Crave (His Second Chance with Heiress Bryn Christmas Duet #1) - Z.L. Arkadie Page 0,48

I repeated that to myself as the car stopped next to a private airplane.

Just because I loathed Bree didn’t mean I’d forgotten my manners. I invited her to walk up the ramp first. I went up behind her. When I stepped into the cabin, I stopped. There he sat, Boomer Cox. My father’s thin lips were molded into the permanent frown he always greeted me with, and he glared at me with eyes dulled by the bitterness that ate him up from the inside. It hadn’t always been so contentious between us. He loved me, I was sure of it, when I was a boy. Then one day, I came to the realization that I could never please him, not even if I was doing shit his way. I had friends who were carbon copies of their fathers. They'd repeat the shit their fathers would say as if their words were gospel. That was never me. I was born a thinker and a watcher. I saw what no one else was paying attention to. I was very young when I saw my father clearly. I’d observed whatever conditions and matters caused him to hesitate. I was able to see the parts of Boomer he couldn’t see for himself. I knew what made him want to fight. And in the airplane, I knew by the way Boomer was looking at me that he was at war with me.

“Did you enjoy your piece of ass?” he asked. That was his first shot—to cheapen a beautiful and rare specimen like Bryn Christmas and make it seem as if she wasn’t worthy of me or him, when in fact she was better than the both of us.

Bree sat in the seat next to Boomer. She crossed her legs, casually pulled a laptop out of the side pocket, and opened it. She was good at behaving as if she was alone and calm in a room that was on fire.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “And how did you find me?”

“If you don’t want to be found, then you shouldn’t use my resources to get around.” He pointed at the seat directly across from him. “Sit.”

My insides cringed. I had to fight the urge to do the opposite of what he ordered. This wasn't about my ego or my broken heart. I wanted to stand strong and brave and show Boomer he would have to go some hard rounds with me to win. But that would be a losing move.

Expelling a loud breath, I gazed longingly out the exit just as the crew closed the door.

“Sit,” he barked.

I quickly put my focus on him again. Shoulders back, I followed his orders.

“Buckle up. You’re not going anywhere,” he said.

Calmly, I did that too. Bree was typing on her computer as if the air was light and cheerful. Looking at her, even for a second, I knew there was no way I could do what my father had been trying to convince me to do.

“Okay, so what the hell is this about?” I asked, deciding to show a little resistance. If I gave him both my balls, Boomer wouldn’t believe my performance for long. He was used to me defying him in my own way. That was why I was in Vail. And deep down, I believed Boomer liked my defiance, because it was the part of me that was like him.

“We’re going to Washington to meet with Alice Templeton. We have a new client,” he said.

I tilted my head, feigning interest. I was done working with Cox and Cox. I was dead set on striking out on my own. But that wasn’t the moment to let him know it. “Who?”

He turned his lips up in a fierce grin. “You.”

I jerked my head back. “Me?”

“You.” He rubbed Bree’s thigh, his hand coming mighty close to her pussy. “And this here beautiful, proper woman is going to be your first lady.”

Chapter Fourteen

Bryn Christmas

When we arrived at the house, Dale was out of sight and out of mind, and I was happy about that. Eden had asked about Jamison’s whereabouts, and I informed her that as of the previous night, he’d been fired as my assistant.

“But he was so good at standing there, all strapping and striking and feeding a girl’s wildest dreams.”

I frowned because I’d sort of had enough of her lusting so openly over my guy. Her behavior was disrespectful, and I knew if Jamison was the type to fall into her clutches, she would have