Sugar

by Lydia Michaels

Avery

  The moment I started the conversation with Micah, he predictably insisted we meet somewhere to discuss our situation face to face. I refused, and he grew frustrated, claiming he needed to take another call. Fifteen minutes later he knocked at my door.

  “I wanted to do this over the phone,” I said, letting him into my apartment.

  “That’s ridiculous. We’re going to resolve this like adults. Tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll fix it.”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I changed my mind.”

  “Something changed, Avery. We were fine last night. We agreed to wait until graduation to decide—”

  “I don’t want to wait.”

  His lips firmed. “Is it your neighbor? I can evict him, or we could find you another apartment.”

  My hands gripped my head. “No. Don’t you see? This isn’t normal, Micah. I want a relationship, not a business arrangement.”

  “And you think he’s the answer?”

  “He might be.”

  “Avery, what security would you have with him? Relationships have a shelf life.”

  “So do business arrangements.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that the way you see our association? Over three years and you see me as nothing more than a work colleague.”

  “Micah, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Hurt me?” He scoffed and released my hand. “You can’t.”

  I drew back at the cold tone in his voice. “I’m sorry?”

  “I pay you to be at my beck and call. Everything you have, I provided. I was willing to give you more if it kept you content, but you’d rather be with him. What’s he offering you, Avery? How will you afford to stay here?”

  My insides literally shuttered. The gentleman I’d passed three years beside was suddenly replaced with a shrewd stranger. My chin lifted as I hid my uncertainty. “I’ll move somewhere cheaper.”

  “You have three months of student teaching. That will be a full-time job, one with no salary. Where will your income come from?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to get through to you. You need someone to take care of you. You’re smarter than this, Avery. Use your head.”

  “Why are you being so mean? You always knew this wasn’t permanent.”

  “Am I being mean? I was in the middle of a business meeting when you called. I dropped everything to check on you. The moment I realized you were upset and this was serious, I came here. Do you know why? Because that’s the arrangement. I take care of you, and you keep the drama to a minimum. This isn’t me being mean, Avery. This is me checking on my investment and deciding if it’s time to cut my losses. You know what I want. I’ve made my wishes crystal clear. But before you say another word, you better be damn sure you know what you want, because the minute this is over, that’s the end. It isn’t cheap to skip the emotional bullshit, but I damn well paid for the right.”

  He’d never spoken to me in such a harsh way before. All at once, I felt cheap and replaceable. I couldn’t do it anymore.

  “How long do I have until you rent the apartment? I can disappear with little notice if you want to show it to potential tenants. But I need to know how long I have to find a new home.”

  His jaw ticked and his nostrils flared. “You’re making a mistake.” Pivoting, he snatched his coat off the chair and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

  I flinched and shut my eyes, grateful Noah was at work and not around to witness Micah’s exit.

  40

  Noah

  “See this shot here?” I zoomed in on the bottom of the mountain, showing the jumper at a new angle. “We want more like that.”

  “Got it.” Steve marked down the file location and removed the thumb drive from the computer. “I’ll check the other feed to see if we have more like that.”

  “Good.” We both stilled as voices carried. “What the hell is that?”

  Steve frowned and I went to the door. Lucy came bustling down the hall. It was the first time I saw her since last night.

  “Lucy, what’s all that—”

  “I’m going to find out.” She kept moving down the hall, back in her sensible shoes and glasses.

  The shouting continued, so I followed, as did Steve. Lucy made it to the end of the hall first, and her voice was that of a grade school principal’s.

  “Just who do you think you are coming in here and abusing our staff? If you have an issue, you can take it up with me or Mr. Wolfe. Leave the receptionist alone.”

  I turned the corner and came up short as Lucy stood toe to toe with none other than Micah. He glanced down at Lucy and did a double take. “You.”

  This guy was becoming a royal pain in my ass. “What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped.

  He pulled his scowl from Lucy and glared at me. “I need to speak to you in private.”

  When he stabbed a finger in my direction, Lucy scoffed. “I’m almost certain this man doesn’t have an appointment, Noah.”

  “I don’t need an appointment.”

  “Everyone needs—”

  “It’s fine, Lucy.” She was like a tiny little guard dog.

  Micah lowered his gaze and sneered at her.

  “Oh, God, don’t do that,” Steve muttered. “She’ll kill you.”

  Lucy huffed out a breath, her fists screwed into her hips as she let him by. Micah’s head twisted, never breaking eye contact with her as he passed. Only when he was standing in front of me did he ask, “Is there a private place we can talk?”

  “Follow me.” I wanted him out of my building as fast as possible, so I turned into the first empty conference room. “Talk.”

  He shut the door. “What are your intentions with Avery?”

  “I intend to keep you as far removed from our relationship as possible, including my motives. Next question.”

  “Do you love her?”

  “None of your damn business.”

  He flashed his teeth and growled, “Do you see this as a long term thing, or are you just trying to get into her pants?”

