Zachary & Ciara Ch. 08

"I bet he did?" Zach said snidely. "I'll help you get away from that shyster so you can hire a new solicitor."

"I've already taken care of it," Ciara told Zach. "That was the first thing I did with the advance you gave me. I'm waiting for him to send my file before I look for a new attorney. I'm going to be a lot more selective this time and read the contract more thoroughly before I sign it."

"Is that why you wouldn't go back to London with me?" Zach asked.

"No," Ciara replied. "I wouldn't go back to London with you because I think we both needed to think about what we're about to do. You've learned something new about and you should take the time to digest it, think about if you really want to do this."

"You keep asking me to think about what we're about to do," Zach said. "What about you?"

"I need to be sure too," Ciara said. "I need to think about how turning our relationship into the real thing is going to affect me and Emilee if we don't work out."

"No, no, no," Zach said wagging his finger in front of Ciara's face. "There will be no thinking about us not working out. Only positive thoughts are allowed when it comes to us."

"Okay," Ciara said laughing. "Only positive thoughts."

"You also need to know that what you've told me doesn't change my mind about us," Zach said. "I still want a relationship with you."

"I do too," Ciara replied. "But..."

"No buts," Zach said. "I want you and Emilee to go pack your bags and come back to London with me. Please?"

"We'll go with you," Ciara agreed, "but you still have to call your mother and let her know that we'll be coming back with you."

"Why?" Zach asked.

"I don't want to upset your mother by surprising her with our sudden appearance," Ciara replied.

"Okay," Zach said. "I'll call my mother and let her know that you and Emilee are coming back to London with me."

"Thank you," Ciara said giving him a peck on the lips. "I'll go tell Emilee that we're going back to London with you."

A big loud laugh poured out of Zach when he heard Emilee squeal a few seconds later upon hearing that she and Ciara would be returning to London with him.

He was about to call his mother when someone knocked on the penthouse door. Looking through the peephole, he was surprised to see Brie standing on the other side. 'I wonder what she wants.' Zach thought to himself.

"Hello, Ms. Walker," Zach said greeting Brie after he opened the door.

"Hello, Mr. Collins," Brie replied surprised that Zach was still being so formal with her. "Are we ever going to get past calling each other Mr. or Ms.?" Brie asked her tone teasing.

"No." Zach replied simply no teasing in his voice. "How can I help you?"

"I came up to thank you for insisting that I take a limo home yesterday," Brie said. "Security was patrolling the parking garage last night and they found a man hiding under my SUV."

"I heard," Zach said. "They notified us last night. I'm also glad you didn't take your car home."

"Well to show my appreciation for saving my life I want to invite you and Ciara out to dinner tonight," Brie said a fake smile on her face mentally hoping that her sister wouldn't be able to join them.

"That's very nice of you Ms. Walker," Zach said, "but we're preparing to return to London this evening."

"Oh," Brie said not bothering to hide her disappointment. "Ciara never said anything about you leaving."

Zach didn't respond to what Brie said he just stared at her.

"Whose at the door Zach," Ciara asked coming from the back of the penthouse.

"Your sister," Zach replied. "She came to thank me for the limo ride home last night and to invite us out to dinner as a way of saying thank you. I told her we weren't available because we're all flying back to London this evening."

"Imagine my surprise when I heard that," Brie said a hint of anger in her voice. "I haven't had any time to spend with you or Emilee. I haven't seen Emilee since you and Zach were married. How is she doing?"

"She's doing fine," Ciara replied. "You would've known that if you'd came by to visit."

"Are you taking her to London with you?" Brie asked ignoring Ciara's comment.

"I think Zach just informed you that we're all going," Ciara said.

"Is that good for her?" Brie asked. "Are you taking care of her medical needs? What about school? Isn't her flying back and forth across the country counterproductive for her education?"

"Don't you dare stand there and try to accuse me of not taking care of my child," Ciara said mentally fighting the urge to walk over and knock Brie the hell out. "Not when you turned your back on us when we needed you the most."

"I think you should leave," Zach told Brie trying to prevent an argument between the sisters before it started.

"I didn't mean to upset you Ciara," Brie said trying to make herself look better in Zach's eyes. "I was just concerned about my niece and how all this traveling might affect her."

"As Ciara state it's too bad your concern for her wasn't that strong when they needed you the most," Zach said.

"I'm sorry about what I said," Brie said. "To make up for it I'll take care of Emilee while you and Ciara go to London."

"I don't want to stay with Aunt Brie, mama."

Everyone turned surprised to hear Emilee's voice. The fear they heard in it angered Ciara and Zach.

"You're not going baby," Ciara said making her way over to her daughter putting her arms around her to comfort her. "Let's go back to your room so that we can finish packing your things."

"We don't have to go to my place," Brie said moving pass Zach into the penthouse. "Emilee and I could stay here in the penthouse during the time you and Zach are in London."

"Go to your room," Ciara told Emilee not wanting Emilee to hear the curse words she knew were about to fly from her mouth.

"I want to go to London with you and Zach," Emilee said her eyes pleading with her mother not to leave her behind.

"You're going with us baby," Ciara assured her. "I want you to go to your room and select the things you want to take with you while your aunt and I talk."

"How do you think Carl would react to you staying here and him staying at the apartment?" Ciara asked turning her attention back to her sister.

