Davenport Harbor (Six Degrees Book 3) (11 page)

The moment broken, I tried not to sigh in disappointment. John Davenport was not a man to play with or hook your star to. No man was really, but something about him screamed
‘
don
’
t go there
’
.

Shaking my head, I looked back at Nick and tried to follow the conversation, smiling politely at the right moments, but I was not enthralled by the discussion. The entire time I felt my skin burn under the gaze of John
’
s smoldering stare.

***

The day had been fun. Better than I had expected it to be. As grumpy and sullen as John Davenport was, he had an amazing slew of loyal and caring friends. All of them were vastly successful in their own way.

I watched the tall beautiful, lithe blonde walking towards me with Sabrina. Both of them were smiling. Her name was Holly Montgomery and she was married to the Irishman who was talking to John. From what he'd told me, she was also Mike's ex fianc
é
e, which surprised me, because it seemed as if Sabrina got along great with her.

"I just wanted to come and say good night," Holly said sweetly, and I smiled at her.

"We are going, too, Anne," Sabrina added, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Oh, I don't know. Zoey can be a handful..." I started to say, slightly nervous about leaving the safe harbor John's hill had given Zoey and me.

"Nonsense. Nick will pick you two up and drop Zoey at my place. You guys do what you have to do, and I will have dinner ready for us by the time you come by."

"Oh. I'm not sure..." I started to say when I felt rather than saw him.

His fingertips grazed the outside of my hand, creating small sparks between us, and I turned to look at him. I was dying to look down and figure out how a slight touch like that could ignite me so quickly.

"I don't think tomorrow will work for Anne." His deep voice vibrated and I stood still, slightly disappointed about not being able to work on fixing the software issue.

"Why not?" Nick
’
s distinct voice asked, and I looked around. Everyone was now circled around us, staring, and I looked at John. He looked almost angry.

"Well...Someone is going to have to clean this place up." His deep voice crushed over me like a pail of ice water the second my mind processed his words. A cold searing pain rushed over me and then washed out, leaving sheer embarrassment in its place.

Someone had to clean this place.

His words repeated in my mind, and I flinched as if he'd physically hit me. I was so busy trying to recover from his harsh words I didn’t notice the immediate regret that fell over his face. I heard Mike mutter a curse and an uncomfortable tension fell over everyone. Birdie
’
s eyes widened in surprise, Sabrina
’
s face was clearly angry, and Holly looked uncomfortable. I couldn’t blame them.

I couldn’t even blame him. He'd warned me in a way. He'd said we needed to talk about the kiss we'd shared. He was only going to remind me of my place and he just had. I was just the stupid one who'd somehow let herself believe it
’
d meant something. That a kiss that wonderful couldn
’
t have been one-sided.

Taking a cleansing breath, I looked at Nick. "I'm sorry, Nick, seems I have to work," I told him, smiling, hoping my cheeks weren't too bright with embarrassment, "I'm sure you'll figure out the glitch in the algorithm."

"What?" John's deep voice growled. He was now scowling at Mike, who for some reason looked as embarrassed as I felt.

"She was going to help me with a new software I
’
m developing," Nick growled, clearly pissed, and I managed to keep smiling.

I was used to smiling on the outside when I hurt on the inside. I might have been out of practice, not having been living the nightmare that my life had turned into with my ex, but thankfully, it was something you didn't really forget how to do.

"It was lovely to meet you, but I think it's time for Zoey and me to turn in." I grabbed Zoey from Birdie's arms, her worried eyes on me. I just smiled brighter, shaking my head at her, and walked away.

Not once did I let myself look behind me at the group of very nice people and the beast of a jerk whose eyes I felt on me the entire time. It was better to remind myself of where I stood. I was the help, not freaking Cinderella. No, I was the background. If I remembered that, kept to myself for a while longer until I had enough money for Zoey and I to leave, I would keep going until we reached some beachside city in Costa Rica where we could just be.

As I walked, I didn’t cower. I didn’t slump my shoulders in embarrassment and shame. I didn’t let myself. Been there, done that, owned the tee shirt and scars. I walked with my back straight, head up, smiling at Zoey, her little hand wrapped around my finger, until I reached the door to the guest house.

I wouldn
’
t let one more jerk know the hold he had on me.

Not ever again.

John

Once again I found myself standing in my darkened kitchen overlooking the small cottage.

I was an asshole, no doubt about it. Jealousy did not look good on me and I
’
d gone and made more of an asshole out of myself than I ever had. That alone was saying something. Not only that, but I had completely embarrassed her in the process. Flipping my phone in one hand, holding a coffee mug in the other, all I could do was stare out into the darkness, my eyes fixated on the warm light coming from where I wanted to be.

My house was huge and magazine worthy, but it was fucking lonely as hell.
When did being alone start to prick at my nerves like this?
My cell started to ring and I looked down at it. Rolling my eyes, I grudgingly answered.

“
What?
”
I hissed into the phone, trying not to grit my teeth.

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
he quickly said, and that only added fuel to my anger.

“
You
’
re sorry?
”
I asked Mike incredulously.

“
In my defense, I didn
’
t know you were going to be that big of a dick,
”
he told me, and I set my coffee mug on the counter, running my hands over my face, and groaned.

“
Maybe it
’
s better this way.
”
My hand on my chin, I continued looking out the window like a stalker.

