She looked disappointed and I understood. She’d put a lot of time and energy into helping me become a chef, and now I was basically throwing it away in her eyes.
“I’ll give your info to a few caterers I know. Maybe you can do one-off jobs when your schedule permits?”
“That would be amazing, Chef. Thank you.” I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment that I had finally finished, and if there were any pangs that I couldn’t take a job yet, well I just pushed it deep down where it belonged. But it was done, and I paid for it without loans so I was officially a debt-free graduate.
“Just remember that you have a life to live as well Sasha.”
I thanked her for her words and begged off on drinks with my classmates because I had to pick up Andy from school. Antonio promised that he would spend time with Andreas today, and have a ‘guys’ day’. But he’d gotten a call about some fashion show yesterday morning, and fifteen minutes later he was headed towards his private jet without a word to me or Andreas.
As always.
So I would be the bearer of bad news and soothe his tears. And ease his disappointment with a trip to the zoo.
He waited with a smile when I pulled up. “Hey Sasha! Where is Father?”
“Hop in sweetheart, Antonio isn’t coming.” I gave him a quick rundown of the situation and ignored the sharp pain in my chest at the disappointment in his eyes. “I figured we could hit the zoo and hang out with the animals, eat too much cotton candy. What do you say?”
“Okay,” he answered with little joy. And this moment, and hundreds just like them were why Miriam had given me joint custody of Andreas. She knew that his happiness, his well-being would be my top priority whereas his father would always put his own needs and his own happiness first.
“So, tell me about your day kiddo.”
That brightened him right up. “Trevor brought a frog to school!” He told me all about the slimy frog and the cool noise it made and especially how all the girls were grossed out. “We had spaghetti for lunch and it was good. But not as good as yours.”
“Okay you charmer, I already said you could have cotton candy.”
“And a hot dog?”
“We can have dinner at your favorite place and have chili dogs,” I counteroffered. Though he ate well and behaved like a dream, Andreas was still a little boy who loved things he shouldn’t.
“With fries?”
I nodded and he grinned. “And salad.”
“Gross.”
“You’ll be a puny little thing if you don’t eat your veggies, and then who’ll take care of me when I’m old and gray?”
“Father will,” he said with the conviction of someone able to overlook Antonio’s shortcomings and I was glad for him.
“What should we look at first?”
“Sharks!”
We started with the sharks and then the amphibians before we moved to the big game animals because Andreas was absolutely fascinated with them. “Lions or tigers next?”
“Lions because they are the biggest and strongest. No one can kill them!” He stared at an intimidating lioness who seemed to be equally fascinated by him. “We should go to a safari this summer Sasha. My teacher says they go right through the wilds of Africa.”
Somehow, I doubt Antonio would go for that. “Let’s see what we can do after speaking with your Father, yeah?”
His shoulders drooped with familiar disappointment. “He’ll say no. He always does.”
“I promise to make him see how badly you want to go, okay?”
“Yeah. Can we go now? I’m hungry.”
“Sure thing buddy, let’s go.” We ate more than we should have considering the amount of food we’d already had, and before we hit the freeway, Andreas was fast asleep. Like I had so many times before, I carried him inside to put him to bed. I left the lights off because we’d lived here long enough for me to navigate in the dark. When they turned on suddenly, I knew exactly who I would find.
“Where the hell have you been?” he roared at me.
“We went to the zoo and out to dinner. He thought he’d be spending the day with you and you weren’t here so we made other plans.”
“It’s after nine at night!”
“Suddenly you care?” I knew I shouldn’t have said it, but really, the man could be such a boar.
“Put him to bed and then we’ll talk.”
I said nothing in return because there was nothing I could say that wouldn’t escalate the situation further. Instead I climbed the stairs, cursing him in my head, and put Andreas down for the night. Then I went to my own room, showered and went to bed.
Prince Antonio could wait.
Antonio
Sasha was avoiding me. Not that I blamed her really, after I’d shouted at her like she was a child. I don’t even know why I’d gotten so mad because I hadn’t intended to come back early from Vegas. But Andreas belonged to me dammit, not to her and I had a right to know where he was.
Apparently, that didn’t sit right with her. Not even my efforts at spending more time with Andreas had softened her towards me. I made sure to come home for dinner every night this week, and what did she do? She ate alone in her room, and that’s if she ate at all. When we played board games or watched a film together, she left us alone. I should be happy, even though I’d made no progress with getting her to give up her rights to my son, but I wasn’t.
Not yet. I would seduce the frustrating woman into giving me back my son. I didn’t care how far I had to go to make it happen. And I had the perfect plan.
I arrived home to find Andreas and Sasha having a beach picnic, complete with a campfire. He sat between her legs holding a stick over the fire while she spoke softly to him.
“Now I’m going to smash the chocolate and graham cracker around the marshmallow and you pull the stick out okay.”
His tongue stuck out in concentration, Andreas pulled at the exact moment and looked up at her with a grin. “Did I do it right?”
Sasha handed him the treat with a smile. “There’s only one way to tell.”
