by Ella Jade
11
Xavier
Monday arrived faster than I would have liked. The past two days were the best I’d ever had. Spending time with Kara on Saturday and taking our relationship to the next level was more than I ever could have dreamed. She was the perfect woman for me. The one I had waited for my entire life. Sunday, we picked up Zoey, took her to lunch and the aquarium.
As I flipped through my photos of the three of us enjoying our day yesterday, I couldn’t believe this was my family. Well, at least they could be. That was my goal. And once I established my goals, I never lost sight of them.
There were a few obstacles. John had called to check on me twice this morning. I wasn’t ready to return the calls. Kate had left me a voicemail last night requesting a face to face. She was a problem I’d have to deal with sooner rather than later. And, then there was Josh. He had been handled late last week. Now, I needed to see what his next move would be. He had no idea who I was. He was being paid an obscene amount of money to walk away. There was no doubt in my mind what he would do. He’d already walked away when he divorced Kara and abandoned my beautiful daughter. I was just sealing the deal.
As long as I kept everything under control and stayed on top of the situation, I could accomplish what I’d set out to do. Not only could I have Zoey in my life but I could build a life with her mother. We could be the family portrayed in those pictures on my phone. I would make sure it all fell into place.
“Mr. Trapp.” Adrian tapped on my door. “Kara Cartwright is here to see you.”
“Is she?” I smiled as I got up from my desk.
“I know she doesn’t have an appointment but you have an opening and I thought it would be okay.”
“Ms. Cartwright is always welcome here. As a matter of fact, you have my permission to interrupt me at any time for her or matters concerning her daughter. See her in.”
“Of course.” Adrian stepped out to retrieve Kara.
I sat on the edge of my desk, counting the seconds before I could see her gorgeous face. When she came into my office, she greeted me with a smile. But it wasn’t her usual spectacular smile. Something was missing.
“Hi.” She came toward me. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I’m on my lunch break and I didn’t know where else to go.”
“What’s wrong?” I took her hand. “You’re upset.”
She hugged me, holding onto me as if her life depended on it. “I need your help.”
“Anything.” I stroked her hair. “Tell me what you need.”
She let go of me and reached into her bag. “I know you’re not this kind of an attorney but I thought you could tell me what this means.”
“Were you served?”
“Someone brought me this letter this morning on my way into work.”
“Let me see.”
“I’m not being sued.” She handed the papers to me. “They’re from Josh.”
Josh? That was quick. I skimmed the papers because I already knew what they said. He was relinquishing his parental rights to Zoey.
“Can he do this?” she asked.
“A person can’t relinquish their parental rights simply because they’re trying to get out of child support.”
“He chose not to pay child support.”
“And you didn’t go after him.”
“I told you I didn’t want to waste the energy.”
“I agree it was the right decision.” This asshole doesn’t belong in my daughter’s life.
“Why would he do this?”
“These are just a formality.” One I fully intend to use when I claim my parental rights. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to do that without revealing who I am but if I married Kara, I could legally adopt Zoey, especially now that Josh was out of the way. “For whatever reason, he’s letting you know he’s officially out. He wants no claim to Zoey.”
“What a bastard.”
“Wait, were you hoping he’d come back into her life? Is that really fair to her?”
“No, I don’t want him anywhere near her but to even think he could do this makes me question my whole relationship with him. How could I have been so stupid to be with a man I knew nothing about? One who would lie to me? Make me believe he was someone he never was?”
Don’t go there.
“What should I do?”
“You shouldn’t do anything,” I informed her. “I’ll have my legal team reach out to Josh’s attorney. If you want nothing further from him, we’ll tell them you agree to the terms. We’ll also draw up papers stating that if in the future you decide to remarry, there is the possibility that person may want to adopt Zoey.”
“What? I can’t think about anything like that.”
“I’m just covering all of your bases. That may never happen but you need to protect yourself and Zoey.” I was protecting her but I was also making sure all of my bases were covered.
“Okay.” She leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder. “I knew you could help me.”
“Always.” I kissed the top of her head. “I won’t ever let anyone hurt you or Zoey. I’m going to take care of you.”
“I’m glad you could help.” She looked up at me. “I can’t stop thinking about our night together.”
“Neither can I.” I brushed my lips across hers, knowing that this would all be a distant memory for her someday. We could be together without any complications from Josh. “It left a lasting impression.”
“I hope we get to do it again soon.” She pressed her mouth to mine, initiating a slow, sensual kiss. “I have to get back to work. I’m already going to be over my hour.”
“Did you eat lunch?”
“No.”
“Let me take you to lunch. We can go see the tree in Rockefeller Center.”
“As much as I’d love to, I have to go back to work.”
“I know Spencer Cannon well. He’s done some advertising for me. I could call him and tell him you’re with me this afternoon. I’m certain it won’t be a problem.”
