by M. L. Smith
As I slipped out of the room, I caught sight of Alex on his own walking down the corridor. Rage towards him engulfed me. I broke out into a sprint as I came closer to him.
“Alex, you nasty bastard, that wasn’t fair but I can’t imagine that you would ever fight fair!” I screamed at him.
“You wouldn’t stick up for him if you knew what I already know,” he shouted in my face.
His nose looked enormous and really painful marring his otherwise very handsome features.
“What are you talking about, Alex?”
“You will find out in time. I’m just warning you. Be careful, Jennifer.”
“Sounds like a lot of jealous bullshit to me, Alex.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Alright, I will take your advice, thank you. Now what about that dance now, Alex?”
I looked straight at him, flirting with him outrageously. He was very handsome even though my taste was always team blond. His thick silky hair was almost black. He had gorgeous deep brown eyes and full lips. His body looked pretty ripped too. I would have been lying if I didn’t admit that I was attracted to him.
“I thought you would never ask.”
He smiled at me. Alex pulled me close and we moved around the hallway. He kissed my neck softly.
“That’s nice, Alex. You really are hot, you know,” I whispered.
He gently caressed my bottom.
“So are you. Zack is a lucky bastard!”
“Kiss me hard, Alex.”
His eyes flashed with need and desire.
“I would love to, Jennifer”
He licked his lips and started to kiss me. I felt his erection pressing into me. I ran my fingers through his silky thick dark hair. It wasn’t the worst kiss I had ever had and I quite enjoyed it as he kissed me gently exploring my mouth.
Alex found that he really regretted kissing me when I pulled my knee sharply up into his groin with all my strength.
I yanked his hair hard as I inflicted my attack.
“Ah, you bitch!” he groaned as he slumped to the floor holding his tackle.
“Stay away from us, Alex!” I shouted at him as I turned heel and headed back to our room without the ice.
Chapter Forty Eight
The following morning after breakfast in bed we caught an early train back home. Zack had donned black sunglasses to cover up his swollen eyes. We were both absolutely shattered and any thoughts of a romantic night in a hotel were ruined by Alex.
“I still can’t believe you gave him a good knee in his junk! You are one tough cookie!” Zack laughed as we sped through leafy Kent.
“He didn’t know what had hit him. I bet he is aching today!”
I had kept the kissing part quiet even though it was only the means to an end.
“Zack, are you sure you are not going to press charges?”
“No. Alex didn’t press charges in Paris and I could have got in a lot of trouble as there were plenty of witnesses. I hate to say it but I appreciated that. It’s probably best left alone.”
“One thing has been bothering me, Zack. He said I don’t know what type of man you are and I should be careful around you. I have never felt like that around you. You are lovely to me all the time.”
“Just ignore him as he’s trying to cause trouble. He took it hard when Phoebe grew bored of him as a plaything. To be honest, he was by far her longest affair.”
“Did he love her?”
“I think he must have. He used to follow her around like a puppy dog. Did I not tell you that he worked for us? When I discovered their affair I fired him. He is still a close friend of David’s.”
Ah yes, the lovely David, the prime suspect.
David Simms, the creep that I was planning on visiting very soon.
We continued the rest of our journey in silence as I mulled over Alex’s words of warning.
Chapter Forty Nine
When we got home, the house was eerily quiet and I would have expected the twins to be home.
“Scarlett, Jasper, we are home,” Zack shouted into the silence.
“She must be upstairs studying with her headphones in, Zack. That will be why they can’t hear us,” I told him as I went into the kitchen to put the kettle on for a cup of tea.
“Hello, Gatsby boy.” Zack patted his dog affectionately.
Gatsby fussed around us clearly happy to see us.
“I will go and check on her. Jasper must be up there too.” Zack bounded quickly up the stairs.
His amazingly long sexy as hell legs carried him. Suddenly an awful thought crossed my mind.
What if Connor was up there?
Oh shit!
“Wait there, Zack. I will check. She might be in the shower or something.”
I tried to overtake him on the stairs.
Sadly I failed, outrun by the earlier mentioned legs.
“Scarlett, we are home.”
He knocked on her bedroom door. He waited a few seconds and then went in.
I had caught up with him by now and I stood in the doorway of her room, taking in the scene.
Oh dear!
“What the fuck is going on here?” Zack shouted.
Scarlett and Connor were naked in bed together. They had the covers pulled up around their necks.
For some reason, I wanted to laugh at Zack’s ridiculous question. It was plain to see what had been going on.
“Zack, calm down!”
I grabbed his arm. He roughly shrugged me off as rage consumed him. He was bright red and I was worried what he was going to do to poor Connor.
“Get the fuck out of my house, you little bastard!” Zack screamed at the top of his lungs.
“Dad, don’t shout and swear like that. It’s not just Connor’s fault. We are in love Dad and I am sixteen. I’m not breaking the law, you know!” she defiantly told him, staring at him.
Zack stalked over and slapped her hard across the face. The noise was sickening and I had to look away. It must have really hurt her as Zack was the strongest man I had ever met. Her cheek was bright red and she was sobbing uncontrollably as she cowered under the covers.
