by Elle E Kay
“Maybe not that one.” His eyes bore into hers until shivers ran up her arms. When his gaze dropped to her lips, she could barely breathe, but she wasn’t about to move away and mess up the chance for another superb kiss. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation, but then his lips lowered to meet hers and she was lost in the moment. He stepped inside the room and closed the door behind them before backing her up against the interior of the door and continuing their kiss. She breathed in the spicy scent of his aftershave and ran the tips of her fingers along his five o’clock shadow. Her arms draped around his neck, and she tangled her fingers in his hair. She wasn’t sure she could handle the physical feelings he was evoking in her, let alone the emotional toll falling in love with him would take on her heart. All it would take was for him to change his mind, decide he no longer wanted her, and her world would shatter.
A buzzing noise pulled her out of the moment. “It’s your cell, Zach.”
“What?” he asked breathlessly.
“That vibrating noise is your cell phone.”
“Oh, that.”
He turned it off and slid it back into his pocket.
“Aren’t you going to see who it is?”
“It can wait.” A slow smile spread across his face. “Now where were we?”
She ducked under his arm and walked across the room to the window. “We were getting a little too passionate for a couple who is taking things slow while we wait to find out if you're going to be a daddy.”
His eyes flashed. “That’s not why we’re waiting, so don’t pretend it is.” He glanced back at her with a hard look before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind him.
He was keeping his emotions tightly controlled, but she wasn’t sure how many more times she could send him away before he would decide she wasn’t worth the trouble. He’d been patient with her, but his patience had limits, and she feared he was nearing them. Tears burned behind her eyelids, but she fought to keep them from falling.
Zach appeared in the doorway of their bedroom. “Church starts at 10:30.”
She slid out of bed, donned her bathrobe, and walked over to him. “I think I owe you an apology.”
“Save it.”
When she reached up to touch his face, he pulled away from her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did last night. You were right. It had nothing to do with the baby.”
His blue eyes were as hard as steel. “I’m going to get one of my suits from my closet.” He brushed past her and entered his walk-in closet.
She followed. “Are you punishing me?”
He whirled on her. “No, Addison, that’s your department.” After grabbing the first suit in the row, he draped it over his arm and left her in the closet. She followed. When he reached the door, he turned back to face her. “If you’re joining me for church meet me downstairs at 10:00.”
“Aren’t we going to have breakfast together?”
“I’m not very good company right now. I’ll have Marvin bring something up for you.”
Addison flopped down on the loveseat and stared at the door Zach had exited. She hadn’t realized how mad he’d been. Why did she keep making such a mess of her marriage?
True to his word, Zach sent a tray up for her filled with her favorite breakfast foods. She barely touched it, but appreciated that he’d tried to be kind even in his anger. Tears filled her eyes, but she forced herself to get ready for church. Sitting beside him throughout service would be painful if he wasn’t willing to forgive her. She took a conservative dress from the closet and laid it across the bed. Then hurried to shower so she could be ready in time.
Zach was waiting by the front door when she got downstairs.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I am.”
“Where’s your Bible?”
“In Pennsylvania.”
He raised a single eyebrow.
“Oh, you mean the one you lent me? I’ll run up and get it.” She moved as fast as she could and returned to his side a few minutes later.
He held the door open for her. “After you.”
A sleek Aston Martin was waiting for them. After opening the passenger door for her, he waited for her to get in, and then hurried around to the driver’s side.
“I wasn’t sure you remembered how to drive a car.” She teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
“This baby is much more than a car.” He let out a frustrated breath. “I’m sorry, I know I was rude this morning. You know I can’t sit in church beside you if I don’t forgive you, so let’s move past this. Okay?”
“I don’t blame you. I was wrong.”
“Yeah. Well, I’m not blameless. You deserve a husband who’s more self-reflective and less quick to condemn.”
She reached for his hand, but added nothing to the conversation. It wasn’t her job to argue against whatever was going on his heart and mind. If he was willing to forgive her, that was enough for her. Maybe soon, she’d be able to forgive herself for causing such division in her own marriage.
Sitting beside his lovely bride, he grimaced as the pastor began with a passage about God’s design for marriage. Most of the sermon focused on the church as the bride of Christ, but there were enough references to marriage between a man and a woman to sufficiently put him in his place. He hadn’t expected wedding Addison to be a problem. Marrying someone he knew well, and in whom he trusted should’ve proved an easy, comfortable union, but something had gone wrong. Maybe what she said was true, and they’d both changed far more than he’d realized. Regardless, they’d said their vows, so now they’d make it work somehow. Since he’d picked her up in rural Pennsylvania, everything had been about him. He couldn’t think of much he’d been forced to change to fit her into his life, but her whole life had been turned upside down. How was it that he somehow resented her for the one area she held back? There was only one thing she wasn’t ready to give, and if he cared about her, he’d be patient. It had only been eight days and waiting that long was hardly unreasonable.
