Complete Indelible Love Series

by Cee, DW

  “Donovan, what are you daydreaming about? I finally understand why my family and friends get annoyed with me when I go off into space.”

  “And why’s that?” I pulled her over and had her jump on my back as we swam around.

  “Because it bugs! I was talking and talking and talking. All you did was stare at me with a blank look. I wanted to say, ‘Hello is anybody home?’” she asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

  “Since we beat your cousin on the water slide, let’s have a spinning contest. Hold on tight!” I didn’t give her much of a choice as I spun us in circles.

  Delaney begged me to stop, but the winner in me ignored her because of my need to beat my best friend in everything. Indubitably, we won but Delaney quickly jumped off my back and did a comical slow run out of the pool.

  “Bye.” She let out a bare whisper and waded out of the water.

  “What’s the matter?”

  Her face looked torn and panicked. My first instinct was to let her go, but I didn’t ever listen to my gut. I held on tighter hoping to figure out what was wrong with my favorite ten-year-old.

  She couldn’t say much more before she threw up all over herself, and then all over me.

  SHIT! I’d have to get all this stink off before my date with Kate tonight!

  “You get my cousin a gift? If you didn’t, you can take something from Mom’s present drawer.”

  My date last night with Kate was epic, and it was time for me to leave for the summer.

  “What do you take me for? Of course I got my favorite little girl a gift.”

  “You actually got her something?” I didn’t know why my buddy looked so surprised. I never let a girl down—at least not one who mattered to me. This little girl, aside from being cute and insanely bright, made sure I noticed her anytime we were within miles of each other.

  “Um yeah. I got her a huge basket of Hello Kitty stationery and some books. She’s always reading or writing in that journal of hers. I thought she’d like this gift.”

  “You know she’s got the biggest crush on you. You’re not helping the situation by getting her everything she favors.”

  “What can I say?” I shrugged. “I’m just a considerate kind of guy. Maybe I like being crushed upon? She wouldn’t be the first girl and she won’t be the last. You know all my sisters’ friends, young and old, have a thing for me?”

  “You’re such a conceited asshole.” Jake laughed.

  “Oh and you’re not?”

  “I guess that’s why we get along so well, huh?”

  “Yep!”

  We took a quick walk across the street.

  “Donovan!” Delaney jumped off the couch and bounced over to us as we stepped into her living room. “What are you doing here?”

  “I leave today for my internship, but I thought I’d drop off your birthday gift.”

  “But my birthday isn’t till August.” Her sweet face lit up. “Is this big basket really for me?”

  “It sure is, Pretty Girl. I won’t see you the entire summer so I wanted to wish you an early happy birthday!”

  “Thank you, Donovan. I love Hello Kitty, and there must be like twenty books in here for me. I’ll be out of Mom’s hair for the next three days.”

  “It only takes you three days to read all that?”

  “Possibly two if Doug doesn’t bug me and make me coo coo for cocoa puffs.”

  “You keep reading and building that big head of yours. I’ll see you in a few months.”

  “That’s a long time not to see each other.” This sweet girl came over and gave me a hug. I saw Aunt Babs roll her eyes and shake her head.

  “Bye.” She waved the saddest good-bye I’d ever seen.

  “Boy if looks could cry, we’d be flooded in her tears. You better not ever make my sister or my cousin cry with your Don Juan ways.”

  “Seriously? You think I’m ever going to be involved with your sister or cousin? That’s sick, Man! You are demented for thinking shit like that. Shut up and let’s go to the airport. I’ve said good-bye to everyone I need to say good-bye to at this point.”

  “What are you going to do about Kate?”

  “She’s coming to New York with me. We’re on the same flight.”

  “No fucking way! She’s that into you?”

  I laughed at my buddy’s freaked-out face. “All women are that into me. Take a look at all the girls in your family.”

  “Will you be serious for a change? Are you messing with my head right now?”

  “No. She’s headed to her New York office so she decided to catch the same flight as mine. She even upgraded my seat.”

