Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
JAXON
Then — Six Months Later
Seven Years Before Now
(Livianna 16 / Jaxon 31)
Desire doesn’t whisper…it dares you and then laughs while you choke on the ash.
Jesus, California, even in late September, is too hot. I’ve been traveling so much I forgot, but I’ve kept my enemies away for a long time, and I’m ready to put down roots. California makes the most sense.
I pull into the driveway of my realtor, Greg Hemings’ estate. Its immaculate grounds have me running my gaze over the property.
A gorgeous woman is sitting on the opulent staircase that leads to the grand front door. I quickly calculate her age.
I’m thirty-one and she appears to be a little younger than me, so she must be in her mid-twenties. Perfect if I can figure out who she is and see if she’ll give me the time of day.
She stares at me as I park. I can’t stop looking at her. She has electric blue eyes that suck me in. It could be her blue hair that’s making them more pronounced, but damn she’s a beauty.
She’s not my usual type but more alluring than anything on this estate. That’s saying a lot because this is one of the most extravagant settings I’ve ever stepped foot on.
Who is she and why is she just sitting there?
I get out of my Audi and stride toward her with my stomach doing strange flips. She doesn’t move.
I keep advancing toward her like I’m magnetized to her. It’s likely because I haven’t been on a date in months, but I can’t deny, this woman has me wanting to ask her out right now. Too bad I have business to attend to.
I step up to the bottom of the staircase and remove my sunglasses. “Hi, I’m here for Greg Hemings.”
She gets up, hops down the stairs, and stands a foot before me. She’s a short little thing, so I have to look down at her.
She’s wearing a red cinched corset-like tank top that has her perfect cleavage lined up directly in my sights.
Fuck, she’s sexy.
“Hey, Mr. Manners.” She waves her hand in front of my eyes and points to hers. “My face is up here.”
My cheeks burn and I slide my hands into my pockets as I bring my gaze up. “I…apologize.”
“No worries.” She laughs and flips her hair over her shoulder. “It happens all the time, but I enjoyed making you squirm.”
I stare at the audacity of this wicked little woman.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, I chuckle. “Well, you succeeded. What’s your—”
The front door opens and Greg’s son strolls out. “Hey, you must be Mr. Crowne. My dad is waiting for you in the backyard. If you go along the side of the house, a path will lead you right to him.”
“I appreciate your help, Brendan.” I tip my chin up, showing him a gesture of thanks.
“Call me Guns. Everyone else does.” He slides his arm around the neck of the beauty he just claimed.
Oh, okay. It makes sense now. This must be his…flavor of the week? I’ve heard enough about him from his dad to know that she’s not his girlfriend.
“I should probably thank you for backing Ur Boyz, so thanks.” He puts his sunglasses on and peers down at her. “Ready?”
“More than. I’ve been waiting for you long enough. I need to get out of this stuffy place.” She removes her shades from where they were lodged between her breasts and slides them on.
I stare again.
Fuck, I need to get control of myself.
“See ya around.” Brendan tugs on her to get her to mosey away with him.
She brings her glasses down to the bridge of her nose and winks at me. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Crowne.”
“You too.” I glance away.
There’s no way I’m going to get between Greg’s son and whoever his current love interest is. That’s just stupidity.
They stroll away talking, but it’s nothing I can make out. They get into a brand-new black Ferrari and peel out of the driveway a moment later.
I shake my head. When I was his age, I was trying to survive as I worked my ass off to learn everything there was to know about investing and making what money I had work for me.
There were too many people I had to look out for. I needed money and a lot of it.
It’s been a jarring ride, and I didn’t get to enjoy the luxuries Brendan seems to experience. Far from it. No, I was busy dealing with trauma and cleaning up a catastrophe while building my legacy.
I focus on my task at hand and meander to the backyard. It’s an oasis lined with fresh flowers and perfectly manicured bushes, with a concrete patio, spa-like in-ground pool, hot tub, and a firepit area.
Lounge chairs are available in various places throughout each area. I even notice the top-level security system hidden in each corner of the house.
“Over here, Jaxon.” Greg’s sitting at an iron table, typing away on a laptop.
I wave and stride over. Then sit across from him with my back toward the house. “Thanks for seeing me today.”
“Thanks for trusting me to find you a home you can enjoy.”
Not being able to get my mind off the hot little number that just drove away with his son, I rest back in my seat and adjust my pants to give my dick more room.
“I just saw Brendan and the gorgeous woman he’s…seeing.”
