‘I was carrying a case! It was you who made me jump.’ I don’t wriggle or try to break free.
‘You shouldn’t be carrying anything, except my babies.’
‘Our babies!’
‘That’s what I f**king said!’ He puts me on my feet. ‘No doing stupid shit, lady.’
I rearrange my top, huffing and puffing as I do. ‘How is carrying a case stupid?’
‘Because you’re pregnant!’
Oh, I can’t bear this. ‘You’d better rein it in, Ward.’ I point my finger right in his face. ‘Cornwall!’
He actually starts laughing, which only serves to notch my frustration up by a few more levels. He should be worried, not laughing. ‘How many times are you going to threaten me with f**king Cornwall?’ he asks cockily, like he knows I’ll never see my threat through. I might do. I don’t relish the thought of spending my whole pregnancy with my parents, but anything has got to be better than this.
‘I’ll go now!’ I shout in his face.
‘Come on then. I’ll take you.’ He picks my case up and walks to the door, looking back over his shoulder at me standing startled on the spot. What does me mean, he’ll take me? ‘Are you coming?’ he asks.
He’s pulling my leg. ‘Have you called Patrick?’ I ask, following behind. There’s no way on this earth Jesse will voluntarily take me to my mother’s.
‘Yes.’ he answers short and sharp, ‘You need to be back in work by Tuesday.’ He shuts the door behind me before calling the elevator.
‘I can’t believe you used the countdown as the new code.’ I grumble, but he doesn’t acknowledge me.
We travel down in silence, me looking at him in the reflection of the mirrored doors while he makes a call to John. He doesn’t acknowledge me.
The doors open, and he nods to them as he continues his conversation with the big guy, telling John to get Steve on it before advising him that he’s taking me to my parents. I still don’t believe it. And get Steve on what?
‘Hi, Ava.’ Casey’s cheerful tone quickly has a bright smile replacing my fixed furrowed brow.
‘Mrs Ward!’ Jesse barks, between words with John as we pass the concierge desk.
I ignore him. ‘Morning, Casey. Are you okay?’
‘Very well, thank you. It’s a lovely day.’ He nods outside, and I look to find bright sunshine. ‘Have a nice day, Ava.’
‘Thank you,’ I’m all dreamy as I emerge into the muggy air, instantly noticing my wedding present has miraculously made its way back to Lusso, but my bright white Range Rover is forgotten when I see an Aston Martin.
‘Yeah, thanks big guy.’ Jesse hangs up and walks straight to the boot of the strange car, slipping the case in.
‘What’s this?’ I ask, pointing to the DBS.
He shuts the boot and clasps his stubbled chin thoughtfully. ‘I think it might be a car.’
‘Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, God. I mean, where has it come from?’
‘It came from a garage to replace mine until it’s located.’ He takes my elbow and directs me in.
‘They’ve still not found your car?’
‘No,’ he answers quickly and finally, with no room for pushing on the matter, not that it stops me.
‘What’s Steve doing?’ I ask, and he pulls back, momentarily faltering in his purposeful stride of actions.
‘Nothing,’ He’s lying, and I raise my eyebrows suspiciously, just so he knows that I know. ‘He’s looking into a few things for me.’ he huffs, reaching across to belt me up.
I bat his fussing hands away when he adjusts the lap belt across my tummy. ‘Will you just stop?’ I push him out and shut the door on him, leaving a brooding mass of male on the other side of the window, glaring at me. I’m beginning to wish he was taking me to my mum’s. I don’t know if I can stand it, and I’m not going to even try and convince myself that he can stop. Double babies looks like double mollycoddling. Jesse mollycoddling. And I know damn well what Steve’s looking into, and I also know that Steve being left intact by Jesse is a result of Steve agreeing to look into my drugging, and now the accident, too. I throw my head back against the headrest and turn a little to watch him settle in the driver’s seat, adjusting the settings that will take him further away from the wheel so his long legs are comfortable. ‘Why didn’t we just take my car?’ I ask, nodding across to my shiny snowball.
He freezes mid-adjust and looks at me out the corner of his eye. ‘You can’t drive too far.’
I smile on the inside. ‘No, but you could.’ I should throw a hissy fit and make him drive the damn tank. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was bullet proof as well.
‘Yes, I could, but I have this now.’ He brushes me off and starts the engine, revving it loudly on a satisfied smile. ‘Listen to that.’ he sighs, whacking it into gear and pulling off.
I begrudgingly admire the guttural roar of the DBS as I keep my relaxed head facing him, admiring his stunning profile. ‘Where are you taking me, then?’ I ask, retrieving my phone from my bag.
‘I told you, your mother’s.’
I roll my eyes dramatically. I know he would rather boil his head than see my mum willingly. ‘Okay,’ I sigh, dialling Kate.
Give me your phone.’ His hand comes towards me, his fingers grasping in the space between us. ‘No phone.’
‘I need to call Kate.’
My phone is seized and turned off. ‘I’ve called everyone who needs to know that we’re going away, including Kate. Unravel your knickers, lady.’