by Amanda Cuff
When he leans forward, just inches from my face, I can smell the coffee and syrup still clinging to his breath. The combination shouldn’t affect me, but for some reason, it lights me on fire. I want so badly to crawl into his lap and feel his strong arms wrap around me. I want to lock my lips to his and not pull away until he’s as completely lost in me as I am in him.
“The best day of my life was when Willow’s adoption went through. When she became mine, it was like this black cloud lifted off my shoulders. Like no matter what happened with Emily, Willow would always be mine, and I knew I would love and protect her until my last dying breath. I love that role. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done and I’m so damn happy to be given the opportunity to do it all over again.”
He trails one hand slowly up my arm and holds lightly to the bend of my elbow. I look down at it, at the beautiful way its roughness engulfs my softness, and I find myself leaning into him, like an unseen force is urging me closer.
“I don’t know what this means for us,” I mutter.
His hand is on my face now, his palm caressing my cheek, his fingers playing with the loose strands of my hair. His other arm reaches around my waist, grabbing a fistful of my shirt to give him leverage to pull me closer to him.
I should probably stop him, but I don’t.
I want to feel him against me. I want his warmth to crack through the ice in my veins and allow me to pretend for just a second that everything is going to be okay.
“Addison,” he whispers longingly, his lips against my temple.
The heat of his breath tickles, but I don’t shy away from it. Soon, his kiss is moving down my cheek and along my jaw.
It would be so easy to tilt my head and press my lips to his. To close my eyes, breathe him in, and let the stress of the past few days just melt away. But I can’t cross that line. Not while he’s married to someone else, and not while his entire world is in upheaval.
“We can’t do this,” I tell him, my voice shaky and unconvincing even to me. My heart and my libido are screaming at me to shut up, but my brain is cheering me on.
“I know,” he says against my ear, turning his head away but staying fastened around me.
I’m not sure how long we stay like that, but it doesn’t seem like long enough when a cell phone sounds from the kitchen.
He sighs and pulls away reluctantly. “Excuse me,” he says, standing and heading that way.
I do my best not to stare at his ass, but I’m only human. A very weak, very hormonal human who has a particular weakness for all things Chase Prescott.
After a few moments, he comes back into the room, regret written along every inch of his face. “That was work,” he says, smacking his phone down into one palm. “I hate to do this, but I really have to go in. It shouldn’t take me long, maybe a couple of hours. I’d offer to take you with, but we still have a lot to discuss before…” He trails off and shrugs.
“Before we start introducing me to everyone,” I finish.
He nods slowly as I rise to my feet, feeling the ache in my muscles from sitting for too long. I also suddenly realize I need to pee like…NOW!
“I’m sorry,” he says, as the tone of the room shifts back to awkward. “We still have a lot to talk about. Maybe you can come back for dinner?”
“Umm…actually, I think I could use some time.” I don’t trust myself to be able to handle his presence again so quickly. I already feel like I’m spiraling. “Maybe tomorrow?”
“Okay,” he says slowly, looking down and then shooting his eyes back up to mine. “Wait, so you’re still staying at the motel?”
I nod. I don’t know why, but I feel slightly embarrassed at not having somewhere nicer to stay. However, I dismiss that thought as soon as it enters my mind. I know Chase doesn’t give a crap about how nice of a motel I’m staying in and neither should I.
“Ah, well, it might be kind of weird, but you really can stay here. I won’t even make you sleep on the couch,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. But then he rushes to continue. “And by that, I mean, I have a spare bedroom, not that I’m insinuating you sleep with me. I mean, in my bed. Sleep in my bed.”
Emily suddenly speaks up from the doorway with, “Oh, okay. Sounds like you guys worked things out then!” She’s changed into a head-to-toe penguin onesie, the hood pulled up over her head. The yellow bill of the penguin is large, covering so much of her face that she has to tilt her head back to peer up at us.
She really is impossible not to like.
