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Chapter 38
Varden
Thank god it was Saturday morning.
After an incredible session in front of the window, my girl had completely passed out. I was in need of some recovery time, too. She was so beautiful as she dozed, vulnerable yet strong.
And the enthusiastic way she let me pop her ass cherry—well, that would give me something to jerk off to for years to come.
I had to figure out how to break the news of our relationship to Saffi’s dad. Hugh Bartlett knew me as a hard-driving professional as well as a man-whore when off the clock. He might not want his daughter to have anything to do with me.
Couldn’t blame him, really.
Saffi stirred, looking around my room as if she didn’t know where she was. “Wow. What time is it?”
“Ten a.m.”
“Oh my god! My dad’s gonna think I’m dead in a ditch. Why didn’t I text him last night? Shit.”
She jumped out of bed and scrambled for her cell. “He’ll be so worried.”
“He should be,” Varden said.
She whipped her head around. “Why?”
He ran his fingers through his bed head. “I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that I haven’t exactly been the settling down type—”
“And my dad is aware of that?”
He nodded slowly. “Everyone’s aware of that.”
She lowered herself to the bench where all the fun had happened the night before. “So what am I doing here?”
I looked up at the bedroom ceiling, then gazed directly at her. “Everything is different with you. I want you in my life. You’re amazing, smart, beautiful, sexy, kind—”
“Oh my god.” Her eyes filled with tears and her chin quivered. “Thank you. I mean, not thank you, but that’s so kind. No, not kind, that’s not what I meant—”
I pressed my fingers to her lips. “Shhh. You don’t have to say anything.”
She sniffled and cleared her throat. “There are two calls from my dad.” She played the first one.
“Saffi, hey there, just checking in. I don’t mind your spending the night out, but I’d really like you to let me know when you’re not coming home. Talk to you soon, sweetie.”
I winced. Damn.
“I’ll text him that I’m on my way home. Can you give me a lift to my car? I left it at the club.”
“Of course. In fact, I think I’ll follow you to your dad’s. We’ll all have a talk.”
“Sure you want to do that?” she asked me with a raised brow.
“Hey, I gotta start showing I’m a new man some time, don’t I?”
She ran around the room, gathering her clothes from the night before. Could I really move from being mister man-whore to smitten with the beautiful Saffi?
“There’s one thing I wanted to ask you about,” I said. “Have you given any thought to exactly, um…who might show up in your story for the Post?”
She cupped the sides of my face. “You are not going to be in the story. Do you think I want everyone to know that during my undercover investigation I, um, tested the merchandise?”
Grabbing her hand, we headed for my car.
* * *
Driving separately, we pulled up before her father’s massive house in one of the city’s upscale neighborhoods. It was vastly different from the downtown high rise where I lived, and yet the advantages of having more space, and peace and quiet, were obvious. I’d never been to Hugh’s home and was glad to see the man rewarded himself for being available to clients like me nearly twenty-four seven.
He deserved to live well.
Saffi waited on the front step for me to park, and then let us into the house. The entryway was vast and beautifully decorated.
“Wow,” I whispered, looking around, “you grew up here?”
She nodded. “I did. My mom decorated the place. She had a real talent for that sort of thing.”
“Man, you should see where Beau and I grew up.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Just a little different from this place.” I pictured the shitty little trailer Beau and I had called home. I was also quite sure Saffi hadn’t worried about being smacked around by drunks during her childhood.
“Dad?” she called.
“Hi, sweetie. In here.” Hugh’s voice rang from the other side of the house.
We walked into a darkly paneled study with comfortable, crackled, broken-in leather furniture. The room smelled of cognac and a slight mustiness, most likely from the hundreds of books lining the walls.
“Varden,” Hugh said with surprise when he saw me follow Saffi in.
“Hugh. How are you?” I crossed the room to shake hands.
He stood and automatically extended his hand, but the look on his face was confused.
“I didn’t expect to see you two here. Together. What a surprise.” He looked back and forth between us.
Damn, he was diplomatic. No wonder he was a top attorney.
“Dad, I want to explain—”
