by Tina Saxon
“Eww. Are you done kissing?” Lexi says, covering her eyes with her hand. We look down at her. She peeks through her fingers. “I’m ready to go feed more animals.”
“Alright, Lulu, show us the way,” I say. She gets in between us and grabs hold of our hands, skipping while we walk to the giraffes.
Chapter two
“Keep the change,” I say, handing the cabbie a twenty-dollar bill. I look up at Aiden’s building and anticipation sends butterflies fluttering through my body. The eight-story building in Tribeca faces One World Trade Center. I love my apartment, but I really love this area. Some of the best restaurants and shops are down here. My place is conveniently located near where I work and Central Park, one of my favorite places to go in New York City, but I could easily live here.
It’s about an hour until dusk so the sun reflects brightly off the building’s glass windows. Aiden told me to be here at seven. I glance at my watch and it’s six fifty-five. Digging in my purse, I pull out a mirror and check my makeup and lip-gloss one last time. Walking up the couple stairs to the entrance, I’m greeted by my reflection in the glass doors. I’m wearing a simple, white, above-the-knee swing dress with spaghetti straps. It’s August and too hot to wear my hair down, so it’s in a loose French braid, off to one side. The beige, wedge sandals make my tan legs look longer. Aiden’s a leg man, so I made sure to show them off tonight.
When I walk in, the security guard greets me by name. “Good evening, Ms. Mason.” I tilt my head in confusion because I’ve never met this guy. “Agent Roberts showed me a picture of you.” I smile at the thought of Aiden showing my picture to people. “You can go on up.”
I thank him and walk to the elevators. I press the fifth-floor button and wait for the doors to close. I hope being together today proved to him that I’m here for him. As I rock back and forth on my feet, I impatiently wait for the elevator doors to open. When I walk off the lift, I see a note taped to his door. Meet me up on the eighth floor. What is he up to? He never ceases to amaze me when he does things for me. I was stupid pushing him away, always keeping him at an arm’s length. Thank God he pushed back. He’s always known what I was too afraid to admit: we were meant for each other. I always thought Fate was being cruel by causing our two worlds to collide, but now I think she knew Aiden was the only guy who would complete me. And I’m not about to lose it now after everything we’ve been through.
I step off the elevator onto the eighth-floor foyer and notice only two doors. I look at both doors, assuming this is the penthouse floor. One door has a note taped to it. Open the door. I walk to it and slowly turn the knob, wondering what’s on the other side.
The view freezes me in place. It’s one of the most beautiful terraces I’ve ever seen. The view is phenomenal, but it’s the actual terrace that has me stunned. It’s huge. The ground of the entire terrace is tiled with very large, cream-colored tiles. Trees and shrubs line the terrace in varying shapes and different-sized pots. Each pot also has a light, which creates a romantic ambiance all around. One part of the terrace has a royal blue-colored, L-shaped couch and the other part has a table and chairs. In between the two areas is a large wall made with planks of teak. Three rectangular pots sit in front of a trellis that has vines growing up it. It’s a very modern and clean design.
“Are you ever going to shut the door?” Aiden stands off to the side, chuckling. I laugh when I notice I’m still holding onto the door.
“Wow, Aiden.” I turn and close the door and face him. “It’s gorgeous.”
His eyes gleam. “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” he says, his gaze pinned on me. I blush as he appraises my body. One look and I’m already turning to mush. I’ve never been dependent on a man before, but it’s been hard to even breathe without Aiden here these past couple of weeks.
He’s holding a tumbler with whiskey-colored liquid in one hand. His other hand is in his pocket. As he brings the glass to his mouth, his eyebrow raises over the brim. His Adam’s apple moves as the liquid slides down his throat. I feel the burn he must feel from the liquid wash over me. My body shudders with desire. I take a deep breath and saunter over to him, taking the drink from his hand and take a sip.
“Mmm…Jack.”
“No,” he rasps, taking the glass from my hand and placing it on the bar behind him. “I guess I need to remind you who I am.”
