“No, it wouldn’t.”
“Okay, now go to sleep.”
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
HOME
In a month, things in my life have drastically changed. I don’t care about any of the shit that went down with my father or the company.
Bones, my right-hand—Collin’s plant—is a wiz with everything you can think of. He’s particularly good with computers, off shore accounts, and covering his tracks. I’m not fond of lies, but I am less fond of betrayal. I have money in the bank and more money in several other banks that will sit and earn interest enough that my children’s children will be well taken care of. Bones somehow filed paperwork the day of my heart attack for a new corporation and contacted the Downstate and Jersey general contractors, explaining that Links Construction is no longer the parent company to the glazing or ironwork side of the business, that the new name was LLGI and gave them the option to stick with us for jobs without contracts. Some are angry because—surprise—they think Landon’s a dick, and they don’t want to deal with him or his foreman. He gave them names of contract lawyers and told them to get in touch if they needed anything. Within a week, we had three contracts, which was nothing compared to what I had lined up, but it was good enough to keep my guys employed.
Money isn’t anything. I have more than I could have ever hoped for. I don’t need anything but Tessa, our kids, and a bright future together.
Tessa and I still don’t live together, but we will soon. As I correctly assumed, Logan and Ava asked that we keep the house. I understand. It’s where their happy memories are, and when they’re home, that’s where I am.
The nights I stay with them, Tessa comes up every other night. She wants me to have time with them alone. The days she hangs out, she leaves by two in the morning. She likes to be home when Piper wakes up for her late-night feedings.
Years ago, that would have made me feel like I wasn’t important, but not anymore. I totally understand the want to bond, and the fact she wants Harper and Maddox to get sleep and have time together. My kids will have the same one day.
The only problem we run into about our rekindled love is her brother-in-law, Ben. And it really isn’t much trouble at all. We agreed to disagree. I’m not worried about him. He loves Kendall, and they have a great relationship. But straight up, we are like oil and water.
I’ve spoken to my father a few times. Once when I signed the check. Once when he was feeling sorry for what he did, yet he didn’t apologize. And once when I met him face to face to hand him the photo Bones got his hands on of his twenty-five-year-old secretary going down on him. A secretary he had to pay off.
This turned out to be the reason Landon gave his company and his son’s respect away so easily. “Once a cheat, always a cheat,” is what he said.
Furious at his backhanded slap, his words that insinuated I’d do the same, I made a decision. I made sure that Audrianna found out. She didn’t know it was me who sent it. Bones took care of it. Ashley did confront me about it, just like I knew she would.
My response, “Now, Ashley, what would I be doing with a picture like that?”
It was my way of letting her know she better do her best to not be a complete piece of shit mother.
She’s attending Logan’s games. A cozy, little crew up in the box. Sometimes, it’s just Tessa, me, Robert, and Ashley. I would never use my love for Tessa as a way to hurt anyone, but I sure as hell won’t hide it, either.
Tessa.What can I say about her that I haven’t already? She is and always has been the love of my life. I am not a calming force in her life, like Collin was, but when she’s down, I can lift her up. When she’s sad, I can hold her and let her know I’m there. When she picks a fight with me, and yes, I’m well aware of the fact she does this purposely at times, I know it’s for one of two reasons—she wants control or she wants me.
Why would she do that? Two words. Make-up. Sex.
It’s us, who we are and who we will always be. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I never ask her about Collin and her sexual relationship. Although, I often wonder how I measure up. I’m a man; I want to know if my cock is bigger. But, of course, I won’t ask because I’m a grownup now …sort of.
We are lying on the couch, not long after my cauterization, and my hands are down the back of her yoga pants. I get a little touchy-feely, and she looks up at me with her raised eyebrow and shoves her hands down the back of mine.
I rub my finger from the top of her ass down to her pussy, and she rubs my ass cheeks. We look into one another’s eyes, her eyelids fluttering ever so slightly when I push the tip of my finger just barely inside her. Then I run my finger back up. I pause at her little puckered hole and press my finger against it. Her eyes widen, and her body tenses.
I do this for the entire episode of The Voice. When it’s over, I decide to press in a little more, and I kiss her at the same time.
She bites my tongue.
“Does that mean no, baby?” I try to say with my tongue clamped between her teeth.
She lets go. “It means no.”
“What can I do to change your mind?” I ask between kisses and strategically placed finger swipes.