The Ties that Bind (Kingdom) (33 page)

“Aviva says I’ve been rude, so I’m prepared to listen to what you have to say.”

She knew that was as close as Jason would come to actually apologizing, and Aviva settled for that. After a momentary hesitation, Steve moved his tall frame aside and allowed Hope to retake her seat.

The smile she gave Aviva was so uncertain that she stretched out her hand and gave Hope’s balled up fist a rub. For her gesture of support, Aviva received a tentative smile.

Taking an audible deep breath, Hope looked Jason in the eyes for the first time since they had arrived.

“Jason... I am honestly and sincerely sorry for the way I behaved. I lied... I lied and hurt both you and Aviva so much... I don’t know what I was...”

“Hope!” Steve broke into her halting words. His voice a gentle rebuke.

Ducking her head in shame, they all knew Steve had just stopped her from making an excuse for her actions. Aviva knew, even if Hope didn’t, that completing her sentence in the way she had intended would have had Jason heading for the exit.

“I’m sorry, this is harder than I thought it would be.” Hope told her dinner companions.

“That you came here honestly thinking this was going to be easy tells me more than you can ever imagine, Hope. I give you fair warning, don’t try to pull your crap on me. Be under no illusion, I don’t care about you, but I care about Aviva and Steve, that’s the only reason I’m even acknowledging your existence right now.”

Aviva watched in silence as heat again suffused Hope’s face and knew she had to intervene. Reaching for her hand once again, she held it, offering her sister whatever support she could. The clutch of Hope’s fingers against her own demonstrated to Aviva how much this first meeting with Jason was affecting her.

“It’s okay, honey. Just take your time.”

“Good evening, my name is Bernard, and I will be your waiter tonight.”

“Not now!” Steve’s comment was so sharp he startled the poor man. Although Aviva was sure he was aware of it, he didn’t apologize. Of all people, it was Jason who answered the waiter.

“Thank you, Bernard. We’ll call you when we’re ready to order. In the meantime, please bring us a bottle of your best red.”

“Certainly, sir.” The waiter bowed and departed, seeming to have regained his composure.

“Please continue with what you were about to say, but be warned if you feed me that crock of shit you were about to, I walk.”

Aviva could have throttled him, and if Steve’s expression was anything to go by, so could he.

To all their surprise, Hope laughed. “You’re not going to cut me any slack are you, Jason?”

“Not an inch.”

“I suppose I deserve that.”

“No, Hope, you deserve so much more. You many have Aviva and Steve wrapped around your fingers, but as I said before, the difference between them and me is, I don’t care if I never see or talk to you again.”

The honest brutality of his words wiped all signs of laughter from Hope’s face.

Their interaction made Aviva extremely uncomfortable. So much so she never noticed the waiter’s deposit of the wine Jason had ordered, or Steve’s nod of acceptance and dismissal.

She had thought in the absence of Steve and Hope that they had reached an agreement. Recalling his words, Aviva realized that he had only promised to hear Hope out. No promises had been made to take it easy on her. Plus, he was right, she had been about to feed him a pile of excuses for her actions.

Aviva gave Hope’s hand one last squeeze before releasing it and resting her palm on Jason’s knee, moving closer to his body. She knew it wouldn’t come to it, but if she had to choose, she wanted to show them all what her choice would be.

“I deserved that too.” Glancing at Steve, Hope offered him a tentative smile, and again began to speak. “I was a first rate bitch that day. I could see how much you and Aviva were drawn to each other, and I wanted to break it up.

At first I was just being the person I had always been. The flirt, the supermodel, the woman who could get any man. Then I realized the kind of man I had found in Steve, but you had him first.

You guys were so close, and you didn’t like me. Then you met Aviva and it seemed that was all it took, your meeting her, and just like that I had lost her. In all honesty, I never wanted you, Jason, I just didn’t want you to have the both of them. I know that sounds asinine, and as hard as this may be for you to believe, I’m not really a spiteful person.”

Jason’s snort of disbelief at her comment about spitefulness broke into her dialogue.

