Chapter Nine
James
I called Claude right away. He was on vacation with his wife and the bastard knew how important the shoot was for us, but he also understood that she was mine and how crazy I was about her.
“Hey, how did you like the edits?”
“First, how did Henry get the full video?”
“He wasn’t supposed to have that. I pulled the file and locked it so no one could view it again. Sorry about that.”
“What I’m more concerned about is the ad. Why the fuck was the voiceover a private moment between Ava and me?”
“First, nothing said in that room is private. If you read the contract, you would have seen that for everyone’s safety, there are audio recording devices set up so that once someone enters the room, they go off.
I don’t ever want to be accused of any impropriety by any client.
One client tried that shit a long time ago, but they weren’t aware that my wife was my assistant—a mistake they learned the hard way.
I left the rest of your conversation out of it.
Trust me when I say that I wish I could have used more.
You two have to be my favorite couple. The images were natural and perfect. I’m sorry if you were offended.”
“No, I just should have read the documents. Normally, I’m more careful.”
“Yes, especially since you provide my security, and you had the audio set up as well.” I had been in such a rush to handle my family’s mistake, I made my own crucial one. Still, Claude had been stand-up about it and only used what he thought was necessary to make the ad shine.
“Don’t ruin your relationship with that woman. She appears to bring out the messy side of you, and that can only be for the best.”
“You’re right, and I sure as hell won’t.
Thanks again. Take care.” I ended the call and had to make a very important one to check on Ava’s trip to work.
As much as I wanted to stalk and harass her, I decided it was best to give her a little space.
Soon, we’d have all our mornings together, so I called her driver.
“How was her dropoff this morning?” I asked Ronald.
“Um…for the most part…good.”
“What do you mean, the most part?”
“Well, she looked like she’d been crying and that she was about to cry again. I managed to get her some breakfast, and that stopped the tears. Apparently she likes the bagel spot you like, sir.”
“That’s a good thing, but she didn’t say why?”
“I didn’t ask. It wasn’t my place, and I have sisters. If you ask why they’re crying, they just cry more. It’s not a good thing.”
“Oh. Thanks for handling it. Did you notice anyone lurking around?”
“No, sir. The street seemed mostly empty.” I nodded as though he could see me. I wanted to crush the person who hurt her. Ava was my world and was everything to me, so her pain was mine. Heaven help my brother if it was him who hurt my woman.
My phone rang, and it was a number I didn’t recognize. Still, I answered it because only clients had this number. “James Keaton.”
“Yes, this is Dr. Kelly, Ava’s father. I want you to leave my daughter alone.” I did my best not to laugh over the phone at his ridiculous request.
“Not going to happen, Mr. Kelly.”
“It’s Doctor, and clearly she could do better than someone like you. Besides, she already has a fiancé here. You’ve disgraced her, and you’re lucky that her fiancé has already forgiven that video with the acknowledgment that it’s just a commercial.”
“I’ll give you a polite ‘mind your own fucking business.’ Ava isn’t engaged to anyone else but me, so you can go take that attitude somewhere else.
How dare you say she’s been disgraced, you disrespectful son of a bitch.
I don’t care if you’re her father or not—you don’t ever say something awful about her.
If you’re the reason that she was crying this morning, then doctor or not, you’re going to need to find another way to work with your hands because I’m going to break them. Do you understand me?”
“So you’re a thug?” My fist needed to meet his smug face. How could he raise such an angel?
I pulled the stress ball from my desk that Elizabeth gave me as a gift last year and squeezed it like it was his neck. “No, I’m a man who protects his woman.”
“And I’m a man who would never hurt his children.” The lying sack of shit already proved to be wrong on that point.
“So stay away from my woman and hopefully any children we’re blessed with.” I hung up the phone and called Ava’s detail. “Where is she?”
“She’s at her desk, as far as I know, but we’re not allowed near the building. It has security.”
“Good. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Make sure no one goes near her unless it’s one of her coworkers, and make sure as hell that they don’t touch her or insult her or anything.
Make it happen. I don’t care what her boss says.
It’s not like she’ll be working there much longer.
” The vehement tone in my voice left no way to mistake my message.
I was on a warpath, and nothing but her happiness would satisfy me.
“Of course, Mr. Keaton.” I was out of the office and in my vehicle before anyone interrupted my rampage. The door to the passenger side opened up, and there was Elizabeth.
