Chapter 33
Zoe
I still feel boneless after last night’s orgasm. Sex with Riggs is my new favorite activity. I don’t have any other experiences to compare it to, but I can’t imagine anything ever being better than what I’ve experienced. Because I’m relishing my post-coital bliss, the yelling from downstairs jars me out of my haze.
I throw on one of Riggs’ button-down shirts and go downstairs to investigate. There can only be one person who has my husband so upset. I’m afraid the root of the problem is one thing. Me.
“Damn it, Calla. What did you do?” I’ve never seen Riggs so worked up about anything. He’s not one to raise his voice, so his shouts have me recoiling against the wall.
“It wasn’t me, Daddy. I swear.” Calla shakes her head back and forth, tears wetting her eyelashes.
He holds up his phone, shaking it. “Who else would have sold this story to the tabloids? You said yesterday that you would find another way to get money. I had no idea it would be at Zoe’s and my expense.”
Calla’s breath comes out choppy between her sobs. I hate how I’ve come between Riggs and his daughter. This can’t continue.
“Go home,” he hisses, jerking open the door. “I don’t even want to look at you right now.”
His words hurt Calla more than a punch in the face would. She jerks her head back and covers her eyes. “Daddy, no.”
“Get. Out,” he hisses through gritted teeth.
She gives him one last pitiful look before leaving. He slams the door behind her, dropping his head to the door. My heart breaks for both of them.
“Riggs?”
He turns to face me with red-rimmed eyes. “You heard?”
“Some. What happened?” I rub circles on his back, hating how upset he is and wishing there was something I could do to take away his pain.
“She went to the tabloids. It’s all over social media that you’re a gold digger, and I’ve been grooming you since you were a child. Rick told me to stay away from Titan until this cools down. Our deal might fall through because my own daughter painted me as a pedophile to the press.”
“Are you sure she’s the one who sold the story?” She may hate me, but surely she wouldn’t do that to her father.
“They quote her as saying she can’t believe I’ve been grooming her friend behind her back for all these years. God, Zoe, it looks so bad. The photos.” He holds out his phone.
“That’s absurd. I just met Calla.” I take it and see him between my legs in the pool while my head is thrown back in ecstasy. At least they blurred out my naked tits and his head covers the rest. The second photo is of us at the tile store. I look like a little kid next to him.
“This is bad,” he says.
“How did she get the picture of us in the pool? I don’t think she gave them this photo. No kid wants to see their dad doing that .”
“Maybe not, but she did say I groomed you.” The hurt in his voice is unmistakable. Especially since I know the whole grooming thing is part of his biggest fear.
“You know that’s not true. I’m an adult, and we fell in love. End of story. As for Calla, we don’t know for sure she said that. Tabloid gossip isn’t exactly factual in nature.”
He sits on the table, dropping his head into his hands. I can see how much this is breaking him apart. No matter how much I love Riggs, I can’t put my wants and needs over his relationship with his only child. Neither of them would ever forgive me if I came between them.
I sit next to him, placing a hand on his back. “I promise things will be okay.”
He lifts his head, frowning. “How can you be so sure?”
“I just am.” Because I’m going to fix this.