by Angel Devlin
“I need to get back.”
“How about one of these first?” Rex holds up a bottle of whiskey but before he has a chance to pour some into a glass, I rip it from his hands and lift the neck to my lips.
The liquid burns but it’s nowhere near enough. “You got a joint?”
Rex rummages through his drawer but comes up empty-handed. “Sorry.”
Nodding at him, I place his now half-empty bottle back on his desk and head back in the direction I came from. I never should have left her, especially not in a place like this.
The sight of her still soundly sleeping is like a bat to the chest as I walk back into the dimly lit room. There are so many things I want to do to her in here, so many ways I want to make her come, but I think it’s obvious that she’s done for the night.
Pulling on the rest of my clothes so she doesn’t get the wrong idea, I drop down beside her and cup her cheek.
“Mia, baby. You need to wake up.”
Her eyes flutter and the second her sparkling green orbs meet mine I find it hard to suck in a breath. My chest constricts and I have to reach out to steady myself.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, her voice soft and full of concern.
“Yeah. I think we should get you home.”
She glances around. Her eyes widening as she remembers where she is.
“Uh... yeah, probably a good idea.”
I can’t help my eyes dropping to her body the second she pulls the blanket away. Her wrists and ankles are still a little red from her restraints and there are tiny red patches where the flogger must have hit her harder than I was intending. There’s no lasting damage, just a painful reminder of what we shared.
She dresses quickly, but that’s not a surprise seeing as I ruined her underwear. Before I’m ready, she’s standing with her bag under her arm, waiting for me to escort her out.
I summon a car and when we exit the club via the exclusive, private doorway at the back, we’re able to climb straight inside. I rattle off Mia’s address and sit back. There might only be a few inches between us, yet it feels like a million years.
“Deacon, is everything okay?” Mia asks, placing her warm palm on my thigh. Her touch burns and my body locks up tight. “Did I… did I do something wrong tonight? Didn’t you like it?”
“Are you joking?” I ask, turning to her sad, concerned face. “You were incredible. It’s just been a long week,” I lie. “I’m exhausted.”
“Okay. Well, if you just drop me off you can go home to bed.”
There are so many things wrong with that suggestion. “Or I could get the sleep I need in your bed.” It’s not a question. It’s happening.
“But… what about Karla and Liberty?”
“Fuck them. They don’t have the power to stop me spending the night with my girl.” Her eyes go all soft when I refer to her as mine and my teeth grind.
“Why don’t we just go back to yours? I’m sure you’ll be able to relax better there anyway.”
“No,” I bark, it comes out harsher than I was intending. I regret it immediately when Mia’s lips press into a thin line.
“Yours is closer and you’ve got filming first thing. It’ll save you travelling or having to explain if you’re late. I can sneak in and out easily.” It’s a bare faced lie. The truth is that I’m not sure I’m going to be able to witness her in my home again knowing it’s going to be the last time.
With my hand in the small of her back, I escort her to her front door and after checking the coast is clear we make our way to her room like a couple of teenagers who don’t want to get caught by their parents.
She shuts the door behind us and turns to me.
“You know. I’m not feeling all that tired after my little nap.” She runs her tongue along her bottom lip before biting down on it and taking a step towards me.
My eyebrows rise as I watch her.
She kicks both of her shoes off before lifting her arm behind her and slowly pulling down the zip of her dress. In seconds she’s standing before me bare and no matter how much I know I should, I can’t resist.
I shed my jacket and toe off my shoes before taking her in my arms and kissing her like I easily could for the rest of my life.
She makes quick work of the buttons on my shirt before undoing my trousers and pushing both them and my boxers down my thighs. My cock springs free, greedy for more of her.
Releasing me, she falls back on the bed, offering herself to me.
I take her in for a second before pushing her up higher and making the most of the time I’ve got with her.
This time around is different from any of our others together. There’s no rush, no crazed need to reach our releases. It’s soft and tender and has my heart in my throat long after we’ve both ridden out our simultaneous orgasms. The only thing that ruins it is my phone vibrating in my pocket on the floor throughout. Neither of us acknowledged it, but we both heard it.
I lie staring at her ceiling as the sounds of her breathing evens out. I’m desperate to turn to her and pull her into my arms, but I know that if I do, I’ll never be able to leave this bed, and whoever is blowing up my phone clearly wants something.
Dragging my body so I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, I grab the fabric of my trousers and dig inside my pocket.
The missed calls are just from one number. But it’s not a random number. Just because I’ve not got it programmed in doesn’t mean I don't know who it is.
Along with the missed calls there’s one text.
Swiping the screen, I prepare for what I’m going to read.
I’m sitting in your office. Meet me. Now.
My teeth grind, my fists clench, and my hackles rise ready for a fight. And if that’s what he’s looking for, then fuck me, that’s exactly what he’s going to get. I’ve been preparing for this for weeks. I just wasn’t imagining that it would fall into my lap quite this easily.
Silently, I dress and sneak out of Mia’s penthouse. As I make my escape, the soft voices of Karla and Liberty filter down to me, but I don’t hang around long enough to find out what they’re chatting about.
