In Bed with the Devil: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance

by Tia Siren

  “Mason,” I said. “How did you know I would be here?”

  “Blair,” he said. “I talked to her, and she set this up for us.”

  “What?” I was irritated already.

  “You can’t keep running from me every time something bad happens,” he said. “We couldn’t help that our mothers were going to go crazy. That isn’t your fault, and you need to stop carrying what our parents do on your shoulders. We knew it was a situation that may or may not work. We hoped it would work, but in the end, it didn’t. I don’t see that as a reason for us to give up on each other.”

  “I can’t believe you did this to me,” I said, angry at him. “I just wanted some space, and you couldn’t respect that. Neither could Blair.”

  “Don’t blame Blair,” he said. “She wants to see you happy, and she knows you’re happiest when you’re with me and vice versa. This doesn’t have to be the end of the road.”

  “Have you seen what they’re writing about me? They’re saying I’m some psycho prostitute trying to get you to pay me for sex,” I said. “I can’t even leave my apartment without pictures being taken.”

  “Who cares what they write? It will be old news in a matter of days,” he said.

  “I care,” I said, standing up and grabbing my purse. “I care what they say about me. I care what my parents think about our relationship, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hiding away because no one accepts us.”

  “Ava, please sit down and talk about this calmly,” he said.

  “Mason, you need to come to the realization that we can’t be together,” I said. “I don’t know why you don’t understand that.”

  I turned and walked away from him, glaring at Blair as I passed her and left the club. I was livid with Blair and even more so with Mason. I only wanted time to clear my head, to figure out my future, and neither of them could understand that. I knew Mason was holding on to the fairy tale, but no matter how much I wanted to believe it was possible, I had to start living in reality. Mason and I had to be finished. Like it or not, it was over.

  Chapter 35

  Mason

  I didn’t want to waste any time on Sunday, especially after the way Ava had reacted to me meeting up with her at the club. I had known she would be irritated, but I hadn’t thought she would walk out, giving up on everything we had worked so hard to get back. Her parents were taking a big toll on her, but I wasn’t ready to give up on us yet. I got dressed and headed over to my parents’ house, needing to find a reprieve. My father was out of town on business. I was glad, though. There was no way I wanted to deal with his shit. I didn’t think I could hold back with him. If I saw him, I didn’t know what I would do, but it definitely wouldn’t be sitting by and letting him drag me and Ava through the mud all over again. It was best that until I was ready to step forward and really let him have it for what he had done, I stayed away from him. At the moment, I was only worried about getting Ava back and mending the damage that had been done.

  I walked in the front door and down the hall into the living room. My mother was standing at the window like always, sipping her coffee and staring out at her garden. She was in a daze, her mind God knew where. I didn’t care if she wanted to hear me out or not. I was going to knock some sense into her.

  “Sit down, Mother,” I said.

  “Good morning to you too,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “What brings you here today?”

  “I want to talk to you,” I said.

  She sighed and walked into the living room, sitting gingerly down on the couch. I walked around and sat in the chair facing her, calming my nerves and finding my words. She looked up at me and put up her hands.

  “Well?”

  “I want you to go to Ava’s parents and apologize for what happened at the restaurant,” I said.

  “And why should I do that? I was not the only one at fault in that situation,” she said. “At some point, you’re going to have to come to terms with the fact that it won’t work.”

  “Why is everyone telling me what I have to think?” I barked. “You will do it because I love Ava and because I’m determined to marry her one day and have a family. I will not let you and her mother stand in the way of that because of some petty differences.”

  “Mason,” she said, sitting forward. “Have you really thought this through? Are you in love with Ava because of Ava or because you can’t have her? Is this you trying to get back at your father?”

  “It’s none of those things,” I said. “She’s the girl for me, the one who will make me happy for the rest of my life. I have known that since I was a kid, but I let you guys get in the way of that. If you can’t accept that, then you cannot be a part of my life anymore. It’s that simple.”

  She relaxed her shoulders and looked down into her coffee, silently thinking about what I said. I waited, giving her time to formulate what she wanted to say. I was angry, but I didn’t want to push her out if it was at all possible.

  “You know, there was a time I thought that about your father.” She laughed bitterly with tears in her eyes. “He changed so much over the years. But there was a time when I would have done exactly what you’re doing to make sure we had a chance together. Love is a funny thing. It doesn’t just work out like I told you, not for most people. You have to fight for it, and that’s what you are doing, and I’m proud of you for that.”

  “Mom,” I said.

  “I filed for divorce from your father,” she said, interrupting me. “It was something I was thinking about, believe it or not, before you ever came to me about it. It has been a long road with him, and it gets worse almost every year. I kept hoping that as he got older, he would soften, but he only gets harder to deal with. When I found out what he did to the Spencer family, I was completely appalled. I didn’t know what to do or say. I felt like I was a rabid dog in a corner, and I lashed out in defense. I couldn’t live with that on my conscience, and that was ultimately what drove me to file.”

