Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
“The car is ready.”
“Tell me who she is!” screams Marina.
“Would you like to stop somewhere for dinner?” asks Nathan.
“No. I’ll eat at home. I have a plate waiting for me.” My stomach growls at the mention of Lila’s food. It smelled damned good, and I’ve been thinking about eating it all night.
As the car makes its way from the city center toward my home, I let the hard reins of control slip. Lila at sixteen evoked a strong possessive and protective streak in me. I knew from the moment I saw her that she was someone whose safety I would guarantee so long as I stood on this earth. But I thought those feelings arose from my past. I’d not always been able to keep those around me safe, particularly when I was young.
I had seen a glimpse of myself in her—young, impoverished, cast out by society. I was doing what was right. A sort of retribution against all those who had wronged me when I was a child.
But I also knew I wasn’t fit to care for her myself. A twenty-eight-year-old man cannot be living with a sixteen-year-old girl. Colin advised me to send her to a boarding school, and I agreed. We chose one of the most exclusive ones in the world. Daughters of ambassadors, oil barons, tech magnates, and former presidents attended this school. It would be safe for her, and she would get a premiere education and make lifelong contacts.
I just didn’t want those lifelong contacts to be with men.
“Sir, I believe Miss Lila and Mr. Beau are out.” Nathan starts to pull the car over.
I roll down the window and stare in disbelief at my two wards sitting at an outdoor table and giggling over bowls of ice cream. I have the door open before Nathan comes to a complete stop.
As I approach, a young man stops by the table. He bends over and says something to Lila, who smiles so sweetly that I want to tear the man from limb to limb.
“What is going on?” I say sharply.
Three heads pop up. Lila’s eyes fill with surprise while Beau gleefully waves his spoon at me. The young man also starts to smile before clocking how pissed I am.
“Drix! We’re having ice cream.”
I push down my anger and smile tight. “I see that.” I drop into a chair next to Lila’s and place my arm across the back of her seat. “And you are?”
“He’s our waiter,” Lila hisses. Under the table, she kicks my ankle.
“He’s the waiter,” echoes Beau. “He brought my ice cream and gave me extra fudge. See!” Beau tips his bowl in my direction, and the slightly melted treat slowly oozes toward the edges. I right it.
“I do see, Beau. You’re about to spill. I’ll have coffee.”
“You’re staying?” Lila asks.
“Is there a reason I can’t have dessert with my family?” I tug the bow tie off and stuff it into my pocket. That’s when I realize the waiter is still hovering. “Coffee,” I repeat.
“Yes, of course. One coffee,” he replies faintly. He walks off slowly but keeps casting glances over his shoulder.
“Are you planning to give your number to this stranger?” I ask Lila.
She furrows her brow. “No. He’s just delivering our food, but that doesn’t mean you have to be rude.”
“He wants to”—I look at Beau’s wide-eyed face and revise my words—“go on a date with you.”
“What’s a date?” Beau wants to know.
“When two people who like each other go on an outing,” I explain.
“Just two?” he asks. He swivels toward Lila. “We were on a date until Drix showed up, and if I leave, you and Drix are on a date.”
“I’m not ever going on a date with Drix,” Lila protests to my great irritation.
“And why not?” I ask.
“Yeah, why not?” Beau, my main wingman, parrots.
“Because, Beau,” she addresses the boy and ignores me, “Mr. Mason is my guardian. Wards don’t date guardians.”
“Why not?” Beau asks.
“Because…” She casts about for a good response and then pounces on me. “You explain. You’re the adult here.”
“I thought you were. You’ve been telling me that I can’t order you about because you’re an adult but here you are, not answering little Beau’s questions.”
Lila fists her hand on the table and gives me a piercing glare. If looks could kill, I’d be filleted open and eviscerated.
“There’s no reason why Lila and I can’t date,” I find myself saying. “It is Lila’s choice.”
8
LILA
My choice? Did he really just say that? What the hell is Mason talking about? When has anything ever been my choice? The answer to that is never. So I have no clue what he’s spouting off about.
But it’s hard to concentrate with him sitting pressed up against me in the back of the car as we make our way home. I’ve somehow ended up sandwiched between Beau and Mason. I don’t really hate it, even if I should. I honestly think this is the closest Mason has gotten to me since I’ve been home.