Maid For You - A Cinderella Love Story

by Paisley Lang

  Somewhere in the background I register more screaming. Like in slow motion, I turn to see Gaby running into the room with my mother standing behind her, a look of disbelief on her face.

  A couple of hours later, we’re sitting around the kitchen table, a blanket around Ava’s shoulders because she’s still in shock. My fists flex under the table. I should have fucking killed him.

  Gaby’s fussing over her, bringing her refills of hot sweet tea, tears staining her cheeks.

  “Honey, you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”

  Ava looks up from wringing her hands together. “No, Gaby, I’m fine, thank you.” Her voice is almost a whisper, and I have to strain to hear it.

  I feel so goddamn helpless. Gaby’s called the cops based on my instructions - it annoys me that my mother initially protested against it. She pulled me aside earlier.

  “Jax, what were you thinking punching Christian like that?”

  My nostrils flare as I try to breathe evenly and I‘m pacing up and down like a caged animal. “What are you suggesting, Mother? Isn’t it clear? He was trying to fucking rape her.”

  She winces at my words. “You don’t know that…she could have been trying to lead him on.”

  I freeze in my tracks. “What did you just say?”

  Her dark eyes are like flint. “Look, Jax. She needs money…I’m just saying, you never know what she could be planning.”

  “Did you seriously just say that?” I push past her. “That’s fucked up. Even for you.” I want to punch the wall hard but instead I take a few deep breaths before I enter the kitchen.

  The cops arrive within twenty minutes. Christian tries vehemently to deny his actions, but one look at the sight of Ava crying and shaking is enough evidence to see that the bastard is blatantly lying. Her face is still red from the force of his slap and her cut lip is now swollen from where he struck her. For that, I’d landed him some hard kicks to his ribs before my mother, screaming, managed to pull me off him.

  My feelings overwhelm me and hit me hard - I can’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to her. It physically hurts me to see Ava like this.

  Sliding my hand under the table, I clasp her hand and give her a gentle squeeze. I’m flooded with relief that she doesn’t push me away. After last night, I’m not sure where she stands with me. She grips my hand like I’m her lifeline.

  My mother enters the kitchen, and her lips flatten at the sight of me next to Ava.

  “I just want to let you know that I’ve finished giving my statement. Christian has been taken away.”

  I exhale loudly. The sooner that fucking asshole was out of our house, the better. I hope he’ll be spending a hell of a long time in jail for attempted rape.

  My mother looks around her kitchen, refusing to meet Ava’s eye. My emotions begin to rise again - what the hell is up with her?

  “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” She nods at us and backs out of the kitchen.

  Another hour passes before Ava finally stops shaking. Some color is slowly returning to her face and she seems a little calmer now.

  “Would you like to take a little walk?”

  She simply nods, a small smile on her lips.

  I look over at Gaby, who’s watching our interaction.

  “We’ll just get some fresh air, maybe walk down to the lake.”

  “Sure.” She smiles. “Look after my niece, Jax.”

  I offer a small smile of my own. “Always.”

  It feels natural holding her hand, brushing against her maxi skirt that Gaby helped her change into earlier. We walk along in a comfortable silence and I glance out to the lake, hateful thoughts directed at Christian. Bastard.

  When we reach our destination, I lead her to a bench outside the cabin. She snuggles up against me and I reach over and place my arm around her, drawing her closer.

  “You make me feel safe. Thank you.”

  Instinctively, I place a kiss on her head. “Kitten, I’m so sorry for what happened with Christian.”

  “Me too.” Her words are shaky. “If you hadn’t come at that time…I don’t…I don’t…”

  “Shhhhh. It’s okay. I’ve got you, baby.”

  She cries into my chest and I stroke her hair, wishing there was some way I could take this away.

  “Kitten?”

  She wiped away her tears and sits up straighter. “Yeah?”

