Chapter 41
CHAPTER 41
“R ayna?”
“Hmm?” She closed the book she’d taken from the bookshelf and glanced up from where she was tucked under a soft and cozy blanket on the large sectional. She frowned at the look on Isaac’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” He sat down beside her, uncovering her feet and placing them in his lap.
He rubbed them, and she moaned with pleasure, snuggling deeper into the sectional. “That feels amazing.”
He laughed. “Should I be insulted that the ‘I’m rubbing your feet’ moans sound very similar to the ‘I’m fucking your pussy’ moans?”
She wiggled her toes at him. “There are subtle differences.”
Still rubbing her feet, he said, “The travel advisory from last night and this morning has been lifted. We can head back to Harmony Falls.”
It was impossible to ignore the disappointment coursing through her. She’d only been at Isaac’s penthouse for roughly sixteen hours, but it had been one of the best sixteen hours she could remember in a very long time.
She’d fallen asleep in Isaac’s arms and slept until nearly nine. After a slow and very thorough round of lovemaking, instead of doing some work as she expected, Isaac had made them brunch while she took a bath in his soaker tub.
He’d given her one of his t-shirts to wear and put her clothes in the washing machine before instructing her to relax on the couch while he cleaned up the brunch dishes. She’d never felt so spoiled or taken care of, and she had even given herself permission not to check rescue texts and emails compulsively.
“I don’t have to work tomorrow,” she said hesitantly. “Maybe we could stay another day?”
His face showed genuine disappointment. “I have an in-person meeting tomorrow at the office that I can’t miss.”
“Okay,” she said. “Just let me get dressed, and we’ll go.”
He pulled her into his lap when she threw back the blanket. He gave her a sweet kiss that weirdly made her want to cry. “I really enjoyed being here with you, Rayna.”
“I did too,” she said. “Thank you, Isaac.”
He nodded and, that disappointment still on his face, released her when she tugged at his hands. She grabbed her clothes from the dryer and changed in his bedroom, telling herself not to be so damn upset. Staying another day here with Isaac would be a mistake. It would lead her to feel things she had no right to feel.
This again? You’re already in love with him. When will you stop soaking in that pool of denial you’re currently in?
Arranging her face into a cheerful smile, she headed back to the foyer, where Isaac waited for her. “Okay, I’m ready to go if you are.”
Isaac opened the closet but then turned to her without taking out their jackets. “Maybe I could reschedule -”
The elevator at the far end of the foyer dinged, and the doors slid open. Isaac turned to stone beside her, a combination of anger and fear settling on his face. On instinct, she grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly as she studied the man who strode out of the elevator.
He was Isaac’s father. She didn’t need an introduction to know that. His blue eyes, jawline, and walk were eerie echoes of Isaac. He stopped in front of them, peeling off his leather gloves as he studied Rayna, found her wanting, and turned his gaze to his son.
“Hello, Isaac.”
“What are you doing here, Dad?” Isaac’s hand squeezed hers until her fingers went numb.
“I’ve been asking you to meet with me for weeks,” his father said. “Since you’ve been ignoring me, you’ve left me no choice but to show up unannounced.”
“How do you know the elevator code? I’ve never…”. Isaac’s face twisted. “Fucking Jasper gave it to you.”
His father’s nostrils flared. “Language, Isaac.”
“How did you know I was in town?” Isaac ignored his father’s rebuke.
“Your mother told me.”
“Oh, that is some bullshit right here,” Isaac snarled. “Tell me the fucking truth.”
“Christ, you get worked up so easily,” his father said. “Calm down and -”
“Tell me!”
“Your doorman has my number. I asked him to text me the next time you were in town.”
Isaac rolled his eyes. “You bribed the goddamn doorman.”
“As I said, you left me no choice.”
Isaac stayed silent, and while his grip had loosened, Rayna could practically feel the anger radiating off him. She smoothed her thumb over his as his father stared at her again.
He held out his hand. “Alexander Stark. And you are?”
“Rayna Abrams.”
She refused to shake his hand, and after a few seconds, he dropped it and looked her up and down. “You don’t look like my son’s usual type.”
“Get the hell out of my house,” Isaac growled, half-pulling Rayna behind him.
