Chapter 12

Judy’s POV

“I should probably get going,” I said quickly, pulling my eyes away from Ethan. “Thank you for the opportunity, Alpha. Perhaps we can exchange numbers so we can discuss my schedule. I can sign the contract when I return.”

Gavin stared down at me for a moment; his face hard to read.

“Adam has your number. I’ll be in touch,” he told me.

I nodded and was about to step around him, but Irene’s voice stopped me.

“Dad, why don’t you take Judy home? I didn’t see her car here,” Irene said, staring between me and her father.

“It’s okay,” I said quickly. “I’ll just call for an Uber—”

“Yes, I’ll have my driver take her,” Gavin said, interrupting my words. I met his eyes, surprised by the offer. “I’ll accompany you. It’ll give us a chance to talk in the car.”

I wanted to protest, but the look he was giving me was almost daring. I quickly clamped my lips shut and gave him a curt nod, murmuring my thanks.

“Then it’s decided,” Irene said with a wide smile, clapping her hands together. “It was very nice to meet you, Judy. I hope we can get to know one another soon. I could use some girlfriends.”

I forced a smile in her direction and nodded. The last thing I wanted was to be friends with this woman, but she was being kind, and I didn’t want to seem rude, especially in front of my new boss.

I turned my back to them and followed Gavin into the house. As we walked through the Villa, we passed Adam who was walking down the large spiral staircase. He looked stressed and I knew it had to do with a very upset Matt who just got grounded.

He paused when he saw us passing.

“Adam, is the driver still out front?” Gavin asked without even looking at him.

“Yes, sir,” he answered.

“I’ll be taking Judy back to her home. I’ll be back later this evening,” Gavin told him.

“Alpha,” a voice said from nearby just as we neared the front door.

I saw the driver from yesterday walking around the corner; he was holding a small stack of papers in his hands as he approached.

“I got the contract you requested,” he told him, handing Gavin the papers. The driver smiled as he looked at me. “Good evening, Mam. I’m Beta Taylor.”

Oh! He was the Beta of the pack.

Now that I was looking at him, he did have the aura and appearance of a Beta.

I smiled politely at him.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Beta,” I said, lowering my head in respect.

“We need to go,” Gavin said sharply.

I tried my best not to scowl at him; he didn’t have to speak so rudely, I thought to myself. I kept those thoughts in my mind though, not wanting to cause any issues. I didn’t say anything more to Taylor, and he didn’t say anything more to me. He just watched as Gavin pulled me out of his villa and towards the waiting car.

The driver immediately got out and ran around the car, bowing his head at Gavin before opening the back door.

Gavin motioned for me to get in first. I smiled my thanks to the driver before sliding into the car, Gavin slid in beside me and the driver shut the door. He ran around to the front and sat in the driver’s seat.

“Where to, Alpha?” The driver asked.

“Take us to the Carter Resort.”

I stared at Gavin, shocked.

“I thought you were taking me home,” I said, my brows pinched together.

“I need to speak with you alone,” he told me. “Also, I heard your stomach growl earlier and assumed you were hungry.”

It didn’t take us long to get to the restaurant resort. I followed Gavin into the restaurant, and he was immediately greeted by the hostess; I knew her from when I briefly worked here and from the engagement party. Nan had the day off today, so I didn’t have to worry about her seeing me and asking me a million questions as to why I was there with Gavin.

“Good evening, Mr. Landry,” she said with a beaming smile. “A table for two? Your favorite booth is available.”

“Yes, thank you,” Gavin said with a nod.

We followed the hostess across the restaurant and towards the booth in the far back, next to the large window that overlooked the harbor. It had a gorgeous view of the city's nightlife sparkling off the water.

The hostess handed us a couple of menus and then left. I was expecting Gavin to start talking and tell me why he wanted to talk to me privately, but he remained silent as he looked over the menus. A few minutes later, a waitress arrived and took our orders. It was obvious she took a liking to Gavin immediately because she mainly ignored me. She was too busy batting her lashes and flaunting her hips to notice that I was sitting there.

“What would you like to eat?” Gavin asked me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

At that point, the waitress finally turned her attention to me and her dislike was evident.

“I’ll just take the Cobb salad,” I told her, handing her the menu.

“Bring us a bottle of wine as well,” he ordered.

“Right away,” she murmured before walking away.

