Chapter Four #2
“Come, now, don’t be mean. Just think of it as shared custody,” Miles says, leaning in a little too close to me.
Why does he smell so good? Even with a puppy in his arms, I can still smell his own personal scent.
It’s imprinted on my nostrils. I swear I can tell every time he’s within breathing distance.
“Fine, but let me hold her,” I huff, reaching out to grab her without invitation.
“Be careful. I’d hate for her to scratch you,” he warns.
“It will be fine. She’s a baby,” I coo as I pull her from his arms. Our hands lightly touch, and I swear he intentionally lets them linger a little too long. That’s surely not the case since he doesn’t like me.
“What shall we name our baby?” he asks, petting her back, leaning in a little closer. She wags her tail, looking up at us with so much joy. I try not to like this feeling too much, so I create some emotional separation since he refuses to allow any physical kind.
“Hmm… that’s a difficult one.” I tap my chin. “Surely you can’t give them one of your mistresses’ names. We wouldn’t want you to confuse them, so you’ll have to think of something else.”
He chuckles. “I love that sass, Princess. Any name you want because I have no mistresses.”
My dad leans in and interjects, “Actually, Mistress would be good.”
“It’s perfect,” I tease.
“I like it, too.” He looks into my eyes, and for a moment I can’t pull my gaze away.
“Come on. We need to have our meeting. Sweetheart, can you keep an eye on little Mistress for now?” Miles forces himself to step back.
I nod.
“Don’t spoil our little girl too much.”
“Please.” I roll my eyes and scoff. “I’m sure your daddy is going to spoil you rotten,” I say to the little puppy. A growl comes from behind me.
“We need to discuss some matters, Miles,” my father insists.
“Yes,” he answers, gives me one last look, and then walks away. I start playing with the little girl in my arms as the men’s footsteps head down the hall.
“Maybe we can find her a master one day,” I tease, forgetting myself for a moment. I don’t think they heard me, but I’m wrong.
“One day,” Miles says, closing my father’s office door behind them.
I suck in a quick breath, grateful that they’re already in his office so he couldn’t hear or see me.
“Okay, pretty girl. It’s just you and me for now, so how about you and I get to know each other?
But first I need to put my school things away and get a little more comfortable.
” It’s late, and I haven’t had dinner. I’m actually starving, since I’m pretty much running on coffee and a protein shake today.
I’m just passing by my father’s office when I overhear Miles say, “What are we going to do about Elsa?” Miles says.
“I’m not sure. She’s not…” Whatever they were going to say is cut off by Miles’s phone ringing. What the hell are they talking about? I hear his unmistakable footsteps again, so I pick up my pace and rush toward the kitchen instead of my bedroom.
“Oh, sweetie, what do you have there?”
“Oh, this is one of Miles’s mistresses. At least this one is pretty,” I answer with a bit of attitude.
“I told you, Princess. I have no others. I’ve only had business dinners, and some of them happen to be female clients. One day you’ll see,” he says, stepping up behind me. Is he implying something between us? I can’t handle him.
“I thought you were in a meeting,” I challenge, wondering why he’s bothering me after talking about me. I want to challenge him, but then I’d have to admit to eavesdropping.
“Something came up and I have to run.”
“I bet.”
“Why don’t you run Mistress to my house and get her settled in with her things?”
“Because she’s your bitch,” I snap, feeling annoyed by the fact that he’s running off suddenly.
“That’s not nice talking about your baby like that. She’s yours too.” He scoffs and shakes his head. He whispers, “She didn’t mean anything by that. She’s just grumpy about school and she probably didn’t eat all day.” He bends down and kisses the top of her head and then smiles up at me so sweetly.
“I’m grumpy because you are…”
My mother cuts me off. “Elsa, would you like me to go with you and help?”
“That would be a great idea, Mrs. Martín,” he adds, using his perfect charm as always. “I really must go. See you later.”
“Mom, I’m going to change and then I’ll be ready to take Mistress to his place.”
“Did you really name her that?” she asks with her eyes wide.
“Yes. Dad is the one who came up with it after Miles said it was the only mistress he’d have, but I know he’s full of shit. There’s always a different name for his hookups.”
“You sound jealous for someone who always protests that she doesn’t like him.” My mom is always telling me that, but I can’t help denying my feelings. Miles is so much older and just wildly more mature than me.
“He’s annoying.”
“Yep. Handsome, rich, powerful, protective, and sweet, but yes, very annoying.” She smiles and shakes her head.
I roll my eyes and take Mistress with me as we walk back out of the kitchen and then up the stairs toward my bedroom. Once inside, I set her down and finally kick off my shoes. “Your daddy is a major ass, but I’m sure you’ll love him like every other female of any species.”