He reached over and took her hand in his. She smiled hesitantly up at him, and his stomach knotted at the realization that her hesitation was his fault. If he’d been kinder to her when she’d apologized that morning, she’d likely be more confident. When the pastor finished the sermon, they sang “Just as I Am” for the altar call, and he listened to Addison sing. Shuffling outside with the rest of the congregation, he whispered to her, “Want to go out to eat?”
“Don’t you think your car is too expensive to leave outside while we eat?”
“Nah. It’ll be fine.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and made introductions to the pastor and his wife as they made their way from the church. It was awkward introducing Addison as his wife when his pastor knew he’d been engaged to Nikki so recently, but it was time for him to put the past firmly behind him and move on with Addison at his side.
A special meal with his wife was a good place to start repairing the damage he‘d caused to their marriage. He sent a quick text to his pilot and another to Amy. She wouldn’t be thrilled at the interruption on a Sunday, but he knew she’d make one call and delegate the task to someone else who would take care of the details. When they arrived at the airstrip, the plane was waiting.
Addison glanced around. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going to lunch.” She blinked.
“It’ll be dinner by the time we arrive, but they’ll serve snacks on the plane, so you don’t pass out on me.” He grinned. “I want to take you somewhere special.”
“I didn’t pack a bag.”
“You won’t need one. We’ll come home afterward, unless you’d rather stay the night. In which case, I’ll buy whatever you need.”
“How can I know what I want if you won’t tell me where I’m going?”
“You’ll see.” He followed her up the stairs and onto the jet.
A little over five hours later they landed in New York City where they were met by a private car that would take them
to Trump Tower. Her face was alight with excitement when he led her into the restaurant. “I hope you like French food.”
“I cannot believe we’re eating at Jean Georges.”
“Why not?”
“It’s unreal.”
“I assure you it is quite real.” The maître d' said before leading them to their table and pulling out Addison’s chair.
Zach sat across the table from her. “I hope it lives up to your expectations.”
Addison leaned over the table. “The maître d' didn’t even ask your name.”
“It’s a hazard of owning Fractal, I’m afraid. My face has become somewhat recognizable.” After taking a sip of his water, he asked, “Did you decide if you want to stay the night or go home?”
“We should go home. Staying overnight might be too much excitement for one day.”
“Whatever you wish, darling.”
“You will bring me back to New York though, right? I was here once before, but it was for a work conference, so I didn’t get to see the sights.”
“Absolutely.” He loved the way her eyes twinkled and her face shone with exhilaration. If he’d realized how easily he could please her, he’d have taken her somewhere special sooner. He wasn’t a big fan of New York City, but if it brought her pleasure, he’d bring her back often.
The following morning after a few hours of restless sleep, Zach went to work. The excitement of the day before fresh in his mind. He was positive that Addison had a nice time in New York, in fact, so much so that she’d remained unguarded the entire flight home. It was heaven having her cuddle up beside him on the seat. Yet, somehow, by the time they entered his Beverly Hills mansion, she’d frozen up again. It was impossible for him sort out in his brain. He’d thought they’d had a fabulous day, but he must’ve said or done something to push her away again.
He dropped his head into his hands and rested his elbows on his desk. He’d married her because she was the proverbial girl next door. There was a level of trust he shared with her he hadn’t had with any other woman. It seemed like every girl he dated had to stack up to the checklist in his mind, and that list was based on Addison Scott. It wasn’t as if he’d picked some random girl to marry.
Only she wasn’t Addison Scott now. She was Addison Williams. He’d made her his wife, but he’d rushed her into it. No. He wasn’t being fair to himself. He’d asked her abruptly, and he hadn’t taken the time to court her properly, but she’d agreed and had charged into marriage alongside him. Did she love him? He’d asked her how she felt about him after the wedding. He didn’t doubt she cared for him as a friend, but he wondered if her feelings had grown as his had. Was he her everything as she was his?
How was he supposed to get work done with his wife haunting his thoughts?
Absentmindedly, he picked up the office phone when it rang. “How did you get my direct number?”
Amy had blocked Nikki’s known numbers, but all she’d had to do was call from another phone. The filth she was spewing tempted him to hang up, but when she said she would get to him through Addison, he swallowed hard. “If you dare touch her, you’ll regret it.” He knew his threat was meaningless to the woman on the other end of the line. When all that was left was a dial tone, he placed the phone carefully back on the receiver.
If he could get Addison to come to work with him, maybe he could protect her from Nikki. He wasn’t sure her threats held any real weight, but didn’t want to take any chances. Besides, he might be able to concentrate on his work knowing his wife was close by. The time they spent together at work might help them reestablish their friendship, and that was definitely worth a try.
He picked up his phone. “Ames, come in here, please.”
A minute later the petite brunette appeared in his doorway. “What do you need, boss?”
“Find my wife a job here.”
“Doing what?”
“She designs and codes websites. Bring her here.”
