Tessa's Temptation(34)

"She didn't." Nina watched as he wrote a substantial figure and then  signed his name to the mint greet paper. "She just helped me find my  daughter."

"As I said, I don't trust you." He handed her the check. "I meant what I  said; there is a condition that comes with this check. If you cash it,  and I'm sure you will, don't contact your daughter. Let her come to you,  and if she does, I won't stand in her way."

"I understand." She headed for the door. "You've been very generous."

"Whatever business you had in Boston, consider it concluded." He  followed her out of the office and down the hall. "If Audra contacts you  again, you're not to take her call. Do you understand?"

"I don't even know her, so that won't be a problem." She turned and smiled at him but it was as fake as she was. "Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you." He opened the door, indicating she should go. "You have to know that."

"My daughter is a very lucky woman." She glanced down at the check.  "Please tell her I'm sorry for everything and if she does want to  contact me I'll be there."

I don't believe that for one minute.

She went down the porch steps and out to the beat up old station wagon  parked in his driveway without a look back. She had gotten what she came  for. He hoped she stayed away from Tessa from now on.

He shut the door and when he turned, he looked up and found Tessa at the  top of the staircase, staring at him. Her eyes were swollen and sad.  She looked so fragile and hurt. Nothing like his little firecracker.  Nina may have broken her, but his girl was too strong to stay down for  long. And he would do everything possible to make certain of that.

"Sweetheart." He bounded up the steps, reaching for her with the last few steps. "I know how hard that was."

"Don't touch me!" She backed away. "I don't even want to talk to you."

"You're upset about your mother." He wanted to give her some space but  he couldn't resist the desire to hold and protect her. "I'll make it  right."

"Right? How are you going to do that? Throw money at me?" She turned and  stomped down the hall in the opposite direction of their bedroom. "I  expect that shit from my mother but what you did? I'm sick over it."

"Tessa, let me explain."

"I don't want your explanation." She slammed her old bedroom door in his face. "Go away."

"Tessa!" He pounded on the door. "Let me in."

"You leave that girl alone." May's voice warned from the end of the hall. "Give her some space and then you can grovel."

"May, tell her to open the door and stop acting this way." Chase continued to bang on the door. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Screw you!" she shouted. "Leave me alone."

"You heard the girl." May looked at him with pity, but she was clearly  on Tess's side. "Did you really think paying her mother to leave was the  best option? I swear you don't have the sense you were born with."                       
       
           



       

"I did what I had to do." May wouldn't understand, but Chase really  would do anything to protect Tessa, and if her mother's lowlife husband  was in debt to loan sharks, he didn't want Nina anywhere near his Tessa.

"You did what you had to do?" Tess yelled at him as she yanked the door  open. "Why the fuck didn't you listen to me?" She tried to slam the door  again, but he stuck his foot in the doorway before she could shut him  out.

"May, that will be all for today," Chase said as he pushed his way into  the bedroom. "You're not going to get away from me that easily."

"Get out!" She immediately headed for the bathroom on the opposite side of the room, to escape him.

"Oh no you don't." He took her arm and turned her to face him. "We need to talk."

"About what?" She pulled away from his grip and planted her fist on her  hip. "How you betrayed me? Paid off my mother even though I didn't want  you to? How you're a giant asshole? Sure, we can talk about all of  that."

There were times when he liked her wild and feisty side. This wasn't one of those occasions





Chapter Nineteen



Tess stood just inches from Chase, madder than she had ever been before.  How could he have ignored her wishes? Why would he give her mother a  dime after everything she had done over the years?

"Baby, listen to me." When he reached for her hand she backed away. "Okay, I won't touch you. Just hear me out."

"Are you going to give me a choice?"

"No."

"Fine." She plopped down on her old bed and folded her legs like a pretzel. "Talk so you can leave me alone when you're done."

"I know you're mad and you don't agree with what I did, but I had my  reasons." He sat on the edge of the bed. "I promise every one of those  reasons was for you."

"It doesn't feel that way from where I'm sitting," she said. "I've told  you how I felt about my mother. How much she's hurt me. I trusted you,  damn it."

"I heard every word. The stories you told me infuriated me. I don't know how anyone could hurt you that way."

"That's why I don't understand how you could give her money. How you  could let her in and taint what we have." She held back a sob because  she didn't want to break down over this. She had cried when May was in  the room but she promised herself she wouldn't waste one more tear over  her mother. "Why, Chase?"

"Please let me hold you." He inched up the bed, closer to her, but  stopped when she didn't say anything. "I need to hold you, Tessa."

"You hurt me." She couldn't help the tears that slipped down her cheeks. "You're not supposed to hurt me."

"I'll regret putting that look on your face forever, but you have to know that was never my intention."

She heard the remorse in his voice. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to let him in.

"Please."

"Tell me why you gave her that money." She had to hear his explanation  before she could understand. "That's why she came here. Not for me, but  for your money."

"I know," he said. "She wasn't fooling anyone. I didn't do it for her."

"I didn't want you to do it for me. You already give me so much. We've  discussed this." Why couldn't he understand that she wasn't there for  his money and what he could buy her? All she wanted was his heart. "You  can't keep giving me things."

"You're right, we have been through this and I don't agree. I want to  share everything with you." His jaw tightened as the frustration settled  into his chiseled features. "I saw how upset you were when your mother  said she didn't come for you and it made me want to rip the house apart.  It took everything I had to control my rage toward that woman. You have  no idea how much I wanted to toss her out on her ass."

"I'm used to those feelings when it comes to her."

"It won't ever happen again. I gave her the money because I saw how conflicted you were. How small she made you feel."

"I hate feeling that way." She pushed back the lump in her throat  because she didn't like feeling weak, but when it came to her mother,  she still wanted acceptance. "I want to be strong."

"You are strong, sweetheart," he whispered. "I don't know anyone stronger than you."

She shook her head because ever since they had met he had been bailing  her out, fixing her family's problems and making life easier for her.                       
       
           



       

"I wish you could see what I see in you," he said. "You are a strong,  independent woman who will do anything to protect those she cares about.  You're loyal and you give everything you have in every situation."

"Because you make it so easy for me to succeed."

"I've assisted you but you're the one who got as far as you did before  you even met me. I came into your life at a time when you needed me, but  I know you would have figured it out without me. I will keep doing  everything I can to build you up because I believe in you."

No one had ever said that to her before. His support meant more to her than he could ever know.

"You've had a hard start in this life, but I promise your struggles are  over. I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're happy and  secure. You can be mad at me, but I did what I did today to protect  you."

"You didn't have to."

"I know you better than you think. She's still your mother and if she  left here and something happened to her because of her stupid husband,  you would never forgive yourself. I wasn't going to risk you living with  that guilt."