Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Creed
I plate up my food, placing a spare plate for Ana?s into the oven and cover mine with foil before leaving it on the side.
I’m kind of over the hunger now. Cleaning up after myself, my eyes drift towards her door.
I want to knock to make sure she is okay but I know my place.
We don’t know each other well, aside from the odd few greetings and hang outs, but she was always stuck to Royce’s side.
I’m still not convinced they’ll stay apart.
She was good for him, but hey, what do I know?
I’m a forty-six-year-old divorced man. I couldn’t make my marriage work and after I gave every fibre of my soul to her, she broke me into a million pieces.
I heard about the women that wreck you so good you can never move on, and honestly, I never believed it could happen to me, but here I am.
Living proof that love wrecks you. And not in a good way.
I fear that the people who say otherwise are liars.
I vowed to never fall again. I fuck around, keep a few booty calls…
but that’s all they’ll ever be. I have too much riding on my team, too much riding on my name.
This world is flippant and ruthless, one wrong move or one bad season and you’re out on your ass.
Sure, I own Saint Onyx, but we also have shareholders and boards. They can vote me out in an instant.
Swallowing down the thickness, I shake the thoughts from my head.
Glancing at her room again, I sigh and move forwards.
I needed to freshen up before I meet a potential new driver tonight.
I promised myself I would come to Monaco for a break but once I knew that Cowan Pierce was out of contract, I had to set up a meeting.
Rumours are he is the next Max, but we will see.
Max is one of a kind. I’m not quite sure if anyone will be as good as him.
Stepping towards the Jack and Jill bathroom, I reach for the handle and twist it, pushing into the room and freeze when I see Ana?s in the shower. Eyes on me. Naked. Wet.
My legs are heavy, and I know I shouldn’t still be standing there but I can’t move. My eyes are glued to her and when I see her move, I snap out of it.
“Shit.” I dart my eyes to the floor, my fingers tightening around the door handle.
“Get out!” she screams.
I step back, slamming the door behind me, my heart drumming in my chest. Only when I know she is out of sight do I open my eyes but the image of her body is burned into my corneas.
Fuck.
Turning on my heel, I march towards my room and slam the door behind me. As much as my brain is screaming at me that this is so wrong, my cock is throbbing in my boxers, and I need to jerk off. Wrong or not. It needs to happen.
I have no idea how long I have been in my room, but after a wank or two, I know I need to face her.
I had gone over what I would say in my head.
It was a mistake. I didn’t see anything.
Lies. And I am very sorry I walked in on her.
In the shower. Naked. Wet. So wet. Silky skin, curvy hips, full tits…
fuck. Shaking my head, I scrub my face and inhale deeply.
I need out of here. I need to eat the food I cooked and then go and meet Cowan.
Jerking off over my son’s ex-girlfriend was not in my plans today.
I am a sick man.
Inhaling heavily, I tug on my bedroom door and move into the open plan kitchen to see her scrolling on her phone, sitting at the breakfast bar.
My stomach knots and I pull my bottom lip behind my teeth.
She side eyes me as my feet drift across the floor, her apples blush a pretty pink and my skin burns. She looks mad. Rightly so.
“Ana?s…” My voice is thick like gravel, and her eyes bounce to mine.
“Don’t.” Her voice is quiet.
“I didn’t see anything.” I hold my hands up and she narrows her gaze to mine. “I promise.” I whisper before swearing my finger over my heart in a cross.
You’re going to hell.
She drops her head and goes back to scrolling.
“Are you hungry yet?” I ask as I retrieve my own plate, uncovering it and grabbing a knife and fork. I lean across the breakfast bar and twist a forkful of creamy pasta. Maybe I shouldn’t have let this sit for as long as I did but I had more… pressing… matters to attend too.
“A little, but I’ll order in.” She shrugs a shoulder up and I watch her intently. She has a white vest top on, frilly. I think it’s same set I saw her sleeping in.
“I made you a plate.” I nod, finishing my mouthful and placing my cutlery down on the side as I spin and collect her plate from the oven. A small smile causes the corner of my mouth to twitch because it’s still warm.
I place it in front of her, and her wide eyes settle on mine.The air crackles ever so slightly between us and I lose myself in the calmness of her ocean blues. They’re pretty and glisten like the sun does off the sea in the summer.
“Thank you.” Her voice is quiet as I place it down in front of her before breaking my gaze from her and reaching for clean cutlery.
