Page 104 of Hold On Me

He’s dropping the law suit, declined your offer of $2 million, and has signed an affidavit to state he isn’t and will not press criminal charges. He’s also moving out of town. We didn’t even put any legal pressure on him. Looks like you’re in the clear. I’ll send over all the paperwork as soon as it’s done.

Shaking my head, I can’t believe my luck. I thought I was going to have to deal with this arsehole for a long time. That I’d have tofight—and I use that term loosely—for the team I’ve cultivated into an overall success, not counting this season of course, and my Little One all in a week. The gratefulness is palpable, and I blow out a breath just as my office door slams open to reveal a smug and smiling Jenson standing in the frame.

“Again? What do you want now?” I roll my eyes, but the grin toying on my lips lets him see I’m joking.

“I’m tired. All this meddling is thirsty work. Care to join me at Marty’s?”

“Did you do this?” I tip my head at the computer even though he can’t see the email on it.

“If by this you mean saving your sorry ass… I may have lit the match. But it wasn’t me who scared him off.”

“Who?” I hold my breath, hoping for him to say Penelope—because it would mean she cares—and keep my gaze locked on his.

He smiles, folds his arms, leans against the frame, and sighs. “I’m thirsty. I’ll tell you at Marty’s.”

Laughing, I stand and step away from my desk and head toward him. “I take it I’m buying?”

He slaps me on the back as we walk out of the office and Hank gives us a thumbs up.

“He’s not coming?”

Jenson shakes his head and stays quiet. I brush it off, not really thinking anything about it, and letting the relief and gratefulness fill me from the inside. I thought I’d lost all of this, being a part of the Bradys and having them as my family, but apparently not.

“Come on, stop daydreaming about buying me a boat and let’s go.”

“A boat?” Exiting the lifts I stare at him incredulously.

“Yeah. You have a lot of money and I have a lot of fantasies involving me and Angie on our boat. Pirates mainly. Her dressed as a peasant girl and me a pirate with an eye patch. I’d capture her from the land we’d just visited and make her scrub the deck in nothing but rags, barely covering her body. I’d definitely let her clean my spyglass with only her spit, if ya get my drift.”

I try to interrupt, tell him to stop, but he charges ahead and I accept defeat once we’re confined in the small space of the lift.

“Or we’d be lost at sea and need to repopulate the world. She’d hate me for a while and spit out things like, ‘I hate you and your huge muscles.’ And I’d be all like, ‘Of course you do, Kitten,’knowing full well she’ll be loving it when I have her bent over the bow as I thrust into her stern before the end of the day. I have more if you wanna hear them.”

Shaking my head, I clamp a hand on his shoulder and squeeze to give my next words meaning. “No. Not even a little bit.”

His laughter rings out loudly and garners a few looks our way, but most of the people just smile when they see Jenson.

After a short walk over to Marty’s, he stops and claps me on the back, putting on his best British accent. “Right, we’re here. What do you fancy?”

I roll my eyes at how terrible it sounds, and as we enter the bar, I get a weird feeling in my gut that has nothing to do with his sense of humor. It’s unsettling, and I can’t place it, so I quickly scan my surroundings. A few patrons sit along the wooden bench, watching the TV above their heads and chatting to Marty. My eye catches Angie’s and I take a breath when I spot Penelope sitting with her, a small smile on her lips, her eyes locking on mine, pleading and hopeful.

I snatch my gaze away and turn to Jenson. “What the fuck? I can’t do this. I can’t go back to barely being friends with her after everything, Jen.”

He places his hand on my shoulder and sighs heavily. “No one’s asking you to. Just hear her out. Angie and I will leave you to it, but we’ll be right over here. Just talk to her. You might be surprised.”

Scoffing loudly, I walk away from him and head toward the girls. My palms are sweating and I roll my eyes at my own stupidity, quickly placing them in my pockets where I can wipe the moisture off without looking like a moron.

“Angie, shouldn’t you be at work?” My focus is on blue eyes and not hazel, and it settles the nerves in my gut a little.

“I should, and I’m sorry I’m not, but making Penny squirm and apologise is so much more fulfilling.”

A scoff from the right of me and a muttered, “Fluffing witch,” almost makes my lips twitch, but I manage to catch it in time.

“Okay. I’ll allow that. It sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity after all.” Another scoff to my right and a grin from Angie makes me shift on my feet to keep the laughter from escaping. “Do you have any plans to return to the office today?”

“Well, that kind of depends on how her apologies go from here on out. She may need a shoulder to cry on, or she may not. Who knows?” Her eyes burn into mine now, a warning visible in them, and with a subtle nod, the warning disappears. I heard her loud and clear: Don’t be an arsehole, and give her a chance.

“Excuse me, Benny boy, one of your players seems to need my assistance. And you know I’m all abouthelpingout the team.” She stands up, her eyes greedily taking in Jenson’s form, and my lips turn down in distaste.

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