Page 37 of Seductive Hearts

Arching an eyebrow, he murmured, “I wasn’t aware I needed permission to visit my own house.”

“You’re checking up on me,” I countered. “Why don’t we drop the act and admit that’s what this is?”

Shrugging, he asked, “Can you blame me?”

“Considering I’m a grown fucking man? I think I can.”

He eyed the counter again, and the snide expression he wore left me gritting my teeth. “Since when do you cook?”

“Since when do you care?” I snapped. “Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“Maybe you have one of your whores here.”

Do not let him do this. Grinding my teeth, I muttered, “Last I checked, whores don’t usually include breakfast in their prices.”

“Spoken like someone familiar with them.”

There was a lump of burning coal eating its way through my chest. How did he do this? It didn’t matter how calmly I approached the bastard or how determined I was to be the bigger person. He was hell-bent on proving what a useless fuckup I was.

“It’s none of your business. End of story.” I turned away, tidying the counter. “I have shit to do today. If you’re finished checking up on me, you can go.”

“I’m not finished, thank you.” He looked around the room, then out toward the back porch, where, as far as I knew, Rose was still hiding. He thought he was slick as if he was going to catch me in a lie.

He was, too, if he decided to take a look out there.

“What is it you want to know?” I demanded, my voice loud enough to pull focus back to me. “As per my reports, we’re ahead of schedule. The windows weren’t supposed to be installed until Monday or Tuesday of next week, but they’re in now, and they look stellar. I had the team move on to finishing the back office yesterday, and they were able to start framing the dressing rooms. Everything’s moving smoothly.” That was when it hit me when his scowl deepened at what should have been good news. How stupid could I be? “You want there to be a problem, don’t you? You’re looking for any reason you can find to prove I can’t be trusted. Why would you put me on this job if that’s how you feel?”

His face turned stony. “Don’t tell me how I feel.”

“You act like we just met yesterday.” I had to laugh. I couldn’t help it. “Sorry to disappoint you, Dad, but everything’s going better than we hoped.”

“And you decided to celebrate by bringing last night’s distraction to my home?”

“The ball’s on you…” I laughed again, bitterly this time. “It was fine for you to whore your way up and down Park Avenue, all because you built a business at the same time? Here I am, kicking ass when you expected the opposite, and I’m not allowed to unwind over the weekend? I always knew you were a fucking hypocrite, but this is low even for you.”

“Let me remind you who you’re speaking to. You don’t have the first fucking idea what it’s like to really have a shitty father. A shitty home life. You should be appreciative after everything I’ve given you.”

“If groveling is what it takes, you can have it. I didn’t ask for any of the shit you gave me. I didn’t ask for your last name. And I’ll be goddamned if I spend the rest of my life kissing your ass because I happen to be the sperm that reached the egg first!”

“How dare you!” He was on the verge of explosion while my blood raced and a hot, sick feeling spread through me. I wanted him to explode. I wanted an excuse to knock him on his ass once and for all. My fists curled at my sides in preparation.

He jabbed a finger against my chest before I shoved his hand away. “Once this project is through, you’re out of here. The only reason I’m letting you stay here is to keep you in the area so I can at least tell myself you might show up every day. But it’s over after that.”

“Fine by me. I’ll move out today if that’s what you want.”

“No,” he said with a nasty laugh. “I’m not going to give you an excuse to fuck off and skip work. You’re staying here until the store opens.”

He scoffed once more before turning his back to me, shaking his head as he sauntered out of the room and down the hall. “Make sure your whore doesn’t steal anything on the way out. Or else it’s coming out of your trust.”

I was still staring toward the hall when the back door opened. “He’s gone,” Rose whispered behind me. “I heard him drive away. I… Colton, I…”

It was enough to put up with his disdain, low opinion of me, and determination to make me feel like shit.

I could not bear her pity. That was too much.

“You know what?” Without looking her way, I began cleaning up the meal that never was. “I just remembered I have some things to do this morning. It would be better if you went home now.”

“Are you sure? I don’t have to?—”

---