  “Are you sure you should be fooling around with this woman? She’s much older and in a completely different stage of life than you are right now. I don’t know that your parents will be thrilled with this cougar situation.”

  “Kelley already told Ma, and she was pissed with me. But hey, it’s my life. I’m twenty-one and free to date whom I please. It’s not as if I’m getting married to Kate. She’s gorgeous, she’s successful, and she’s stellar in bed. Let a guy have some fun!” I heard the worry in Jake’s questions, but I didn’t think it was a big deal to date a woman ten-years my senior. Like I’d told Jake, I was a young man having fun. That’s all it was…fun!

  “Donovan?” Damn, this woman was gorgeous. Her naked body was just as stunning as her Fifth Avenue-clothed body. We’d spent every night together since we got to New York three weeks ago.

  “Yeah, Kate?”

  “I need to head to Europe the rest of July and August. Why don’t you quit your internship and come with me? I’ll introduce you to people in my hedge-fund world and the many lawyers who come with this business. You don’t need this internship to get into law school. I know the deans at Columbia, NYU, and Cornell if you want to attend law school here. We can have dinner with all of them before we take off for Europe. I’ll also introduce you to one of the owners of the most powerful law firm in Europe and America—Ascot, Ascot, & Pemberly.”

  Was this woman kidding me? She wanted me to drop this awful internship that turned me into a personal gopher rather than an employee? I hated this shitty company and couldn’t wait for the internship to be over. If that wasn’t thanks enough, she was willing to take me to Europe with her, introduce me to all the right people to get me into law school and beyond? Hell! How the fuck did I get this lucky? Who the hell did I need to thank for this goddess who warmed my bed every night and kept my libido satisfied every which way?

  “You had me at Europe! When and where do I sign up?”

  “You’re going where and for how long?” I knew telling Ma wasn’t the brightest of ideas. I figured since I was heading out of the country for two months, it would be the right thing to do. Perhaps I was wrong. “Are you going with that old woman?”

  “Ma,” I complained, “she’s thirty, not sixty.”

  “At thirty, I think I had Amanda and Kelley in each hand and you in my belly. She’s too old for you!”

  “My boss is calling me, Ma. I gotta go.” That ended our conversation whether Ma liked it or not.

  Now it was time to brag to my buddy in LA. “Hello there! How’s it going?”

  “Well if it isn’t the gopher. Life getting any better at the firm?”

  “Hell no, but I’ve got the offer of a lifetime on my table. You want to hear about it? You’re going to be green with envy.”

  “Yeah. Let’s hear about it, and I’ve got some news of my own.”

  “Kate wants me to quit my internship and accompany her to Europe for the next two months. She’s also going to introduce me to the deans of the three top law schools in the nation, right here in New York. Beat that!”

  “Shit. No way! You got yourself a serious sugar mama. Where can I find me one?”

  I laughed at him. “What about my sister?” I pretended to be upset.

  “That’s my news. Kelley and I broke up.
”

  “Again? You two are more off than on. How’d Kelley take it?”

  “She’s the one who broke it off. She says she’s sick of me being non-committal. What the hell does that even mean? We’ve been together practically all our lives. She complains constantly about me paying too little attention to her and her needs. I’m done with relationships.”

  “You two need a break. Maybe you should date other girls.”

  “Yeah…” he chuckled an uneasy chuckle, “another girl actually asked me out; and she’s older. I’m going out with her tonight.”

  “Who is she?” Now I was feeling uneasy. “Do I know her?”

  “If I tell you, you can’t ever tell Kelley, you got that?” This question was a cross between a threat and a plea.

  “All right. Just tell me.”

  “Amanda asked me to go with her to some work event.”

  “Fucking hell. Don’t be an asshole and two-time my sister with my other sister!” Now, I was just plain pissed.

  “Hey. Kelley broke up with me, and Amanda asked me out.”

  “So that makes it all OK?”

