Father & Son: Book two of the Jensen Family Series (37 page)

“Hmmm. I see you took it seriously.”
Burying his face in her neck and drawing a breath to imprint her scent on his
memory, he chuckled and simply held her tighter.

Sliding a hand over his shoulder and into
his hair, she closed her eyes and revelled in his touch. They had stopped
moving by this point. Just standing still in a lovers embrace. “Oh yes,” She
whispered, “I took it very seriously. I told her she didn’t have what it takes
to keep you.”

“Just as Cameron doesn’t have what it
takes to keep you. When you dump that useless piece of shit and I get rid of
the rubbish I’ve just married, you are mine Suzie. “He stated. “I’m going to
make a full out attack and wear you down.” He growled the last bit and cursed
the stirring in his groin as she sighed at his words.

Suzanne kissed his cheek as she extricated
herself from his hold. “I should go before we cause a scandal.” She grinned.
“We all know how well you do scandal.” She qualified watching the slow smile
spread across his handsome features.

“Don’t forget me Suzie.” He said as she
stepped away, making her pause.

“It’s not possible to forget you.” Her
parting words.

With Suzanne gone and Matt taking phone
numbers of some rather lovely guests, Paul thanked his brother on his way out
of the function room, having decided to call it a night. He detoured by the bar
for another quick snifter of whiskey before climbing the stairs to the bridal
suite albeit without his bride.

Once inside, he quickly stripped, dropping
his clothes in a trail to the bathroom, knowing it would irritate Eve. He
flushed the never worn wedding ring away before stepping into the shower. He
didn’t actively wash. He just stood under the jets, letting the water warm him.

Eve stood by the bed, looking down at her
sleeping groom who had managed to situate himself in the exact centre of it.
Again she wondered the wisdom of getting married to him having seen for herself
the complete turnaround from attentive and loving boyfriend to inexcusably rude
and cold husband. She wasn’t sure living in the same house as him. Just the two
of them, was one of her best ideas.

She eased herself in beside him, trying
her best not to disturb him. At least he smelt fresh and clean now. Turning
towards him, she pushed his hair from his face, her breath catching at just how
beautiful he was. Those Jensen genes with the Paloma colouring had done him all
sorts of favours.

He sighed and pushed the covers away as
she stroked his face, her hand drifting to his shoulder, stopping suddenly.
The
son of a bitch
she silently fumed as she discovered the completed tattoo on
his upper arm. Instead of getting his hair cut, he’d spent the day getting that
monstrosity finished.

Throwing herself onto her back with a huff
of indignation, making the bed shake, disturbing him. She stiffened when his
arm came across her and pulled her in to him. She wasn’t sure if he was awake
and just claiming what was rightfully his or if in his sleep he’d mistaken her
for the bitch that sprayed her with her perfume.

She got her answer when he came up onto
his elbows and looked her straight in the eye. She saw the challenge there. She
knew he would back away if she refused but he was now legally her husband and
she would show him he wasn’t the only one capable of simply taking. Wrapping
her arms around his neck, she pulled him down to her, kissing him as she never
had before.

His mind hazy from a hell of a day and
alcohol and his senses infused with that particular scent he loved so much,
Paul gave in to his base instincts as he returned the kiss while his hands
roamed. She was moaning and grinding beneath him but he wasn’t doing this for
her pleasure.

Not one to take just for the sake of it,
Paul usually made sure his bed partner was well satisfied before taking his own
pleasure but that wasn’t the case tonight. He couldn’t honestly say he didn’t
care if she enjoyed it or not because he did, but he needed release like never
before and to that end, he took his pleasure swiftly, possibly a little rougher
than was strictly called for and he gasped out Suzanne’s name as he found
solace in the arms of his wife.

The first two weeks of married life was
enjoyed immensely by both bride and groom. This of course had more to do with
the fact that they spent the time in different countries. She on honeymoon
while he supervised the delivery of new furniture for their ostentatious and
far too large for what they needed house.

During this time, Paul also signed the final
documentation that gave him sole possession of the club and as it was listed as
his primary residence, his name went above the door. He also hired a team of
interior designers to spruce up the flat above the club having decided that he
would be spending at least two nights a week there, something he would inform
his wife of in good time.

With the paperwork completed, notarised
and filed, the very first thing Paul did with Jokers was to shut it down. He
put his staff on a retainer and told them to enjoy their time off just as the
builders arrived.

The old booths were ripped out and
destroyed, the flooring torn up and the VIP rooms done away with. The space
created by the demolition of the rooms was much needed as Paul had acquired a
live music licence and set about installing a stage and state of the art sound
board and lighting. He suspended the box where his resident DJ belted out the
tunes that kept everyone dancing and created two glass fronted VIP rooms either
side of the DJ. One way glass in place so the occupants of the rooms could see
what was happening in the club but the dance floor patrons couldn’t see them.
Perfect for the rich and famous. No longer would special services other than
having space to breathe and being served drinks by a dedicated member of staff
be provided. He was going to drag this club up into the echelons of the elite
if it killed him.

