Maid For You - A Cinderella Love Story (7 page)

BOOK: Maid For You - A Cinderella Love Story
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Chapter 11

A
va

G
aby insists
that I have the next couple of days off to recover, and because I’m still feeling anxious in the house, I’m happy to comply.

I go to spend the day at the beach. Settling into my towel, I begin to catch up on my reading. I’d reflected enough on the events from two days ago and I didn’t want to spend another day worrying about Christian. What happened was terrible and it will no doubt take me some time to get over it, but I have to focus on the fact that it
didn’t
happen.

Jax saved me. I feel so safe with him.

I’m falling hard for him.

And despite his reassurances, I knew I was falling in love with someone I could never be with.

What was happening to me lately? I’d come to Miami, grateful for a well-paying job, not intending to fall in love with my boss’s son for heaven’s sake.

Gaby warned me last night not to get too involved with him. Sure, she loved him like a son, but she’d also witnessed the trail of broken hearts he’d left in his wake.

She told me about the hot and comforting drinks she’d had to serve up to the tearful girls who he’d brought home, screwed, then dumped some days later. The girls who’d turn up on the doorstep, crying in vain, hoping their presence would convince him otherwise.

“He’s a player, mija. Please remember that. It’s for your own good.”

I sigh and search my bag for my shiny new iPhone. When I woke from my nap with Jax two days ago, his side was empty, but I’d slept late into the evening. Next to my bedside table was a small box containing a new iPhone. I wasn’t sure if I could accept his gift, but when I searched the side of my bed for my old one, there was a note stuck in its place.

“Kitten, your phone belongs to the last decade. I took the liberty of discarding it and replacing it with this.”

Scrolling through the contacts, his name and number is the first on my list and somehow, he’d managed to import all my old contacts too.

I didn’t get a chance to see him yesterday as I decided to get out of the house and spend the day at the library. It felt good to sit on the comfy sofas and immerse myself in the latest marketing news. I searched for news of Carter McKenzie Communications in the trade press, but aside from a few column inches here and there, there weren’t any new campaigns.

I’m still unsure how to feel about everything. It’s completely surreal to know I’m his biological daughter. Still, a part of me wishes for another life. Working in communications is my ultimate dream, but approaching him is totally out of the question, so instead, for now I’ll live vicariously through the industry journals.

I press the home button on my screen and I’m about to put it back into my bag when a text message from Jax pops up. My heart starts its familiar gallop and I swipe right to reveal his message.

“Hey Kitten… how you doing?”

Kitten
. God, it irritated me at the start, but now I love that he calls me that. I type back a reply.

“Hey Stud. I’m just relaxing at the beach…you?”

I see the dots moving, bouncing up and down, indicating he’s typing a message, and I hold my breath.

“My massage services are on offer later for any sunburn. Or not.”

H
eat rushes
through my body at the thought of his hands on me and what happened the last time he massaged me. I’m not sure I’d be able to stop myself this time.

“Have dinner with me tonight? I should be able to leave the office by six.”

Dinner. Shit. I want to shout yes more than anything, but Gaby’s warning hits me in the gut. I contemplate for about thirty seconds and then decide to throw caution to the wind. The temptation’s too strong. Besides, it’s just one dinner. I’m grinning and biting my lip as I type back.

“Sounds good, got anywhere in mind?”

“Yes. I’d like to take you to my favorite restaurant. Be ready by seven.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Sir? I like that…hmmmm, I could get used to that.”

A sudden thrill runs through my body and I’m tingling at his response.

“Get back to work…sir. I’ll be ready by seven.”

I know I’m flirting along, but I’m enjoying it and a small giggle escapes my lips as I watch the bubbles, waiting for his reply.

“Don’t be cheeky, Kitten, or I may just have to teach you a lesson and put you across my knee.”

Oh my. My heart rate spikes even further.

“Gotta go, see you later.”

I toss the phone into my bag and sink back into the sand, trying to calm my excitement at the prospect of tonight.
I have a date with Jax Prescott
. Everything about this is wrong - it screams trouble, but even if I try to resist, it’s futile. His words ring in my ear like a safety blanket. “…
I’m falling for you, Kitten.”

I
stand back
from the mirror, critically assessing my appearance. I know the type of girls Jax is used to. Educated. Expensive. Beautiful. I can objectively see that I do okay in the looks department but definitely fail on the other two counts.

Stop it, Ava,
I chide myself. He likes
you.

