New York
Sunday’s nemesis—River’s abuser—was hosting a cocktail party at her Upper East Side party, but had long since abandoned her hosting duties, and snuck off to fuck Brian Scanlan upstairs. Not even snuck, Angelina thought now with a smirk as she sat on Scanlan’s large cock and rode him.
Scanlan was a great fuck, big cock, and nasty in the sack, but more and more she craved her fix. River. Over twenty years, he had been her obsession, her personal shot of pure heroin. To Angelina, he was beautiful, almost magical, and the fact that she ruled him was all the power she needed.
And now she had an ‘in.’ The child. Of course, she didn’t give a flying fuck about the child’s welfare, but she’d been smart enough to groom the child’s mother into a false sense of security, plying her with money and Angelina’s version of love.
When she’d heard that Lindsay had passed on, and that River now was Berry’s full-time career, she could have crowed with delight. Just as I planned. Now, with the custody lawsuit, River would have to see her.
Angelina could hardly wait. She was going to Colorado at the end of the week to ‘discuss’ Berry’s living arrangements. Her spies in Rockford had told her that he was seeing someone, his secretary or something. She, Angelina, would soon chase the girl off. River belonged to her, and she would not tolerate another woman being on the scene.
Brain sighed and lifted her off his cock. Angelina blinked back into the moment. “What are you doing?”
“There’s a lot of things I’ll do,” he said, getting up, “but being ignoring during fucking isn’t one of them.”
Angelina shrugged and rolled over to the nightstand, getting a cigarette out. “Don’t pretend you care for me anymore than I care for you, Scanlan. Don’t act all butt hurt when I know you’re thinking about your blonde bimbo.”
“Summa cum laude from Harvard is hardly bimbo material,” Scanlan said, and there was an edge to his voice that made Angelina smile.
“Still trying to find her?”
“The world is a small place when you have as many resources as I do.”
“And yet she still eludes you.” Angelina was enjoying goading him. Scanlan always had a delicious air of violence around him, and Angelina wasn’t impartial to playing it rough. “Tell me, what are you going to do to her when you find her?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but she will be persuaded that a life with me is her destiny.”
Angelina rolled her eyes. “And, of course, an intelligent woman like Markey Locke will roll over and say ‘Of course! You had my fiancé murdered yet I will still go along with what you say.’ God, you’re delusional.”
Brian had gone very quiet as he dressed and now he turned to her, his eyes burning with rage. “You,” he said, venom in his tone, “have no idea what real love is. Marley belongs to me … she knows it and will eventually admit it to herself.”
“Or?”
He smiled without humor. “Do I really need to answer that?”
Angelina walked over to him, smoothing her hands over his chest. “No, but I’d like to hear it. What will you do to her if she turns you down?”
Scanlan looked down at her. “I’ll kill her, of course. What else would there be to do?”
After Scanlan had left, and her party guests had dissipated, Angelina drew a bath and soaked in it for an hour or so. She thought about what Scanlan had said and knew she understood his drive. River was always present in her thoughts, in every one of her actions. She remembered the first time she had seen him, just fifteen. God, he was beautiful, dark shaggy curls, bright green eyes, and a tall, not-quite-mature physique. His father, Ludo, was a spectacular-looking man, to be sure, but he paled in comparison to his son. Angelina had made sure she lulled Ludo into a false sense of security, had made him propose to her, just so she could be around River.
And it had worked. The first time she’d seduced River, she hadn’t shown how nervous she was. Threatening the boy into silence had been easier than expected. River adored his father and was terrified of disappointing him. It had made her plan so much easier. Two years, she had had unlimited access to the boy, then, when he’d escaped to college, she’d faked reasons to go see him.
It was only when he’d reached maturity that he’d begun to fight back. He hadn’t turned up to meetings when she ordered, or he’d ignored her calls. She’d taken to drugging Ludo and driving to catch River unawares, but he’d always eluded her.
