“Shh, angel. Come here.” Pulling my leg over his, he lies on his back and drapes me over his body. Tilting my head, he wipes more tears away and murmurs, “You never have to be perfect with me, Ari. I love you as you are.”
“I know,” I sniffle. “It just stings that they don’t even call or check up on me anymore, Nathan. It’s like they’ve cut me off like they did Bianca. The only difference is they told her to her face, while to me, they’ve done it silently.”
“You still love them, don’t you?”
“The little girl in me does. Things weren’t always so bad. There were good days too. They just seem like from a lifetime ago.”
“I’m sorry they’re treating you this way,” he soothes me, kissing the top of my head. “Maybe you should sit down with them and talk once.”
“He’ll either yell or slap me,” I blurt out without thinking it through.
Nathan’s body bunches tight with fury as he asks menacingly, “Your father raised his hand on you?”
“Once,” I timidly answer, as if that isn’t a big deal.
“That’s unacceptable.” His voice is chilling. “I won’t tolerate anyone hurting you, including your father. You won’t ever meet him without me. Understand?”
“Okay,” I agree, wanting to calm him down. It takes several minutes of me running my fingers down his chest before the rage pulsing from him lessens slightly. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything.”
“Why does your father hate Kian?”
“It’s not my story to tell. All I’ll say is that Kian is a reminder of his biggest mistake.”
“Have you confronted your father?”
“No. I’m waiting for the right time,” replies Nathan. “To use it as leverage. He can’t stand his reputation being tarnished if the real reason got out.”
“Are you planning to do it at the board meeting?” Perhaps it would make Rakesh back off from trying to dethrone his son. I still believe he has a hand in leaking those texts.
“I haven’t decided.” Bringing my gaze to him by tipping my face, he says, “We have to keep our relationship a secret until this mess is over. I know it’s too much to ask and I swear I don’t want to hide you, but my father is a dangerous man. I don’t want him coming anywhere near you.”
“Of course, I understand.” My boss wouldn’t like me dating him while he’s a client. It’s against the company’s policy. “I want to have you all to myself a little while longer.”
“Same. And I want you to come with me to New York. Please?”
I lean up and kiss him. “Okay.”
It would be the perfect getaway for us.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Nathan
“Is your car still not fixed?” I ask, watching Arya move around the kitchen and set up plates for lunch with a smile on my face.
The domesticated feel is a new one for me.
We spent the entire morning cozying up in her bed before showering together, half of which I spent with my mouth buried between her legs. I know she was sore from last night, so I held back from fucking her. In the bedroom, she returned the favor, greedily sucking on my cock until I emptied down her throat.
Her cum still lingers on my tongue, yet I’m dying for another taste.
“No clue,” she replies, reaching for two glass bowls from the upper shelf. “It’s on my to-do list to check with the mechanic. Last time I did, he told me he was working on it.”
“What did he say the problem is?”
“Umm… he didn’t go into details.”
