Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“Nothing to unfold. I update him on Lena’s days and her progress, sometimes I eat with them and that’s it.”
“Bullshit.” He froze and slid a gaze to Lena. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
“Bullshit,” she shot back with a smile.
“Your fault,” I told him and pointed an accusatory finger in his direction, but I couldn’t help chuckling.
Lena started to laugh and finally Alex joined in and the more we all laughed, the more we continued to laugh. It was a good, cleansing laugh, the kind that made the sides ache.
“Am I paying you to line up your next date, or to look after my daughter?” Dante’s harsh words cut through our laughter like one of those sharp Japanese knives.
His words were sharp and painful just as he meant them to be. I turned slowly and met his angry glare, so full of hate I visibly winced. “Dante,” I began and corrected myself. “Mr. Rush, your friend stopped by unexpectedly.”
His lips curled into a sneer, his green eyes so dark they were black. He huffed out a bitter, angry laugh. “Decided to trade up, I see? Sorry to disappoint you sweetheart, Alex might be more famous, but I’m richer. Looks like you made a bad trade.”
His words pissed me off and I gripped the table so hard that my fingers started to ache. Tears swam in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of him. I refused to give Dante the satisfaction of knowing that his words had impacted me in any meaningful way. I swallowed my emotions and stood slowly, my anger bubbled up as I pulled myself to my full height. I turned to Lena who wore a wide-eyed expression full of fear, and then to Alex who looked both sympathetic and angry.
I wanted to say something to both of them, to ease their minds, but I couldn’t speak. I knew if I tried I might burst into tears, and that wasn’t going to happen. No way in hell. I took a sip of water and inhaled a deep, fortifying breath before I made my way to Dante. “Am I dismissed for the evening?”
His nostrils flared, but a hateful smile tipped up the corners of his mouth. “You’re dismissed.” He spat the words at me just in case there was any doubt as to how he felt about me.
I gave a short nod, stepped around Dante and rushed up the stairs two at a time, slamming the door behind me so loud it echoed in the hallway outside. Only when I was alone in my suite did I let my tears fall. It was silly to cry over a man like Dante. He wasn’t mine, and he would never be mine, whether I wanted it or not. It didn’t matter that I had started to like him, to be able to see past his grumpiness to see that he was a good father, a kind man and good to his employees.
He's also a total asshole, I reminded myself to stop me from extolling his virtues. I didn’t care that he was good to the people in his life, it was literally the bare minimum of what a decent human being should do.
Dante Rush was a jerk, and I needed to remember that the next time I started to forget.
Chapter 24
Dante
Istood rooted to the spot when I heard the sound of male laughter as I entered my home. Jealousy mixed with white hot rage roared through me at the sight of Lucy laughing with Alex, and I didn’t like that feeling at all. It wasn’t me. I didn’t do jealousy, and I certainly wasn’t about to get all googly-eyed over the nanny, even if I could still smell her on my skin days later. Even if I couldn’t get the sound of her erotic moans out of my head.
But there she was, laughing and flirting with the best running back in the country as if she hadn’t had my cock in her mouth days before. It pissed me off and I reacted badly. Her fake tears wouldn’t work on me, even if she did that magic trick where they never fell, just stayed there as some sort of guilt trip.
“That was mean Daddy,” Lena said with a disapproving frown. “What’s a date? And how much money do you have Daddy? Must be lots!”
Alex choked on a laugh and put a hand on my daughter’s back. “He has lots and lots of money, love. You should probably give me back the Swear Words money.” He held out a hand and Lena stood on the kitchen chair and slapped a few bills into Alex’s large hand.
“But you said bullshit,” she whispered.
He laughed again. “Good point, alright, you keep this then.”
With a satisfied smile, Lena tucked the money back into her pocket and returned to her food. “Okay.”