Shaw smirked.
“I don’t want this to blow that up. One bad move, and she’s going to tell someone who you are. Or she’ll slip up by accident. Everything we’ve worked for here will be gone.” Rivers snapped his fingers. “Like that.”
The last words punched Shaw right in the gut.
Everything we’ve worked for. Meaning he’d ruin Rivers’s dream in the process. If word got out about who Shaw was and that he was part owner, no one would want to spend their money there. It’d be over.
Shaw could handle a lot, but he couldn’t bear the thought of taking Rivers down with him. He nodded. “I won’t let that happen. I’ve got this handled.”
Rivers gave him a pointed look but finally a nod of acquiescence. “Fine. I’m not going to tell you how to live your life.”
Shaw snorted. “Right. You would never ever do such a thing.”
“Never.” A quirk of a smile played at the corners of Rivers’s mouth. “Just be careful. Please.”
Shaw put a hand on Riv’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I will. Thanks for trying to save me from a stroke…and for everything. But right now, it’s time to get the hell out.”
“Your hospitality skills are sorely lacking.”
Shaw flipped him off.
Rivers pushed to his feet and let Shaw lead him to the door, but a real smile finally broke out on his friend’s face when he turned to face Shaw. “And may I just say…dude.”
“What?” Shaw asked.
“You are fucking loud. Tell that woman to ball gag you if y’all are going to have round two. A guy needs his beauty rest.”
Shaw laughed. “Don’t even give me that shit, McGowan. Let’s not forget I was around for your kinky experimentation phase junior year. I’ve heard things I cannot unhear, Daddy.”
Rivers bit his lip at that, a slight tinge of pink chasing up his neck. “Yeah. Okay. We’re even.”
“Not even close. But I assure you a quiet night for the rest of the evening.”
Rivers stepped out into the hall. “Tell Taryn I’m sorry for barging in. It just never crossed my mind that you’d have a woman in there.”
“Will do. Good night.” Shaw shut the door on his best friend and then leaned against it, his heart beating too fast and Rivers’s words chasing around in his head like angry dogs.
This was a bad idea. Shaw knew it. Had known it going in. Knew it now.
He opened his eyes and looked to his bedroom door, imagining Taryn in there, sleepy and soft and tucked under his sheets.
He knew it. Right now, he didn’t care.
Being with her felt good. It’d been a long, long time since he could say that about anything. He pushed away from the door, turned out the lights, and headed back to the bedroom.
* * *
The sound of the door woke Taryn from her dozing. She turned her head, sleep making her thoughts slow. Shaw’s expression was unreadable when he slipped back inside. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”
“S’okay.” She sat up, dragging the blanket up with her to cover her breasts. “Everything all right?”
Shaw ran a hand over the back of his head, making his messy hair messier, tension wafting off him. “Yeah. Riv said to tell you he’s sorry for bursting in here. He’s not used to worrying about me having…company.”
“It’s fine. A little embarrassing but no major harm done. We’re all grown-ups.”
Shaw walked over to the side of the bed and stared down at her, hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, expression pensive.
She suddenly felt like Baby Bear being found in a bed she wasn’t supposed t