Blade wrapped a hand around my waist, and suddenly I was in his lap. I kissed him this time, then fed him bites of quiche, shivering every time my fingers brushed his teeth or his tongue.
“Oh, get a room,” Cassie finally huffed.
“You’re just jealous,” I told her, repeating words she had often flung in my face over the years.
“We’re concerned,” my father corrected. “You’re not good enough for Blade. Face it, Avery.”
“She’s after you for your money,” Ensley told Blade. “She’s just like her mother—a home-wrecker who seduced my husband. Now she’s in jail. You better be careful. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“It takes two to cheat,” I said hotly, jumping off of Blade.
“I made a mistake,” my father hissed at me. “And I had to pay for it every day for the rest of my life.” He pointed to me, turning to Blade. “You’re going to regret getting involved with her. If you were as smart as you claim to be, you would leave her on the side of the road.”
14
Blade
“Don’t even say anything,” Avery snapped at me when we were back in the car after a tense brunch. “Both your family hates me and my family hates me. They loved you—loved you so much, in fact, that they point-blank said I wasn’t good enough for you.”
“You have to put all that aside,” I said to her smoothly. She was twisting the watch around, and I was afraid she would break it. It was almost a hundred years old. I winced as she tapped the watch face loudly with her nail. I wrapped her hands in mine.
“No PDA without an audience,” she said grumpily.
“I think your grandmother might be watching out the window,” I told her.
She jerked her hands away and crossed her arms.
“Stop acting like a child,” I told her flatly.
“Acting like a child!” Avery screeched at me.
“Yes. They hurt you, and you want to hurt them back. But you can’t, believe me. You’re not the only one who has parents who hate you and wish you had never been born,” I told her. “Keep your eyes on the prize. You want to know what separates billionaires like me from wannabees like your future brother-in-law Trevor? I don’t waste my time posturing with expensive trash cans. Go for the throat. You want that house just as much as I want that contract. Don’t just play the game, win it.”
I put the car into gear and sped away from the house.
“Are we going back to your estate?” she asked after a moment as we drove into town.
“No. We’re buying you an engagement ring.”
* * *
Though it was a small town,due to the tech industry, there were enough people with money to support several boutiques. I parked the car, and we walked down the street. Avery was lost in her thoughts. I wanted to cheer her up but then thought, why bother? We weren’t friends. We were mutually using each other. Still, I liked my assistant and didn’t want her to be miserable. We were going to be married, for fuck’s sake, and eventually we would have to live together.
A man with a camera jumped out of a doorway and snapped our picture. I snarled and pushed Avery behind me.
“Whoa there! Penny said I could grab some candid shots of you guys!” the photographer exclaimed as I advanced on him.
“For theVanity Ragwedding special?” Avery asked around me.
“Fine,” I snapped. A part of me was regretting the big wedding. Maybe we could elope?
“Look like you’re in love!” the man cajoled, snapping more pictures.
After checking the display, he flashed us a thumbs-up. “Penny’s going to contact you with details for an engagement photo shoot. Pick a nice ring!”
“This place has good reviews,” I told Avery.
She looked up at the jewelry shop. Her eyes lit up, and a part of me was happy to see it.