Instead, I silently close the door behind me, summoning a car as I make my way down to the street.
I’m pulling up in front of the B.A.D. building in no time. Anticipation builds within me but there’s no fear. There never is when it comes to him because I know the truth. I know his manipulation and control is just a cover for all the qualities he’s missing as a man. Qualities I’ve got that will allow me to end him. It’s the least he deserves after all these years.
The building is empty aside from security, making me wonder how he managed to get inside, but the man’s a snake, I’m not all that surprised.
Pushing open my office door, I find him sitting on one of my sofas with his back to me and one of my tumblers of whiskey in his hand.
“What do you want?” I bark.
He stands, straightening his trousers before slowly turning.
He looks older than I remember. His hair is speckled with grey and the lines on his face deeper than before, but he’s still the same cunt of a man I remember all too well.
“That’s no way to talk to your father.”
I scoff at this comment, going to pour my own drink.
I repeat my question. “What do you want?”
Refusing to sit with him, I stay standing beside my liquor cabinet, needing the height advantage over him.
“Money,” he says simply.
A bitter laugh falls from my lips. “Please tell me you’re fucking joking. I won’t give you a penny and you know it.”
“Oh… I think you will.”
Our eye contact holds. I hate that the ones I’m looking into are so similar to the ones I see when I stare into a mirror.
“You see, there’s one person in this world that you’d do anything for.” My heart pounds thinking that he’s discovered the relationship I’ve been having with his step-daughter. If he has, then all of this w
as for nothing and he’s been playing me right alongside me attempting to ruin him.
I raise my brows waiting for him to put me out of my misery. I refuse to show him that he affects me in any way. This man means nothing to me. Nothing.
“You give me what I need and I’ll give your mother the divorce I’ve been withholding from her.”
A stream of air rushes past my lips. He doesn’t know. But it’s far from the reaction I want to have as the relief slams into me. I might be about to crush Mia in my quest to get to him, but I refuse for anyone else to be the one to hurt her. Especially him. A man she thinks she can trust.
“You’re a fucking cunt.”
“Takes one to know one, son.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mia
I wake up to find Deacon is not there. Though I’m disappointed, I’m not surprised. He said he would get out before Karla and Liberty could see him, so that will be what he did. I have filming today and as I look at the time and see I need to get a move on, I realise I’ll have to message Deacon later.
During a break in filming, I check my calls and find a message from Deacon saying he’s missing me. I send the same back. I was a little distracted today thinking about us. At some point soon I’m going to have to tell Karla. As I also have a message from my mum asking how I am, I decide to call her instead as I’ve been neglecting her of late with all the filming and dating.
“Hey, Mum.”
“Mia. It’s good to hear from you. How’s it going? I am so proud of your front cover and programme.”
“It’s going so well, Mum. I’m already in talks about a cosmetics line of my own.”
“Oh, darling. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. I’m sorry I didn’t come to your launch but you know—”
“That you like to live a quiet life. I know and I told you, it’s fine. I completely understand. How are you anyway, how’s Dad?”
“I’m absolutely fine. Your dad’s gone away on a golfing trip. He’s back on Friday. He’s been looking a little hassled lately. I think he’s probably been worrying about you. Can’t see what else it could be.”
“Well he usually comes back from golfing with a spring in his step, so let’s hope it refreshes him.”
“Now please reassure me that the show is fake and you are definitely not getting involved with Archibald again. You know my view on cheating. If he’s done it once…”
“Most definitely all fake.” I bite my lip, wondering whether to tell her and decide to go for it. “I met someone new, Mum. It has to be all a bit cloak and dagger and secret right now, but we’re really falling for each other. It feels special. Like, I have a good feeling about it.”
My mum squeals from the other end. “Oh this is amazing. We have to meet him. You must ask him to dinner. Come Friday evening. Your dad will be here then to meet him too.”
“Oh, I’m not sure…”
“Just ask him. If he says no and you feel it’s too early then fine, but I’d like to meet the man who’s capturing my daughter’s heart, and no one will see you come here so it’s all discreet.”
“I’ll ask, but I can’t promise.”
“So, what’s his name?”
“I’m going to ask him to dinner first and if he says yes, I’m not telling you his name. It can be a surprise.” Given his reputation as a serial womaniser, she can meet him before I get a lecture on choosing suitable men. I just hope he agrees to dinner.
Once I’ve put the phone down, I call Deacon.
“I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. Has filming finished early?”
“No, but a) I’m missing you and b) I want to ask you something.”
“If it’s to fuck you, then yes, anytime you like.”
I laugh. “You might not be as enthusiastic about this…”
“Oh?”
“My mother invited us for dinner on Friday. My dad will be back then from his golfing trip.”
There’s a pause. “Golfing trip?”
“Yeah, he’s been a bit hassled apparently. My mum said he was probably worrying about my new show, but I reckon he just wants a break from Mum to hang out with his friends and drink scotch. He’ll be at the nineteenth hole! Anyway, I can tell her no.”
“Tell her yes. I’d love to meet her.”
“You would?”
