Chapter Ten
Ava
I was a new level of sore by the time we finished fucking. “I should feed you, and I’m getting hungry as well.”
“I could really use some food.” I rubbed my belly. He stared at it for a moment before saying, “Do you want to go out, or order some takeout?”
“Takeout would be better. After the many images out there, I’m not ready for the shock.”
“It’s crazy. So—Chinese, pizza, or something else?”
“I could go for some Chinese.” He handed me several menus and then went to grab a tray of snacks from his panty.
“Here are some goodies to hold us over.”
“A man after my own heart.” I snagged a small bag of pretzels. I was more hungry than I realized. We ordered the food and then he said, “I’d like to talk about the ad campaign. I actually think the video is good.”
“Do you want to keep it up?”
“If you do?” I thought about my father’s reaction, and my chest hurt. “Did you talk to your father about it?” His tone registered differently and made me think twice. He knew something he wasn’t saying.
“Yes, and he wasn’t happy about it.”
“What father is happy about seeing his daughter in underwear? But was that why you were in tears this morning? Or did he say more than he was not happy about it?”
“You knew I was crying this morning?” I asked.
“Ronald said it was pretty obvious.” I should have known better.
“That explains why you showed up to the office.”
“Well, yes, and I wasn’t pleased with the whole boss situation either.”
“You need to get over that one. That’s the politest conversation we ever had, and never once was he inappropriate with me. In fact, he pointed out something about you I didn’t know. You’re a billionaire.”
I shrugged. “It’s not something I pay attention to.”
“Me either, but he said it’s the reason I probably didn’t need a job anymore.”
“He’s right about that. Why make you grind when I can take care of you while you work on your passion?” I loved the way he cared about my wants.
“Because we weren’t official.” He wrapped his hands around my waist.
“Babe, we were official the moment I got my hands on you,” he growled against my lips. “But we’re getting off track again. We need to talk about your father. He called me.”
“He called you?”
“Yes, I thought it was surprising that he had my phone number, which is extremely private, so much that even spammers can’t hit it up. Only my clients have it, and my father, and that asshole Henry.”
“Do you think he gave it to him?”
“That’s the only way he could have gotten it.”
“It made no sense how he managed to get it so fast unless one of them gave it to him. How about we call him and find out?”
“He might be at the hospital.”
“Well, we can try.” I nodded and took out my phone nervously.
“Don’t worry. I don’t give a fuck that he thinks I’m not good enough for you or that you supposedly have a fiancé back home.”
“Fiancé?”
“Yes, he told me that you had one back home and that he’ll forgive you for betraying him.” I clamped my lips together because I was about to say something terrible. It was like I didn’t know my father anymore.
“Wow.” I dropped to the chair behind me. “I can’t believe it, but I know you’re not lying. He was the maddest I’d ever heard him.” I dialed his number and it rang twice before he answered.
“So you finally decided to call back. Have you packed up to come home?”
“She will be packing to move into her new home.”
“So you speak for her now?”
“Just like you believe you speak for me? I’m twenty-two and somehow you believe that you control my life.”
“I paid for your college.”
“I can’t believe you. Since when have you become so petty?” I had a hard time believing the shift in him.
“I’ll send you the money right now,” James responded.
“You can’t afford it. What’s an ad guy like you make, even in a city like New York? Besides, I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry, Ava.”
“That would be true if I worked for the ad agency, but I don’t. Who the fuck gave you my number in the first place?”
“Someone at the agency, of course.”
“Not ‘someone.’ Who exactly gave you my number? I want to know who I’m going to sue into oblivion. I only did the ad as a favor. My number is private and exclusive. There were only two people at the agency that should have it, so I’ll repeat myself again. Who gave it to you?”
“Henry. He told me that you were just sleeping with my daughter to make a sale.”
“Well, for a doctor, you’re not a bright man. I don’t work for the agency, and if you had looked me up, you would have known that. I’m a security specialist who only works with those who can afford my services.”
“What?”
“I am going to rip my brother’s balls off, so he might need a doctor. Since you guys are so close, you could probably stitch them back on. Then again, he did come on to your daughter just to get between us and because he likes to screw any female with a pulse.”
“None of that matters. You’re not good enough for my daughter.”
“No, none of it matters because I remember you saying that you wouldn’t hurt her and now twice today you’ve made her cry, and that in itself is unacceptable to me, so until you can be the father she deserves or the man she can respect again, don’t bother calling again.
