His Secretive Lover (The Thorpe Brothers) (3 page)

She smiled while
she stood behind the three other women as she remembered the thrill she’d experienced when she’d arrived just in time to walk to the building while the stranger watched her.  Then it occurred to her how crazy her life had become since the first time she’d seen the handsome man.  Was she really cutting out food so she could arrive in time to get her adrenaline rush now? 

She bit her lip and nodded to herself.  Yes, she really was. 

But who could blame her?  The man was hot!  She could berate herself all she wanted in her mind, but the truth was, his gaze across the courtyard was definitely the thrill of her day. 

“Let’s go,” Josie called out as s
oon as the elevator doors opened.  “I’m starving.”  Debbie, Josie and Allyson all chatted among themselves, trying to include Cricket in their conversation but since they were discussing husbands, children and babies, Cricket couldn’t really contribute much since she didn’t know anything about that aspect of life.  The elegant restaurant was only a block and a half away from their office, but it was one of those exclusive places which meant it wasn’t normally in the price range of four lowly accountants.  So this was a real treat and much better than a deli sandwich or the burgers at Durango’s where they normally grabbed lunch. 

The four women were seated immediately since Allyson, the fourth member of their group, was dating one of the waiters at the restaurant. 
She might be divorced with two kids, but she still had an active eye for the men.  The four women smiled excitedly as they took their seats among Chicago’s elite.  These were the power brokers, the wealthy patrons of the arts and the controllers of money.  Bankers, successful entrepreneurs, wealthy tourists and anyone who wanted to be seen showed up at Antoine’s for lunch.  In another two hours, the powerful wives of Chicago would arrive in droves for their afternoon tea and brandy and two hours after that, the martini crowd would press together in the bar, eager to be seen mingling among the other patrons at the exclusive restaurant. 

As the four of them were seated, Allyson’s boyfriend came by and told them what to order since there weren’t any prices on the menu.  He handed each of them water with cucumber slices, then walked away to let them decide on their meals and to help his other tables.

The ladies sipped their water, excited to be a part of this daily spectacle.  Well, three of them were, at least.  Cricket sipped her water, but she didn’t ooh and ahh at the people around them.  She knew several of them by reputation, but her mind was also doing an inventory of their assets.  Not their bank accounts, but their art and jewelry collections. 

Other people might not have that kind of knowledge, but Cricket hadn’t come from a normal family.  Her father was one of the best art thie
ves in the world, and her mother was one of three thieves internationally who could relieve owners of just about any piece of jewelry she wanted, any time she wanted. 

Of course, neither her mother nor her father ever kept their stolen pieces.  At least, Cricket didn’t think they kept any of it. 
 

She shook her head as she contemplated the possibility. 
No, the absolute rule with thieves was to never hold onto anything one didn’t want to lose.  There was always someone coming up through the ranks who was more daring, more skillful with the latest technology, or more stealthy at removing others’ possessions.  Why would a thief trust a security system that they easily knew how to circumvent? 

The other
never-break rule was…Don’t Get Caught. 

So far, neither
parent had ever been caught, thankfully.  But Cricket lived in fear of her father attempting a “project” (his term, not hers) that would be more of a trap than a heist.  The police knew of her father, but they’d never been able to pin anything to him.  He was more of a ghost or a legend in the art thieves’ community than anyone else.  The police still didn’t understand how he’d done many of the heists he’d accomplished and he took pride in no one knowing how or, even sometimes, when he’d done a job.  He only pulled the riskiest jobs and only if he knew he could get rid of the loot quickly.  If a thief was caught, it was harder for the authorities to prove guilt if the evidence was no longer in their possession. 

So although Cricket didn’t
actually steal anything, she’d grown up in a family that lived for the next job, thrived on the exhilaration of an anticipated heist.  And she’d been taught all the tricks of the trade in the hopes of her joining the family business once she was old enough. 

She hated stealing though.  Just the idea of stealing something of value made her stomach turn over.  She wasn’t afraid of the risk.  In fact, she loved the risk, the thrill of the challenge and the adventure, not to mention the incredible
self-discipline needed to learn the intricate skills of the art of thievery.  The planning was always fascinating too, but she’d limited her missions to the more mundane pen-stealing or office altering achievements. 

No, the stress of getting caught as well as the guilt over taking something that wasn’t hers definitely wasn’t
worth it.  She only wanted the thrill, not the risk. 

