“There’s that backbone I admire.”
I wasn’t letting him distract me. “You play games with people’s feelings and it hurts.”
“I was wrong to put you in the position I put you in today.”
My brows lifted. “Was that an apology?”
“It’s as close to one as you’re gonna get.”
I shook my head. “You’re such a narcissist.”
“And I have every right to be. But I hurt you today and there was no satisfaction in that.”
And that was his way of saying sorry. I glared at him, hiding the affection that still remained.
Part of me believed once you loved a man like Remington you never stopped, no matter how much of a dick he could be. “Don’t do it again.”
His mouth pursed, but he nodded. “I can help you, Meyers.”
“I don’t need help.”
“What about returning to school? Take a few business courses and see how you like it.”
My nose scrunched as I compiled a list of qualities I worked hard to avoid. Greasy palms and tough decisions weren’t my thing. “School’s expensive and I’m still paying off my loans.”
“I’ll take care of that for you. Take a few classes and see how it fits.”
His offer was tempting, but the idea of owing Remington Davenport any sort of debt was terrifying. My mind saw school as an acceptable delay to reality. I’d always been a great student. It was the post-college stuff that crippled my ambition. I couldn’t waste more time on another career I didn’t want.
I wasn’t a businessperson. “I can’t let you do that.”
“You really are a pain in my ass. Think about it. It’s bad form to settle negotiations in one sitting.”
I chuckled. “Are we negotiating?”
“Yes.”
Negotiating meant each side had a form of leverage. Realizing mine, I used it. “Fine. If you accept Hale’s decision and meet your granddaughter, I’ll take one online course.”
“Deal.”
“Deal? Just like that?” That was too easy. Somehow, I felt played.
He shrugged. “You were right. Children need a father. That baby has Hale and…” He waved a hand. “You get what I’m saying.”
And Hale needed his father as well.
The tightness that had resonated in my shoulders over the past few days abated and I nudged him. “You’re not as rotten as everyone thinks.”
“I can be a bear.”
“I have a better word for it, but we’ll use yours.”
He chuckled. “Tomorrow, we’ll take a ride over and see the baby.”
I smiled at him, on the verge of hugging him, but I held back. “Hale will love that. And I can show you my skills behind the wheel of the limo.”
He grimaced. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting you drive. I’m trying to save my life, not end it.”
I gaped at him. “Then why did you have me practice?”
As soon as I asked, I had my answer. He didn’t want me to go to Hale’s and have an experience he couldn’t abide himself.
“Never mind.” I shook my head. “Sometimes you’re worse than a four-year-old.”
He arched a dark brow. “This conversation stays between us, Meyers.”
I gave him a cheeky smile. “God forbid the world find out you have feelings.”
“God forbid,” he agreed. “Help me lie down. I’ve had enough talking for one day.”
As I assisted him back to bed, my tension eased. I wasn’t sure why I cared so much about this man, but I did. I cared about him, his children, and even his grandchild.
It was strange to hold so much affection for people I only recently met, but something told me they were put in my life for a reason. I was still trying to figure out what that reason might be.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Big Girls Don’t Cry…
That’s a Lie, By the Way.
Once I had Remington settled, I planned to call Hale again, but Barrett came home, and I wanted to talk to him first. It was late and we were all short on sleep.
“I was just going to head over,” I told him, putting down my phone.
“Don’t bother. Daddy Dearest is fast asleep.”
“Oh. That’s probably good.”
Barrett came over to the counter and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just tired, I guess.”
“Well, get some sleep. He’s not going anywhere.”
Impressed by what a good brother Barrett was, I smiled. “Did Phina leave for her flight?”
“About an hour ago.”
“How long will you stay?”
Barrett wasn’t tied to any business. He made money modeling here and there but wasn’t as entrepreneurial as the rest of his family.
He shrugged. “Until I get stir crazy or my dad pisses me off. I’m in no rush to be anywhere else.”
“Hale will be happy to have you around.”
He laughed. “Not so sure about my father.”
“He might surprise you.” I didn’t say any more on the subject of Remington because I didn’t want to speak too soon, but my optimism was pulling for him.
After saying goodnight, I went to my room and crashed before I even changed into pajamas. The following morning, Remington and I shared a peaceful breakfast and Hale called shortly after that.
I didn’t mention that his father planned to stop by because I was still unsure if he would. But I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Miles help Remington to the limo.
“Are you coming, Meyers?” he called as I showed Miles how to collapse the scooter into the trunk.
I hesitated. “I thought it would be nice for you and Hale to have some time alone.”
I read the uncertainty in Remington’s eyes, but he nodded, and Miles shut the door, then he joined Alfonse in the front seat.
While the house was empty, I did my laundry and called my mom. I told her about the party for Seraphina and the celebrities I brushed elbows with on the yacht. She said my new life reminded her of the old show Dynasty.
When I ended the call, I went to the kitchen. Marta had just what I needed, a fresh batch of homemade cinnamon buns.
“I made them for Hale. We’re taking them over to him tonight. You test.”
