Elah's Plaything
Page 18
He relented, his jaw snapping shut, and after a few moments’ pause, she spoke.
“You’re going to acknowledge Greg. Publicly. And then you two are going to get your fingers out of every dirty pie you have them in, and both of you are going to devote yourselves to making this city a better place. For real, this time.”
“And what about your mother?”
“That’s your mess to clean up, but she’ll do what she thinks is best.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I think you can guess, Daddy.”
“So you’re blackmailing me now?” he exclaimed.
“It’s a little trick my husband taught me,” Lottie responded with a smile.
••••
She walked up the driveway, her heartbeat pounding in her ears, nerves making the distance between her and the front door feel like a thousand miles instead of a few steps. Dread warred with excitement, the dizzying mix of emotions leaving her light-headed. Even still, she felt almost weightless with hope. The future was waiting for them if they reached out to grab it.
When she reached the front door, she stood in front of it, remembering she’d once had a key. She’d rapped twice before she realized what she was doing and then chuckled. Undoubtedly he was buried in his office, so it was unlikely he’d hear her knocks. She pressed the bell, the smile still on her face.
And then she waited.
And waited.
Her resolve slipped as the seconds ticked by, but as she internally debated whether to ring the bell again or go try to peek in the windows around back, she heard the click of the lock and the front door opened. She didn’t see him in the dark entryway, but it didn’t matter.
“Elah, I want my husband. I want you,” she called into the inky-dark void.
Not even a second passed before she heard his voice, warm, reassuring, and full of love.
“I’m here, Charlotte. Always.”
Elah stepped out of the shadows.
Epilogue
“Oh no, sir. None of that,” Lottie said as her husband stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, gripping her rounded belly.
He chuckled and leaned down, the warmth of his breath tickling the hairs at the back of her neck before he kissed the sensitive skin there. His touch sent shivers down her spine, and she felt herself leaning into him, reveling in his touch. But then she came to herself.
“I’m serious, Elah. I want to finish this”—she gestured at the new rose seedlings spread around her—“and I can’t if you’re distracting me.”
“You sure?” he asked as he moved his hands up and over her belly to her breasts.
“Yes, so you keep your hands to yourself,” she said, her chiding words completely at odds with the lightness of her voice. She took off her gardening gloves and rested her hand on her belly. “This is how I got into trouble in the first place.”
“I don’t think my hands had anything to do with it, Charlotte,” he said, and they both laughed.
He slid his fingers down her hand and entwined his with hers.
“We’ll finish this later, but come sit. It’s warm out and you should take it easy,” he said firmly as he led her to the porch and settled her into a chair.
He handed her a glass of skim milk with ice cubes, the strangest and most persistent craving so far five months into her pregnancy, and watched her take two healthy swallows before sitting next to her. The beverage was incredibly refreshing, and it felt good to be off her feet, not that she’d admit that to him. Gazing over at Elah, she was struck by the softness of his face, the love he felt for her and their unborn child, a love that, no matter what life brought them, she would never question shining in his eyes.
“You’re planting a new bush?”
She nodded. “It seemed appropriate.”
“We’ll have to plant something new for all of the babies.”
“Whoa, let’s just take this one at a time.”
He just laughed, and she suspected that in this, too, Elah would have his way. After a moment, his expression turned wistful.
“Have you thought about what I asked?”
Lottie’s mood dampened, and she looked away from him, her thoughts straying to her father.
“No. I haven’t,” she finally said.
“You should,” he said, his voice quiet but vehement.
“After what he did to you, to Greg, to others I’ll never even know about, you think he deserves to have me in his life?” She looked toward him again, gaze searching his face.
“No. But you do. I know you, and no matter what he did, you can’t turn off how you feel. You idolized the man your whole life.”
“I idolized a lie,” she said, scorn in her voice.
“Yes. But he’s still your father. And you owe it to yourself to at least try. You won’t get back what you had, but you can’t live with hate. It’ll weigh you down, change you. I know it will. And I don’t want that for you, for our family.”
