Page 75 of Takeover

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Why on earth would I be mad at you? I can always find something to be mad about if you want.” She leans in and kisses my lips. “I need to go to the grocery store, but I’m going to run home first. Can I take Vincent with me to the store?”

“Of course, you can. I trust you with him, you know that. But you can ask Susan or Joan to get you whatever you need.” She runs a hand over my chest.

“I like to pick out my own stuff, baby, you know that. You’re a spoiled rich guy and I’m not.” I wrap my arm around her waist and pin her to my body.

“You’re definitely not a guy, thank goodness for that, but you’re absolutely a spoiled rich girl. And I plan on spoiling every inch of you because you are amazing.”

Hunter barges in to remind me of my meeting, but I ignore him and kiss Tara nice and slow while he drones on. Once she’s out of my office, I finally turn back to Hunter.

Despite having a packed day, the afternoon drags on one boring meeting at a time, and all I want to do on this Friday is go home to my family. My phone vibrates on my desk while I review some contracts. I toss my reading glasses on my desk and grab my phone.

“Lizzie,” I say to my sister, “I’m counting the days.”

“Yeah, me too. And once I leave the UK, I never want to return. How are things back home? How are Vincent and Lindsay?” she asks.

My smile drops, and I crease my brows. I haven’t discussed Lindsay with my sister in years.

“Vincent is great,” is all I say.

There’s a tense silence, and I get a nagging feeling in the back of my head.

“I talked to Lindsay a few times,” she says.

“Great, then you should already know how she is.”

“Yeah. She told me all about her therapy and the changes she’s made in the last year. It’s pretty remarkable, Ethan.”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Lizzie,” I say. I do my best to keep the venom out of my voice. There is no level Lindsay won’t lower herself to. “And Tara is great too, by the way. Thanks for asking.”

As many times as I talked about Tara with my sister, she’s never shown any interest in my girlfriend, which is unlike her. I was expecting a different reaction from her after finally getting a woman in my life after all these years, but she always changes the subject. Now I know why.

“Yeah, I’m glad to hear it, but—”

“But what?” I ask, my voice low.

She stays silent, before she says, “But I want to hear about my brother and my nephew. Can’t wait to see you guys next week.” Part of me is disappointed when she changes the subject because I’m itching for a fight. We talk for a few more minutes before she ends the call, but her dismissal of Tara won’t go away.

Tara moving in was pretty much seamless. When we told Vincent that she was moving in, he scratched his little head and said he thought she already lived there. Then he ran off to play.

The only hiccup was her father. When he found out about our plans, the look he gave me told me he did not approve, but he never said a word to me. If he said anything to Tara, she hasn’t mentioned it, and because we’re both adults, we continued with our plans. I’ve seen John Taylor twice since she moved in. Both times were at his home for Sunday dinner. Each time was a pleasant experience, but despite John’s welcoming behavior, I know there is something else below the surface. The easy rapport we had when we first met is gone, and as polite as he is, a wall has definitely gone up.

It’s close to seven by the time I get back in the car to head home. I sigh loudly in the back of the Maybach, feeling incredibly guilty for how today turned out. I was supposed to be home over an hour ago for a night alone with Tara, but instead, I’m running late while she deals with two young boys because of a unilateral decision that I made.

I might not be a relationship expert, but I know I can do better. I spend the short ride home thinking of ways I can make it up to her when Vincent goes to his mother’s house next weekend. Assuming Lindsay actually comes through, maybe I can sneak her away to Montauk for the weekend, but there’s always the possibility that Lindsay will want to drop Vincent off early.

“Dammit,” I mutter to myself, but knowing Tara, she would be fine with simply staying at home. My annoyance at Lindsay soon fades. All I can focus on is how wrong I was about Tara the first day I met her. She’s far from the spoiled princess from that first meeting.

The car stops in front of my building, and Earl opens the door for me. I nod at the doorman as I cross the lobby to my private elevator. The second I step over the threshold of the penthouse, all stress leaves my body, and I sigh in contentment. I hear the laughter of small children, but also the chatter of adults. The closer I get to the kitchen, the louder the voices are. There’s also an aroma that smells good enough to make my stomach growl.

I lean against the entrance of the kitchen and watch as my son and his best friend put toppings on personal pan pizzas. Tara’s parents are also in the kitchen, and Tara is holding what looks like a two-year-old baby girl. She has huge cheeks and her dark hair is styled like an afro. She has a purple headband around her head, and when she sees me, she smiles.

“This is a nice surprise,” I say. I step inside and give Tara a kiss that makes her blush when I finally pull away. I offer her father a handshake and kiss Cheryl’s cheek. “Who do we have here?” I ask, touching the baby’s cheek.

“This is Harper. Her parents live next door to Dad and the evil one. Her mom went into labor early, which is why she’s here. Dad and Cheryl have dinner plans nearby so I told them I’d watch her. I hope you don’t mind.” I hold my hands to Harper and she practically jumps into my arms. As soon as I have her, she goes for my tie and tries to put it in her mouth.

“Look, Daddy!” Vincent finally acknowledges me. “Tara took me to the store, and we got stuff to make pizzas. She let me and Evan cook!” He lifts his pizza and proudly shows it to me.

---