Breach of Contract (Kavanagh Family Romance Book 1)

by Elizabeth Miller

  “The cute bartender?”

  I growl and lean closer. “My brother, the dickhead.”

  Amusement lights her features and so does a sly smile. “You’re full of surprises, Mr. Kavanagh, and I like surprises. I never figured you for a bar owner.”

  “We like to invest in property. Something Dad taught us to do at a young age. As for a pub? I guess it’s part of our DNA.” I point to a picture from Ireland and a man standing in front of a pub, the Kavanagh name etched in wood on the outside above his head. “My great granddad in Dublin.”

  “I like learning about who you are.”

  “Yeah? What else do you want to know?”

  She chews on her bottom lip while she stares at mine. It’s a long moment before her teeth let go, and she asks, “Girlfriends? A girlfriend, a commitment to someone? I realize this is a question I should have asked before I begged you to stick your dick in me, but better late than never, right?”

  “I like you begging.” More than I care to admit. “I’d like for you to beg again, on your knees.”

  Her gaze is steady, never leaving mine. “Answer the question.”

  I shake my head slowly. “No girlfriend. No commitment.”

  “When was the last time you had sex before last night?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “I can’t remember. All I can think about is you and your sexy ass. That’s the honest-to-God truth,” I confess, my gaze dropping down and into the long line of her cleavage. I’d like to bury my face in it and then watch my dick slide between those perfect breasts. An encyclopedia of ways to fuck Ms. Walker ripples through my brain and my cock stiffens against my jeans.

  Her chest rises with a deep breath, and I have to look away, but it’s the curved bow of her mouth I find. Slicked in peach gloss, her lips shine in a parted pout. “I feel powerful when you look at me like that. Like no other woman exists in the world, and then when I see your eyes searing like hot coals, my knees get weak. Strong and fragile at the same time—it’s a strange feeling.”

  “It’s just sex, Ms. Walker. When your skin is flushed like it is now, I can’t stop thinking about your body under me.”

  Hurt flashes through her eyes, and along with it comes a burst of pain in my chest. Regret churns my stomach as I search for words to take her sting away. “Maisie, I—”

  She recovers with a chuckle. “You’re right. It is sex. The orgasm I had two hours ago was good for my complexion.”

  “What? . . .” The douche with blond hair. Anger clenches my hands into fists, and I reach above her to lean into her space. “Who is he?”

  “Vinnie. Always a sure thing.”

  Her smile falters as my hard dick brushes against her stomach. It’s our only point of contact but I feel tethered to her in some visceral, unexplainable way.

  “A LELO Smart Wand. It has a powerful vibration when set on high.”

  I swallow past my fury, giving my mind time to catch up. “A vibrator.”

  “The best vibrator.”

  Pressing my forehead to hers, I hold back a laugh. “And you used it tonight, before coming out?”

  “I did. My really sexy boss promised me orgasms and spankings this morning, but then I didn’t see him the rest of the day. A girl has to take care of herself in times of need. Especially when his dick is distracting.”

  “You’re going to pay for that smart mouth.”

  “We’ll see. By the way, you’re hot every day, but you’re something else altogether when you’re jealous. I like it.” She shifts so her cheek rests on mine. “I’m wet, Mr. Kavanagh. God, I’m so wet for you right now. I was the minute I saw you sitting at the bar. At work when I hear your voice, I squirm in my chair just for some relief because I want you. All the time, I want you.”

  Jesus. I reach for her hip, but she slips out from beneath me, smiling. Her eyes trail down my body, a slow hike over my chest, and then stop on my painfully hard cock. “And from the looks of it, you might want me too.”

  “To be clear, that was not jealousy, Ms. Walker. We already have an agreement. You’re mine.”

  Her eyes twinkle with playful amusement as she takes a step backwards, walking away from me even though we just got started. “I haven’t signed anything yet, Mr. Kavanagh. Without a contract, I’m a free agent.” She turns, waving over her shoulder. “See you at the office, boss.”

