The Dom Identity (Masters & Mercenaries Reloaded 2)

So who could give an explosive interview about her?

Ashton. Of course. Her ex-friend would want to jump on the bandwagon. But it wouldn’t be anything the other woman hadn’t said before. She would come out with all the old Vanessa didn’t know a good thing when she had it. Vanessa always wanted more and didn’t care who she hurt. Vanessa was aggressive and mean to poor directors who just wanted her to give up every moral she had to fuel their own egos.

She wouldn’t put it like that, of course, but it was the truth.

Ava walked back in, followed by Tessa Santiago soon-to-be Hawthorne.

The lovely young woman looked different outside The Club. Vanessa had only ever seen her in fet wear, looking sexy and submissive. Today she wore slacks, a button-down, and sensible shoes, her long hair in a bun. This was work Tessa, the Tessa who’d been in the military and now protected her clients.

“Hey, Vanessa.” She set her backpack at the end of the bar and moved into the kitchen. “Kyle had a little emergency this morning. He’s trying to buy a car, and something went wrong with the loan, so he’s working that out. I told him I’d take his shift today if that’s all right with you. If not I can have someone else over here in an hour or two. I was the easiest replacement.”

She sounded slightly tentative, as though she expected pushback.

Tessa had only been doing her job. Like the rest of them. The days had even softened her toward MaeBe. The young woman had already talked to Ruby about her choices and how she could take her love of computers and find a great career. MaeBe was already proving to be a positive influence on Ruby.

She wasn’t going to balk because Tessa had watched her at The Club. “Sure. I’ll warn you it’s going to be a boring day. I did my walk-through yesterday with the florists and the caterers for the party next Friday. The rest of my week is a whole lot of me staring at a computer screen.”

Tessa gave her a smile and opened the cabinet to grab a mug. She poured herself a cup of coffee. “Excellent. I’ve got a book to read, so you stare as long as you like.”

Ava shook her head. “You shouldn’t be reading one of those murder books you love. You need to be picking out floral arrangements. Your wedding is six weeks away, darling.”

Tessa found the creamer and sugar. She looked at Ava, wrinkling her nose. “I’m not good at that, and you should know. I’m letting my mom and Grace handle all the things. I’m going to show up and smile and say whatever I have to in order to stay with that man for the rest of my life. The wedding is for our families. Now the honeymoon…I had a lot to say about that.”

“Where are you going?” Ava asked with a smile.

“Ten days in Bora Bora without a library in sight.” Tessa’s pleasure shone through. “We’re at a resort that has not an ounce of history attached to it. Just me and David.” She grinned Vanessa’s way. “I had to carefully plan this. If I take us anywhere with an interesting history, the professor will go right down the rabbit hole, and I’ll end up on the beach while he’s taking notes somewhere. And honestly, that’s not usually bad. I’m cool with it. But for this trip I want his focus entirely on me.”

“Of course you do,” Ava replied.

Michael was almost always focused on her. From the very beginning. She could excuse the first part of their relationship as he was a man doing his job, but the last week? He’d been so careful around her, giving her what she needed, taking her insults and bile with grace. She’d said terrible things to him, accused him of all manner of crimes, and he’d merely apologized for hurting her and promised not to do it again.

What did he gain at this point? She wasn’t his target anymore. He was putting himself and his family on the line for her.

If this was about feeling guilty, shouldn’t that go away soon?

“Well, this wedding is actually going to happen,” Tessa promised. “I’m not going to let all my future mother-in-law’s hard work go to waste this time. I did apologize for that, right?”

Ava waved her off. “Darling, you and Michael did the right thing, as evidenced so beautifully by you and David. And this one, if I can convince her to give my son another chance. Oh, Tessa, you can help me out. Tell our dearest Vanessa that the country club ladies are nothing to be afraid of. I’m trying to get her to come with me to charity day.”

Tessa snorted and said something, but Vanessa was still caught on what she’d said previously.