Looking into the mirror, I frown at my reflection. I’m
not
going to ruin this night with self-doubts about my lack of status. It’s almost seven, and my tummy is filled with butterflies, making me nauseous.

I push back my hair and give it a final brush, the natural highlights catching the lights, and it shimmers. I’m wearing my best pair of jeans, which hug my figure, and a simple black camisole top that I complement with a silver heart necklace. A few bracelets dangle from my wrist and my high wedges finish off the look. Selecting my perfume, I spray a little into the air, step under the mist, and then pick up my clutch. Giving myself one final look in the mirror, I recheck my makeup. Usually, I only wore a smattering of very light makeup during the day. Tonight, I opt for more. I play up my eyes by lining them with kohl, some bronze eye shadow, and a few heavy coats of mascara. A light gloss on my lips finishes off my look and I leave off the blusher - my earlier sunbathing has given a nice glow to my cheeks.

My phone beeps in my clutch.

“Ready whenever you are, Miss Cortes…I’m outside in front.”

I take a deep breath.
It’s time.

Walking through the house in a daze, I literally almost bump into Gaby.

“I’m so sorry, Gaby, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

She smiles at me. “No problem. You look miles away.” Her eyes travel up and down my appearance. “You look very pretty, mija. Where you going?”

My face heats under her scrutiny, and her expression changes.

“You’re going out with Jax, aren’t you?” She folds her arms across her chest, pursing her lips.

“Yes, Gaby. But it’s just dinner, nothing else.” I look away from her intense glare.

“Ava. I’ve warned you. That boy will romance you, and once he’s had enough, he’ll spit you out as if you’re nothing.”

Her voice is harsh and I physically recoil back from her hurtful words. I know she’s only trying to look out for me, but still.

“You’re jumping to conclusions. Please, like I said, it’s just dinner.”

She gives a slight nod, but I can almost see the waves of disapproval coming off her.

“Just make it this once then. We can’t afford to be mixing our jobs with pleasure -
we’re here to clean up after them, nothing more.”

I suck in a breath. “Understood. Now if you’ll excuse me. I’ll see you in the morning.”

A hint of surprise flashes in her eyes, but I hold my head high and sidestep her.

J
ax drive
us to a restaurant by the ocean, tucked away on a hilltop. It’s very exclusive, but it also has a wonderful and relaxed vibe to it.

Our server, a stunning blonde girl in her early twenties, greets Jax warmly – I note they’re on a first name basis. She barely acknowledges me as she leads us to an outside table. The view from up here is incredible, with the ocean spread below us.

“Ava, is this okay here? Not too cold for you?”

“Not at all. This is perfect,” I answer, smiling and checking out the view once again. “It’s beautiful out here.”

He grins and pulls out my seat. My face flushes as the server shoots daggers at me.

As soon as Jax is seated, she fusses over him, helping him with his napkin and asking what he wants to drink.

“Brooke, can you give us a moment, please?”

“Sure, Jax, I’ll be back soon.” She gives him a megawatt grin and spins her slim hips back into the restaurant.

She totally has it bad for him.

Opening the menu to look at the food options, I’m about to have a cardiac arrest when I see the prices. Dinner here will cost me at least one month’s salary.

As if reading my mind, he closes his menu and looks at me across the candlelit table.

“Kitten, I want you to enjoy yourself tonight. Please - feel free to order anything.”

I blush deeply. He read my thoughts.

“Thank you…” I consult the menu once again – but I haven’t even heard about most of these dishes. Closing it, I take a moment to study him, deliberating over the choices. He looks up and catches my stare, his expression softening.

“Are you ready to order?”

“Well, actually, I was thinking you could order for me…if you don’t mind? I mean, I’m sure you know what’s good here…although everything looks good…”

Ugh. I’m rambling. I fiddle with the edge of the tablecloth. God, I’m so out of my depth here.

“Absolutely. I’d be glad to share some of my favorite dishes with you.” His smile is warm and he reaches across the table for my hand, giving me a quick squeeze of unspoken reassurance. I take a deep breath.

Relax
, I tell myself,
it’s only dinner
. And I’d eaten food at least a million times.

Chapter 12

J
ax

M
y Kitten looks so
beautiful tonight. I’m having a hard time concentrating. I’ve never seen her dressed up before, and she looks smoking. Damn, when I checked her out earlier, I love how her jeans fit her ass so perfectly. I have to clench my fists to stop myself from dragging her out of here. Completely unaware, she’s drawing many glances from the men around us, which irritates the hell out of me.