  Already got into her pants, and it was definitely leading to long term. But fuck him for acting like he had a right to that information.

  “Look, I don’t know how you found out where I work or what made you assume you were entitled to personal details about my life, but my relationship with Avery has nothing to do with you.”

  “You sure about that, boss?”

  “I’m not your fucking boss.”

  “Yeah, well I’m hers, and I’m not leaving until I know what you want with her.”

  I drew back, appalled, and needing a moment to react. “Do you hear yourself? You’re her boss? Do you know how pathetic that sounds? You pay her to act interested in you. Do you think she’d spend any time with you if money wasn’t involved? It’s all a fucking act. You don’t know a thing about her, but I do, and it drives you crazy because I didn’t have to pay a penny for her time.”

  “She doesn’t know what she wants right now.”

  “You don’t know what she wants!” I snapped. “Let me guess. She tried telling you today, and you couldn’t handle it. Maybe just a little more money or a bigger apartment and you could buy a few more contented smiles. She’s not your fucking employee, and she’s not your fucking property. She’s a human being!”

  “I know exactly who she is! You’re the one who’s falling for the act. You don’t know what she came from—”

  “Because I don’t care! None of that matters to me. But we all know it matters to you. You love the fact that she moved here with hardly any life experience. How else would you have taken advantage of her and convinced her this was her best option?”

  “She’s never had to struggle because of me.”

  “Stop acting like you gave her something! You made her dependent on you for survival, and now that she wants to try to live on her own, you’re losing your fucking mind!”

  Too far. His complexi
on darkened as my words hit the bulls-eye.

  I closed my hands into fists, just in case, not wanting another fight but also refusing to back down or take my accusation back. It was spot on, and he fucking knew it. “You gonna hit me now? That’ll win her over.”

  “I should—”

  “It’s not going to change how I feel about her. You can beat me to a pulp, and I’d still stand up for her because that’s what a real man does. He doesn’t take advantage. He takes control. He lets his woman know that even when she can’t take care of herself, her needs will be met. Well, I’m the self-appointed gatekeeper of all things Avery Johansson from here on out. I’m meeting her needs just fine, and she no longer needs you, so feel free to turn in your badge on the way out the door.”

  He sneered and pivoted away. My muscles slowly unclenched as his anger appeared to fade. Thank God. I wasn’t a pussy, but the guy had some sort of jujitsu background I couldn’t outmaneuver.

  He paced to the other end of the hall and rubbed a hand over his dark, bald head. “I never wanted to manipulate her or take advantage of her. I care about her.”

  “Then let her go. Let her finish out the semester in her apartment and give her your blessing to finally start her life as planned. For God’s sake, man, let her be happy.”

  His eyes narrowed. “And you think you can make her happy?”

  “I know I can, but we need you out of the picture.”

  His nostrils flared as he continued to glare. “I’d never leave her homeless.”

  “Does she know that?” There was a reason she feared ending things with this man.

  He sighed and rubbed two long fingers to the center of his forehead. “I just need to know that you aren’t messing with her. I feel … responsible for her.”

  “She’s not your job. You were hers.”

  I didn’t care if he was only looking out for her. Avery wasn’t his concern anymore. She was mine, and I intended to see to all her needs.

  He dropped his hands to his side and glared at me. “I don’t like you.”

  “Feeling’s mutual.”

  The tension dissipated, the climate of the room noticeably shifting. I waited him out. Eventually, he’d admit defeat and leave.

  There was a knock at the door, and I opened it, finding Lucy fidgeting on the other side. “What’s up?”

  She peeked around my side and whispered. “Is everything all right? I can call the police if—”

  “Everything’s fine.”

  She looked up at me with big eyes. “You’re sure.”

  “Positive.”

  “Miss?”

  We both turned to face Micah. Neither of us spoke.

  “I owe you an apology.”

  Lucy’s chin lifted. “You owe our receptionist one as well.”

  The side of his mouth quirked and I frowned. Micah didn’t strike me as a man who smiled often.

  “I’ll be sure to stop by her desk on the way out.”

  “And mine?”

  “Pardon?”

  “You said you owe me an apology, but I haven't heard one yet.”

  This time he fully smiled. “How about I take you to dinner and make it up to you?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “I bet some women find you charming.”

  My head whipped around. “What? Lucy, don’t fall for his bullshit.”

  “Easy, Noah.” She pressed a hand on my sleeve but kept her eyes on the other man. “Bad manners aren’t rewarded where I come from. But I’ll take the apology when you’re ready.”

  With that, she twisted on the heel of her sensible shoe and left the room. I hid a smirk and turned in time to see Micah staring after her in shock.

  His expression snapped into a grimace when he recalled I was watching. “What are you staring at?”

  “Just savoring your rejection.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I think we’re done here.”

  His glare intensified and he took a threatening step forward. “You hurt her, and I’ll know.”

  I held his stare but didn’t say a word. Responding only put me in a position that needed his approval. I didn’t need anything from him. Neither did Avery.

