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I wipe her tears away with my thumbs. “What did your parents say?”
“My dad told me if I left, I wasn’t welcome back, even when it all falls apart with you, which it will, according to him. Mom was more understanding, said she didn’t agree with my choices but was here for me whenever I needed her. I knew today was going to be hard, but I didn’t expect how angry it would make me. It brought up so much from the past. I’m still so mad with my dad for sending you away. I just don't understand any of it.”
I don’t want to encourage her to fight with her dad, but what he did to us was pretty unforgivable. Can’t he see what it did to her and learn from it? “They’ll come around when they see how happy you are. Your dad just has the wrong idea about me, he always has, and it must be hard for him to see you growing up, you're his baby.” I knew he would be mad for not getting his own way, but to take it out on her like that is atrocious. Luckily, her mother has more decency.
“I’m sick of being the baby. I’m twenty-three, for God’s sake.”
“I know that.” I push some stray hairs behind her ear so I can see her beautiful face better. I plant a kiss on her lips, hoping I can offer her the distraction she needs. “I’ve got something that I think will help make you feel a little better.”
She looks up at me, blinking back with curiosity, and then the side of her mouth turns up in a suspicious smile. “Is it your cock?” She sniffles.
“I do love that’s where your mind goes straight to, but not this time. You can have me later. This is something just for you; it will make you feel more at home while you’re here staying with us.” I say it like it’s temporary, but if I have my way, she won’t be going anywhere. This will be her home now, too.
“Okay.” She smiles softly.
I take her hand, interlocking our fingers, and guide her out of the garage toward my surprise. As we walk through the house, she’s wide-eyed, taking it all in, so I decide it's time for a tour on our way. “This end of the house is all the facilities.” I push open a door, showing her inside one of my favorite rooms. “This is Jett’s gym, his and Kobe’s, anyway. Kobe’s his trainer.” It’s a big room with a boxing ring on one side and all the gym equipment you can imagine on the other. “If you ever can’t find me, this is where I’ll be. The three of us spend a lot of time in here, sparring or just working out.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you trained with them.”
“Sometimes I help them out as well, when Jett needs preparing for a big fight.”
She gives me a puzzled look. “You don’t actually fight him, though, do you?”
“Sure do. I have been street fighting since I was a kid, Cass. It’s just part of the fun around here.”
“Ha,” she laughs uncomfortably. “Fun. I never understood why anyone would want to fight another person. It’s so... barbaric. You seem too sweet to be able to fight some other dude.”
“I’m sweet to you, baby. But I’m not sweet.” I close the door, feeling like it's time to move on before I reveal too much of my true colors. This door leads to a sauna, then through to the pool out back.
She nods, taking it all in. “Does Leo own this place? It’s all kinds of insane.”
I choose to avoid her question and instead open the door to her surprise. “This room is for you.”
She blinks back at me, I think in shock. Hopefully happy shock. Then she walks in on the polished hardwood floor, stopping to take off her shoes so she's barefoot. She does a small twirl like she’s testing it out, then walks over to the bar, placing a hand on it. One side of the room is lined with mirrors and a ballet bar. It’s not quite as big as the dance studio she’s used to, but this one she has all to herself. “How is this for me?”
“I organized it for you.”
She raises a suspicious brow. “In the last twenty-four hours?” I see it as something clicks into place for her, and she swallows hard, like she’s scared. “This is your house, isn’t it, not Leo's like you said?” she asks, her voice quivering.
I walk toward her. “Yes. Does that bother you?”
I take her hands, and she looks up into my eyes, like she is searching for answers in them. She won’t find what she’s looking for. I have learned to only reveal what I want to. “I don’t know. What does it mean? If this is your house, who are you in the grand scheme of things around here?”
“I don’t think that’s important, is it?”
Her brow knits together now, and I can tell she doesn’t like that answer. “To me it is. I have just had the biggest fight with my family ever and moved out to be by your side. The least you can do is start telling me the truth. Who are you?”
I back her to the wall, my hands going to her hips to lift her so she is resting against the bar. “I’m the person you have always known. Just now I own half of Palm Springs and control most of the dealings that take place here.”
She blinks back at me. “Own it.”
I spread her legs so I’m standing in between them. “Yes.” I run my hands up her body, cupping her breasts.
Her breath catches, her tongue flicking out and licking her bottom lip. “Why are you coaching at the school, then?”
My eyes pin hers. I’m about done with this conversation. “Because I want to. This town is very important to me, and so is playing football. It's my roots, the reason I’m so successful.”
“And Leo?” she says absentmindedly. I have her under my spell, and all she can think about right now is how much she wants me.