“
If you really believe that, not only are you a dick, you
’
re a dumbass dick.
”
He was right. I knew he was and I sighed, giving in.

“
How can I fix this?
”
I muttered.

“
Lucky for you, you have me as your best friend.
”

“
It
’
s your fault I thought she was going on a date in the first place, asshole,
”
I growled and he laughed.

“
But I
’
m married to a great woman, who has a frighteningly brilliant mind
…”

“
You told Sabrina?
”

“
She knew I had something to do with what you were thinking by the look on my face.
”
I couldn’t help the bark of laughter at imagining the hell she must have given him. Sabrina was a burst of sunshine but hell on wheels when she was pissed.

“
Just tell me, how do I fix this?
”

***

Mike
’
s idea was stupid, but it had potential.

Maybe.

Smoothing down my wrinkled shirt, I took a deep breath before knocking on her door. It was late but it couldn’t wait. Before I could knock though, the door swung open. She was in an old oversized white tee with a Disney character on the front, one of the brunette princesses, and she was wearing ugly grey sweatpants, her pretty hair thrown up in a high ponytail.

“
What do you need, Mr. Davenport?
”
Her eyes were cold and I deserved it.

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
I blurted out, and by the look on her face, she wasn
’
t expecting that from me. Her mouth opened and closed, her face softening slightly, so I took advantage of catching her off guard,
“
I was an asshole. I got jealous.
”

“
Jealous?” Hearing the soft way she asked, seeing the warmth seeping into her expressive eyes, all I could do was nod.

“
I thought Nick was hitting on you. I
…”
I swallowed hard.
Put it out there. Be honest
.
“
I like you. I
…”
I stopped when she shook her head.

“
He wasn
’
t hitting on me. He wanted me to help him with some freelance work. I
’
m good with computers and software and writing code. Really good. Or at least I used to be. But it doesn
’
t matter. It was better that you reminded me of my place tonight. I like you, too. You
’
re a nice man when you want to be, Mr. Davenport
…”

“
John,
”
I told her, and she frowned, a cute line forming at her forehead.

“
Mr. Davenport, I think it would be better for us to remain professional. I am your housekeep
—”

“
It
’
s John,
”
I repeated, taking a step forward. She took one back, and I was inside the guest house, closing the door quietly behind me.

“
Mr
…
.
”

“
John,
”
I repeated, taking another step forward, grabbing her hand with mine.
“
I messed up. I was an ass. Being jealous for the first time in forty-three years isn
’
t a good look on me. I didn't react correctly. I
’
m not a nice man. I can be a real asshole and a complete prick when I set my mind to it, and sometimes it comes out naturally. Just ask Mike. I
’
m used to reacting and doing anything it takes to get what I want.
”

She was watching and listening to me. She was so damn beautiful it almost hurt. Her big eyes were thankfully softer than they first had been when she’d opened the door, but they were still guarded.

“
I
…”
she started to say, and I pulled her to me. She stayed silent, her lips parted slightly. I moved my face right in front of hers, mere inches away from her lips.

“
I
’
ll probably mess up again. I
’
m not a perfect man, not anywhere close to it, but I like you. I like so many things about you. I wouldn
’
t even know where to start. That kiss this morning
…”
my voice softened, my head leaning down so that our lips were a breadth away from each other.
“
Best kiss of my life,
”
I whispered and felt the exhale of a small gasp escaping from her.

“
John
…”
I felt the whisper of my name from her lips and my body tightened even more, a warmth spreading over me unlike anything I had ever felt.

“
Whatever you
’
re running from, I will make it better,
”
I promised her, and her eyes closed, but instead of her closing the tiny space between us, she took a step back, her face almost in pain.

“
Anne?
”
My voice was beyond recognition and my heart stilled in my chest as I watched her open her eyes. Sadness, fear, and raw emotion were shining through her expression.

“
You can
’
t,
”
she hissed.

“
I can,
”
I told her, my hand going to the back of her head, cupping her scalp, her long hair brushing the outer side of my hand,
“
I don
’
t make promises I can
’
t keep, and I am telling you, no matter what it is, I will make your situation better. I will fix it.
”

“
Why?
”
She stepped back, away from my touch, her hands over her chest, protecting herself,
“
Why would you want to do that? Why me? You don
’
t even know me!
”

“
Thank fuck for that!
”
I stupidly blurted in frustration at her unexpected reaction.

“
What is that supposed to mean?
”
She scowled.

“
It means, Kitten, that if I knew you more than I already do right now, I
’
d probably be certifiable! You tie me up like a fucking pretzel!
”

“
I do not,
”
she huffed, a fire burning in her eyes that made her even sexier.

“
Yeah, you do, and guess what? I fucking like it! I look forward to coming home. To seeing you, to talking to you, and to holding that little girl in there.
”
I pointed towards the shut bedroom door.
“
You don
’
t know this, but I
’
m not that kind of man. I
’
m the kind of man who, if he
’
s in the mood for company, doesn’t date but pays for it. I
’
m the farthest thing from a saint, Kitten,
”
I started telling her, knowing that I was screwing it all up, but she had to know.

“
John
…”
She stepped forward, but I was the one who stepped back this time.

“
You need to know the kind of man I am, Anne. I have to be crystal clear about it. I
’
m the kind of man who laughs and makes fun of poor saps that have their balls twisted up over a woman. I
’
m a ruthless beast, who will do whatever it takes to
…”