  “No, but I’m tired of fighting with Kelley, and this date with Amanda isn’t anything serious. She needed someone to attend a function with her and didn’t have anyone to ask, so she invited me. We’re not attracted to each other.”

  “Then why the hell did you make yourself sound guilty? I was going to fly over there and kick your ass for playing my sisters.”

  “You remember that the next time you think about my little sister.”

  I was relieved. I knew my best friend wouldn’t two-time my sisters. “Maybe I’ll bypass your sixteen-year-old sister and eventually date Delaney.” We both got a good laugh out of that one. “I’m sure she’ll take me when no one wants me.”

  “Don’t be an ass. My cousin’s too good for you.”

  “She probably will be too good for me. Just don’t go hurting any of my sisters.”

  “I got it, you nag! Now go have a good time in Europe with that sugar mama of yours. Damn! Why can’t I find myself someone who’ll want to take me on a two-month vacation?”

  “Have you been to Europe before?” Sitting on the plane waiting for the flight to take off, I couldn’t help but admire Kate. She was decked out as if she was attending a high-powered business meeting, and she was gorgeous.

  “Not in a long while. We used to go every spring with Jake’s family, but that ended a while back when all our schedules got too crazy. I take it you were born there?”

  “I was born in the south of France and lived in Paris until the end of elementary school. Then we moved to England and I finished my schooling there, but I did undergrad and law school in the States. I split my time between London and New York.”

  “Then how’d I get so lucky to meet you in LA?”

  “One of our associates who runs campus recruitment left suddenly because his wife got ill. I happened to be in LA at the time so I decided to take his place.”

  “I guess I need to thank his wife for getting ill? Otherwise, we may never have met.”

  Kate couldn’t help her sly smile. “I think our paths would have crossed somewhere.”

  Europe was gorgeous. We stopped in London and Kate took me with her to her first meeting at Ascot, Ascot, & Pemberly.

  “Donovan, it’s good to see you again.” Sir Roland Ascot greeted me with a handshake.

  “Hello, Sir Roland. It’s great to see you too.”

  “You two know each other?” Kate couldn’t figure out which way was up.

  “Sir Roland is good friends with Jake’s grandparents. I met him for the first time a few months ago when Jake introduced us.”

  “Now that that’s cleared up, the more interesting question is how you two know each other and what you are doing in London.” Sir Roland’s stare made me wince.

  Damn. I didn’t think I’d be ashamed to answer this question. I was embarrassed as hell. What was I doing with this woman in London?

  Kate answered his question without missing a beat. “Donovan was interning at a dreadful position in New York for the summer, so I invited him to join me in Europe the rest of his summer.”

  Sir Roland’s eyebrow lifted more than I liked. It bothered me to see him disapprove of me.

  “Would you two like to have dinner with me tonight?”

  “We’d love to, Roland.” I wanted to give my excuses but Kate spoke on our behalf.

  “My assistant will take care of the reservation while we talk business. Donovan, would you like to join us?”

  I was so out of my league. What would I do in their meeting? “No thank you. I’ll sit in the waiting area.”

  Kate squeezed my arm before following Roland into his office. I browsed through the magazines in the sitting area and felt like an absolute idiot. What the hell was I doing here and who the hell was I right now? Meeting high-powered people meant nothing if I couldn’t feel good about myself. Right now, after that meeting with Sir Roland Ascot, I felt like shit.

  “What’s wrong?” Kate finally asked after our dinner with Sir Roland where I stayed silent through most of the meal except to answer his questions.

  “I think I’ll head back to the States.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I feel like an idiot following you around.”

  Kate laughed. “We’ve only been here a day.”

  “And in that one day, I’ve turned into a moron. I’m usually a self-assured guy, but in your world, I have nothing to add; I didn’t have one unique idea tonight. I sure as hell didn’t appreciate Sir Roland’s disapproval.”

  “You’re imagining things. Roland didn’t say a negative word about you or us. Let me take you to Paris and Rome and after those cities, if you don’t like being with me, you’re free to leave.”