She wags her tail happily like she already agrees.
Damn—I knew it. He’s already got her hooked.
“Let me get changed, and don’t you go messing up anything in my room or your daddy is going to pay.
” I point at her and scowl. She huffs and jumps on my bed, making herself comfortable, ducking her head into my pillow like she owns the place. She’s just like Miles.
I don’t take too long because I don’t trust my new companion, but she’s a good girl and is exactly where I left her, completely snuggled up on my bed like she’s unwilling to move and it’s her spot.
“Come on, girl. It’s time to go and move in with your daddy.”
She perks up and hops to her feet, wagging her tail. I snag her off the bed because I don’t want her to jump and hurt herself.
When I get downstairs, my mother is ready to go, so we take the puppy outside to do her business before hopping into the SUV. I’d hate for her to do her business in the back of my mom’s ride. Miles would get an earful when she saw him next along with a hefty cleaning bill.
“She’s so precious, Elsa.” My mother has fallen under her spell too. Honestly, so have I, and I wonder if that was Miles’s plan all along. I wonder why he’d want me to look after his dog. He obviously doesn’t have romantic feelings for me, so I bet my dad has something to do with it.
We arrive at Miles’s property, which is only twenty minutes from ours, and the guards let us in.
“Mrs. Martín, Miss Elsa, good evening,” Carl says as we’re welcomed into the front door of his estate.
I love Miles’s home, but it reminds me that one day he’ll have a wife and family living here.
A pang shoots through my chest at that image.
“Thank you. It’s good to see you,” my mother says with her perfect civility, but I just smile through the pain.
They know I’m probably here under duress as usual.
I’ve had to come here to drop off some documents that my father wanted to deliver, and once when my mom made a special treat for Miles.
It was like I was their delivery service even though we had twenty other people they could have sent.
“Is this the new addition to the household?” Carl asks, staring down curiously at the cutie in my arms.
“Yes, meet Miles’s Mistress.”
“Elsa,” my mother scolds.
“What? That’s her name,” I remind her.
“Her name is Mistress?” he asks.
“Yes, that’s what we named her.” He chuckles behind his hand.
“Very well. Everything is set up in the room off the stairs for her. Please come and see.” He shows me, and Miles has gone all out for the little puppy.
“Wow. He took this new father thing to a whole new level.”
“He’s just practicing for the future,” my mother says.
“What does that mean?” I ask her.
“Oh nothing. Just that a man like him will one day need a family to take over his empire.”
“Oh, I suppose you are right about that.” Again, there goes that pain in my chest. We look through all the puppy toys and on the shelf is the adoption paperwork. She’s a chocolate labrador and her owners are Miles Ivanov and Elsa Martín. I shake my head and laugh.
“He really did make me part owner,” I scoff, handing my mom the paper. She laughs.
“She’s adorable though.”
“She is.” She jumps on my leg with her tail wagging, and I can’t fight the smile she brings to my face. Miles might be a jerk, but I’m so happy to have her.
We get carried away playing with the puppy when Miles walks in. I see red on his collar, and I assume that he’s a liar like most men. “She must have been worth dropping an important meeting for,” I mutter under my breath.
“Sweetie, that’s not lipstick,” my mother says through clenched teeth. Then she smiles at Miles and gives him a motherly pat on his arm. “Miles, she’s adorable. I think we should let you shower and change.”
“Um, yes,” he mumbles, and gives us a light wave before walking away. That was when I noticed his bandaged knuckles. That was blood on his collar.
“Oh my God, Mom. That was blood on his shirt. What do you think he went and did?” I stare after him as he disappears up the stairs.
My mother tugs me away and continues to scold me in a hushed tone, “I don’t know, but it’s none of your business, sweetheart.”
“None of my business—what if he went and hurt somebody?” I let out a gasping whisper.
“Again, just none of our business, honey. More than likely that person deserves what they got. Miles is a good man. You know that, despite your anger toward him all the time.” She’s right; even when I’m cranky with him, I know the truth.
I’m really never ever upset with him to the point that I don’t think he’s a good man, just an ass.
I know what he’s involved in. Maybe that is wrong; no, I know it’s bad, but my father has been in the same situation.
In fact, he had helped him become the man he is.
Miles’s dad is a professional hacker and has taught Miles how to do so many things that he’s an expert at being deceptive.
I worry about how much he gets in trouble, but I don’t imagine him being that dangerous.
“Do you think it’s his blood on his shirt? ”
“I doubt it, sweetheart. Now, you’re probably being a bit hysterical because you haven’t eaten today. Let’s get you some food on the way home.” We do just that. Although I’m totally calmed down, I still wonder whose blood Miles had on his clothes.