Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 179(@200wpm)___ 143(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Get your head out of your ass.
Tell her.
Luca didn’t want her to be on edge. He’d gotten an email from the social worker. She wanted to come and see Mavis to double check that everything was going fine. She intended to make a visit sometime next week.
Now, Susan and his cleaners hadn’t said anything when they caught him kissing Mavis or holding her. He refused to hide his feelings for her, but with the social worker, it was a different matter.
She could make things very fucking difficult for the two of them.
Mavis was of age, but he was her guardian. He knew from his research that this could blow up in his face. He was the adult, and if in some way they believed Mavis was in any way being taken advantage of, he could lose her.
Running a hand down his face, he tried not to think about the interference that could happen. He and Mavis were in a good place.
He didn’t want some fucking stranger interrupting their peace together. There was always someone trying to interfere, to ruin another’s life. He’d learned that firsthand.
“I’m going to see how Susan is and get a drink for both of us,” he said.
“Okay.”
Leaving her alone to garden, he made his way into the kitchen. Pots and pans bubbled on the stove.
“Hello, sir,” Susan said, with a smile.
He nodded at her and released a breath as he stood at the kitchen sink. What the hell should he do?
“She looks happier since coming here,” Susan said.
“She hasn’t had a good life.” It wasn’t a hard one, but he couldn’t imagine living with people who couldn’t stand you. His parents when they’d been around were very loving and supportive of his path. She tried to hide her feelings from him. Every now and then, he’d catch her watching him, and he saw the longing in her eyes.
He wasn’t used to the feelings she inspired.
It wasn’t just the sex, which was so fucking good.
He loved being inside her tight heat.
She made him feel, and that alone scared the crap out of him. Women often looked at him with greed, his wealth drawing them to him.
Mavis was rich.
Ryan hadn’t done badly for himself since their friendship died. All of that wealth would go to Mavis, including all of the shares and stocks, along with a position on her father’s company’s board. The men there were fucking vultures. They’d find some way to get rid of her or to make her life miserable. If she didn’t have anyone to guide her or make sure she was okay, they’d ruin her. Destroy her. He couldn’t have that.
Blowing out a breath, he stared at her. She jumped back and was batting at her body.
“You know, there’s no shame in loving her,” Susan said.
“Don’t.” It wasn’t love. He didn’t do love. “Her social worker is coming next week. Can you be here?”
“Does she know?”
“No. She doesn’t need to know either.” He turned his back on her and got started on making some sandwiches for her.
Slathering each slice of bread with some butter, he filled them with fresh cut deli meats that Susan always brought with her. Topping the sandwiches with another slice of bread, he poured them both a coffee and headed back outside.
He didn’t need an argument with Susan or to hear any of the bullshit she was talking about. He’d deal with the blonde chick soon enough, and as for Mavis, he’d make sure she was taken care of.
When she was twenty-one, she’d have her own fortune, and there wouldn’t be anything he could do about what she wished to do with her life.
Heading outside, he saw Mavis was in the process of running her fingers along the damp soil.
“Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
She got up, brushed off her knees, and made her way toward him. He watched as she bent down near the tap he had outside for washing his hands and for the hose to water the garden.
He sat at the circular metal table that only had space for two. A couple of these were placed around the yard for decoration.
As Mavis took a seat opposite him, she pushed back a lock of hair that escaped her ponytail. She looked so young, so fucking young.
And she belongs to you.
You could keep her.
He tried to shut the thought down, but seeing her, thinking about her swollen with his child, wearing his ring, he felt … fucking desperate.
Forcing himself to take a bite of his sandwich, he didn’t like how hopeful he felt of taking her for his own. She was his former best friend’s daughter, and he shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her.
If he took her as his wife, the world would think he’d blackmailed her or wanted her for her money.
Why would a beautiful young woman want anything to do with him? He was scarred, ruined, and she had so much left of her life.