Page 15 of Miles
“Yes, meet Miles’s Mistress.”
“Elsa,” my mother scolds.
“What? That’s her name,” I remind her.
“Her name is Mistress?” he asks.
“Yes, that’s what we named her.” He chuckles behind his hand.
“Very well. Everything is set up in the room off the stairs for her. Please come and see.” He shows me, and Miles has gone all out for the little puppy.
“Wow. He took this new father thing to a whole new level.”
“He’s just practicing for the future,” my mother says.
“What does that mean?” I ask her.
“Oh nothing. Just that a man like him will one day need a family to take over his empire.”
“Oh, I suppose you are right about that.” Again, there goes that pain in my chest. We look through all the puppy toys and on the shelf is the adoption paperwork. She’s a chocolate labrador and her owners are Miles Ivanov and Elsa Martín. I shake my head and laugh.
“He really did make me part owner,” I scoff, handing my mom the paper. She laughs.
“She’s adorable though.”
“She is.” She jumps on my leg with her tail wagging, and I can’t fight the smile she brings to my face. Miles might be a jerk, but I’m so happy to have her.
We get carried away playing with the puppy when Miles walks in. I see red on his collar, and I assume that he’s a liar like most men. “She must have been worth dropping an important meeting for,” I mutter under my breath.
“Sweetie, that’s not lipstick,” my mother says through clenched teeth. Then she smiles at Miles and gives him a motherly pat on his arm. “Miles, she’s adorable. I think we should let you shower and change.”
“Um, yes,” he mumbles, and gives us a light wave before walking away. That was when I noticed his bandaged knuckles. That was blood on his collar.
“Oh my God, Mom. That was blood on his shirt. What do you think he went and did?” I stare after him as he disappears up the stairs.
My mother tugs me away and continues to scold me in a hushed tone, “I don’t know, but it’s none of your business, sweetheart.”
“None of my business—what if he went and hurt somebody?” I let out a gasping whisper.
“Again, just none of our business, honey. More than likely that person deserves what they got. Miles is a good man. You know that, despite your anger toward him all the time.” She’s right; even when I’m cranky with him, I know the truth. I’m really never ever upset with him to the point that I don’t think he’s a good man, just an ass. I know what he’s involved in. Maybe that is wrong; no, I know it’s bad, but my father has been in the same situation.
In fact, he had helped him become the man he is. Miles’s dad is a professional hacker and has taught Miles how to do so many things that he’s an expert at being deceptive. I worry about how much he gets in trouble, but I don’t imagine him being that dangerous. “Do you think it’s his blood on his shirt?”
“I doubt it, sweetheart. Now, you’re probably being a bit hysterical because you haven’t eaten today. Let’s get you some food on the way home.” We do just that. Although I’m totally calmed down, I still wonder whose blood Miles had on his clothes.
Chapter Five
Miles
Earlier that afternoon…
The second he closes the door, my future father-in-law says, “You are testing your luck today, Miles.”
I chuckle because he’s more than right. I’m pushing it, and I know it more than he does. The puppy is more for Elsa than for me. Hell, I didn’t even know what kind of one to get. I asked the woman at the counter for her opinion. She had thirty questions that were twenty-nine too many. After I answered them I added that I wanted one that was good for a family as well. She recommended a labrador and our puppy was too cute to pass up. I had to pick one that would steal Elsa’s heart. She loves dogs and I’d give her a dozen, but I don’t want her to be overwhelmed when we start having babies.
The thought of putting a baby in Elsa’s belly sounded so damn good to me. Sure, I’d wait, but the vision got me hard as hell. Another mark on her that she was mine. I couldn’t deny that satisfied me to no end.
We never got to discuss that kiss, and I hadn’t rectified my reaction because her father’s health was more important. Since then, she’s done everything to create a massive chasm between us. I’m not sure if it’s like her brother said and it was truly an emotional mistake on her part, or if she’s not sure about my feelings. Either way, I have to win her heart. The puppy is a start.