“Don’t do that! I need my job.”
No, you don’t. Your daughter is an heiress to a billionaire. “He won’t fire you.”
“You’ve done enough for me today.” She took my face between her hands and kissed my lips. Her touch settled me, brought me peace that I’d never experienced before. “I feel much better knowing you’re on my side.”
“I’ll always be on your side.” Placing my hand on her back, I drew her close to me. “Things haven’t been easy for you lately but I’m going to make sure that they get better. I’m here when you need me.”
“Do you remember the day we met?”
“I’ll never forget it.”
“I was having a rough morning and Zoey sensed it. I told her I’d take her to the park that afternoon. Do you want to know what she said?”
“Yes.”
“She said something good would happen to us that day.” She leaned into my ear. “She was wrong.”
“Was she?”
“It wasn’t just a good thing.” She skimmed my jaw with her lips. “Something spectacular happened to us.”
“That’s exactly what I would have told her.”
The holidays had come to a close. Over the break, Kara, Zoey, and I had spent much time together. We spent Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with hers. I worried about bringing Zoey around my mother. She could be a perceptive woman but she didn’t catch on. Neither did my brother and his wife. If my own family couldn’t see who Zoey was, then just maybe my plan would work.
Kara had a larger family than I did. Lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. They were all welcoming and most seemed glad that Kara was seeing me. One cousin even mentioned how much better I was for her than Josh. I wanted to believe that. While I would never cheat on her or abandon her and Zoey, I was lying to them. Did that make me any better? I tried to put those thoughts out of my mind. I’d made a decision to move forward without telling her who I was.
I had always taken to
routines. I thrived off them. I’d become quite fond of my newest schedule. After work, I’d come to Kara’s house and have dinner with my girls. I’d read to Zoey as Kara took care of things around the house. I hadn’t been able to convince her to let me hire her some assistance with cooking and cleaning. I enjoyed the quiet time between my daughter and I. She was so inquisitive and loved to ask questions. As Kara got Zoey ready for bed, I answered emails and worked on contracts.
Stan was making the waterfront property too easy for me. He wasn’t the fierce competitor I’d grown to know over the last few years. I wondered what was going on with him. I would win the bid even if he hadn’t been slacking but something was off. That was an issue for tomorrow.
When Kara came into the family room, I closed my laptop and placed it on the coffee table.
“You don’t have to stop working.” She sat next to me, cuddling into my side. She’d changed into her yoga pants and a tight-fitting t-shirt. Her fuzzy pink socks were my favorite part of her ensemble “I know how busy you are.”
“You have my undivided attention, remember?” I held her close to me. “Is she asleep?”
“Sound asleep.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “She loves having you here at bedtime.”
“I like being here.”
“I’m glad you’re here too.” Her voice was sullen. She hadn’t been herself tonight. She’d said she’d had a tough day but didn’t go into details but she was quiet at dinner. “It’s nice to spend this time with you.”
“What’s bothering you?” I can’t fix it if she doesn’t tell me.
“Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you.” I gazed down at her, waiting for her to tell me.
“How can you know me this well?”
“I’m observant.” I lifted her off my shoulder and shifted her to face me. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I haven’t paid Zoey’s tuition since September,” she admitted with regret in her tone.
That didn’t surprise me. The school came with a hefty price tag and what I could gather from her finances, she didn’t have nearly enough to meet the monthly bills.
“They worked to a payment plan for the back tuition but they also want January’s payment.” She handed me her phone, showing me a text message from the director.
“I have to remove Zoey from the program and figure out how to make the back payments.”
“She loves her school, her teachers, and her friends.” I’d looked into it and was quite pleased with the curriculum.
“That’s why I’ve been putting it off.” She rubbed her temples. “I thought Josh would come through with child support but you know how that ended.”
I facilitated but he wasn’t going to pay anyway.
“The school is wonderful but I have to accept that I can’t afford it and we have to move on.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“What? No.”
“I insist.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Why not? In case you haven’t noticed, I have a lot of money.”
“Zoey and I are not your responsibility.”
I tensed when I thought about that statement. It angered me more than it should but it wasn’t Kara’s fault. She would be right if Zoey wasn’t my daughter. But, even if she wasn’t my biological child, I would feel this connection to both she and Kara.
“Please don’t say that.”
“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to handle this but all it’s doing is stressing me out.”
“I don’t want you to be stressed out.” I smoothed her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “It isn’t good for you or Zoey. You’re a wonderful mother. It’s not your fault you were put in this situation. You’re working hard to provide a good life for your daughter.” Our daughter. “Let me do this.”
“X.”
“I’m not going to take no for an answer. I’ll just contact the director tomorrow and make a full payment. Actually, I’m going to pay through June.” I’ll be handling all of her education through college, so let’s stop playing games. “So, it’s settled.”
“Wait?”