“I know that’s hard for you to believe, and I suppose in the back of my mind, I hoped Aviva would find us together. To my mind, you had both only just met. She knew me, she wouldn’t take your side. But it was Steve who found us, Steve who heard everything... Steve who I hurt and put through more humiliation than anyone should be put through.

We’re working our way through the mess I caused. He’s willing to give me a chance to be a better person, a better friend. Jason, I’m so sorry for the way I behaved, and the way I treated both you and Aviva.

I don’t know if you will ever accept what I’m saying as the truth. But I sincerely hope in time that you will. In their own way, these two people mean as much to me as they do to you.”

When she finished speaking, Hope looked at Jason with expectant eyes.

“That was some speech, Hope. As I said, I don’t feel the same way about you as Aviva and Steve. Therefore, I’ll get back to you when...
I’m
ready not when
you
think I should be ready to accept your apology.”

“Jason!” Aviva was in shock at the callousness of his words.

Pulling her even closer, Jason dipped his head and spoke into her ear. “Do not push me on this, Aviva. I have conceded all I intend to tonight, and you need to learn to listen to what I say.”

Aviva’s head was still spinning at all that had taken place, so she was surprised when Steve passed her a glass of wine. Raising his own glass, Steve gave Jason a nod before taking a sip.

Looking over at Hope, Aviva realized that she too had been passed a glass of wine. She also noticed she was on the verge of tears, and she couldn’t help giving Jason a really dirty look.

Just then Jason again whispered in her ear. “I’m here, Aviva, and I listened to everything she had to say. Now we’re all having a drink, together. So again, you need to listen to what I say.”

Taken aback by his words and the casual way in which he and Steve were sharing a drink, Aviva’s confusion lasted for a little while longer. When understanding finally dawned on her, Aviva gave Jason the biggest, wettest kiss she could. He had said
when
, he was ready, not
if
.

Hope, being the only one at the table who didn’t understand Jason King at his most difficult, still looked crestfallen at his reply to her apology. By silent but mutual agreement, she and Jason left it to Steve to explain the subtlety of his words.

“If we’re done here, I’d like to go.” Jason said looking into her eyes. The intensity of his stare alerted Aviva to the possibility that they might have to get their night’s sleep on the airplane.

As Jason and Steve shook hands in farewell, Aviva gave Hope an embrace that she hoped spoke of their meeting again soon.

Before Jason closed the car door, he leaned in and gave Aviva a long slow kiss. Pulling back, he spoke into the darkness. “For the record, I still don’t like or trust that woman. But for you I’m willing to try. Because, Angel, when you say you could make my life hell, I believe you.”

Chapter 35

Emerging from the jet, Aviva was blinded by the sunlight that struck her fully in the face. Reaching the bottom step she took the hand Jason offered and stepped down onto the tarmac of the airstrip.

Although she suffered the effects of the blinding sunlight, Aviva could also feel that the air was crisp and carried a definite bite that heralded the end of fall.

As they walked towards the waiting car, Aviva saw that they had a reception committee. Jason’s brothers were standing beside a town car, and were wearing two of the biggest grins she had ever seen.

Tugging at Jason’s hand, Aviva tried to break free, but he tightened his grip. Surprised at his action, she looked up at him to be confronted by lowered brows and eyes fixed on his siblings.

They had just stepped off the plane, and the man was already jealous. Aviva shook her head in wonder at his reaction. If he was like this after a few minutes, heaven help him over the next few months.

They had yet to find a home of their own, and as she saw it, they would probably be living with his family for the foreseeable future. Their other options were a hotel, which Aviva refused to contemplate, or her small apartment, which had two things going against it. One, someone else was still living there, and two, somehow she just couldn’t see Jason being comfortable in her small apartment, plus he’d probably be bumping into a wall each time he turned around.

Aviva had been meaning to move for years, she could well afford it, but the truth was, she liked where she lived, so she stayed.

As she watched the men standing by the car, one with fair hair and the other with hair so black the fierce sunlight pulled hues of blue from it, she acknowledged how much she had missed them all being together. As they drew closer, Aviva saw Josh lean towards his brother in conversation. Whatever he said, Jake obviously liked because his grin widened. In perfect accord, they both started forward.