  A second later, her full ass is swallowed by the crowd and I’m left with her voice in my head. I hate when she walks away from me. I hate it even more that she’s here with someone else. I was jealous, and also pissed at myself for the flippant comment that hurt her. I’m not supposed to care about her feelings, but the fact is I do.

  Fuck. Anyone watching will think I’m drunk as I stumble out the rear exit clutching my chest. But I’m stone-cold sober.

  Alone and chilled, I tug the collar of my jacket around my neck for the walk home. I’m terrified. Not of getting mugged, although the dude in black leather hovering at the corner makes it a good possibility. Then he throws his head back, laughing, and I realize he’s got a girl tucked against his chest. Of course he does. So should I, right this minute.

  I gaze at the night sky. It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. Goddamn Shakespeare. I laugh because the meaning is clear. The path we take is up to me. This is my life. And I want to claim Maisie Walker. Or slap a damn collar around her neck and chain her to my headboard.

  My plan was centered around simplicity. No feelings, just sex, and lots of it with a beautiful woman. But if I am the state, Maisie is my church, and I have no choice but to bow down to her alter.

  I’ll do whatever it takes to make her mine—privately. The two of us can work our way through this obstacle course without an audience. Where her career is safe and my firm will go untouched. I just need to get my sexy pinup goddess under contract and eliminate the competition.

  Chapter Nine

  “Fallin’ All In You” 3:56

  Jayce

  IN CONSIDERATION OF the promises herein after made by the parties hereto, it is agreed as follows:

  Article I

  1. INDEMNIFICATION: Both parties agree to complete confidentiality. The propriety of the firm is and must remain a priority. Professional appearances and appropriate distance will be maintained during business hours. Any and all claims of injury, mental or physical, resulting from any action as outlined in this agreement, shall not be held against the firm. Furthermore, purposeful betrayal of the confidentiality clause that causes injury to the firm may result in legal corrective action.

  2. APPROVAL: Performance must not commence until both parties are in agreement as to date, time, and location.

  3. AMENDMENT: Oral persuasion may not change contractual content.

  4. UNENFORCEABLE PROVISION: Both parties entering into said agreement acknowledge the physical acts encountered are for pleasure, pain as part of pleasure, and sexual gratification. Should the thoughts of one party stray from the strictly physical nature of this agreement, then the parties agree that all other provisions of this agreement have force and effect and shall not be affected thereby. As stated, the propriety of the firm is and must remain a priority.

  5. ANTITRUST CLAIMS: Both parties agree and hereby certify by validated proof from a practicing physician a clean bill of health. The pill, as the chosen birth-control method, is mandated as pregnancy prevention. Any change in status must immediately be shared by one party to the other.

  6. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: Neither party may seek out independent contractors, excluding LELO Smart Wand, also known as Vinnie, and each must remain exclusive to the other.

  7. TERMINATION: Either party may terminate the agreement and be relieved of obligation at any time, for any reason including satisfaction failure, waning desire, if demands are not met, or for any breach of contract.

  FIRST THING WEDNESDAY morning, I stop at my doctor’s office for a blood test. I request STAT result
s and have a confirmed bill of health within an hour. He does make note of elevated blood pressure which I blame on my assistant and the relentless thoughts of her that run through my mind. It’s ludicrous.

  At the office, outlining precise details to make Maisie mine, without fear of repercussions, should even out my hypertension. Instead, the ache in my chest returns when I hit print and seal the documents in an envelope with the word ‘confidential’ stamped on it. Secrecy. For the first time it doesn’t feel good.

  But it’s for the safety of the firm. And to protect Maisie. So instead of marching my ass to her office and grabbing hers, I place the contract in her inbox and scurry away like a coward.

  Then all I have left is the uneasy feeling plaguing me since receiving Ash’s cryptic text last night. I’m at my hotel. Talk tomorrow. Not: I’m fine. It went well. Wentworth wasn’t a dick. The call I placed to her went unanswered and she hasn’t reached out yet today to relieve my anxiety. The only answer is to busy myself with work. A partner meeting with Otter and Drake, a call to the playhouse for Ash, and then mapping out a preliminary hearing with Keller eat up the morning.