  “I’m sorry about last night too…I didn’t mean to scare you away…it’s just…”

  She looks into my eyes and all I can see is trust. “That was totally different.” Heat floods her cheeks. “I wanted it too…what else were you going to say?”

  I take a deep breath. I’ve never done this before and my palms clam up. “It’s just…I’m falling for you, Kitten.”

  Tears well up in her eyes. “Really? What if I was to say I’m feeling the same?”

  I hold my breath. This feels huge. “You are?”

  A few tears slip down her cheek and I use my thumb to brush them away. She exhales a shaky breath and looks away. “But we can’t be together.” Her words are final and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.

  “Of course we can, Kitten.” I run a hand through my hair. “We’ll figure out a way to make this work.”

  She shakes her head, more tears filling her eyes. “I don’t see how we can. You go back to college in a few weeks. I’m your employee, your mother hates me, we’re-”

  “Stop, baby.” I shift and cup her face. “Let’s not worry about all of that for now, okay? Just know that I’ve never felt like this about anyone before…I want you to be mine, Ava.” I want to kiss her so bad, but her lip is sore and I don’t want to hurt her. “Take all the time you need, I’m not going to rush you into anything.”

  She’s quiet as she snuggles against me and we fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

  “It would have been a terrible way to lose it…”

  Fuck. I take a deep breath, my nostrils flaring, and I pull her against me even tighter.

  “There weren’t many chances for dates…and as you know, I wasn’t exactly serious with my last boyfriend…” She trails off, heat coloring her cheeks.

  “You’ve nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  I reach down and kiss her cheek. Soft skin mingles with the salty taste of her tears. I want to tell her that it’s awesome that no man has claimed her before…and I feel sick when I think of what could have happened earlier with Christian.

  We sit there for some time, watching the water lap against the edge until I can feel her body finally beginning to relax.

  “Jax?” Her hazel eyes are full of concern and worry.

  “What’s up?”

  She worries her bottom lip. “What do you think is going to happen to Christian?”

  My body tenses at the mention of his name. “I’m going to make sure that asshole is put away for a long, long time.”

  “Really, you can do that?”

  “Damn right, Kitten. We’ll represent you.”

  “But...how will I be able to afford your fees?”

  “Please, don’t ever mention money again. We’ve got you covered. Just know that he’s going to be put away - with our combined statements, he has no leg to stand on. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an open-and-shut case.” I kiss the top of her head and grind out my words. “He’s never going to come near you again.”

  “Thank you.” She leans up and places a soft kiss to my cheek, sending a shockwave to my pelvis.

  God, I want her so badly.

  “I’m feeling a little tired. Can we head back to the house now? I just want to lie down for a bit.”

  “Sure.” I stand and take her hand, helping her up. She’s looking a little pale once again. Before we set off, I pull her against me and wrap my arms around her. We stand like that for a few minutes, and I breathe in her scent that I’ve begun to love, fresh and clean with a little hint of floral mixed in.

  We duck into the lau
ndry room to alert Gaby of our return, and she insists on making us lunch. Ava refuses at first, finally only giving in to some soup. I assist Gaby even though she tries to shoo me away, and pretty soon, we are sitting outside on the patio. Ava merely swirls the spoon around in her soup bowl.

  “Just a few mouthfuls?”

  “What?” She looks up at me and blinks a few times. I indicate her bowl. “Oh. Soup.” She picks up her spoon and manages a few token mouthfuls to appease us.

  “I’m feeling really tired, Gaby. If you don’t mind, I’m going to rest for a little while.”

  “Sure, mija. I’ll come check on you later.”

  I walk Ava to her room and she crawls up on the bed, my heart pulling at the sight of her curling herself up into a tight ball. She gazes at me under her lashes.

  “Will you lie down with me, Jax?”

  “Sure, Kitten.” I pull off my shoes and join her on the bed.

  She shifts up, a small smile on her face, and turns on her side. I slip up behind her and wrap my arm around her waist, drawing her against my chest. She sighs and wriggles her ass against me, getting comfortable. I actually pray that my cock behaves and try of think of my mother. Settled, she molds into me perfectly.