I tested three because you can never be too sure. Rich people had the best desserts. I seriously needed to get on some sort of exercise regimen.
Remington returned just before supper, and I watched him carefully, waiting for him to express any signs that his visit had been a success. I’d hoped he’d come home and tell me how beautiful Elara was or how great Hale was with her, but he said nothing. He just looked sad.
I thought about Jasmine and her refusal to hold the baby. Perhaps she was smart to stay detached. Maybe I was wrong to pressure Remington. I hadn’t done it to hurt him. I only wanted to help bridge the gap between him and his son.
When Miles stepped away and we were alone, I whispered, “Did you have a nice visit?”
He appeared taken off guard by my question, almost like he missed what I’d asked. Marta appeared before he answered.
“Pardon me, sir, but I forgot to tell you Ms. Naomi called while you were out.”
My ears went on high alert. Naomi, as in Hale’s mom?
Remington nodded. “I’ll call her back after dinner.” When we were alone again, he looked at me and chuckled. “No doubt you’ll be in a trifecta by the end of the week.”
“What do you mean?” I was instantly nervous.
“It’s one thing to compete with a man’s daughter. It’s a whole other thing to compete with his mother. You’ll see.”
My eyes went wide. “Is she coming here?”
He laughed. “Her son just had a child. What do you think?”
It was the first time he made any reference to Elara. Somehow that took precedence over my own worry. “What did you think about the baby?”
“I think…I think there might be something to be said
for grandchildren. It’s different in a way I didn’t expect.”
That was lovely and I wanted to take a minute to bask in my satisfaction, but there were other issues that needed addressing. “Where does Naomi stay when she visits?”
He frowned. “Hale’s. I’ve had three wives since Naomi. It’s been decades since we’ve slept under the same roof.”
“How long does she usually stay?”
“Usually a week. Hale has an in-law suite and he has to get back to work, so I imagine she might stick around.”
I was never having sex again. Hale was her only son, and going by his reputation and instilled manners, he wasn’t the sort of son to blow off his mother.
“Do you think Miles can help you the rest of the night?”
He waved a hand. “Go.”
Not wasting a single second, I shoveled the last bite of food into my mouth and left. Remington had told me I could use the Mercedes SUV whenever I needed, so I drove, not sure when I’d be coming home.
On the short trip I came up with a game plan. I’d walk in, take off my clothes, and attack.
But what about the baby? Babies slept something like eighteen hours a day in the beginning, so maybe she was sleeping. I really needed her to be asleep. This was going to suck when I not only had to consider the baby’s schedule, but his mother’s presence as well.
Pulling into Hale’s driveway, I grabbed the keys and speed walked to the door. I didn’t ring the bell, because if Elara was asleep I didn’t want to wake her.
I was totally unprepared for the mayhem that greeted me.
The baby squalled from somewhere on the second floor. The sink was full of dishes and a pot of soup had boiled over on the stove. “Hale?”
Following the trail of rattles and blankets, I collected infant paraphernalia as I neared the cries.
“Hale?” He still didn’t answer me.
It was amazing how powerful a few dirty diapers could smell. The stench smacked me in the face the second I stepped into that lovely white nursery, which was in shambles.
Hale worked to calm the baby as he fastened her jumper. He had an old t-shirt on and a pair of briefs.
“Where are your pants?” I frowned as I heard water running.
“Hey. Can you take her for a second? I have something on the stove.”
Eyes wide, I tightened my grip on the items filling my arms. Screaming babies didn’t bear the temptation sweetly cooing ones did.
“I shut off the stove. It was boiling over.”
He sighed in relief, his hair in complete disarray. “Thanks.”
The hamper was overflowing, but the first issue that needed attention was the trash. How the hell did something that small poop that much? I emptied my arms and tied off the bag.
“I’m going to take this outside.”
He nodded and plugged a bottle in Elara’s mouth, which immediately silenced her screams. On my way back to the nursery I wiped up the stove and loaded the dishwasher, frowning at the little baby items in the sink.
When I returned, Hale still looked frazzled but Elara drank heavily from the bottle, her eyes closed. “Is water running somewhere?”
“I was going to shower, but she woke up.”
I went to shut off the water and realized this was not at all what I had planned. Maybe he did need Naomi here.
As I came back into the ransacked nursery, Hale was carefully placing her in the crib. I silently stacked diapers into a flipped over basket and put a new bag in the trashcan.
He backed away from the crib like a bomb might detonate at any second. I quietly watched him and joined him in the hall. “Having a rough—”
“Shh.”
He carefully closed the door and his pleading eyes turned on me. “This is way harder than I expected. I’m fucking exhausted.”
I had no consolatory words. Selfishly, I wondered where my boyfriend went, the one who always smelled great and had perfect hair and wore pants.
“Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll keep an ear out in case she wakes up?”
He sighed as if I’d pardoned him from a life sentence. “Thank you.”
While Hale showered, I tidied up. I didn’t know where he kept stuff, so I just stuck things anywhere. Then there were things of his that were put away, but clearly in the wrong place, so I organized those shelves as well. I peeked in drawers and behind doors until I heard the shower shut off.
