Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 157175 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157175 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
My knee-jerk reaction is to call her back and put her straight on a few things. But, somehow, I stop myself. I breathe in and relax in my chair, closing my eyes. She’s checked in. She’s fine, and she’s picking up the kids. I should let her do that. I must let her do that. She needs to do that. I’m just forcing myself to put my phone away when someone walks in – Cherry with my water. Took her long enough.
She smiles, all bright and willing, as she paces towards me, a definite, deliberate sway to her hips. And if I’m not mistaken, she’s undone an extra button on her shirt since she left to fetch my water. My suspicious eyes follow her all the way to the foot of Ava’s desk, where she perches her arse on the side, crossing one leg over the other. ‘Anything else?’ she practically purrs.
I sigh. Time to put her in her place. ‘Cherry,’ I begin, and she smiles brighter, her eyes dropping down my torso. ‘Let me explain something to you.’
‘Umm-hmmm,’ she hums, starting to nibble her bottom lip.
‘If my wife catches you looking at me like that, you’ll be choking on your high heels.’
My words seem to have zero impact, her eyes crawling up my front until she’s gazing at me. ‘And what about if you catch me looking at you like this?’
I’m staggered by her boldness. ‘I just did.’
‘And?’
I lean forward, resting my elbows on the desk. Her eyes sparkle more at my closeness. ‘And I think you’re brave,’ I answer, voice low. ‘You’re also stupid.’
She shrugs. ‘No one gets what they want by being reserved.’
‘You’re fired.’
Her eyes widen. ‘What?’
‘I said, you’re fired.’ I smile, a blazing smile, one that would knock her to her arse if she wasn’t already there from shock.
‘You can’t fire me,’ she spits indignantly.
I laugh, sitting back in my chair. ‘You just disrespected my wife, who also happens to be your boss. You think I’d forgo her for you?’ I chuckle, the sound wicked. ‘Let me give you a bit of advice to take on your way.’
She slips down from the desk, rejection making her cheeks red, but not with anger, more embarrassment. ‘What?’
‘If you wanted to learn how to be sexy and seductive, you should have spent more time admiring my wife rather than me. Goodbye.’
Outrage. It’s splashed all over her face. ‘But you owned The Manor.’
I look at her like she’s stupid, because she fucking is. ‘Leave,’ I all but growl before I flip my lid. Wisely, she takes note of my anger, quickly stomping to the door. Her parting gift is a filthy glare tossed over her shoulder before she slams the door with brute force.
Stupid woman.
My phone rings again, and I quickly snatch it up and answer as I stand and head for the door. ‘Hey, baby.’ I’m expecting high praise for leaving her to do her girlie stuff and not calling her back.
‘What the hell are you playing at, Ward?’
I stop halfway across the office, racking my brain for what I could have done. I resort to asking, since I’m fucking clueless. ‘What did I do?’
‘You didn’t call me back! All I keep getting is your voicemail!’ She’s wild, frantic, and I grin the biggest grin.
‘Aww, baby, you worried about me?’ Welcome to my world, lady.
‘A bit,’ she sniffs down the line. I can’t help the deep satisfaction.
‘My phone must have dropped its service,’ I tell her, carrying on my way. I’m thinking it’s probably not wise to tell her that I was on the phone to Sarah.
‘Where are you?’
‘At the club.’ I hear her bristling at the mention of me being here, alone, without her. I put her mind at rest. ‘I just fired Cherry.’
‘What? Why? Oh my God, did she make a pass at you? The sneaky little bitch!’
‘Well, you know. Your husband is a god among men. I can’t blame her.’
‘You’re intolerable.’
‘And I love you, too. Where are you?’
‘At home now. I’ve just seen Zara out, and the kids are on the trampoline.’
‘I’m on my way.’ I hang up and jog to my car, feeling like it’s been years instead of hours since I’ve seen them.
Chapter 53
Pulling up the driveway, I hear the kids before I see them, their shouts of delight reaching me from the garden, the springs of the trampoline going loopy. I rush to the house in search of Ava so I can soak up some of that praise she owes me. I find her sitting at the island in the kitchen staring down at something. My approaching steps don’t distract her, her focus engrossed. I realise what’s holding her rapt attention: the picture of our new baby. Her fingertip is tracing the edges of the paper. Her eyes look a little dreamy. I hate to disturb her.