I gasp when he wraps his arm around my waist and thrusts me forward, slamming me into his chest. I bite my bottom lip in response to the desire spiraling in his dark, intense eyes. My pulse quickens and my lips tingle, knowing he’s about to devour them. He flashes a cocky, knowing smile before he fuses his lips to mine. There is nothing gentle about this kiss. One hand is on my back and the other grabs my ass. His tongue moves with mine. A deep moan reverberates into my mouth and sends the vibration through my body.
Falling farther into him, I run my hand through his hair. I release all the pent-up frustration from the last couple of weeks into this kiss. His frenzied pace is proof he’s doing the same. He bites my lip and pulls back, our chests heaving.
He puts his forehead against mine. “And don’t you ever forget it,” he muses, kissing me on the nose.
I exhale loudly and look up at him. “You can remind me whenever you’d like.”
“Every day, sweetheart. For the rest of my life.” The smile I give him reaches my eyes. Those words make my heart swell. “But right now, we need to eat before I lose control and remind you what I feel like inside of you, out here in the open.”
Desire tickles deep down into my belly, and I almost tell him to screw dinner. When I see the decorated table with a setting for two and lit candles, I don’t want to ruin his plans.
“Whose terrace is this? It seems too nice to belong to the residents of the building.” We have a rooftop at my apartment, but there are only a couple of fold-up chairs and a plastic lounger. It’s mainly used as a smoking area. Nothing fancy, and nothing like this.
“The man who lives in the penthouse owns it,” he says, pulling out my chair for me to sit. “He’s out of town. When he leaves, he tells me so I can keep watch over his place. I have a key, but I’ve never really cared about coming up here before, but I thought it’d be the perfect spot to bring you.”
“It is perfect up here.” The sun has settled below the buildings, and lights from surrounding offices and apartments glow around us like fireflies. Some flicker off while others turn on.
Aiden made chicken piccata for dinner, one of my favorite dishes ever. The slight lemon tang and creamy butter sauce is perfection. I think I’ll keep him just for this. Our conversation is light during dinner. I sense he is avoiding the conversation we need to have. Jessie. I’d like to sweep her under the rug, too, but we need to talk about what’s going to happen when the baby is born. Jessie is due in two weeks. I don’t even know if Aiden has talked to her other than the night she showed up to ruin my birthday and engagement party. I’ve only seen him three times since that night, and I don’t really want to spoil dinner, but it’s time. I pick up my wine and take a sip. I stare at my half-full glass and twirl it around a couple times. Screw it. I swallow the remainder of the wine in one gulp. When it comes to Jessie, I’m thinking the more wine, the better.
Aiden sits back in his chair, head angled as he watches me with an intense expression. I smile innocently and shrug. “Wine is really good,” I say. He nods and sits forward to pour some more into my glass.
“Let’s go sit on the couch,” he says, standing and reaching for my hand. I slip my hand into his large hand, and he squeezes it lightly. “I love you so much, Addison. I’m sorry for the last couple weeks.” He sighs. Regret swirls in his eyes. It’s hard to see the strong confident man I know and love look like he’s lost control.
I push up on my toes and kiss him softly on the lips. “C’mon, let’s go sit,” I whisper.
We stroll over and sit down on the deep cushions. They’re pretty clean for being outside, exposed to the elements.
Aiden swings my legs around and places them in between his legs like he did at the zoo. He leans back against the cushions and stares up to the dark sky.
“Have you talked to her?” I ask, breaking the silence.
He shakes his head and then turns toward me. “I don’t want to talk to her. I don’t think what I have to say will be healthy for a woman who is eight months pregnant.” I flash a lopsided smile. He’s probably right. “Max has talked to her, though,” he says, absently brushing his thumb on my inner thigh.
