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Dad wasn’t surprised to see her. I mean, he was fucking sitting with her in a three-piece suit with his business face on. In fact, he looked like he was conducting business. He had a portfolio out and only waters on the table. No drinking was done at client meetings. He wanted the people he met with to know the terms and have complete clarity regarding what they were signing.
No fucking way.
But that was exactly what this looked like, my dad here with Aspen. He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Glad you could make it, and you know Miss Davis. She said you referred her for my services. It seems Aspen is in need of security while she’s here attending school, and she said you sent her my way.”
Fuuuck.
I swung my attention over to Aspen, her smug expression quirking her lips right, her smile high. It brought out a twinkle in her dark eyes, and if my father wasn’t here, I knew I’d wring her little neck.
Or fuck her.
Fucking her sounded way more fun. Especially after that little video I shot of her. She talked a lot of shit, but clearly, she thought about me. I was in her dreams. Between her legs…
Thoughts of taking her while she fought me got me hard, which was kind of sick, but so was whatever this shit she was trying to play.
“We’re actually just finishing up, and thank you for trusting my firm with your safety, Aspen,” Dad said. “I’ll be in contact as soon as we have someone for you. Should be less than twenty-four hours.”
Dad shook Aspen’s hand, and it basically ate hers. He had baseball mitts for hands like me, and they came in handy on the football field. I wasn’t focused on football as much as I should be lately, my thoughts on Aspen and her “bright” decision to be here during what was clearly a turbulent time in her life. I’d had practice just this morning, and my mind had been fucked. She’d completely taken over my thoughts.
That and other things.
Those things I pushed out of my head at the moment. I could only handle things one at a fucking time. Dad smiled. “I was surprised to hear from you considering your history with my son, but I’m glad you two have been able to overcome that. I’m sure Thatcher is very grateful for that, right, son?”
My nod was stiff, and Aspen pasted on a smile that gave my fake shit a run for its money. It was red carpet ready and only something someone who’d dealt with cameras on the regular would know how to use.
Damn, she was good, but then again, so was I. Aspen shrugged. “It was a long time ago, and we’re both adults now.” Aspen faced me. “Right, Thatcher?”
Her smug expression managed to get more cocky, which was ironic as fuck considering how freaked out she’d been the last time we were together. Well, I guess that wasn’t the last time we’d been together. She’d been asleep the last time. I smirked. “Right.”
I couldn’t say any more than that. Not in front of my dad. He was rather good at spotting my bullshit. Probably because he was my dad. Nah, in this instance I thought keeping my mouth shut and not giving any tells was the best way to deal with this.
She better hope he didn’t figure me out.
Dad didn’t need this shit right now, and though I didn’t either, I was going to keep… whatever this shit was off his radar. Again, he didn’t have the time to deal with it. No one in my family did, but especially not him.
So instead of letting him, I smiled as Dad told me all about how Aspen had reached out to his office. He tended to meet with high-profile clients like Aspen personally. Reed Corp., my family’s business, had many different facets. Real estate and online security were the biggest, but recently, Dad had been branching out. He had lots of connections, which was how his other security firm had developed. He took every part of the business seriously, and he wanted his clients to feel like he cared. Especially if they were high priority.
Aspen’s threats clearly placed her in that category, and apparently, she’d listened to me when I told her ass to get some protection.
She thought she was cute.
I’d show her different if my dad wasn’t here, and I realized now my lunch with my dad may have been one of convenience. He was clearly meeting with Aspen today, and since his son went to Pembroke, it made sense that he’d want to meet with me. I was already here.
Of course.
That was fine, and I didn’t care. Again, I wanted to see my dad, and I’d see him in any way that made sense for him. Like stated, I didn’t want to stress him out or be his stress right now.
Aspen and our… history would cause him stress. I’d been a headache for my entire family so many years ago when things with Aspen and me went down, and if Dad knew the hatchet between us wasn’t really fucking buried, he wouldn’t be happy.
“Oh. I have to take this,” Dad said, his hand on my shoulder. He currently studied his cell phone, the device ringing in his hand, but he didn’t answer it. He wouldn’t in front of a client or me. One thing my dad was very good at was separating his business from his home life. He never took calls in front of my mom or my sister, Bow, and me growing up. He prioritized his family always.
I admired my dad so much and wanted to be like him when I eventually got involved in our family businesses.
He gave Aspen’s hand one final shake before excusing himself and taking his call privately. He told me we’d start our lunch after he returned. He and Aspen had just met for the meeting as I had suspected.
No sooner had my dad cut around the wall than I got Aspen’s arm. She twitched, wriggling, but I got a firm hold of her and brought her close to my chest. I was immediately assaulted by the smell of Christmas and candy, but I ignored that shit. I grinned. “You think you’re cute, huh? Getting my dad’s firm for your fucking security.”
She obviously was trying to throw what I told her to do in my face. She shoved at my chest. “Let fucking go.”
