Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
He moved into the lounge on the first floor (she couldn’t hand him shite about his townhouse now, seeing as the bedrooms in this one were on the second floor too), which was just all creams and ivories. Once there, he went to the French doors that led out to a narrow balcony.
He made his call and looked out the windows at the park across the street.
His father answered after one ring.
“Dair.”
“Dad.”
“Where are ye?”
“London. I’ve a match to call tomorrow.”
“When are ye back in Edinburgh?”
He didn’t want to tell the man this, but to move things along, he said it anyway. “Sunday.”
“We’ll arrange to meet for lunch Monday. My office.”
Dair took in a deep breath and let it out before he said, “I’m not ready for that yet.”
“Dair—”
“Still pissed at you that ye had the gall to force yourself on Mum and Davina at the funeral.”
“Son—”
“The funeral of your dead lover,” he went on.
“Listen to me—”
“So you’re going to have to give me time.”
“I need—”
“And I’ll be asking ye to leave it with Mum and Davi too. When they’re ready, they’ll tell you.”
“This isn’t about Helena or what’s happening with your mum and me. This is about Signe.”
His head jerked. “Signe?”
“She’s causing some problems.”
“What problems?”
“The podcasts—”
“I know about those and she’s not saying anything she’s not allowed to say.”
“She has a TikTok channel with not a small amount of followers and a lot to say.”
Fucking hell.
“What’s she saying?”
“She does makeup and style stuff and tells people what to eat. But lately, quite a number of her videos have been waxing poetic about the two of you and sharing pictures of you and her in your beginning.”
Dair was not a dick pic kind of man, and didn’t like men who were.
He was also tactile, not visual.
He could appreciate a sexy nightie, and he appreciated all of Blake’s, but he’d rather be touching her, kissing her and fucking her than admiring her nightie.
Though, he’d enjoy the build up tonight, watching her in that outfit.
So he didn’t have any pictures or videos that Signe could share that would be an issue.
Of course, their more intimate moments, private times that were just the two of them and were none of anyone’s business.
But there wouldn’t be anything embarrassing in those.
“I’d have to reread the NDA, but I’m not certain that breaks it,” he noted.
“Och, aye, it does, son.”
Fuck.
“I read it after it was drafted,” his father continued. “I helped finalize it. And I’ve recently reread it. She needs a cease-and-desist letter sent to her.”
“Let her haver, Dad. Nothing is going to come of it.”
“What she’s sharing is none of anyone’s business.”
“Agreed, but I could have my solicitors send that letter, she could put that out there too. Give people the impression I have something to hide. Give them the impression I give a shite about what she’s up to, when I dinnae.”
“Would ye allow me to talk to the firm and see what we can do that will be discreet?”
“It’s a waste of time.”
“They’re on retainer. I pay them for the privilege of wasting their time.”
Dair had not forgotten his father was private and protective. He was both of these in good ways. Dair had always appreciated it, especially when he started to get attention when he’d begun his career as a professional athlete. Balfour Wallace had been supportive, always had time for his son (furthermore, rarely ever missed a match) and was thoughtful in sharing his wisdom which, back then, Dair had always accepted gratefully.
This had meant that, outside the situation with Signe, Dair hadn’t made a misstep in his career, and partly because of that, he had one after he retired.
It seemed both he and Blake were dealing with conflicting emotions when it came to a parent.
It was just that Dair’s was alive and breathing.
“If ye want to do that, do it. But I dinnae want Signe approached unless I sign off on it,” Dair warned.
“Done. Now about lunch Monday…”
Fuck it.
He had to deal with this, he might as well just deal with it.
“Make it Wednesday. I’ll have things I need to see to after being away.”
“That’s a better idea. We’ll have had time to see where we are with Signe and we can discuss it. My office. Where we can talk privately.”
“Fine.”
He sensed he wasn’t alone, turned and saw Rix and Alex walking in.
Alex had makeup on, just not much. She was also wearing a matching black and cream striped skirt and top made of jumper material with boots, which was lovely but easy. Her curly, auburn hair was unbound.
And there was color to her cheeks and a lazy look in her eyes that told him she hadn’t spent the last hour fussing over her hair and what she was going to wear, but instead, getting into certain activities with her husband.
He knew this because Rix had that same lazy look in his eyes.