“Yes?”
“Whatever I say isn’t going to matter, is it?”
“Everything you say matters, my love.” I tilted her chin and kissed her. “I like it better when you agree with me.”
“Thank you.” She sighed. “I wouldn’t accept this if it wasn’t for Zoey.”
“You’re a great mom.”
“You’ve already done so much for us,” she said. “All the Christmas presents. She never wants to put that tablet down. She tells everyone you bought it for her. You trumped Santa.”
That’s what dads are for. “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters to me.”
“You’re incredible. Most men wouldn’t be so accepting of another man’s child.”
Oh, but she’s not another man’s child… I wish I could tell you I’m not as noble as you think. “That doesn’t matter to me.”
“See, you’re so good. So caring.” She shook her head. “I don’t feel like I deserve you.”
“Don’t say that.” I suddenly felt uncomfortable with this conversation. “Sometimes things can appear more perfect than they are. Like they’re too good to be true.”
“Are you saying you’re too good to be true?” She laughed as if she didn’t believe that.
I am too good to be true because I can’t be honest. “I’m saying you don’t need to thank me. This is a mutually beneficial relationship. I feel like I’m getting more out of it than you are.”
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and Zoey and I don’t mean because you’re rich.”
“I know you don’t.” I closed my eyes, trying not to let myself feel like the jerk that I was. “It’s really the other way around. Before I met you, my life was a bit monotonous. I didn’t do much more than work. I was lonely but I didn’t know how much I was missing until I saw you in the park.”
How could I get what I wanted without saying too much? John encouraged me to express myself but it was difficult when I couldn’t tell the whole truth.
“Is that why you hold back?”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes I think you’re protecting yourself from me, I don’t know.” She shrugged. “You’re guarded. Almost like you’re hiding something. Like you don’t trust me.”
Shit!
“You’re entitled to your secrets, Xavier, but I want you to know nothing you tell me about your past will make me judge you. I see who you are and I like what I see.”
“I never thought this life, the one I’m building with you and Zoey, was meant for someone like me. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve any of this but being deserving never stopped me from going for what I wanted before. I want you and I want this life. I hope that I can prove that I’m worthy of it. I want to be worthy of you and Zoey.”
“You’re so worthy of all of this.” She climbed into my lap, straddling me. “You’re everything I ever imagined in a man. You’re kind and gentle.” She kissed my jaw, brushing her lips down to my throat. “You’re always there when I need you.” She unbuttoned my shirt, continuing to kiss my neck and chest. “You’re sexy and passionate.”
“What are you doing?” I grabbed her hand when she reached for my belt buckle.
“Something for you.” She gazed up at me with her wide, suggestive eyes. “Let me.”
“What about Zoey?” I nodded in the direction of the foyer.
“She’s a very sound sleeper.”
“Ah…” I rested my head on the back of the sofa when she unbuckled my belt and kissed my stomach.
12
Xavier
“Find out what’s going on with Stan and this bid. Something doesn’t feel right.”
I ended the call with my associate. There was a reason Stan was holding back and I needed to know if it was a valid one. He wasn’t the sharpest when it came to deals, espec
ially not one this big. If he knew something that was crucial to the property and decided to back out, I wanted that information. I had to explore every angle.
“X, I saw your car from the window!” Zoey said when she opened the door. “You’re here.”
“Yes, I am.” I crouched down and waited for her to hug me. She didn’t disappoint. She launched herself into my arms and wrapped hers around my neck. If I could start every day this way…
“You’re never here before school.” She let go of me. “Are you taking me to school? Can I go in your car?”
“Zoey?” Kara coughed as she came to the door. “X, what are you doing here?”
“In your text this morning, you said you weren’t feeling well.” She didn’t look healthy. Her hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head, her nose was red, and she had dark circles under her eyes. “I came to check on you.”
“That’s sweet but I don’t want you to get sick.” She waved to Alec. “I called out of work. I’m achy and feverish. I’m going to take Zoey to school, hit the store for some soup and juice, and then I’ll try to get a few hours of rest in before I have to pick her up.”
“None of that’s going to happen.”
I always had an appreciation for single moms because I watched my mother do a fantastic job with my brother and I. It wasn’t always easy for her. Kara didn’t have to have it so hard. I could ease the burdens.
“I’ll take Zoey to school.”
“I’ll go with X!” Zoey ran into the house. “I’ll get my backpack.”
“I’d kiss you right now but…”
“I understand.” I laughed. “I’ll come back after I drop her off. I’ll stop by the store and get what you need. Just text me your list.”
“You don’t even do your own grocery shopping.”
“It doesn’t mean I can’t find my way around the store. I’m an educated man.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” She coughed again, trying to suppress it. “Ouch, my chest hurts.”
“Go back to bed.”
“You don’t have to come back.”
“Do you need me?”