“You’re nosy,” Chase says with a smile.
Emily only shrugs and walks through the living room on her way to the kitchen. “I was thirsty and couldn’t hold off any longer. I’ll be out of your hair in a jiffy and right back to bed.”
“You’re fine. I was just leaving,” I rush to say.
“We’ve already said you could stay here. For as long as you want.” His eyes look hopeful.
“I really appreciate the offer.” I look back and forth between the two of them. “But I’m not sure I’m ready for that just quite yet.”
Emily nods. “There’s still a lot for you two to figure out with all that baby business.”
“You know?” Chase asks in surprise.
Emily shrugs, backing away before disappearing into the kitchen.
Chase turns back to me, eyebrows drawn together. He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it abruptly, like he’s collecting his thoughts before speaking. “Listen, not to sound like an asshole, but I don’t really like the idea of you staying in a motel when we have the space here. I’d prefer for you,” he pauses and looks pointedly at my belly, “and the baby, to be closer. How long are you staying?”
His look of worry causes a slight pain in my chest, but I don’t have the time to analyze that right now. “I don’t know. I haven’t really made any plans.” My teeth sink into my lower lip. “What about Willow?”
Even if it were just the three of us—me, Chase, and Emily—I’m still not sure I’d want to be living under the same roof as my baby daddy and his wife. But when you add in a spunky ten-year-old who’s already dealing with the emotions of losing her mom…well, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
“I’m not sure,” he says. “I’d rather be as honest with her as possible, but I guess that’s something Emily and I need to talk about.”
He looks apologetic, but I nod, not only understanding but respecting where he’s coming from. In my short amount of time around the two of them, I can already tell he’s a damn good dad. He genuinely enjoys spending time with Willow. Of course, considering what I grew up with, I guess it doesn’t take much to impress me.
“I don’t know…” I start to say, stuck on the uneasy feeling of not belonging in this house.
“Drake lives down the street. What if you stay there? Just long enough for us to figure out our next steps.” He looks at me eagerly, then holds his hand up and mutters a quick, “Hold on.”
He presses a few buttons on his phone and holds it up to his ear.
“Hey, man,” he finally says. “Yeah, I’m on my way there now. I’ll get it taken care of. Listen, I was wondering if Addison could stay at your place for a few days? Yeah, uh-huh. Okay, great. Thanks, man. Talk to you later.” He ends the call and raises his eyebrows at me in question.
As if they have a mind of their own, my lips raise a notch and I shrug. “Okay, you win.”
The smile I’m rewarded with sends lava straight to my belly.
6
Addison
Hours later, I’m standing in front of Drake’s place. When his front door swings open, I’m greeted with two adorable dimples and a look of excitement.
“I just ordered pizza. You hungry?” he asks, shifting his body so I can head into the house.
This time, I do a better job of not reacting to the mammoth dog laid out on the ground.
“That depends on what kind you ordered,” I tease. At this point, he could probably hand feed me a slice with a
nchovies and black olives and I’d still gladly accept.
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re a pizza snob,” he says, following close behind as I head into the living room. His voice raises a smidge, giving what I assume to be his best female impersonation.
“Let me guess,” he says. “Pepperoni, light sauce, just a liiiittle bit of cheese, then you blot it with a paper towel before taking teeny, tiny bites.”
I spin around, a mock frown on my face, and cock my head in surprise. “I’m going to let that slide, only because that’s exactly how Olivia eats her pizza.”
He throws his head back and groans, rubbing his rib cage with his hand. “And here I was thinking she was perfect.”
I narrow my eyes on him and purse my lips, taking that comment in and trying to digest it. “Okay, we’ll be coming back to that later,” I say, struggling to raise my bag-loaded arms. “But first, can I put these somewhere, please?”
“Oh shit, sorry,” he replies, grabbing the large suitcase from my hand and motioning toward a short hallway opposite the kitchen.