“I’m coming with you so you don’t do something stupid and end up in jail.”
“Smart. That’s why you’re an amazing assistant.”
“I know.” She winked and buckled up as I flew out of the parking spot and out onto the city streets.
It didn’t take us long to reach the warehouse office building.
There was more security than there should be, and I immediately recognized the LLC before I pulled up to the lot.
Motherfucker wasn’t just a tow company. I chuckled to myself because today was Ava’s last day whether she liked it or not, or I’d drop the fucker as a client.
Apparently they hadn’t listened because when I walked in, she and her boss were having a grand old fucking time while he sat on the edge of her desk, both laughing. He was a little too damn close to her. He’d clearly seen the pictures and thought my woman was fair game.
“Excuse the fuck out of you, but what is going on here?”
I didn’t miss the shift, and I understood it more than even Elizabeth did. “You,” he whispered. A predator just found his prey. I believed I just lost my most valuable assistant while I planned to steal his.
“We have a problem, Hernandez.”
“No problem at all. Ava was just getting her shit, right?”
“I thought you said I didn’t have to quit?”
“By the look on Keaton’s face, I’m guessing he says otherwise.”
“Damn right, unless you want our contract terminated,” I told him.
He raised his hands. “Not at all. Go ahead. She’s a good assistant, but sorry, not irreplaceable.” He spoke to me, but his eyes hadn’t left Elizabeth.
“I wondered how you got out,” he growled.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, we should go.”
“Are you coming, Elizabeth?”
“Yes, I’m ready to go.” She left ahead of us.
“That’s okay.” Hernandez nodded and smirked.
I wondered what that was all about, but I had other problems to handle.
“You’re not going to ask me about him?” Elizabeth questioned as she drove away from the warehouse.
“Not unless you feel like sharing.”
“Good. I’d rather not.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the headrest.
“You and I have a lot to talk about, though.” I squeezed Ava’s hand in mine.
“Yes, like how you just forced me to quit my job.”
“A job you didn’t care for,” I reminded her. “Also, I’m pretty sure you want to finish your book.”
“How did you know about that?” she asked, her mouth falling open in shock.
“Sweetheart, it was on your nightstand and all over your kitchen table. Just because I didn’t ask, doesn’t mean I didn’t observe. Now you have the time to write it without interruption.”
“Soon without money for bills, either.”
“We’ll discuss that all when we get home.”
“Are you dropping me at the office so I can get my car?” Elizabeth asks.
“Sounds great to me.” We stopped at the office, and Elizabeth went in to get her things.
Afterward, Ava and I headed to my house where I planned on enticing her into staying forever.
I’d only known her for a short time, but I was beyond obsessed.
I wasn’t sure how she felt, but I’d try to get her on the same page no matter what it took.
“I thought we were going to my place.”
“You thought wrong. I said home. Your apartment is nice, but we’re going to mine and hopefully the place we’ll be calling our home for the foreseeable future.”
“You’re awfully pushy and demanding.”
“No, I just want to talk to you alone, and I haven’t seen you in hours. The first time I do, you’re laughing and giggling with a fucking mobster.”
“A mobster?”
“Yes, while he sits inches from you as if he has intentions of taking you away from me.”
“Well, that obviously isn’t true.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not ready to pop him in the jaw.”
“And what do you want to do to me?”
“What I want to do to you, we don’t have room enough in the car for,” I growled, running my hand up her thigh.
“Fuck, how far away do you live?” She slammed her thighs together, trapping my hand between them.
I smirked, and then answered, “Another five minutes. Four, if you’re a good girl.”
“I’m always a good girl.”
“Then unbutton your top.” She followed my command, and at the next light I got a peek at her huge tits that I wanted in my damn mouth so badly. I ached to bend over and suck on her hard nipples right through her bra.
“The light’s green, James.”
“Fuck.” I made it to the house in three minutes, but it still took me a moment to get out of the vehicle because my dick was so stiff that I had to readjust it before I could move.
“I was a good girl, Mr. Keaton. What’s taking you so long?” she teased with a giggle as she pressed her hand on my thigh.
“Now you’re being a bad girl,” I grunted, catching her hand and stopping her from torturing me. “Once I get you inside, you’re going to pay.”
“How much will it cost?”