Page 119 of Mr. Aster
“Are you worried about your father?” I asked Sebastian.
“He’ll get over it no matter how pissed or embarrassed he is,” Sebastian said.
“Unfortunately, your dumb ass textedJakey,of all people, to get you out of the bidding war you feared,” Spencer chuckled. “If you would’ve texted me, it could’ve been shut down quicker than your mother started all of it.”
Jake scoffed, “And miss out on the entertainment only Collin and I have the balls to provide in a room filled withthosepeople?” he laughed, then looked at Sebastian. “I’m glad you texted me the SOS, my man,” he chuckled, then stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get down to the lovely wife. We should probably let these two enjoy their pajama party.”
Spencer stood and shook Sebastian’s hand, “I’m happy you survived that bullshit.” He grinned at me, “I’m happy yousurvived it, too. I can’t imagine the column you’d write about all of us if it went awry.”
“Is that why you’re here?” I chuckled, hugging Natalia as she reached me.
“We’re stupid, but we’re notthatstupid,” Jake chuckled. “All right, kids. My job is done. I’m going home to rest. I’ve got an open-heart surgery first thing in the morning, so I need to be fresh.”
“You better have these pajamas off as soon as we leave, and you,” Nat said, pointing at Sebastian, “get my number from my husband. I look forward to the commission I’m going to make on your handsome ass when I find the home of your dreams for you out here, as far away from your parents as you possibly can get.”
“I look forward to that,” Sebastian chuckled, but it was evident he had other things on his mind.
We said good night, and his eyes darkened when he turned to smile at me, confirming that the pajamas were wasted money because I wouldn’t be wearing them the entire time we were in this room.
Chapter Fifty
Sebastian
The whole bachelor event and all the ridiculous fallout that came with it was finally in the past. I hadn’t spoken to my mother in the three months since the event, and I felt it was best to keep it that way.
I’d love to say that during these past three months, Darcy and I had grown and flourished in our relationship, but I’d been damn busy with the winery, wantingthatpart of my life buttoned up and running so I could finally leave for New York and go over the business with my father.
I hadn’t been entirely out of contact with my father, as that would have been extremely difficult with my position in our various corporations. Still, we kept things strictly professional, which was the extent of our interaction. No personal comments were exchanged between my father and me, and that was how I wanted it to stay. It was the only way I knew to keep things in my control and functioning like my family needed. I would not allow my parents to intervene in my personal life, and I was glad theyunderstood that or at least hadn’t challenged me again. Their meddling would be the downfall of our family legacy, something my ancestors had sacrificed and died to achieve for centuries.
The bottom line was this: my parents couldn’t afford for me to abandon my life as an Aster. My younger brothers, Mark and John, were a completely different story. They had not been groomed as I was to take over when my father could no longer run things. We all knew that, and that was the power I held.
“Are you excited to have Charlotte fly out?” Darcy asked, curled into my side.
I ran my hand over her bare shoulder, appreciating this short time she and I had been able to spend together. While I’d been busy at the vineyard, Darcy had taken numerous trips to Los Angeles, meeting with her editor and that damn fool who ran the magazine. Darcy’s write-up about me was adorable, to say the very least. She kept it all very basic but charming, telling the story of how we were two enemies who had become lovers. Her endearing way of keeping things away from my dark and tragic past and keeping her article focused on how our relationship came to be was the kindest thing she could offer in writing about my life.
That was what everyone wanted to know about, anyway. The woman who stole my cold, dark heart, as Darcy had put it in one of her paragraphs. It was light-hearted, humorous, and a perfect way to keep the gossip from buzzing about the bachelor auction that became a comedy show starring my mother and me.
“I’m excited,” I answered. “However, I feel like a horrible piece of shit when I think about the fact that I haven’t reallymissedher.” Darcy leaned up to lay over on my chest, running her fingers down the center of it while her breasts pushed softly against my warm skin. “What a monstrous thing to admit. I’m ashamed that I’ve been no better a father than my own. Charlotte deserves better than me.”
“I’m not listening to this,” Darcy said with irritation. “Stop talking down about yourself. No situation is too big to remedy.”
I sat up and pulled a pillow behind me to rest against the headboard of our bed in the remodeled room that Darcy once hated and now loved.
“You can butter me up and speak in inspirational quotes all day long,” I informed her, “but it’s a plain fact. I was raised differently than you, and that’s why I have virtually no relationship with my daughter. She’s the ultimate blessing in my life, to be sure; I just don’t know where to begin to form any kind of a bond with her.”
Darcy frowned, “Well, take the time that she’s here to figure that out.”
“What do I do, though?” I questioned, entirely lost about which direction to go. “Do I take her on a winery tour or perhaps have Antonio make my two-year-old fried grasshoppers to sample? I have no idea. Her nanny will be here, and I believe she has planned things to?—”
“Stop right there, buddy,” Darcy interrupted, as she’d been so fond of doing since our first meeting. I was distracted after she sat up and exposed her full breasts, and she batted my hands away playfully when I attempted to run my hand over them. “This isyourtime to bond with her.Youtake her on whatever fun little excursions the nanny might’ve planned and make some cute memories with her.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, maybe the LA Zoo?” she said with a laugh. “Has she ever been to Disneyland?”
“Good God,” I said in utter annoyance. “I’m quite confident you know me well enough to answer those questions. Can you imagine me visiting a filthy, hot zoo to stare at animals that have been placed in confinement? Evenworse,do I seem the type toplacemyselfin confinement by visiting an overcrowded theme park?”
Darcy rolled her eyes at me. “It’s not aboutyou, handsome,” she smiled. “It’s about watching your daughter’s reaction to those things.”