Eve returned home tanned and relaxed. Paul
couldn’t deny the fact that he was still physically attracted to her and would
probably remain that way all the time she didn’t open her mouth.

She walked in to find him in jeans with
holes in the knees, trainers that had once been white but were now several
shades of grey and a faded black t-shirt that showcased the bottom of his
tattoo to perfection. He was pacing as he talked on the telephone in harsh
tones. He growled in frustration as he dragged his hand through his hair. She
would have to sort his wardrobe out.

Stopping dead as he laid eyes on her, Paul
offered her a tight smile and ended his call. “Hey, you’re back. Did you have a
good time?” He asked going for polite indifference.

“I did thank you, it would have been
better if my husband had been with me.”

“I needed to be here. Go and have a look
around, let me know if you want anything changed.” He backed down from the
potential argument and picked up the phone again as she walked away, sighing
with relief.

Taking her time, she examined every room.
He might be a scruff bag in the way he dressed but he had done exceptionally
well with the house. Only one thing stood out as being a little odd and that
was the unmade bed in one of the spare rooms while the bed in the master suite
was untouched.

By the time she returned downstairs, Paul
had brewed a pot of tea and set out a bone china cup and saucer for her and a
mug for himself. “You hungry?” He asked.

Shaking her head as she stirred her tea,
she wondered how to broach the subject without causing an argument. “You have
done exceptionally well with the house, it’s perfect. Thank you.”

He smiled then, the first genuine smile
she had seen in a while. “Thanks. I set myself up in one of the spare rooms.
Figured it would be better that way. For a while anyway. Until we sort out how
this is going to work.”

She was surprised that he had raised the
subject but relieved all the same that she didn’t have to. “You think this is
going to work?” She asked.

“We are having a baby together so on some
level it has to work. I will provide for you and the baby, you’ll want for
nothing. I’ll put on the show of being the devoted husband when we are out but
don’t take this marriage for anything other than the sham that it is. You and I
are from different worlds. You don’t fit into mine and I don’t belong in yours.
Even if there was a deep, passionate love between us, this would never work
long term. We are too different. You hate my rough edges, my ripped jeans. I
hate the emptiness of your useless, shallow lifestyle. I’ve worked for
everything I have. You and your friends were born with it. You have no values.
No sense of right or wrong. You only respect what you can over pay for. That’s
not me.”

Taken aback by his words, Eve once again
wondered just what sort of hell she had signed up for. True he wasn’t being
overtly vicious, his tone was gentle and he wasn’t displaying the outright
hatred for her that he had on their wedding day but she had no doubt he would
turn on her in a heartbeat if it suited him. “I’ll do all I can to make this as
painless as possible.” That’s it, that’s all she had.

“As will I.” He took a gulp of his tea,
regarding her over the top of his mug. “You didn’t have to blackmail me Eve. I
would have done the right thing by you anyway.”

“I’m sorry. I….”

“You don’t have to explain it. I think I
have a reasonable handle on your motives. Let me just make one thing clear. If
you ever breathe a word of what’s gone on between us to anyone. If the papers
get the tiniest whiff of it, I will pull the financial rug out from beneath
your father so quickly his head will be spinning for years and no-one will look
at him once let alone twice when he starts trying to rebuild. I will make sure
of that. Never underestimate me. It’s a very big mistake to make.”

Taking on board everything he had said,
Eve nodded in understanding before stepping away. Everything in her wanted to
bite back but she didn’t think a confrontation with him while she was travel
weary would be a brilliant idea. She wheeled her suitcase in from the hallway
and went to take it upstairs when he stepped up beside her and grasped the
handle. He carried the weighty bag up the stairs for her, she smiled when he
looked at her and jokingly commented that he didn’t think bikini’s weighed
quite so much before telling her he was on his way out and not to wait up.

Having attained the grand old age of
twenty one, Paul was now a full member of the board at Jensen Incorporated as
was his birth right and had been summoned to his first board meeting. As it
wasn’t a day he would normally be working there, he saw no reason to don his
suit and turned up at the office in the attire that had made his wife shudder.

He made sure to be seated, ripped jeans
securely under the table before the other members arrived and began to talk
absolute twaddle. Paul was bored out of his mind and had taken to doodling on
the pad in front of him when a light bulb flashed on in his head, ideas
spilling forth in droves for the club and he began to make notes, for all
intents and purposes looking like he was taking on board everything that was
being discussed around him. He began to fidget, itching to get out of the
stuffy room and get to the club, something which didn’t go unnoticed by those
around him.

Bolting from the office to his car, tyres
screeching as he left the car park in a hard left turn, Paul pulled into the
yard behind the club and just smiled at the scene in front of him. The wide
double doors at the back of the club were thrown open. Several workbenches had
been set up in the yard and there were work men everywhere.