  It’s eleven when my cell rings. “Ash,” I say and wait for her response. It feels like minutes before she answers, her breath coming fast and uneven on the other end of the line.

  “Can you meet me at the Waldorf? Suite 4632.”

  Given the quiver in her voice, I’m already up and at my door when I reply, “Give me twenty minutes. Are you okay?”

  I mime to Lisa I’ll be out on an urgent matter, then head down to the town car the firm keeps on standby.

  “I will be. See you soon,” Ash says, and the line clicks closed.

  I try not to think too much on the way. Certainly not about Maisie and what she may be reading. Ash needs me and so I go. Traffic is thicker than I imagined—an accident on Forty-Ninth slows me down. Every step seems to take an eternity and so does the elevator.

  When I finally knock, it’s a long, suspended moment before Ash peeks out from behind the security lock and opens the door.

  I rake over her appearance—cheeks scrubbed pink, hair pulled into a tight knot on the back of her head, and she’s swallowed by a hotel robe. “What happened?” I ask as I step in, the opulence of the suite overshadowed by my pounding pulse.

  “You were right,” she says while closing the door behind me. “I should have taken you with me. I should have done a lot of things differently.”

  “Ash.” I stop in the middle of the living room. Everything is white, including the robe lapel her fingers dig into. “Tell me. What can I do?”

  “Just listen.”

  I slam my hands in my pockets and wait, expecting the worst and hoping for something better.

  “Okay. I . . .” Pausing, she stares wide-eyed, tears welling but not falling over her lids. “Everything was fine when I got there. We ordered dinner, had a glass of wine, and talked about the script, casting. You know, normal conversation. It was after.” Taking a deep breath, she opens the belt of her robe to reveal pale skin and nude underwear and a bra, which only accentuate purple welts on her ribs, sternum, and the tops of her hips. “He tried to force me. He said if I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d ruin me.”

  Fuck. Fuuuuck. My heart hammers so loud in my ears her voice is drowned out. I swallow bile and hold up a hand as a silent request for her to pause. To let me catch my breath. To quell the anger rising with the contents of my stomach. “Did he—”

  “No. I fought the son of a bitch, Jayce. I hit and kicked and kneed his nuts so hard they’re in his stomach. But I did more than that.” Wrapping herself back up, she moves to the table near the couch and picks up what appears to be a small camera. “I thought about Harry’s reputation before I went and just as a precaution, I kept a video recorder in my pocket. It was on the whole time, while we ate and then . . . after.” Her lip quivers.

  “Jesus, Ash.” The enormity of what she’s gone through hits me in the chest and I step into her space, arms open. In the span of a heartbeat she falls into me. I hold her, one hand around her waist the other to the back of her hair as her shoulders shake and tears follow. My chest hurts. Of all people. Ash would give anyone the world. Her heart is so big and generous and she gets shit on time and time again in this industry. As much as it’s full of privilege, it’s full of deceit and discrimination. Sex should not determine fee, yet so often it impacts the contract an actress signs. Equality in Hollywood shouldn’t be a fight, but it’s one I’ve taken on. And now sexual harassment and abuse too.

  When her sobs ebb, I lower her to the couch and then retrieve tissues from the bathroom. I spot a pot of coffee in the kitchenette and pour us both a cup, mine black, hers with cream. “Here.”

  Tucking her feet underneath her ass, she takes a hold of the mug, using it to warm both hands.

  “We need to go to the police. I know some guys at the precinct; they can come here.”

  She shakes her head vigorously. “I’m not ready to go down that path.”

  I set my cup aside and kneel before her. “Ash, he can’t keep getting away with this. We have to end it.”

  She’s in a circuit of turmoil, one that vacillates between the private woman I call friend and the public persona America adores. And they do adore her. Ash is America’s sweetheart—the face of purity, the embodiment of sex. She’s every woman’s ideal and every man’s fantasy. To a certain degree, her career thrives off headlines. Good press promotes her movies. Poor press—well, it could injure future offers. She’s in a catch twenty-two.