“Oh my goodness!”
Josie gasped.  “Isn’t that the President of the United States over there?” she asked, pointing towards a table in the corner that was surrounded by stern looking men and women, all wearing sunglasses with what looked to be ear pieces for surreptitious communication.

Cricket turned to look, as did the two other women.  There was a communal gasp when they realized that it was indeed the president.  Cricket even groaned when she realized that the president was lunching with none other than her
handsome mystery man.  How was that possible?  The man worked here in Chicago, what business would the president have with anyone here?

Okay, so Antoine’s was the best restaurant in the city.  And it was close to their office, just
down the block in fact. 

But really, t
he President?  That just put her mystery man further out of her league.  And a dangerous person for her to associate with.  Her family history and a powerful, well connected man were not a mixture that worked well for any kind of long term relationship. 

Not that she had any chance of a relationship with a man like that
anyway.  He probably dated more glamorous women.  She’d most likely been mistaken when she’d thought he was going to talk to her in the deli that day.  A man like that did not approach a woman like her.  She was too mousy, too boring.  She was an accountant, for goodness sake!  He probably dated models or society women! 

She turned
around, feeling despondent all of a sudden, and faced her menu.  “I think I’m going to order a burger and horrify the chef,” she said, trying to throw off her sadness. 

Thankfully, the other three turned back to the table, knowing that this was as close as they would get to the lofty man.  It was pointless to
ogle. 

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop her from gawking.  The man wasn’t directly in her line of vision, but if she turned her head just slightly to the right, she saw him.  Everyone in the restaurant saw him because he was with the president,
but she had eyes only for him.

It seemed like every time she looked in that direction, he was looking directly back at her.  It was more than a little disconcerting and she actually had no idea what they ate for lunch.  She went through the motions, but by the time Allyson’s boyfriend was taking their plates away, she couldn’t have named a single thing that had been in front of her for almost the past hour. 

Her heart was pounding and she looked up again, her eyes colliding with his.  He looked to almost be ignoring the president as he stared right back at her. 

“You’re awfully quiet,” Josie said
and Cricket’s attention snapped right back to her co-workers.  They’d all relished the meal that had apparently been above and beyond their expectations. 

“Is the president really that fascinating?”
Debbie asked. All of them had noticed her lack of attention during the meal.  “And are you okay?  You look flushed.  Maybe you’re coming down with something?”

Josie smiled and w
iggled her eyebrows.  “It isn’t our illustrious leader that has Cricket so distracted.”

Debbie and Allyson both turned their heads and caught the president walking out while he said something to a taller man.  “Oh…!” Debbie said with a sigh as she realized who Cricket had been looking at.  “That’s the dreamy guy who works in the buildin
g across the courtyard, isn’t it?” she asked, sighing with happiness as the man disappeared out of the restaurant. 

Josie and Debbie both turned their heads, trying to see him one more time, but by then he was already out the door, only the
last few secret service agents scanning the room giving any indication that it hadn’t been their imagination about the president being in the same dining room with them. 

“Come to think of it,” Josie said, “I think I’ve seen him too.”

“He’s just the guy that works in the other building,” Cricket said again.  “I’m sure he’s very nice but I didn’t get a good look at him.”  She wasn’t really lying, even though she’d been sneaking peeks at him all through the meal. 

Allyson looked at her watch.  “We’d better head back and forget about the tall, dark and handsome stranger Cricket is drooling over,” she teased.  “Mr. Moran is bound to be back and furious with his staff for taking a legally allotted lunch period.”

The four women nodded their concurrence and started taking out their wallets.  But before anyone could pull out cash or credit card, their waiter arrived magically at their table.  He put a hand to Allyson’s shoulder affectionately as he said, “You’re check has been taken care of, ladies.” 

All four of them stared at him with their mouths open.  “Excuse me?” Cricket asked, confused. 

“A man took care of your check already,” he repeated.  “I don’t know by whom, but my boss took your bill and told me to tell all of you that it was paid.”  He shrugged and winked at Allyson before moving off to his next table, eager to earn tips from the lunch crowd. 

They sat there in stunned silence for a long moment, each of them processing the news.  Then one by one, they turned to look at Cricket and smiled as the realization came upon them.  “It was him!” Allyson hissed excitedly.  “You somehow got that hottie to pay for your meal and we all benefitted!”

Josie and Debbie were all grinning from ear to ear, laughing when Cricket blushed painfully.  “I doubt he would do that for us.  I don’t even know who he is.”

