“I thought you’d be out here.” She smiled as she entered his space. “Congrats on finishing your design, honey.”
“Thank you.” Seeing her put him right back in the celebratory mood. He kissed her on the cheek, wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. She smelled of flowers and citrus. His body immediately reacted to her presence, and in the thin swimming trunks there was no way to hide it.
She must have felt it, because she looked down and then back up again. “I love that you’re so happy to see me.”
“You look amazing.” He let his greedy eyes run over her frame again.
“Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.” He saw the drops of water staining the dress. “Sorry, I just got out of the pool. I should have dried off before I got you all wet.” It was out of his mouth before he realized how it sounded.
Her expression changed then, her sweet smile morphing into something wicked. “Don’t worry about it. You getting me all wet is part of why I’m here.”
He licked his lips. “Then what the hell are we standing here for?”
She laughed, and after he opened the pool deck door, she slipped inside. He followed her and shut the door behind them.
When they reached the stairs, she went up first. He lingered a few seconds behind her, watching as the hem of the dress rose in time with her steps, revealing the tempting curve of her ass. He knew then that they weren’t going to make it upstairs.
She gasped as he lips brushed against the back of her thigh. “Chris, what are you...” Her words melted into moans as he continued, kissing and licking her there. Stopping, she gripped the handrail and leaned on it for support.
He helped her sit, then eased the dress up around her waist and caressed her out of her panties. As she lay back on the stairs, he parted her thighs and knelt a few steps below her. Then he leaned forward placed his kisses there until she cried out.
He left her then, sneaking away while she rode out her orgasm, returning naked and wearing a condom. She opened her eyes, leaned up for his kiss. He kissed her lips, letting his tongue mate with hers. When he pulled away, she mewled a protest, but quieted as he gently helped her to stand and turned her toward the railing. He came behind her then, slipping inside her tight warmth, and took her until she screamed his name.
Later, he reclined in the garden tub in his master bathroom with her in his lap. He didn’t know which felt better; the steaming hot water surrounding them or the womanly curves pressed against him.
“You’ve been quiet. Something on your mind?”
He looked down at her, snuggled against him with her head resting on his chest. Looking into her eyes, he knew it was safe to tell her what was bothering him. He trusted her and felt comfortable enough with her to reveal his thoughts. So he told her about the issues at Prescott George and the looming threat of the gala being canceled.
When he was done, she placed a soft kiss against his lips. “Thanks for being open with me, Chris. I’m really sorry things are so stressful right now.”
He gave her a squeeze. “Just having you in my arms helps a lot.”
She smiled. “You’re a responsible person, so I know you’ve taken action to fix the situation.”
He nodded. “I have. We even hired a private detective, but we’re still waiting on his report.”
“Then try not to worry so much, honey. If you’ve done all you can, you just have to trust that things will work out.”
He looked at her then and remembered similar conversations they’d had when they were younger. She’d always believed in him, and at a time like this, her faith mattered more than ever.
And if she believed he could handle things, then damn it, he’d find a way.
Chapter 14
When Chris arrived at the Prescott George office Thursday morning, he found Vaughn waiting at the table in the main area. Robert Yates, the private detective they’d hired, sat to Vaughn’s right. Setting down his briefcase on the floor, Chris eased into the seat to Vaughn’s right, at the head of the table.
After they exchanged greetings, Chris asked, “What do you have for us, Mr. Yates?”
“I’ve got a full report on the vandalism incident at Mr. Jace’s gallery.” Producing a thick stack of paper, he handed it to Chris. “I’ve found another piece of evidence that I think will remove any doubt of who is responsible.”
“Have you seen this, Vaughn?” Chris asked.
Vaughn nodded, but remained stoic and silent.
Chris’s brow furrowed as he noted Vaughn’s manner. He looked down at the pages in his hand, skimming through the typewritten text. When he saw his daughter’s name there, his eyes widened. “Again with this? Why does Jojo’s name keep coming up?”
Vaughn sighed. “I’m guessing you didn’t read very far, man.”
Chris turned questioning eyes to Robert. “What’s going on?”
Robert shifted in his seat, but answered the question anyway. “As you know, last month your daughter’s bracelet was found under a table in Jordan Jace’s studio the night his sculpture was vandalized. Now, the new evidence is an eyewitness who was at the party at the gallery the night the vandalism occurred. She claims she saw your daughter go into Jace’s studio right before the vandalism occurred—and she saw Jojo put her hands on the statue. At first she didn’t think anything of it, just a teenager admiring a sculpture in progress. But when news of the vandalism came out, she offered a signed statement—it’s in the packet of paperwork I just handed you.”
Shaking his head, Chris tossed down the papers and rested his forehead in his hand. “I can’t believe my little girl would do something like this.”
Robert offered, “it would be helpful if you could get her here.”
“She and Jack are attending a summer arts program not too far from here.” Chris sighed. “Let me call her.”
