Chapter 36 Penthouse Lockdown
I giggle, raising my hand to block her attacks. "Hey, stop!"
She hits me a few more times before stopping. Then she sighs, her tone turning serious again. "Just take things slow and easy, okay, babe? You've already been through one traumatic event. I don't want you crying and experiencing another. You know how Lawrence can be."
I nod. "I'll be careful, Bev."
"You should also call Jay." She says again
"He's been worried sick about you."
"Yeah, I will."
"Remember, he thinks you're with your grandma, so don't slip up."
"Sure."
"Now," she leans in closely, wiggling her eyebrows and lowering her voice to a whisper. "Tell me all about the sex, without leaving anything out."
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After Beverly leaves, I wander back to Lawrence's home office.
He's at his desk, still shirtless, and focused on the screens with his glasses back on.
I walk over, sliding onto his lap.
"Whatchu doing, nerd?" I tease, resting my chin on his shoulder.
His arms come around me.
"Just one little last thing," he murmurs, typing with one hand while the other strokes my back. "Trying to pinpoint the hacker's location so the Feds can pick him up."
"Oh, I thought you already did that."
"I made the connection that Kieran hired him." He clarifies. "Now I just need to find him
. I'm so close already."
I look at his serious face and press a kiss to his cheek.
"You're so hot when you're nerdy."
He chuckles. "I'm hot all the time, Miss Thorn."
"Excuse you."
He smiles gently.
"So," I say, staring at his jawline and wondering how it's so sharp. "I heard you told the office I'll be taking a few weeks off."
"Yes."
"No." I intone firmly, shaking my head. "I'll be back working in a few days."
"Absolutely not." Lawrence doesn't even take his eyes off the screen. "You've been through a lot."
"I can't just sit around in your penthouse doing nothing."
He pauses mid-keystroke and finally glances at me. "Don't tell me you actually enjoy your job."
"Without all your evil demands, I do."
Lawrence exhales through his nose. "You should rest, Scarlett. What you went through yesterday…"
"I'm strong." I cut in, getting off his legs and moving to check out the monitors on the wall. "Shit like that happens to people every day, so what?"
"No, Scarlett," Lawrence rises, coming to stand behind me. "It doesn't."
"Ugh." I groan, spinning to face him. "Please. I need to save Susan. I hear she's dying under all my duties."
He stares at me for a long moment, his green eyes narrowing behind his frames as he searches my face.
"Susan can handle it," he says finally. "She's competent."
"Not more competent than me."
A little smile pulls at his lips for a second before he snuffs it out.
"I'm serious," he continues, his tone growing firmer. "You were held at…" Lawrence pauses for a second. "...broken bottle point."
I guffaw.
"You watched a man die. You're allowed to take a breath."
"I am taking a breath," I say softly, looking down at my bare feet, then back up at him.
"I just don't want to be alone with my thoughts right now. Work keeps them quiet." I step around him.
"You won't need work when you have me."
I stare at him, my heart doing a stupid little flip.
"You can't be with me all the time; you have to go back to the office," I say. "If I'm not at the office and you're not at the office, people will suspect something's going on."
Lawrence cocks his head to the side. "My work in the New York office is finished," he says casually. "I can choose not to show up again. It'd be unprofessional, sure, but people wouldn't really give my absence much thought, especially since they hate me. In fact, they'd be delighted."
It takes me a second to process.
He's right.
The whole reason he flew in was to investigate the breach and root out whoever was responsible.
He did that.
Kieran's dead. The FBI has the case. The immediate threat is gone.
"So that means you'll be returning to London soon," I say softly.
My chest suddenly feels tight, constricted.
He shrugs. "Yes. But I haven't made up my mind when, yet."
Lawrence draws closer. "So…" His voice drops low as he reaches for my hand, threading his fingers through mine. "Stay here with me. I'll work from home, and so can you, if you insist on working. Susan can forward anything urgent."
His thumb runs down my cheek. "The penthouse is secure. No one gets in without clearance."
Lawrence bends and presses a quick, soft kiss to my lips. "So, little lady, you're not going back to that office until you're ready."
I bite my lip. "And what about you?" I ask quietly. "You're supposed to be in London. If not for work, then for your mother. How is she, by the way?"
Something sad flashes across his face, quick and raw, but he kills it just as fast.
"Her care team is excellent, and Laura's there." His voice dips lower. "I'll fly back soon. But right now, I'm not leaving you alone."
"Okay," I whisper, grateful for his affection. Then I smile. "Watch a movie with me?"
He gives me a little grin. "As much as I want to, I have to finish working."
I groan dramatically.
"Finding the hacker's location can wait. Come on."
I follow after him as he heads toward his workspace, watching him sink into the high-backed chair.
"Wait?" He repeats dryly. "If he's smart, he'd have left the country months ago. And seeing the news of Kieran's death will only make him hide deeper. The earlier I do this, the better."
"But the FBI can handle the investigation," I argue softly. "Don't they have people like you on their team? Tech guys and stuff?"
"Babe," Lawrence scoffs, and the casual "babe"
does something stupid to my insides. "There's no one like me."
"Cocky much?" I tease, rolling my eyes.
"Factual much," he shoots back. Then his tone softens. "Besides, this is personal. He was foolish enough to think he could hack my company and steal my keys. He'll reap serious consequences for that after I find him."
I sigh in defeat, realising there's no pulling him out of that chair once he's locked in.
"Fine. Have it your way then."
I start to turn toward the living room when his voice stops me.
"What movie is it?"
I pause, glancing back with a small smile and open my mouth to respond when he interrupts.
"I'm not watching Stranger Things. Don't even think about it." He doesn't even look up from the keyboard.
I frown, crossing my arms.
"Why say it like it's not worth watching?"
"It's not worth watching," he repeats flatly, his fingers still racing across the keys.
"I caught you watching it earlier, even though it was for a brief moment," I point out. "You seemed to like it."
"Uh… no." He pauses to glance at me briefly. "I did not like watching a laboratory experiment fight off another laboratory experiment with nosebleeds."
I narrow my eyes.
"I won't let you slander my favourite series."
"Fine." He smiles, then goes back to typing.
"Not sure I can continue staying here if that's what you think about it," I mutter, watching his face for a reaction.
"You can and you will," he replies evenly. "Now get your ass to the living room."
I laugh softly but obey.
As I walk away, I can feel his eyes on my back.
I settle on the sectional and choose a random movie Netflix suggests.
And even though Lawrence is in the other room, buried in code, I swear I can still feel him.