Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy)(55)

‘I won’t.’ I grumble, like the sulky little girl that I am.

He jumps up and pulls on a pair of checkered lounge pants, and then leaves me so he can go and placate his housekeeper.

I distract myself from my despair by having a shower and getting myself ready, slipping on a floral tea dress – probably too short – and my flat sandals. I pull my hair up into a ponytail. I’ll do.



As I walk into the kitchen like a timid waif, all fidgety and nervous, Jesse looks up from his salmon and scrambled egg bagel and gives me one of my smiles. His bare chest distracts me fleetingly from my embarrassment, and I don’t miss his slight scowl when he registers the length of my dress. I ignore him.

‘Here she is. Cathy this is Ava, love of my life.’ He pats the stool next him as Cathy turns around from the fridge to look at me.

My cheeks burn and I offer her a small, apologetic smile. I feel much better when I detect a red flush in her cheeks. I’ve been so worried about my own mortification, I hadn’t considered how embarrassed she might be. I take a seat next to Jesse and he pours me some orange juice.

‘I like your dress.’ he smirks. ‘Too short but excellent access. It can stay.’

I look at him in horror and give him a kick under the island. He laughs and sinks his teeth into his bagel. I’m shocked by his behaviour but pleasantly surprised by his acceptance – he’s not marched me back upstairs in disgrace.

‘Ava, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Would you like some breakfast?’ Cathy’s voice is friendly and warm. I deserve neither.

‘You too, Cathy, I would love some breakfast, thank you.’

‘What would you like?’ She smiles at me. She has the kindest face.

‘I’ll have the same as Jesse, please.’ I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned around and told me to stuff it up my arse, but she doesn’t. She nods her acceptance and carries on about her business.

I pick up my glass of juice and glance at Jesse. He’s looking unapologetically smug. I’m glad he finds my discomfort amusing, but I can’t imagine he’d be so tickled about the situation if Cathy was a man. Reaching over to his lap, I slip my hand into his lounge pants and grab his cock loosely. He jumps, smacking his knee on the marble and starts coughing around his mouthful of food. Cathy turns around, startled at Jesse choking and fetches him a glass of water, passing it over the counter to him. He holds his hand up in a thank you gesture.

‘You okay?’ I ask, all concerned as I start to stroke his hardened length slowly.

‘Fine,’ His voice is all high pitched and stressed.

Cathy returns to preparing my breakfast and I continue wickedly playing havoc with Jesse’s sanities. He drops his bagel and takes a silent, controlled inhale, looking at me with wide eyes.

Ignoring his shock, I roll my thumb slowly over his moist tip before drawing down again to his base. I feel the incessant throb under my grasp and the wetness of cum escaping the tip. Gathering the moisture, I glide smoothly up and down his iron stiff erection.

I turn my eyes on him. ‘Good?’ I mouth, and he shakes his head in desperation.

I’m in my element. This has never happened. He must have a lot of respect for Cathy because I know for sure that with anyone else, I would have been hauled out of the kitchen by now.

‘There you are, Ava.’ Cathy slides a plate over the island to me.

I drop Jesse like a hot potato and slip my thumb into my mouth, before pulling my plate towards me. I hear a sharp intake of breath and feel his eyes burning into me.

‘Thanks Cathy.’ I say cheerfully. I pick my bagel up and take a big bite. ‘Cathy, this is delicious.’ I inform her as she starts loading the dishwasher. She looks at me and smiles.

I’m aware of scorching eyes still burning into my face as I enjoy my bagel, so I slowly turn to look at him, finding a face full of shock and horror.

He raises his eyebrows at me and then flicks his head to the kitchen exit. ‘Upstairs, now.’ he says quietly as he gets up. ‘Thanks for breakfast, Cathy. I’m going for a shower.’ He eyes me. I nod.

‘You’re welcome, boy. Can we go through what you would like me to do today? I’m all out of sync and I can see that you have done absolutely zero, except break doors and make holes in walls.’ She dries her hands on a tea towel and gives Jesse’s back a disapproving look.

He doesn’t turn around to face her because he’s concealing the huge arousal tenting the front of his lounge pants. I mentally chalk a tally for me on a smirk.

