“Good. We need to talk.”
We need to talk? He had my entire life to talk to me. “There’s nothing to talk about, John. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.”
I began to walk past him and he lightly grabbed my elbow.
“Don’t walk away, Avery.”
“Get your hand off of me!” I spoke through gritted teeth. “You have no right to ask me not to walk away when that’s all you’ve done my entire life.”
“I get it. You’re angry. I wasn’t there for you.”
John glanced behind me and I felt a light touch on my shoulder.
“Avery, are you okay?” Liam asked.
I looked at him and suddenly a calm sensation engulfed me. I turned and looked back at my father.
“No. You’re wrong. I’m not angry. How can you be angry at someone you don’t even know?”
I walked away, Liam following behind.
“What the hell just happened back there?” he asked as he tried to catch up to me.
“I need a drink. Would you care to join me?” I opened the door to a bar called Louie’s.
We took a seat at a table for two. “What can I get you?” the waitress asked with a smile.
“I’ll have a whiskey sour. Make it a double.”
“And I’ll have a scotch on the rocks, please,” Liam replied.
His eyes stared into mine as he took hold of my hand, which was resting on the table. “Take a deep breath.”
As soon as I did, the waitress returned with our drinks. I immediately picked up the glass and took a large sip.
“I was on my home from my spa appointment and I ran into him. Do you believe he actually had the nerve to say that we needed to talk? Who the fuck does he think he is?” I took another large sip.
“Calm down. Getting upset isn’t going to make things better.”
“What could he possibly want to talk to me about?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he wants to get to know you now.”
“Well, too fucking bad for him because it isn’t happening.”
“Avery, please don’t get mad at me, but you knew it was inevitable, you seeing him now that you’re living in New York. You’re going to have to deal with him sooner or later.”
“I don’t have to do anything, Liam.” I threw back the rest of my whiskey, threw some money on the table, and walked out of the bar. I was pissed that he would even say that. Of course he came after me.
“Wait up. I didn’t say that to make you mad.”
“I just need to be alone. I’ll talk to you later. I’m sorry, Liam.” I walked away in a hurry. I only had one more block until I reached my apartment building and all I wanted to do was climb into a hot bath and drown away all thoughts of my father.
Chapter 30
Liam
I had just left the restaurant after having dinner with Max when I saw Avery and her father down the street. I wanted to take her home, but I pissed her off with what I said. She was going to have to face him sooner or later whether she wanted to or not. She was strong, yet broken, and the only way she would be able to heal was by talking to him. She was reminding me more and more of Oliver and it was starting to bother me.
The next morning, I woke up, showered, got ready for work, and headed over to Oliver’s house.
“Good morning,” I spoke as I walked over and gave Delilah a kiss on her cheek.
She put her hand over her mouth and ran out of the room.
“Was it something I said?” I chuckled as I glanced at Oliver.
“Morning sickness. We tried having sex this morning, but she had to keep getting up and running to the bathroom.”
I couldn’t help but laugh and shake my head. “Have you heard from Sophie?”
“Yep. She’s having a great time in Vermont. What’s wrong? You look like you haven’t slept.”
“Is it that obvious?” I asked as I took a sip of my coffee.
“What’s going on? Avery?”
I sighed. “She ran into her father last night on the street and they had some words. Needless to say, she was very upset and then got pissed off at me when I told her she was going to have to face him sooner or later. I don’t know how to help her. I try to be there for her and she pushes me away. She reminds me so much of you, bro, before you met Delilah.”
“I would say that’s not a good thing.”
“No, it’s not. I want a relationship with her. A real relationship. No more of this casual sex shit.”
“I understand.”
“How can a woman be so amazing but yet so complicated?”
“Welcome to love, little brother.” He smiled.
Delilah walked into the dining room. “What are you two talking about?”
“Are you okay?” I asked as she sat down.
“I will be around ten o’clock. That’s when this morning sickness seems to go away. Are you talking about Avery?”
“Liam was just telling me how complicated she is,” Oliver replied.
“She’s only complicated if that’s the way you see her.”
I sighed and Oliver and I finished our breakfast and headed to the office.
****
Sitting at my desk and looking over some contracts, I couldn’t think about anything but Avery. I needed to make sure she was okay after last night and, hopefully, she wasn’t still pissed at me. I picked up my phone and sent her a text message. I felt I had given her enough time.
“Hi. Are you still pissed at me?”
I set my phone down and waited for a response. An hour passed by and still nothing from her. Oliver walked into my office and threw a file on my desk.
“We’re going to the Hamptons this weekend to meet with Jerry Greenwood to go over the negotiations for the purchase of his building. We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon and return Sunday night. I’ve rented us a yacht to stay on so we can set sail after the meeting.”
“Thanks, Oliver, but I’ll just drive back after the meeting. You and Delilah have fun.”
“Sorry, little brother, but you’re coming with us. You’ve been working hard and you deserve some down time. A little sun and a few drinks will do you good. Plus, we can go jet skiing just like we used to.”
