Good thing I liked playing in the muck.
Chapter 12
There was nothing else to say, so Owen, Finn, Bria, and I left Callie and Donovan in the office. The four of us walked back through the kitchen and the front of the restaurant before stepping outside into the afternoon sun. The day was even hotter and more humid than the previous one had been.
"I think that went rather well," Finn said in a cheery voice. "All things considered. "
I looked at Bria. "Do you want to slap him or shall I?"
Bria held out her hand in a go-ahead motion. "The pleasure is all yours. "
Finn winced and ducked behind Owen. "Quick! Let's make a break for it!"
Owen laughed. "You're on your own, buddy. Let me know how that turns out for you. "
Finn huffed, but he didn't step out from behind Owen.
Most of the brunch crowd had already gone, leaving only a few cars parked in front of the restaurant - including Finn's smashed-up convertible. He walked over to his beloved Aston Martin and examined it from every angle before he turned to look at me.
"Now I'm doubly glad you killed those black-hearted sons of bitches," he muttered. "Look what they did to my car, my beautiful, beautiful car. If they were here, I'd shoot out their kneecaps myself. "
I rolled my eyes. "It's just a car, Finn. It's not like you don't have a dozen others back home in the parking garage of your apartment building. "
He sniffed. "Yes, but those are back home, and we're here. And this model was destined to be a classic. Now it's just another piece of junk. "
He stuck out his lip, pouted, and then kicked the tire the way that a little boy would.
I looked at Bria. "How do you put up with him?"
Bria started to open her mouth, but Finn piped up instead.
"She puts up with me because I happen to be rich, handsome, charming, a witty conversationalist, and exceptionally talented in bed," he smirked. "Flexible too. "
I groaned. "I did not need to hear those last two. "
Finn just grinned. Nothing restored his good mood more than needling someone else, and I was happy to take one for the team, since it was my fault that his car had gotten trashed in the first place.
Finn pulled out his cell phone and arranged for a tow truck service to haul his convertible to a garage to get the dents beaten out of it and have the windshield and seats replaced. Then the four of us got into Finn's Cadillac Escalade, which he and Owen had driven down to Blue Marsh this morning. We stopped to pick up some groceries and other supplies, and an hour later, we were back in the beach house I'd rented.
Finn walked through the house before stepping back into the living room. He sniffed his displeasure. "I suppose that it will do. But it's not nearly as nice as staying at the Blue Sands would have been. There's no pool, no bar, and most importantly, no gorgeous blonde to give me a full-body massage. " He grinned at Bria. "Unless you want to volunteer for that last particular duty. "
Bria snorted, but I could see the heat glittering in her eyes. Finn might drive her crazy with his motormouth and excessive ego, but she couldn't keep her hands off him any more than I could keep mine off Owen.
"Homework first, children, and then you can play," I drawled. "Finn still has to secure our invitations to Dekes's press conference and whip up some fake credentials for me, remember?"
"And it won't take me more than an hour to do all that," Finn said. "Besides, I'd much rather play first and do homework later. That's always so much more fun. "
He leaned in close and whispered something in Bria's ear. She blushed, then let out a small, slightly embarrassed giggle. Finn gave me a triumphant look, his green eyes sly and bright in his ruddy face. He grabbed Bria's hand, and the two of them disappeared down the hall without a backward glance. A few seconds later, more giggles filled the air, along with the sound of a door slamming shut.
That left me alone in the living room with Owen. He hadn't said much in Callie's office or on the ride over to the beach house, but he'd been staring at me with a dark, guarded expression ever since Donovan had shown up at the Sea Breeze.
"How about we take that walk on the beach now?" he suggested. "And give Finn and Bria some priva
cy. "
I nodded. Owen didn't say anything else, but I had some explaining to do, and we both knew it.
I grabbed a couple of large blankets and a blue-and-white-striped beach umbrella from one of the downstairs closets. Owen took the umbrella from me, hoisting the white metal pole up on his shoulder like it weighed nothing. I took a moment to admire the ripple of his muscles under his shirt. Unlike the other wealthy businessmen in Ashland, Owen came by his sculptured physique the old-fashioned way - through hard physical labor. He'd spent years working as a blacksmith while he built up his own business empire, and he still made weapons and iron sculptures in the forge in the back of his house.