Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy)(107)

‘Ava, you couldn’t avoid us forever, even if we are miles away. Let me look at you.’ She pulls me away from her body and wipes my tears away.

There is no denying I’m my mother’s daughter. Her eyes mirror mine, all big and chocolaty and her hair that matches mine in colour is cut into a short sweeping style. She looks good for forty seven – really good.

‘You have sent me and your Dad wild with worry these last few weeks.’

‘I’m sorry. I’ve had a crazy few weeks.’ I try and sort myself out. My mascara is probably running down my cheeks and I seriously need to blow my nose. ‘Hold up.’ I look at my Mum and then my Dad, who shrugs his big shoulders on a grunt. ‘How did you really get in?’ I’ve been so blindsided with shock and emotion, I’ve forgotten that we’re stood in Jesse’s ten million pound penthouse.

‘I invited them.’

I swing around and find Jesse stood in the archway entrance with his hands resting loosely in his trouser pockets. ‘You never said.’ I splutter. I’m confused.

‘I didn’t want to row over it.’ he shrugs. ‘They’re here now.’

I look at my mother, who is smiling brightly at my challenging man, and then at my father, who executes his I’m-just-doing-as-I’m-told look. I return confused eyes to Mum. She is still smiling brightly and I’m mortified to see that she’s obviously affected by Jesse. I don’t know why I’m mortified, he draws the same reaction from all women and I need to remember that my mother is nearer to Jesse’s age than I am.

Oh God!

‘Urmm, Mum, Dad. This is Jesse.’ I gesture between them. ‘Jesse this is my Mum and Dad. Elizabeth and Joseph.’ I hadn’t planned for it to be like this. I hadn’t planned it at all, actually.

‘We’ve met.’ Jesse says.

My eyes fly to his. ‘What?’

‘We’ve met.’ he repeats himself, which is not necessary because I heard the first time.

His lips are twitching. Okay, I’m thoroughly confused. He sighs and walks towards us until he’s stood in front of me, a bit close for comfort, considering my parents are just there and this is all a bit of a shock for them, and for me.

‘I didn’t go for a run this morning.’ he says.

‘You didn’t?’ I frown. ‘You had your running kit on.’

He laughs lightly. ‘I know. It’s not what I would have chosen to wear to meet your parents, but desperate times.’ He shrugs.

‘You’re making up for it now, Jesse.’ My Mum pats his suit clad arm and my mouth drops open.

What the fuck is going on here? I want to swear my head off, but my Mum hates swearing just as much as Jesse. Well, Mum hates all swearing, full stop. Jesse just hates me swearing, but thinks it is perfectly acceptable for him to rant like a sailor.

‘I’m sorry.’ I reach up and rub my temples. ‘I’m confused.’

‘Sit.’ Jesse takes my arm and leads me over to a stool, taking a seat next to me. Mum resumes position next to Dad. ‘I spoke to your Mum late last night. She was understandably worried about you and asked me lots of question.’ He raises his brow at my Mum who laughs lightly.

‘Nosey, isn’t she?’ Dad tuts, and Mum slaps his shoulder.

‘She’s my little girl, Joseph.’

‘Anyway,’ Jesse continues, ‘I thought it was best for them to come and see for themselves that I’m not a raving loon, keeping you captive in our tower. So, here they are.’

‘Here we are.’ Mum sings. She clearly has no issues with the mature, stunning man who is gently stroking my hand.

I try and recover from shock. ‘So, you met them this morning? Why?’ I ask.

‘I felt I needed to explain myself.’ Jesse says. I look at him and could weep. I can’t believe he’s done this. ‘Ava, neither of us anticipated each other and for very different reasons. I know your parents opinion counts for a lot to you, and as it means so much to you, it means a lot to me too. My priority is you. You’re all that matters to me. I love you.’

I hear my Mum hit the deck in her mental faint and my Dad, although emotionally detached, gives an approving nod. ‘All any father wants is for their daughter to be taken care of.’ Dad reaches over and puts his hand out to Jesse. ‘I believe you’ll do good.’

Jesse accepts my Dads offering. ‘It’s my fulltime job.’ Jesse smiles, Mum swoons and I laugh.

Good God!