“Oliver, seriously, I have the bathroom to finish painting.”
“Fuck the bathroom. It’ll be there waiting for you when you get back. You’re going and I don’t want to hear another word about it.” He pointed at me as he walked out of the office.
I shook my head and turned my chair so I was facing the window. Looking out into the city of New York, I thought that maybe it would be good to get away and get my mind off Avery. It wasn’t like she’d go out with me this weekend anyway.
****
Avery
Walking out of the courtroom, I pulled my phone from my bag and saw Liam’s text message.
“Sorry, I was in court. No, I’m not pissed off at you. I was angry last night because of him, not you. I’ll talk to you later. I have to get back into the courtroom.”
What Liam said last night was true. I would have to face John sooner or later. Not in a courtroom or at the law office, but just the two of us, alone. I had a feeling that John wasn’t going to stop until we talked.
Once I finished up in court, I headed back to the law firm and Ella stopped me before I reached my office.
“Tim needs to see you in his office.”
“Thanks, Ella.”
I turned around and headed to Tim’s office. He was on the phone but waved me to come in. As I took a seat in front of this desk, he ended his call and sat back in his chair.
“Ella said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes. Oliver Wyatt called and he needs you to go with him to the Hamptons this weekend to sit in on some negotiations for a building he’s looking at purchasing. He also insists that you spend the weekend with him and his wife on a yacht. You’ll leave tomorrow afternoon and return Sunday evening.”
“What? Why?”
“Because he likes you, Avery,
and he needs his lawyer there to make sure he’s not getting screwed.”
“I understand that. I’ll drive there tomorrow and drive back after the meeting.”
“No. I don’t think you understand. He wants you to spend the weekend with him and his wife. If that’s what he wants, that’s what he’s going to get.”
“But, Tim...”
“No buts, Avery. You’re going. We can’t afford to lose Wyatt Enterprises as a client. You should feel honored that he even asked you.”
“Fine. I’ll make sure to pack my bikini.”
“That’s the spirit. Go have some fun.” He smiled.
Once I returned to my office, I shut the door and pulled out my phone to call Liam. I knew damn well he was behind this.
“Liam Wyatt.”
“It’s Avery. Are you going to the Hamptons this weekend?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Wyatt.”
“Whoa, Avery, I seriously have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Tim just told me that Oliver called him and needs me to come to the Hamptons to sit in on negotiations for a building your company is purchasing and then I’m to spend the weekend with him and Delilah on a yacht.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he asked you to go. He just told me about this trip this morning.”
There was something in his voice that sounded sincere. Maybe he really didn’t know that Oliver insisted I come along. One of my many talents was being able to read people, and I could always tell when someone was lying by the sound of their voice, the way they said things, and their body language.
“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to go. I have a shitload of work to do.”
I ended the call and laid my forehead down on my desk. Spending an entire weekend with Liam Wyatt was going to be unbearable and not in a bad way. I needed to fight harder to get those feelings I had for him to disappear. But how could I do that when I’d be with him for three days? When my phone dinged, I looked over and saw a text message from Liam.
“Since you’re going tomorrow, there’s no sense in us driving separate. I’ll be by your place around one o’clock to pick you up unless you just want to spend the night at my house.”
“Ha ha. You’re cute when you think you’re funny. You don’t have a car, so how are we getting there?”
“I have a car and a driver.”
I frowned as I read his message.
“I didn’t know that.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Avery. I’ll see you tomorrow. If you change your mind about spending the night, let me know.”
“Nope. I won’t be changing my mind. I’ll see you tomorrow at one o’clock.”
****
Liam
I placed my phone in my pocket and headed to Oliver’s office.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m working,” he spoke as he looked up from his computer.
“I meant what are you doing asking Avery to spend the weekend with us? She called me and sounded pissed. She thinks I put you up to calling Tim.”
Oliver sighed. “I’m killing two birds with one stone. We need Avery at the negotiations because something about Jerry Greenwood isn’t sitting right with me and then you get to spend the entire weekend with her. Isn’t that what you want?”
I hesitantly stared at him for a moment before answering his question. “Well, yeah, but not if she’s going to be pissed about it.”
“I’m helping you out. Now you get to spend time with her and the two of you can get to know each other better. Who knows? Maybe she’ll let you sleep in her bed.” He winked. “Use this opportunity to break through that wall of hers. No need to thank me.” He smiled.
I rolled my eyes and walked out of his office. Spending the weekend with her was going to be the best weekend of my life. Or at least, I hoped. This was my chance to win her over. If I didn’t accomplish that this weekend, I might as well forget it.
Chapter 31
Avery
I pulled my bikini out of the drawer and threw it in my bag. If we were going to be on a yacht, I would definitely need it. I finished packing and set my bag by the door. Since Liam was picking me up at one o’clock, I decided to work from home in the morning. I talked to my mom and Lisa last night and had to lie to them about what I was doing this weekend. If I would’ve told them I was spending it with Liam, I would’ve received a lecture about him, and that was something I didn’t need right now.
As I was cleaning up the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. I took in a deep breath and opened it.