There are two bedrooms side-by-side and a bathroom across the hall. The first bedroom is obviously Drake’s. The door is open, the bed is unmade, and there’s a big chair overflowing with clothes in the back corner.
He leads me to the second bedroom and flips on the light, a wave of violet smacking me in the face. There’s a purple bedspread, purple curtains, even a purple rug on the already plush tan carpet. Almost every item is a different shade of the color. The furniture is white and round, with a whimsical, swirly design more fitting for a child than an adult. Still, the bed is huge, probably queen-size, and seeing it makes me realize how exhausted I actually am.
“Hope you like purple,” he says, arms splayed out to his sides, a proud grin taking over his features. “This is Willow’s room.”
I laugh, understanding taking over as I drop my remaining two bags onto the bed. “She stays here? I mean, enough to need her own bedroom?”
He nods, hesitating only slightly before explaining. “Willow first started staying with me when Emily had to spend nights hospital. Then, when she was really sick from the chemo. Chase would stay with her and I’d watch Willow. The kid’s been bugging me for an upgrade, something more ‘teenager’ I guess.” He raises his fingers in an air quote and rolls his eyes at the word. He pauses, growing somber and parking his hands on his hips. “I’m not sure how much longer she’ll need this place as an escape though, so we’ll see.”
I look at him thoughtfully, wondering how deep his connection to Emily goes. “Well, I’m sure she’ll always enjoy your company. I mean, who wouldn’t right?” I knock my elbow into his arm with a wink, placing that sweet smile back on his face.
He walks up to the bed and hunches over at the waist, bouncing his hands twice on top and then spinning back my way. “Now, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that this bed is damn comfortable. I spent almost a grand on this bad boy and I assure you you’ll have the best sleep of your life.”
“What’s the bad news then?”
“The bad news,” he draws out slowly, crossing his arms in front of his chest and eyeing me with a serious expression, “is that in addition to this being Willow’s room, it’s also Kevin’s. Sleeping with him helps her feel safe, so at eight p.m.—he’s very punctual, it’s actually kind of incredible—he will get his lazy ass up from that rug in the living room, and plant himself right on this bed.”
I look down to the bed and back up to Drake, all raised eyebrows and wrinkled forehead. “And…you think we’ll both fit?” I ask, mostly joking, but you know, kind of not. “That thing—”
“Kevin,” he corrects, finger in the air.
“Kevin, is a giant. What if he crushes me?! What if he farts? I’ve heard dogs have some really volatile farts.”
“Eh, you only need to worry about his farts if he eats one thing in particular.” He holds his hand up and waves it, adding, “You’ll be fine.”
I might not have any experience with dogs, but it might be nice having a bed mate again. Even if he is a little hairier than my preferred type.
Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers.
“It is his house,” I say slowly.
“And his bed.”
“Yeah, and his bed.” I shrug my shoulders. “I guess it’s settled then. But I expect him to be a perfect gentleman and keep his paws to himself.”
“I’m insulted you would even suggest that my sweet pup would be anything but gentlemanly to the new lady of the house.”
A ringing doorbell stops me from my retort.
Drake raises his eyebrows at me and says, “Pizza,” before leaving the room.
My mouth waters all over again, preparing itself for that sweet moment when the hot melty cheese hits my tongue.
I take one last look around the room that will be my new home for…well, who knows how long, and follow Drake into the kitchen. He already has two big boxes of pizza open on the table, one that’s loaded up with meat and veggies and then one with…
“Is that sausage and pineapple?” I ask. Surely, this man did not ruin a perfectly good pizza by adding fruit to the top.
“And onion. Everyone thinks ham and pineapple belong together, but I’m here to tell you that Italian sausage is where it’s at.” He grabs a slice and shoves it straight into his mouth, leaving it dangling there while he grabs me a plate from the cabinet.
I roll my eyes but thank him, taking one slice of the supreme pizza and putting it on my plate.
