“You made him dress up as a dog?” I bite my lips to stop a full belly laugh. Honestly, this man looks like Alfred the Butler and she had him playing dress up on all fours. I’m impressed if a little cautious of her latent negotiating skills.
She falls silent, her colour drains and her lips form a fixed thin line. The man’s eyes soften and he leans down to open the door to the day room. As she passes through the old man whispers.
“He’s more afraid of you, Missy.” She flicks her eyes wide and draws in a steadying breath. God, she is strong. I don’t know whether I could stand in front of my tormentor like she is, after the brutal betrayal from the man who is supposed to love and protect her above all. I step to her side and thread my arms around her waist. That’s my job now.
“Artimis, lovely to see you looking so well.” Her father stands, his posture is cautious, no open arms but he does moves forward. Ada steps back and walks over to the fireplace where two dogs are fiercely wagging their tails but obediently remain rooted to their blanket. When she gets too close they explode in a riot of fur and yelps. It takes a good five minutes to calm them enough for Ada to stand and walk back to me. Her father is seated once more, next to her mother. I can’t get a read on her at all. If I was pushed, I would say she was three sheets to the wind already, glassy-eyed and with a vacant expression. He, on the other hand, hasn’t taken his eyes off Ada.
“Why don’t you sit, darling?” Her mother points to the sofa opposite with a tight smile. “Have some Pimms or tea, if you would prefer.”
“It’s not a social call, Mother. I want the information Father says he has.” Ada’s calm delivery is at odds with her tiny clenched fists. We need to finish this quickly, I can see she is struggling just being in the same room as these people. I cup my hand over hers and wriggle my fingers so they interlock with hers.
“I don’t see what good it will do. It is better this way. This way you have a clean slate for a suitable husband, if I will ever be able to find one that is, but more importantly our name isn’t sullied with your sordid past.” Her father states with misplaced authority. My incredulous laugh makes him scowl but I don’t say anything…not yet.
“Listen to your father, Arti…. It is really for the best if you leave well enough alone. You can come home, darling.” Her saccharin smile is a pathetic attempt at an expression of motherly affection. “You are very young, darling, and it is incredibly hard raising a child.” Ada snaps out a bitter laugh.
“How would you know that, Mother?” Ada’s disdain is abundantly clear when she practically spits the last word.
“That is enough, Artemis. I won’t have you upset your mother.” Her father barks his disapproval and I squeeze Ada’s hand when she flinches.
“No, you’ll just have her in an alcoholic daze for the rest of her life. God, you two deserves each other.” Ada shakes her head but her mother gasps in horror at her daughter’s accurate accusation. She wobbles to her feet and rushes from the room. Ada looks at me and shrugs off the theatrics for what they are…insignificant.
“I am not going to give you what you want, Artemis, and I will tell you why…you are going to return home and I will have my name–”
“No! “ She cries out but not with sadness, with utter rage. “You can’t keep her from me. I’ll tell everyone what you’ve done…Everyone!” Ada bites out through gritted teeth, but he sniffs derisively.
“You won’t do that because you wouldn’t want the scrutiny, my dear. No matter how futile it is, you will always harbour
hope,
and you won’t risk what a scandal like that would do to your little bastard.” Ada crumples and clutches her chest. I’ve had enough.
“Listen very carefully.” My voice is quiet, but the tone silences the room. “How an abomination of a man managed to produce such a beautiful person is unfathomable to me, but you did and for that I will grant you this one clemency.” I drop Ada’s hand and walk directly in front of him as he stands to meet me. We are eye-to-eye, a cold, flat, inhuman gaze meets mine. “You don’t need to worry about
your
name being sullied, because Ada will have my name in two weeks’ time and her daughter…
your
bloodline will have it too. You
will
give us what we came for, what you have in that envelope.” I point to the manilla package he has placed on the table beside the drinks. I pull a similar envelope folded in half from my back pocket. “Or making sure this goes viral will be my next project.” I hand him my envelope. It only takes a moment for him to flick through a barrage of images that would make excellent tabloid fodder. Not that a sex scandal with a Lord is particularly shocking, but Daniel’s security team were a little more thorough in their investigation once they had a name. The Lord’s membership to the same club Daniel once belonged to was revoked for undisclosed reasons. However, the owners of his new club were less discrete about their members’ privacy. Lord D’Aubeney it appears has very specific tastes for underage looking boys and that would most certainly taint his precious name, if it ever came to light. His face loses all his colour and he numbly hands over the package. He flops down in the sofa. “I have the digitals so let’s not go changing our mind anytime soon.” I turn to Ada. “I just want to check, angel…Will you ever forgive him…them?” She shakes her head. “Do you ever want to see them again?”
