Chapter 14

14

Lena

I glance down from the window to where the party continues on the deck outside the conservatory. It's chilly in early March, but the slight breeze through the open window is refreshing, and heaters have been placed around the perimeter of the area. The men and women I saw earlier mill around. The little girl is playing with the cat on one end of the deck. The cat jumps off, then races across the grass.

"Andy," the girl calls. She goes to step off the deck but a woman, presumably her mother, hauls her up.

"It's time for bed, sweetie."

"But Andy — " She wriggles in her mother's grasp.

"It's your bed time, Avery," her mother protests. She turns to walk away, but the little girl bursts into tears. "A… Andy," she blubbers. "Andy. Meow. Kitty."

A tall, broad-shouldered man walks over to Avery. "What's wrong?"

Without waiting for her to reply, I grab my phone, then turn and dash out of the room. Isaac left earlier. We fought, as expected, and he stormed out of the house in a huff. After which, I didn't want to return to the party so I came up here to observe the proceedings from afar. It's not like I spent any time stalking JJ as he stood talking with two other men. No, I didn't notice how his suit outlines his broad shoulders, or how his jacket stretches tightly over the planes of his back when he slides his hands into his pocket, or how the seat of his pants clings to that tight ass of his. And holy shit, I've already seen how magnificent that part of him in between his thighs is, too. It's etched into my brain, if I'm being honest, and the images troubled me throughout last night.

I shove them to the side as I dart down the steps and past the conservatory, then through the kitchen, past Miriam and the catering staff, to the door at the back. I slip out, then walk outside of the golden glow cast by the lights on the perimeter of the decking.

"Hey, Andy, here boy," I say in a low voice as I walk past the bushes. "Where are you, Andy?" I open the torch app on my phone, then shine it into the undergrowth. There's a skittering in the bushes. The light catches Andy's eyes and reflects back at me. He mewls, then walks over to me, his tail high in the air. "There you are." I switch off the flashlight and squat down to his level. Andy rubs up against my leg. I scratch him behind his ears and he purrs loudly.

"Gosh, you're happy, aren't you?" I scoop him up, then straighten. I turn and bump straight into a hard brick wall. Correction, a warm brick wall, with planes so well-defined I can feel them through the fabric of the jacket and the shirt stretched across it. Big hands descend on my hips. The heat sinks into my skin, straight to my core. The complex notes of sherry, oak and chocolate, laced with the aromatic fragrance of cinnamon assault my senses.

Of course, I know who it is before he growls, "The fuck are you doing here?"

Andy yowls in protest. I pull back, and he releases me enough that I glance down to find the cat has dug his claws into the front of JJ's jacket. He's also glaring up at JJ with a displeased look on his face.

"I don't think he likes you."

"What are you doing here?" JJ snaps.

I blow out a breath. "We can have a normal conversation without one of us losing our temper, you know."

"Can we?"

Something in his voice makes me glance up. Dark eyes, so black they seem like infinite pools of possibility in this light. Or black holes. Aren't both the same? Once you fall into a black hole, you'll never find yourself again. Once I glance into his eyes, I can't look away. Golden flares spark deep inside. A nerve throbs at his temple. There's so much intensity in his gaze, so much authority, so much pain. I blink. The man's suffering and he'll never talk about it to anyone. I raise my hand, maybe to touch his cheek, maybe to clasp his shoulder, but he steps back. He lowers his arms to his sides, and I shiver.

"You're cold," he growls in an accusatory tone.

"It's early spring in London, and I'm outside without a wrap or a jacket. Of course, I'm cold."

"You need to get inside," he says in that same snarly voice.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "No shit," I say under my breath.

"What did you say?"

I cough. "I meant, you're right..." Daddy.

His shoulders go solid. The planes of his chest seem to freeze. His dark eyes seem to darken even more, until they become black holes.

"What did you call me?"

My gaze widens. Good God I didn't say that aloud. I know I didn't. But he must have heard what I implied. And he doesn't seem upset about it. Disturbed, maybe. Turned on, definitely. But he seems more surprised by it than anything else.

"Lena." He lowers his voice to a hush and little slivers of delight pierce my skin. This is so wrong. So very wrong.

"Tread carefully, little girl, you are in dangerous territory," he says in that same thick voice.

My core clenches and I glance away. "I'm sorry," I mutter. And I am.

I don't understand why I feel the need to constantly provoke him. Must have something to do with that tightly held control of his. It tempts me to chip away at it and expose the emotions that bubble underneath. I brush past him, and to my relief, he doesn't stop me. Andy gets restive and I bring him up against my chest. "I'll get you in there, little buddy. Are you missing your little play partner, hmm?"

I step onto the deck and past the men engaged in discussion. I walk inside the house, and the warmth instantly envelops me. I hurry over to the couch where the little girl bawls in her mother's arms. "Here you are."

Andy jumps out of my arms and onto the couch. He brushes up against the girl who instantly stops crying. "A… Andy," she sniffles.

"Oh, I'm glad you found him." Her mother sighs in relief. "I thought, for sure, I'd have to send her father in search of the cat."

"I saw him wander off into the undergrowth from upstairs, so I went after him." I smile down at the girl who's rubbing her palm over the cat's forehead.

"I appreciate that." She holds out her hand. "I'm Elsa, by the way."

"Lena." I grip her slender fingers.

"And I'm Sebastian," the man towering over the two of them says.

"Pleased to meet both of you." I release Elsa's hand and take a step back. "I guess I'll leave you to it."

"What nonsense." Elsa rises to her feet. "You should stay and enjoy the rest of the party."

"Ah, no. I mean, thank you, but no. I mean, it's a work day tomorrow, and my boss insists on an early start."

"Your boss also insists that you stay for a while longer," JJ drawls from somewhere above and behind me.

I stiffen. "Thank you, but no thank you," I say politely. "This is your party."

"And I invited the two of you." He steps closer. "Isaac already broke his word and left the party." He lowers his voice so no one else except me can hear it, "I trust you won't do the same."

I swallow. "And if I do, I'm sure you'll say that our deal is off."

"You said it, not me."

I shoot him a sideways glance. "Don't worry, it won't come to that. I'm here now, aren't I? Also, for the record, you don't have to resort to threats every time. If this is how you brought up your son, then it's no wonder he hates you."

He draws in a sharp breath. Anger vibrates off of him. His already tense muscles seem to coil further. Shit, I guess I hurt him. Shit, shit, shit. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean?—"

"You did, and I deserve it."

"Eh?" I glance up at him.

"I've forgotten what it's like to have someone else at home. Forgotten that when you have friends and family, you can ask them for things you wouldn't normally ask of another, so I ask you now, girl, will you stay and have a drink with me?"