Filed To Story: Falling for My Ex's Mafia Dad Novel Free PDF (Fay Alden & Kent Lippert)
I have to admit, there is something comforting about being with Jerome. Unlike Kent, I’m never worried about what mood he’s in today or how I’m going to pay the consequences of that mood. And unlike Daniel, there’s…well, there’s a bit of a spark, really.
Daniel’s great, but it’s all books and philosophy and plans for escaping this life. There’s nothing romantic there, not anymore, which…well, which gets a little boring.
Jerome, though? I bite my lip, watching him lift the saddle up onto its spot on the wall, his arms swelling with the effort, a little bit of sweat on his brow.
A cute guy who likes horses and, apparently, likes me too?
Maybe there’s something here after all. Something worth thinking about, at least.
I’m still buzzing with joy as Jerome pulls back onto Kent’s property. Jerome and I talked easily the whole way home, him telling me about his years in the rodeo circuit, and then some other years rustling cattle out West.
It sounded amazing, like a dream, and there wasn’t enough time to get all of my questions answered by the time we were home. I almost regretted it, as we pulled into the garage.
“Can you come next time?” I ask Jerome as we climb out of the car, my eyes shining.
He smiles at me as we walk towards the door to the house. “I’ll go as often as Kent lets me, Fay,” he says. Just before we walk through the door into the house, though, Jerome grabs my arm, hesitating. Apparently, he wants a moment together while we’re still alone.
“I, uh…” he says, glancing at the door. I glance at it as well. Then he takes a step closer to me. “I had a really nice time with you today, Fay,” he says, his face quite close to mine now.
“I did too,” I say, my stomach doing a little somersault. We stand there for a moment, smiling at each other, before the door opens.
Jerome is moving before I even realize what is happening, heading towards the house, giving Kent who is standing there a nod.
Kent watches Jerome carefully as he walks past, not saying a word. Then, Kent slowly turns his gaze to me. I just stare at him, my eyes wide and my face blank.
“Well, Fay?” Kent asks, crossing his arms across his chest. “Did you have a nice time?” He glances after Jerome again.
“Yes,” I say, smoothing my hands over my tight riding pants. “It was…really nice. Thank you. For letting Jerome take me.”
Kent just nods and then pulls something from his back pocket. “You have mail,” he says, holding out a little square envelope.
Curious, I come forward and take it. There’s no address on the front just my name.
“Delivered by hand,” Kent explains. “Apparently, it’s an invitation for tonight. The messenger is still here,” Kent says, looking towards the front door. “Waiting for your reply.”
Quickly, I open the envelope, raising my eyebrows at what I see inside.
â??Aâ?¦beach party?â? I say, cocking my head to the side as I study the note.
â??Itâ??s about an hour away,â? Kent says, watching me closely as I read. â??Friends and family, apparently.â?
I look up at Kent my eyebrow raised. â??Did youâ?¦read my mail?â?
He stares at me impassively, not needing to confirm. I study the envelope, wondering how the hell he re-sealed it, and then why he bothered to reseal itâ?¦
â??Fay,â? Kent says sharply and I look up to see that heâ??s frustrated with me. As usual. â??Are you going to go?â?
I look back at the invitation and see, in particular, that itâ??s made out to me. No mention of Kent or Daniel. Apparently, itâ??s a private party.
â??Am Iâ?¦allowed to go?â? I ask, looking back up at him.
Kent shrugs. â??Iâ??ll send you with my guards, of course. But thereâ??s no real reason to refuse. Unless, of course, you donâ??t want to. Youâ??re not a caged pet, after all.â?
Kent says the final words ruefully, but my lips crook into a smile, recognizing my lanugage from this morning. He was listening, I realize. Heâ??s trying.
â??Okay,â? I say, moving towards Kent and then past him, walking down the hallway to where a man is waiting by the front door. â??Are you the messenger my father sent?â? I ask cheerfully.
The messenger just bows a little, which I assume is a confirmation. â??Okay.â? I say, smiling innocently. â??Please tell my father that Iâ??m happy to accept.â?
The messenger nods, reaching for the handle of the door so he can go deliver the reply.
â??Oh,â? I say, and he stops, turning back to me. â??Would you please tell my father that we might be a few hours late? I apologize â?? I just got the invitation now, and it will take us some time to get ready.â?
The messenger hesitates, and then ventures a word. â??We?â?
I smile broadly at him. â??Yes,â? I say, turning for the stairs. â??My fiancé will accompany me to the party.â?
As I head up the stairs, I see Kent out of the corner of my eye, smirking. Apparently, he approves.
Daniel mopes in the car. â??I canâ??t believe you agreed to this for me,â? he murmurs. â??I hate this kind of stuff, Fay.â?
â??Oh, come on,â? I say, nudging him with my elbow. â??How can you hate a barbeque. At the beach.â?
Daniel just scowls at me and I laugh at him, smoothing out the wrinkles in my blue-and-white striped skirt, which Iâ??ve paired with a little white crop-top.
Or, which I should say, Kent has paired with a little white crop-top. Because this adorable outfit just magically appeared in my room after my shower, complete with a wide-brimmed straw hat. Now that Fiona is gone, Kent has no plausible deniability anymore. We both know he selects my clothes for me.
Luckily, he has immaculate taste.
â??You really do look pretty,â? Daniel says, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
â??Thank you,â? I say, preening a little bit. I could tell that Kent approved, too, when I had come downstairs ready to go. He hadnâ??t said anything, but the look in his eye had been enough.
I had hesitated, before we left, seeing that Kent was sending us with two guards each to keep an eye on us.
â??Is itâ?¦â? I had asked, looking at the guns strapped to their hips, a little scared. â??Is there any reason to think it will be like last time?â? I ask, worried. â??Withâ?¦the guns?â?
Kent had looked down at me reassuringly. â??No, Fay,â? he had said. â??Whoever was responsible for that wonâ??t pull that move again. Besides, this is a much smaller party. And with just the two of you going,â? he looked at Daniel as well then, â??there isnâ??t as much of a sweet target. One bird with one stone, this time. Instead of two.â?
I nodded, thinking about Kentâ??s math there, and realized that to him Iâ??m not even a bird in the equation. I frowned a bit, but Kent had put a hand on my shoulder, moving on. â??Just have fun. Youâ??ll be safe,â? he had said, glaring at our guards. â??My guys will make sure of it.â?
They had nodded their confirmation and then we had left.
Now, weâ??re forty-five minutes out of the city, heading away from the stables and towards the beach. I can already smell the salt on the air. I love the beach â?? I always have, despite my lily-white skin and my tendency to burn as red as a lobster. Thereâ??s just something about the beach that just calls to me.
We pull up to the indicated spot and Daniel puts a hand on my arm when I eagerly reach for the door, indicating that I should wait a moment before getting out of the car. I pause, then, watching the guards climb out of the front seat and the car behind us, sweeping the area in order to make sure that weâ??re secure.
When we get the nod from them, Daniel and I climb out and I look around, studying the scene.
I had expected, really, to be taken to a beach house â?? my father, Iâ??ve heard, owns several. But, instead, weâ??re at a private beach far away from any buildings. Itâ??s just us and the sea, and itâ??s really very, very beautiful.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.