Too far away to have heard what had been said, Aviva felt Jason hesitate. As they drew closer to each other she knew it, and Jason probably did too, he was about to be tag teamed.

Josh was the first to speak as he reached for her. “At last the beautiful, Aviva. I’ve missed you.”

Aviva was only a little startled when Jason stepped between her and Josh’s outstretched arms, a set look on his face. Rolling her eyes, Aviva had thought they were all long past the show of possessiveness Jason was displaying.

“Aww, look Jake, Jason wants the first kiss. That’s alright, man, you can go first, come on.” Josh beckoned, arms wide open, inviting Jason into his embrace. “Shy, there’s no need to be. I love you too, man.”

Taking two rapid steps forward, Josh enfolded Jason in a bear hug and did his best to lift him off his feet.

Having no other recourse other than to release her hand, Jason attempted to extricate himself from his brother’s embrace. “Get away from me, you fool!”

“Don’t fight me on this, Jason. I will have my way.” That said, Josh planted the loudest kiss Aviva had ever heard on Jason’s cheek. Aviva saw that not only was it loud, it was also wet.

While he was occupied wiping his face, Jake swooped in. Lifting Aviva off her feet, Jake gave her a light kiss on the lips. “Welcome home, honey.”

About to greet him in return, Aviva was suddenly returned to the ground as Jake stepped around her, and he and his younger brother changed places.

Taking her in his arms, Josh also kissed her on the lips in greeting. “I missed you,” he whispered, lifting his head to hold her gaze. Aviva could feel and see the sincerity of his simple statement. It was reflected in his eyes, and she couldn’t help but give him another hug, her way of telling him that she had missed him too.

“Joshua, step away from the Aviva!” Jason’s booming voice, as well as his odd choice of words, had them all turning in his direction.

“The Aviva?” Three amused voices blended as one with inquiry.

“Hell, minutes. I’ve only been here minutes, and already you people are getting on my nerves!”

Noticing the slight tinge of red below Jason’s tanned skin, Aviva bit her bottom lip to hold in her amusement. Not so for his brothers. They laughed in his face.

“The plane is still here, Aviva, I say we leave.” Jason delivered his line with such seriousness, for a moment Aviva was convinced he was serious.

“You can go,” Josh told him, pulling Aviva closer to his side, “but the Aviva stays here.”

That was it, with a shake of his head, Jason broke. “I missed you guys too. It’s good to finally be here.”

His admission had Jake, pounding his twin on the back. His next comment had him shaking his head as he walked towards the parked vehicle.

“But I’m serious, get away from Aviva.”

Josh also ignored him. Slipping his arm around her waist, he turned them both around and followed Jake, leaving Jason to trail behind them.

Silently pleased by their tomfoolery, Aviva realized just how much Jason needed his family, their presence giving him balance.

**********

They were well into the drive to the Kingdom home when the light-hearted nature of their banter changed.

“Aviva,” Jake called, the inflection in his voice immediately drawing her attention. “We, that is, Josh and I, have something for you.”

Reaching into a compartment at his side, Jake withdrew an emerald box and held it out to her.

Looking over at Jason, Aviva hesitated. It was obviously jewelry, and she found she was a little worried at how Jason would react to her being given jewelry by his brothers. Even with him sitting by her side, Aviva couldn’t help but feel that the gesture was somewhat intimate.

Her quick glance at Jason showed her that he had a slight smile on his dimpled face. Glancing first at Josh who held her gaze with intensity, Aviva pulled her eyes away to look again at Jake, his regard equally as intense and unwavering.

Reaching out her hand, Aviva sensed that whatever was in the box held enormous significance to the brothers. Accepting it, she slowly opened the lid. Nestled in a bed of emerald silk was the most beautiful diamond pendant she had ever seen.

Stunned, Aviva’s eyes flew around the car taking in each of their expressions. As though by a will of its own, her eyes were drawn back to the contents of the box.

“I... I don’t know what to say. I know I should be saying something about it being too much and that I really can’t accept it. But I want it!” Looking between the brothers, Aviva qualified her statement. “I want it, not because it’s so very beautiful, but because you guys want me to have it. I guess this means you both really like me.”