When Ludo had died, she’d known she had lost all hold on River. Ludo, somehow sensing that his new wife wasn’t all she had said she was, had cut her out of the will entirely, leaving everything to River. Angelina, rich in her own right, hadn’t cared about the money, but had been furious that now River had the means and the control to cut her out of his life entirely. And he’d wasted no time in doing so.
But now he would be forced to see her. She would be magnanimous in her dealings with him, offering joint custody, or even just asking for visitation rights. She had already reached out to a realtor in that small Hicksville town he lived in, to find a property. He wouldn’t be able to cut her out of his life now, however hard he tried. It was so perfect, she could laugh.
Brian’s words came back to her. If his obsession turned him down, he was prepared to kill her for it. Would she, Angelina, ever go that far?
Yes.
The answer came back to her straightaway. But what a goddamned waste it would be. But if anyone else got in her way—River’s girlfriend, that annoying housekeeper, or Luke Maslany, who hated her almost as much as River did, then yes, she would dispatch any of them without a second thought.
But River … She got out of the tub and dried herself, walking naked into her bedroom and pulling open the drawer of her nightstand. She took out the small photo album she kept there, amongst her vibrators, her dildos, her drugs—all of her favorite things—and opened it.
As always, her heart began to beat a little faster as she stared down at the photographs of River. She lay back on the bed and slid one hand into her bush, stroking her clit as she looked at his image. The thought of him inside her made her moan and she bit her bottom lip as her orgasm began to build. There would never be anyone for like River, she knew, and as she came, gasping and moaning, she vowed one thing.
You will be mine again, and this time, I’ll never let you go …
Chapter Thirteen
If River had thought Berry might be upset at about his and Sunday’s relationship, he was very wrong. He told her over breakfast, before Sunday arrived for the day, and Berry shrugged.
“I know. You love Sunday.”
River smiled. “Well, we’re just at the start of whatever it is we’re doing, so love is …” He trailed off. Yeah, fuck it. Berry was right. He was in love with Sunday, had been from the beginning. “Yes, I do. But I haven’t told her that yet, and I’d like her to hear it from me, okay?”
“Okay.” Berry was busy pulling all the green loops out of her bowl of cereal—she swore they tasted nasty even though both River and Carmen couldn’t discern the difference. “But you do. Momma said she could tell.”
“She did?” River was surprised. He hadn’t thought he’d said too much about Sunday to Lindsay. “You know, this doesn’t mean I didn’t care for your mommy.”
“I know. You and Mommy loved each other but you weren’t in love.”
River grinned at his daughter. “How did you get so smart, kiddo?”
Berry grinned at him, her mouth full of cereal, and he laughed. Children had never played into his life plan but with Berry, he couldn’t imagine being without her. Screw Angelina—she wasn’t going to risk Berry’s happiness for her own selfish means. He ruffled Berry’s hair, so dark and curly like his.
“Sweetie … you know Nanna wants to see you?”
Berry nodded. “Carmen said she was coming to see me.”
River sighed inwardly but nodded. “She wants you to go live with her.”
Berry put down her spoon and
when she spoke, her voice was so small it broke River’s heart. “Don’t you want me to live with you, Daddy?”
“Of course I do! I’m just saying, Nanna is asking if, sometimes, you can go and stay with her. You don’t have to. This is your home, Berry, here with me and Carmen and Sunday too, someday, I hope.”
Berry smiled, a look of relief on her face. “But Nanna wants me to visit her?”
River nodded. He really wanted to scream that no, Nanna was just using her to get to him, but he didn’t. Berry would not be exposed to Angelina’s fucked-up plans if he had anything to do with it, but he had to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she really did care for Berry—it was impossible for River to fathom that anybody wouldn’t want the adorable little girl in their life.
“Hey, gorgeous people.” Sunday walked into the kitchen and River’s heart lifted. Just seeing her beautiful face was enough to make him happy these days. He kissed her on the mouth, just briefly, but she looked surprised, cutting her eyes to Berry.