‘Ava can sort that out with you as soon as she’s helped me with something upstairs.’ he shouts over his shoulder as he disappears.

Can I? I don’t know what Cathy does, or what he wants her to do today, and I have absolutely no intention of following him upstairs to finish what I’ve started.

I sit exactly where I am, taking a deep breath of confidence. ‘Cathy, I just wanted to apologise for yesterday and this morning.’

She rolls her eyes. ‘Don’t worry, darling, honestly.’

‘I was so rude to you, and then this morning…well, I wasn’t expecting company.’ I feel my cheeks burning up again as I pick at the last bits of my bagel.

‘Ava, really, it’s fine. Jesse told me you had a bad day and he failed to notify you of my return. I understand.’ She smiles at me as she dusts down her apron. It’s a sincere smile. I like Cathy. With her grey bob, friendly face and floral skirts, she is typically wholesome.

‘It won’t happen again.’ I take my plate to the dishwasher and go to open it, but the plate is whipped from my hand before I have a chance to see through my chore.

‘I’ll take that. You better go and help my boy with whatever it is he needs you for.’

Oh, I know exactly what he needs me for and I’m not going anywhere. He can sort himself out. It’s killing me to deny him, but his face was just brilliant. ‘Oh, he’ll manage.’

‘Okay, shall we go through what I should get on with? I have a roster, but being away for so long, it’s all gone to cock!’ She takes a pad and pen from the front of her apron and gets ready to take notes. ‘I should probably start with the washing and ironing.’

‘Urm, I’m not sure,’ I shrug. ‘I don’t even really live here.’ I whisper. I want to add that I’ve been abducted and moved in against my will.

‘You don’t?’ Her face is puzzled ‘My boy said you did.’

‘Well, it’s a conversation yet to be had,’ I explain. ‘He doesn’t like the word no. Well, not from me, anyway.’

Her shiny forehead furrows. ‘What, my easygoing boy?’

I scoff. ‘Yes, so I’m told.’ If anyone else says he’s easygoing, I might just trample them.

‘Well, it’s nice to have a lady in the house.’ she says, collecting some cleaner from under the sink. ‘My boy needs a girl.’ she muses to herself.

I smile at Cathy’s affectionate referral to Jesse. I wonder how long she has worked for him? Jesse had said that she was the only woman he couldn’t live without, although I suspect that has changed now.

She sprays the worktop down with anti-bacterial spray and starts wiping. ‘I’ll wait for Jesse then, if you would prefer.’

‘Yes, thank you. I’m just going to make a few calls.’ I notice my phone charging on the side but no bag. ‘Have you seen my bag?’

‘I popped it in the cloakroom, darling. Oh, and I’ve had Clive sort out the elevator door.’

I cringe. ‘Oh, thank you.’ I grab my phone and make my way out of the kitchen to retrieve my bag. She probably thinks I’m a slob as well as a rude cow, a vandal and a flasher.

I find my bag and glance down at my phone, noting two missed calls from my Mum and a text from Matt. My shoulders sag. I should delete it, but curiosity gets the better of me.



I don’t know what got into me. I’m sorry x.



I bristle from head to toe and delete the message. The last thing I need is Jesse finding it. He was sorry before and it’s still bothering me how he knows about Jesse. I should ring my Mum first, but I have a friend with some explaining to do. She takes a while, but she eventually answers. I know she’ll be looking down at her screen, wondering what to say.

‘You’re a member!’ I blurt accusingly when she finally picks up.

‘And?’ She’s aiming for nonchalance, but I’m detecting irritation.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘It’s none of your business.’ she retorts.

‘Thanks!’ I’m completely offended. We tell each other everything.

‘It’s just a bit of fun, Ava.’ she huffs impatiently.

I’ve heard this before, but I know there’s more to it. I know she likes Sam and I can’t see how joining him in all things kinky and going along with his lifestyle is going to get her what she wants. This is a disaster waiting to happen. ‘You keep saying that.’ I grate down the phone. ‘Why won’t you admit there is more to it?’

‘Like what?’ she asks, her tone indicating surprise – surprise that I’ve come out and asked the million dollar question.

‘Like you really like him.’ I say, completely exasperated.