Jace arrived ten minutes after I called him. He didnt ask questions. He just agreed to watch Della and call me if she woke up. He seemed to understand that I wasnt ready to talk about this. I started for the door.
"Dont do anything that could take you away from her. Be careful how you handle this. Dont kill a bitch; I dont want your ass in jail. I would want revenge too. Just . . . just be careful. Use your head. "
Rush must have told him. I didnt look back at him. I only nodded, then opened the door and headed outside. I was going to make sure Angelina understood that this was her only warning. She had one hour to get her shit and get on a plane and not come back. I couldnt beat the hell out of a woman but I could make her wish shed never been born. Shed crossed a line.
When I drove up to my mothers house, Angelinas car was missing. She was hiding or she wasnt home yet. I took the stairs to my mothers house two at a time and knocked once before pulling out my key and opening the door.
My mother was walking down the staircase in her robe. "Woods? What are you doing here so late? You scared me. "
"Where is she?" I asked, trying to control the anger in my voice.
"She left. What did you do?"
I let out a hard laugh. "What did I do? I just stood over Della as a doctor checked her for internal bleeding and broken ribs because Angelina beat the shit out of her. If Blaire Finlay hadnt shown up and pulled a gun on her crazy ass she would have killed Della. So tell me now, where is she!"
Mother covered her mouth with both her hands as her eyes went round in surprise. "What? Thats . . . thats ridiculous. Angelina is a sweet girl. Shed never do something so awful. Della has lied to you. "
"No, Mother. Rush and Blaire Finlay found them and stopped Angelina. I have witnesses. She isnt sweet, she was using you to stay near me. Shes a fucking psycho. "
"Watch your mouth in my house. I wont listen to this. The poor girl left here in tears saying youd hurt her too many times. She wanted to stay with me but she was going home to her parents and starting over. "
She was going to refuse to believe me. I shouldnt have been surprised. She had always chosen my father over me. Now she was choosing Angelina because she was my fathers choice for me. What mattered was that Angelina was gone. The bitch was gone. She had better never come back.
"If you speak to her, let her know that if she steps foot in Rosemary again I will have her arrested. I have witnesses and I will press charges. I dont give a fuck who her daddy is. "
I didnt wait for my mother to respond. I turned and left the house, slamming the door behind me.
Page 8
Della
I stared down at my phone after I hung up with Woods. He had called me four times today already to check on me. It had been this way all week. Since Angelina had attacked me he had been afraid to leave me. He had a country club to run but he kept calling me. I mentioned getting a job again and he panicked and begged me not to. He said he couldnt focus on work if he was worrying about me.
We were at a standstill. This wasnt healthy. He needed to be able to live without worrying over me. I needed to be able to live. His protective nature was starting to smother me and I loved him too much to hurt him by saying something about it. I was going to have bad moments. I was going to slip into my head sometimes and he couldnt always be there for me. I just didnt know how to get him to understand this and accept it. How could we make this work? This couldnt be forever.
I wanted this forever but Woods deserved so much more. I was holding him back. This relationship would destroy him. I would destroy him. I felt sick to my stomach. I did this. I let this happen. I let myself fall so helplessly in love with him. I let myself believe he could fix me. That we could fix me. But it isnt happening.
My phone rang and I looked down to see Tripps number. He hadnt called in two weeks. I thought about telling Woods that Tripp checked in with me a couple times a month, but I hadnt found the right words to explain that. Woods seemed jealous of Tripp. He had no reason to be, but he was. I didnt want to give him something else to worry over.
"Hello," I said as I stretched my legs in front of me on the sandy beach.
"How are things?"
"Good, I guess," I replied.
"You guess? That dont sound good. "
"Angelina beat me up and Blaire Finlay pulled a gun on her and scared her off. Woods is now more overprotective than ever and hes always worried about me. "
Tripp was quiet for a moment. I let him digest my words.
"Holy shit. Blaire has a gun?"
I laughed. That was his response to what Id just told him?
"Sorry. I dont think that was the point. But damn, I cant picture that hot little blonde with a gun. "
"Yeah, it was a shock," I replied, smiling out at the water crashing against the shore.
"Jace said she was from Alabama. Maybe Ive been looking for a woman in the wrong states. I need to try out good ole Alabama next. "
Tripp always managed to make me laugh, and he made me forget for a moment that my chest was about to explode from pain.
"Thanks," I said.
"For what?"
"Making me laugh," I replied.
"Anytime. "
We sat there again for a few moments in silence.
"Where are you at now?" I asked, knowing he was on a road trip.
"Im in South Carolina at a place called Myrtle Beach. I like it here. "
"You like those beaches, dont you?" I replied.
"Makes me feel like Im home, in a way. "
"Will you ever come back here to stay?"
He didnt respond right away. It made me wonder what kept him away. There were secrets that he wouldnt share with me.
"Doubt it," he finally said.
"I dont think I can stay," I said aloud for the first time.
"Why?"
"Because this isnt working. Im holding him back. Im not getting better. This isnt going away and he deserves more. He needs more. Someone strong to stand beside him. "
"He wants you, Della. "
"Sometimes what we want isnt whats best for us," I replied.