River smiled. “Berry thinks we make a lovely couple. Don’t you, Berry?”
Berry nodded eagerly and Sunday laughed, obviously relieved. “You two have talked?”
“Daddy is crazy for you,” Berry said, then covered her mouth, thinking she had given away his secret. Sunday and River laughed, Sunday tickling the little girl and making her giggle.
“And I’m crazy about both of you.” She pulled Berry onto her lap and smiled at River over her head. “You know I’ll never try to replace your mommy though, right?”
Berry nodded, not fazed by the question at all. “I know.”
River poured Sunday a cup of coffee, offering her some breakfast. She thanked him for the drink but shook her head. “I grabbed a Danish with Daisy this morning. I needed the sugar after last night.”
River grinned and kissed her. “Damn right.”
“You did a swear,” Berry hissed at him, and he laughed.
“Sorry, Pooh. Listen, what say we go out for the day? We could go up the mountain, or maybe to Telluride for shopping?”
Sunday and Berry looked at each other and said, in unison, “Shopping.”
River shook his head in mock sadness. “Women.”
Sunday helped Berry get dressed. Brushing the little girl’s curls, she wondered at how easily this little person had fit into their lives here and yet she herself had found a home here quickly too.
“Sunday?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Do you think you and Daddy will have a baby?”
Sunday felt tears prick her eyes. “Well, I don’t know, honey.”
“I’d like a brother or sister. No, sister. Boys are horrible.”
Sunday chuckled. “They grow up into nice people though. Like Daddy.” Not all of them of are nice … she shook the thought away.
“I suppose.”
“Listen, BerBer … your daddy and I are just beginning to figure all this out. There will be time to see if we want to have children together.”
Berry suddenly clung to her neck and Sunday hugged her. “I miss Mommy.”
“I know, sweetheart, I’m so sorry.” She held her tightly. “I know she’s watching over you, that she is with you all the time, even if you can’t see her. That she loves you more and more every day.”
Berry nodded, her little head bobbing against Sunday’s chest. Sunday looked up to see River watching them. Their eyes met.
“I love you,” he mouthed, his eyes intense, and Sunday smiled.
“I love you too.” She knew the truth of it, and in that moment, it seemed more than right to speak it.
River drove them into Telluride and they enjoyed a morning of walking around the stores, even the tacky tourist spots. Berry consumed far too much sugar and Sunday teased River about it. “You’ll never get her to sleep now.”
“Oh, ye of little faith. I’ll just tell her one of my interminable stories about the history of painting. That’ll do it.”
Sunday pretended to agree. “Ah, yeah, that’ll do it, all right.”
River grinned and dipped his finger into the ice cream sundae in front of him. He smeared a glob of cream on her nose. Berry burst out laughing and Sunday tried to lick it off but couldn’t reach with her tongue. “Silly Daddy,” Berry said and with Sunday’s help, drew a heart in syrup on River’s cheek.
River looked at Sunday, his eyes dancing. “Do we let her get away with that?”
“Oh, no way,” Sunday laughed and with Berry shrieking with laughter, they covered the little girl’s face with syrup and sprinkles, making the other patrons laugh at them.
“Look at us.” River was shaking his head, trying to clean himself and Berry up.
“We’re walking works of art.” Sunday lifted Berry into her arms. “I’ll take her to the bathroom.”
River wiped the rest of the syrup from his face as his phone chirped with a text message. His smile faded as he read it. “Goddamn it.”
When Sunday came back from the bathroom, her smile faded when she saw his expression. “What is it?”
He cut his eyes at Berry and shook his head. In the car on the way back home, he waited until Berry had fallen asleep before he spoke. “Angelina is coming to town on Friday to talk.”
“Christ.”
“Yeah.” He glanced at her. “Listen, I’ve been thinking. I don’t want to risk her recognizing you. If you two have a beef then she’ll think nothing about revealing where you are to the whole world and there’s no way I’ll allow that. Your life isn’t up for negotiation in this.”