“Absolutely. And your father. I’d like to make it clear how I feel about you.”
My insides jingle with excitement.
“I’ll arrange it then. Right, I’d better get back.”
“Come straight over to my place after. I need you.”
“Okay.”
I end the call, send a message to my mum and then I head back into filming. I keep finding myself smiling but I’m just so damn happy I could burst.
Filming for the present series finishes on Friday morning. The producers were waiting for the results of the next two episodes before deciding on whether or not they signed us for a second series, but they’d indicated they felt it was in the bag and that the second would run at twelve episodes. In the meantime from Friday we had a two week break and that was time for me to consider any sponsorships and collaborations and whether or not I needed to sign up for series two or if I’d done enough to get what I wanted. Karla and Liberty were happy to be in the general celebrity limelight. I realised I wasn’t. I wanted to develop and promote businesses like my cosmetics one but take a back seat otherwise. Not be famous because people watched my fake TV relationship.
I felt that Friday somehow held some significance. A wrap up on filming, Deacon meeting my parents, and then two weeks to think about the future and about maybe making our relationship official and having it added to the storyline somehow? Another thing to talk to Deacon about and think over. Plus telling Karla. Though I’m sure that wasn’t going to be such an issue now she was doing the dirty with Roscoe. Gosh, maybe if he could take some time off, Deacon and I could jet off somewhere remote and luxurious? Although I hardly slummed it in life, I fancied one of those little hideaways on the edge of the ocean where you could have massages and candlelit dinners on the beach.
Karla is too busy seeing Roscoe to be interested in my whereabouts and Liberty doesn’t give a fuck, so I just spend all my spare time at Deacon’s. Before I know it, it’s Friday and my driver has just picked up Deacon and we’re on our way to the family home.
Deacon looks extremely nervous, which is so unlike him. I squeeze his knee. I can’t help but find it endearing.
“Deacon, it’ll be fine. My parents are lovely. And the fact you’ve brought them each a gift. Gosh, I don’t think Archie ever gave them anything but a sore ear through his boring talk all about himself.”
His foot taps against the floor. “I just want to make my introductions and then I’ll be fine, I’m sure.” He moves so my hand drops off his knee and I try not to feel hurt. He’s nervous. He’s never done this before. No relationship. No previous meet-the-parents. I have to make allowances.
On his knee sits two boxes. He says one contains flowers and a book for my mum and one contains a surprise for my dad, but he wouldn’t say what that one was. We pull up outside the house and my mum opens the front door. Usually her house manager does it, but she obviously couldn’t wait.
Deacon gets out of the car and comes around to my side. I push open the door as his hands are full and step out alongside him, smiling up at him. He smiles back as he takes a deep breath.
“It’ll all be fine,” I reassure him.
I walk through the entrance and hug my mum and then take the boxes so she can embrace Deacon.
“Welcome…”
“Deacon,” I tell her.
“You didn’t tell her who I was?” Deacon says looking relieved, no doubt due to his preceding reputation.
“No, I thought we’d surprise her.”
“Yeah, we’ll be doing that all right,” he mutters.
“It’s the future that counts right? The past is in the past?”
Deacon smil
es, but it doesn’t reach his eyes and a prickle of something hits my spine. Please tell me he’s not getting cold feet. Not now we’re here with my family. Not now he stole my heart.
“Is your husband not home?” Deacon asks.
My mum waves her hand. “He’s on a call. He’ll be through shortly. Come, let’s go through to the lounge.”
We follow her, Deacon back carrying his two boxes.
Once we’ve all taken a seat, my mum offers us a drink. Deacon asks for a scotch and I note the tremble to his hand as he takes a drink. I wish my dad would hurry up so we could go through to eat and then Deacon will be able to relax.
“Mrs Hamilton, I’ve got you a gift but if you can wait until Giles has his and open them together…?”
“It’s Anna-Maria.” My mum takes the box from Deacon. “You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”
“Oh I did,” he says. “It’s the least I can do for you and for Mia.”
Mum raises a brow at me when he’s not looking. I shrug my shoulders in reply.
Footsteps pad down towards the room and then the door opens and Dad walks in. I’m already in the doorway, flinging my arms around him. He does still look a little strained. “Goodness me, Mia.” He hugs me back. “Let me in so I can meet this man your mum’s been telling me about and give him my seal of approval.”
I let my arms go and step back.
“Daddy, this is Deacon.”
My father’s face drains of all colour, his eyes widen, and his mouth falls open. A hand flies to his chest. And then the colour returns, his cheeks going a livid red. His eyes narrow and his mouth snarls.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?”
I shuffle back looking from one man to the other.
“You know each other?”
Deacon turns to my mother. “You can open the box now.”
Mum frowns and looks at me. I walk over to her, take the box from her hand and knock the lid straight off. Inside is a photo album. I turn the pages and then I can’t believe what I’m seeing. My dad. Okay, my stepdad, but to all intents and purposes, the man who raised me, is there in the pages of this album with his arms around a woman who is not my mother and a son with the colouring of the man in front of me. Photos that raise a question I don’t want the answer to.