“Don’t hurt her!” Connor bravely shouted.
He looked really mad.
“Shut up!” Zack screamed as he headed over to him.
I thought he was going to lunge for him.
“Zack, stop it!” I pleaded with him.
“You are breaking the law in my house, Scarlett!” he said as he roughly yanked Connor out of the bed.
He was trying desperately to cover himself up and he looked completely terrified.
“I’ve already told you to get the fuck out!” Zack shouted right in his face.
Connor didn’t need to be told twice as he grabbed his clothes and ran down the stairs.
“I hate you, Dad. How could you?” Scarlett sobbed.
Her face was red and blotchy and my heart ached for her.
“Get some clothes on, you little slut!” Zack shouted at her before stalking out of the room and slamming the door in my face.
I pulled the door open and ran after him.
“What's going on, Dad? I just passed Connor half-naked running down the driveway,” Jasper asked as he walked up the stairs.
“Leave it, Jasper!” Zack barged past him.
Jasper suddenly seemed to put two and two together and realised what had happened. Scarlett’s loud sobs could be heard echoing down the hallway. He strode over to the door and gently knocked.
“Scarlett, it’s me, sis. Let me in,” he whispered.
She opened the door, stared at me, let Jasper inside then slammed it shut.
Chapter Fifty
I had a wander over to the stables to see how Puzzle and the other horses were as I thought that Zack needed some space.
After about an hour of hanging around doing nothing, I quietly knocked on Scarlett’s door.
“Go away, Dad! I don’t want to talk to you! I hate you!” she shouted.
“It’s me, Jennifer. Please let me come in, sweetheart.”
“Okay,” she sniffed.
Scarlett was lying on the bed in her pyjamas.
“Has the bastard calmed down yet?”
“Don’t call him that, Scarlett. He is a wonderful father. I know he over-reacted. He will realise that once he has calmed down. Your Dad has a tough job bringing up you two on his own, you know. He does a bloody good job.”
“I have never been so embarrassed in my whole life,” she wailed.
“I know. I quickly realised that you were upstairs with Connor but I couldn’t catch up with your Dad’s long legs!”
“What on earth happened to his face?”
“He had spat with Alex, one of your Mum’s exes. Alex sent a couple of heavies to dish out some punishment.”
“What did he argue with this Alex about?”
“He wanted to buy a dance with me and he tried to kiss and touch me. Your Dad was just defending me. Obviously they have history.”
“He was sticking up for you, though. I know he’s not all bad.”
“No, he’s not. You and Jasper are the most important people in the world to him, Scarlett. He loves you both so much.”
“What, even more than you?”
“Yes, even more than me and that’s how it should be. Did Jasper cheer you up?”
“Yes, he did. I know we fight sometimes but I love him to bits. He always looks after me even though I am a bitch to him sometimes!”
“He is a sweet boy.”
“I might just go and see Dad.”
“Leave him a while longer to calm down. He wants to make up with you, I am sure,” I told her, hugging her.
Scarlett sobbed into my shoulder as I gently stroked her hair.
Chapter Fifty One
I went downstairs to defrost something out of the freezer as I didn’t think that food would be a priority tonight.
Zack was sulking in his study and Scarlett hadn’t come out of her room yet. I could see both sides of this predicament but I felt so sorry for Scarlett. If my Dad had pulled a stunt like that, I would have wanted to disappear off the face of the earth and as for poor Connor, he wouldn’t be welcome in this house again.
“Zack, can I come in?” I asked him gently as I took him in a cup of tea.
Gatsby sat obediently at his feet.
“If you must,” he snapped.
I went in and he was sitting with his chair facing the window staring out into the immaculate gardens. He didn’t turn around.
“Don’t you think you might have over-reacted a tiny bit?”
He wheeled around in his chair.
“No, I fucking don’t. I am not about to let my daughter turn into her whore of a mother!” he shouted.
Zack still looked absolutely livid. The veins in his neck were sticking out and throbbing. He glared at me.
Oh dear, this was worse than I thought.
“Come on, Zack. Scarlett is nothing like Phoebe. She is so like you it’s ridiculous. She loves Connor and they have been careful,” I told him quietly.
“What do you mean? You knew, didn’t you? How could you, Jennifer?”
His cheeks flushed a scarlet red as he stood up and loomed ominously over me. For a minute, I thought that he was going to hurt me but he pushed past me heading towards the door.
“Look Zack, I’m sorry but I caught them a few weeks ago. I could hardly tell you as it would have been too embarrassing for poor Scarlett,” I blurted out.
He spun around to face me.
“You should have told me, Jennifer. She’s my daughter not yours. Do you understand?” he snarled.
That was a bit harsh.
“Do you know what? I am getting out of the way. I hate this side of you! It’s not you, you are a really good man but you are being a complete arsehole, Zack!” I screamed at him.
Running out of the room, I went into the kitchen. I clanked around mugs to make myself some tea. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him quickly striding upstairs. Tears blurred my vision.
