defiant edge. I can’t wait to see what Ezra will do with that attitude. I laugh at the thought. She bounds for the door, and I loudly clear my throat to gain her attention.
“Ma…” she whines. “I’m too old for that.”
“Get your sticky ass over here,” I playfully snap. I point at my cheek, patiently waiting. Ava drags her feet over to me, and quickly kisses my cheek- so fast I doubt her lips make contact. I sigh. She’s a little lady now, no longer my baby girl. A little lady covered in chocolate. I smile.
“Just a minute, Monica, I have to make sure Ava follows through with my orders.” I needn’t have bothered to warn Monica, since she’s frozen in shock. I pick up the phone and dial Ezra. It’s the first time I’ve ever called him.
“Katya,” warmly spills from the other end of the line, his smoky voice filling my ear.
“Is Cort with you?” I quickly ask, needing to make this a short call. The longer I’m around Ezra. The worse I have it for him. Not good, not good at all.
“Yes,” he uncertainly says, not knowing what I’m leading up to.
“I’ m going to kick his ass. You’ll see when tropical storm Ava arrives. Anyway, I need you to keep her close until I get home tonight. I have some errands to attend to.”
“What did he do this time?” Ezra exhaustedly sighs into the phone.
“Nothing major, just taught our daughter how to hack everything in the building and hopped her up on sugar. I need to see him. But don’t worry, I’m not going to rip him a new asshole. We have some stuff we have to do today.”
“Good. You have an appointment with Dexter at seven this evening. Bring Cortez with you, please. I will feel better knowing that he is with you.”
“Okay,” I say. A muffled giggle flows through the phone and I roll my eyes. “She’s your problem, now. You can thank your partner for it.” I laugh as I hang up. I swear I heard Ezra growling.
“Sorry, this is new , and we’re on a learning curve. I-” my statement is cut short by the petrified look on Monica’s face. “What’s wrong, now,” I sigh out, and I slump into my chair.
“I’m sorry, Katya, I didn ’t know.” She looks horrified.
“What?” I watch her expression , trying to gain access to her emotions.
“ I won’t lie to you. I know Master Ez is Ezra. I saw your bracelet the first time you wore it,” she tips her chin at my wrist. “I’ve known all along that Ezra is your Master. I’ve said things to you to discourage you from being with him. I was angry about losing my Dom, and I didn’t want you to have one, either. I was jealous. I know that wherever Ezra goes, Cortez follows.”
“What does this have to do with anything, Monica?” I ask in confusion.
“Ezra is Ava’s father. I need to apologize for my behavior. You obviously had rights to them a long time before I came into the picture.” Monica wipes away a tear, and it confuses me.
“How do you know Ava is Ezra’s daughter?” My eyebrows meet my hairline as I stare at Monica.
“When you meet her , you’ll see. Wow,” she laughs out. “It’s amazing.”
“Who?” I all but growl.
“You’ll see , soon enough.” Monica walks over to me, and puts her hand out for a shake. I take it, not entirely sure what this is all about. I realize she is offering me a truce, but what I don’t trust is the why of it.
“No need fo r a truce. I won’t be a problem ever again. Let’s start over, Kat,” Monica genuinely says.
“Why won’t you be a problem ?” I ask as I finish our handshake.
“Hmm… let me guess. I will lose my job if I mess with you. I’ll lose my membership to Restraint. Those two things are what keeps me sane. But most of all, we are a lot alike. I just don’t feel like fighting for no reason. There are other things to be angry about instead. I also realize that if I could get over myself, the jealousy, you and I could actually connect. Maybe even be friends someday, who knows. But the alternative
“Ma…” she whines. “I’m too old for that.”
“Get your sticky ass over here,” I playfully snap. I point at my cheek, patiently waiting. Ava drags her feet over to me, and quickly kisses my cheek- so fast I doubt her lips make contact. I sigh. She’s a little lady now, no longer my baby girl. A little lady covered in chocolate. I smile.
“Just a minute, Monica, I have to make sure Ava follows through with my orders.” I needn’t have bothered to warn Monica, since she’s frozen in shock. I pick up the phone and dial Ezra. It’s the first time I’ve ever called him.
“Katya,” warmly spills from the other end of the line, his smoky voice filling my ear.
“Is Cort with you?” I quickly ask, needing to make this a short call. The longer I’m around Ezra. The worse I have it for him. Not good, not good at all.
“Yes,” he uncertainly says, not knowing what I’m leading up to.
“I’ m going to kick his ass. You’ll see when tropical storm Ava arrives. Anyway, I need you to keep her close until I get home tonight. I have some errands to attend to.”
“What did he do this time?” Ezra exhaustedly sighs into the phone.
“Nothing major, just taught our daughter how to hack everything in the building and hopped her up on sugar. I need to see him. But don’t worry, I’m not going to rip him a new asshole. We have some stuff we have to do today.”
“Good. You have an appointment with Dexter at seven this evening. Bring Cortez with you, please. I will feel better knowing that he is with you.”
“Okay,” I say. A muffled giggle flows through the phone and I roll my eyes. “She’s your problem, now. You can thank your partner for it.” I laugh as I hang up. I swear I heard Ezra growling.
“Sorry, this is new , and we’re on a learning curve. I-” my statement is cut short by the petrified look on Monica’s face. “What’s wrong, now,” I sigh out, and I slump into my chair.
“I’m sorry, Katya, I didn ’t know.” She looks horrified.
“What?” I watch her expression , trying to gain access to her emotions.
“ I won’t lie to you. I know Master Ez is Ezra. I saw your bracelet the first time you wore it,” she tips her chin at my wrist. “I’ve known all along that Ezra is your Master. I’ve said things to you to discourage you from being with him. I was angry about losing my Dom, and I didn’t want you to have one, either. I was jealous. I know that wherever Ezra goes, Cortez follows.”
“What does this have to do with anything, Monica?” I ask in confusion.
“Ezra is Ava’s father. I need to apologize for my behavior. You obviously had rights to them a long time before I came into the picture.” Monica wipes away a tear, and it confuses me.
“How do you know Ava is Ezra’s daughter?” My eyebrows meet my hairline as I stare at Monica.
“When you meet her , you’ll see. Wow,” she laughs out. “It’s amazing.”
“Who?” I all but growl.
“You’ll see , soon enough.” Monica walks over to me, and puts her hand out for a shake. I take it, not entirely sure what this is all about. I realize she is offering me a truce, but what I don’t trust is the why of it.
“No need fo r a truce. I won’t be a problem ever again. Let’s start over, Kat,” Monica genuinely says.
“Why won’t you be a problem ?” I ask as I finish our handshake.
“Hmm… let me guess. I will lose my job if I mess with you. I’ll lose my membership to Restraint. Those two things are what keeps me sane. But most of all, we are a lot alike. I just don’t feel like fighting for no reason. There are other things to be angry about instead. I also realize that if I could get over myself, the jealousy, you and I could actually connect. Maybe even be friends someday, who knows. But the alternative
Similar Books