“What’s so funny?”

She’s openly laughing, and the sound is melodic and playful.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” She waves her hand around the table, “everything is so incredible…and I’m trying to convince myself that it’s only food…” She trails off, looking shy and slightly awkward.
Adorable.
And so different from the over-confident girls I’m used to.

Just then, Brooke, our waitress, appears to take our orders. She’s unusually flirty, which makes me uncomfortable in Ava’s presence. There’s no need for Ava to know that I’ve fucked Brooke once before - a drunken screw in the back of my car. Normally I wouldn’t risk coming face to face with an ex on a date, but this was actually one of my favorite restaurants and I knew Ava would love the view of the ocean below us.

We share a great meal together. Once she’s relaxed, she’s funny, sweet, and witty. Again and again, I find myself wondering why she’s settling for a life as a maid when she has so much more to offer. Hell, I’d be happy to help her out if she would agree, but I know she’d never take me up on that.

We’ve just finished dessert and I rest my fork back down on the plate. Ava’s savoring her final bite of the chocolate dessert, her eyes closed in appreciation. Goddamn, the small sounds she’s making are driving me freaking insane. She’s given me a semi hard-on.

Flicking open her eyes, she clashes with my heated stare and colors instantly.

“That was the best chocolate soufflé I’ve ever had.” She smiles in satisfaction as she sets her fork back on the plate. It’s awesome to have a date with someone who actually appreciates food.

“You have some…just there…on your mouth.”

I scoot over to her side, my thumb brushing the top part of her lip. Her breath hitches as I place my finger in my mouth and lick off her excess chocolate. Unable to resist a moment longer, I lean over and plant a trio of small kisses on her lips. God, I want more, so much more, but other patrons are around us and I reluctantly move back to my place.

After I pay the check, I grip her hand and we make our way back to the car.

“That was incredible. Thank you so much for a wonderful evening.”

Hope deflates in my chest. I was planning for more time together.

“You tired? You wanna go home?”

“Umm, no, not at all. I just figured you might have other plans?”

“Not at all. How about we go to a club, have a couple of drinks, and chill out for a bit? The night is still young.”

She grins in approval. “Sounds great. Lead the way, Stud.”

I open her door with a flourish, and she giggles and enters the car.

The club is a good half hour away and as I’m driving, I steal glances at her, loving the way her hair’s blowing through the wind from the open windows.

From my peripheral vision, I see her shift in her seat towards me.

“Jax? Why law? Why nothing else?”

“Well, I figured Batman has Robin, and Superman has Lois, so I’m kinda out of luck there,” I deadpan.

She bursts out laughing and shoves my shoulder. “I’m serious.”

I exhale and take a few moments before I answer. Briefly I take my eyes off the road and look at her as I answer. “It sounds kinda cliché, but I want to help others less fortunate than me.” I run a hand through my hair, furrowing my brows. “I want to do good, make an impact in someone’s life.”

“You want to save the world, Stud?”

She lightens the moment and I smile.

“Well, that’s the idea. Unfortunately, it clashes with my father’s plans for me.”

She’s quiet as she processes my answer.

“So, I know he’s into corporate, anything else?

“Yep. Entertainment. You know, the big money stuff.”

She nods thoughtfully. “I see.”

“What about you? I know you love marketing, but why? What inspired you?”

Her face lights up and she twirls the end of her hair around her fingers.

“Honestly, everything. I mean, we did a project once at school on audience perception of certain brands. I started reading up on the subject, like the mechanics of how the marketing and promo fits together through the various cogs of media options. I found it fascinating…I guess that’s how it started.”

“Yeah, I get that.” I chew my lip, not sure how she’ll take my next question. “You sure you want to give that up? Anyone can see how passionate you are about the subject.”

She exhales, moving her head to look out the window. After a few moments, she turns back to me.

“We come from different worlds, Jax,” Her voice is filled with regret. “I just have to accept the fact that my plans are on hold until I figure out how to put myself through college…”

The words slip out before I can stop myself. “Let me help you. I’ll pay for you to go to school.” Lord knows I have more money than I could spend.

“What? No way.” She shakes her head and crosses her arms, her eyebrows knitting together.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that – I’m not trying to offend you.”

She reaches over and places her hand on my thigh.

“I appreciate it, Jax. And thank you, but it’s not something I could ever accept.” She squeezes my thigh, but when she pulls away, I lace my hand through hers.

Soon, we’re pulling up to the parking lot of Electric and there’s a crowd gathered by the entrance.

