Page 11 of The Seductress

“Nothing for now, just keep an eye on both of them.”

I’d made a few inquiries after she’d come up missing and knew that she’d taken leave from her job but hadn’t resigned. Either she didn’t fear me finding out anything too damaging or there was nothing more than the swindling of unsuspecting men to lay at her feet, but I tended to lean more towards the former.

I’d done a search on the man and found that he was nothing morethan a shiftless gigolo. From what little I’d found so far, he’d never held a job of any distinction, never paid taxes as far as I could find, and yet was able to jet around at will.

It burned my ass that she’d planned on taking my money to support this asshole. What kind of man pimped out his woman to support his lifestyle? Then again she hadn’t slept with me so maybe he didn’t mind too much.

I’d already put in a call to her two ex-husbands without giving anything away. Those meetings were to take place in a few days, one after the other. Maybe the two men had learned something more after the debacle of their marriages to the pariah. Whatever the case, I was about to open Pandora’s box. Theymay have seen fit to let her get away with that shit but I wasn’t so inclined.

I gave my guy a few orders and hung up before going back to work. Ashley had no idea of the lengths I was going to on this and I aim to keep it that way for now. If anything came of it I may have to share, but until then this would be my little pet project. I’d already ensured that Jen hadn’t stolen any information about my business. I couldn’t forget that she’d been in and out of my place the last few months and though I never kept sensitive information lying around, there was no telling what someone like her could achieve in five minutes without supervision.

The anger wasn’t as hot as it had been a week ago. After all, I’d come out on top as far as I was concerned.Had I not met Jen I never would’ve found my Ash, never would’ve known the love and completeness I now feel. Instead of numbers and contracts, I saw family and joy when I opened my eyes in the morning. She’d brought light back into my life and that’s something I couldn’t scoff at, funny how life works.

Chapter 8

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The call from her dad a few days later came as no surprise and I was ready with every argument I could make, not for myself, but for her. She’s a family girl; a good southern girl and I know it would break her heart if she lost them in the balance.

I showed up at their home later in the afternoon without her. She thought I was working late. I didn’t go there with hat in hand, but more like the man I am. They didn’t know me, and what they did know probably didn’t paint me in a very good light,but if things didn’t go my way, they were about to see a side of me not many have outside the boardroom.

“Thanks for coming Simon, come on in.” I followed him into the study where his wife was waiting. Her slight smile eased the tension a bit and her offer of beverage untied the knots in my stomach. Then again that was southern hospitality for you, so I couldn’t really go by that.

“Good, so, we’re all here.” He seemed nervous as he took his seat across from me but I held my peace. “We’ve given a lot of thought to what you’ve said the last time we met. I guess you can understand our hesitance towards you and our daughter. We don’t know you, other than through my sister in law. She was under the impression that youwere about to offer marriage. A week later you’re telling us you’re marrying our daughter, you can see how that can be cause for alarm.”

I nodded my head for him to go on. “I guess we’re having a hard time understanding the hastiness of it all?” He said it more as a question and I sat forward to answer. This I could put their mind at ease about.

“I’ve already told you my reasons for breaking things off with Jen, and no I never mentioned marriage to her no matter what she said to you. I’ll address the situation with your daughter since that seems to be the more pressing issue for you.”

“I’m not so thick that I can’t see how this whole thing may appear to you. If I weren’t the one involved I’dprobably look at it askance myself, but I am the one involved. I’m sure you’ve done your own digging on me since the other day and you would’ve found that I’m a fair and just man.”

“My name has never been mentioned in any scandal, I’ve never been known to defraud anyone, and that’s not easy in the world I work and move in. I try to keep myself above reproach, but none of that answers the question of what I’m doing with your daughter.”

“I’m in love with her, plain and simple. The age difference doesn’t bother her nor I, so I won’t let you or anyone else hold that against us. The issue here is the unconventional way in which we met, all I can say to that is that you’re gonna have to make peace with it unless you want to loseyour daughter, because no matter what, she’s mine. I can tell you that I plan to make her as happy as it’s possible for a person to be, let that be enough. One last thing, if you hurt her, I will be forced to protect her.” Let them make of that what they will.

“We’ve heard enough.” He stood to shake my hand. “I’ll hold you to everything you’ve said here today, and if you go back on your word, no matter who you are I’ll deal with you. We have our own ways of dealing with such things here in the backwater.”

“I know it.” I let the threat slide, as it was his right. I felt lighter as I made my way to the door and home. She’d be pleased I was sure and I couldn’t wait to tell her. “You’ll bring her by to see us soon I hope?”

“How about you come to the house this weekend? I’m sure Ashley would love the chance to entertain you in her new home.”

“We’ll look forward to it.

I drove home with a sense of peace. Now that that was out of the way we could move on and my girl could lose that sullenness that overcomes her sometimes when she thinks I’m not paying attention. Little does she know, I notice everything about her.

She was in the kitchen buzzing around when I walked in. I guess I’ll have to soothe the cook’s feelings again. Ever since she moved in with me Ash has been taking over the other woman’s space because as she puts it, it’s her duty to cook for me. Iwouldn’t complain since my girl knows her way around the kitchen, but I wasn’t quite ready to relieve the cook of her duties either. In the meantime she was helping out with the rest of the staff until we came to a truce of sorts.

“You’re home.” I doubt I will ever get tired of the way she lights up at the sight of me. Or the way she drops everything and rushes into my arms. “Yes, I’m home and I have news.”

“Tell me.” I picked her up and kissed her nose then put her back on her feet with a pat on her perfect ass. “I went to see your parents tonight.” Her face fell just a little but I hurried to reassure her.

“It’s all good baby, they’vedecided to give us their blessing.” She whooped and flew back into my waiting arms, peppering my face with kisses and questioning me in between. “I’ll tell you everything just let me get out of these clothes.”

She followed me upstairs to the master suite hounding my every step while I told her all that had transpired. I was halfway through when I noticed the difference in her and stopped. She’d gone silent on me.

I turned to look with my shirt in my hand. “What is it?” Her face was red and she just stood there staring. “Nothing.” She shook her head and turned away. Walking to her, I took her chin in my hand and studied her eyes. “Tell me.”

“It’s silly I know, but I’m a littleafraid.”

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