His only sound after the bite was a groan of appreciation. He finished it and left a chocolate smear across his face. “Yummm.”
“I told you I don’t joke about desserts.” She winked and pulled him in for a hug.
“Me either, Sash.”
“Since you ate your broccoli you get another.”
“All right!” Andreas squeezed his little arms around her before turning to get down to the serious business of roasting another marshmallow.
“I hope you have enough for me,” I said, making my presence known. The wariness and disappointment I saw in their expressions hurt, but this was my house and my son dammit.
“If you’d like one we have more supplies,” she answered coolly as though we were strangers, not two people who’d known each other for years.
I smiled because she presented an impossible to resist challenge. “But I don’t know how to make them.”
“I’ll help you Father!” Andreas scrambled to his feet wearing a mile-wide grin as he handed me a stick and speared a marshmallow with it. Putting his little hand in mine, I realized just how happy my son was to see me. Which meant he hadn’t been seeing nearly enough of me.
“You know how to make these?”
He bobbed his head up and down. “S’mores they’re called. Sasha showed me how.” He looked to her for reassurance, and she gave him an encouraging nod every step of the way before handing me a finished s’more. “Did I get it right Sasha?”
“You did it perfectly.”
His beam of pride at her words annoyed me and left a hollow feeling in my chest. Sasha had a deep connection with my son, had become the de facto parent to him while I grew my fashion empire.
“That’s delicious Andreas.”
“Thank you, Father.” He looked to Sasha and some silent conversation passed between them without a word, and finally he spoke.
“When Sasha and I went to the zoo, we sa
w lions, tigers, polar bears and my favorite, sharks!”
Yet another thing I didn’t know about him.
“And she’s going to teach me to surf the same way Mama taught her!”
I didn’t like hearing about his life and his plans like I was a distant uncle or a weekend father. Yes, work kept me busy but that didn’t mean I wasn’t involved.
“I hope you two don’t have plans this week,” I growled and Andreas took a step back, wide blue eyes filled with apprehension.
“I-I have school this week,” he reminded me with a shaky voice.
“The session ends on Wednesday,” she added in a tone that told me I should already know this information.
“Then I will have the jet ready to leave Thursday morning.” That worked perfectly for my plans. I had a Thursday night dinner meeting and a Friday night fashion show to attend, and then the weekend would be for Andreas. And Sasha.
“Where are we going, Father?”
“We’re going to Miami,” I told him with a smile, hoping to coax him back into being the happy kid of moments ago who was so excited to see me. “What do you think Sasha?”
“I think you guys will have a good time together.”
“I think you mean we’ll have a good time because you must go as well.”
“Why?” Her tone sounded annoyed, and that annoyed me.
“Because I have work to do while I’m there.”
“Of course you do,” she muttered and stood, glancing at her phone before sliding a glance to Andreas. “Fifteen more minutes buddy and then we need to get cleaned up.”
“Okay Sasha, as soon as I help Father to make another s’more.”
She flashed a loving grin at him. “You do that and I’ll bring in all this stuff, deal?”
“Deal!”
They were a team, I realized. A team of two because they had to be. Because Miriam had spent the last eighteen months of her life too sick and too frail to be a proper mother. Because I’d been too self-involved to be a proper father. I felt like an intruder. An interloper in what should be my own life. My own family. I didn’t like it one damn bit.
“I can do it,” I offered though we both knew I wouldn’t know where to put any of it.
“No,” she said sharply. “Andy wants to teach you to make s’mores. Keep this one in line, kiddo. You’re in charge,” she winked at him and began gathering up their debris.
I couldn’t help the way my eyes tracked the sway of her hips as she walked away. I knew I would enjoy seducing Sasha, having her in my bed and thrusting into her curvy little body. Yeah, I would enjoy that a lot, and Miami was the perfect location for seduction.
***
I needed to kick my seduction plan into high gear because Sasha was a tough nut to crack. No matter what I did, it was met with the same icy civility she always offered. Though I did occasionally catch the heat of desire in her green eyes, she never acted on it. She was attracted to me, but she didn’t like me enough to pursue that attraction. That was a first, and I have to admit, it stung like hell.
Today that would all change. She thought I would be at the office all day as I always was, but I’d put in a few hours of work at home while she dropped Andreas off and ran errands in preparation for the trip. The moment I saw her bikini-clad body from my office window, I knew she would use the time to get in a few laps in the pool thinking she was alone because she never swam while I was home. After quickly changing into my own trunks, I stood and admired her sun-kissed, freckled covered formed as she lounged on a pink inflatable, sunglasses shielding her eyes.
“Now that is a damn beautiful sight,” I said loud enough for her to hear.
She didn’t look up or acknowledge my presence and it pissed me off. I’d yet to meet a woman immune to my charms, and certainly not my wealth.
“The day is beautiful,” she finally answered, cool as you please.
I decided to hell with subtlety and jumped in the pool, swimming from one end to the other and back before stopping at her feet. Feeling brave, I skimmed the fingers of one hand up her ankle, her calf and stopped at her knee.
