Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
I see Dan. Ava sees Dan. Then she walks to the Aston. “You’re not going to say goodbye to your brother?”
“No.” She gets in and shuts the door.
And that’s that.
I look across to him as I round the car. He’s glowering. Fuck me, what’s his problem? I feel like he’s got my card marked. What’s worrying is my card is a fucking mess of marks already, and I really don’t need Ava’s brother digging to find those marks.
8
I pass through the glass doors of Lusso with Ava in my arms, feeling her smile on my cheek. Isn’t that what any man wants? A happy wife? But there’s this awful underlying tension lingering, and I absolutely can’t go into another week with it hanging over us. Get her inside, sit her down, and talk. It’s all that’s been on my mind since I pulled away from The Manor. I’ll have to speak my truths, I know that. I’ll have to explain my reasoning, show her my vulnerability, I know that. She’s pregnant. She has to be. Everything points to it—the emotions, the vomiting, the tiredness.
We’ve been through so much, I know we can get through th—
I stop abruptly halfway across the marble floor, my head emptying when my eyes and brain register someone behind the desk. Someone who definitely isn’t my usual old, round concierge. Who the fuck is this?
He looks up at me as he talks on the phone, and I take him in. All tall, good-looking, young inch of him. Jesus Christ, is this the new concierge? My eyes naturally narrow as he looks back at me with a wary gaze. Yes, be wary, kid. Be very wary. I feel my chest expand of its own volition and my grip of Ava tightens. He definitely takes a step back, despite the meters of marble between us. How old is he? Mid-twenties?
His stare finally moves from me.
Onto my wife.
My beautiful, sexy, mid-twenties wife.
I’ll dig his eyes out with a spoon.
“Where’s Clive?” I ask shortly, feeling Ava wriggling in my arms, trying to remove herself from my hold. Absolutely not. “Stay where you are, lady.”
She laughs a little but does as she’s told. For once. Did I miss the funny part? “You’re behaving like a caveman,” she whispers.
I have nothing to say to that. So I double down on my knob-ish, arrogant behavior. “Shut up, Ava,” I say, making her eyebrows arch in disbelief. She looks like she’s going to slap me. I hope she waits until we’re in private. “Clive?” I ask again, returning my scowling face to my issue. Where the fuck is the old goat who’s been bleeding me dry of cash since I moved in? I like the old boy. We have an understanding. An agreement.
His call now ended, the imposter walks out from behind the desk, and I instinctively peek out the corner of my eye to Ava. Is she checking him out? With a poorly concealed grin on her face?
“I’ll be working alongside Clive, sir,” he says. I flip my wife a scowl she can’t appreciate because she’s too busy taking in the new concierge. “I was supposed to start my new position some time ago. Personal reasons delayed the commencement of my employment here.” Personal? What, like he had to finish school? “I’m Casey, sir.” He comes at me with his hand offered. “I look forward to assisting you with anything you may . . . well”—he smiles, awkward—“need assistance with.”
There is nothing in this world that this kid could help me with.
The kid that looks about the same age as your wife?
“Mr. Ward,” I tell him, ignoring Ava trying to get herself on her feet again and ignoring the new concierge’s hand, because mine are currently busy locking down their hold. I hear her huff. She can huff all she likes. This pubescent thing has the hots for my wife. It’s written all over his face.
“Nice to meet you, Casey,” Ava says, chirpy and upbeat. Oh? So she’s happy? I see her hand come up in front of us. I step back. I didn’t tell my feet to move. They just . . . did. I can feel her incredulous stare on my profile. I hope she’s thinking about how handsome her husband is as she drills holes into me. How talented he is in the bedroom. How much he loves her. How—
Ava’s suddenly out of my arms and in front of the concierge, giving him her hand. Take it, you die, kid. Stupid fuck takes it. “Welcome to Lusso,” she chirps.
“Thank you, Ava,” he says, flicking a wary look my way. I narrow my eyes further. Ava? That’s very bold. I’m about to give him a lesson in appropriate ways to address residents, but he goes on. “Nice to meet you too. You’re in the penthouse?”