expedition? “What are you talking
about?” I gave him a barely there side glance.

     “Last night Landon and I were talking about how the company
accounts weren’t adding up. Money looked like it was gone but we couldn’t find
from where. You mentioned something about a program…”

     I raised my hand to stop him as my stomach rolled in more
agitation. “Yeah, it’s all coming back to me now. You asked me if I could find
it and I said easy peasy.” I was so lame. “You really want me to go tip-toeing
through your system and accounts? And Landon’s dad, the big guy; what’s he
going to say about it?”

     We each snagged a plate and while Evan loaded his I just grabbed
some toast, several pieces of fruit, and poured myself a cup of coffee. 

     “Well, I do have to run it by him first, but both Landon and I
think it’s a good idea, and we think he’ll agree with us.” Evan answered.

     “A lot of money is involved. I think you would want to hire
someone more professional.” I mumbled heading over to the dining table.

     Evan took the seat next to me. “You make it sound like it will be
no problem, and if you can’t do it…” He trailed off with a smirk and I glared
at him.

     I knew what he was doing, implying that I couldn’t hack it…
ha,
hack it
…but I wasn’t a child that would be egged on. The implication that I
couldn’t do it still irked me though. 

     “What are you guys talking about?” Noah asked sitting down.

     Evan gave him a brief explanation while I tried to figure a way
out of this. I could totally blame my agreement to do it on the alcohol and back
it up by telling him I was too busy with summer course work and exams.

     “You’re going to pay her, won’t you?”

     My attention focused outwardly again at Nadia’s question.

     “Of course.” Evan stated.

     That detail made refusing a little bit harder because I could
really use the money.

     “Something like that would be a chunk of change.” Nadia waggled
her brows at me. “Like maybe a few thousand?”

     Nadia stop!

     “Possibly five.” Evan hiked into the stratosphere tipping me over.
I couldn’t refuse that kind of money.

     “I don’t have a car to get over there.” I grumbled down at my
plate.

     “I can send one of the company cars for you.” Evan said,
eliminating that excuse.

     “I have morning classes I have to work around.” I nibbled on some
watermelon.

     “You have classes this summer?” Evan’s brow rose.

     “The quicker I’m done with college the better.” College was only
slightly better than high school, and I’d loathed high school.

     Evan frowned at me. “Why in such a hurry to get to the real
world?”

     Only someone who had a charmed life would ask something like that.
I narrowed my eyes on him. “Because fake world sucks.” Nadia coughed out a
laugh, while Seth and Noah just stared. I mellowed my expression, tapping down
on my emotions. “I’m just ready to get working and earn some real money. So,
yes Evan, I can start finding your problem Monday. Have someone pick me up at
one.”

     He stared at me, his eyes speaking to me in that way of his.
“Great.” 

     “Yeah, great.” I stated brusquely, looking away.

     “Well…you guys sound like you’re going to have buckets of fun
together.” Nadia looked like she was holding back a grin. I glared at her.

     “Oh god, I’m never drinking again.” Carrie shuffled in holding her
head, her black hair all over the place. Nic trailed behind her and as she sat
at the table he went to the food cart.

     Poor girl looked almost green. “You okay?” I asked.

     Shaking her head slowly she bent over to lay her arms and head on
the table. Nic came back sitting next to her with a plate of food for both of
them, and rubbed her back soothingly. Carrie turned her head on the table, saw
the food, and jerked back up.

     “I need to…go lay back down again.” She nearly ran from the room.

     Nic jumped up and ran after her. That was why I put up with the
guy. Sighing, I found myself looking over at Evan, and found him staring at me.
My stomach flipped at whatever was in his eyes.

     Pushing my plate away I stood up. “I’ve got work. Nadia it was
fun. Can you give Maya my apologies, but I’ve got green I have to make so I can
eat. Evan, you can get my information from Carrie or Nic.” Grabbing my bag I
gave them all a salute and dashed out the door.

     Suddenly I could breathe so much better.

     But my day also felt less animated.

     It was a bitter trade-off.

∞                   
∞                    ∞

     Several hours after I left Carrie stopped in at the apartment, but
only to grab more clothes because she was staying over at Nic’s. They went back
and forth between this apartment and his house. Even though all the guys had
graduated they were still living in the same rental house they’d shared during
college, except for Landon. He and Maya were already living together.

     They all planned to go to Graduate school at UVA and didn’t see
the need to move out.

     While Carrie was grabbing her clothes Nic stepped into my bedroom.
“Evan told me what you’re doing for him. How come you never mentioned you were
so good with computers? And does Carrie know?”

     I glanced sideways at him as I punched away at my keyboard, Rosie
curled up in my lap. “How many times have you been here and seen me on this
thing?”

     The corner of his mouth twisted. “I always thought you were some
kind of internet or computer game junkie.”

     I gave a tiny shrug. “I do like those; I’ve just drawn the line at
vegging out with my Cheetos bag while playing them.”

     Grinning, he stepped further into my room to sit on my bed…my
cheap ass bed. Everything in my room was second hand or discounted…except for
my computer. That brought in my bread and butter so it got the first of all my
money. I kept it top-notch and loaded.

     I spun my chair to face Nic, stroking Rosie’s soft fur. She purred
in pleasure. All the affection I withheld from people I poured into my cat. I
was so on the road to being
that
crazy cat lady. 

     “You know I want to start a sporting goods line, right?”

     I gave a nod. “I’ve heard it come up here and there. You’ve enlisted
Landon as your artist.”

     He returned my nod. “I’m going to need someone who knows their way
around a computer for a shitload of things.”

     My brows shot up in surprise. “And what…you want to hire me?”

     He held up his hand in a ‘
hold your horses
’ gesture.
“Possibly. I want to see what you can do first, see what your qualifications
are.”

     “I can do anything on a computer.” I avowed immodestly. “Has
Carrie told you anything about what I do for my ‘job’?” I air quoted ‘
job’
.

     “Only that you’re self-employed, take pictures, and work on your
computer.” One of his blonde brows rose in a way that said ‘please explain
further’.

     I smiled at the knowledge that Carrie had kept my secret from her
much beloved boyfriend. It was why I trusted her implicitly. “Have you heard of
Deceivers.com
?”

     He snorted. “Yeah. I’ve heard opinions about it all over campus.
People can get them to find out if their boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating.”
He frowned. “Do you work for them?”

     My smile widened. “I am them. I created it.”

     Turning around I pulled up my website and business details. I
split the screen for both windows on my 25” monitor. Nic stood up peering over
my shoulder. I clicked through the pages quickly. It was pretty confidential
material and he didn’t need to see names, or any of the pictures.

     “Nic, you can’t tell anyone else about this. Only three others
know, and now you. Certain people would be rioting at my door if they found
out.”

     “Damn. What are your profits with this?” I clicked on a graph of
my progression of profits since starting the business. “Uhh, do you even need a
job?” His tone was impressed.

     “It’s not something I want to do my whole life. I started it to
get back at someone and it snowballed from there. I make pretty good money, and
I even hired a photographer a few months back.”

     I had been really jazzed that I was making enough to hire an
employee, since it also freed up a lot of my time. Tori, a sophomore
photography student, had been looking for some extra money and answered my Ad
in campus job listings. Following people around trying to snap a picture of
them cheating wasn’t all that enjoyable, and with her working for me I only had
to focus on the computer snooping part.