  “I know Harry can’t do this,” she says and then blows steam from the top of the mug. “And we’ll make sure he’s held accountable. The tape. Listen to it. It’s not much from a video perspective because it was in my pocket, but you can hear everything. It’s clearly his voice and mine. At the end, when I left his room, I took the recorder out and taped his room number on the door, my descent in the elevator from his floor and then when I got outside the name of the hotel. It’s time and date stamped. If we can get the manager to confirm his stay, or subpoena his history there, Harry won’t possibly be able to deny that the man on tape is him. I did good. It’s enough, don’t you think?”

  God, her face. She looks at me with such sweet innocence, with so much hope pooling in her green eyes. But Wentworth is a powerhouse. Ash would need to face him and public perception with conviction and be ready to fight, to prove her story is true, recording or not.

  I stand and pace before the window overlooking Park Avenue. The intimidating range of Manhattan’s skyline stretches as far as the eye can see, the broad width and height crowding the clouds in the sky. A compelling combination of strength and beauty, much like the woman sitting in the room with me. She doesn’t deserve any of this and I want her to fight. I want to fight with her. “He accosted you, Ash. He threatened you. Sexual harassment and ten other charges await him. You’re not the first woman he’s done it to. But you can have a voice for everyone he’s injured before and make sure you’re the last. We can’t let him get away with this.”

  “He won’t. Once we have all the proof lined up, we’ll give him a snippet of what we have. If a miniscule rumor pops up that he’s working over another actress, we’ll release this to the press. If he smears my name, says one negative thing about me to anyone, even my mother, I’ll go on every TV news program known to man and throw him off the cliff. His production company will be ruined. I’ll ruin him.”

  Sitting beside her, I grab her hand. Despite the mug and its heat, she shivers. “Why wait? Let’s go after him now.”

  “I’m looking for a break, Jayce, not to be front and center of an investigation. I’m not ready for the backlash.”

  “You don’t know there would be one.”

  “I do. It’d be Donald Tillman all over again.”

  I hang my head as her seventeenth year floods into memory. Tillman’s management of her young career, the fatherly approach he took so she would trust him, and then the sexual ab
use that followed. It’s what prompted her career hiatus and the following four years at Harvard. Tillman spun a good story to the media and Ash was heralded by the press as a crazy, overindulged teenage actress. Ash convinced herself for a time she was, that it was in her mind and he didn’t take advantage of her.

  “It would be different this time,” I say, but the conviction in my tone has lessened. “Releasing this information, coming forward could open the gates for others to do the same. We know you’re not alone. The rumors about Harry are proven true.”

  “I can’t, Jayce. I can’t deal with the press right now. Promise me.” Her gaze sticks to mine. Determined and unflappable, she isn’t going to change her mind. Harry Wentworth is going to remain a sexual predator and I’ll have to find my own way of protecting her.

  “Whatever you need.”

  “Help me with the proof and scaring Harry into behaving. At least for now. Maybe I’ll feel differently in a month. But right this second, I just need to make sure he doesn’t embark on a smear campaign against me.”

  “Consider it done.”

  IT TAKES TWO days to deal with Wentworth. He denies, shifts blame to Ash, swears he’ll ruin her reputation, and only backs down when I arrive at his room with proof in hand. Ash’s video is instrumental in his cooperation. Ultimately he admits to nothing. But he knows one wrong move, one rumor of an unwanted advance, one negative word, and we’ll go public. And I want to, with every part of who I am. I hold back because Ash asked me to, but Jesus Christ, it’s a miracle my fist doesn’t connect with his pock-marked cheek. The bastard. He’s a menace to women and when I’m back in the office, my mind centers on one in particular.

  Every three-point-five seconds my thoughts drift to Maisie and the contract I delivered two days ago. I haven’t heard a response, and why should I? We never exchanged numbers. She’s had no way to reach me while I was out. We’re nothing but colleagues with a history. But that doesn’t stop me from missing her, wanting her. It all pisses me off. I have work to do and life to deal with. I knew I didn’t have time for a complication, but I can’t stop thinking about her sweet face and gorgeous ass.