“Wait. Media tactics?” I asked.
That was why the name Travis Benson sounded so familiar. My father was the one who waged war against them in the media. All of those propaganda-like commercials he ran against their company. Why the hell could I not recall that company's name?
“Shut up and go stand with your mother,” my father said.
“No,” I said. “Our company is the one that made those awful commercials against the Benson family?” I asked.
“How do you know that name? And why the hell do you think this is your company, you ungrate, inconsiderate child?” my father asked.
“I can’t remember the name of the company, but I do remember their names. You slaughtered that man in the media. You painted him to be an absent father. A feeble-minded man who didn’t know how to run his own company. Why would you do that?” I asked.
“You want to be an adult, yet you can’t comprehend why adults do specific things? Sounds like your mother more and more everyday,” my father said.
“You can’t run that gas line through the mountains. It will destroy them. You can have your pipeline and the mountains can stay intact. There is a solution here that gives everyone what they want,” I said.
“That isn’t how businesses are run, sweetheart. That isn’t how empires are made,” my father said.
“Don’t call me ‘sweetheart’. I hate it. And secondly, that isn’t how empires are made either. Empires didn’t conquer. They grew with the help and input of their people. But rulers had to earn their trust. Rulers had to work with them. Now, if empires wanted to branch out beyond their formulated borders, then the conquering happened. But you haven’t done that. You haven’t breached the borders of Washington State yet,” I said.
My father's eyes were burning into me as the lawyer stood from the couch. He excused himself from the room and walked by me, offering his hand for me to slap. I gave him a small high-five as I heard a slow clap begin behind me, pride welling in my chest.
I turned around and saw my brothers clapping. Supporting me with grins on their faces as I stood toe-to-toe with my father on his business practices.
“When in the world did you start taking an interest in business?”
I whipped my gaze over to my mother and took in her proud stare. There was a grin on her cheeks and a surprise in her eyes. For the first time in years, I saw a sparkle in her features. I saw her skin glowing with intrigue and happiness as she stood from her chair. My mother was proud of me. Impressed with me. Not angry, like my father. Not shocked, like our lawyer. But proud.
Like a mother should be.
“Books. I snuck them in before, but I’m not doing that anymore. I’m not hiding my knowledge or my thirst for it. Dad, you’re going about this all wrong. If you want to build an empire of a company, then you have to start by making compromises with those you run into. If you continuously burn bridges, you’ll be stuck on an island you’ve conquered by yourself,” I said.
I couldn't identify the look in my father's eyes, but I knew it wasn't good. He was gripping his fists as he started pacing the floor. His face was redder than I had ever seen it and sweat was starting to gather on his brow. He was physically biting down on his tongue, his temple throbbing with the movement as my legs began to grow weak. I was paralyzed with fear. I have never seen this kind of anger in my father's stance before, and I knew that whatever was coming was going to be bad.
“Get out of my sight,” my father said.
“What?” I asked.
“I gave you the easiest life imaginable. While other fathers are forcing college onto their children, I groomed you for a life of ease. A life of bearing children, rushing them off to nannies, and sitting in a room entertaining guests. I made sure every decision was made for you so you wouldn’t have to struggle making them yourself, and this is the thanks I get!? My daughter assuming she knows how to run my company better from some old library books!? You are a selfish, ungrateful piece of work, Ava Lucas. And I want you out of my sight.”
“Is that what you thought you gave me? By taking my ability to decide the kind of life I wanted, you thought you were helping me?” I asked.
“Get out!” my father roared.
“Fine!” I said. “I’ll get out. And I won’t just get out, but I’ll stay out. This is the most insane thing I’ve ever witnessed. You’re acting like a toddler who can’t have his way. The Benson’s company won’t give you exactly what you want, so you’re throwing an adult-sized tantrum about it!”
“Ava,” Hunter said. “I think that’s enough.”
“Just to let you know, I’m applying for a job at the library. I’ve been thinking about it recently with all the time I’ve been spending there, and a job has opened up. I’m putting in my resume for it and getting a place of my own,” I said.
“With what money?” my father asked. “And what resume!?”
“I’m pretty sure being your daughter counts as work experience,” I said with a hiss.
“A job?” my mother asked. “Why would you want a job?”
“You’re impressed with my business knowledge but you don’t want me applying that knowledge anywhere? Really Mom?” I asked.
“You don’t have to respect me,” my father said. “You don’t have to appreciate anything I’ve given your spoiled little ass for your entire life. But you will not disrespect the woman who brought you into this world. Who ripped her body apart to bring you into it. Apologize to your mother.”
“For what?” I asked. “For calling her out on her hypocrisy? All I want is to no longer live off you guys. To make my way in this world and have my own place. To show you that I’m made of more than you could’ve ever imagined, and yet you are set on stuffing me into this ignorant, whimsical little mold. Why? I deserve at least that.”