Jesse raises a sardonic eyebrow at me. He knows what I’m thinking. Are my Mum and Dad aware of how serious he is when he says that? I have to commend Jesse on his speech, though. He’s won them over fair and square, and I do feel like I’ve had a huge burden lifted from my shoulders, but I’m conscious that they don’t know Jesse’s business nature and what he did when he drank. Or about the punishment he subjected himself to because he thought he had failed me, because he thought he deserves retribution – or the fact that I could be pregnant. I could go on forever. That’s a whole other weight on my shoulders. Did he explain to them about the drinking? After Matt’s call to them, they must be wondering.

Mum gets down from her stool and makes her way around the island, her eyes all glazed. ‘Come here, you silly sod!’ She pulls me down from the stool and throws her arms around me. I hiss a few times, clenching my eyes shut. ‘You’ve got yourself in a right pickle. You’ve fallen in love, Ava. You should have told me.’ she soothes.

Oh, I have got myself in a pickle, but for a whole lot more reasons than she knows.

‘Right, are we eating or what? And I’m gagging for a pint.’ My Dad drags me back to the here and now.

Mum releases me and straightens herself out. ‘Do you mind if I use your bathroom, Jesse?’ she asks.

‘Sure. Do a right and an immediate right again. Knock yourself out.’

‘Pardon?’ Mum blurts.

I laugh.

‘I’m sorry.’ He smiles, flicking his eyes to me, then back to my Mum. ‘Go for it. Like I said, right and right again. By the gym.’

‘Oh, thank you.’ Mum gives me an oh-the-gym look and grabs her purse from the worktop, leaving me, Jesse and my Dad to make small talk.

‘So, what do you drive?’ Dad starts, and I groan. Dad’s passion for big, expensive cars is going to be fed good and proper now.

Jesse pulls me back onto the stool. ‘A DBS.’

‘Aston Martin?’ Dad asks.

‘That’s it.’

‘Nice.’ Dad nods and does a rubbish job of showing disinterest. ‘And the hotel is in the Surrey Hills?’

Jesse must feel me go rigid because he squeezes me slightly. ‘It is. I’ll show you one day, perhaps on your next visit.’

Never come to London again!

‘Sure, Elizabeth loves anything luxury.’ Dad rolls his eyes. My Mum is certainly high maintenance. ‘It’s a nice place you have here.’ Dad looks around the kitchen and then back at Jesse.

‘Thank you, but your daughter is responsible for that.’ He starts curling a lock of my hair around his finger. ‘I just bought the place.’

‘So, this is the big project that stole all of your time?’ Dad muses. ‘You did a good job.’

‘Thanks, Dad.’ I’m more than relieved when I hear the front doorbell. Dad and small talk are not a match well made.

‘Do you want to get that?’ Jesse pats my bum and I stand.

‘Who is it?’

‘I don’t know. Go and see.’ He pushes me away, and I leave Dad and Jesse to continue small talk as I make my way to the front door. No one can come up without knowing the code, so it has to be Clive.

I swing it open and find Dan, Kate and Sam, all stood in the penthouse foyer and my first thought is; Dan and Kate within a mile of each other? Bad news. But then Dan steps forward with a big smile on his face and I all but throw myself on him, forgetting all back pain and awkward tension between him and my best friend.

‘What are you doing here?’ I squeeze him to me and he laughs.

‘I’m doing as I’m told,’ He fights me off and holds me back. ‘You look good.’ he says on a bright smile. ‘Where’s this new bloke who I need to give the ‘if you hurt her’ speech to?’

I wave of fear flies through me at the thought of Jesse accepting any such speech. ‘In the kitchen, but you don’t need to do that.’

Please don’t do that!

He eyes me warily. ‘It’s my job.’ he states firmly, and then looks past me into the penthouse. ‘Fucking hell!’ he whispers as he cops a load of the space. He drops me and saunters off.

Kate steps forward with a clear look of trepidation of her pale face. She wraps her arms around me. ‘This has to be the most awkward situation I have ever put myself in,’ she whispers in my ear. ‘Fucking hideous.’

I laugh. ‘Ease up on your grip,’ I shrug her slightly. ‘Does Sam know?’ I whisper back.

‘Sorry and no. I thought he might have made the connection after you landed Dan’s visit on me at lunch that time, but he’s fucking oblivious.’

‘Hey! Where’s the love?’ Sam removes Kate and throws his arms around me gently. ‘You are one mad woman.’ he says quietly.