"Yeah . . . I know that," he said quietly. "But if you leave him it will break him. "
It would shatter me. But I loved him too much to ruin his future. "He will heal and then the woman who can be all he needs will walk into his life one day and hell be glad he didnt make the mistake of staying with me. "
"Dont say that. You arent a mistake. You underestimate your worth. You make him happy. Woods is happy with you. "
"For now he is," I replied.
Tripp sighed. I was frustrating him, but he knew deep down that I was right. "When the time comes and you think you need to leave, just call me. Dont go by yourself. "
"Okay," I replied. I would call him when I needed to. He wasnt tied to me. I didnt control his actions and thoughts. I could travel with Tripp and not destroy his future. At least until I was stable enough to live alone.
"I think you need to talk to Woods about this first. Dont blindside him. "
I wasnt sure that was possible. He would never listen to me. "Okay," I replied.
I stepped out of my car and waved at Bethy as she drove by in a golf cart toward the fifteenth hole. She was a cart girl at the Kerrington Club. It was how she had met Jace. He was a member here and I had heard them arguing over her quitting more than once. He hated seeing the men on the course flirt with her. That had been him once. She refused to change just because she was dating him. I think, deep down, he respected her for that.
After hanging up the phone with Tripp, Id sat and thought a long time. Woods needed help and all I seemed to be doing was whining over not having a job and being a burden on him. I was stronger than that. Why couldnt I help him? I could. He would have me close by and I would have a purpose. So, Id gone back to the house and dressed up.
I was going to go apply for a job as his assistant. I could do the tasks that caused him extr
a headaches. I could handle the staff. I might have been dealing with some mental issues, but I wasnt helpless. If I could prove to myself that I could do this, then I could prove to Woods and the rest of the world that I was healing.
Vince glanced up at me and smiled. "Go on in, Miss Sloane," he said before going back to his work. Woods had informed him that I never needed permission to enter. I was free to come and go as I wanted.
I knocked, then opened the door.
"I realize that, but make it happen. I need the order here tomorrow, not Monday. Ill switch suppliers if it doesnt happen," he said.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Kerrington, we will make it work," the voice said from his speakerphone.
"Good," he replied, then ended the call before standing up and walking toward me.
"I needed to see you," he said, smiling as he pulled me into his arms. I put both my hands up to stop him before he could kiss me. If I let him kiss me I would end up forgetting my purpose here, and there was a good chance that we would be naked in minutes.
"Im here to apply for a position as your assistant," I said.
That stopped him. He gazed down at me, confused, and I used the opportunity to sell my idea. "You need someone to handle the staff and place orders. You have bigger things to deal with. I can handle the staff. I can put out the small fires and leave the big ones to you. I can place orders and I can help you. I cant sit home alone and lost. I can be here near you and helping you every day. " I stopped and took a breath. He hadnt moved, but I had his complete attention.
Finally, he stepped back enough so that he could see the pencil skirt and pair of heels Id put on. I was even wearing a nice blouse and had pulled my hair up in a bun with chopsticks pushed through it. It was as professional as I could get with what I had to work with. A small smile tugged on his lips.
"Is this your interview outfit?" he asked.
I nodded and continued to watch him.
"You want to be my assistant. To help me. Looking like that," he said.
Again, I just nodded. Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Baby, I dont doubt that you would be able to help me, but if you intend to strut around here dressed like that, Im going to end up fucking you every damn hour, or thinking about fucking you every damn minute. "
My stomach fluttered hearing him say he was going to fuck me. I had to stay focused. "I can wear something else," I replied.
Woods studied me a moment. "You sure you want to do this?"
He wasnt going to tell me no. I tamped down my excitement. "Yes. Please. I want to do something. You know I want a job, but more than that I want to help you. "
"Are you going to file a sexual harassment suit against me when I decide what I need is to touch you?"
I shook my head and grinned this time. "No. But thats not what Im here for. I want to take some stress off you," I told him.
"Oh, that would take stress off me," he said, putting his hand on my hip and pulling me against him. "Youre hired. But the minute you feel like its too much, you tell me. "
I squealed and reached up to grab his head and kiss him hard on the mouth. "Thank you, boss. I swear Ill do a good job. You just have to swear to give me stuff to do. I want to take stuff off your plate. "
"You can take off my clothes," he said against my mouth before tracing kisses down my neck. I arched into him. His tongue flicked over my skin, causing me to shiver. "You can start working for me after Ive had you in this sexy little outfit. Then you need to change. Because I wont be able to concentrate with you dressed like this. All I can think about is the way I want to be buried deep inside my new assistant. "
His hand slid up my skirt and slipped inside the crotch of my panties. "All wet," he replied before sliding his finger inside me.
"Oh," I cried out, and his mouth got hungrier.
"Unbutton this shirt," he growled.
I did as he asked and his mouth worshipped the tops of my breasts as his finger continued to fuck me. "On my desk," he said, picking me up and putting me on his desk, then shoving my skirt up.
