Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 202638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1013(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 675(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 202638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1013(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 675(@300wpm)
He takes a deep breath and pins me with determined eyes. ‘She left Mike…for me. I don’t know why. I never gave her any reason to believe I wanted her like that,’ He pauses momentarily to assess my reaction. I’m not sure how I feel. He still hasn’t told me why she was at The Manor. He sighs. ‘He’s thrown her out, took her car and seized her cards. She has nothing.’
‘She came to you for help?’ I ask.
‘Yes.’
‘And what did you say?’ I’m not sure I’m going to like the answer to this question.
‘I said I would do what I can.’ He starts chewing that bloody lip.
I was right. I don’t like the answer. What can he do? Helping her will only encourage her and fill her with hope that things could progress. I cock my head slightly. ‘Has this got anything to do with the police?’
He laughs a little. I don’t know why, it’s not funny. ‘Mike’s playing games. He advised the immigration police that half of my staff are illegal immigrants. It was cleared up quite quickly, no harm done. It was just a bit of an inconvenience.’
‘Why didn’t you just tell me all of this instead of letting my mind race?’
He frowns. ‘Why would I trouble you with that trivial shit?’
I can see his point, but nevertheless, I should know, especially if it involves another woman wanting my challenging man. I hold his eyes as he continues to circle his thumbs over the tops of my hands. ‘So, you took part in the threesome and that was it?’
‘Yes.’ He shifts, avoiding my eyes.
‘You’re lying to me.’ My teeth clench together. ‘That wasn’t it, was it?’
‘Not exactly, no.’ He shifts again, still avoiding my eyes. ‘Do we need to go on with this?’ he asks irritably. ‘She was under the wrong impression that I wanted more, I didn’t. End of.’
‘So you did have an affair with her?’
‘Yes! Okay, yes I did, but it was just sex, nothing more.’ His green eyes are fierce. ‘Now, let’s drop it.’
‘You told me once that you’ve never wanted to fuck a woman more than once, only me.’ I will never forget that comment, and as stupid as it undoubtedly sounds, given how many notches Jesse has tallied up on his bedpost because of it, I like the thought of him only having me more than once.
‘I never said I didn’t have a woman more than once. I said I’ve never wanted a woman more than once. It was a means to an end, that’s all. She offered it on a plate.’
‘So, you haven’t only fucked me more than once?’ I sound hurt. How ridiculous. He was a pleasure-seeking playboy before he met me. And now I’m delving into territory which is, without doubt, going to send my jealous mind into overdrive.
‘Ava, watch your mouth!’
‘No, not when we’re talking about you fucking other women! You’ve not just fucked me more than once, have you?’
He growls at me, and I scowl at him. ‘No, I’ve not.’ he admits, rubbing extra fast circles on my hands. ‘But you have to understand, none of them meant anything to me. I used them, treated them like objects. I’m not proud, but that’s just the way it was. They would take me whatever way I came, Ava. They all wanted more, but they certainly never expected it. Now, though, they’ve seen I can be a one woman man.’
I feel slightly nauseous. This conversation was a guaranteed stomach churning discussion. So how many of them can I expect to come seeking out my neurotic control freak? Mikael’s wife already has, and now Coral. ‘She’s still in love with you.’ I say quietly. That’s another reason why Coral was at The Manor last night. ‘She can’t have you.’ I say. ‘None of them can.’ I add, just so he’s aware that I know there’ll be more. I feel like I’m preparing for war.
His eyes soften and he half smiles. ‘She can’t, I told her that. None of them can. It’s all about you.’
‘I don’t want you helping Coral, either. It’s unfair for you to expect me to be okay with that.’
‘Ava, I can’t turn my back on her.’ He looks truly shocked by my demand. I’m a bit staggered. What? Has he suddenly grown a conscience?
‘Okay, I’ll keep working for Mikael.’ I have no idea why I just said that. How stupid of me. The look on his face has gone from soft and reassuring to black and hard. Will I ever learn?
‘You had better retract that statement.’ His chest is heaving beneath me and his jaw tenses to snapping point. That’s exactly how I feel about him helping Coral.
‘No.’ I blurt. I’m really pushing my luck.
‘Three,’ he begins.
‘Oh no you don’t!’ I go to climb off him, but his grip tightens on my hands, clenching down fiercely.