  Finally, her breathing slows down to a steady rate. Then she’s fast asleep in my arms.

  Chapter 11

  Ava

  Gaby insists that I have the next couple of days off to recover, and because I’m still feeling anxious in the house, I’m happy to comply.

  I go to spend the day at the beach. Settling into my towel, I begin to catch up on my reading. I’d reflected enough on the events from two days ago and I didn’t want to spend another day worrying about Christian. What happened was terrible and it will no doubt take me some time to get over it, but I have to focus on the fact that it didn’t happen.

  Jax saved me. I feel so safe with him.

  I’m falling hard for him.

  And despite his reassurances, I knew I was falling in love with someone I could never be with.

  What was happening to me lately? I’d come to Miami, grateful for a well-paying job, not intending to fall in love with my boss’s son for heaven’s sake.

  Gaby warned me last night not to get too involved with him. Sure, she loved him like a son, but she’d also witnessed the trail of broken hearts he’d left in his wake.

  She told me about the hot and comforting drinks she’d had to serve up to the tearful girls who he’d brought home, screwed, then dumped some days later. The girls who’d turn up on the doorstep, crying in vain, hoping their presence would convince him otherwise.

  “He’s a player, mija. Please remember that. It’s for your own good.”

  I sigh and search my bag for my shiny new iPhone. When I woke from my nap with Jax two days ago, his side was empty, but I’d slept late into the evening. Next to my bedside table was a small box containing a new iPhone. I wasn’t sure if I could accept his gift, but when I searched the side of my bed for my old one, there was a note stuck in its place.

  “Kitten, your phone belongs to the last decade. I took the liberty of discarding it and replacing it with this.”

  Scrolling through the contacts, his name and number is the first on my list and somehow, he’d managed to import all my old contacts too.

  I didn’t get a chance to see him yesterday as I decided to get out of the house and spend the day at the library. It felt good to sit on the comfy sofas and immerse myself in the latest marketing news. I searched for news of Carter McKenzie Communications in the trade press, but aside from a few column inches here and there, there weren’t any new campaigns.

  I’m still unsure how to feel about everything. It’s completely surreal to know I’m his biological daughter. Still, a part of me wishes for another life. Working in communications is my ultimate dream, but approaching him is totally out of the question, so instead, for now I’ll live vicariously through the industry journals.

  I press the home button on my screen and I’m about to put it back into my bag when a text message from Jax pops up. My heart starts its familiar gallop and I swipe right to reveal his message.

  “Hey Kitten… how you doing?”

  Kitten. God, it irritated me at the start, but now I love that he calls me that. I type back a reply.

  “Hey Stud. I’m just relaxing at the beach…you?”

  I see the dots moving, bouncing up and down, indicating he’s typing a message, and I hold my breath.

  “My massage services are on offer later for any sunburn. Or not.”

  Heat rushes through my body at the thought of his hands on me and what happened the last time he massaged me. I’m not sure I’d be able to stop myself this time.

  “Have dinner with me tonight? I should be able to leave the office by six.”

  Dinner. Shit. I want to shout yes more than anything, but Gaby’s warning hits me in the gut. I contemplate for about thirty seconds and then decide to throw caution to the wind. The temptation’s too strong. Besides, it’s just one dinner. I’m grinning and biting my lip as I type back.

  “Sounds good, got anywhere in mind?”

  “Yes. I’d like to take you to my favorite restaurant. Be ready by seven.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Sir? I like that…hmmmm, I could get used to that.”

  A sudden thrill runs through my body and I’m tingling at his response.

  “Get back to work…sir. I’ll be ready by seven.”

  I know I’m flirting along, but I’m enjoying it and a small giggle escapes my lips as I watch the bubbles, waiting for his reply.

  “Don’t be cheeky, Kitten, or I may just have to teach you a lesson and put you across my knee.”

