CHAPTER FOUR

James

Make her keep her clothes on?

All he had wanted was to rip them off...and fuck him, he still did.

It had to be the shock.

Yes, that was it, the shock. Obviously, he was still reeling from it.  And it had been one hell of a blow. Seeing John walk up to her, all he could think was:

No

No

No, no, no…this wasn’t happening.

Except it was…his angel was no angel at all.

Still fucking gorgeous, though. Stop thinking like that.

How had he not recognized her?

It was baffling, considering how much she looked like her mother. Wasn’t as if he could claim never to have seen her. She was a former model whose affair with a famous actor had recently been exposed and documented on the cover of most tabloids. She was currently caught up in a mudslinging contest with his reality-star wife.

The woman was drama through and through, so what would you expect from her daughter?

Anyhow, while Katherine looked a lot like her, she wasn’t as tall as her mother, and her mother most definitely didn’t have that sweet innocence about her that had drawn him to Katherine. It was also what threw him, why he hadn’t even considered it was her. Also, from everything he’d heard about her, he had expected someone entirely different.

It had been years since he last saw her, so of course he shouldn’t have assumed she would still have blue hair, but in his mind’s eye, he had only added to that look. He had expected a number of facial piercings, a neck tattoo and other expressive body art.

She could still have some hidden underneath her dress. Maybe something like–

No! Do not go there, he told himself and forced himself to listen to what his friend was saying.

“…we’ll see what they got, but mark me, the police will stay out of it,” he said in full lawyer mode.

James nodded solemnly. “And um…this business trip? When do you expect to be back?” He needed an end date. This was going to be pure torture, but if he could only focus on that light at the end of the tunnel, he might just make it.

“Oh, I should be back before the Reed Industries party,” he said in a ‘don’t you worry’ kind of tone.

The company party? That was next Saturday. More than a week from now. He wouldn’t survive that long.

He hated letting people down, but they had to find a different solution. He would help him figure something out, but she couldn’t stay under the same roof as him, how was he going to control himself for that long?

John must have read the worry on his face. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but you’re the only one I really trust. I mean, I could ask Logan or Grant, if it’s too much. I’m just worried she’ll have them wrapped around her little finger in no time.”

Good God, Logan or Grant? No fucking way, he couldn’t let those playboys anywhere near her. He was sure John wasn’t thinking along the same lines as him. Probably thought they’d let her stay up too late and give her too much sugar. The man was blissfully unaware of the effect his daughter had on the rest of the male population. And those scoundrels, though they were his friends too, wouldn’t think twice—

No! don’t even think it. He didn’t need to add to his mental turmoil. He was her best and safest option.

 “We’ll be fine,” he told his friend with a lot more confidence in his voice that he felt.

John blew out a breath of relief. “I’ll owe you big time for this.” He looked at his watch. “Shit, I need to get going. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t mention it,” James told him. What else could he say, really?

John turned towards his daughter. She’d taken a seat, and was looking out the window. “Katherine,” he said, getting her attention, “I’m leaving. You better behave.” He pointed a finger at her.

She looked like she had something to add, but changed her mind. “Okay,” was all she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She looked down at the table in defeat. He felt a pang of empathy for her and had to suppress the urge to hold her.

 John had been hard on her, in his opinion, but he had to remember that the guy had put up with her antics for a long time. This time was different though, he wasn’t just angry, he was disappointed.

But how he was immune to that look on her face, he couldn’t understand.

“Alright man, I’ll call you,” John said.

James nodded, and watched the man walk away.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked Katherine.

“Yes, I’ll just get my bag.”

“All right. I’ll have Thomas bring the car around,” he said getting out his phone. He made the quick call and they headed out.

She walked in front of him, the curls on the end of her long blond hair bouncing with each step. He fisted his hands to keep from reaching out and running his fingers through her locks.

She headed for the coat-check counter. There was a line, and he decided to wait by the open doors, needing to put a little distance between them.

How was he going to get through this?

“James?” A woman’s voice called out.

He blinked a few times as she approached. “Ms. Townsend,” he said. he’d been so distracted, he almost didn’t recognize her.

“Oh James,” she laughed, “isn’t it about time you called me Barbara?”