Mr. Mitchell Billionaires' Club Book 2 - Raylin Marks Page 0,153

placed my elbows on the table, folded my hands together, and watched her handle the transaction. She was such a strong, capable woman, and maybe that was why I couldn’t fucking understand why she was cowering in this aspect of her life when it mattered the most. Why would she be so intimidated by such a small, insignificant, manipulative man?

I had no control over Avery’s decisions, and I definitely couldn’t understand them, but I wasn’t the type of person who was capable of backing down, especially when it came to something important to me. Avery was an attentive and doting mother, making her behavior when it came to this toxic man utterly baffling.

Why not pluck the weed out from its root and be done with it? Why not set custody in stone and demand he gets help? Why all of the enabling? There was no excuse for his behavior, in my opinion. No amount of guilt, or whatever the fuck Avery was dealing with, would make me bring that child around that man if it were up to me. I don’t give a shit if Addy’s grandparents were Santa and Mrs. Claus, there’s no fucking way I would want her in that environment with an unstable drug addict.

I took one last drink of my iced tea and stood with a forced smile. I had to clear my head. I was on the brink of having to fly to London for work, and I didn’t want to leave my girls like this.

We walked to our cars, which were parked next to each other in the back of the gated parking lot. I leaned against mine, wishing we’d had more quality time together. I despised the tension between us.

Avery studied me after I pulled on my sunglasses, and she crossed her arms. “You’re pissed off at me, aren’t you?” she questioned with a snarky grin.

“Not pissed, gorgeous.” I reached for her hand and pulled her to where I reclined against the passenger side of my car.

I went to kiss her, but she covered my mouth before it reached her lips. She giggled, and it instantly lightened the mood. Maybe this potential of having to fly to London was partly to blame for my attitude.

“Yes,” she said as I kissed the palm of her soft hand, “you’re pissed. You hardly said a word at dinner.”

“I’m sorry if my temperament made you uncomfortable. I never want to make you feel that way, no matter what is on my mind.”

She smiled, leaning against me, her arms stretched over each of my shoulders. “It’s okay.”

I missed her perfume, her kiss, her ass—where my hands instantly went. I missed her so much and couldn’t lose her. Fuck that miserable prick for being a thorn in my side, and me not being able to do a damn thing about it.

I ran my hands up her back, feeling her warm skin through her light shirt. “I’m having a pretty hard time not throwing you into the backseat of your car and fucking you here and now,” I teased, tickling her neck with my tongue and lips now.

“That doesn’t sound half bad to me.” She ran her fingers through my hair. “But I could only imagine what it would look like when we got caught doing that.”

I smiled against her flesh. “And with a car seat in the back, no less.” I brought my face back to meet her brilliant blue eyes. “At least they wouldn’t question we’d be needing another one in nine months?”

Avery shook her head, “You’re impossible.”

I chewed on my bottom lip. “You’ve seen me on my phone and doing emails since this morning. It’s because my London offices are trying to send me into an early grave, and now I’m dealing with something.”

“Spit it out,” she said.

“I know this coming weekend is supposed to be our weekend together, given you’re having Addy stay with her grandparents, but I may have to fly to London on Friday. I’m trying to bust this shit out with every resource I have available, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get out of this one so easily.”

She smiled. “I can survive a weekend without you.”

“I may be there through the entire week after,” I said. “It all depends on the hotel chain we’re working with. I’m certain if I don’t meet face-to-face with the owner, wining and dining and shit like that, we’ll lose the damn deal.”

“Hey, now. Will you be finding another wife to help you pass