“You know damn well I meant you were the beautiful sight.” The hitch in her breath gave me a surge of satisfaction. “This bikini is sexy as hell.” The real truth was that her body did devastating things to that bikini, the way the fabric cupped her breasts, highlighted her puckered nipples and the little triangle nestled between her thighs.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree Prince Antonio.”
I knew I wasn’t. “You want me Sasha, just admit it and we can both have some fun.”
“Oh, I do want you Antonio,” she looked straight at me without removing her sunglasses, voice husky and thick. “I want you to leave me alone.”
“You don’t,” I said with a laugh as I moved in closer. “You like this,” I motioned to my hand still caressing her leg and moving towards her thigh. “You like me.”
Finally, she removed those damn sunglasses and gave me a thorough onceover that had my body growing uncomfortably warm. “I do like to look at you because you’re a gorgeous man, but you always ruin the effect by speaking.”
I threw my head back and laughed though my hands never left her legs. “Funny girl.” I almost lost myself staring into those green depths, but I had to remember that I was doing the seducing, not her. I used the moment of distraction to my favor and flipped over the inflatable lounger. Instead of being mad, she popped up and slicked back her mass of wet hair and glared at me.
“And you’re immature on top of all that,” she shook her head like a disapproving spinster aunt. Treading water a few feet away she gave me a bored look. “What is all this Antonio? Are you between women and bored? Is this another of your ploys?”
I knew what she meant and I didn’t want to lie so I didn’t respond. Instead, I reached out to her and pulled her close. “I’ve already set my sights on you Sasha.” She laughed and damn but it pissed me off. Women didn’t laugh at me, they chased me. Did whatever they could, performed whatever sex acts I demanded, just to get and keep my attention.
“Keep telling yourself that. I’m going to pick up Andy.”
“Just a moment,” I told her, tightening my grip on her waist and pressing her up against the wall of the pool. “I just need to do this first.” That was my only warning before I leaned in and kissed her. At first she froze, remained stiff and I braced myself for her rejection. But the moment my tongue massaged the seam of her lush mouth she relaxed and opened up. It started soft and gentle, but she tasted sweeter than I could have imagined. Like cinnamon and soft, supple woman. I couldn’t stop, swooping in and doing wicked things to her mouth with my tongue while my hands explored her curves. It had been a mistake to kiss her, I realized because I couldn’t stop. My body wouldn’t allow it until all of my curiosities had been satisfied. I pushed and she surrendered.
But all too soon Sasha pulled back. “I hope you’ve satisfied your curiosity Antonio. I need to go.”
I watched her go, and smiled at the way the bikini clung to her wet curves. That kiss had only primed me for more of her, merely whetted my appetite for more. Now I didn’t just need to seduce her to gain full custody of Andreas.
I wanted her. I needed to have her. To have my way with her.
And I needed it badly. Miami couldn’t come soon enough.
Then I would get everything I wanted. Sasha in my bed temporarily.
And my son.
Sasha
Andreas and I spent the first day in Miami playing the part of sightseeing tourists, stopping at all the little shopping kiosks for souvenirs for his friends and his cousin Sofia, trying out a variety of Cuban dishes, plus all the other foods inspired by the different cultures that called the city home. The sights and sounds and scents of Miami were intoxicating. They had a way of just pulling me in and making me want to experience everything. Or at least all the things one could experience with a six-year-old in tow.
Not that I minded spending time with
Andreas, because as sad as it was he was also my closest friend. Growing up in foster care, I hadn’t had many childhood friends, because we were all involved in some unspoken competition. Though none of us over the age of five really had a chance in hell of being adopted. Later in college I was too shy and too damaged to try and make friends. I didn’t have it in me to trust anyone enough to allow a true friendship to grow. At least not until Miriam, and her death had only further proven to me that I shouldn’t form attachments.
And I hadn’t. Except for Andreas, but if anyone was willing to risk heartache in life, it should be for a child.
“Are we having dinner with Father tonight?” His question broke through my disturbing thoughts and I was glad for the distraction.
I hated always being the one to tell him the bad news, but someone had to do it. “No sweetie. He’s meeting with people for work over dinner.” Sometimes I worried that Andreas didn’t get enough male influence in his life, and I wondered how it might influence him as he grew up. I knew part of my role as his guardian was to provide him a well-rounded upbringing, but the truth was that raising a precocious young boy and going to culinary school hadn’t given me the opportunity to meet many men. The last time I had a boyfriend, or had even been on a real date was high school. Seven years ago. Hell, I had less male influence than Andreas. What a pair we made.
With full bellies, and legs tired from so much walking, I sighed in relief when Andreas spotted one of the well-known amphibious vehicles making its way back to the parking lot ahead.
“Sasha look!” He pointed to the ungainly vehicle emerging from the water. “It swims and it drives!”
We followed the vehicle at a safe distance until we found the kiosk for the Pirate Tours. “Are we going to do this or what?”
Cowboy's Barmaid: A Small Town Military Romance (Lucky Flats Ranchers Book 2) Page 18