“No…never.” Her fiery determined answer leaves no chance of misunderstanding.
“Ok…just wanted to be sure.” I turn back, looking down at her father. “Just so you completely understand, you go against her wishes this goes viral…You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as her, so stay the fuck away.” I don’t waste another breath, grabbing Ada’s hand we leave, only briefly stopping at the door for Ada to hug Nana…That poor man, but despite his ridiculous moniker he seems happy to be on the receiving end of all the affection that comes with having a pet name.
“Good luck, Missy, and you, Sir…Good luck to you both.” He gives a curt nod before he closes the door.
She lets out a deep relaxing breath when we finally pull away from the main gate. “Happy?” I ask because that was something else. She clutches the package to her chest likes it’s the crown jewels.
“I am.” She shuffles so she is facing me. “Thank you, Ethan…I–” Her breath catches.
“Have nothing to thank me for, angel.” I can see her eyes start to pool and I pull the car over. The second it stops she has her belt unbuckled and is on my lap. Her body trembles with emotion: relief, happiness, maybe regret; I don’t know but it’s radiating off her like a palpable force.
“Hey…hey…talk to me, angel…I need to know you are okay with what just happened…if you regret–”
“No, no God, no. Unforgivable…I will never regret walking away. I just…for the first time in a long time…I think I may actually get Pip back.” She worries her bottom lip, her eyes filled with hope and love–so much love.
I am just rearranging the tie my Dad has so carefully straightened to the point of choking, when the bedroom door flies open. Ada is standing there breathless and sexy. She flushes with embarrassment when she sees my Dad beside me because she is covered wearing only low-rise lacy shorts and a skinny vest that skims the swell of her breasts but fails epically to hide her sudden arousal. She quickly crosses her arms and I raise a curious brow. I’m not superstitious, but I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t actually see her until she’s at the altar, wearing something a little more traditional.
“I’ll um…give you two a minute.” Dad smoothly exits the room and closes the door behind him.
“I like that you’re keen, but I think it’s bad form to keep the vicar waiting or to have
me
dribbling down your legs walking up the aisle, for that matter.” I step up to her, cup her arse cheeks and grind my impossible hard erection against her delicate, lace panties. She plants her hands on my chest to push a little distance but I keep the contact where it matters.
“You don’t have to do this, Ethan.” Her brow is knitted together with seriousness.
“But I like doing this.” I nudge and grind a little more just to elicit that little whimper that drives me mad.
Oh, there it is.
“Hmm.” She gasps but pushes a little harder on my chest and stares at me. “No, Ethan…I mean you don’t have to do this…marry me…I’m sure I’ll get Pip back soon anyway so you don’t have to do this.” She lets out a breath like she has been practising that painful speech and it hasn’t helped finally getting it out.
“Oh, okay, well let’s just do it and if I meet someone hotter…you know…we’ll just get a divorce.” I state flatly.
“What?” Her mouth drops.
“Sorry…I thought we were just saying ridiculous things to each other…your turn.” I tap her lightly on the nose. She tries to shift away but I pick her up and she wraps those gorgeous legs tight around me. I am going to have the hard on from Hell all fucking day as her intimate heat brands my cock.
“Ethan, I just don’t want you to do–” She tries to add something else but I interrupt.
“I was going to ask Sky to join us on the honeymoon.” She narrows her eyes and I raise my brow as a challenge for her to continue.
“Ethan, you’re being…childish.” She gasps when I push my not so childish erection against her dripping core.