A suitable comeback eluded her. The councilman had confessed to fathering a child outside of his marriage and had warmly embraced Greg as his son. And both of them had done as she’d ordered, dedicating themselves and her father’s office to a series of causes so broad and deep that Lottie hadn’t been able to keep track of them all. The months after the announcement had been a media firestorm, and while she’d been there for her mother, who’d stood beside her father through it all, she hadn’t spoken directly to him since their last conversation. Something Elah, much to her surprise, had been lobbying her to change.
“Just think about it, okay?” he said.
She nodded.
“What?” she asked a few minutes later as his expression changed.
“It’s just…” He trailed off, something so out of character for him it made her furrow her brow in concern. “No, it’s nothing bad,” he said, grabbing her hand when he noticed her expression. “I just never thought something like this”—he looked into her eyes—“someone like you, could ever be a part of my life. I worry I’m in a dream sometimes, that it’ll all be snatched away.”
Her heart squeezed, and she said, “Nope, no snatching. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, Avakian.”
He smiled and reached into his pocket.
“I got you something.”
“Ohh! A present. What is it?”
He pulled out a small white box and sat it on the table. “I know you hate your ring, so I thought—”
“Elah, I’ve told you it doesn’t matter.”
And it was true. She still thought the ring was way over the top and not at all her taste, but she didn’t care. It was his, and she wore it proudly.
“I know, but I want you to have something that suits you. Something from my heart.”
He opened the box and retrieved the ring, though she couldn’t see it. Reaching out for her hand, he said, “I saw this and thought of you.”
She reached out and he removed the old ring and slid the new one on her finger. As she looked down at it, her heart filled to almost bursting. The ring was simple, a rose-gold band with filigreed leaves surrounding the filigreed rose on top. A tear fell from her eye.
It was perfect.
He traced his thumb across the ring and then looked up at her.
“I love you, Charlotte.”
She leaned in to kiss him.
“I love you, too.”
••••
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Playthings Series
Look for the first two books in the Playthings series:
Devil’s Plaything-Playthings Book One
A dangerous man. A simple woman. A love neither ever expected.
They call him Devil, the name he was born to and one that he’s more than earned. Devil has no misconceptions about who he is and what he deserves. At least he didn’t until he met her…
Despite hardship, Julie Manchin has managed to make her way in the world, and while her life isn’t glamorous, she’s satisfied with her uncomplicated existence. But when she crosses paths with Devil one fateful night, her small, orderly universe is upended.
Swept up in a whirlwind of passion that she doesn’t quite know how to handle with a man she never imagined, can Julie break through his tough exterior and become something more than Devil’s plaything?
Demon’s Plaything-Playthings Book Two
The things she’ll do for love…
Dr. Shayla Rodgers has dedicated her life to helping people, which is why she never expected to find herself skirting the edges of the law. But her sense of right and wrong is only eclipsed by her love for her family, so when her brother once again finds trouble, she’ll do whatever it takes to rescue him.
Demon is all for having a good time, and the money and excitement that came with the underground-fight scene used to be just that. But things are changing, and he’s willing to admit that the once-good times have gotten pretty stale. Yet when the lovely Dr. Rodgers arrives, his interest is sparked and he finds that the scene might not be quite so boring after all.
Though Shayla struggles to keep her distance, she’s pulled deeper into the darkness—and her desire for Demon—and as she tries to protect her brother, she finds that all she holds dear: her career, her family, and her heart, are at risk…
Devil’s Plaything and Demon’s Plaything are available now. If you’d like to be informed when my next book is released, sign up for my newsletter here.
Lydia’s Books
Playthings:
Devil’s Plaything
Demon’s Plaything
Elah’s Plaything
Two Weeks in Geneva:
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Beneath the Boss:
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Omnibus
Stand-alone Short Stories
Feel & Obey
Guardian’s Heart: Omnibus
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are invented by the author or used fictitiously. Any similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental. The author wishes to acknowledge the owners of the following products and characters referenced in this work of fiction: Batman, Michael Corleone, Speed Racer, Volvo, Godzilla.
Elah’s Plaything
Copyright © 2014 by Lydia Rowan. All rights reserved.