Total pages in book: 204
Estimated words: 193115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 966(@200wpm)___ 772(@250wpm)___ 644(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 193115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 966(@200wpm)___ 772(@250wpm)___ 644(@300wpm)
“Still think this is fine?” I ask, tugging myself from his hold and marching over as Kate pushes herself up a little. She clocks me. Her face drops. Yes, be worried.
Her head tilts farther back, keeping me in view as I get closer. “Oh shit,” she breathes, prompting Ava to sit up, quickly but clumsily.
“What?” Her eyes climb my body to my face. I expect panic to find her. It doesn’t. Her lips straighten. Is she restraining laughter? Leaning into Kate, she says something, and as a result, Kate snorts and Ava falls apart. She finds this funny? Side-splitting funny by the look of her rolling around on the floor.
I, however, could quite easily wring her fucking neck.
Sam appears at my side, and I glance out the corner of my eye at him. He, too, is restraining his amusement. So everyone finds this funny except me?
“Jesse, sort your woman out,” Jay says tiredly, motioning to the pile of females littering the bar floor.
“Oh, don’t worry,” I say menacingly, giving Ava the death stare. “She’ll be sorted out. Thanks for the call, Jay.” Ava’s eyes widen. Yes, I’ve been keeping tabs. Yes, I’m fucking livid.
Sam moves in and helps Kate to her feet. “Come on, you pest.”
She falls into him, laughing. “Take me to bed, Samuel. You can tie me up again.”
He gives me a wary gaze, still holding on to his laughter, as he’s smothered by Kate’s drunken mouth. I return my eyes to Ava. That ridiculous dress is practically around her waist, revealing a slither of the lace beneath it for all to see. “Up,” I hiss. “Now.”
“Oh, lighten up, you bore,” she sighs, attempting to get herself off the floor. For fuck’s sake. I find it in myself to help her, and once she’s vertical, the dress sucker-punches me in the gut. Or, what there is of it, which isn’t fucking much.
“Are you mad at me?” she asks, clinging to my suit to hold herself up.
Oh, she has no idea. “Crazy mad, Ava.” I take her elbow and lead her out of the bar, where we find Sam negotiating Kate into his car. Ava bursts into fits of giggles again.
“Samuel, tonight is your lucky night,” Kate declares.
I shake my head. We all know the only lucky thing that’ll happen to Sam tonight will be avoiding the inevitable spewing session.
He nods his goodbye to me and gives Ava a kiss on her cheek before I pull my irresponsible girlfriend away, my mission to get her out of public view in that fucking dress my main objective. She’s staggering. It makes me even madder. How was she planning on getting home?
I deposit her in my car and reach for the belt. “I can put a seatbelt on,” she snipes, pushing my hands away. I glare at her and, wisely, she quits fighting me, shutting the hell up. It’s evidence of the fury she’s facing if, even drunk and feistier, she’s backing down. I secure her, leaning across to fasten the belt. “You smell delicious,” she whispers.
I turn my eyes to her. I can’t even bring myself to relish in her appreciation. I slam the door and get behind the wheel, taking out my anger on the pedal.
“Kate’s house is that way.”
“And?” I ask, taking a right at the lights.
“And . . . it’s where I live.”
“You’re staying at mine.”
“No, that wasn’t part of the deal. I have until eight in the morning before you distract me again.”
“I’ve changed the deal.”
“You can’t change the deal.”
I turn my incensed expression onto her, forcing back my growl. “You did,” I say lowly, watching as her expression turns into pure filth.
But she doesn’t murmur another word. What could she say? I’m right, and she knows it. She flops back in her seat, staring out of the window. She’s sulking. She’ll be sulking harder when I rip that dress off her, and not because I want at her body. She’s gone too far. Every second from the boutique to now has been a mission on her part to create problems. I’m done with it. It’s time to demonstrate some power.
31
A few times on our way back to Lusso, I see her head bob slightly from where she’s defiantly trying to keep her eyes open. Part of me hopes she’ll doze off. Maybe confess her love for me again. Instead, she snaps awake and throws me a curled lip when she catches me fleetingly watching her. She’s so fucking exasperating. She wouldn’t be in this car if she didn’t want to be. That much I do know. I never knew it was possible to love someone and want to throttle them in equal measure.
I don’t offer her my hand when she slowly gets out of my Aston, concentrating hard. Offering help will only give her cause to refuse, which she will. Her steps are tentative and measured as I follow her through the foyer, and Clive, wisely, senses the spikey atmosphere and keeps his mouth closed.