“Why not?” Josie asked.  “You and he were exchanging those heated gla
nces all during the meal.  Good grief, you barely ate anything because you were too focused on him!” 

The three of them laughed
as she blushed painfully but Cricket simply shook her head.  “It was probably Allyson’s boyfriend being nice.” 

“Uh huh,” they each said almost in unison, none of them actually believing it.  But they knew they had a limited amount of time before their boss came
back and they had to be at their desks, looking busy before that happened.  So they all grabbed their purses and coats, rushed out of the restaurant, and hurried down the sidewalk. The afternoon wind had turned colder over the past hour, typical of this time of the year in Chicago.  With the lake just a block away, the wind could pick up unexpectedly and bring along with it a painful chill.  It was also why Chicago got more snow than many parts of the country, but not nearly as much snow as Buffalo or central New York areas. 

They all hurried into the building, bundling into the elevator and laughing at how quickly the weather changed.  By the time they reached their floor, their faces were grim, all traces of relaxation from their break gone as they once
again faced the work on their respective desks. 

“I’m going job hunting,” Josie whispered as they walked down the depressing hallways.  “Jason might pay higher salaries, but nothing is worth this much irritation.”

“I’m with you,” Allyson said as she ducked into her office. 

“Count me in,” Debbie called back as she went into her office as well.

None of them realized that Cricket was silent.  She definitely wanted a new job, but if she didn’t work here, she would miss her morning “meeting”. 

How ridiculous was that?  She sat down at her desk and told herself firmly that she was definitely going to have to find a new job.  She’d start the search tonight.  The man might be tempting, but her friends were right.  This was not a good work environment.  She needed something new.
With any luck, she’d find a fabulous job right here in the building and she’d still get to see her mystery man every day. 

Ryker watched the blond woman across the restaurant, more convinced than ever that he was going to meet the lovely lady from across the courtyard.  She was sitting primly at her table during lunch, looking serenely beautiful.  Her friends were giggling about something, but Ryker noticed that his lovely lady only smiled weakly at whatever they were discussing.  Probably because she was more focused on peering in his direction than she was in paying attention to the lunch conversation.  Even Ryker was distracted from his conversation with the President because he kept trying to catch her eye. 

Thankfully, the
President knew exactly what was going on.  “I can see that global politics and the national legal system are poor competition compared to the blond beauty across the room.”

Ryker laughed even though he’d been caught being rude.  The
President wasn’t one to hold a grudge though and he even approved.  “What’s her name?” he asked, changing the subject since there was little chance he could get Ryker to focus on accepting a federal judgeship. 

“I don’t know yet,” Ryker replied, a possessive feeling coming to him at that moment.  “Is
it that obvious?” Ryker asked, cringing inside at how unfocused he’d been. He prided himself on his discipline but there was something about that woman that just got to him. 

“Just a bit.
  But only because I’ve known you for so long.”

After that, they discussed personal issues which were easier to follow, allowing Ryker to use most of his brain power to think of ways to meet his lovely lady.  Unfortunately, he had a meeting right after lunch that he had to hurry back to the office for.  He walked out with the
President, shaking hands with him before the man ducked into his armored limousine and sped away out of sight. 

Ryker was about to go back to the office, but he had a thought and went back into the restaurant.  Whispering something to the waiter, he pointed to the table where his lady was sitting, giving him instructions to take care of their lunch tab. 

Walking back to his office, he smiled to himself.  She might not have been sitting across the table from him, but at least he got to pay for her lunch.  That was something, he told himself.  It was odd, but he wasn’t normally attracted to women who were shy.  He typically preferred the more aggressive, confident women.  That was probably because he didn’t normally have time to waste on chasing women.  Besides, they generally seemed to do the chasing and he either accepted their offers or passed, not really bothered either way. 

This woman was different.  There was just something about her that made him place her in a
distinctive category.  He probably should have gone over to her table and offered his business card, asked her to give him a call when it was convenient. 

On second thought, she probably wouldn’t have called him.  He knew that she was interested, but she wouldn’t even look him in the eye except when it was by accident.  So he
would have to get her information first, figure out what she liked and pursue her with a bit more flair and patience. 

Back at his desk, he was going through several reports when
Joan interrupted him to announce his next appointment had arrived.  Ryker looked at the name and sighed, wishing he’d canceled the meeting.  He didn’t want to deal with this man today, he thought as the door to his office burst open and a short, rotund man with a badly receding hairline came into view. 

