Page 13 of The Claiming Series: Collection 1
“All good so far. It’s preliminaries right now. I fly back the day after tomorrow. This case will go on for a while,” she replies, taking a seat on the expensive leather sofa.
I sink down in the chair opposite her. No expense has been spared on the décor of this house or Ivy's education. Kathy earns good money as a defense lawyer and has given her daughter everyadvantage without turning her into a spoiled brat. She loves her as much as I do.
Which is why this is going to be so hard.
"So, Ivy's okay? I was so worried about her after what happened with Brent. I'm grateful to you for stepping in to help, Ash. What on earth did that stupid boy think he was doing, putting his hands on my daughter? He won't get away with it. I'll see he doesn't," Kathy seethes.
"I know you will," I say solemnly, understanding how protective she is of Ivy. I get it. On the one hand, she wants her to be independent, but on the other, she doesn't want to lose her little girl. "But there is something I need to tell you. About Ivy."
Kathy's eyes narrow on me, concern in their depths. "You said she was okay."
"She is," I quickly reassure her. "She doesn't know I'm here, but I thought I should be the one to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"I love Ivy."
She laughs. "I know you do, Ash. You've been like a father to her since Jack died. I don't know what we would've done without you."
I wince at her words. "I don't love her like a father, Kathy. I love her like a man loves a woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. I love her for the woman she's become."
Kathy stares at me. When she speaks again, her voice is deadly calm, and I get a glimpse of what she must be like in the courtroom. "Are you trying to tell me you're sleeping with my daughter?"
I meet her accusing gaze without flinching. "Kathy, please let me explain everything before you jump to conclusions."
Her mouth tightens, but she gives me the smallest of nods. I release the breath I was holding, grateful she hasn't immediately ripped my balls off and fed them to me.
"I know I've blindsided you, but this isn't a sudden development for me. Or for Ivy. It's why I haven't been around so much lately. Being near her was torture. My feelings for her started to change three years ago, hell, maybe even before," I admit, deciding to lay it all on the table. "But I never acted on anything before last night. At first, I thought I needed a little space to sort my head out, but it didn't change my feelings for her. If anything, they've grown stronger."
I pause, running a hand over my face as I try to put everything into words.
"Honestly, these last three years, I thought I was losing it. I've tried so fucking hard to fight what I feel for her, but I can't do it anymore. You know me, Kathy. You know the life I live. I'm not some creepy predator looking for my next conquest. I've waited my whole life for her. I love her more than anything else in this world. I want to make her happy. And what makes her happy is me. So, the way I see it, we can fight about this and ruin our friendship, or you can accept we're going to be together for the long haul. And if you can't accept it, if this means the end of our friendship, I want you to know Ivy and I will be together regardless. I'll always love and protect her because she's my number one priority."
Kathy's face doesn't show any emotion once I've finished my outburst. Her poker face is another skill that makes her a great defense lawyer. It seems like forever until she finally releases a breath and leans back on the sofa.
"This isn't all about you and what you want, Ash. What about Ivy's future?" she asks, beginning the cross-examination.
"Being with me won't affect her future. If anything, I can take her places and show her things shewouldn't get to see otherwise. You know my financial situation. I’m obscenely rich and have more money than I can spend in a single lifetime, courtesy of my construction businesses here in Houston. Now, I'll spend some of that money on her, doing whatever she wants. If she wants a career, fine, I'm all in. If she wants to travel and see the world, that works, too. But whichever way you look at it, whatever we do, we'll be doing it together because I can't live without her, and I know she feels the same."
Kathy falls quiet again, stretching my nerves to their limit. Ivy is very much like her mom. She's going to keep me on my toes, and I can't fucking wait.
"I don't need the details, but you said you weren't intimate until last night?" she finally asks.
I nod, holding her gaze so she can see the truth of my words. "I would never take advantage of Ivy. She wanted me as much as I wanted her."
Kathy purses her lips thoughtfully. "She's my daughter, and I love her very much, but it seems she's always craved a life different from most. She's got a maturity most women her age don't possess, which is why I'm confident she knows what she wants. I know I've sheltered her to some extent, particularly since Jack died, but I would never stop her fromwalking her own path in life. And if that path includes you, then I won't stand in the way."
She pauses, the eyes so like her daughter's boring into me. "But am I happy about it? No. The age gap worries me, but only time will tell if you mean what you say. We have a friendship I value greatly, and I know it will hurt Ivy if one of us isn't a part of her life. So I'll trust you with my daughter's heart, but know that if you ever break it, our friendship will be over."
I admire her ferocity for her daughter because it’s the same ferocity I have for Ivy.
I smile. "That's not going to happen. So I guess you're stuck with me."
Chapter Nine
Ivy
I wake to find the space next to me empty. I yawn and stretch, my muscles sore in the best way. Last night was… everything. All my hopes and dreams rolled up into one big, growly man who seems to want me and love me as much as I love him.