She placed a hand on his back, rubbing in soothing circles as his father said, “I’m not leaving until you speak with me.”
Isaac barked harsh laughter. “Your days of telling me what to do are finished.”
“You owe me!” his father snapped. “You quit the company and became my competition out of spite. You owe me the decency to listen to what I have to say, Isaac. I am still your goddamn father.”
“I don’t owe you shit,” Isaac said. “I won’t let you gaslight or manipulate me anymore. Leave.”
“I’m not leaving until you listen to what I have to say,” Alexander said.
“Fine. We’ll leave.” Isaac started toward the elevator, pulling Rayna with him.
“I’m going to lose the company,” his father said.
Isaac stopped so suddenly that Rayna bumped into him. She stepped back, trying not to wince when Isaac’s hand tightened painfully on hers again. He turned to face Alexander. “You’re losing the company?”
Alexander’s face was a dark red. “Yes, and I want to speak with you about it.” His gaze landed on Rayna. “In private.”
Isaac put his arm around her waist, one big hand cupping her hip. “Anything you say to me, you can say in front of her.”
“I won’t talk about my business in front of your latest… fling, Isaac.”
“Then we don’t talk at all.” He started for the elevator again.
“Fine,” his father snapped.
There was a thick and heavy silence that made Rayna want to find the nearest exit. Instead, she took Isaac’s hand and said, “Why don’t the three of us go to the kitchen, and I’ll make us coffee while you and your father speak.”
Isaac put his mouth to his ear, his voice low for only her to hear. “Don’t leave me alone with him.”
She cupped his face, rubbing her thumb across his cheekbone and smiling reassuringly at him. “I won’t, honey.”
“Listen to your fling,” Alexander said. “Talking to me is -”
“Her name is Rayna!” Isaac snarled. “Call her my fling again, and I’ll toss you in that goddamn elevator and never speak to you again.”
Alexander held up his hands. “Okay, okay.”
“Apologize to her,” Isaac growled, his hand tightening on Rayna’s hip.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Rayna,” Alexander said stiffly.
She nodded, and with Isaac still holding her hand like she was his lifeline, the three of them walked to the kitchen.
* * *
Stark grabbed the milk and the sugar as Rayna made the coffee. The thick silence was as oppressive as a Georgia heat wave, and he was so nauseous that he wasn’t sure he could take a single sip of coffee without immediately throwing up.
His father striding into his penthouse like he owned the damn place had sent his head into a tailspin. He’d immediately felt small and insignificant, his brain overwhelmed by the rush of adrenaline, the urge to flee, and that small voice in his head that reminded him he wasn’t smart enough, creative enough, or good enough for his father.
He probably would have completely spiraled if it hadn’t been for Rayna. Her small but comforting presence had kept him grounded. He hadn’t even been embarrassed by his plea for her to stay with him. Her reassurance that she wouldn’t leave had helped center him and remind him that he wasn’t alone. She was right there with him and wasn’t going anywhere.
Rayna placed the steaming hot coffee mugs on the table before sinking into the chair next to him. He took her hand again, holding it tightly as they watched his father add milk to his coffee and take a sip.
“How is your mother doing?” he asked.
Stark grimaced. “This isn’t a social call, and you don’t get to talk about her ever. Just tell me what’s going on with the company.”
Alexander’s nostrils flared in annoyance, but his tone was civil when he said, “The company’s in a bit of a downturn, currently.”
“Currently? Your company has been failing steadily for months,” Stark said.
His father’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “At this moment, I don’t have enough cash flow to cover our monthly expenses, including payroll and the building rent.”
He arched an eyebrow at him. “So, cover it yourself. You have plenty of liquid cash.”
“I have bankrolled the company for the last year and a half,” Alexander said. “My personal funds are no longer enough to keep the company functional.”
“Year and a half… are you fucking kidding me right now?” Stark said.
“Obviously, I am not,” his father said grimly. “If I don’t find an investor in the next few days, Stark Gaming will fold. Which is why I’m here.”
Rayna jumped when Stark barked harsh laughter. “You want me to invest in the company?”
“I do,” Alexander said.
“No,” Stark said. “Find someone else.”
“Don’t you think I’ve tried? Believe me, I have exhausted every possible avenue when it comes to investors, Isaac. You are the company’s last chance.”