Chris stepped away from the table to make the call. About twenty minutes later, he was back in his seat when Jojo entered the office.
She glanced around at all the faces at the table. “Hi, Dad. What’s going on?”
“Have a seat, Jojo.”
She did as he asked, sitting down across from Vaughn and next to her father. “Hi, Mr. Ellicott.”
Vaughn offered a slight smile. “Hi, Jojo.”
“Go ahead, Mr. Yates.” Chris kept his eyes on his daughter while Robert explained his findings.
“So based on this evidence, Ms. Marland, I believe you were responsible for the vandalism of Mr. Jace’s sculpture.” Robert clasped his hands on the tabletop.
Chris noticed the fear and guilt in his daughter’s eyes, and in that moment, he knew it was true. Tears filled her eyes. Grappling with his disappointment over his daughter’s actions, he said, “Jojo? What do you have to say for yourself?”
The tears spilling down her cheeks, Jojo nodded. “Yes, Daddy. I did it. I’m the one who wrecked Mr. Jace’s sculpture.”
Chris touched her shoulder. “Jojo, I’m surprised at you. How could you do this?”
“I did it because I was mad!” She all but shouted the words between her sobs. “You love this stupid club more than you love me! Yeah, lately you’ve been spending more time with me, but that’s new. I’m sorry, Dad. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m really sorry.” She got up and bolted from the room. A few moments later, they heard the door to the restroom slam.
Chris sat back in his chair, releasing a long sigh. He’d have a long talk with Jojo later. “Thank you for the report, Mr. Yates. What do we need to do next?” He slipped the papers into his briefcase.
“Well, Mr. Marland, these are serious offenses. We’re talking breaking and entering, plus supplying false information to the newspapers...”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
The men all turned to see Jojo standing in the hallway, a wad of c
rumpled tissue in her hand.
Mr. Yates asked, “Have you ever spoken to any reporter or journalist about Prescott George?”
She shook her head. “I never talk to anyone about Daddy’s club. Why would I do that?”
The men exchanged looks.
Vaughn spoke up first. “Obviously something else is at play here. Jojo admitted what she did at the gallery. And I believe her when she says she didn’t break into Prescott George or speak to the press.”
Robert nodded. “I agree.”
Jojo sniffled. “Thanks, Mr. Ellicott.”
“We need to make a list of potential enemies of the chapter,” Robert suggested.
Chris took clean paper and a pen from his briefcase, and the three of them discussed a few names.
“What about Sheila?” Vaughn brought up her name. “You’re seeing someone, aren’t you?”
Chris frowned. “I don’t know. I mean, I wouldn’t put it past her, but these problems started months ago, before I got involved with Eliza.”
Vaughn tensed. “You’re seeing my sister again?”
Chris shrugged. “Yeah, man. I thought you knew?”
“I didn’t,” Vaughn said tersely.
“That’s unimportant right now.” Chris tapped the tip of his pen on the table. “I guess I can try to find out if Sheila was involved. I’ve gotta talk to her about Jojo anyway.” He wasn’t looking forward to what he knew would be an unpleasant conversation with his ex-wife, but as Jojo’s mother, she needed to be made aware of the situation.
“We can reconvene tomorrow, if you like.” Robert looked toward Chris.
“Sure. I’ll give you a call.” Chris stood and grabbed his briefcase. “Right now, I need to take Jojo home. Vaughn, is there anything pressing going on here today?”
Vaughn shook his head. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Okay. Let’s go, Jojo.” Taking his daughter by the hand, Chris led her out.
He could feel Vaughn’s eyes on his back as he exited, but he didn’t turn around or look back.
* * *
Eliza lay across her bed that evening with an open a book in front of her. She’d been trying to finish the book for weeks now, and her busy schedule made that a difficult task. Now she’d finally reached the last chapter, and as she flipped the page, she couldn’t wait to see how the story would end.
The ringing of her cell phone broke the silence just as she turned the second-to-last page. Annoyed, she swept it up from the nightstand and answered it. “Hello?”
“When were you going to tell me you’re seeing Chris again?”
She frowned. “Well, hello to you, too, Vaughn.”
“Yeah, yeah. We can skip all that, just answer my question.”
She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “I don’t have to tell you everything I do. I’m grown, or have you forgotten?”
He scoffed. “If you’re so grown up, why are you sneaking around with him like some hormonal coed?”
“You’re taking this a little too far, bro.”
“Am I? I don’t know why you would go out with him again, not after the way he abandoned you.”
She stiffened. Her brother had purposely touched on a sore spot, and she resented his tactic. “That was a long time ago. We’ve both grown since then.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Her lips tightened. “Vaughn, I’m not going to have this conversation with you. I don’t owe you any explanations for how I live my life, and you’d do well to remember that. Because the next time you call me, questioning me about my private life, I’m gonna forget you’re my brother and go upside your head!”
“Eliza, I...”