  Fuck! What a dilemma. I’d always liked Paris and Rome and I was here already. It wasn’t as though there was anybody waiting for me back in New York or LA. What was another few weeks bumming through Europe?

  “I’ll do it if you don’t take me around with you like your assistant.”

  Kate laughed even harder. “That’s a deal if you’ll stop talking and take me to bed.”

  That was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

  Kate left for her morning meeting, and I took a cab to visit Jake’s grandparents.

  “Donovan! What brings you to London?” Gram gave me a warm hug and let me go so I could show Grandpa Jerry the same affection.

  “When did you cross the pond, Son? And why didn’t you bring my favorite grandson with you?”

  “You favor your oldest grandson too much. He’s nothing special.”

  “He’s pretty damn special in my book.” Grandpa Jerry slapped my back and prodded me into their receiving room.

  “Why’s this place so big?”

  “It’s not much bigger than your parents’ home in LA.”

  “Yeah, it is, Gram. This place looks like it has three stories.”

  “Four, but who’s counting?” Gram answered with a wink. “You’ve yet to tell us what you are doing here. Are you in trouble?”

  I gave them my most offended look. “You think I came here to ask you to bail me out of something?”

  “Then what the hell are you doing thousands of miles from home?”

  “I came here with a friend. This friend is in a business meeting so I thought I’d come and visit my favorite grandparents.”

  Grandpa Jerry was suspicious. “Friend? Male or female?”

  “Female?” I stupidly asked rather than answering.

  “Who is she and what does she do?”

  “Are the twenty questions really necessary?” I whined liked a ten-year-old.

  “Hell yes, it’s necessary.” Grandpa Jerry wouldn’t let it go.

  “Her name is Kate Beauvais and she’s a lawyer turned CEO of a small hedge fund company.”

  “How old is she?” Gram star
ed me down and made me feel like a little kid in trouble.

  “Um…thirty?” My voice squeaked like a thirteen-year-old.

  Gram smacked me on the back of my head. “Why the hell would you date someone that old? Most men are dying to date twenty-year-olds and you go and date someone in her thirties? What the hell’s the matter with you?” Gram smacked me again.

  “Gram,” I pleaded. “Please. Like I told Ma, she’s thirty, not sixty.”

  Grandpa Jerry laughed at Gram’s antics but didn’t look pleased with me. “So your sugar mama brought you to Europe? Are you staying with her in London?”

  “Um…yes?” I croaked again. It was ridiculous how fearful I was of their disapproval.

  Gram picked up her phone and started dialing. “Jake?”

  “Why are you calling Jake?” I whispered and she shooed me away.

  “Can you get away from that biochem lab you’re working at for a few weeks?”

  “What’s Gram doing?” I looked to Grandpa Jerry for some answers. He smacked me on my head in response, just like Gram.

  I sat further away from the tag-team abusers and listened carefully to the conversation.

  “You want to come out here for a few weeks, then escort us home? Your grandfather and I would like to head back to the States soon. It’s too hot and humid here.” By the smile on Gram’s face, I’d say Jake agreed. “I’ll have your grandfather send you a ticket. Can you leave tomorrow?” Gram smiled wide, again. “Splendid. See you soon, Jake.”

  “Jake’s coming?” I asked after making sure my head was out of their reach.

  “You tell that cradle robber of yours that you’ll be staying with your grandparents from here on out, and we’ll be taking you on a tour of Europe once Jake gets here.” Gram gave me the phone so I’d call Kate right now.

  “Gram, she’s in a meeting. I don’t want to bother her.”

  “But you will stay with us for the next few weeks and travel back to the States when our trip is done!” Grandpa Jerry threatened. I, of course, cowered.

  Kate’s chagrin was apparent when I told her about Jake’s grandparents. Rather than making myself sound foolish, I told her Jake was coming out here and we were both to tour Europe at his grandparents’ request, and we both were needed to take them back to America. This allowed me not to sound like the blundering idiot that I was for following her out here.