Chapter 17

Nash

Bonnie wore that diamond necklace with grace and elegance, and it suited her personality, too, glittering, standing out in the crowd. I wished that she would forget her moralistic views for one minute and just enjoy the beauty of my gift. And thankfully, slowly, as we walked around arm in arm, she was calming down.

I still couldn’t stop thinking about the balcony. Bonnie Calhoun’s breasts; I’d had my fingers inside her. I wanted more, because nothing had ever felt so good. I had never wanted a woman so badly, and she was such a tease.

I got a whiff of her strawberry-scented shampoo as she walked beside me, and I closed my eyes to enjoy that moment. She had always been this fresh, fiery and full of life. It was always a battle with this one; she kept me on my toes.

“So, you just drink lots of champagne and shop for diamonds at these things,” she was saying with a smile on her full lips as she took a sip from her glass.

I chuckled and shook my head. “C’mon, Bonnie, you’re enjoying yourself,” I said, staring at the way her tongue shot out of her mouth to lick her lips. I wanted it in my mouth, I wanted that mouth on my cock. Everything about Bonnie had the capacity to make me come. Every part of her body was a minefield.

She threw back her delicate blonde head and laughed. “I didn’t say I wasn’t,” she said, with a twinkle in her large blue eyes. Her eyelashes were naturally thick and dark, making her eyes look even larger and more innocent. I knew there was no innocence there. This lady was a minx. I’d seen the way she pulled her dress down and played with her nipples. I was already getting hard again just thinking about it.

“Hello, son,” my father boomed from behind me, and I turned in surprise. I had assumed he wasn’t coming; he had never enjoyed spending his money at these events. But he always did, because he was expected to, and also to keep the family image intact. I noticed the woman on his arms. I didn’t recognize her, and she looked only a few years older than me. My nostrils flared, and I clenched my fists.

“Hello, Father, I didn’t expect to see you here,” I said, trying not to look directly at the woman who appalled me. We were at this event in the memory of my mother; the least he could do was show her some respect.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, would I?” Father said in his usual cold-as-glass voice, turning his gaze to Bonnie.

“And you are Bonnie Calhoun,” he said, extending a hand to her.

Bonnie smiled graciously and shook his hand, and immediately I wanted to take her out of his presence. He controlled every other part of my life; I didn’t want him meddling with Bonnie.

“And you are Nash’s father,” Bonnie said, slipping her hand away from my arm. I could see that she had suddenly grown self-conscious, and she tucked in a few strands of her golden hair behind her ears.

When I turned to Father, he was eyeing the diamond necklace on Bonnie’s throat, which was resting delicately in the dip of her impressive cleavage. I wasn’t sure what he was going to say next, but I could tell that he was preparing for some cruel outburst.

“I don’t suppose my son socializes with all his business partners in this fashion,” Father said, with a rude twinkle in his eye.

Beside me, Bonnie continued to smile. Surprisingly, she was keeping her calm quite well. I was the one cracking under the pressure of my father’s scrutiny. The woman on his arm wasn’t making matters easy either.

“She’s an old friend, like I said, Father,” I replied, trying to draw his attention to me, rather than keep his stare on Bonnie. But Father didn’t budge. He continued to look at her, like she was beneath him. Like he was ashamed that I had chosen Bonnie to accompany me to this gala.

“Of course, an old college friend. And you have given her a marvelous gift of friendship, too,” he said, dropping his gaze to the diamond necklace again. I could sense how uncomfortable that comment had made Bonnie.

“It is a stunning piece of jewelry, isn’t it?” I said, in a rigid voice, hoping that he would get the hint to stay out of it.

“And I’m very grateful for it; in fact, I was telling Nash how I can’t accept it.” Bonnie looked at me with strained eyes. She looked like she was very close to just tearing the necklace off her neck.

“No, you should keep it, my dear. I’m sure Nash feels guilty enough already,” Father interrupted her, and I could feel my jaws clenching again.

“He shouldn’t feel guilty. It was a business transaction, I sold my company willingly.” A soft chuckle escaped Bonnie’s lips as she spoke. She was trying her best to maintain her composure. I didn’t want Father to say anymore. I wanted him to shut up and walk away.

He gave a deep laugh, which I knew was a mark of his cruelty. “Yes, you did. And now we will have to tear the building down and convert it into a digital showroom for the new line of electronic products flushing in from China,” Father said, and a deathly silence descended on our group.

The smile on Bonnie’s face dropped instantly. “A showroom?” she asked and I recognized a tear in her voice. I hadn’t mentioned it to her for a reason. Her office building was a representation of her life’s work. I had led her to believe that her ex-employees would continue to work there, on the same coding projects as before. She wasn’t expecting to hear this, from my father of all people.

“Yes, didn’t he tell you?” Father asked, his gray brows arching up in mockery.

Bonnie turned to look at me and I stared back at her, begging her with my eyes to just hear me out.

“And your codes are going to be used for online games that we are going to start marketing to teenagers,” Father continued.

“Are you serious?” Bonnie spat out. She had lost all sense of propriety by now, and I couldn’t blame her. “Those codes were written for building cyber security. I worked for two years on them,” she said, her voice raising.

“We have no use for it, my dear. We’re taking it apart and using it for our games,” Father said, chuckling now.

“That’s enough, Father,” I said, as harshly as I could. But he wasn’t even looking at me. He had eyes only for Bonnie, and for some reason, he was on a mission to make her miserable.

“No use for it? Those codes are worth a lot more than your company paid me.” Bonnie’s face had gone red by now. I could see the thick angry vein in her neck as she spoke to Father through gritted teeth.

“Nobody was willing to shell out that kind of money, were they?” Father said, his face still filled with a smile.

“That’s enough, Father. There is no need for this,” I said and stepped in between Bonnie and him.

“We’re just having a chat, son,” Father said, completely unconcerned that his words had just destroyed my chances with Bonnie. That had probably been his intent.

“Leave, now. I’ve made the donation. Your work here is done. Take your whore and get out of here before I drag you out myself,” I growled under my breath. He looked small, leathery and old, and I was mad enough to want to physically hurt him.

“I’m your father, Nash,” he said in a prideful voice, staring up at me.

“You’ve reminded me of that a million times. Now get the fuck out,” I said, and the woman pulled at his sleeve.

“We are going to talk about it in my office tomorrow morning, Nash,” he said through gritted teeth, leaning in toward me.

“It’s my office now, Father. And no, I will not be paying you a visit in your retirement home tomorrow morning. You can forget about it,” I snapped at him, just seconds before the woman pulled him away from me.

When I turned around, I found that Bonnie wasn’t behind me anymore. A wave of memory hit me when I saw her weaving through the crowds, hurrying away. Only this time, she wasn’t wearing a shimmering red dress, and she was definitely running away from me.