“Then let’s go home after lunch,” she said breathlessly.
“Home? I like it when you call my house home, it means you are beginning to see things my way again.”
His hand found her bra covered breasts under her t-shirt. She moaned loudly and arched her neck as he began to caress the fleshy tissue before finding her nipples pulled tightly. He rolled them roughly while leaning into her ear where in a hushed voice he sang, “I think I wanna marry you.”
His reference to her music incident in the car made her laugh a raspy, throaty laugh at him as he continued to sing as he got to his feet and pulled her to hers in front of him.
“That is a very sexy sound, Tasha, you laughing. You should never be sad, baby.”
He looked as though he was going to say something else, but stopped and took her hand to lead her back to the house.
Chapter 19
They were about to leave when Jack refocused on the accounts. “Will you come and look at the accounts then?”
“Sure thing.” Jim turned to Tasha before following his dad, “I will be two minutes.”
She nodded her head and smiled as he left her alone with Maisie.
“He likes you, a lot. The last girlfriend of James’ I met was his sixth wife. You know about the wives?”
Tasha nodded. “He told me about them, briefly and I like him too,” she said, wondering whether this was Maisie’s way of asking if she had plans to be number seven.
“He’s a good boy, but nobody’s fool, and with the exception of Sara he has always had a pre-nup.”
This was a warning, of the,if you’re after the cash sod offvariety.
“I’m not interested in James’ money, although he is the richest person I’ve ever met, but I have no interest in it. I have enough money of my own for my needs,” she said calmly, although that might not be the case for much longer she realised as she remembered her diminishing funds.
“Good. Jack thinks you’re genuine, but I know the Maybury men have a dreadful blind weakness for pretty girls and you are very, very pretty.”
“You called Jim James. Do you normally?” asked Tasha, hoping to avoid a conversation focused on her being young, pretty and the benefits of dating Jim.
“Not really, but I prefer James to Jim. Unlike my son. You like to call him James, too?”
“I too prefer James, but I sometimes do it to tease him.”
“He was James until he was about five-years-old and then he saw a TV show and the hero was called Jim and he had a side kick called Bobby, so from then on he was Jim and Robert was Bobby, unless they were in trouble.” She laughed with fondness at the memory of her sons being young.
“I can relate to that. I’m usually only Natasha with formal stuff or when someone’s cross. Or if James is teasing me.”
“What do your family call you?”
Tasha stared at Maisie and her obscure question. “They mainly call me Tasha, but my parents…” she could feel her voice faltering, but why? It was a simple question and she knew the answer. Maybe it was because of all of the revelations, but she could feel the tears ready to put in an appearance and now was neither the time nor the place. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath then continued, “Sometimes Tasha, but Natasha, they usually call me Natasha.”
Maisie looked at her and stepped closer so she could rest a hand on each of her arms. “Is that because they’re normally mad at you?”
Tasha felt as though she was about six-years-old and being gently chided for not doing her homework when the teacher knew it wasn’t her fault. Like she knew it was the fuck wit parents who were to blame, so wasn’t actually pushing the issue.
She nodded her head, but said nothing, mainly because the tears couldn’t be trusted to stay at bay.
“I thought so.” Maisie hugged her tightly. “You have a haunted look whenever you mention your parents that I’ve only seen in kids who have been abused or neglected. I know my boy is crazy and controlling, but he would never harm you like that, and don’t be put off by six ex-wives. With the exception of Sara he should never have married the others. He thinks it puts him in control, but you’re only truly in control if you are allowed to be in my opinion. He is so used to everyone following his instructions at work and expects his private life to be the same.”
Tasha nodded and smiled, she kind of understood what Maisie was saying. She was surprised by the ex-wives comment, although Jim himself had been fairly dismissive of most of them.
“You didn’t approve of the other wives then?”
“I didn’t disapprove as such, but I didn’t believe they would make him happy long term. Have you met just Sara?”