“Childish you say…I love you with all my heart…want to spend every moment of the rest of my life with you and you think I’m doing this out of some misplaced sense of obligation. I know you will get Pip back with or without me. I
want
to marry you and if that makes me childish, I’ll throw a tantrum right here to make sure you say ‘I do’.” I purse my lips and she giggles and covers them with hers, tender sweetness I can never get enough of. I moan when she slips her tongue and teases me with a light dance, sensual strokes, and a gentle undulation of her wetness against my straining rock-solid length. “You think this happens every day, angel?” I whisper as we both try to catch our breath. She sucks in her bottom lip and shakes her head. “Words, angel, I need to hear the words.”
“No, Ethan.” Her lips start the journey to uncontainable happiness.
“No.” I repeat and just to clarify her doubt, I make my next question a statement. “Marry me.”
“Okay.” I get the deepest sense of something so pure, knowing I put that amazing smile right there. I am going to spend every day of my life making sure it stays right there.
The ceremony was perfect, informal and intimate. The men all wore tailored cream board shorts, navy linen jackets, pale blue button-down shirts, and matching ties. Ada wore a cream silk chiffon full-length dress, masses of material gathered at her waist that flowed like water when she moved. A delicate silver embroidered belt attached hundreds of silver woven threads from the back of her waistband to her collar, a tiny pleated halter neck, billowed and skimmed her perfection. She took my breath away. I hold her in my arms for the first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Cates and it’s my turn to return the favour. She throws her head back with a full laugh when I spin and twist her sharply around my body, turning and dipping, gliding around the tiny space created for us. Our small reception closed the bar for the afternoon and evening and is crammed with our nearest and dearest. She clings to my body, I can feel her heart hammer against mine, and she is rightly panting for more air. I’m not nearly done but she freezes in my arms, her eyes fixed wide starring over my shoulder at the door. She releases her hold and slides free from my arms.
Pip is standing in the doorway, half curled against her mum…her other mum. The package Ada’s father gave up, held little more than a name, Dr. and Mrs. Winters. The next day we started the process of reconnecting, through lawyers at first, then emails, photos, and a few sadly awkward Skype calls. Nearly three months of waiting for this moment, but we never thought they would actually come. She smiles and tugs on her mum’s skirt, the woman, Michelle Winters, squeezes her husband’s hand. He places his other hand protectively on his wife’s shoulder. She smiles kindly and gives an encouraging nod to Pip, who turns and with all the confidence in the world strides up to Ada and me. Ada drops down to her knees so she is eyes level with Pip, I drop to my haunches so I don’t tower over them both.
“You’re really pretty.” Pip swings her hips, her smile bursting through the shyness.
“And you’re really beautiful.” Ada’s hands twitch to touch her daughter but she hesitates and grips her own dress to stop herself. Pip hands Ada a small bunch of daisies that are wilting from the sweaty tight grip of the five year old little girl.
Ada sags a little like she has been given the little girl’s heart. Pip stares at Ada, her nose wrinkles and her tiny blond brows crease together. She tilts her head and a tumble of lose blonde locks falls over her face, which she promptly sweeps back with obvious irritation. Her blue eyes sparkle and are just as deep as Ada’s, her golden skin is more like her fathers and I have no idea where that mass of blonde comes from.
“Do you like my dress?” Pip holds out the abundance of skirt material, taffeta and silk layers of pale pink all tied together in a sparkly waistband.
“It is very pretty…Is it new?” Ada asks softly, although the room is almost silent. Pip nods.
“My mummy bought it for me.” She turns to see her mummy and I see Ada pinch her eyes tight but flashes a brave smile before Pip turns back. “My other mummy.” Pip waves to her other mum, who steps forward and scoops Pip into her arms. Ada stands and reaches for my hand, we are both speechless.
Dr. and Mrs. Winters were family friends, Ada knew them vaguely and knew they had tried for years to have a baby. She even felt bad that she was going to try and take Pip away from them. She knew how heartbroken Michelle was, but not as heartbroken as Ada would have been, if she hadn’t tried. We both expected a fight so we stand and wait, hearts on our sleeves.
“I didn’t know, Arti…I am so sorry for what you went through. We didn’t know. Your father told us you wanted rid…” She checks herself and hugs Pip a little tighter. “He said it was what you wanted.” Her husband step in behind his wife.