Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 224334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1122(@200wpm)___ 897(@250wpm)___ 748(@300wpm)
“You didn’t mean it, did you?” I ask quietly, and her chewing slows as she watches me. So I elaborate. “When you said you didn’t live here.” I can’t face another day like today. Uncertain. Dealing with her defiance. If my days are ever going to improve while she’s at work, she needs to meet me somewhere in the middle and stop saying or doing things that she knows will send me crazy.
“You want me to live with you, but you won’t even tell me how old you are.”
“What difference does my age make?” I take a strawberry and sink my teeth in, sucking back the juice.
“Okay.” She rids her mouth of food. It doesn’t bode well. “What do I tell my parents when they ask about your profession?”
Oh? She’s thinking about introducing me to her parents? That’s a step in the right direction. What will they think of me? My age? Our relationship? “Tell them I own a hotel.”
Ava takes the strawberry I hold out, her eyes narrowing. “What if they would like to see this hotel?”
“Then they can see it. You thought it was a hotel.” My lips stretch, amused. She’s going to have a problem for every solution.
“You had me escorted around the premises by staff and locked me up in your office so no one could talk to me.” Her scowl is fierce. “Are you going to do the same with my mum and dad?”
“I’ll show them around on a quiet day.” Problem solved. Is she really talking about me meeting her parents? Or is she presenting reasons why I shouldn’t? The latter is depressing and, even more depressing, so is the answer. She really is worried. About my age, about my manor.
About me.
I’d have to control my urges in front of them. Be respectful. Not touch her. I frown to myself. Jesus. Perhaps it’s best I don’t meet her parents.
“What if they want to stay at this hotel?” she goes on. “They live in Newquay so they’ll be staying in a hotel if they come to visit.”
Another problem. “Should I put them in the communal room?”
She gasps and smacks me, and I cough over a laugh. “I’m glad you find my turmoil so funny.”
Turmoil? She’s overthinking things. So let me solve all of this for her because, actually, I definitely want to meet her parents. Not because I actually want to meet them, but because of what that means. It’s a milestone in a relationship. A serious milestone.
And she seems to be wanting to avoid it.
I get my laughter under control and face her, making sure she sees that I won’t accept any bullshit excuses for her to dodge this. It’s gonna happen, sooner rather than later. My eyes briefly drop to her stomach. Maybe sooner than she thinks. “Ava,” I start, serious, reaching for her pouty lip and smoothing it out. “It would seem you’re looking for any excuse to get out of this. If your parents ask how old I am, then make an age up. However old you want me to be, I’ll be that. If they come to visit, they will stay here. There are many spare bedrooms, all with bathrooms. Stop fighting it. Now, is that all?”
“Are you going to trample my parents?” she asks quietly.
“If they get in my way.” They better not get in my way. How can I ensure that? I’ll just have to dazzle them with my winning personality—the easygoing one that’s faded recently—and with my wealth. Below the belt? Maybe. But surely all any mother and father want is to know their daughter will be looked after, and I will do that. If Ava fucking lets me.
“Why were the police at The Manor?” she blurts, and I scowl at her swift change of subject.
“I told you, some idiot is playing silly games.”
“What sort of silly games?”
Good grief. “Ava, it’s nothing for you to worry about. End of.” I stuff another strawberry in her mouth, my way of ending that conversation.
“What about this mystery woman?” she garbles.
God help me. “She’s still a mystery.” I’m not technically lying.
“So you asked Clive?”
“No, Ava,” I breathe, exasperated by the quick-fire round of questions. So apparently, I’m not done dodging bullets today. “I haven’t had time. When can I take you shopping?”
Her eyes widen, worry overcoming her.
“I owe you a dress,” I remind her. “With the anniversary party coming up, I thought we could kill two birds with one stone.” It’ll be a lovely day. Just us. Me spoiling her. Plus, I can replace some of the pieces in her wardrobe that send me batty. She needs never know of my ulterior motive.
“I have plenty of dresses.”
“Are you going to defy me at every turn today, lady?”
Her nose wrinkles, but she doesn’t argue. It’s as I thought. She’s too beat to challenge me, but not too knackered to find her way into my chest and burrow deeply, her naked skin all over mine, her lips resting on my pec.