“Hello, Avery. Are you ready?” Liam asked with a smile.
“Yes. Come on in. I just have to grab my purse.”
He reached down and grabbed my bag from the floor.
“You don’t need to carry my bag. I can do it.”
“It’s fine. I got it.”
We took the elevator downstairs, and as we were walking out of the building, Davis gave me a happy smile and a thumbs-up. I was really going to have to tell him to stop doing that. Outside the building, parked at the curb, was a black Rolls Royce with a tall, distinguished-looking man holding open the passenger door.
“Declan, meet Avery Lewis. Avery, meet Declan, my driver.”
“Hello, Miss Lewis. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He smiled.
“It’s nice to meet you, Declan. Please call me Avery.”
Declan took my bag from Liam as we slid into the plush back seat.
“So, where have you been hiding him?” I asked.
Liam snickered. “Declan is my occasional driver. On call at all times when I need him. Unlike Oliver, I don’t mind taking taxis or walking to where I need to go. I use the car and Declan for special occasions.”
“I see. I like this car. It’s nice.”
“Thank you, Miss Lewis. How’s work going?”
“Busy. The life of a lawyer is never dull, that’s for sure.”
“I can imagine.” The corners of his mouth curved up and the ache between my legs was back with a vengeance. Not only because of his panty-melting smile, but also the way he smelled. His light musk, woodsy scent was sending my pheromones into overdrive.
“So tell me about this building your company is thinking about purchasing.”
“Oliver doesn’t trust Jerry Greenwood, so he wants you to sit in and listen and look for any loopholes in the negotiations.”
“You really didn’t know that he called Tim, did you?”
He tilted his head and gave me a small smile. “No, I really didn’t know. Not until you called and told me.”
We arrived at the marina, where Oliver dropped off Delilah, and the three of us climbed into Oliver’s car and headed to the meeting.
“Thanks for coming, Avery. I appreciate it,” Oliver spoke.
“Didn’t have much of a choice, Oliver. Tim is paranoid that you’re going to take your business elsewhere. Have you given him a reason to think that?”
Oliver laughed. “Not that I know of.”
We arrived at the building and we were greeted by Jerry Greenwood.
“Well, hello there, beautiful.” He smiled in a creepy way that sent bad vibes down my spine.
“Hello, Mr. Greenwood. I’m Avery Lewis, attorney for Wyatt Enterprises.”
“A pretty little thing like you should be a super model, not an attorney.”
I looked over at Liam, who was keeping a close eye on Mr. Greenwood. He took us up to his office and the negotiations began. Every time he looked over at me, he winked. I could tell Liam was getting pissed by the look on his face. Upon studying the contract that he drew up, I found many inconsistencies that would have cost Oliver a pretty penny.
“My advice is that you come down twenty percent on the asking price.”
Jerry Greenwood chuckled. “You’re funny, little lady. I’m sorry, but how old are you? You look awful young to be a lawyer. How long ha
ve you been practicing law?”
I glared at him and could see Oliver and Liam staring at me out of the corner of my eye, waiting for my response.
“My age is none of your concern, Mr. Greenwood, and how long I’ve been practicing is irrelevant. The data you provided Wyatt Enterprises and the data I’ve pulled up on my iPad suggest two different options. Could you excuse us for a moment, please?” I asked him.
“Sure. I’ll be right outside.”
I leaned over so I was facing both Oliver and Liam. “Listen, you need to reconsider the purchase of this building. He’s overinflating the price to cover something else. I just don’t know what it is yet. This whole deal seems sketchy to me and it could end up costing you a hell of a lot of money in the long run.”
“So you’re saying to walk away?” Oliver asked with seriousness.
“Yes. The numbers long term aren’t adding up. I just think this will be a very bad investment.”
“Liam?” Oliver asked.
“I wasn’t keen on this to begin with, Oliver, and you knew that. If Avery says it’s a bad deal, then I think we should walk away.”
Oliver nodded his head as he got up from his chair. Liam and I followed behind.
“Thank you, Jerry, but Wyatt Enterprises is no longer interested in this purchase. Have a nice day.”
“Wait! What? You’re going to listen to her? Come on, Oliver.”
“Goodbye, Jerry.” He waved.
Arriving back at the yacht, Delilah informed Oliver that she wasn’t feeling well and that maybe they should head back to the city.
“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Oliver asked as he stroked her cheek. “You feel warm.”
“It just hit me suddenly. I’ll be more comfortable at home, Oliver.”
He kissed her forehead and then turned to me and Liam. “Well, I need to get Delilah home. Everything is already paid for, so you two stay and enjoy the weekend.”
“I’m so sorry,” Delilah expressed as she looked at me.
“No. Don’t be. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I hope you feel better, Delilah,” Liam spoke as he kissed her cheek.
She gave him a small smile as she and Oliver left the boat. Great, now it was just me and Liam. The two of us, alone, on a yacht, sailing into the middle of the ocean where there was no escape if I needed to. What would I escape from? My feelings? My indecision about him?