Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
JAXON
Then
Designer Guilt &Unspoken Rules
Panic dressed in silk leaves bite marks without ever raising her voice.
Livianna trembles, but she calms down as I hold her securely in a nurturing and stabilizing hug. She glances up at me and her breath hitches. Her gaze darts around my face and she turns red.
What the hell is going on with her now? I know she was having an anxiety attack, but this is different.
She pushes out of my arms and twists away. She slams into her dad’s chest. He takes one glance at her and flits an angered gaze at me.
Greg Hemings is about to murder me. “Jaxon, why does Livianna look like you did something to her?”
I slide my hands into my pockets to show him there’s no threat. “She was having some breathing issues. I brought her out here to get some air. I was only making sure she didn’t need more assistance.”
“It’s true, Daddy.” She runs her palms over his arms. “I was talking about work and got nervous. You know how I get sometimes.”
Why does she still call him Daddy?
I clench down on my teeth. She’s too old to be calling him that. Then again, she is only seventeen.
How do I always seem to forget she’s so young? Because she looks like she’s closer to my age. That’s how.
He scans her face, concern filling the space around him. “Do you need anything from—”
“No. That’s what Jaxon helped me with. He made me realize I was fine.” She peeks back at me, then at Greg. “Daddy, I don’t need them. Isn’t that weird?”
Need what?
His body relaxes. “What it is, is great news. Whatever he did, keep doing that.”
“It was his…strength.” She shakes her head. “He was just helping me. Not in a strange way, but he was calm with me. Instead of having a wild reaction, he was… I can’t explain it, but it worked.”
I only did what any other compassionate person would do for someone who seemed to be in some kind of trouble.
Without knowing for sure what she was going through, I keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to assume anything.
“Livianna, you’re making so much progress. I’m proud of you, darling.” He hugs her for a moment and releases her. “You have a guest waiting for you downstairs. That’s why I was looking for you.”
“Oh, okay.” She turns to me. “Thanks, Jaxon. Have a great night and tell Cindy I enjoyed getting to know her.”
“I will and I’m sure she feels the same.” I give Livianna a dip of my chin, excusing her. “Have a good time with your guest.”
“You too.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and blushes. “Would you mind if I got your phone number from my parents?”
My stomach lurches into my throat. That has problems written all over it.
I brace myself. “Why? For what reason would you need that?”
“The idea I was starting to tell you about.” She sheepishly gazes at her dad. “I have a business objective I want some advice on. Would that be okay with you, Daddy? Jaxon is an investor and Cindy, his date, told me he’s the person I should talk to about it.”
“I don’t know, Livianna. Taking on another project with as much as you have on your plate doesn’t seem wise.” He kisses her on the cheek. “Let’s discuss this later.”
“Yeah, okay.” She lowers her head.
Her entire body shrinks and she shuffles away. It’s almost as if he just crushed her dreams.
Iron forms in my chest. I hate seeing people being shut down around something that could change their lives.
My parents think I should remain small and go unnoticed. I keep myself out of the spotlight to limit my exposure, but they still worry.
Livianna’s design line is a great idea. Especially since she’s an actor and has a platform she could market to already in place. Maybe there’s a work-around to how Greg feels.
He pats the side of my arm. “I’m sorry if she put you in an awkward position. She’s doing better with certain things, but she’s a work in progress. Please excuse her if she made you feel uncomfortable.”
“She didn’t.” I gesture to the opening of the downstairs. “If anything, I’m interested in whatever she wants to explore around her career.”
“That’s kind of you, Jaxon, but she takes on too much as it is.”
“What if that weren’t the case? How would you feel about it then?”
“I’m not sure I’m following. Please explain.”
“Before you got out here, she mentioned she was thinking about quitting her show. Maybe she wants to go in a different direction than acting.”
“She said that?” His face bunches up. “That’s news to me.”
“You seem to be the one she wants approval from. If I had my guess, she’s afraid to tell you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It’s just something I’m picking up on from her.”
“Huh?” He runs his hand over his neck. “You are great at reading people, so you might be right.”
I let him sit with that thought for a moment. I don’t necessarily want her to call me for advice because of how she’s behaved with me before, but she deserves to be heard out.
Maybe I could recommend someone to help her. Who could be good for her to receive advice from?
The last time I interacted with her comes to mind. A wave of nausea floats through me.