“I’m not sure she’ll agree to your plan.”
“If she won’t, put her on the phone with me. I’ll talk her into it.”
“That isn’t the kind of conversation you have on the phone, Zachary.”
“Fine. Then bring her in here, and I’ll talk to her.” He shoved the keyboard out of his way. “I need her here.”
“I’ll try.”
An hour later, his wife was standing by the window in his small conference room, dressed professionally in a skirt that came just below her knees, with a silk top, and a matching jacket. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her in that outfit. It took several deep breaths to keep himself from pulling her into his arms. “You look like a schoolteacher.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Definitely.”
“What am I doing here, Zach?” She studied him.
“Didn’t Amy tell you?”
“She told me that you needed to talk to me about a job.”
He put his hands in his pockets. “Right. You said you wanted to work and keep doing what you did before we got married.”
“I know what I said.”
“What happened there? Are they going to let you work remotely?”
“No. They can’t make an exception for one person.”
“Good.”
“What do you mean ‘good’?” She scowled. “It is not good.”
“That came out wrong. I only meant that I want you to work here, but if you were working for them, you couldn’t work here.”
“I can’t work for you.”
He flopped down into the chair at the head of the conference table. “You’re my wife. This is my company. You can and should work here.”
“This is the share-holders company now that you’ve gone public.”
“I’m still the CEO.”
“Working together is a bad idea. You’ll get sick of having me around. Besides, I have no idea what you do here.”
“Amy will help you find your niche within the company. Please. I need you here at the office with me.”
“What are you afraid of Zach?” She crossed the room and sat beside him, leaning forward and taking his hands in hers. “I’m not Nikki. I won’t be out fooling around with another man while you’re at work.”
“I would never think that of you.”
“Then what is it?”
“I want you here.”
“Yes. We’ve established that, but why?”
“I’m not sure. Can’t you accept that I don’t want us to be apart?”
“We’ve been apart for twelve years.”
“I know. We never should’ve let that happen.”
He couldn’t blame her for being skeptical about working together. “Please work here. Give it a chance. Try it for a week. If you hate it, I won’t ask you to come back.”
“Okay. I’ll try it for you, but I don’t think it’ll work.” She stood.
He rose to his feet and took a step toward her. She held up a hand to halt him. “It definitely won’t work if you start that.” He swallowed hard, but tamped down his emotions. She’d agreed to give the working arrangement a try, so at least he wouldn’t have to worry about her being in any kind of danger. Besides, if she spent too much time at home alone, she might start thinking, and talk herself into leaving him.
Chapter 12
I ntroductions were made as Addison followed Amy through the office. She knew she wouldn’t remember a single name by the end of the day, but she tried to make eye contact, smile, and shake hands with every person she encountered. It was exhausting.
When she was brought to a room with a dozen computer screens, Amy pointed to a chair. “This is where the magic happens. The boss man makes the final decisions, but we have two teams who bring him ideas. One team focuses on form while the other team concentrates on function. This is my best guess at where you’ll fit into the picture. I’m hoping you can fit the two pieces of the puzzle together, filter out any extra noise, and only present Zach with ideas worth further exploration.
That would cut down on his duties substantially thus freeing him to be home for dinner.” She strode to the door before turning to face Addison again. “Does that sound like something you’d be interested in doing?”
She nodded in response. “It’s overwhelming at the moment, but once I get to know everyone and see what they’re working on, that should be something I can do well.”
“Excellent. Zach needs to work on priority projects. Lately, he’s been juggling too much, and it keeps him running in circles. If you could take some of that responsibility from him, it would be a blessing for all of us.”
“May I ask you something?” At Amy’s nod, she continued. “Do you think he only wants me here, so I’m not sitting home moping about losing my former job?”
“No.” Amy smiled. “He can’t even tell me why he wants you here, but it isn’t that. I think he’s got it in his head that he’ll think about you less if you’re in the building. Honestly, I’m certain he’s got that wrong, and it’ll be far worse with you here, at least in the short-term, but, hopefully, in time he’ll get past this newlywed syndrome.”
“Is he keeping tabs on me because he’s afraid I’ll cheat on him?”
“Maybe.” She nodded. “It’s possible. He’s been burned more than once.”
“I would never cheat on Zach.”
“Good. He’s like a brother to me. I don’t want to see him hurt again. That last girl was a piece of work. Harlot is too good a word for her.”
“I’m sure I agree, but if she’s carrying his child. I want to try to be more generous.”
“You’re a bigger person than I am. I want to stab her in the eye with a fork.”
“Don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel.”
“Sorry.” She scrunched up her face. “Too much?”
“I’m glad you’re in his corner.”
“Zach’s not an easy man to work for. He’s demanding, he can be a bit scattered, and he expects everyone who works here to give one hundred percent to work during office hours, but he’s also kind and treats everyone as an equal. I’ve never heard him talk down to anyone. The generous pay and substantial time off don’t hurt either.”