by Lila Rose
Moving my wide gaze to the floor, my body trembled from all the thoughts running through my mind.
He wanted to see where it went between us.
He did want me.
Holy shit!
He stated it.
Right there, with the last plate to stack in the dishwasher in his hand.
“Um, I think that would be good,” I said to the floor.
He teased my ears with another chuckle, and my legs wobbled. “Good. Although, for now, for your sake and Drew’s, we need to take things slow.”
“Okay,” I whispered to the floor, again. I was worried if I looked at him, I’d jump him or cry. Both were a possibility, so I’d probably cry while jumping him and get snot all over him, and that wouldn’t be good.
Vice’s body hit the back of mine. His fingers threaded through my hair, causing my body to hum all over. With his other hand, he pushed my hair from my neck and touched his lips there. Then he said, low and husky, “I like you, sweet, shy, clumsy, and fiery Adalyn, and I can’t wait to see you after I’ve made you come.”
My body spasmed along with my hoo-ha. He chuckled. “I think you like the thought of that, baby.”
Baby.
I melted into a puddle.
“Um…” I started. Then he nipped at my neck, and a moan dropped from my lips. “Yes. Now?”
He wrapped both arms around my waist. “Jesus, baby. I wish we could. I don’t mind Drew seeing a kiss between us, since I want you both in my life, but anything else would traumatize him.”
Blinking like crazy, I asked, “Why do you want both of us in your life?”
Another kiss on my neck before he replied, “Because, since the first time I met you, I can’t get you from my mind. With you, comes Drew, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. He’s a great kid, Addy.”
“He is.”
“And you’re an amazing woman,” he added.
“I am?” I was?
“Christ, yes.”
“Okay.”
With his hands on my waist, he shifted me to face him. My eyes focused on his chest. But with his fingers under my chin, he raised my head to have my gaze. “Now you know I’m not fucking around, I want you to never look away from me. Need your gorgeous eyes, Addy.”
Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I bit. Was it time to admit the truth?
“Adalyn?”
Scrunching up my nose, I went for it. “You’re kind of hot, and I get freaked. I also sort of like you, and that again freaks me out. I don’t understand why you’d like someone like me. I know that sounds like I’m putting myself down or have issues. I don’t. At least I don’t think I do because I’m happy with who I am. I love who I am, what size I am, and the people around me. The people already in my life I can understand liking me, but you and all that”—I gestured with my hand in a roundabout way over his body—“I don’t understand.”
He smiled softly. “Give me time, and I’ll make you understand.”
“You will?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Time?”
“Yes, and in that time, I still want to have your eyes.”
“Okay.” I nodded.
He had just started to lean in when we heard the movie room door open and Drew yelled from within, “You two coming?”
Chapter
Nineteen
John: Can you please let me know by tonight.
Sighing, I bumped my leg up and down under the desk and glanced at Vice’s door. It had been nearly a week since Drew and I went to Vice’s house. The week had been a busy one, which was good and bad in some ways. Good because I was busier with my business. There’d been an intake of purchases, some I had to make from scratch, which helped keep my mind busy from Vice at night. Bad, because I hadn’t spent any quiet time with Vice. At work nothing changed, except Vice didn’t bark as much or even order me around. He asked. I was surprised by his change, and I noticed some of the workers also were, but no one said anything.
Me: I’ll let you know shortly. I had just pressed Send when Vice’s door came open.
“Um. Mr. Salvatore?”
“Yes, Adalyn?” He stopped beside my desk, and I watched his fingers tap into the wood on top.
Wood.
It made me wonder about Vice’s morning wood.
“Eyes,” he ordered low. When I looked up, he smirked. “What are you thinking, Adalyn?”
With big eyes, I quickly glanced around the room. Some were looking our way. “Nothing. But, um, I do have something to ask, and if it’s a no, I understand because I’ve only been here a little over a month. I also have a backup plan, so don’t feel you have to say yes.”
“What is it?”
Licking my lips, I whispered, “My ex wants Drew for a week over the next school holidays. He’s asked for me to fly Drew over and stay the week so I can fly Drew back. He said he was too busy to leave. I told him I’d think about it, but I need to reply today. However, that doesn’t mean I actually need to go. Molly and Mom have said they could take him for me since John is paying for the extra flight no matter.”
“I’m not sure time off right now is an option, Adalyn.”
Nodding, I sighed in relief. I was glad he’d said no. I hadn’t wanted to go and have to bend all of my will for John’s sake. “Okay,” I chirped. His head jerked back.
“You’re okay with it?”
“Yes. Totally fine with it, and I’ll be even better when I tell John I can’t go, and that my mom will be taking him. He hated her, and she hated him. Let’s hope they don’t kill each other in front of Drew.” I didn’t even try to hold back my glee.
He laughed. “Yes, let’s hope. I was worried—”
My fingers ran over his quickly. To others, it would seem I was only reaching for my stapler. “I felt I had to ask anyway for Drew, and under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to go since I am a new employee. So I’m glad you said no, Mr. Salvatore.”
“Good.” He nodded. Then he made way out of the office for a business meeting.
After sending off an e-mail, I picked up my phone.