Greg stops what he’s doing and leans back in his chair. “He’s not dating anyone.”
“Then maybe she’s just a friend he’s into.”
“There was a woman here for Brendan?”
“Yeah, I’d say she was in her mid-twenties.”
“He didn’t tell me a woman was coming over.” Greg peers toward the side of the house. “What did she look like?”
I release a trapped puff of desire from my lungs. “She was absolutely breathtaking, with the most amazing…beautiful eyes.”
“That’s not much to go on.” Greg’s gaze narrows. “What else?”
Oh, we must be breaking the ice with this conversation.
I expand into some relaxed guy talk. Not that I know much about that.
I picture her so I can better describe her. “She had a smoking body. A nice hourglass shape. She was short and wildly sexy. Like a hot chick on a poster, kind of attractive.”
Greg’s jaw tightens and his face grows red. “Did this woman happen to have blue hair?”
I get a sinking feeling in my gut. “Yeah. Why?”
“That was my sixteen-year-old daughter.” He glares across the table like he’s about to rip me apart. “Watch yourself, Jaxon.”
My stomach free-falls and the lawn tilts.
“Whoa, Greg. That can’t be. The woman I saw was about my age. There’s no way that was your sixteen-year-old daughter. I’m not into girls. The woman Brendan was with was at least twenty-five.”
Greg takes a deep breath and purposely relaxes his tense muscles. “Sorry, Jaxon, but I hate to break it to you. That was indeed Livianna. You described her to a tee.”
My chest caves in as my cheeks burn. “No fucking way was that your daughter. I would stake my life on it.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He squeezes his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Sorry I snapped at you, but it’s been a long, difficult summer with her.”
“No, I apologize for speaking like that about your daughter.” I almost gag knowing I was attracted to a sixteen-year-old girl. My stomach roils. “I had no idea.”
“Don’t worry. Everyone thinks she’s older than she is.” He groans. “Even she does. She thinks she’s an adult and acts like one. I can only imagine what she did to taunt you.”
“She only winked and…” My insides twist. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I know better now.”
“Yeah, for a minute there, I was about to murder you. Then I remembered who I’m dealing with.” Something behind me catches his gaze. “Speak of the little devil herself.”
I twist in my seat to see Livianna swaying in our direction with an innocent smile spread across her face. Her sunglasses are off and her eyes shine with mischief.
“Hi, Daddy.” She dips her head at me. “Mr. Crowne, nice to see you again.”
I clear my throat, face Greg, and ignore her. He can’t think I’m checking out his underage daughter.
She pulls out a chair between us, sits, and rests her chin in her hands as she gazes lovingly into her dad’s eyes. “Daddy, Bren and I are going shopping and I remembered my credit card doesn’t have enough room left on it. Can I get yours?”
“Why don’t you have enough, Livianna? What do you need that would cost more than you’re allotted to spend?” He studies her.
“A jacket for the winter, shoes, clothes, and makeup. I need to stock up on all the new fall items. I cleaned my closet out after I”—she adjusts her top, purposely jiggling her breasts—“grew out of everything.”
I have to look away. Her dad doesn’t say anything, so I return to face them. He’s staring at her like he’s scolding her, but she just holds steady with a grin beaming his way.
When he doesn’t give in, she swings her head in my direction. “So, Mr. Crowne. Why are you here on a Sunday?”
I swallow and straighten my back. “Your dad is helping me buy a house.”
“Really? Where?” She leans into me.
I inch away. “I don’t know. That’s why your dad is guiding me. I travel a lot and just decided to settle here in California.”
“Malibu is a divine area.” Something beautifully sinful swirls in her eyes. “I would snatch up a home there in a heartbeat if my daddy would let me move out.”
“Livianna…” His stern voice brings her attention back to him. “You can use my credit card, but I don’t want any surprises. The money is for clothes only.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” She slips further back into her chair and crosses her leg over the other.
I glance over. The sleek, defined muscles in her thighs try to force my gaze to them. I berate myself for even being tempted to sneak a peek.
“Excuse me, Jaxon.” He dips his chin to me and gets up from the table. “I need to retrieve my wallet from inside.”
He marches toward the house as I grow tense. I don’t trust this wild young lady sitting next to me, so I scoot my chair farther away from her.
She giggles. “What seems to be bothering you, Mr. Crowne?”
She trapped me into feeling uncomfortable and knows it. I decide to hit it head-on. Maybe it will teach her something.
“Nothing.” I stare coldly into her eyes like she can’t affect me. “I was just thinking you could use some discipline in your life.”