“I think she’s lying,” I blurt out. He twists his lips and nods. “If you were so drunk that you can’t remember, I have a hard time believing she was able to…or you were able to—”
He places a finger on my mouth to stop me from talking. “I think the same thing, but I can’t ignore that she was in my house.” He clenches his teeth together and leans forward on his legs. I can physically see how much this is messing with him.
“Has anyone confirmed her due date?”
He looks over to me again with furrowed brows. “What do you mean?”
I shrug. “I mean, she says she’s due in two weeks, but is she?”
He stares at me for a beat, letting the question sink in. “Wouldn’t that be hard to lie about?”
“I guess…We’ll see if she’s induced or has her naturally.” Aiden’s confused expression intensifies. He turns his body toward me. “Let’s just say, if she’s trying to trick you, how she has the baby will definitely be a key factor.”
“Okay,” he draws out. “I have no idea about pregnancies, so whatever you say I believe.”
“Exactly. That’s what she’s counting on, too.” He blows out his cheeks. “But if the baby is yours, we’ll deal with that. Together,” I say, linking my fingers through his.
“Together,” he repeats. Our eyes hold, and I search for the confident man I know in the depths of his green eyes. He’s in there. Aiden raises a brow, asking if I’ve found what I’m looking for. Not yet. He winks at me before breaking our connection. I watch his hand dig into his pocket and pull out his phone. When his eyes find mine again, he flashes a hesitant smile. “Dance with me?”
“Always,” I respond. It kills me that he’s questioning if I want to. He usually demands it, doesn’t wait for me to say yes. I want him to pick me up, throw me over his shoulder, and take what he wants. Take, not ask.
He looks down to his phone, avoiding my pleading eyes, and searches for a song. “In Case You Didn’t Know” by Brett Young fills the terrace space. I look around for the speakers, but they’re hidden. Aiden stands, grabbing my hand on the way up, and draws me to his chest. I wrap my arm around his neck, and he brings my other hand up to his heart. I can feel the beating of his heart under my hand. The constant rhythmic vibration is like Morse code, and he’s telling me that he’s here with me.
Our bodies sway to the music and the deep timbre of his voice sings to me, telling me so much more than what the words say. I wrap my hand around his and place it on my heart. I want him to feel what he does to me, to never doubt that again. My heart races and I want to scream “only you can make me feel this way.” Instead, I stay quiet and let our hearts do all the talking.
After the song ends, Aiden tightens his hold on me. “Jesus, Addison. I want you so bad.”
“Why are you talking, then?” I bite my lip. Take, don’t ask.
“Because I can’t do that to you.” I pull my head back and look up with a questioning expression. “I can’t make love to you while I’m wondering if I’m having a baby with another woman.” He looks away and sighs. Is it wrong that I don’t care?
“I’m pretty sure you won’t be thinking about anything except me if we make love.” My lips curl into a smile. He softly chuckles and shakes his head. “You know I can change your mind.” My hand starts to move down his chest. He stops me with a pained look.
“I know you can. Please, don’t, sweetheart.” The sting of his rejection hurts. My hand tightens, gripping his shirt. “I’m just trying to do the right thing here,” he pleads.
My brow furrows. “Right for who? Me? Because it’s not right. It’s. Wrong. So…so wrong.” I dig my head into his chest so I can’t see his regret. I feel his chest shake. I jerk my head up and he purses his lips to stop himself from laughing. I smack him on the chest. “It’s not funny. You can’t sing to me, tell me that you love me and that you want me, only to reject me. ‘Come here, little girl, I have some candy for you’,” I say sarcastically and roll my eyes.
He can’t hold back his laughter anymore. I shake my head. I can’t believe he thinks this is funny. He leans over and gives me a chaste kiss on the lips but pulls back quickly. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ll hold you to that. Next time, I’m not stopping,” I warn. I am not too proud to beg.
“I love you, Addison. With every part of me. Please, don’t ever question that.”
I exhale, releasing my hurt feelings. I’m being selfish. I don’t know why I’m so petrified he’ll forget about me. Maybe because I’ve been burned by Fate before. More than once. Aiden wraps his hand around my neck. His thumb runs along my jaw.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispers and pulls me to his lips. My lips part and I let out a small moan. He deepens the kiss. Our tongues dance to their own music, a passionate, slow song.
