“It’s time to quit baby you’ve been at this all day.” She looked up startled like she hadn’t even heard me come in and I knew she had more than what was on that screen on her mind.
I sincerely wished she’d open up and share some of her burdens with me, but the more I tried the more she retreated.
Sure things had changed a lot between us these last few weeks, but we still had a long way to go. She still kept herself locked away from me, which makes me crazy.
“What were you thinking about?” I held her eyes as I made my way around her desk. “Didn’t I tell you not to worry about that stuff, that I’d take care of it? Why don’t you ever listen?”
I pulled her up from her chair and kissed her. “I missed you at lunch today. Sorry, I got caught up in stuff. I’ve called ahead and asked Alice to stay late tonight, I need to talk to you.”
“Why did you do that without asking me first?”
“If I’d asked would you have said yes?” She didn’t respond but we both knew the answer. “There’s your answer.”
“Do you see why we have problems? It’s because of your arrogance. Each time I think you’ve changed you go and pull a stunt like this.”
“Oh it’s my arrogance, I thought it was your stubbornness. Either way, what’s done is done and I still need to talk to you about something. You know very well if we go home right now Amber will want both our attention and after she goes to bed we’d be distracted by something else.”
That’s the reason I’d chosen to have this little talk in a public place. It’s true that for all the time we spend together, our relationship’s still new and I still can’t control myself around her.
Sometimes it’s all I can do to sit through the evenings until it was time to take her to bed. It’s not much better at the office.
I’ve cornered her here more than once either in her office or mine for a quick fuck, which always just left us both hungry for more.
Which always leads to us tearing off each other’s clothes five seconds after we put Amber to bed at night. So for this reason it was best we take this elsewhere.
Plus she’s such a lady she wouldn’t dare argue with me in public. Of course she usually stores up her grievances to bash me over the head with later in the privacy of the bedroom.
But I’m usually able to fuck her out of whatever snit she’s in. What I’m about to propose is bound to make her spaz the fuck out. But it’s what I’d wanted from the beginning anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I took her to a nice little bistro that I was sure would afford us the privacy we needed and once seated decided to just jump right in.
“I’m guessing you saw those photos of you today. Did you notice that some of them were taken right outside your apartment?” She tensed up and I covered the hand she had resting on the table with mine.
“That means whoever is behind this knows where you live, where Amber lives. They knew way too much for my liking and since we’ll both be out of the country soon, I’m thinking it’s best if Amber stays either at my place or with my parents.”
My parents had welcomed them both with open arms. Mom’s only worry in the beginning was whether or not I was sure I was willing to take on someone else’s child.
I guess she knows me well enough to know what a selfish jealous bastard I am. But once I assured her that I had no problem accepting Amber that seemed to be all she needed.
Of course she didn’t know that her son was a raving lunatic who was still insanely jealous of a dead man and had no way of overcoming that shit anytime soon.
“Was it you?”
“Come again.” I stopped with my water glass halfway to my lips.
“Was it you that leaked the story?”
I just stared at her until she looked away in shame. Looks like I was wrong, she has no problem throwing darts in public.
“You really believe that shit? That I’d stoop that low? That I’d put you and Amber in danger like that? Do you know why my driver is a retired marine with a specialty in Krav Maga?”
“Because all my life, from the time I was younger than Amber, I’ve been in danger of one type or another.”
“Do you know how many kidnap attempts were made on us growing up? Or how as an adult I’ve had to look over my shoulder for fear of someone taking my life for what’s mine?”
“You should look ashamed, how dare you.”
“Evan, I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking, I don’t think…”
