Not My Neighbor by Flora Ferrari

Chapter Twenty

Blake

As much as I hate the timing and the intrusion, I’ve gotta hand it to her dad for having the balls to beat his way in here.

He really did look like he wanted to kick my ass, for a few minutes anyway until he calmed down.

But how can I blame him or be mad at him? He’s done what any sane man would or should do when something so precious as Krystal gets taken from him.

I couldn’t say I’d leave a man standing or even breathing if it was me in his position.

But this Alpha male has claimed his mate. Hard as it might be for her dad to accept, the law of nature always rules, and in this case, I’m the leader of the pack, and his daughter is my prize.

It’s time for her to move away from living at home and school anyway, time to start a life and a family of her own.

Our family.

I sense his pain, but like I hope Krystal’s explaining to her dad, he’s not losing a daughter. He’s gaining someone, maybe even a friend. And he should be much happier having me work with him than against him.

Nobody wants an angry Blake Mason on their tail.

I leave them to talk for a while, satisfied Krystal is still close by and that she’s not going anywhere.

I’d challenge her to walk too far today anyway after the dicking she’s just had. And I’m only getting her warmed up for what she has coming to her.

I grab some coffee from the room service trolley and something to snack on. The food here really is excellent.

I can’t get it out of my mind though, how a man could just go missing like that.

The more puzzling thing is where to even start? Surely the authorities have looked into it, and Macy being a big shot in the magazine business with a reward offered, they should have had some private investigations of their own, surely.

But I have bigger fish to fry this afternoon at least, and it isn’t long before I dislike the silence of the huge suite.

I don’t like having Krystal out of my sight or touch for so long, so I interrupt their little chat, bringing in some more food with me.

This involves me a hundred percent anyway, and Jack’s not the only man who has some things to say.

Krystal seems relieved to see me and I park myself next to her on a couch in one of the sitting rooms the suite seems to have about a half dozen of.

Like a hotel inside a hotel, it really is designed for a lot of people to surround one person. Like a President or other similar dignitary with a ton of staff all needing space and privacy.

Her dad only glances at me, looking beaten as his eyes shift to his hands. Krystal pipes in first, sounding more upbeat.

“We’ve had a talk and dad’s agreed to leave us in peace for a while,” she says cheerfully.

“Long enough to let you see how this could all be a huge mistake,” her dad groans, but he shrugs when I hold his eye with mine.

“What do you expect me to do, a happy dance? My only daughter’s just told me she’s shacking up with someone old enough to be her…” he can’t even say it yet. Not out loud.

“Now, dad,” Krystal cautions him with a little smile. “We just talked about this, didn’t we?” she asks him like she’s talking to a child, but he nods, breathing heavily through his nose.

Accepting that whatever deal he and his daughter made is a deal, and he’ll stick to his side of it.

“Well I’m glad to hear it,” I tell them both.

“Jack? I won’t pretend to know exactly how you feel, but it’s completely understandable you coming to get your daughter like this, even though I have to leave you disappointed,” I tell him, not meaning to rub salt in, but he scowls at me anyway, looking away.

“Krystal can and will have a better life,” I continue, “and you can too,” I tell him.

He scoffs again, his hands on his knees ready to lift himself up.

The signs of a man who’s heard enough for one day.

“You’re an accountant?” I ask. “Pretty good one by Krystal’s own account,” I remark, enjoying his expression as it shifts from anger to affection as he looks over at Krystal.

“So?” he asks, half shrugging.

“Well, maybe a bit like you, going from one client to the next, I seem to have a dozen accountants all doing their own thing. I’d much prefer it all to be more streamlined. Under one department,” I add finally.

About as close to asking him if he wants a job or not as I feel like getting it right now.

The irritation at the interruption to my day planned with Krystal still bubbling under the surface.

“And what exactly is your business, Mason?” Jack Carter asks. Interested but only just by professional curiosity.

“It’s diverse. And not something I can explain in one sitting,” I tell him impatiently, never being very good at wooing people over to my side.

You’re either with me or not, and today I’m offering him something more for Krystal’s sake than his own.

“Do you have a card?” I ask him, his hand reaching into his pocket, producing two by reflex.

I jot two figures on the back and a website address.

“The first figure is an estimate of my annual revenue,” I explain, handing one card back to him and placing the other on the table next to me.

“The second figure is a base salary I think would be fair for you to oversee and streamline the accounting process across all investments and businesses, which you’ll be able to research initially through the website provided.”

Jack Carter has gone pale, looking from me to his daughter and then back at the card again.

“Have a think about it, Jack,” I tell him warmly, getting up with a hand extended towards the door signaling the interview, chat, or whatever he wants to call it is over.

I’ve got some much more important business to get down to. The kind I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear about considering it involves his daughter, me, and a very large bathtub.

Krystal sees him out, all the way to the doors of the suite, spending a little time in quiet conversation before she comes back to me.

Where she belongs, and with a similar look on her face as her dad was just sporting.

“You’re not winding him up, are you?” she asks, making me frown.

“I don’t ‘wind up’ anyone, not when I’m talking about money,” I retort, a little surprised she’d even suggest it, but I guess I can understand.

Those were both big numbers on the card, and I’m not joking. I do need someone capable to manage my finances. I’m going to need a lot more free time than I already have, now that Krystal’s here.

Hearing myself sounding all business like in front of my woman, I shake my head and smile. Hooking my arm around her and hugging her close before kissing her.

“I’ll look out for your dad if he’ll look out for me,” I tell her. “It’ll take some time, but I think we can all get along.”

“Like family should,” she agrees and I laugh out loud.

“Like family should, exactly. Now. There’s a big tub of water in there, and a ton of food getting cold. Let’s say you and me go and warm up and fill up on both?” I suggest.

She squeezes me harder in reply, looking up at me. Her eyes wide with the feelings we share now.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

“For what?” I ask her.

“For not strangling my dad like you did the lawn guy.”

I pause for a second, realizing how differently things could have gone.

How differently they probably would have gone if Krystal hadn’t been here to calm me down as much as did her dad.

I dismiss the thought though, not wanting to dwell on what might have been.

I’m the king of my castle, and now that I’ve found my queen we can reign over it together.

Not wanting to talk about her dad for now, let alone think of him as I try to enjoy our bath, I get the water back up to temperature and settle Krystal in it.

“Where are you going?” she calls after me as I make to leave the bathroom. “To get some food for you to munch on while I wash your hair,” I tell her.

“Wash my hair?” she exclaims, making me shrug.

“I may as well tell you now, Krystal. You’re the whole package, but between your hair, your breasts, and your cute feet, I really don’t know which drives me crazier,” I confide in her, pointing out my obvious erection just at the mention of it.

“My hair…?” she asks slowly as I give a little helpless shrug again.

“And those other things,” I add, wondering aloud if she’s okay with the shampoo the hotel has, which makes her grin wide.

“Are you kidding? This stuff’s the best there is. My hair’s never had it so good.” She beams back at me.

“Or your chest. Or your ass. Or your sweet face,” I murmur to myself as I fetch the whole trolley of food, not wanting to stop until she’s full and had her hair properly washed.

Then we can see about having a little lay down after.

To help digest our meal, of course.