“Well, it looks like you took my advice.” I gasp at the sound of a man’s voice behind me. I whip my head around and an older man stands there, staring at us with a huge grin. Aiden chuckles. His hand falls from my neck, and he strolls over to the man. The gentleman is dressed in black slacks with a white, button-up shirt. A tie hangs loose around his neck, like he just got off work. I tilt my head, looking at him a little harder. He looks familiar.
“Hey, Mack, what are you doing back so early?” Aiden asks while he shakes hands with him. Why does he look…oh, shit! My eyes widen in surprise.
Mack Livingston, Texas billionaire oil tycoon, is standing a few feet in front of me. I blush thinking about what he just walked in on. I bite my lip and spin around in embarrassment. I run my hands down my dress, take a deep breath, and turn to face him. My steps are light as I walk up and stand by Aiden’s side. He reaches for my hand, interlocking our fingers. Mack’s smile reaches his eyes when he looks over at me. The soft lines around his sparkling blue eyes reflect years of wisdom and life. His white hair is styled perfectly, not a hair out of place.
“I assume you’re Addison?” he asks, holding his hand out for me to shake. I release Aiden’s hand and shake the hand of the older man standing in front of me. His handshake is welcoming, yet powerful. Just like him.
“I am,” I say, returning his smile. “It’s an honor to meet you.” I remember doing a report on him in high school for my economics class. I can regurgitate his life history back to him, but I stand here, not knowing what to say. He’s a freaking billionaire.
He waves his hand around. “The honor is mine. I was sick of seeing Aiden mope around the last couple of weeks.” I look over at Aiden, and he rolls his eyes. “I’m glad he pulled his head out of his ass and finally called you.”
“Well, it didn’t go quite that way,” I tease.
“No, she used Lexi to guilt me.”
“Good,” he boasts. “Your priorities should be Addison and Lexi right now.” My smile grows when I hear him talk about Lexi like he knows who she is. It means Aiden must talk about her. “You know how many women have accused me of being the father of their child?” He throws his hands out. I don’t know the answer to that, but I know how many kids he has. Zero. He can’t. When he was a child, he had an infection that made him unable to have children of his own. It’s public knowledge so I’m surprised any woman is stupid enough to try to pass a child off as his.
He claps and points at me. “Aww, you already know,” he says, grinning. I nod. “There are some really desperate women out there and it sounds like one finally caught up with this guy.” He jerks his head in Aiden’s directio
n. Finally? It sounds like they’ve known each other for a while.
“Watch it, old man. Addison doesn’t need to hear about any of my past indiscretions. She’s had to deal with one too many.”
“It’s good to see you happy, Aiden,” he says. His endearing tone surprises me. He and Aiden must be close. “I’m going to leave you to your woman now before I say something that’ll put you in the dog house.” He reaches over and pats Aiden on the back.
“That’s probably a good idea. How long are you in town?”
“Mack, I’m getting lonely,” a woman’s high-pitched voice rings out. I glance over to the terrace door at a petite blonde wearing a silk robe and five-inch stripper heels. I can tell by her perky nipples that she’s not wearing anything under it. She can’t be much older than thirty. My mouth is agape for a few seconds before I catch myself gawking and snap it shut.
Aiden reaches over and squeezes Mack’s shoulder. “And you wonder how you keep getting yourself in situations,” Aiden chuckles.
He shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for beautiful women.”
He’s a billionaire man-whore. I bite my cheek so words don’t fly out of my mouth. I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s been married five times—at least, at the time of my report it was five. But seeing it first-hand is eye-opening.
“I’m in town for a couple days. I’ll call you tomorrow. Stay up here as long as you’d like,” he says, walking away. He turns toward us. “Addison, it was a pleasure to meet you.” He smiles wide, and I return the smile.