“Good afternoon
, Jason,” Ryker said, standing up and moving around to the other side of the desk to shake the shorter man’s hand.  Ryker wasn’t a huge fan of Jason Moran, but he was a client.  At least for now.  The man was a blowhard who originally thought he could order Ryker around.  The first time Jason had done this, Ryker had politely walked him out of the office, shaking his hand at the elevator door and told him that he didn’t think The Thorpe Group was the kind of law firm that would be of service to Jason’s company. 

T
he man quickly realized his mistake and it hadn’t ever happened again.  Since that day, Jason Moran had been charm personified around this office.  But Ryker knew that the man abused his staff, and he didn’t like that.  He was tempted to tell the man to find another lawyer, but he hadn’t yet made up his mind.  Perhaps this visit would tilt the decision one way or another.  Ryker found that he didn’t have the patience to deal with clients he didn’t respect.  And since he didn’t need to deal with the little man, he had no qualms about either eliminating the man from their client list, or pushing him off to one of his junior associates. 

“Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.  I know you’re extremely busy.”  Jason took the liberty of sitting down before Ryker even offered him a seat. 

Ryker remained standing, telling the shorter man in no uncertain terms what Ryker thought of Jason’s manners.  “My assistant mentioned you need some help urgently.”

Jason flushed, knowing that Ryker Thorpe was one of those powerful men in Chicago
a business owner didn’t want to mess with.  The man might be a lawyer who was probably always on the lookout for clients, but Ryker Thorpe had many powerful friends.  One didn’t want to insult him.  Jason knew he’d done that during his first appointment and had worked hard to maintain a polite demeanor ever since.  But it was hard.  As far as Jason was concerned, Ryker Thorpe was paid by Jason, therefore the man should act like an employee. 

That wasn’t the way things worked, at least not where The Thorpe Brothers were concerned.  Having Ryker Thorpe, or any Thorpe brother, as one’s lawyer, pretty much pushed away most legal issues.  Their reputation for winning just about any case they took on was legendary.  The Thorpe Group’s rates might be twice as high as other lawyers, maybe even three times the going rate, but they also eliminated most legal issues from even happening.  Either by their reputation, or by offering sound, legal advice
in advance so one didn’t get into legal messes in the first place. 

Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those situations that might have been avoided with legal advice.  This was almost personal now. 
“I have a huge problem,” Jason started out, wishing he could stand up, but also knowing that it wouldn’t do any good since Ryker Thorpe was almost a foot taller.  Jason knew he would still feel small and inferior so he remained seated.  At least he could enjoy the ultra-soft sofa while feeling small!

“And that would be?’ Ryker prompted
, smothering his impatience.  He glanced at his watch, knowing that he had another appointment in ten minutes.  He’d only squeezed Moran in now so he wouldn’t have to endure his presence for a longer period of time later on. 

Jason rubbed his forehead, almost embarrassed now to discuss the issue.  But he had no clue how to stop the problem.  “I have someone breaking into my office on a regular basis.  I need help catching the
thief.”

Ryker tried to keep his facial expression blank, but he was having a hard time hiding his surprise.  This wasn’t really a legal issue.  Was the man wasting his time in addition to being an irritation? 
“Have you spoken to the police?” Ryker asked, wondering how he could help.  “If you catch the person, I can represent your interests.  But until then, I’m not sure how I can assist you.”

Jason grimaced, his irritation getting the better of him now that he was thinking back to his problem instead of focusing on being polite. 
“You have investigators, don’t you?” Jason snapped.  Then calmed down when he caught Ryker’s dark scowl.  “Sorry.  This has been plaguing me for a while.  The police won’t help me because they say nothing of value has been stolen and I can’t even prove that it wasn’t an employee playing a prank on me.  They said it was an internal issue and if I wanted to stop the thefts, I’d have to discuss the issue with my employees.  I don’t know who else to turn to.  I’ve hired a private investigator, but they haven’t been able to stop the guy for the past four break-ins.”

That was a surprise.  And confusing.  What kind of pranks would be played in an office environment?  He knew that his staff had some office betting going on.  In fact, even he had
some private bets on the problem between his brother and their office manager.  But he didn’t really consider an office betting pool to be a prank.  And no one stole anything.  At least nothing that had been reported.  Office pencils, pens, paper clips, envelopes and small items were obtained for personal use all the time, but that wasn’t really theft in his mind.  He considered it more along the lines of “the cost of doing business” and not a crime.  “What is this person stealing?” Ryker asked, intrigued despite the arrogant man. 