Jez, having agreed to stay on as bar
manager for a while, was in full supervision mode as he rifled through plans
and gave directions. Standing beside him, observing the work, Paul told him of
his idea and unclipped a tape measure from his belt as he and Jez walked to the
as yet empty side of the dance floor where the booths used to be. There used to
be twelve booths, Paul still wanted them but would reduce the number available
and charge a higher price for their use. They would be larger than before and
themed to go with the re-vamped and re-named club.

Measuring complete, he tasked Jez with
seeking out the materials and colouring required as well as finding additional
staff in order to realise his plans before joining the carpenters and getting
to work on the new bar.

It took a month for the club to be ready.
Reluctantly leaving the inner sanctum of his newly refurbished apartment, Paul
jogged down the stairs and into the club where staff old and new were busy
setting up for opening night. Asking them all to be seated within the large,
theme coloured booths, he began to lay out his expectations to his staff.

Opening the box at his feet, he pulled out
black V necked t-shirts with the clubs new name SEVEN emblazoned across the
chest in white. He then pulled out shirts in seven different colours,
corresponding to the colours of the booths. Then more white shirts.

“Welcome back.” He began. “Here’s how
things are going to work from now on. Every member of staff will be provided
with black shirts, these are to be worn when working the bar and the floor. The
white shirts are for the staff whose sole duties will be providing service to
the VIP rooms. This is so you can be easily spotted in case you need help and
will differentiate you from the floor staff. You will all get a chance at each
job on a strictly rotation basis. You may have noticed that the bar now
consists of six identically stocked stations. This is so any member of staff
can step behind the bar and instantly know where everything is. The booths you
are sitting in will also be serviced by dedicated members of staff. They are reserved
for paying members of the club and will be closed off during the nights we put
on live music. I know you’ve spotted the new name. I figured as I am now the
owner, I’d play on my reputation. The name and the colours of the booths are in
direct relation to the Seven Deadly Sins. Therefore, when working the booths
you will wear the relevant shirt and you will only serve that booth. Violet for
Pride. Green for Envy. Red for Anger. Light blue for Sloth. Yellow for Greed.
Orange for Gluttony and blue for Lust. All members of staff will have a walkie
talkie, these are for the purposes of reporting problems that will require my
attention or Jez’s in my absence. From now on, there will either be all male
bar staff or all female bar staff. No fraternizing amongst staff members while
in the club. What you do in the staff room, stays in the staff room. We’re
going for class here people, this place has massive potential, let’s make sure
we get it to achieve the maximum it can. I don’t need to tell you all how important
tonight is. They eyes of London are upon us. We can’t afford to fuck it up. We
won’t know how my plans are going to work until we try them so I’ll listen to
any concerns or niggles after we’ve gotten through tonight. For now though,
work hard, have fun. The list of who is working where tonight is in the staff
room.”

He stopped by a news stand on the way home
the following morning and Eve found him smiling as he read the glowing review
of the opening night, mug of tea in hand. He handed her the paper, pointing to
the review before rinsing out his mug and leaving her alone. She heard the
shower start and a few moments later, his bedroom door closed. She knew he
wouldn’t surface much before four that afternoon so there was no use in
disturbing him to accompany her for her first scan.

As the months flew by and Seven continued
to be a roaring success, Paul found himself well and truly in the spotlight,
not that he minded one single bit. He was the recipient of several invitations
to high profile charity galas and while many could be fobbed off with a
generous donation, he acquiesced when Eve pointed out the odd one or two
functions where an appearance would be better than a donation and could quite
possibly result in further leads and profits for at least one of his business
ventures. That was exactly how he found himself tuxedoed up to the eyeballs
with his heavily pregnant wife in her much adjusted designer gown at one of the
most prestigious charity events of the year.

He had to admit, he was slightly in awe.
Despite all he had achieved and the attention he received from the press, he
was small fry compared to some of the names here and yet everyone seemed to
know who he was. Seated next to Eve at a table that held twelve, he looked
around and realised he was in the company of politicians and celebrities alike.

Amazement crept in as alcohol was consumed
and the dancing started, these people had no inhibitions whatsoever which
explained why he fit in so well. The only crinkle in his bubble of alcohol
induced happiness was the presence of one Simon Masters. A lawyer who Paul had
had several heated conversations with when taking over and breaking up varying
companies. Simon opposed his every move and Paul had come very quickly to the
conclusion that he disliked the man with an intensity that was almost on a
level to his feelings for his father.

As Eve was fatigued, she encouraged him to
mingle as she reacquainted herself with some old B list celebrity friends. Paul
found himself being whisked around the room by the host and introduced and
that’s how he ended up in front of Simon Masters and his charming wife Eleanor.
Knowing full well the other man wouldn’t create a scene while surrounded by the
auspicious company they currently held, Paul took full advantage and asked
Eleanor to dance.

He couldn’t help but smile as she regaled
him with her obvious admiration of him and asked several pertinent questions
about rumours she had heard regarding his fidelity and sexual prowess. It was
painfully obvious that she followed practically every move he made and he
wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or just the pleasure of some sordid sort of
one up man ship that made him ask,