Gavin finally cleared his throat and fixed his attention on me.

“So, we should discuss what happened earlier,” he said, leaning back in his seat as he took me in. “The incident with Ethan.”

“I assure you my relationship with Ethan is over. I’m only interested in my job as Matt’s tutor. I thrive on professionalism, and I promise to remain ethnically loyal,” I told him, well aware that I was rambling, but I couldn’t help myself. He intimidated me.

He stared at me for a heartbeat, making me even more nervous.

“Rest assured that no lines will ever be crossed,” I added.

“And what about me?” He asked; he didn’t sound condescending. He had more of a boyish curiosity in his tone and his gaze was almost soft. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt my cheeks heating.

“No lines will ever be crossed with you as well,” I promised him sincerely.

Gavin was silent for a moment as he assessed me and then he gave me a short nod.

“I hope you can remember to honor that,” he said, almost daring.

I was about to reply, but the waitress returned with our wine.

Gavin then switched the subject to my schedule, and we agreed upon a schedule that worked for us both. Then, he took out the contract and placed it on the table. He stated that the contract was just a formality about employment and salary.

“It’s also stated that you aren’t to tell anyone who you work for,” he continued. “It’s for safety. Yours and mine. I make all my staff agree to the same terms.”

I nodded; it made sense, so I didn’t argue.

He handed me a pen and after I looked over the contract, I filled in my basic information and signed each line he pointed at.

Soon after, the waitress returned with our food.

“This looks delicious,” I said before taking my first bite of the delicious salad.

Gavin got a rare steak with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. We both ate in silence and gradually sipped on our wine. When I was just about done, I could feel the wine had gone right through me.

“I need to use the restroom,” I told him as I slid out of the booth. “I’ll be back.”

He nodded and I took off towards the bathroom, walking by a stunning woman with auburn hair and the most dazzling green eyes I had ever seen. As I walked by her, she brushed her shoulder against mine, making me pause. I briefly wondered if she did that on purpose; she didn’t even apologize!

I brushed the thought out of my head though and quickly went to the bathroom. When I returned, I noticed that Gavin was now standing, and his arms were folded across his chest. He was speaking to the woman who bumped me a few minutes ago. She looked upset with him and when I approached, I heard her words clearly.

“So, this is why you haven’t called me back? Because you’ve been with another hussy??”

“That’s enough, Daisy,” he said, his voice low and threatening.

“Just answer the question, Gavin. Are you seeing her?” She asked, hurt evident in her tone.

Gavin’s eyes flickered to me as if he could sense that I was nearby. Without answering her, he walked over to me. My eyes grew large as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

I was immediately entranced by his scent and warmth; electricity flared across my flesh from his touch, his face buried against the nape of my neck. The woman, Daisy’s, eyes followed him, and she looked utterly pissed.

“And if I am?” Gavin asked; I could feel his breath against my cheek and my heart hammered wildly in my chest.

“You’ll soon tire of her,” Daisy sneered, folding her arms across her chest. “You always do and then you come crawling back to me.”

“How long do you plan on being the third wheel on our date?” Gavin asked. My breath hitched from his words.

Daisy scowled.

“This isn’t over,” she muttered before giving me a nasty look and storming off.

As soon as she was out of sight, Gavin released me. I nearly fell to the ground from how weak my legs were. I could hardly speak as Gavin walked back to the table and resumed his food as if nothing had happened.

“W…what was that?” I stammered breathlessly, hating how weak I sounded.

Gavin glanced at me and shrugged a shoulder.

“That was Daisy,” he murmured. “She’s a noble Lycan and my late wife’s sister.” I was stunned by his remark.

“Oh,” I managed to say.

“My mother has been wanting to pair us together as a second chance for me,” he continued. “I didn’t want to reject her too bluntly. I’m sorry for using you like that.”

My cheeks were still on fire and I’m sure he noticed but he didn’t mention anything about it. I nodded in reply and said nothing more.

We finished our meals and Gavin paid. Gavin had the driver take us back to my house and I thanked him for the meal and the job before I got out of the car and walked to the door. The car remained until I was inside and then I could hear it driving off.

I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding.

But the slight relief didn’t last long because I could hear my mother speaking to someone in the living room. The minute I reached the entryway, my entire body froze when I saw who was sitting on the couch, chatting away with my mother.