by Emma Nichols
“Thanks. I tried those new SNS ones.” She shrugged. “I love the effect. It’s a powder…” Avery shrugged.
“No, tell me,” I urged.
Avery huffed. “I could actually see your eyes glazing over. Pass.” Then she looked at the guys. “Did we order food yet?”
Geo puffed out his chest. “I handled that.” Then he licked his lips. “So, your girls…Laci and Josie.”
“What about them?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
“Roommates, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Lesbians?” His brows peaked.
Avery snickered. “No, but Josie has a boyfriend and Laci was clearly smitten with Royal, who’s very taken.”
“We broke up. Didn’t Paxton tell you?” He frowned.
She shook her head. “No. Can’t say that came up.”
“Yeah. We should double date.” He grinned at her. “Paxton can be your date.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “Let’s not force the man into anything,” she murmured.
I reached out and hauled her onto my lap. “No. Let’s do it.”
Avery studied my face. “You don’t have to.”
“I want to,” I insisted. “Come on, let’s pick a time right now.” I dropped her onto the couch beside me and pulled out my phone. “We can’t do it this coming weekend. We have a thing for Royal’s charity.”
“We?” she asked with her brow furrowed. “You have a thing. I’ll be watching Molly.”
“We’ll get a sitter. You’ll come with me.” I eyed her seriously for a minute and I knew she was trying to figure things out. “I saw that little black dress in your closet.”
“I was in a sorority in college. There were a lot of formals.” She laughed.
“Well, I want to see you in it.” I waggled my brows at her.
“Fine. I’ll add ‘search for sitter’ on my list for tomorrow.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe the nanny is now looking for a babysitter.”
Royal coughed. And when I glanced at him, I realized he was trying to keep me focused.
“So, double date the following weekend. Friday night?” I looked around the room to see if we were all together on this. Avery was playing with her phone. Royal was rubbing his hands together. And Geo was looking a little left out.
Avery spoke up. “Saturday. Molly has shots on Thursday and we’ll need to keep a close eye on her for the next twenty-four hours. Let’s make it Saturday, just to be safe.”
“Saturday it is.” I grinned. “Talk to Laci and see if she’s in.”
“Already did. And she already is.” Avery laughed as she held up her phone.
10
Avery
* * *
“So, do you think we’re set for Saturday?” Paxton asked Thursday afternoon with a worried look on his face as he hovered over Molly in her swing. “She has been sleeping ever since her shots. When do we take her to the hospital?”
I shook my head. “She’s not running a fever. We gave her Tylenol before the shots to control the pain. This is normal. You heard the doctor.”
With a frown, he murmured, “I didn’t hear the doctor, actually. I couldn’t hear a thing over Molly.” He tilted his head. “You had her right next to your ear. How did you hear anything?”
“Practice, I guess,” I explained and then shrugged. “Oh, and you seem awfully anxious about Saturday for a guy who broke our plans of going to the benefit last weekend.”
“The benefit? You seemed fine with it.” Paxton frowned.
I’d really walked into it now. No going back. “Maybe I wasn’t. One minute you want to see me in my little black dress, the next minute we’re staying in.” I sighed. “I’m beginning to think you don’t want to be seen with me in public.”
He whipped around to stare at me, his mouth hanging open. “Why would you even think that?”
I bit my cheek before answering. “Well, you did cancel out on us going out last weekend.”
“That doesn’t even count,” Paxton grumbled. “There was a really good chance Marley was going to be there. I didn’t think we needed the drama. And Royal completely understood…after I wrote a check for a really big donation.” He chuckled.
“Yeah. I can see that. No need to parade the nanny in front of the ex. That would be totally awkward.” I sniffled, then looked away, concerned my hurt would show.
“Marley doesn’t hold a candle to you. She never has, which is probably why she always hated you.” He shook his head and moved closer to me on the couch. “Mostly, you forget that we hadn’t found a sitter yet. Now we have Mara. You like her, right?”