A few minutes later, he bolted downstairs in his motorbike leathers. I checked out his rear view.
Jesus! How fucking hot!
He yanked the front door and stormed through it.
I watched open-mouthed as the Harley went past the front of the house with a sexy deep throaty roar.
Zack quickly disappeared down the long winding driveway, spraying gravel in all directions.
Chapter Fifty Two
I moped around the house, regretting shouting at him. I should have been there for him not pushing him away. He needed me even though for a minute he had really scared me.
Hours ticked slowly. I ate in the kitchen with Scarlett and Jasper but none of us were very hungry.
“Why don’t we watch a movie?” I suggested, trying to lift the dark mood in the house.
We settled in with drinks, sweets and popcorn and we were soon laughing, watching a mindless comedy. The twins cuddled into me like bookends, one on either side. I stroked Scarlett’s hair absently. Jasper leaned on my shoulder.
“Where has Dad gone?” Jasper asked.
“I don’t know. We had words about Scarlett and he got on his bike and took off.”
“I hate that bike. He had an accident on it last year. Dad was lucky that he landed on soft grass. He walked away with a few cuts and bruises,” Scarlett told me as her eyes filled with tears.
“He will be fine, sweetheart. You know your Dad, he’s as tough as old boots!” I said, hugging her into me.
“It’s my fault!” she sobbed.
“Scarlett, it’s not. He just needs some time. That’s all. He is both parents rolled into one for you. I admire the great job he is doing.”
“He is the best. I do love him so much,” she sniffed.
“I know you do.”
“He will calm down, Scarlett,” Jasper said. “He just needs to get his head around the fact that you and Connor are shagging!”
“Jasper, don’t be so crude. We are in love!”
“You don’t have to be in love to enjoy it, Scarlett. You are so naïve!”
I gave him a shove. “It’s different for girls, Jasper. Nice girls don’t give it up for just anyone, you know!”
“Thank you, Jennifer” Scarlett said, sticking her tongue out at him.
My stomach lurched with worry.
“Come on, let’s go to bed, sis,” Jasper said, hauling her to her feet.
“I will ring him. He won’t be long, I am sure,” I told them both as we walked upstairs.
Going into my room, I closed the door and dialled his number. It went straight to voice mail. My body flooded with anxiety.
Suddenly I remembered that I had installed an app on my phone to track his. I quickly opened up the app and zoomed in on the phone’s location.
Zack was at the beach at Hastings.
It was about a thirty minute drive. Quickly grabbing my keys, I shouted to the kids I was going to find him.
Starting up the Audi, I quickly accelerated down the driveway.
Chapter Fifty Three
I made the journey in about twenty minutes, breaking several speed limits. Parking up behind the beach, I took a deep breath and opened the car door.
It was just starting to get dark and the air was warm and dry. People walked along the promenade with dogs enjoying the pleasant evening.
Looking around, I quickly located him sitting on a wooden bench.
He really was too big to go unnoticed anywhere.
I was still really mad with him but I knew he was struggling. I needed to cut him a break.
“Zack, how are you feeling?” I whispered as I walked quietly up behind him.
I touched his shoulder gently. He turned around and looked at me. His eyes were glazed and empty. I cupped his warm cheek gently. He kissed my palm as my eyes filled with tears.
“Alone.”
“You are not alone, Zack. You have me. Talk to me, I am listening.”
“I feel like I am drowning. I am way out of my depth and it scares the shit out of me. I don’t know how to do this on my own.”
“From what I can gather, you have been doing it on your own for years. Don’t put yourself down like that. You are doing an amazing job. The twins are loved so much by you. I love them too, Zack.”
I moved in front of him and pulled him into my chest, kissing his forehead. He sighed deeply.
“I don’t want them to grow up. Is that so wrong?” he whispered.
“No. I am sure you are not the first parent to think that. What would Phoebe have done if she were here?”
“Probably have congratulated Scarlett and made a move on Connor’s Dad!” he replied with no humour in his voice.
“Look, you just need to talk to her about it like an adult.”
“I know, JB. I’m so sorry I stormed off like a dick. I shouldn’t have hit Scarlett and I’m sorry I shouted at you. You have been more like a mother to her than Phoebe ever was.”
Tears filled his beautiful eyes. I pulled him closer and kissed his hair. I breathed in his beloved scent. My heart ached for him.
“Give her time to calm down and make your peace with her. At the end of the day, she will have sex if she wants to, whether you like it or not, Zack.”
“I know but she’s my little girl and I don’t like to think about it.”
A solitary tear crept down his cheek.
“I know and I understand, Zack. It’s okay. Let it out. You can always be yourself with me,” I told him holding him close as he cried unashamedly onto my shoulder.
I never thought less of him when he got upset. He was such a strong man with a strong character but he wore his heart on his sleeve and I loved him so much for that. I wiped the tears gently from his beautiful swollen eyes.
“Shall we go home?” he said. “Wait a minute, how did you know I was here?”
“Lucky guess, Zack.”