“Deserve?” my father asked. “You want to know what you deserve, Ava? A swift kick in the rear! For the past week, you’ve been stomping around here like you’re an adult. Forcing your tongue into discussions that don’t require your input and throwing the life I created for you back into my face. You want to go live on your own? Fine. Because once you realize how hard it is out there for someone like yourself, you’ll find yourself right back on this doorstep. And when you return, you won’t step foot into this house until you apologize.”
I looked around the room before I glanced back at my brothers. Their eyes were worried, but their stances were strong. I knew they would stand behind me every step of the way. They had been ever since I had tiptoed around the idea of leaving in the first place. My eyes darted between the three of them, drawing strength from there love as Lorenzo nodded his head.
“Go for it,” he said with a whisper.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go. But I’ll leave you with this. If you do get your way and you do lay that pipeline through the mountains, two things will happen. You’ll destroy this town and your business will never be what you want it to be. Reputation is everything in the business world. And right now? Yours is shit.”
I turned on my heels and walked away before my parents could say anything else. I saw my brothers’ jaws drop in shock as their eyes followed me out of the room. I grabbed my purse and my keys, then made my way for my car. I closed the front door behind me as I sighed, allowing my nerves to subside. It was the first time I had to work through that kind of fear and my body was exhausted. My legs were trembling and my knees felt weak, my body leaning against the door so I could regain my strength.
Then I walked to my car, slid into the driver's seat, and sat.
I dug through my purse until I found the envelope full of money my brothers had given me a couple of days ago. In California, it was enough to get my own place and afford it for three months. But in Kettle, it was enough to get my own place and afford it for almost seven. I could do this. I had to go by the library and apply for that position, but I was already halfway there.
But there was someone I wanted to see first.
Someone who deser
ved an explanation from the company who was harassing his.
Nineteen
Travis
A knock came at my cabin door just as I was stepping out of the shower. Raking my hands through my hair, I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed for the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone and my parents were still in Florida, so I braced for the worst. I started running all sorts of scenarios through my head, like the fact that Breathline Energies had sent someone to intimidate me face to face. I wiped the water off my face one last time before I opened the door, prepared to intimidate them with my body that was still red from the hot water.
But instead, I found Ava.
Her eyes were scanning my body, taking in the water droplets dripping down my form. I stood there in shock, watching her as she studied me. She was in a pair of tightly-woven jeans and a black top that fell off her shoulders. There were silver earrings dangling from her ears, accentuating her slender neck. It took awhile for her eyes to meet mine. She took her time devouring me. Undressing me in her mind’s eye as a flush crept into her cheeks.
Then, a small giggle fell from her lips.
“What?” I asked.
“Don’t suppose you’re up for dinner?” she asked.
“Dinner?”
“Mhm. I came to invite you out to dinner, but I see you were a bit… preoccupied.”
“Just a shower. Nothing else,” I said.
“Care to put on some clothes?” she asked.
“Do you want me to?”
Her eyes hardened onto mine. I could tell she was debating what I had said. Taking it to heart and making her decision carefully. She swallowed thickly, her body tensing underneath my gaze. I stepped away from the door, giving her space to come in if she wanted.
But all she did was shake her head.
“I’m hungry. I figured we could talk over food,” Ava said.
“Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready,” I said.
“Good. That’s the first time I’ve ever made the first move. I was concerned it would backfire,” she said.
“The first move? I’m pretty sure I was the one that asked you to dinner first.”
“At your cabin, sure. But this is us going out somewhere. And I made that move because you don’t have a cell phone.”
“I have a landline,” I said.
“No one has a landline,” she said with a grin. “Do you want me to drive, too? I could pay. You could put on a pretty little skirt and show off those toned legs of yours.”
“You done?” I asked.
“Maybe. Do you want me to be done?”
I grinned at her as a chuckle fell from my lips. I ushered her into the house so she could wait for me, her body drifting into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, making herself comfortable.
She looked good, making herself at home.
I quickly got changed, then we piled into my truck. I drove us into town and took Ava to this hole-in-the-wall diner that made everything from scratch. It was the best place in town to eat, even though the atmosphere was far from fancy. But even though Ava grew up in the family she had, she didn’t strike me as the kind of girl that was impressed with stuff like that.
“Everything’s homemade?” Ava asked.
“Everything. Even the sauces and the bread,” I said.
“I take it they locally source their meat?” she asked.
“Yep. They don’t do business with anyone that doesn’t live within thirty minutes of Kettle,” I said.
“Damn. I can’t eat anything that isn’t within twenty minutes of the town limits.”
Her giggle was phenomenal. All night, we went back and forth like that. We talked about her love of books and how she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to get an education. I told her I felt college was overrated and how someone could get a decent two-year degree now and go on to live fantastic lives. Ava poked at my college memories and I told her stories of my wilder days. Days when I traveled and stayed up until four in the morning drinking with the guys on campus.