  “I’m sorry you’re going through this,” I said, reaching for her hand. “I know this is hard for you.”

  “I have always felt a sense of loyalty toward your father,” she said. “He picked me out of the crowd when I was a young girl and built this empire, always telling me it was for the best of the family. Your grandmother taught me that you’re loyal to your husband no matter what, but I don’t think she realized what your father was capable of. I felt awful every time I stood next to him, smiling, pleasing the crowd, supporting his decisions, and now with this information, I feel even worse.”

  “I think that maybe if you clear things up with Ava’s mom, you’ll start to feel better,” I said. “It will be closure to a long-open wound that I know hasn’t helped you get through the last few decades at my father’s side.”

  “You’re right,” she said, sighing. “It will help, and it will help knowing that her mother isn’t going through the same anger and resentment I went through for so long. Besides, I think I owe them something after what your father did to them. I’ll go and talk with them, but let’s do it now while the idea is fresh in my mind.”

  “Sounds good,” I said, smiling. “Thank you for doing this, Mom. I’m proud of you for it.”

  “That might be the first thing I’ve done in a long time that made anyone proud, including myself,” she said, reaching her hand out for me.

  I helped her off the couch, and we headed out to the car, ready to get this done with. Ava didn’t know my plan, and I thought it was better that way. I knew she would try to stop it, afraid it would make things worse, but how worse could it possibly get at this point? We headed over to the Spencers’ house and walked up to the front door. My mother nodded at me before I rang the doorbell. She stood there next to me quietly as they came to the door.

  “Mason. Liz,” Ava’s father said. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to talk and to apologize,” my mother said, speaking up. “Would you let me do that?”

  Her fat
her nodded and invited us in, taking us into the kitchen where Ava’s mom was sitting at the table. My mother sat down with them and reached across, taking Caitlyn’s hands in hers and holding on tightly. Caitlyn looked up at her with surprise, not understanding what was going on.

  “You used to be my best friend, the best partner I ever had in my life,” my mother said. “Still to this day. I screwed it up, Caitlyn. I screwed it all up really bad. I’m sorry for everything, from my behavior to my anger to my husband’s actions so long ago. I have filed for divorce because he is not the man I thought he was. Until Mason told me, I had no idea he did what he did to your family. I’m going to make that up to you. But the truth is, Caitlyn, I miss you.”

  “Oh, Liz,” Ava’s mom said, letting out a deep breath. “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry for so many things, and missing out on having you in my life is one of them. I miss you too. I’m sorry that you’re leaving your husband, but you are so much better than that.”

  The two were making up. All it had taken was an apology. I stood up from the table and walked over to Ava’s father and leaned against the counter. He put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed it.

  “I’m proud of you for this,” he said. “You’re not the young man I thought you were, and I’m sorry for not seeing that earlier. I was terrified you were going to turn out like your father, so I kept Ava away from you, but I see now that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

  “Thank you, sir, and I’m sorry for everything he’s put you through,” I said.

  “It’s not your apology to make,” he said with a smile. “So, what are you going to do now?”

  “I have to find Ava,” I said. “I have to tell her what happened here today, remind her how much I love her. I don’t want her to give up on us. We’ve been apart for so long, and we weren’t meant to be. We were meant to be beside each other, doing this life thing together. I know the feud between our mothers was something she couldn’t reconcile, and now that things are looking up, I know she’ll be more than happy to know that. Do you know if she’s at home today?”

  “She’s not,” her father said. “She’s on a flight to L.A. as we speak.”

  “What? Why?” I said, standing up straight. “She didn’t tell me about that.”

  “She wanted it to be kept a secret,” he said. “She’s trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, so she went to check out an art school out there. Art has always been a passion of hers, and she’s ready to start over and chase down her dreams. I think she figured you two were over, so she wanted to find somewhere she thought she might be able to belong. She is struggling with this and with finding her way, the same way you are. But I agree, she would want to know about what happened here today.”

  I couldn’t believe it. She had gotten up and just left, making plans to get as far away from me as she could. There were plenty of art schools in New York, even a notable one at NYU, but she was on a plane to Los Angeles instead. Everything I had been dreaming about, everything I had been working toward, had all revolved around Ava being by my side because, at the end of the day, she was the only one I wanted. She was my future, not the company, the money, or anything else, just Ava.

  “What school did she go to?”

  “She went to the California Institute for the Arts,” her mother said. “Denis will give you her hotel information.”

  “Thank you,” I said, taking the paper from him. “I’ll be back.”

  “Good luck,” the three said as I headed out the door.

  I hailed a cab and jumped inside, directing him to LaGuardia Airport. I got on my phone and booked the next available flight to Los Angeles. I was going to find her, and I was going to remind her how much I loved her. Ava was my future, and there was no way I was going to let her get away.