“Yes.” I grinned. “I really do. I think she’ll be perfect.”
“How can you tell? She literally watched her long enough for us to walk to Starbucks, grab a coffee, and come home.” He rubbed his hands down his face. “How do other parents do this?”
I laughed. “A little faith. A whole lot of trust. And they interview a million potential sitters before settling…like we did.”
“We did talk to a lot, didn’t we?” His cheeks colored. “Some of them were just obvious nopes.”
“Definitely. Some of them I wouldn’t trust with a goldfish.” I curled up on the corner of my couch nearest the swing. “Come sit. This should be a really peaceful time. We get to kick back and relax. Before you know it, she’ll be sitting, and crawling, then walking and running.”
“I’m not ready.” He sank down beside me. “Are you?” He glanced around the condo. “And this place. It’s a great single guy space, but kids need yards. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to buy it.”
“How about because you were a single guy? You still are. You just have a child now.” I rested my head on the back of the sofa and stared at him. The last couple of weeks living with him and caring for Molly had been the happiest I’d had in a really long time. Before I’d been content with my life, but this was pure joy. I’d even been more relaxed about potentially having the rug yanked out from under me.
Paxton hadn’t started dating. He’d shown no interest in being anywhere other than around Molly. Sure, he left to workout. He still had a couple of commercials to be filmed, but he had announced his plans to take me and Molly with him. I was absolutely okay with that. He paid me every week. He seemed incredibly relaxed with me. Things were different between us in a good way, but I could feel his sudden unease.
“What are you thinking?” I asked quietly. I still didn’t like pushing him for answers because I wasn’t sure I’d like what he had to say. And I really didn’t want to mess with the comfortable balance we’d managed to strike.
“I’m not a single guy, Avery. At least, I don’t think I am.” He reached out and cupped the side of my face. “I feel like we’ve been together this whole time.” His thumb traced my cheekbone. “Molly may have been the catalyst, but I’d like to think that eventually I’d have figured it out. I’m a reasonably smart guy.”
I frowned. “And yet a terrible communicator. What are you saying?” I wanted to relax into his touch. My heart was racing. My mouth had gone so dry I could barely swallow.
“I’m saying…I thought I was with you. I thought we were together. I want us to be together.” Paxton leaned closer. “I’ve been wanting to do this for entirely too long.” He pressed his lips against mine.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. All I could do was feel, and even that was a little fuzzy because Paxton…the man I’d had a crush on for far too long…finally wanted me, too, and he was staking his claim with a kiss. Without hesitation, I opened my mouth to him. His tongue teased mine. I’m pretty sure I moaned in response, but I was lost in my own head. What the hell was I doing?
His arms wrapped around me, pulled me closer, and gradually broke off the kiss. “I need things to be different now…between us. Will you be my girl, Avery?” Paxton brushed some stray hair from my face.
I blinked a few times. This was huge. This was the culmination of all my hope
s and dreams. How long had I loved this man from afar? How many females had held this position before me? I fought hard to be in the moment, to not consider all the many things that could go wrong, the ways I could be hurt.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I’ll be your girl.” I felt silly saying it, and honored at the same time.
Paxton crushed me to his chest. “I was afraid you’d say no,” he whispered into my hair. “I know I’m not the best guy, but I’ll be better for you, with you.” He took a deep breath before adding, “You make me a better man.”
“It’s a tough job,” I joked, even though we both knew it was actually rather true.
“So, what do you want to do tonight?” he asked. “You want to go out in public?”
I shook my head. “Your daughter just had shots. We need to stay with her, remember?”
He groaned. “See what I mean? Any other woman would’ve been all…yes, Paxton, let’s go to dinner and then clubbing,” he mimicked in a high-pitched voice.
I laughed. “Nah. Not all of them.”
Paxton shook his head. “You’re the only one I’ve ever known who think like this.”
