Rowan closed his eyes and felt how Duke's breath on his head could invoke a warmer feeling in his entire body. When Scott made him feel so cold he would hunt a source of warmth, Duke was like energy that made him radiate.
However, at this point, Rowan didn't know which he liked more than the other. Maybe, that was why he was still freezing when Scott made advances.
In the end, the two moved to the bathroom to wash off. It didn't matter if the dirt and grime were physical or emotional. They still scrubbed at each other's bodies as hard as they needed to relieve their skin. Of course, under the drizzling water, Duke didn't forget how to plant better kisses on Rowan.
…
The cursed ringing tone resounded in the room again, and Rowan's eyes tore at the sound it made. He was still under Duke's arm, the other man spooning him from behind. Instead of an alarm, the ringtone was for a call. When Rowan reached out to check the caller ID, he saw Reeva's face.
"What does he need so early in the morning?" Rowan didn't move away from Duke when he answered the call. In fact, he even sunk closer, taking advantage of how Duke pulled him.
"Hey, Mr. Reeva, did something happen?" Rowan spoke with a smile, receiving a hum from the man behind him. After all, he just spoke loud enough as if letting Duke know that it was Reeva calling.
There was a sigh coming from the other end. It even sounded like someone was moving out of the sheets. Could Reeva still be in bed as well? His voice was even soft and almost in a growl. ["How does this sound to you, Rowan? A minimum of four pieces to be displayed in a company's reception area… in Bradshaw Enterprise's reception area…"]
When Reeva started talking, Rowan didn't even pay a lot of attention. He scrunched his face when he heard about the added work in this supposed vacation in the capital city. It was just that… Reeva said 'Bradshaw Enterprise.' It was enough to wake them both up.
"Did they reach out to you? Or were you the one who pitched the idea to them?" Rowan slowly rose to a seat, Duke doing the same. "Mr. Reeva, do you… know who stands as the CEO of that company?"
["Yeah, but Archie was the one who spoke to them."] Reeva's voice pulled away as if he placed the phone down and only spoke from where he stood. ["I don't know what went down. I received an email from their liaison officer just now. They were the ones who accepted the deal, so it could have come from Archie. Sorry, dearie."]
Rowan hadn't even told Reeva how Scott paid him a visit last night; it even came with harassment. The painter only sighed and looked at the doctor who was managing his long hair behind him. When their gazes met, Rowan just fell to Duke's chest.
He answered Reeva, "When are they expecting us to show up?"
After a while of cementing plans, Rowan and Duke got off the bed. The painter had to get ready even if it meant more work for this supposed free morning. The next appearance would be in the afternoon, but Rowan didn't know if the people already heard about what went down with the Ghoul's Society.
"I'll join you as soon as I can, Rowan," Duke promised as he checked his phone again. The operations last night didn't end well, and Duke was being called away again. It was as if the universe was punishing Rowan for returning to the capital.
Then again, what would Rowan not give to strike fear in Scott's life? No matter. What happened last night was Rowan being caught off-guard. Today, he would be very ready to face the despicable man who hoarded a third of Rowan's life.
Coming to the Bradshaw Enterprise gave Rowan a strange feeling. He just arrived at the driveway with Reeva, looking up at the tall building among the other skyscrapers in the capital. The company logo was stamped on the ground in disguise of a hill with intricately mowed grass. Poles were also standing tall in the entire perimeter as if waving all the red flags they had.
Rowan stared straight at the glass bay where the reception area was. When they walked closer, he could see how many people would be there to admire the painting. It was probably a million-dollar deal, but Rowan still didn't want his painting to elevate Bradshaw Enterprise's status. However, the deal was made by Archie—Reeva's husband and everyone's boss. Rowan just had to suck it up.
"Welcome to Bradshaw Enterprise. Thank you for coming on short notice." The liaison officer shook hands with Reeva and Rowan as he met them by the door. He then walked to the cushioned seats for those who were waiting, only for him to direct them to a group of men standing around.
"Ah, it's nice to see you again, Reeva, Riding Hood." From one of the old men standing around was a voice and a face of familiarity. Rowan knew this old, scrawny man as one of their clients from before. He was also a realtor who sold Archie the spots. Rather than someone from the Underground, this man was just a businessman.
Reeva was taken aback. He didn't expect to see that man. "Mr. Sullivan, it's a surprise to see you here. Please excuse me, Sir Wellington didn't discuss much of the deal with me."
Stan Sullivan only laughed without a care, even attracting eyes from all over the reception. "There is no deal to discuss. Actually, Mr. Bradshaw forwent bidding to come to me directly. That's why I thought of throwing in a good bonus. Archie gave me the green light, so here we are."
"Mr. Bradshaw…?" Reeva echoed softly and turned to the two other old men with Stan.
One was a stone-faced man with a rather long expression. He also had this common haircut despite the expensive suit. Moreover, his arms and neck were quite very muscular for a businessman. Reeva's profiling skill slapped the label of covert bodyguard on that man.
The other was also old, but he had the posture of a speaker. The salt-and-pepper hair also gave away the advanced age. It was just that his eyes were so clear. He had a smile on his lips as well, greeting them with silent enthusiasm.
"Right. Reeva, this is Mr. George Bradshaw, the chairman of Bradshaw Enterprise." Stan introduced the smiling man to them. "George, these are Reeva Schulz and Red Riding Hood. Reeva is Archie's gallery curator and Red Riding Hood's manager. Well, I'm sure you know Riding Hood."
"Of course, I do." George chuckled, his eyes stuck to Rowan. The painter could only smile—discreetly bitterly—at the old man staring at him. George then asked, "Do you want to go by Riding Hood? Or can I still call you by your name, Rowan?"
Rowan nodded as he gave up on building a cold aura while staying here. This was way worse than running into Scott in their company again. "You can still me by my name, Uncle."