” James ended the call and then pulled me into his arms.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “I don’t know why he’s being so cruel and unsupportive. He’s always been my rock.” It truly hurt her, and that angered me.
“Don’t thank me. Everything from now on, I do for you and our family. I won’t ever stop you from seeing or speaking to your father, but I won’t allow him to hurt you.”
I brushed my lips against his. Our kiss started off slow and sweet, but then it turned into so much more. Just as he slid his hand under my shirt, the doorbell rang. “The food,” he grumbled against my mouth.
“As much as I love your kisses, I do need food.” He nodded and then left me there to get the food. A minute later he came back with our meal. It smelled so good, and I let my troubles with my father go to the back of my mind just long enough to eat.
“So now that I’m unemployed, what am I going to do?”
“I could think of a couple of things,” he chuckled.
“Other than that, because you’ll be working.”
“You have your novel to finish,” he responds.
“And then I’m sure I’ll start another one, and whatever else goes into the whole process. How are you going to handle Henry?”
“I thought about killing him, but that’s pretty frowned upon.
I could have him arrested for several charges that he’s accumulated over the years.
I’ll have to finally call my lawyer and have them sent in.
It’s about damn time. Maybe someone else will find more charges for the prick.
He’s made enemies wherever he goes. Hell, that’s the reason we hired you. ”
“Oh, really? Do tell.”
“I called the usual guy and was told to fuck off and to look elsewhere because Henry screwed his girlfriend. Elizabeth recommended you, and of course I thought she was talking out of her ass. Like ‘I have a pretty friend’ kind of thing.”
“I know what you’re talking about. We all have pretty friends, but not everyone is model material.
Honestly, I’m not model material. Claude is seriously really good at his job.
I’m not tall enough or even the right size, but he captured all the right angles.
He took five hundred shots and managed to only select twenty-five. ”
“Well, that’s all he had time for. The man was going on a vacation with his wife. He said you were a natural, which he said was rare for a newbie.”
“So the agency got lucky.”
“So did I.”
“We all did.”
His cell rang as we set the dishes in the sink.
“It’s my father.” He took the call. “What do you mean, did I have him arrested?” He raised his brow and ran his hands through his hair.
“No, I didn’t. You have got to be fucking kidding me.
That’s news to me, and he fucking deserves it.
I was almost willing to let his other bullshit slide, but this is beyond unforgivable.
I hope he rots, and I can’t wait to hear what the police and the district attorney have to say when I meet with them. ”
He ended the call and then started pacing the floor.
“What’s going on?” I reached out and touched his shoulder. He turned and apologized.
“I’m so sorry, my sweet. The issue I had Saturday that forced me to leave was a security breach.
I knew it was a former employee, but what I didn’t realize was that it was also my brother.
My father called because Henry was picked up by the police on suspicion of grand larceny and attempted burglary at Keaton Security with co-conspirator John Joyce, my former employee. ”
“Why does he hate you so much?”
“He blames the world for his bad choices. I’ve been constantly bailing him out, and he hates that my father comes to me for the next bail out.
Every bad decision led to the next one to address the previous one.
If I tried to help, I was a know-it-all who needed to mind my own business unless it was to bail him out.
My father always took Henry’s side even after he slept with my girlfriends.
It was my fault for bringing them around.
They liked him better, and maybe I needed to build confidence. ”
“God, that’s awful. I’m not sure why you stuck around for so long.”
“I’m not sure either. Now I’m glad I did, but it’s done with. I’m cutting ties, and Henry burned his last bridge. My father can waste his last dollar bailing him out.”
“Good.” I kissed him like he needed.
“How about we go to bed and we can talk about this tomorrow?”
“I’d like that.” He scooped me up and carried me up the flights of stairs.
“You keep this up and your back is going to hurt.”
“Never. I’m only going to get stronger.” He kissed me as we reached the bedroom door and then set me on my feet. We went inside and prepared for sleep. I didn’t bring anything with me, so I borrowed his things. “I guess we know what we’re doing tomorrow.”
“What?”
“Packing.”
“Yes, we are.” I smiled and climbed into bed in a pair of his boxers and a tee shirt that covered my ass.
“Did I tell you how sexy you look?”
“No, but thank you.”
“No, thank you.” I had a feeling sleep wasn’t coming right away.