“Wow, this looks hot.”

“Come on, let’s go in.” We walk straight to the side, which is the members-only entrance, and they wave me through.

W
e make
our way to the bar. The place is crowded with college kids and I can spot a ton of people I know, but I ignore them all.

“Tequila?” I wiggle my eyebrows up and down, and she laughs.

“Not tonight. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“Good choice.” I signal the bartender and place our order.

“I’ll be back in a sec - just need to use the bathroom.”

“Sure.”

A
quick leak
and I’m back, making my way to the bar, where I see a couple of guys chatting with her. They’re trying to get a reaction from her, but I can see she’s uncomfortable. I push through the crowd to get to her, pissed off at the losers trying their luck. Sliding up behind her, I grind out my words.

“She’s with me.”

Ava spins around, a look of relief on her face.

The guys hold up their hands and back off. “Whatever, man.”

“Can’t leave you for a minute, can I, Kitten?” I tease her over the pounding music, and she feigns a look of innocence, sucking on her straw. I fight to keep my thoughts neutral as all I can picture is those lips around my cock.

She’s looking around and her leg is moving to the beat of the music.

“Wanna dance?” I jerk my head to the dance floor.

“Thought you’d never ask, Stud.”

We drain the remainder of our drinks and push through onto the packed dance floor. Just then, the tempo changes to a deep, pulsating beat and I stand back as Ava begins to sway her hips in time to the music. Closing her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips, she reaches up and lifts her hair, oblivious to the many admiring glances she’s attracting from the guys around her. I want to punch them all, to tell them to fuck off, to take their eyes off my girl.

I slide up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, and move in time with her, gyrating to the beat.

She laces her hands through mine, leaning up against my chest as I run my hands over her hips. We continue this way, lost in the music together, enjoying the feel of being pressed up against each other. Slowly she turns around and locks her eyes with mine, threading her hands around my neck and gazing deeply into my eyes.

I run my hands up the side of her body, pulling her closer and settling on her butt. Oh God, she has a perfect ass. We continue to move as one with the music, my thighs pressing against hers. I’m sure she can feel my arousal as I rub against the lower part of her stomach, but she doesn’t seem to mind, her eyes glued to mine with a look I haven’t seen before. Lust combined with desire. She brings her face closer so that we’re inches off each other, and I can faintly smell the mojito on her breath, adding to my arousal.

The rest of the world around us seems to have disappeared into the background, the intoxicating effect she has on my body blocking out the crowd around us, all looking our way, seeing how into each other we are. Just Ava and me, moving to the beat of our own drum.

The song comes to an end, but we remain locked in each other’s arms, entranced by the spell woven over us. Someone bumps into her, throwing her tightly against my chest, and I hiss, my control tearing to shreds at the feel of her soft breasts against me.

Unable to hold back, I lower my face and capture her lips with mine, gently, nipping and tasting her. I hear a moan from the back of her throat and I deepen the kiss passionately, trying to tell her everything I’m feeling through my tongue and lips. Slowly, we break apart. I feel like I’m barely breathing despite our heaving chests. We’re fully absorbed with each other, the sparks of sexual tension catching fire.

I exhale deeply and release her slightly.

We spend the night drinking and dancing some more until after midnight, when we finally decide to go home.

I join our hands in the back of the cab, having left my car at the club after consuming a couple more beers than anticipated. “I’ve corrupted you tonight. Lucky my buddy Jeremy didn’t ID you.”

She giggles, a little lightheaded from the two drinks she’s had.

“What can I say, Stud? You’re a bad, bad boy.”

My entire body is vibrating, on a natural high in her company. Her words make my eyes darken and she fills me with lust.

We reach the house and I note all the lights are turned off.

“Wanna walk by the pool?”

“Sure…why not.”

And so we walk to the back of the house, holding hands as we stroll around the pool, dipping our feet along the way, a perfect way to end the evening together.

When we get to the other end near the cabana, I can’t wait any longer. Stopping in my tracks, I pulled her towards me and wrap my arms around her waist.

“I had an awesome night with you, Kitten.” I kiss her nose, causing her to giggle, and pull back. “You’ve been pretty amazing company.”

She stops smiling and looks up at me, her eyes registering nothing but honesty…and lust.

“What if I don’t want it to end just yet?”

“What are you saying?” I kiss her lightly, holding my breath for her response, not daring to wish what I hope she’s asking.

BOOK: Maid For You - A Cinderella Love Story
4.23Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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