Me: Sorry, John. I can’t get the time off, but Mom’s willing to bring Drew and stay for the week.
John: But I thought it would have been good for the three of us to spend time together for Drew’s sake.
Me: I’m sure Drew will be fine without me and busy wanting to spend time with just you. Will you be introducing Dorothy to him while he’s there? I ground my teeth together. I hated the thought of it but knew it had to be done.
John: No. Not this time around. I didn’t want to confuse Drew.
Me: John, it’s been two years. Drew knows adults date and that you have a girlfriend. It’s bound to happen for me too.
My phone started ringing, I quickly answered it. “Are you dating?” John demanded down the line.
“Sort of, why?”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
My body stiffened. “What?” I snapped harshly into the phone.
“For Drew’s sake, his mother shouldn’t be out dating. Does he know? Is there more than one man? You shouldn’t bring this around our son.”
Honestly, I was flabbergasted he had the nerve to say that to me.
Still, he went on, “You’re with Drew all the time. Do you parade men in and out of the house? Or do you leave him with your mother and then go out to get some before—”
“You need to stop right there,” I seethed through clenched teeth.
“Adalyn, I have every right—”
“You don’t,” I bit out, standing, and started to pace my area. “You lost any right to question me about my private life when you left me for another woman.”
“You’re right. I did lose the right, but when anything in your life has to do with my son, I can question you then.”
“Bullshit. My dating has nothing to do with Drew to start with. Until I meet someone who I’ll spend the rest of my life with, then it’ll be Drew’s business
. If that time comes, I will introduce Drew to him, and still, you won’t say or do anything because my life doesn’t involve you. The man I fall for… love will also love Drew, and no harm will come to him. I will make sure of it while you’re off screwing your hussy.” I ended up screaming at the end.
“Adalyn,” his tone held a warning.
“No, John. From now on, anything to do with me has nothing to do with you. If it’s something about Drew, I’ll keep you informed. Please contact me via text only from now on. Goodbye.”
“Av—”
I stabbed the End button and glared down at the phone. My temper got the better of me, and I regretted it being at work. Slowly I glanced up, to find people staring at me.
Damn John for getting to me once again. At the start of our separation, we’d be at each other’s throats all the time. Only we kept it well hidden from Drew. Though children were smart, he would have sensed the tension between us.
It wasn’t until John actually left that I calmed enough to realize he’d done me a favor. Even though I wasted fifteen years on the man, I was still better off having him out of my life.
“Adalyn, are you okay?” Henley asked, appearing in front of me.
Sighing, I shrugged. “I’m not sure.” And I wasn’t. Did I just make matters worse for Drew’s sake? Or was John overreacting? I had to believe he was because seriously, what gave him the right to dictate when I could date?
Henley took my arm. “Come on.” Still in a daze, I let him lead me into Vice’s office. “You need to take a moment, and it’ll be better to do it without people watching.” He closed the door behind us. With his hands on my arms, he asked again, “Tell me you’re okay.”
My bottom lip wobbled. I’d never been good with people asking me if I was okay when I was highly strung. It made me worse, and tears filled my eyes.
Henley cursed. “Of course you’re not. Stupid question. From what I gather, you were speaking to your ex?”
Nodding, I wiped at my face and cleared my throat. “Yeah. God, I shouldn’t have taken his call at work. What will everyone think?”
“Who cares what they think? Besides, from the sound of it, he deserved everything you said.”
“He did.”
“See, so don’t let what people think worry you.” His hands rubbed up and down my arms.
Another tremble from my bottom lip. “Thanks for being so nice.”
“Not a problem, darlin’.” His hands moved up to my shoulders and dug his fingers into my tensed body. Closing my eyes, I dropped my head and moaned.
It just happened to be the time the door flew open. “What in the fuck is going on?” Vice demanded in a tone that could kill a person or petrify them at least, because it had me. I jumped quickly away from Henley.
“Vice. I mean, Mr. Salvatore, what are you doing back?” I stumbled over my words and realized it made me sound like I was guilty of something.
He stepped in glowering, and then another appeared behind him. Grayson also walked in, but he did it smiling. “Adalyn.” He winked, closing the door behind him.
I watched the door shut and knew there went my chance to make a run for it. “Um, hi, Grayson.”
“Someone had better fucking tell me what’s going on, and goddamn now,” Vice ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Adalyn got a call from her ex, and things didn’t go down well, so I brought her in here to calm down.”
Vice’s glare shifted from Henley to me and then back to Henley. “And you just happened to be the one to help her calm down by touching her?”
“Well, yes.” He smiled.
“Shit,” Grayson hissed from his spot leaning against the door.
“I could fire you.”
“What in the hell for? Comforting a fellow colleague? That’s messed up, Vice, and you know it.”
“No, for touching a fellow colleague.”
“It wasn’t in an inappropriate way, so you can’t fire me,” Henley said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I can,” Vice snarled.
“What for?”
Vice leaned in and clipped harshly, “For touching what’s mine.”
Puddle.