“Oh, come on. You know you want more than that.”
I narrow my eyes at him again, but he’s right. What I really want is to stuff pizza in my face until I have to be carried from the room. However, I’m trying to be a lady about it.
He nudges the box closer to me with a wink and I waste no more time.
I grab another slice of the supreme and even reach out to try one of the Italian/Hawaiian blend, saying a silent prayer that I won’t regret my decision.
A few weeks ago, I was craving a banana split for days. DAYS! Olivia and I had finally made a trip to Dairy Queen and halfway through my delicious dessert, my stomach started to turn. I barely made it to the bathroom before that banana was making its way up. As depressing as it is, I haven’t been able to enjoy ice cream since.
While Drake grabs a plate of his own, I eye the pizza in front of me, finally deciding to give his a shot first.
“Oh my gosh!” I moan, swallowing a bite of the unique concoction. The sweet pineapple pairs perfectly with the spicy sausage. If heaven was a flavor, it would be this.
Sorry, bacon.
“It’s like my taste buds are all on fire at once,” I say.
“Is that a good thing?” He’s grinning over at me, devouring his own pizza across the table.
“Umm, yeah!”
He laughs at my response then lets out a sharp whistle. Within moments, Kevin’s large body fills the room. Drake reaches into one of the pizza boxes and pulls out a couple of slices, walking them over to a dog bowl on the ground.
Kevin practically gallops to the bowl, inhaling the pizza and walking right back out of the room in the amount of time it takes me to finish just a bite.
“Back to Olivia,” I finally say, finishing off my first piece of pizza and diving into my second.
He quirks one eyebrow high on his forehead and humphs softly.
“Do you guys still talk?” I ask him. She’s told me they don’t but maybe if I pretend to know nothing, he’ll share more than what I’ve been able to pull out of Olivia over the past few months.
“We’ve texted each other a few times, but it died off. We’re living in separate worlds. There just wasn’t much to say.”
“You both seemed really into each other.” I shrug nonchalantly.
He cocks his head to the side and stares at me for a second before leaning forward on the table. “Olivia’s hard to pin down. You look at her, expecting her to be a certain person, but what you end up gett
ing is entirely different.”
I nod along, knowing exactly what he means. Sometimes, Olivia can be standoffish. She’s beautiful and outgoing, sure, but the second you cross a line into something she either doesn’t want to talk about or something she doesn’t want to do, she shuts down.
Having known her for so many years, I know how to avoid those situations, and how to bring her back out of her shell when she starts to retreat. I also know how big her heart really is, even if she is hesitant to show it to strangers.
“We spent that entire first night talking. I don’t even remember what all about, but it felt like I could tell her anything and she wouldn’t judge me, she wouldn’t laugh, she wouldn’t offer her unsolicited advice. She’d just…listen. You know, she got pretty drunk toward the end of the night. But if anything, that just relaxed her, and she became even more fun and carefree. Less done up to be what she thought I wanted her to be.”
He stops talking, leaning back into his chair and staring off into space. “Some people just feel like home, you know? That’s how Chase and Emily have always felt and for some reason, that’s how Olivia felt, too.”
His cheeks are tinged a light pink and he shifts in his chair, maybe realizing the significance of what he just said. I’m surprised by his words. I sure as hell wasn’t expecting such a genuine and honest response.
Slowly, his eyes shift to mine, and he shrugs his shoulders, dismissing the whole thing. “But then we had to go back to reality.”
“She honestly hasn’t said anything about the cabins and the time you spent together,” I tell him. “But that’s just how she is.”
“Nothing happened,” he says, almost defensively.
“Oh, I know.”
We’re both quiet for a few more beats. I’ve stopped picking at my pizza and he’s stopped eating entirely.
“Don’t you dare tell anyone about this conversation. I have a reputation to uphold,” he says.
And just like that, he’s snapped out of his serious mood and right back into the fun-loving guy he shows the world.