  Oh my. My heart rate spikes even further.

  “Gotta go, see you later.”

  I toss the phone into my bag and sink back into the sand, trying to calm my excitement at the prospect of tonight. I have a date with Jax Prescott. Everything about this is wrong - it screams trouble, but even if I try to resist, it’s futile. His words ring in my ear like a safety blanket. “…I’m falling for you, Kitten.”

  I stand back from the mirror, critically assessing my appearance. I know the type of girls Jax is used to. Educated. Expensive. Beautiful. I can objectively see that I do okay in the looks department but definitely fail on the other two counts.

  Stop it, Ava, I chide myself. He likes you.

  Looking into the mirror, I frown at my reflection. I’m not going to ruin this night with self-doubts about my lack of status. It’s almost seven, and my tummy is filled with butterflies, making me nauseous.

  I push back my hair and give it a final brush, the natural highlights catching the lights, and it shimmers. I’m wearing my best pair of jeans, which hug my figure, and a simple black camisole top that I complement with a silver heart necklace. A few bracelets dangle from my wrist and my high wedges finish off the look. Selecting my perfume, I spray a little into the air, step under the mist, and then pick up my clutch. Giving myself one final look in the mirror, I recheck my makeup. Usually, I only wore a smattering of very light makeup during the day. Tonight, I opt for more. I play up my eyes by lining them with kohl, some bronze eye shadow, and a few heavy coats of mascara. A light gloss on my lips finishes off my look and I leave off the blusher - my earlier sunbathing has given a nice glow to my cheeks.

  My phone beeps in my clutch.

  “Ready whenever you are, Miss Cortes…I’m outside in front.”

  I take a deep breath. It’s time.

  Walking through the house in a daze, I literally almost bump into Gaby.

  “I’m so sorry, Gaby, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

  She smiles at me. “No problem. You look miles away.” Her eyes travel up and down my appearance. “You look very pretty, mija. Where you going?”

  My face heats under her scrutiny, and her expression changes.

  “You’re going out with Jax, aren’t you?” She folds her arms across her
chest, pursing her lips.

  “Yes, Gaby. But it’s just dinner, nothing else.” I look away from her intense glare.

  “Ava. I’ve warned you. That boy will romance you, and once he’s had enough, he’ll spit you out as if you’re nothing.”

  Her voice is harsh and I physically recoil back from her hurtful words. I know she’s only trying to look out for me, but still.

  “You’re jumping to conclusions. Please, like I said, it’s just dinner.”

  She gives a slight nod, but I can almost see the waves of disapproval coming off her.

  “Just make it this once then. We can’t afford to be mixing our jobs with pleasure - we’re here to clean up after them, nothing more.”

  I suck in a breath. “Understood. Now if you’ll excuse me. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  A hint of surprise flashes in her eyes, but I hold my head high and sidestep her.

  Jax drive us to a restaurant by the ocean, tucked away on a hilltop. It’s very exclusive, but it also has a wonderful and relaxed vibe to it.

  Our server, a stunning blonde girl in her early twenties, greets Jax warmly – I note they’re on a first name basis. She barely acknowledges me as she leads us to an outside table. The view from up here is incredible, with the ocean spread below us.

  “Ava, is this okay here? Not too cold for you?”

  “Not at all. This is perfect,” I answer, smiling and checking out the view once again. “It’s beautiful out here.”

  He grins and pulls out my seat. My face flushes as the server shoots daggers at me.

  As soon as Jax is seated, she fusses over him, helping him with his napkin and asking what he wants to drink.

  “Brooke, can you give us a moment, please?”

  “Sure, Jax, I’ll be back soon.” She gives him a megawatt grin and spins her slim hips back into the restaurant.

  She totally has it bad for him.

  Opening the menu to look at the food options, I’m about to have a cardiac arrest when I see the prices. Dinner here will cost me at least one month’s salary.

  As if reading my mind, he closes his menu and looks at me across the candlelit table.