“I was just going to get a navel piercing what’s the big deal?” I know that voice. The little shit knew exactly what the problem was; she knew I would never have agreed to that shit in a million years.
Now I did turn my gaze on her. “How did you find that place?” She swallowed hard because now some of what I was feeling seeped out in my words. “Jessica mentioned it.” I looked at her in surprise.
“Jessica?” Jess was one of my many exes, one I hadn’t spoken to in weeks. In fact, since the night of her birthday party, I’d given Jessica and everyone else a wide birth.
Until then, Jessica had been what I guess you would call my main squeeze. I’d even given serious thought to asking her to marry me. She was suitable enough, I guess. And though I bore her no great love, she was from a good family, good breeding and it was way past time I settled down and started a family. At least that has been my mother’s favorite refrain for the past three years.
“When did you speak to Jessica?” She shrugged her shoulders and looked out her window while I tried to figure out why my ex was sending my ward into that grimy place without my consent. I’m pretty sure she knew how I would feel about it since we’d had more than one conversation about my care of Alexandra.
She seemed to think I was too involved; that Alexandra was no longer a child and should be allowed to think for herself, and I happened to think it was none of her fucking business.
It all came to a head the last time I saw her and she stepped out of place and questioned the amount of time I spent with Alexandra. Until her, none of the women I fucked had the gumption, but I guess because she’d outlasted all the others she took that as a sign that she was more important, that she meant something more to me. We both found out that she didn’t. No one comes between me, and Alexandra, no one.
Things had cooled after I refused to even entertain her bullshit with an answer and even though she’d tried to regain ground after her fuck up, the die had been cast and I had soured towards her.
Now I know there was another reason behind my rash decision to cut her loose. She had more reason than she thought to fear my relationship with my ward. Or maybe she’d sensed it; who knows.
I hadn’t seen or heard from her in weeks so why the hell was she talking to my Alex? I don’t recall them being that close before. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to believe that she’d purposely send my girl into harm’s way.
But this, this was going too far. Not only because of where it was, but what she had encouraged her to do. She knew how I felt about this shit.
I’d had a fit when Alexandra wanted to pierce her ears a second time at seventeen, why the fuck would I want her putting holes in her belly? I held my peace until my anger cooled down. If I called her now I was likely to say or do something I’d regret. Not that I regret much of anything, but she might.
“You’re not to go there again. You’re not to leave your security again. If you do I will lock you in your room for a week and throw away the key.” She turned in her seat to face me. “That’s stupid. I’m eighteen years old I can have a piercing and a tattoo if I want.” She’s trying to make me strangle her.
“What tattoo? Did you mark your skin Alexandra?” She huffed and folded her arms as she looked out the window. “Alexandra.” I kept my tone nice and calm so as not to frighten her. “Unless you want me to strip you in this car you’d better tell me the truth right now.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Wouldn’t I?” I guess the look I gave her answered that question because she got as close to the door as she could without being on the other side.
“Take your hand away from there before you hurt yourself. Answer me.” Who was this defiant woman sitting next to me shooting daggers at me with her eyes? I lifted my hand as if to undress her.
“No okay, I didn’t get a tattoo but I was thinking about it.” Her tone seemed to suggest that it was none of my business.
“Good for you, because if you had I’d have it removed along with part of your hide for being stupid.”
I’d never spoken to her this harshly before but she was pissing me off. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Only instead of wanting to spank her I wanted to fuck her until she bowed to my wishes. Fuck me, what a mess.