  Realizing we were through, he shoved out of the room. I went to find Lucy and didn’t have to go far. She was waiting in the next doorway.

  “Hey—”

  “Who was that?” she asked, cheeks flushed.

  “No one you should concern yourself with. I’m taking the rest of the day off. I need to go home and take care of something.”

  “What should I do about your appointments?”

  “Handle it.”

  “Is everything okay?” she followed me to my office.

  “Everything’s perfect.” I pulled on my coat. “I also need you to see that the last shoot gets overnighted to Steve so he can start the edits in the morning.”

  “Okay.”

  I went to the door and paused. “And Lucy?”

  “Yes?”

  “Remember when I told you the right guy was out there?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  I pointed over my shoulder toward reception, where Micah was likely apologizing. “That’s not him. Understand?”

  She nodded again but didn’t form a verbal reply.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  41

  Avery

  I perched on the bed, still in my towel and holding the phone. I wasn’t sure what changed since Micah left, but something happened.

  He called just as I was getting out of the shower. The first words out of his mouth were an apology for storming off. He then spent the next five minutes telling me not to worry about finding a new place, the apartment would be mine until the end of June—longer if needed.

  When I asked what made him change his mind, he only insisted on sending me a severance package—he said to call it an early graduation present, something to help me get on my feet.

  As soon as I ended the call, I checked my account. He’d deposited five thousand dollars electronically, more than enough to get me through summer.

  I felt strangely lighter, as if the last of my debts had suddenly vanished. The loss of weight on my shoulders knocked me off balance. I guessed I could call my other Daddies and let them know I was through taking appointments.

  It was over. I was just a normal girl again, free to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.

  I laughed, unsure what I wanted to do first.

  “Avery?”

  My front door opened and closed, and I stood, gripping my towel around my chest. “Noah?”

  “You have to start locking your door.”

  “Why aren’t you at work?”

  He stepped into my bedroom and dropped his gaze to my body, his determined strides faltering as he stopped to take my measure. “You’re naked under there.”

  “Why are you here?”

  He kept his stare on the towel and slowly approached. “Micah paid me a visit at work.”

  “What? When?”

  “A little bit ago. He told me you quit.”

  Micah went to Noah’s work? Did they get in another fight? He didn’t look like he’d been in a fight. “Are you okay? What happened?”

  “First…” He pulled me close and kissed me slowly.

  Lifting to my toes, I sighed, luxuriating in his familiar taste and scent. It had been so long since he kissed me like that, and having his lips on me balanced my world again.

  “Sorry.” As he pulled away, his gaze held mine along with a promise for more. “I had to get that out of the way.”

  I no longer cared about Micah. I only wanted Noah to keep kissing me and holding me. I missed the feel of his arms, the touch of his body.

  Leaning into him, I nuzzled my nose to his clean-shaven throat. “I missed you.”

  He caught my chin, kissing me once more. “I missed you too. Do you think you can put on a robe so we can talk? You’re sort of distracting like this.”

  I laughed but obliged. Onc
e I wore more than a towel, Noah told me about Micah storming into his office and how his little assistant stood up to him. I couldn’t imagine anyone speaking to Micah like that, let alone a woman only four foot tall—though I suspected Noah exaggerated her short stature.

  He told me how he refused to give Micah any personal details about our relationship, and I loved that he called it a relationship. I also loved that Noah wouldn’t budge when it came to our privacy.

  “No one’s ever defended me like that before.”

  He stared into my eyes, his fingers pulling at the terrycloth belt around my waist. “I’ll always defend you, Avery. You’re my girl. We’re gonna be the cute couple everyone hates that's weird about Christmas and annoyingly affectionate all the time. I’ll be damned if I let anyone stand in the way of our happiness, so get used to it.”

  I wanted all of that. Everything he described last night and all the surprises in between. All the aches and insecurities inside of me shifted into something warm and pleasant. As I stared into his eyes, a sense of belonging stole through me, and I wondered if this was what others felt when they came home—to a happy home.

  I sensed his desire, felt the evidence of his attraction, and saw deep satisfaction in his eyes. I did that. I filled him with all of those things, and he did the same for me.

  My emotions spun like a flurry of feathers inside, tickling and teasing as so many obstacles disappeared. It was as if the stars had aligned just for us. I couldn’t recall ever feeling this … happy.

  “Noah?”

  He kissed my neck and tugged open my robe. “Hmm?”

  “I love you.”

  He lifted his head and stared down at me, a smile tempting his beautiful lips. “You do?”

  I nodded slowly. No one ever made me feel as significant or safe as he did. No one else had ever been able to overlook my past with an eye on the future. And no one had ever turned me on the way he did. “I do.”

  “I love you, too, Avery.”

  I knew that as well, because Noah wasn’t complicated. He was straightforward and honest, and daring, and everything I never knew I wanted, but I needed him as much as my next breath.