  Chapter 36

  Ava

  I stretched, standing up as the plane began to deboard. I pulled my carry-on out from the overhead bin and followed in line until I was out in the terminal area. I looked up at the signs and followed them down through the crowds to collect my luggage. The sun shining through the sliding doors, and I couldn’t believe I was in Los Angeles. It had been a long flight there, but I was glad I had come. I pulled my luggage from the turnstile and walked outside, breathing in the warm California air. I pulled up the app on my phone and ordered an Uber, which was already there waiting in the wings. I climbed inside, and we headed off toward my hotel. It was the first time I had really ventured out on my own, and the palm trees looked just like they did in all the pictures. We drove past the Hollywood sign and up to the hotel. The driver helped me unload my bags, and I headed to the desk to get checked in.

  The lady at the front desk was nice, and she could tell by the bags under my eyes that I hadn’t slept in a while. My head was just so clogged with everything going on, and I hoped this trip helped relieve that. When I got up to my room, I sat on the bed and called my mom to let her know I had gotten there okay.

  “Hey, sweetie,” she said. “You made it.”

  “I did,” I said. “How are things there?”

  “Well, we got a surprise visit from Mason and his mother,” she said.

  “Wait. What?”

  “Yep. They showed up on the doorstep this morning,” she said.

  “What happened? What did they want?” I asked, surprised by the news.

  “Mason’s mother basically broke down and apologized for her part in everything,” she said. “I followed suit, feeling it was time to let all of it go, at least with her. She has filed for divorce from Mason’s father.”

  “She has?”

  “Yeah. Apparently she didn’t know anything about what he did to Spencer Hotels,” she said. “I could tell by the look in her eyes that she meant every word she said. I’m glad she’s back in my life. Thank you for that.”

  “I’m glad, too, but I had nothing to do with it,” I said. “I’ll be honest. I’m taken back by the news. I was not expecting to hear that at all.”

  “Sometimes things have a way of working out, just maybe not in the order you’d hoped for,” she said. “I’m sorry for acting the way I did.”

  “I understand, Mom,” I said. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she said. “Now go enjoy your trip. I’m going to make some food for us here and relax.”

  “Okay.” I chuckled. “I’ll call you after the school tour.”

  I hung up the phone and sat on the bed, in awe of the news I had just gotten. I couldn’t believe Mason had gotten his mother to do that. It was what we had been trying for all along. I sat back on the bed and relaxed, looking out at the bright sunshine and the California scenery. I sat there for about an hour, just thinking, before realizing I was absolutely starving. I gathered my purse and sat down to put my shoes on. As I tied my second lace, I looked up, hearing a knock at the hotel door. Who could be coming to my room? I walked over and peered through the peephole, then stepped back in amazement. I reached for the handle and threw the door open, smiling big at Mason standing on the other side. He leaned against the doorframe and flashed me one of his charming smiles, pulling some flowers out from behind his back. I was so shocked and excited to see him standing there in front of me. My parents must have told him where I’d gone.

  “Mason,” I said, taking the flowers, “what on earth are you doing here?”

  “A little birdy told me you’d flown out here to search out art schools in L.A.,” he said. “I couldn’t let you come out here without chasing you down and telling you exactly what I thought about all of it.”

  “Of course.” I chuckled. “When have you been one to hold back?”

  “Never,” he said, standing up straight. “May I come in?”

  “Oh, yeah, of course,” I said, standing to the side and closing the door.

  “It’s really pretty out here in California,” he said, walking over to the window. “I came here when I was twenty on a spur-of-the-moment vacation with John.”

  I laughed.
“I’m sure you saw so much of the scenery.”

  “Well, the scenery that mattered to a single, twenty-year-old kid.” He shrugged. “But there is one thing I just can’t wrap my head around. I can’t figure it out for the life of me.”

  “What’s that?”

  He turned toward me and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why you would come all the way to Los Angeles for art school when there are some of the best schools in the country right there in New York City.”

  “I don’t know.” I sighed, plopping down on the bed. “Everything got so out of control in New York. I felt like I was going to explode. I thought if I was going to change my future, I should get away from all the heartbreak and pain. I wanted to go somewhere I didn’t have to be sad all the time.”

  “Is it working?”

  “No,” I said. “Especially not with you chasing me down out here.”

  “I woke up this morning with an even greater determination to fix things than before,” he said. “I went straight to my mother’s, and we went to your parents’ house. Your mother and my mother sat down, and all it took was for one of them to open up and admit they were wrong. They both folded instantly. They mended everything, and my mother is taking yours out to lunch on Tuesday. My mom is leaving my father. She filed for divorce. She couldn’t live with what he did to you and your family, and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s really great news.”

  “Wow, word travels fast,” he said. “Did the tabloids pick it up?”

  “No,” I said with a laugh. “I called my mom when I got here to let her know I arrived okay. She told me all about it. She sounded really happy to have your mother back in her life. It was the first time in a long time I could hear relief in her voice. It really took me by surprise, Mason. Thank you for doing that. It was what we had wanted all along. I don’t know why it took so long.”

  “Some things take longer than others, and I guess they don’t always happen the way we want them to,” he said.