"What did you tell her?" My shoulders tense even though I doubt like hell he said a word to Lark about where I was. I know she wanted to talk to me about why I still have the two images of her tattoo on my phone. I saw the question written all over her face the other day when I sent them to her, but I had personal business to take care of, and I'd requested Crew's discretion when I texted him to tell him I wouldn't be in.
"Nothing," he replies with a shrug of his shoulders. "She assumed it was related to Gem. I told her she dumped you and that was the end of it."
"I dumped Gem," I correct him.
"Not according to what she's posting online."
"She's a liar, Crew." I run my hand through my hair. "The worst mistake of my life was hooking up with her. I'll regret that forever."
"Regrets are useless, Ryker. Use that experience as a lesson. You know the kind of woman to stay away from now. Consider yourself lucky that y
ou weren't tied legally to her."
I've thought about that myself. Gem wanted a ring. She begged for one on her birthday a few months ago but I wasn't feeling it. Truthfully, I didn’t entertain the thought at all. I want the whole wife and family scene one day, but not with someone like Gem.
"You're too fucking young to worry about shit like this." Crew looks at me with a grin. "You've got years of good hard fun ahead of you before you should even think of settling down. Use me as an example. I'm what... three, four years older than you, and I'm nowhere near ready to hand it over to one woman."
"I'll keep that in mind, Crew. I'll buy you a beer at the party."
"I already bought all the beer for the party and the wine and all the other shit my assistant said she needed for it." He chuckles. "My plan is to tap out now. I don't need to be there. You should show up though. Keep the troops in line."
"They're all looking forward to it." I ease into the subject I've been dying to broach since he showed up. "Is Lark excited for it? I know she had a good time last year."
"Did she?" His mouth curves. "I wouldn't know. I asked about it and she shut me down so I dropped it."
"I'll make an appearance." I stand and extend my hand. "I won't see you again before Christmas break so enjoy the time with your family, Crew."
"You do the same." He gives my hand a firm shake. "You need anything, you call me, Moore. I can round up people to help you out within an hour. If you need the extra hands, I'll make it happen."
I appreciate the offer but I need something else. I need a chance with his sister. I'm hoping tonight I'll get it.
Chapter 10
Lark
"What are you doing over the Christmas break, Lark?" Dexie tips the glass in her hand in my direction. "Are you heading up to Connecticut like you did last year?"
And repeat one of the worst weeks of my life? Nope. I went to Connecticut after my birthday last year with a group of female friends from college. I thought it would be a week filled with shopping, good food and girl talk topped off with a New Year's Eve celebration for the ages. It was none of that. I spent almost an entire week listening to my school friends bitch about the men they'd been dating, the jobs they hated and the gifts they got for Christmas that they didn’t want.
"I'm staying home." I take a small sip from the glass of sparkling water in my hand. "I'll clean my closets and organize my kitchen."
"Way to live on the wild side." Christine downs what's left of the wine in her glass. "Dexie and I are going to hit a couple of clubs on New Year's Eve. You're welcome to come with us."
It's a tempting offer but I have other plans for New Year's Eve. My parents own a hotel in Times Square, and they've always kept a suite on the top floor open for anyone who wants to hang out there to watch the ball drop. I've never done it but I've always wanted to and this year seems like the perfect opportunity.
I've done some subtle digging and at the moment, it seems like I'm the only Benton who will be there. I'm good with that. I can welcome next year alone with a clear focus on what I want to accomplish.
"I have plans," I say with conviction. "Thanks for the invite."
"Are your plans with Ryker?" Christine's brows dance. "If they are, can you take pictures? I don't think he would mind. He seems very comfortable in front of the camera."
Dexie laughs but my expression is stoic, my eyes glued to Christine. "Just because he seemed comfortable doesn't mean he was. Those pictures are an invasion of his privacy."
"Look at you defending him again." Christine leans forward. "Are you fucking him? You're fucking Ryker, aren't you?"
"Did you hear what I just said?" I place my plastic wine glass on the conference room table next to where we're standing. "Every time you crack a joke about those pictures, you're disrespecting him."
"I knew something was going on between you two after the way you reacted in the boardroom when I pulled up those memes of his dick." She jabs her index finger into my forearm. "I saw you two kissing by the elevator at the party last year. I thought it was nothing when I heard he was fucking that Instagram model, but you've been his second taste this entire time, haven't you? You give it up to him when she's off jetting around the world. You're his whore on demand."