Page 45 of The Desire

The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end, and I can feel the touchiness at everything she is prattling at me. How the fuck is he getting her to notice him and why does she need a man? She has Blaise and me, and that’s all she needs right now.

“Not interested, Tori. She is her own person. If she isn’t pursuing him, then that’s her choice, not yours.” Typing a reply to an email, I hope it will give Tori the hint I don’t want to have this conversation with her.

“But that’s the problem, she thinks he’s good-looking and has all these excellent reasons he is a perfect match, but she is just using you and Blaise as an excuse because she is too scared to put herself out there. Don’t be an ass and help me.”

Standing up, I glare at her. “Tori, I don’t have time for this childish matchmaking. If she wants him, she will do something about it. Now I have a meeting I need to get to. See you later.” I walk away, leaving her with her mouth wide open and questioning my outburst, but I don’t really care.

I’m too busy storming through the building to a meeting that I don’t have just to get her out of my office and to stop talking about how hung up on Dr. Deadshit Elouise is.

In the ride down the elevator, I make the call for the only thing that will get me through today.

“I need a session now. I’m on my way.” I hang up because I know that is all I need to say.

This shouldn’t be riling me up as much as it is, but I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t acknowledge that deep down, I don’t want to share her with anyone else in any capacity at the moment.

Playing happy pretend family has been nice this week. Our friendship is getting stronger by the day, and Blaise is already doing amazing with his learning. I’ve even managed to get a few French words to use with him too, because I don’t want him to think he has to lose his language and culture at all. Apparently, my pronunciation sucks, but hey, at least I’m trying. And having Elouise there giving me someone to talk to at night has been kind of nice for a change.

Yet Tori’s words that Elouise thinks Dr. Deadshit is good-looking and would make a good catch is grating on me more than it should. She is not my girlfriend, and nor will she ever be. It can’t happen, especially with Flynn’s infatuation with her, and also, he is relying on me to be there for him right now. If he was to find out that I had slept with Elouise behind his back, then he would lose all trust in me, and that would kill me. If I’m honest, though, as much as that upsets me about Flynn, Elouise looking at the doctor with some interest in him upsets me more.

I need to work this out of my system and get on with the job at hand—helping Flynn get this video buried for good and not having it hanging over his head.

Arriving at the rooms, I walk in, and Cherie is there ready to greet me.

“Good afternoon, Remington. Second room on the right.” Just hearing her voice is calming, and she hasn’t even touched me yet.

Storming past her and into the room, I’m already stripping down before she joins me. I need this, otherwise I’m about to do something that I know I’ll regret. There is a reason Elouise is in the friend zone, and I need to get control of my head to keep her there.

Being back at the office for a few hours, I know I’ve done as much as I can today, and I promised Blaise I would be home to see him each day before he went to bed. In the future that won’t always be possible, but when we are still in such early stages, I want to keep my word and make sure he knows he is loved and wanted in my home. It’s his home now too.

I’m later than I wanted to be, and the message just came through from Elouise that she is about to take him upstairs to start the bedtime routine of getting into bed and reading a few stories to him in French. She reads simple English books to him during the day, but at night I like the idea of him still getting that joy of floating off into the land of make-believe as he sleeps. My mum used to read to us, although I found it difficult to keep still, but she did it anyway, and it’s a memory of feeling loved every night to finish the day.

I park the car and come through the front door, kicking off my shoes, and I head up the stairs two steps at a time. I can hear Blaise chatting away to her as he picks his books. I have to say, although I know nothing about education in children, to me he seems like he is bright and all the years up in the mountains have not put him behind in anything.

“Papa.” His little feet carry him across the carpet at speed as he launches himself into my arms. It has become his new thing, not afraid to show me his affection when I get home, and deep down, I love that hug as soon as I arrive. Today it hits right where I need it.

“Hello, Blaise, how was your play at the park?” Giving Elouise a strained smile, she translates to him, and between the two of them, they tell me about their day.

“Okay, bonne nuit, enjoy your stories. Papa needs to go downstairs.” Leaning down, I kiss him on the forehead as I tuck him into bed. Stepping back to leave the room, he smiles up at me.

“Good night, Papa,” he proudly replies, and already his eyes are looking heavy. I’m sure the park wore him out, and Elouise will be lucky to get through one book.

I need to keep busy, so I head straight into my office as I reach downstairs. I’ll just tell Elouise to order takeout for us both once she comes down. My guilt over the way I have reacted to Tori’s little revelation is making me uncomfortable with having a nice casual night chatting over dinner and a glass of wine with Elouise.

Diving back into my emails because they never go away is the best option for me. All my staff send reports constantly that I don’t necessarily need to read, but they are important to have things documented for if I do need them, but today, these reports are a good distraction.

Hearing her footsteps on the stairs, I brace myself to mask my guilt at my jealous rage today after Tori’s visit.

“Hey, you okay? You look like you’ve had a rough day or got bad news on something.” Her sweet voice is enough to set me off, and I don’t know why.

“Yep, shit day. Did you get a call from Blaise’s doctor today?” I can’t even look up at her, my eyes glued to the screen.

“Ah yes, how did you know?” She walks into the room a little closer, with hesitation in her voice.

“What did he want?” My tone is now completely different to the one I was using with Blaise upstairs.

“To give me dates and times.” Even though I know what she means, it’s enough to get my head whipping up to look her straight in the eye.

“For Blaise or for you?”

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