by Cari Quinn
Actually, she was pretty sure she’d never had that kind of a day.
“We have to go get Axl.”
Michael opened up her towel and kissed her inner thigh, then her belly. “We sure do.”
“Do you mind?”
He peered up at her. “Of course not.”
She pushed his hair off his forehead. “I know it’s an imposition.”
He caught her hand and brought it to his cheek. “It’s not. I want to do things for you guys. It’s my job now.”
“It’s not your job to take care of me—of us.”
“I want to.”
She sighed. “I’ll find a job as soon as I can, then we’ll be—”
“No.”
“What do you mean no?” She struggled to sit up, and tugged the towel closed again. Being naked with this man often put a halt to conversation. And she needed to be clear-headed just now.
“Look at this place. It’s huge. I have another bedroom that we can turn into a nursery, or big boy room or whatever. You know, for Axl.”
“Michael, we’re moving so fast.”
“I know, and I don’t want to scare you. Really, I don’t, but I like being needed.”
“That is not the basis of a relationship.” She slid off the bed and hauled her suitcase onto the chair in the corner. She pulled out underwear and dragged them up over her damp skin.
He moved to his wardrobe and started tugging out clothes. “I said we could go slow last night. I meant it.” He hopped into jeans, tugging them up over purple boxers. He left them unzipped as he walked to her. “But why not just chill out for a little while? You’ve been working your ass off since before the little man was born, right?”
She snapped her bra, and pulled her shirt over her head before turning to him. “I’ve been working since I hit double digits, Michael.”
He closed his eyes for a second then crossed to her. “You’re more than due for some Mom and Axl time, don’t you think?”
“Of course I’d love to stay home with him.” She’d missed so much. Lucky for her Lori had FaceTimed Axl’s first steps, but there’s been a hundred other milestones she’d failed to be a part of. She tried like hell not to think of them as failures, but there’d been so many she’d lost count.
“Then do it. I can afford to do this.”
“I’d be taking adv—”
He grasped her upper arms. “Don’t even say that word. The mere fact that you are so worried about it negates the whole aspect of taking advantage of anyone.”
“Were you a lawyer in a past life or something?”
“Mathlete actually.” He hauled her into his arms, holding her close until she curled her arms around his back. “Caltech if you want the down and dirty details. Though I prefer our kind of dirty details.”
She dropped her forehead against his chest. “I knew that. I Googled you remember?”
He laughed. “I only lasted two semesters. The guitar was way more interesting.”
She peered up at him. “You still had to have the grades to get in.”
“Somehow I doubt your grades sucked.”
“Advanced placement for everything. Even got a scholarship, but then the funding got cut and I couldn’t get enough loans to cover.”
“Then go back to school.”
“Michael…”
He cupped her face. “We’ll take it a day at a time for now, okay?”
She blew out a breath. “Okay.”
“Now let’s go get him.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Because she’d need the rest of the day to figure out how she was going to get everything out of her house by the end of tomorrow.
She was texting Lori and her father as they left the apartment and went down the elevator. Michael stopped at the front desk and set her up with access to the building.
“What’s your license plate?”
She blinked at him while mid-text with her dad. “What?”
He laughed. “Your license plate. You have a car right?”
“No. It was pay for an apartment, or car and car insurance. Apartment won.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Well, we’ll be fixing that.”
“No. We’ll be fine.” No way she was going to allow him to buy her a car.
“Chloe, I live in Malibu. There’s no busses. At least none that come up here.”
“Oh.” The busses went everywhere, dammit. She’d never had to worry about it. Sure, she had to carry mace and learn a bit of self-defense, but she hadn’t been hassled overmuch when using public transportation.
The guy at the desk cleared his throat. “Miss Adams has been added to the system. We’ll have a key ready for her by this afternoon.”
“Great.” Michael smiled at the man, then eased her away from the desk and through the lobby. “You’ll have access to the gym and the café, both are twenty-four hours. There’s a daycare on the third floor as well. I don’t know much about that part though. We’ll look it up on the building’s website when I get home tonight.”
Her head was spinning with all the info.
Michael took her hand as they left. He smiled at Barney and Chloe gave him a distracted half wave.
“The parking garage has an elevator that goes right upstairs. That’s why we went out the front. I wanted to make sure you could get in.”
“Thanks.” Michael always managed to keep her off-balance with his endless kindness.
Then again, it seemed like he had a whole checklist going on in his head.
“How long have you been planning this?”
“Hmm?” He was checking his phone with his free hand.
“You are way too good on the details, pal.”
He stopped and slid his phone into his pocket. “I told you I wanted you to live with me.” He shrugged. “I looked into it.”
“And I walked right into your master plan.” She narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t get me evicted, right?”
“No, but that would’ve been pretty genius, if a bit creepy. I don’t want to control your life, Red. I just want you to be in mine.”
“What the hell am I supposed to say to that?”
“Thanks?” He tipped his head, giving her a grin. “I promise to pay you back in sexual favors?”