He leaned forward when Stark didn’t say anything, his fingers tapping out a nervous beat on the table. “The company is solid. You know it is. We’ve just had a few missteps in the last couple of years.”
“A few?” Stark said. “The last six games you’ve released have failed dismally. Why should I invest in your company when it’s failing?”
His father took a deep breath. “Five months ago, we hired a new developer. A kid named Jaxon Miller. He’s good, Isaac. Really good. The game he’s developing right now will turn the market on its head. I promise you. We’re releasing it in three months. All I need is enough of an investment from you to keep the company afloat until its release. You will get your money back. I promise you.”
Stark rolled his eyes. “The developers Jasper hires don’t know shit about gaming. Why the fuck you ever let Jasper take charge of the company is beyond me. He’s useless and -”
“I hired this developer, not Jasper! And the reason Jasper is with the company is because you abandoned me,” his father snapped. “I couldn’t run the company on my own, and you knew it, but you still left. What did you expect me to do when you walked away?”
He didn’t want to feel guilty, shouldn’t have felt guilty, but he could feel it creeping in anyway, like a rank smell in the house that you couldn’t get rid of no matter how often you cleaned.
“He didn’t abandon you!”
Stark stared in surprise at Rayna as she leaned forward, her face full of fury. “Isaac left because you refused to see how talented he is. Even if the games he produced weren’t number one in the gaming community, you know goddamn well how amazing he is. It’s the reason you drove him away. Instead of being proud of him, of supporting him and his incredible talent, you couldn’t stand the idea that your son was better than you because you’re a terrible fucking father. Even now, when you’re asking him for help, you have to try to cut him down because that’s what people like you do. You make yourself feel big by making others feel small. What an absolute dumpster sack of rancid donkey meat you are.”
His father’s mouth gaped open, a look of stunned surprise on his face. Hot warmth flooded Stark’s chest. Rayna’s utter lack of fear in standing up to his father and her fierce defense of Stark filled him with pride, joy, and… love.
He stared at Rayna, his pulse skipping wildly, and the knowledge that he loved her an all-consuming drumbeat in his brain.
“You… you can’t speak to me that way,” his father said.
“Why? Because I’m a woman or because I’m telling you the truth?” Rayna asked.
“Isaac,” his father gave him a look, “control her, please.”
Laughter bubbled out of Stark’s chest as Rayna snorted. “Control me? Christ, no wonder Angela dumped your sorry ass.”
His father’s face turned an alarming shade of red. He pushed back his chair and stood, his hands clenched into fists at his side. “I’ve said what I came here to say, and the rest is up to you. Just remember that Stark Gaming employs people with families, people who need their jobs and would be screwed if the company folds. These are good people who don’t deserve the actions of what your selfishness would create.”
He paused in the kitchen doorway. “Call me if you decide to care about someone other than yourself for once.”
Stark didn’t reply, and his father left the kitchen. Rayna waited until they heard the elevator doors close before turning to him. “You are not responsible for taking care of his employees, honey. Don’t believe that, okay?”
“I know,” he said.
“I can’t believe he even said that,” Rayna said angrily. “Is there no low he won’t stoop to?”
“Obviously not,” Stark said.
She stood and paced angrily back and forth. “I know you said your dad was an asshole, but my God, Isaac, that’s honestly just sugarcoating it. I hate him. I’m sorry. I know he’s your dad, but I seriously hate him.”
He stood and pulled her into his arms, kissing her until her body melted against his. She clung to his hips, giving him a dazed look when he finally pulled back. “Wow.”
“Thank you,” he said hoarsely. “Thank you for staying with me and for standing up for me. You… you were incredible, Rayna.”
She hugged him hard, her beautiful face warm and full of kindness. “Isaac, I meant every word I said, and I will always be your biggest cheerleader and supporter. I mean that.”
He swallowed hard, giving in to his overwhelming urge to tell her that he loved her. “Rayna, I -”
Her phone rang, and she grimaced before pulling it out of her pocket. “Shit, it’s Reba, my medical coordinator. She only calls if there’s something wrong. I have to take this.”
“Okay,” he said.
She bit her lip indecisively as her phone rang again. “What were you going to say?”
“Nothing that can’t wait,” he said.