“You’ve been looking for the right girl in all the wrong places for far too long, Pax,” I murmured.
“I can’t blow this,” he announced.
I couldn’t help but feel like he was trying to convince himself. Still, I said nothing. We cuddled in silence for a few minutes, the only noise the hum of the swing’s motor.
Finally, Paxton murmured, “You know, we could watch movies and order in Chinese food. You love those little steamed dumplings.” He sat up straighter. “And we could order some General Tso’s…easy on the spice for you.”
My head tilted to the side as I eyed him curiously. “You’ve been paying attention. I’m…shocked.”
With a smirk, he replied, “I always paid attention, even if I didn’t know why it mattered, but it all suddenly makes sense now.”
An hour later, we were sitting in front of the television, eating right out of the Chinese food cartons. “Switch,” I suggested as I stared longingly at the lo mein.
“I’ve got a better idea.” Paxton grinned as he reached in and pulled out a strand of the noodle.
I could sense where this was going. And I’m pretty sure I’d never seen him do this before. Damn. He was trying new things, completely out of his comfort zone. I could feel my cheeks flush as he dangled it over me. Slowly, I opened my mouth and closed my eyes, patiently waiting to feel the end hit my tongue. Once it did, I closed my lips around it and began to suck it in. As soon as I had the entire piece in my mouth, I opened my eyes and Paxton leaned in to kiss me. I jumped in surprise.
“Those lips are entirely too kissable, Avery,” he whispered in my ear.
Tingles spread through me. Being with him was everything I’d hoped for and more. He was affectionate, playful, and more open than I’d imagined he could be. Suddenly, I was really looking forward to Molly’s bedtime.
At seven thirty, we changed her into her pajamas, gave her a bottle, and laid her in her crib. She’d had another dose of Tylenol and seemed comfortable. We tiptoed out of the nursery and down the hall to the living area. Paxton flopped down on my couch and then patted the cushion beside him while waggling his brows. I giggled and sank down as he suggested.
“Alone at last,” he whispered. I started to open my mouth, but he pressed a finger to my lips. “Don’t correct me. I’m well aware she’s probably going to wake up hungry right around midnight. I’m trying to adjust to a lot of changes here,” he murmured as he kissed his way down my neck. “First, I come home to a baby.” He chuckled as his hand slid up under my shirt and cupped my breast. “Most men get a good six months to adjust to the idea. I had six seconds.” His thumb found my nipple through the bra, which probably wasn’t difficult, considering I was pretty sure it was as hard as a pebble at the moment.
“You’re doing really well,” I noted quietly, afraid to ruin the mood.
Paxton kissed me again. “It’s really nice of you to say that, but I couldn’t do any of this without you.” He rolled his eyes. “And then I had to go and fall for you, breaking my biggest rule ever.”
My brows rose. “You have rules?”
He nodded. “All guys have rules. Things like…never date a friend’s ex or sister.” He leaned in and pressed his face against my cheek while he added, “Thank God, you never gave in to any of the guys’ many attempts at dating you.”
“Was that the rule?” I asked as I struggled to concentrate.
Paxton shook his head. “No. I wasn’t going to get serious with anyone, I never wanted a family until I finished playing football.” His breath tickled my ear. And when he sucked my ear lobe into his mouth, I stopped breathing altogether until he stopped. Paxton looked at me. “Deep breath. Do you not like that?”
“No, I love it,” I admitted shyly.
“Good.” He kissed me again. “One last thing. Please tell me you’re not a virgin.”
I rolled my eyes and groaned. “I’m not, but I wouldn’t say I’m experienced either.” I covered my face. “You’re going to be so disappointed in me.”
“Why would I be disappointed that you didn’t sleep with a ton of guys? That’s a really awesome thing. It means you wait. You make it special.” He swallowed hard and sat up. “It means we should wait and make it special.”
I wanted to argue with him, but I also wanted to buy some time, since I could do little about my lack of experience. “Good. I want it to be special too.” I nodded and smiled shyly.