I watched him pull my panties down. Then he fell to his knees and spread my legs, putting my feet up on the edge of his desk. "Fuck, you smell good," he swore before his tongue began tracing circles around my clit, then dipping inside of me. All I could do was squirm and beg. He kept up the torture until I was chanting, "Please, Woods, please. "
Finally, his tongue flicked over my clit, sending me rocketing toward my release. Before I could see clearly again, Woods was over me and stretching me as he entered me. I loved it when he filled me up.
"Heaven. This is my heaven. All I fucking need to breathe," he said as he shifted his hips, moving in and out of me.
I pushed papers out of the way and leaned back on my arms to brace myself. Woodss shirt was still on and I wished it wasnt. I loved seeing the muscles in his arms flex when he hovered over me. "You didnt unbutton your shirt," I said as a moan of pleasure escaped me.
He smirked. "You wanted my shirt off?"
I nodded and lifted my legs to wrap them around his waist.
"Next time, baby. I cant stop now," he growled.
I slid my legs up his back higher and he groaned, then threw his head back. I felt him grow inside me and I came apart underneath him as his hot seed poured into me.
I fell back on my elbows and gasped for air.
Woodss head dropped onto my chest and he took several deep breaths.
"Best interview ever," he panted out.
I let out a giggle that only caused him to laugh against my skin. I was going to make myself worthy of this man.
Page 9
Woods
I stood just out of sight as Della calmed the feuding cooks. I wanted to handle this. I hated having to watch her stand between two men yelling at each other. But I couldnt interfere. She was so happy with her new job. At first I hadnt wanted to give her much work, but shed put her hands on her hips and pitched a fit one day when she saw me outside dealing with a staff issue. Once I realized this was going to make her happy, I let her have more of my work.
She was good at it, too. Not once all week had she had an episode. I had been watching her closely, and I had others watching her to make sure she didnt need me. I was getting more done knowing I could just check on her at any minute. And she was in my office a lot. We were having a hell of a lot of office sex, too, which was making me very happy. Vince wasnt thrilled about it but he didnt complain too much.
"Howre things working out with your new assistant?" Jace asked in an amused tone. I turned to see him dressed to play golf.
"Shes very good at what she does," I replied.
Jace chuckled and looked over my shoulder as she calmed down the cooks. They were both looking at her now. She was hard not to look at when she was all fired up and red in the face. If the new waiter didnt stop looking at her like he wanted a bite, I was gonna have to fire his ass.
"Want to grab some lunch? I was gonna eat before my tee time. "
I was going to ask Della to eat lunch with me but she had several things to do and I knew shed turn me down so she could work instead. I nodded. "Yeah, sounds good. "
We walked around to the entrance and the hostess smiled up at us as we went toward my table. Della came into the dining room and spoke with the hostess, then headed over to Jimmy. She had been a server when shed first come here and Jimmy had become one of her friends. I was good with that since I knew Jimmy had more interest in me than her.
"She looks so professional," Jace drawled.
I knew he was looking at her skirt and heels and that damn bun in her hair. It was driving me nuts. She said she needed to dress this way to appear professional, but Ill be damned if she didnt look like a fantasy.
"Dont look at her," I snarled.
Jace chuckled. "Relax, man. Not interested in your woman. I have my own. "
I knew this but I was feeling territorial watching her move around dressed like that and drawing a
ttention to herself. She was writing something down on a small notepad. Jimmy was probably telling her the things the servers needed ordered. He was the head server. She put the tip of the pen she was writing with in her mouth and chewed on it as she listened to Jimmy, then went back to writing.
"Heard anything from the crazy bitch?" Jace asked.
Angelina had disappeared and I liked it that way. I had to check on my mother more and that was a pain in the ass because she was mad at me. She still believed that Angelina was innocent and I was the asshole who had run her off.
"No, and if she knows whats good for her she wont ever come near me or Della again. "
The new server who had been looking at Della in ways he shouldnt have walked over to her and said something that made her smile. She nodded her head and then glanced over his shoulder to see me watching her. The smile on her lips grew before she shifted her eyes back to the guy. I saw her say something to him before turning back to Jimmy, who had an annoyed expression on his face. That told me enough.
Jimmy nodded his head my way and said something to the guy, who glanced back at my table, then walked over to us. Jimmy had sent him to wait on us. Good man.
"Hello, Mr. Kerrington, what can I get you to drink?" the server asked as he filled our water glasses.
"Della is mine. Keep your distance. If you need something, ask Jimmy. He tells Della what is needed. Not you," I told him without caring that my tone was more angry boyfriend than boss.
His eyes went wide and he nodded. "Yes, sir," he replied.
"Get me a sweet tea," Jace said.
"Coffee," I told him, and then turned my attention back to Della, who was standing back, waiting to approach me. She looked wary.
"Hey, baby," I replied, standing up and walking over to her. She smiled at me, then glanced back at the server, who had just walked away.
"What did you say to Ken?" she asked.
"He doesnt need to be looking at you and talking to you. He needs to be working," I told her.
She pressed her lips together, then nodded. "Okay. But hes new. You just hired him last week. "
I slipped my arm around her. "Yes he is, and I understand that. He should have been worried about the fact that his boss had just been seated and needed to be waited on. Not the incredibly hot female talking to Jimmy. "