"Carl..."

"No," Zach said. "Emilee is coming with us."

Brie wanted to tell Zach that he should butt out of the conversation because it really was none of his business, but she didn't because she didn't want to do any more damage to her reputation than she'd already done in his eyes.

"Okay," Brie said. "I guess I'll see everyone when you all return to this side of the big pond as they say in merry ol' England. I guess we'll have dinner then also," she said looking over at Zach.

"Goodbye Ms. Walker," Zach said his way of letting Brie know their conversation was over and that it was time for her to leave.

"Alright," Brie said heading for the door stopping a few inches away from it. "I'm sorry for upsetting you and Emilee," She said to Ciara. "Can we talk about Emilee spending time with me when you return?"

"No," Ciara replied.

"Why not?" Brie asked. "I'm her aunt and I should be allowed to spend time with her."

"She's been in this world for eight years," Ciara said, "and during that time you've never wanted to spend any time with Emilee. Why do you want to now?"

"I...uh...well..." Brie said racking her mind trying to come up with a good explanation.

"You need to leave," Zach told her once again.

"As I said earlier I didn't mean to upset you, Ciara," Brie said. "I don't know what happened to our relationship. We used to be so close before you married Zachary."

"Are you saying that I'm the reason your relationship with Ciara has changed?" Zach asked.

"No," Brie told Zach. "I'm saying that your money is allowing my sister to show her true colors. I've never known her to be a snob. She used to so loving; making sure that Emilee maintained and I some kind of a relationship. But, I guess that's changed now that she has money."

"The reason you don't have a relationship with Emilee has nothing to do with my financial status," Ciara said. "That is entirely your fault. Yes, I tried to make sure you and Emilee had a relationship, but I stopped trying when you made it clear that it wasn't something you were interested in having."

"Goodbye, Ms. Walker," Zach said moving away from the door this time placing his hand on Brie's shoulder and leading her towards the door, out of the penthouse.

"I don't believe her," Ciara said her teeth clenched together fighting the urge to cry. "How dare she come in here and accuse me of keeping her away from Emilee when she's the one not interested in having anything to do with my baby."

"Calm down," Zach said going over and putting his arms around Ciara comforting her.

"Did you hear what she said?" Ciara almost screamed. "She accused me of being a snob. That...that..."

Zach cut off Ciara's ranting by kissing her. Ciara's mind caught off guard to have Zach's lips suddenly pressed against hers froze and her body went stiff. Her body realizing a man she found very attractive and whom she wanted to kiss her was kissing her began to relax and enjoy what was happening to her. Her hand came up and slowly and gently caressed Zach's cheek. A moan flowed from Zach's mouth at the trail of heat let behind as Ciara's hand moved down his face coming to rest on his shoulder.

"Feeling better?" Zach asked when the kiss ended resting his forehead against Ciara's.

"Much," Ciara replied.

"Good," Zach said. "Now go finish packing so that we can get out of here."

"Zach," Ciara said after Zach held her in his embrace for a few seconds and it didn't seem as if he was going to release her.

"H-m-m-m?" Zach replied.

"I can't finish packing if you don't release me," Ciara pointed out even though she hadn't tried to move out of his embrace herself.

"I know," Zach replied tightening his hold on her. "I haven't finished enjoying the feeling of having you where I've wanted you since I walked through that door almost twenty-four hours ago. I'll let you go I just want to enjoy it just a little while longer."

"Alright," Ciara said, "While you do that I'm going to enjoy the feeling of being held by you."

"Alright sweetheart," Zach said. "We'll both just enjoy this moment."

****************

Brie stepped off the elevator anger and jealousy rolling off her like water going over Niagara Falls. The thought of Ciara flying off to London with a rich, handsome and powerful man made her blood boil. She struggled to tamp down the scream that was scratching at her throat to come out.

'That bitch!' she thought to herself clinching her fist so tight her nails dug into her palms.

"Brie."

"What!" Brie almost screamed turning to see her assistant coming towards her.

"One of our VIPs is requesting tickets and backstage passes for his daughter and five of her friends to a concert in town that has been sold out for almost two weeks. How do you want to handle it?"

"Who is it?" Brie asked.

"Mr. Benders," her assistant replied.

Mr. Benders was a VIP customer who came into Atlanta once a year to see his daughter and celebrate her birthday. Brie hated him. He did everything at the last minute. He would register at the hotel a day before his daughter's birthday and then make some outlandish request that he expected her and her staff to fulfill. Over the years Brie had become hipped to his game and made his daughter's birthday an annual event on her calendar. As the child's birthday neared, she would try to purchase tickets to every event a child his daughter's age might be interested in so that the hotel would be prepared to fulfill any request he might make. This was what got her noticed by upper management and made them offer her the position of manager when her predecessor retired.

"I'll be in my office," Brie told her assistant letting her know that she would handle it.

Making her way to her office Brie was surprised to walk pass the hotel restaurant and see Ciara's old boyfriend Douglas Freeman sitting at the bar. As she watched him, a sly smile spread across her face as an idea formed in her mind, one that would allow her to use the man's hatred of her sister to start the hurricane of trouble she wanted to bring into Ciara's life. It wouldn't be a lot of trouble but it would be the first drop of the storm.