I’d melted into a puddle. His words caressed my skin and then tickled my nipples into standing to attention. I bit my bottom lip to refrain from grinning. Usually, I wasn’t a woman who liked men staking their claim, but boy was I wrong about that, especially when it came from Vice Salvatore.
Henley jerked back. He swung his gaze from Vice to me, to Vice, and back to me. Then he grinned, and said to Vice, “I thought there was no fraternizing in the business?”
“In an hour or sooner, everyone will receive an e-mail from my legal team stating a change to the contract.”
Henley’s grin grew. “Really?”
“Yes. But what I said about Adalyn stays the same.”
Henley chuckled. “Damn. All good, I get it, man.” He looked at me and ran his eyes over my body. “Boy, do I get it.” Then he clapped. “Right, better get back to work, and good luck to you both. Also for when the vultures come swirling for you both.”
“W-what does that mean?” I asked, folding my arms over my stomach. What I needed was for the conversation to end so I could continue worrying about the words I’d had with John, and there I went asking a question.
Henley laughed. “Darlin’.” He shook his head. “Is she for real?” he asked Vice, who sighed and nodded.
“Reminds me a lot of Kenzie,” Grayson added.
The conversation was getting even weirder.
“I’ll leave you to explain it,’ Henley said, and then exited the room after Grayson moved out of the way.
“Are you okay?” Vice asked.
From confusion, I tilted my head to the side. “Henley didn’t try anything.”
He shook his head. “No. I meant whatever your ex said to you.”
Straightening, I shrugged. “No… or I’m not sure. Honestly, I don’t know what to think of it. Vice, I went off at John in front of everyone. I’m so sorry for—”
His hand came up before he stepped in front of me and curled me into his arms. “Don’t apologize for it. I couldn’t give a shit how you acted in front of them, just as long as you’re okay.”
“Those type of words are panty-melting kind of stuff.”
Vice chuckled. I stiffened when he said, “Good to know.”
Grayson chimed in, “That’s my cue to go.”
Groaning, I thumped my head into Vice’s chest, and asked, “Did I say that aloud?”
“You did,” Vice said through his laughter.
“Adalyn, Vice, good to see you both. Vice mention to Adalyn what I said. Talk soon,” Grayson said quickly, and then I heard the door open and close.
Sitting my chin on his chest, I met his gaze as he looked down and smiled. “You changed the contracts so we could date?” My belly was all warm and fuzzy, while my heart had other ideas and decided to do the mamba.
“Grayson pointed out how stupid I was for not doing it in the first place, so I did. But it also means… I don’t want to sound conceited or anything, but some of the women around here may think I’ve done it for them.”
“Alas, they will have to get clued up, fast. You did it for me, right?”
“No one else but you,” he managed to get out before I attached my lips to his. It wasn’t sweet and soft, but hard and hot. I couldn’t get enough of tasting him.
Then there was a knock at the door.
“Ignore it,” Vice mumbled against my lips.
“But—” All words left my mind when his hands gripped my bottom and pulled me forward so I could feel his hardness against my belly.
Ignoring was good.
Chapter
Twenty
Another knock had Vice lifting his head and ordering darkly, “Go the hell away.”
“Um, maybe you shouldn’t have—” I didn’t get to finish because his mouth claimed mine, and once again, I was los
t in Vice.
Another knock, that one heavier. “Vice, sweetheart?”
We froze. With our mouths still glued together, we opened our eyes and stared at one another. Slowly, Vice pulled back, but not before laying a quick peck on my lips.
“Who’s that?” I asked in a whisper.
“My mother.”
“Yoo-hoo, Vice. We’re coming in.” It was a different voice.
“Who is that?” I hissed.
“My other mother, Molly’s Mom.”
With my hands still curled into his jacket, I pushed him back and straightened myself just as the door came open, and two women in their sixties stepped in.
Right then would have been a perfect moment to crawl under Vice’s desk and hide. Both mothers looked from a scowling Vice to a nervous, smiling me, over and over a few times, as if they were at a tennis match. It was easy to tell them apart. Molly, like the woman on the right, was a little shorter. Both had light brown hair and matching eyes. Though Molly’s mom’s hair held some gray tinges. The other woman—gulp—Vice’s Mom, was taller, and her coloring was so much like Vice’s lovely tanned skin. Both women wore dark slacks with different color shirts.
Finally, they grinned at the same time and walked further in. “Vice sweetheart, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Molly’s mom asked.
Vice sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and gestured to Molly’s mom, “Melanie, Molly’s mom, and Grace, my mother, I’d like you to meet Adalyn Sage.” He’d remembered to say my maiden name.
“Oh, gosh. You’re Molly’s friend. She’s told us so much about you and Drew. But, what are you doing here?” Melanie asked.
“Um, I’m Mr. Salvatore’s assistant.”
“Your lips look well kissed, dear.” Grace smiled.
My face went up in flames.
“Mom,” Vice said in a tone of warning.
“Well, they are.”
“Mom.” Vice glared.
Fighting for something to say, I blurted, “I’m also his girlfriend.” My eyes widened. I covered my mouth with my hand. I couldn’t look at Vice. He’d said he wanted to see where it would go between us, but I’d just advanced us in seconds because I was scared they would think less of me.
