Page 15 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

Chapter

Twelve

FAWN

Pizza was my favorite food. But tonight, curled up wearing comfy clothes in the den, the delicious Chicago-style goodness failed to make me smile.

Winston was gaining weight and making real progress, but he was mentally still stuck in that stall.

It had been weeks, and he shook like a leaf whenever someone took him out for a walk, or bathroom break, or gave him his food.

I was spending every second I could at the clinic with him, but I was losing hope that he would ever find a forever home.

It didn’t help that he was older than we originally thought.

Dr. Taylor was able to conduct a more thorough exam and said he was around nine years old.

He also didn’t have much time left. Small Paws was far more generous than most clinics and had given Winston three months to find a family.

That meant I only had six weeks left to get him to trust people.

“Has he called at all?”

I looked at Steph and blinked. “What?”

“Titus…has he called? You have that faraway look and haven’t heard a word I said. I assume that’s who you’re thinking about.”

“For once, I wasn’t. But now I am, so thanks,” I said, pretending to be annoyed with my best friend.

“You’re a bitch,” Steph teased and tossed her pizza crust at me.

“Hey,” I squealed and batted it away.

Sheba snatched it out of the air like a baseball outfielder and ate her prize. We both laughed, but now that I thought about Titus, the mood turned sober.

“He texts me about the dogs and to make sure that I’m okay. But no, Titus hasn’t called. He’s not due back for a few more days, and it’s not like he ever let me in on his life before now. And…he must be having so much fun. Have you seen the pictures from the Paris fashion show?”

Steph didn’t look sad often, but she did now as she nodded. “Yeah, those images are everywhere. Vera is stunning. I’d bang her, and I’m not even into girls. It should be illegal to be that beautiful.”

“Are you kidding me? You are that beautiful. I feel like I’m the ugly duckling surrounded by all the swans,” I said.

“Shut up, no you’re not. Look, we don’t know why Titus is marrying this woman, but let’s say it is an arranged marriage…

I can see why Titus isn’t fighting to get out.

She’s a billionaire heiress before you add in her fashion business and modeling.

She is gorgeous and seems nice in her interviews.

I mean…how does any red-blooded male say no to that? ”

“Thanks for pointing out that I never had a chance,” I said, pulling my feet up onto the couch and resting my head on my knees.

“Honestly, I think you did until her. The way he looks at you…he tries to hide his feelings, but the attraction is so obvious,” Steph said.

“Maybe. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter now.

Titus is taken and obviously having a blast on this trip.

The reporters have been asking where she was hiding him.

He could be the next GQ model or the new front cover model for Veracious and looking sexier than ever.

Gag. I mean, yes, he is, but gag that it’s with her. Ugh, I just…I can’t seem to let go.”

“I told you. You need to move out,” Steph said, and she had a point, but I just couldn’t.

“It makes it awkward to look after the dogs, and he’s still paying for school. It is literally the only thing other than baking he’ll let me do to pay him back.”

“Okay, fair enough.” Steph tapped her fingers on the back of the couch. “Are you able to have parties here?”

“Oh, I don’t think I like where this is going,” I said, shaking my head.

“I don’t mean with a bunch of random people we don’t know.

But I could invite the football team over.

The night is still young, and there are a ton of photo opportunities here by the pool.

They won’t destroy the house, and dare I say that if Titus finds out from the guards, it may not be the end of the world. ”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure it would be the end of my life,” I said, picturing his furious face.

“Girl, you need to think outside the box. This Vera…well, you can’t compete with her financially, and yes, she is a supermodel, but you’re fucking beautiful.

Plus, you have the added benefit of knowing that he already has feelings for you.

I think it’s time you exploited that a little. A little jealousy never hurt.”

I groaned but had to admit that Steph had a point. I’d never dreamed of making Titus jealous. It wasn’t in my nature, but there was an appeal to seeing how Titus would react. Did he really have feelings for me? Was it possible to sway him from marrying Vera?

“Besides, he’s not coming home for what…three more days? What better timing? He can stew after seeing pictures of all the guys in his home with you. If that doesn’t push a button or two, then I take it back. He’s not red-blooded. He’s as cold as a salamander.”

