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I was probably fucking things up.
Faith visibly flinched when I suggested that she didn’t need a job, and she should perhaps go back to modeling. Clearly that was a touchy subject, and I just made things worse.
The last thing she needed was for me to pile on. No need to add to the trauma she’d already experienced.
If I kept my mouth shut, I was less likely to put my foot in it.
To be fair, I had been in a shitty mood since I caught a glimpse of that shiner she sported this morning. It had looked bad enough when she opened the door to her apartment earlier and now in the light of day her eye was fully bruised. It enraged a primal part of me I didn’t want to acknowledge but I vowed that the second I made it home and into my office, I’d figure out exactly which creep hit her and make sure he never worked another day in his life.
That rage dissipated slightly as we exited the city and my whole body felt lighter when we reached the long driveway that led to my house, which was nestled in a wooded area outside of the small town of River Run, New York.
A few small lakes speckled the land as we drove the long, tree-lined driveway. Beyond the trees there were a number of trails surrounded by overgrown nature. The place was lush and lovely and the perfect little oasis for me and Willow. It was like being transported to another world, and we were just a few hours outside the city.
Faith sat up straighter as the house came into view at the end of the circular drive.
“Wow,” she whispered to herself.
It was an old farmhouse completely restored and expanded to become my perfect hideaway. The white exterior of the building shone bright, with dark trim lining and framing the structure.
This property in my hometown had been my first purchase once I made my first million, and it'd taken a few years to get everything to my exact specifications.
My mother also lived on the expansive property, which meant she was safe but also available to watch Willow during my quick trips to the city.
I pulled the car to a stop and before I could round the vehicle to get her door, Faith leaped out of the car and started walking to the porch.
Just then a flash of black raced across the wide lawn. Willow dashed to the newcomer first, tail wagging frantically back and forth.
Faith immediately laughed, bending down to greet my dog. “Hello, gorgeous. Aren’t you adorable?” she asked the rhetorical question with a smile that could light up the Las Vegas strip.
“That’s Willow, and it looks like she’s happy to meet you.”
Sure enough, Willow peppered Faith with slobbery dog kisses.
“The feeling is mutual. Aren’t you the sweetest thing?” Faith gave Willow a few kisses of her own before standing up and giving Willow a final pat on the head.
Lucky dog.
Taking the cue, Willow finally decided I was worth greeting, albeit a lot less enthusiastically. “Took you long enough,” I said, bending down.
I felt Faith studying me from a few feet away, a small smile tugging on the corner of her lips. “I’ll be damned. The fierce Sebastian Steele brought to his knees by a friendly black lab named Willow. Nope, this wasn’t something I had on my bingo card.”
“What do you have on your bingo card?”
She sank into her hip. “I’m so glad you asked. Tick a box if Sebastian does his growly voice.”
I frowned. “I have a growly voice?”
“You most certainly do.” She nodded sagely.
I dragged a hand across my mouth trying to smother my smile. “What else is on this imaginary Sebastian Steele bingo card of yours?”
“Oh, it’s very much real, thank you very much,” she said on a laugh before lifting a finger to start counting. “Mark another box if Sebastian slides his hands into his pockets all smooth like.”
We glanced down to find that my hands were, in fact, firmly tucked into my pockets. I reflexively pulled them out, and I scratched my nose. “I didn’t realize I did that.”
“You also like to scowl. It’s kind of your signature look.”
She was wrong about that. It was only my signature look when she was around. I was a hard-ass when it came to work, but I rarely cared enough to scowl. She brought that out in me because I was usually talking myself down from doing something stupid.