We sit in silence as we eat the steak pasta I cooked, a few stolen glances every now and then, and I can sense how dangerous this could be if I allowed it. But I knew this was nothing more than what it was.
A double booking.
She loved Royce, and I knew deep down he still loved her too.
Sure, if she was nothing to do with my son, I would have her face down with her ass in the air by the time this evening draws in, but she is forbidden fruit. Even though she would be one of the tastiest fruits I would sink my teeth into, I knew I couldn’t go there.
Not even once.
She hops off the stool and cleans away both plates from our late lunch even though I insisted I would do it.
Walking into my bedroom, I quickly change into a smarter polo shirt and fresh jeans.
Grabbing my wallet and keys, I pace back into the living room and see her curled up on the sofa with her laptop resting on her bent knees, phone in her hand as she scrolls through and edits her vlogs. A soft smile slips onto my lips.
“I am going out now,” I announce and I’m not sure why, she doesn’t care.
Her face turns towards me, eyes lifting over the sofa and she gives me a small smile.
No words are spoken.
Walking towards the door, I couldn’t seem to keep my mouth shut because I find myself turning around to face her. “If you finish early and fancy a drink, I’ll be on my yacht which you’re more than welcome to use.”
I sound like a pretentious asshole.
“Thanks,” she says nonchalant as her eyes drop back to her laptop.
I am annoyed at myself slightly for even offering it. No idea why, though.
Walking down the marina, I give Toby a nod as he stands by my yacht.
“He isn’t here yet, is he?” I ask as I fold my hands into my pocket and reach for my phone.
“No, Mr Lexington, just you.” He smiles at me as he steps aside as I climb onto my boat and sit down on the back, overlooking the quiet marina. A few of the guys I know give me a wave, or a bottle lift and I wave back.
I miss this. I miss the freedom.
It makes me realise how much I want to come to Monaco during breaks a little more. I have seen the world; I don’t need to see anything else. I want to spend the next few years just living my life, taking it slow, enjoying every day, that kind of thing.
Emily walks over, placing an iced bucket for the champagne next to me with two glasses.
I give her a warm smile. Emily has worked for me for as long as I can remember.
In her mid-fifties, she mothers me most of the time even though she is only ten or so years older than me.
Her husband, Frank, works for me too, and honestly, they’re the best of the best.
“Can I have an old fashioned whilst I wait for Cowan, please?”
“Not a problem, Creed.” She gives me a smile and disappears into the yacht, and I am alone with my thoughts.
Placing my phone on the table, I eye it and debate messaging Royce. Kind of feel like I should let him know that she is here, not that we planned it, but she is here, in my apartment.
Doing what I know is the right thing, I swipe my phone from the surface and click his name, tapping it onto speaker as I hold it in front of my mouth.
“Hey.” His voice is raspy, tiredness coating it and I clock the time on my Audemars Piquet Chronograph, it’s just past seven. My brows pinch.
“I woke you?”
“Yeah, but it’s fine, needed to get up anyway.”
“Sorry.” I knit my brow before catching Emily walking towards me with my old fashioned. She gives me a soft nod and places it down in front of me.
“What you doing?” he asks through a yawn.
“Just on my yacht. I have a meeting with someone.”
Silence creeps through the speaker.
“Am I safe?” The panic claws at his throat and my heart throbs.
“Always,” I say, and that’s the truth.
As long as he wants to be a driver, he will always have a seat with Saint Onyx.
I know I threatened it before, but it’s because I can.
He will always be my number one. But if I am being honest, Kai is bringing us down.
He is confident and arrogant, and his head is getting dangerously close to exploding.
We’re all for confident drivers but not to Kai’s standard.
He is too confident.
“Who you meeting with?”
I glance over my shoulder and notice a small crowd of paps hovering.
“Cowan,” I whisper into the phone as I turn back around and reach for my glass, taking a mouthful and welcoming the bitter taste that coats my tongue.
“Cowan fucking Pierce,” he hisses, and I glare over my shoulder again and shorten my gaze.
“I can’t talk about this now,” I say quietly, swallowing down the thickness in my throat.
Silence meets me again.
“I was actually calling you for a reason…” I trail off and tighten my grip on the crystal glass. The commotion getting louder behind me.
“Cowan wasn’t the reason for your call?” his voice is muffled slightly.
“No.” My tone is sharp.
“Right?” He waits for me.
“It’s about Ana?s.”