I got caught in her seductive trap, not knowing how young she was. She was trying to taunt me and using her body to do it. The second her dad came out and confronted her, she backed off.
I better find out more about how Livianna acts around most people so I can introduce her to the appropriate person to assist her. Nobody wants or needs to be put in a precarious position.
I rest my palm on the top of the concrete railing. “Greg, when I previously saw her, you said you had been having a difficult summer with her. Is that what you’re referring to when you say she’s doing better?”
“Yes. There are still times when she acts out, but she’s seeing a therapist. That seems to be helping her.”
“That’s great. I’m sure you’ll see her continue to mature.”
“I hope so. These next few months will be the test.”
My curiosity leaps. “Why do you say that?”
“Her boyfriend is going—”
“My apologies for disappearing on you.” Cindy strolls up with her bloody nose taken care of. “The weather’s been so dry and my allergies are terrible.”
Yeah, right. She must think I’m an idiot if she believes I don’t know she has a cocaine problem.
Why Livianna was doing it with her is a whole other question, but none of my business. This town is full of people who do drugs. And in her line of work, it’s even more prevalent.
At first, when Livianna started to panic about whatever was going through her mind, I thought she was having a bad reaction from doing coke.
It became clear it was more than that by her breathless plea in the form of my name. She was crying for help as if she had been through a similar reaction before. The feeling resonates deep within me.
I release the thought and focus on the beauty that’s standing at my side. My mind goes to what I want to do to her later.
I slide my arm around Cindy’s waist. “I’m glad you got your issue taken care of.”
“It’s embarrassing.” She smiles over at Greg. “I met Livianna. I thought she looked familiar and assumed it was from a business venture.”
He chuckles. “No, she’s a TV star. That’s probably where you’ve seen her before.”
Cindy nods. “You’ve only mentioned you had a daughter and not by her name. Imagine how silly I felt when I realized she’s the star of the show Ember From Denver. In my defense, I never watch TV. I don’t have time for it. I’ve just seen her on the cover of a few magazines.”
Greg grows tense. “Don’t feel bad about not recognizing her. She was probably happy you didn’t put it together. She doesn’t like that side of fame.”
“Who would?” Cindy motions inside. “Will you excuse us, Greg? If we can find Lorna and I can show her my appreciation for a delightful night, that would be wonderful. I have a packed weekend at work and would like to get home early.”
“I understand. If it weren’t for Lorna demanding I take one day off every weekend, I would be a workaholic.” He leads us out. “Thanks for coming by.”
We give our gratitude for the invite, say goodbye to Lorna, and leave the party. Cindy may have told Greg she needed to rest due to her business obligations, but my guess is she’s looking for more entertainment in the bedroom. All well and good for me.
I have no desire to be in a relationship with her and she knows that. Our arrangement is purely sexual.
I drive out of the Hemingses’ estate. “Would you like to come over to my place, or do you really want to get home?”
“Take me to my house but plan on coming inside. I’d like to experience a great release and then go to sleep. I truly have a ton to do this weekend.” She runs her palm up my thigh.
My dick grows at her soft touch. “In that case, your place it is.”
She rests her head back and closes her eyes. “I’m mortified.”
“Why?”
“Before I realized who Livianna was, I thought she was a powerful business owner like we are.” Cindy shifts so she’s sitting sideways in my direction, still moving her hand over my shaft. “I mistakenly took her as someone my age.”
Talking about Livianna while Cindy massages my length gives me the creeps.
“Livianna does look older than she is.” I intertwine Cindy’s fingers with mine and move, resting our arms on the console between us. “Can we focus on us?”
“Of course, handsome. Although one last thing and then I’ll drop it.”
“What’s that?”
“I told her about the Becketts’ sex clubs.” Cindy visibly shudders. “I hope she doesn’t mention that to Greg and Lorna. They’ve been great clients of mine.”
“You did what?” My mouth goes dry. “Jesus Christ, she’s only seventeen.”
“I know. That’s why I’m spinning in my head.” Cindy pulls her hand into her lap. “Do you think I have anything to worry about?”
I consider everything Greg’s confided in me about Livianna. She has a tendency to act out and use her attractiveness to do it.
He says she’s better about not doing this, but he said he’s troubled about something with her boyfriend. Yeah, I’d say Cindy has something to be concerned about.