“So what are you saying?”
“When Angelina’s here, I’ll deal with her. I’ll allow visitation with Berry—supervised—but that’s as far as I’m willing to go. For Berry’s sake. But I want you out of the way. Don’t come to the house; don’t engage with her.”
Sunday was silent for a time and River reached his hand over and took hers. “You know I’m right.”
“I wanted to help you.”
“I know, baby, but you still can. Research anything you can that we can use against her if it goes to court.” He sighed. “I know what she wants, of course, but she’s no going to get it.”
“She wants you.”
He nodded. “But I’m not available.” He grinned ruefully. “Not that I ever was to her. Not since … you know.”
Sunday touched his face. “If she even tries anything …”
“Oh, she will, but I’m a different person now. A man. A man who will shut that shit down the moment she starts.”
“Don’t be alone with her. Have Carmen or Luke there.”
“If I can. Listen, will you stay tonight?”
Sunday nodded. “I will. Now that Berry knows about us, I will.”
He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Thank you. Just knowing you have my back gives me great strength, baby. Angelina won’t get her own way this time.”
Chapter Fourteen
By the time Berry was fast asleep, Sunday and River were exhausted but happy to be together. River drew them a hot bath and they shared the tub together, stroking each other’s skin, kissing. Sunday straddled him and he buried his face in her breasts, making her giggle.
“Pervert,” she teased, and he laughed.
“When it comes to you, yes.” His curls were sticking to his face and she swept them back with her fingers.
“God, you’re handsome, Signore Giotto.”
He grinned. “Listen, when this crap with Angelina is out of the way, I’d like us to take a vacation together. Italy. I own a place in Tuscany. Sun, nature, and plenty of room for Berry to play, while I take advantage of her stepmom in the olive groves.”
“Ha ha, that’s just poor parenting,” she giggled, then sighed as he slipped his hand between her legs and began to rub. “She asked me if we thought about having children. I told it was way, way too early for that.”
River considered. “Do you want kids?”
“The truth? I never even thought about it. With Cory,
we had plans to travel the world, and to be honest, we didn’t plan anything further than that. Looking back now, I don’t know why. Weirdly, it felt like we were racing against time—and it turned out, we were.”
River stopped rubbing her sex and instead held her. “I’m so sorry about Cory.”
Sunday nodded. “The night he died … God, it was so quick, so final. He … the killer, I mean, said my name. I thought it was a fan; sometimes they used to hang out outside the studio to say hi or grab a selfie. I was smiling at him when he shot Cory. Smiling. God.” She closed her eyes, remembering. “I just remember Cory’s chest exploding, blood everywhere, in my eyes, and instead of screaming, I got mad. I went for the gun and he shot me. I still managed to scratch the crap out of him but it didn’t do any good. They never found him.”
River’s arms tightened around her. “But you were hurt.”
“The bullet missed my vital organs but I lost a lot of blood. And they couldn’t get the bullet out; it’s still lodged in my spine.”
His fingers were immediately stroking the small of her back and she smiled at him. “So it’s always fun times going through airport security.”
“I hate the thought of you being hurt.”
“We all have been hurt, whether it’s physical or sexual or emotional. The main thing is—I got through it. You got through yours. And we’re together. I love you, River.”
“As I love you, baby. You are the first woman I have ever loved—romantically, I mean. And more than that, you are the first woman since my mom who I trust completely.”
“Don’t tell Carmen that.” Sunday smiled at him but his eyes were serious.
“Carmen is Carmen. She’s like my surrogate mother; sometimes I forget she isn’t my mom. But you know what I mean. With my heart. I trust you with my heart.”
Sunday felt tearful. “And I trust you with my life. If you need me, when Angelina is here, I’m there, baby. Fuck everything else. I’m with you.”
They made love in the cooling water, then again in his bed. Afterward, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. “I’m looking forward to waking up with you.”
The Hottest Daddy Page 8