She hung onto every word I was saying.
“This was a wonderful surprise,” I said.
“I’m glad you think so,” Ava said. “I was hoping you would be up for dinner.”
“At first, I thought you might’ve been someone from the rival company who had come to intimidate me,” I said.
I watched Ava lock up as her eyes slowly panned up to mine.
“Are they still giving you trouble?” she asked.
“Not since the letter. But our lawyer did draft a harassment lawsuit and send it back to them.”
“What did it say?” she asked.
I was concerned with the questions Ava was asking. Up until this point, the only thing she had been concerned about was the destruction of the mountains. But now, she seemed more concerned with pertinent details. I knew who her father was and I knew he owned Breathline Energies, but now I was concerned Ava was a mark.
I was concerned Ava was someone her father had sent.
“Just the basics. Stop now or we file,” I said.
“Did it work?” Ava asked.
“Don’t know. We haven’t gotten a rebuttal or anything.”
I could tell there was something Ava wanted to say. Her eyes were screaming it, but she kept her mouth shut. Our food came and we ate in relative silence, the playful banter between us gone. I hated that she had shut off on me. I hated that this invisible wall was between us. Why did this lovely woman have to be from the family that was burying my father into the ground? Why did things always have to be so difficult?
“How are things going with your father?” I asked.
“I’m not really sure,” Ava said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean, they are what they are. I’m coming and going as I want, but every time we are in the same room it’s a collision of forces. My mother’s being pulled in two different directions and my father is trying to regain control of his family. It is what it is.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Not your fault.”
“You look beautiful tonight.”
“You think so?” she asked.
“I do.”
She looked up at me as a small smile crossed her cheeks. The check came to the table and I handed the waitress some money. I told her to keep the change, then I offered my hand for Ava to take. She looked at it for a second, debating on what her next move needed to be.
Then she took my hand and let me lead her out of the diner.
We walked back to my truck, her hand slipped delicately in mine. The silence that hung between us was comfortable, but still shook with a twinge of things unsaid. I guided Ava to her side of the truck and opened her door, but she was reluctant to get in.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
I turned towards her and watched her hand approach my face. She cupped my cheek, the warmth of her skin heating mine. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into it. I allowed myself to relent to her direction. She guided my face to hers, our lips hovering against one another’s.
“Men making the first move is overrated,” Ava said with a whisper.
Then, our lips connected underneath the twinkling stars.
Twenty
Ava
We barreled into the cabin, my legs wrapped around his. Our lips devoured each other, our tongues lashing about in a battle for dominance. I heard the front door slam behind us before Travis spun me around, slamming my back into the doorway. I could feel his cock growing between my legs as his hands ripped my shirt over my head.
“I need to feel you,” Travis said. “Now.”
My fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. I slid down the door, my feet planting themselves into the hardwood floor. I was struggling to get his shirt open. My hands were shaking and my skin was electric. I watched as Travis grabbed both sides of his shirt, ripping it open and scattering buttons all over the room.
My pussy throbbed f
or him as I ripped his undershirt over his head.
We stumbled into the kitchen, our bodies colliding with the kitchen counter. His hands gripped my waist, thrusting me into the air as my ass sat on the edge. I kissed down his neck, raking my teeth along his pulse point as his hands removed my bra. I could hear him groaning. I could feel him shaking underneath my touch.
His hand wound tightly within my hair and pulled my head back. His lips nipped at my neck, sucking delicately as he traveled downward. I felt him sink his teeth into the meat of my breast, causing a whimper to fall from my lips. His mouth traveled downward still, his tongue finding my puckered nipples.
“Your tits are perfect,” Travis said. “So beautiful.”
I wrapped my legs around him and drew him closer. His arm was wrapped around me as his other hand tightened in my hair. My hands slid up his shoulders, hooking around his neck as my fingertips played with the tresses of his hair. His muscles were throbbing against mine. Rippling and rock hard as they pressed into my body. The feel of him left me breathless as I arched into him, succumbing to his strength as he did what he wanted with me.
His lips rushed back up to mine as he picked me up again. He settled my ass onto the kitchen island, then slowly pushed me down. I was panting for him. Wanting to feel his tongue between my legs as he removed my pants from my body. I could hear scraping along the hardwood floor as I looked up, watching Travis remove his pants. There was a chair behind him as his cock dripped for me, pulsing with need and red with anger. The predatory stare in his amber eyes took my breath away, and I watched him sit down before he pulled me to the edge of the counter.
“I didn’t get a chance to get dessert tonight,” Travis said.
I watched his lips dip to my pussy as his tongue dove into me. He licked a thick stripe up my slit, causing my legs to jump. His hands pressed me open, leaving me vulnerable to his eyes as he curled his fingertips into me. I bucked my hips into his face, feeling my arousal dripping from my body as he lapped me up.
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