“Now, my biggest rule ever was about moving in with a girlfriend.” He tapped his chin and studied me. “But since we’re doing everything different and out of order, I’m going to completely forget about that.” He licked his lips and I knew whatever was coming next had to be huge. “Is there any way I can convince you to share a bed with me tonight? No sex. I promise. Just sleep.” Paxton frowned. “I just want to hold you close all night. Will you let me do that?”
I’m pretty sure my eyes watered because suddenly he looked really blurry. I blinked back tears and nodded. “I’d love that so much.”
11
Paxton
* * *
The doorbell rang while we were giving Molly her bath. “I’ll be right back,” I murmured in Avery’s ear before kissing her shoulder. She shivered and stared at me with such a look of longing in her eyes that I wanted to tuck Molly into bed and drag Avery into mine. As promised, we didn’t have sex last night, but damn I wanted to and I was pretty sure my girl felt the same way.
“We’ll be right here, Daddy.” Avery assured me as I reluctantly pulled away.
I paused and glanced at my baby girl. “No splashing Avery.” I kissed her tiny soft forehead. “I plan to make her your mommy someday.”
Avery inhaled sharply. “You barely figured out that you like me. Don’t say stuff like that.”
“What if I mean it?” I rested my hands on her waist. “Babe, you’ve walked through the fire with me. You kept me sane. You showed me how good life and relationships can be. Why would I not want this forever, for me and my daughter?” I shook my head. “Just trust once in a while. I know what you’ve seen with your mom. Fate won’t always let you down.”
She groaned. “Just get the door.” As I slowly backed out of the room, I caught Avery shaking her head at Molly, who was still splashing in her bath. “Your daddy is crazy.”
I chuckled as I wandered down the hall. The words had surprised me, too, but as soon as I said them, I knew I meant them. I’d never been so happy, despite all the many challenges we’d faced. Avery wasn’t the boring, demure person I’d thought her to be. In fact, she surprised me with her wit and charm. She awed me with her grace as I watched her handle one situation after another. Before, I couldn’t imagine my life without her because she made it so easy. Now, seeing her with my daughter, I couldn’t imagine life without her because she made it so full. She had fallen right into the role of wife an
d mother before I’d even realized I was interviewing for the position.
I dried my hands on the kitchen towel on the way to the door. There was now knocking in addition to the doorbell. Fuck. It was after seven. Who would be bothering me like this? I unlocked the door and pulled it open, my chest puffed out and ready for confrontation. Standing before me was Harlow. She was wringing her hands and pacing. I took one look at her and knew she was doing drugs.
“Why are you here?” I asked, already on edge. I didn’t want this woman anywhere near Molly.
“To get my baby. I miss her.” She pushed past me into the condo. “Where is she?” She glanced around the space anxiously, her eyes darted about, rarely stopping.
“You’ve been gone for nearly a month. I cared for her in your absence. I’ve taken her to the doctor. I’ve rearranged my life to accommodate her. You can’t just show up and think I’m going to give her back to you.” I moved to keep her in the entry way. “Besides, you’re in no condition to take her.” I wasn’t lying. My once vibrant and beautiful ex-girlfriend now looked like every picture I’d ever seen of a used-up crack whore. Her hair hung limp. Her skin had a sickly pallor to it. Harlow had lost so much weight, she looked like a walking skeleton. To see her like this sickened me.
“I need her back. I need her.” She glanced at the door a couple of times while scratching her arm.
“What’s going on? How did you get here?” I watched her and then moved to the door and peeked down the hall both ways. There was a couple of males I didn’t recognize at the end of the hall and when they saw me look out, they turned away, but didn’t press the button for the elevator or move toward the stairs. “Who are those guys?”
Over her shoulder, I saw Avery standing there. Her hands were empty so I guessed she’d laid Molly in her crib. “Shall I call the police?” she asked as she moved toward the counter where she’d left her cell.