She didn’t hear the rest of his statement because she hung up on him. The nerve of him, calling her and trying to shout her down as if she were a child being scolded for doing something wrong. Setting her phone to silent, she tossed it aside and went back to reading her book.
A few minutes later, after the ending of the book put her back in a good mood, she got up and went to her kitchen to grab a snack. She was halfway up the stairs with a bag of microwave popcorn and a bottle of water when she heard her doorbell ring. Confusion knit her brow as she wondered who would stop by tonight. If it’s Vaughn, I swear I’ll box his ears.
She turned around and descended the stairs, leaving her snack on the coffee table as she passed, and went to the front door. Standing on her tiptoes, she checked the peephole. A smile stretched her lips when she saw who was there, and she unlocked the door and opened it. “Hi, Chris. What are you doing here?”
He looked utterly delicious in a black polo shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans, but his expression was serious. “Hi, baby. I really needed to talk to you. Is this a good time?”
She looked down at her pajama-clad body, wishing she’d chosen a silky gown over this cotton camisole and shorts. She stepped back to allow him inside. “Come on in.”
He entered the living room, took a seat on the sofa. She sat to his right, and he put his arm around her shoulder. “It’s been a hell of a crazy day. I had to tell you all the things that happened today.”
She appreciated his willingness to open up to her. “I’d love to hear it, but you know, you didn’t have to come all the way over here. You could have just called me.”
“Nah. I didn’t mind the drive. You’ve driven up the side of my mountain plenty.” He gave her a squeeze. “Plus, I couldn’t hold you over the phone, could I?”
She smiled, shook her head. “I guess not. So, what do you want to talk about?”
He drew a deep breath. “The detective we hired to look into Prescott George’s problems gave his report today. We still don’t know who’s behind the break-in at our office and leaking those negative headlines to the newspapers, but we sat down and worked up a list of people who might be enemies of the chapter.”
“I know you were hoping for more, but give it time. I’m sure things will settle out.” She scratched her chin. “Wasn’t there some other incident? Something about an art gallery?”
“Yeah. Jordan Jace, a Prescott George member, had one of his sculptures damaged, and he accused my daughter of doing it.”
Her eyes widened. “What did you say to him?”
“I told him he was full of crap. But now that the report is in, it looks like Jojo did vandalize Jordan’s sculpture after all.” He looked wounded, as if just saying those words hurt him.
“Oh, no.” She touched his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know this can’t be easy.”
“It isn’t. I just had a rather unpleasant discussion with Sheila, telling her what happened and trying to decide on the right consequences. It’s not just about punishing Jojo, it’s about making her think about what she did and discouraging her from ever doing anything like this again.”
“Wow.” She thought about that and how it must be only one of many factors that went into parenting decisions.
“And it’s not just that. Jordan decided not to press charges against Jojo, but I’m going to have to eat about a ton of crow the next time I see him.”
His discomfort was so palpable, she grimaced. “That sounds unpleasant. Did Jojo give you any insight into why she would do something like this? It just doesn’t seem like her.”
“It’s not like her. That’s why I was so angry at Jordan for accusing her.” He ran a hand over his forehead. “But when I heard her reasoning today, it just crushed me.” He paused.
She watched him, not wanting to press but eager to hear what had motivated Jojo to pull such a stunt.
“She said she was mad because I care more about Prescott George than I care about her.”
She sucked in a breath. “Ouch.”
“You’re telling me. I felt like a terrible father when I heard her say that.”
“Goodness.” She shook her head. “I feel real
ly terrible for both of you. This is rough. And as far as Jojo, I don’t condone what she did, but I suppose I understand, to a degree.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
She shrugged. Wasn’t it obvious to him? “What she did was wrong, but I understand her frustration. I know what it’s like to feel abandoned by someone you love.”
He fell silent then, studying her face. After a few long moments, he asked, “Is that how you felt when I left all those years ago?”
She nodded, unsure of how to put her emotions into words as the memory of that old pain rose within her.
“Oh, my God. I never realized...” He clasped both of her hands within his own. “I’m sorry, Eliza. I never meant to cause you pain.”
She felt a tear ease down her cheek, dashed it away. “No biggie. What’s done is done, right?”
He squeezed her hands. “I can’t change what I did in the past, but please know that I’m sorry. Seeing you cry really makes me think about how things went down. Maybe I should have stood up to your parents, but it seemed like they had your best interests in mind.”
She frowned, confused. “What?”
“Your parents. I was trying to respect their wishes and your dreams.”
That only confused her more. “Chris, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What do my parents have to do with any of this?”
“Your mom and dad pointed out how young you were, and how you had your whole life ahead of you. They didn’t want me holding you back from a bright future. I’ve often thought that if we stayed together then, we might not have accomplished all the things we have in our lives.”
Her heart thudded in her chest. “Are you saying my parents asked you to walk out on me?”
He released her hands, putting his own hands up defensively. “I didn’t say that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Chris. Tell me.”
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