Jason sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.  “Pens,” he said, smothering his mouth with his hand. 

Ryker stood still, deciphering the man’s words.  “I’m sorry, Jason, but did you just tell me that the thief is stealing pens?”

Jason nodded, looking down at the floor.

Ryker watched carefully, wondering if Jason was going to offer any additional information.  “Are they expensive pens?” he prompted when the exasperating man remained silent. 

“No!”
Jason almost yelled, standing up and starting to pace through the office that was more than twice the size of his own.  “In fact, that’s what’s so infuriating about the issue.  There was a two hundred dollar pen on my desk last night but whoever broke into my office only stole all my cheap, ball point pens.  About ten of them!”

Ryker stared, shocked and amused.  “So this is more of a practical joke?” he offered, trying to get to the heart of the issue. 

“It’s a pain in my ass!” Jason came back.  Then rubbed his face and neck once more.  “I just want to find the bastard who is doing this and make it stop!”  He paced back and forth then threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.  “And last night, all of my paintings were…” he hesitated. 

Ryker stood up
straighter, starting to realize that there was more of a crime here when artwork was involved.  “Stolen?” he suggested. 

Jason shook his head
, his face turning beet red with embarrassment.  “They were pinned upside down.”

Ryker almost laughed, both at the idea of someone
messing with the man’s head like this, and the obnoxious man’s irritation at the culprit’s antics.  “Well, that’s….” Ryker hesitated, not sure how to diplomatically describe Jason’s issue.  “Problematic,” he finally finished. 

Jason was too angry to notice Ryker’s amusement. 
“You’re damn right it is!  But here’s the thing,” he finally said, putting his hands on his hips, mimicking Ryker’s pose.  “You have a great team of investigators.  I’ve heard you’ve deployed them for your clients on numerous occasions.  I’m asking for your help with this issue now.”

Ryker leaned
against the back of the chair, considering the man’s request.  He finally said, “I think the police are right in this case.  It sounds more like a personnel issue than a legal issue, Jason.  If these antics are going on in your office, have you questioned your staff?  Are they happy and ready to work or are they angry at some benefit that is being eliminated from their package?  Or are salaries down?”  Ryker knew that many times people got back at their employers in creative ways.  But stealing pens?  “These kinds of things sound like someone who is just working late and snuck into your office.”

“It can’t be an employee,” he grumbled
, looking like he was at his wits end because of this situation.  “Since this started, I’ve put in a new security system, installed new measures, put in cameras, electrical monitoring devices, badging equipment.  Every time there is a break-in, I call my security firm and demand them to fix my security so the break-ins will stop but this guy is able to circumvent everything my security people put in.  And there’s no trace of anything.  The police dusted for fingerprints but found nothing.  And they said the same thing you did so they aren’t willing to investigate any further.”  Jason took a deep breath.  “Look, I know this isn’t really your area, but I also know your investigator, Mark, and his team are great at finding out things.  I don’t want to know how they do it.  I just want to find out who is pulling these pranks or thefts or whatever you want to call them and make it all stop.”  The man took a deep breath and rubbed his hand over his face.  “I’m looking like a fool and I don’t like that.  Not one little bit!”

Ryker considered the man’s request
and actually started to feel sorry for him.  He was right.  These kinds of things did make a boss look foolish and disrespected.  It would eventually create fallout in decreased business and he’d have to lay people off.  So in the end, Ryker agreed to help out not so much for Jason’s sake but to keep all those people employed.  “How about if I speak with Mark and ask him how he can help?  If there is anything he can do, I’ll have him get in contact with you.  Will that work?”

Jason breathed a sigh of relief.  At least there was hope, he thought.

“That sounds fair,” he replied and puffed up, relieved that he was getting some help.  Shaking Ryker’s hand, Jason wished he could walk down the hallway to this mysterious Mark’s office and demand a consultation.  But Jason also knew that wasn’t the way The Thorpe Group operated.  Jason would wait around and this Mark fellow would give him a call. 

At least the company was customer oriented so it wouldn’t be a long wait.  But any sort of wait, in Jason’s mind, was irritating.  He wasn’t a patient kind of man.  When he wanted something, he wanted it done yesterday.