She tugged her hand out of his and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m no whore.”
“Oh, Jesus. I didn’t mean it like that.” He grabbed both of her hands. “I swear.”
She couldn’t even pretend to be upset. Michael didn’t have an asshole bone in his body when it came to them as a couple. He just expected sex because he was a horny male that loved having sex with her.
And she liked having sex with him, too. “Forget I said that. I’m just being sensitive.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I love all your sensitive parts.”
“And there’s the pervert.”
He clasped her hand again. “I’m your pervert.”
They ducked into a side door and he crossed to a parking spot that had his apartment number carved into the cement wall. There was another spot next to his Viper just waiting for her. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.
Thirty-three minutes later, they pulled up her driveway. By some miracle, the reporters weren’t around. She was pretty sure they’d be back in no time thanks to Michael’s flashy penis-mobile. Okay, so she knew firsthand that he didn’t need it because of a little dick, but it was still far too ostentatious for her taste.
She twisted to look in the back. How the hell was she going to get a car seat in this thing? “Um, Michael?”
“Yeah?”
“Where are we putting Axl?”
“In the backseat…I don’t have. Fuck.”
She laughed. She had to laugh or she’d cry. “I guess I will need that car, huh?”
“We’ll research tonight.”
Out of reasons to argue, she conceded. She opened the door and Lori came out her door with Axl on her hip. Her son’s huge smile—at least what she coul
d see around his fist currently shoved in his mouth—was a sight for sore eyes. She ran up the grass and scooped him out of Lori’s arms. “Hi, bug.”
“Mama.” He hooked his drooley hand around her neck and went right for a fistful of hair. Another one of the many reasons her hair was up in a ponytail usually.
Michael came up behind her. “Hey, buddy.”
Axl dropped his head onto her chest and hid his face.
Lori smiled. “He just got up.”
She looked down at Axl. “Did you sleep in? Mama’s jealous.”
“Selby fish.”
Chloe glanced at Lori for a clue.
“They fell asleep watching Nemo, then demanded a reshowing at five this morning. They both fell back to sleep around eight.”
Chloe winced. “Oh, you poor thing.”
Lori yawned. “Mine’s still napping. I win.”
“No nap,” Axl said before scrunching his face up.
Chloe blew raspberries and kisses into his neck before he could start the waterworks. “No. How about some breakfast instead? Oatmeal?”
“Appews.”
“Apples,” she corrected.
“Appews,” Axl said again.
Michael smoothed one of her curls around his finger. “I hate to ask, but since my car is not yet babyfied, could you bring Chloe home today?”
“Sure. No prob.” Lori smiled up at Michael. “Handy you have a young, strong back for all the lifting.”
“Lori.” Chloe gave her a hard look.
“Yeah, we’re going to get Chloe out of here as soon as possible.”
“As soon as tomorrow?”
Chloe huffed out a breath. “Thanks, Lori.”
Michael frowned down at her. “Eviction notice of no time?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“No.” Michael dug his phone out of his pocket, flicked through a few menus then held it up to his ear. “Hi, my name is Michael Shawcross…” he walked away from them as he started asking questions to someone on the other end.
“Really?”
“Girl, if that guy can help let him.”
Chloe sighed. “He’s already letting us stay with him. I don’t want him to deal with this too.”
“What are you going to do? Empty out your savings—if you have any left at this point.”
“I was going to dip into Axl’s—”
“No, you are going to let that rich, lovely guy take care of this. Pay him back with meals or something.”
“I don’t have that kind of talent.”
Lori laughed. “Sure you do. Who’s the one that had us set up with two weeks worth of crock pot meals on your last Saturday night off?”
“That’s just Pinterest.”
“Yeah, well I bet that guy hasn’t had home cooked meals. He probably lives off of Taco Bell and hamburgers.”
Chloe looked over her shoulder. “I don’t know. We don’t eat around each other much.”
“Because you’re too busy getting naked.”
Her face heated. “Maybe.”
“Did I mention I was jealous? If not, consider it said.” A squall came from her pocket. “Crap.”
Chloe shifted Axl to her other hip. “So much for that nap.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Come on in after you get rid of Mr. Rockstar.”
“Will do.” Chloe headed back down the lawn. She rubbed her cheek against her son’s hair. Her favorite time was right after a nap. It was the only time her crazy almost-two-year-old wanted to cuddle.
“Right. Thanks, man I appreciate it.” He rattled off her address then his own and something else that sounded an awful lot like many zeros.
When Michael hung up she approached him. She leaned back so she could meet her son’s gaze. “Do you remember Michael?”
“Spider.”
“Right,” she said with a laugh. “He read you, The Spider and The Fly.”
“Nemo!”
Michael smiled down at him as he drew them both closer. “We can switch it up to Nemo. I think I’ve seen that about five times. Might even have it on my iTunes.”
Her heart melted. How the hell was she supposed to hold out against a man that loved Finding Nemo?
“Dory!”
“Don’t think that one’s out yet, buddy. Though I do know a guy.”