A few minutes later my boyfriend returned—the real one with the clean-shaven jaw and pants.
“You didn’t have to clean up.” He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed.
Sinking into his strength I sighed. “I missed you.”
His mouth found my neck and I drew in a breath. Taking his hand, I guided it to my boob, because, let’s face it, we had limited time. He chuckled and softly massaged. That’s what I was talking about. I gave him another signal all systems were go and pressed my behind into his hips.
“I’ve been a little preoccupied lately,” he whispered.
“That’s okay.” God, just the weight of his hand on me was extraordinary. I wanted to be sympathetic, maybe let him catch a nap, but there was time for that later. At the moment I was a single-minded sex fiend, needing to prove we still had this connection post baby.
I reached behind my back and cupped him and he groaned. His hand lowered, lifting my skirt, as his finger slid aside the silk of my panties and skirted my sex. “Fuck, baby, I missed this.”
Already breathing fast, I turned and pulled him down for a kiss. There was such haste to my motions. I hadn’t realized how much I feared this part of our relationship might change or vanish.
He cupped my ass and we plummeted to the couch, his body grinding over mine as my ankle hooked over his hip and pulled him closer. My dress was shoved to the top of my chest as my bra came down. His mouth fastened to my flesh as his finger sank deep and I moaned, arching into his touch.
My hands rode over his hips and found his zipper. Undoing his pants, I stroked him, pressing my hips closer to his erection until it glided against my sex. This needed to happen now, before the little pooper woke up.
We both shuddered at the hot contact and he pulled back. “Condom.”
I inwardly growled. He felt so good gliding against my skin. I teased and stroked him along my flesh again. It was just a tease so we were both taken a bit off guard when he slid in by the slightest degree.
Pausing, our breath mingled as he looked into my eyes. I wasn’t an idiot. People that weren’t ready for children used birth control. I got an A in health class, so there was really no explicable reason why my hips suddenly lifted and took him in another inch.
There was a split second where we studied each other, likely having the same list of consequences run through our minds, but neither of us objected to what was clearly happening. My period just ended so I wasn’t fertile.
I gave a slight nod, my mind refusing to entertain any serious thoughts at the moment. It registered that I wasn’t going to stop him, as stupid as that made me, and he thrust forward. We both moaned.
“Fuck. You feel incredible,” he groaned.
My fingers pressed into his shoulders as my heel dug into his butt, edging him on. We wasted no time on regret. There was too much pleasure. My legs parted as he thrust hard and I cried out a litany of dirty words begging him never to stop. We were panting and moaning and clawing at each other’s flesh, greedy for more.
Gasping, the thrills of ecstasy took hold and he pounded harder, his words demanding I give him everything. My arms fell back as I gripped the arm of the sofa, calling out his name as I arched into him and came. He thrust one last time and then he was suddenly gone, his own release coating my stomach.
Knowing we’d both done something very irresponsible, it seemed crucial to destroy all evidence before any witnesses showed up. I reached for a box of baby wipes sitting on the coffee table and Hale made quick work of cleaning up the mess.
I righted my dress and he fixe
d his pants. Then we both sat up and stared at the television, which was off. After several minutes he said, “We should talk about the pill.”
“Yup.” I nodded, because that could not happen again.
But it did. Once we knew what it was like to go without a condom and realized how unpredictable his daughter’s schedule was, we took whatever we could get whenever we could get it.
That night we had sex in the kitchen, in the bedroom, on the steps, and in the hall. We gorged ourselves until we had nothing left and poor Hale hadn’t slept a wink.
When I returned to Remington’s there was no mention of our previous conversation, but there was an email in my inbox from an advisor of a local college. I deleted it.
Naomi’s flight was coming in around midnight and my worry about how her presence might change our ever-shifting dynamic terrified me. I joined Hale at his house for dinner and Elara was in a pleasant mood, so I sat with her on the floor, shaking plush rattles over her, which she seemed to appreciate.
“So I think we should talk,” I said, keeping my voice casual.
Hale’s expression blanked. “Okay.”
“I made an appointment with a doctor so I can go on the pill.”
He nodded. “I was going to bring that up again.”
“And…I have some paperwork for you to sign.”
He frowned. “Paperwork?”
Things were about to get icky. “I met with Lynette.”
His frown turned to a scowl. “When?”
“The day you came home from the hospital. It’s no big deal.” It totally was. “You just need to sign the plans.”
He stood, clearly agitated, and busied himself by picking up items around the room that needed to be put away.
“Are you mad?”
He scoffed, but said nothing.
“Hale?”
Shaking his head, he snapped, “He had no right to send you to that meeting. I would have handled it.”
Yes, Remington was high-handed. This wasn’t news. “Maybe you could tell me why you’re giving her part of your estate.”
His eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I rarely stay there.”
“But your family does. Isn’t that going to cause some conflict down the line?”
Calamity Rayne: Gets A Life Page 34
