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For the love of God. Where does she find her control because I need some? Part of me admires her. She wants something desperately, I just know it, yet, rightly, she’s denying it because she knows it’s bad for her. She’s fighting her want. I should take a leaf out of her book. I have the same toxic relationship with vodka. “It’s Jesse,” I mutter. “You make me feel old when you call me Mr. Ward.”How old does she think I am?I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but at this moment in time, I’m a desperate man. I need to get her in the same room as me. Where she can’t escape. Where she’s forced to face this madness and fucking well deal with it. “Ava, if it makes you feel better, you can deal with John.” I should have perhaps run that past the big man first. “What would be the next stage?”
“I would need to measure the rooms and draw up some schemes.”
I’m surprised how quickly she answers, but I certainly won’t question it. “Perfect. I can get John to take you around the rooms. He can hold your tape measure.”Because we both know if I show you around, it won’t be your tape measure I’ll want to hold.“Tomorrow?”
There’s a slight pause. I don’t like it. “I can’t do tomorrow or Wednesday. I’m sorry.”
“Oh.” Fuck me, Thursday feels like years away. “Do you do evenings?”
“I can do tomorrow evening,” she says quickly. That was another rather hasty reply. Has she adopted the same approach as me? Go on instinct? I smile. “Seven-ish?” she asks.
“Perfect.” It’s not perfect, The Manor will be busy, but if that’s all she’s giving me, then I’ll have to work with it. “I would say that I’ll look forward to it, but I can’t look forward to it because I won’t be seeing you.” I start my car and pull out of the parking space, returning to The Manor a happy man. A very happy man. She backed down. I’m making progress. If she truly weren’t interested, she wouldnotbe entertaining this. “I’ll let John know to expect you at seven.”
“Ish,” she adds.
“Ish,” I murmur. “Thank you, Ava.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Ward. Goodbye.”
I roll my eyes at her continued efforts to keep it business. We’re way past that now, and deep down, she knows it.
I think.
I fucking hope.
5
On Tuesday morningbefore I head to The Manor, I make an impromptu stop off at Harrods to visit Zoe. She’s delighted to see me, as always. “Have you been on holiday?” she asks as we walk through to the men’s department.
“I was skiing a few weeks ago,” I answer, browsing the rows of suits.
“I can tell. You look refreshed.”
I turn a smile onto her and, of course, she swoons. I can’t tell her my freshness has nothing to do with my holiday. “Ask me why I’m here, Zoe.”
“Why are you here?”
“I need a new suit.”
“Just a suit?”
I laugh as I wander to a display, eyeing the mannequin. “Yes, just a suit.”
“And the occasion?” she asks, joining me.
“The reclamation of Jesse Ward,” I murmur quietly, thoughtfully, looking across at her. She looks confused. I smile. “Something navy, I think.”
“I have just the thing. This way.” She’s off and I follow, taking my phone out of my jeans pocket as I go. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I mutter, and Zoe turns. I wave her off and answer. “Coral.”
“Sarah’s told me I can’t come to The Manor, Jesse!” The panic in her voice is palpable. I step into the men’s changing room when Zoe moves aside, and she holds her finger up for me to wait. I give her the nod, taking a seat on the chair, one leg crossed over the other. I can see it now. Sarah taking the greatest pleasure delivering the news to Coral. Just like the women of The Manor don’t like Sarah, she’s not all too keen on them either. Especially if they’ve been in my bed.
“You’ve missed your membership payment, Coral,” I say as diplomatically as I can. “Twice. What do you want me to do?”
“Please, Jesse.”
I wince, hating to hear a woman beg.In this instance. “What’s the deal?” I ask. I might regret that.
“Mike. He’s canceled all my direct debits and cleared our joint bank account. Since I told him about us, he’s lost the plot. I’m getting it sorted. Please, just give me time.”