Chloe laughed. “You want to win the heart of my kid, keep talking cartoons.”
“Deal.” Michael kissed her temple. “I have a fleet of guys coming to pack you up today. They’ll bring what you want to the house and put the rest in storage.” When her eyes widened. “Or the dumpster whichever you prefer.”
“Today?”
He nodded. “I have to get to rehearsal—Lila’s on the warpath or I’d let them know I can’t make it.”
“No, you have to work. That’s fine. I can handle it.”
“You just point. They’ll do whatever you tell them to do. In fact, you don’t have to lift a finger. I have a maid service coming in that works with this company. They’ll clean it from top to bottom after the guys leave.”
“Michael that’s too much. I can handle cleaning my own place.” It wasn’t that dirty. She was pretty sure. Maybe a few million dust bunnies, but the rest shouldn’t be bad. Okay, she hadn’t gotten around to cleaning her fridge in a while. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and switched Axl to her other hip. The kid definitely didn’t starve.
Michael plucked him out of her arms and held Axl over his head, twirling them both. Her son’s delighted laugh rang through the air. She resisted the urge to snatch him back. She was pretty sure Michael wouldn’t drop him.
Mostly.
After a half dozen twirls, Michael stopped suddenly and shook his head, making a goofy face. “You’re no lightweight, Axe-man.”
She couldn’t help smiling at both Michael and her son as Axl clutched Michael’s shirt. “All right, no flying off into space.”
“Space,” Axl parroted.
“It’s not going to be a long practice.” He transferred Axl back into her arms. He fished his wallet out of his pocket.
“Oh, no. Don’t you hand me money. I have…some.”
He rolled his eyes. “Can we not make money a thing? I know you’ve taken some from Nick.”
She ground her teeth. “That was different. And I hated asking.”
“I know. I’m your husband though. I get to spoil you and to make sure your friend is taken care of today since we’re inconveniencing her. Right?”
There was no argument that she could make. “Yeah, I suppose.”
“Good.” He took out a wad of cash and tucked it into her front pocket. “Give the guys instructions, then take her out to lunch. You guys go…wherever kids like to go for the day. Make sure it’s an awesome day for the Ax-man.” He dug his fingers lightly into Axl’s side until he was laughing again. “Since we’re changing his whole life today, Mama. Remember?”
“Like I could forget.”
“Right. So you have a great day with your friend and we’ll figure out the home stuff tonight. Okay?” He bent down until their faces lined up. “Okay?”
“Yes.” She hated it with the power of a thousand suns, but it would be better to take Lori out for a fun day than to sweat over her house. She looked over her shoulder at her side of the duplex with the pansies that were dying because she didn’t have time to water them. No matter how much she wanted to remember, they fell by the wayside next to double shifts and spending every spare moment with Axl.
He slid an arm around her hip and hauled them both into his chest. “For once, just take care of your family and let me figure out the details. The bonus? I get to be your family now too.”
She hooked her arm around his neck and dragged him down for a kiss. How the hell else was she supposed to say thank you? There were no words for the emotions pinging around in her chest. Her heart was beating hummingbird fast.
Just like it always seemed to do around this man.
Michael smiled into the kiss, then i
mpulsively smushed one into her son’s cheek. “Take care of your mama for me?”
“Mama,” Axl said. He clunked his big head against her collarbone.
“Ouch, careful.” Michael stroked the back of his knuckles down her face. “Do easy.”
Her eyes pricked. How many times had she said “do easy” to Axl, just like her dad had said to her as a kid?
Axl patted her face. “Easy.”
“There you go.” Michael grinned down at her. “I’ll see you guys tonight. I won’t be late.”
“Okay.”
He backed up toward his car. “No working, just ordering your minions.”
She laughed. “You really don’t want me to get used to having minions.”
“You’re a queen, of course you should get used to it.” He rounded the hood of his car and got in with a wave.
“You’re a queen,” Lori said from the porch.
“I hate you,” she called back. She sighed and looked at Axl. “Want to go to the boardwalk?”
“Rides!”
She hugged him close and headed up to Lori’s door. “Rides it is.”
Chapter 25
Chloe had lived with a man before. Sort of.
Snake had needed a lot of alone time to figure out lyrics or…well, she didn’t really want to think about just what kind of other things he’d been doing when he wasn’t with her. There had been a lot of passing each other in the night.
Most of the time it was because she was working so much. She’d paid for much of the utilities as well as the apartment they’d lived in. Snake was always bouncing between manic highs where he was jamming with friends, and lows where she wasn’t sure he would come home. And often didn’t for days at a time. More than a few sessions in rehab hadn’t helped matters on that end.
The good days, he’d been attentive and romantic. Forever spinning stories about what their life would be like when he made it.
Needless to say, that hadn’t allowed him to keep a job for very long.
Living with Michael Shawcross was very different. For two weeks she’d been certain she was going to kill him. Not because he snored—he did, but only when he was really tired. After rather brutal practice sessions with his band, or a stressful show, those were a few of his darker moments.