I laughed as an image of a tiny lizard with Titus’s face popped into my head.

Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I tried to picture how this party would play out.

It wasn’t me. I didn’t do petty jealousy stunts like what Steph was suggesting.

Then again, I hadn’t been trying to get a guy’s attention either, but this felt… icky.

Steph grabbed my hands. “Look, I will lay down the law. The guys are not to go into Titus’s side of the house.

In fact, the party stays in the backyard and den since they’re connected.

I’ll order wings, burgers, and all the trimmings for a barbeque.

We can swim, play some music, maybe do a little dancing.

I can even get pictures of the guys topless, cooking, or playing around in the pool.

It’s great PR stuff which is helping me out and puts a bur in the pants of you know who. ”

“I’m not really sure I want him to have a bur, but I get what you’re saying.”

Covering my face, I shook my head, but the words that came out of my mouth were the complete opposite.

“Okay, fine…call the team. I’ll let the guards know to expect them.”

“Yes!” Steph jumped up with a cheer. Swiping her phone off the coffee table, she bounced on the balls of her feet. “You’re not going to regret this,” she said, skipping out of the room.

Famous last words.

TITUS

Man, it was good to be home. I loved to travel, but not when the entire time was spent rushing from one event to another, speaking to dozens of people, and smiling like it was my new favorite pastime.

Not to mention fending off the advances of a woman who had obviously never been told no.

So much for Vera and her apology about the naked photos and just wanting to get to know me better.

The only thing she wanted to get to know was my cock.

At one point, I locked myself in the bathroom just to get a few moments of peace.

If Vera wasn’t touching me, she was asking what I liked sexually before going right back to the touching.

I’d never experienced anything like that and had a whole new appreciation for the girls who worked at our clubs.

They put up with ignorant, drunk, belligerent men and treated it like it was just another day.

I skipped the last few days in Russia by feigning a work emergency.

Vera had asked if someone else could take care of it, but I was done and flew out as soon as possible.

Resting my head back against the seat, my eyes were so heavy that it was a struggle to keep them open.

My phone picked that exact moment to ring.

I groaned and pulled it out of my pocket.

“Hello, brother,” I said, yawning.

“Come on, out with it,” Nathaniel said, but my brain was too tired to play this game.

“Out with what?”

“How was the trip with your fiancé,” Nathaniel asked, but there was a mocking tone like he knew exactly how I felt.

I let my eyes close and sighed.

“Can this conversation wait until…say…never?”

Nathaniel chuckled, and I hated that I envied him and his relationship with Savannah.

“What else do you have to do in the back of a limo? I know Vera didn’t come home with you, so you can’t use her being there as a reason not to spill.”

“You are a grade-A fucking stalker, and I’ll sleep,” I drawled.

“I’m not a stalker. I’m just well-informed,” he said, and I could picture the stupid grin on his face.

It was nice to hear him joking. Before Savannah came back into his life, it had been a long time since I’d seen my brother smile. Pulling away from Father, and the soul-crushing ridicule he’d been under daily, seemed like it had also lightened his load.

“That is the same shit in a different pile,” I grumbled and looked around at the cars passing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him waving at me.

“Fine, be a dick. You don’t have to tell me. I already know you hated it. You looked constipated in every picture from France.”

“Prick,” I said but smiled. “Do you have another reason for calling other than to poke fun at my pain?”

It was obvious that Nathaniel wasn’t going to let me rest. How he knew the exact moment I got into the limo was beyond me. It was probably better that I didn’t know. My brother was a little too good at what he did.

“I almost got myself killed,” he said, and I sat up straight.

“What the fuck? What happened? Did you and Father have another round, or did one of our shadier clients come for you?”

“No, nothing like that. It was Savannah,” he said, and I relaxed. She could kill him, and that was fine. If she did, he totally deserved it.

“What the hell did you do,” I asked as we pulled into my driveway.

Nathaniel was explaining about a shipment of drugs that had come in on the wrong day while I stared at the gigantic tour bus parked in front of my house.

“That wasn’t me. I don’t fuck up like that. Either Ronan did it, we all know he sucks with paperwork, or….”

“Father did it to fuck with me,” Nathaniel said.