Can't Resist You (Second Chance Diaries Book 3)

by Emma Vikes

  I wrapped my big hand around her small one. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. “You’re like your mother then, huh?”

  I brought her along with me to my office.

  Joey seemed confused when he saw me with a little kid.

  Rather than answering the unasked question, I told him to get her something to eat from the kitchen. I didn’t tell him she was Maia’s kid though. As I’d told Joanne, Maia was busy and I didn’t want her running into my office to get Sage when I could take care of her until she was done.

  Sage settled on the couch in my office and opened her bag. She took out the books she needed to work on and set them on the coffee table. Then, she looked around at my office. “Aren’t you sad in your office?”

  My eyebrows furrowed at her question. “Why would I be?”

  “It’s dull.”

  Her answer surprised me. “What do you mean it’s dull? I had an interior designer decorate my office.”

  Sage shrugged.

  Joey came in with two cheeseburgers and fries. He stared at Sage as she took a fry from her plate.

  “After I finish my homework, I’ll draw you a picture to add to your office. It lacks color. You should see my room. I couldn’t decide on what color to paint on my walls, so my mom let me throw so many colors on a white one.”

  For some reason, this surprised me. Maia was always organized and I was certain she would hate the mess throwing paint would create. “Your mom let you do that?”

  Sage was writing something on her book and then nodded her head. “Yes. She always lets me do the fun things I suggest to her as long as they’re reasonable.”

  I never thought Maia would be a fun parent. When we were dating, we used to joke about how I would be the fun dad and how she would wrap our kids in protective gear when they were with me. It felt nice to know she didn’t turn out like the strict mother we thought she would be.

  For the next thirty minutes, Sage did her homework and would ask for my help from time to time. It was actually fun to help her but I liked our conversations even more. It seemed as if Sage was a grown-up trapped in a little body with the way she talked. I liked her perspective on things and her witty sense of humor.

  She suddenly handed me a drawing. It was a pretty picture of her take on my office, only it was bright and filled with colors.

  “You think my office should look like this?”

  Sage nodded. “You need a lot of colors to brighten up your mood. Black is depressing and maybe that’s why I first thought you would be no fun.”

  I playfully narrowed my eyes at her and pulled her close to me. I poked her on the side. “You really think I’m no fun, huh?”

  She squirmed, ticklish. She squealed when I found her tickle spot. Then looked at me and grinned sheepishly. “I just think that men in suits are not fun at all.”

  “What should I do to make you change your mind?”

  She looked thoughtful for a moment and then looked at me. “Does your pool have a slide?”

  I cocked my head to the side. “This is a hotel, not a waterpark, Sage.”

  She pouted. “It would be fun if there’s a slide! See! I was right. Old people are always thinking about business and not fun things.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at her logic and then I pushed her aside a little and stood up. “You’re done with your homework and you’ve already eaten. Want me to give you a tour of my hotel?”

  She nodded and then reached for my hand again.

  I liked that she trusted me even when this was the first time she’d met me and she saw how hesitant Joanne was with leaving her with me. We were at the door when I asked the question. “Can I ask you something, Sage?”

  She looked up at me with her light brown eyes. “Sure thing, Mr. Ansel.”

  I smiled a little when she called me ‘Mr. Ansel’. “This is the first time that you’ve met me. Didn’t your parents teach you not to trust strangers? I mean, I’m not saying I’m a bad guy but you’re so comfortable with me that it’s amusing to me.”

  Sage looked thoughtful again for a moment and then her expression softened and she shrugged. “Aunt Joanne knew you, so you’re not a stranger. You’re also my mom’s boss, so I don’t think you can be a bad guy.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Most of all, you gave my mom a job. She was having a really hard time even when she didn’t say anything. I’m thankful to you because you gave my mom a job.” She smiled at me, a full grin that showed her teeth. She was missing one at the front and another at the bottom.

  Her toothy smile was enough to make me smile back at her, but I immediately thought of the resignation letter Maia had handed into Alice and Doug. My heart sank at the idea of a little girl like Sage noticing her mother having a hard time being unemployed. The thought of Maia unemployed again and raising her daughter on her own was probably the best excuse I could use not to fire her.

  And maybe Doug was right. I had been pestering Maia since I found out she’d been hired as the sous chef because I’d felt desperate to win her back. I missed her but my aggressive advances hadn’t been working and now it only led to her wanting to quit. I honestly thought my persistence would win her back but at this point, I had to accept the hard fact that it was pushing her away.

  Maybe at this point, slow and steady would win her heart.

  7

  Maia

  “Chef Maia, Mr. Moore wants to see you,” Taylor called out after stepping in the kitchen.

  By now, we were wrapping up the food for the buffet. I paused and contemplated for a moment.

  Taylor approached me, her dark eyes twinkling at me. They’d been teasing me with Ansel since after the grand launch incident and it had been getting on my nerves.

  I wondered why Ansel wanted to see me. He hadn’t asked for me since I’d rejected to be his date and the food he had set aside for me. Ansel must’ve been busy and I felt like the pile of work he had to do was heaven-sent for me. It meant he didn’t have time to bother me and I could work in peace.

  But at the same time, I had handed in a resignation letter to Alice and Doug. They were shocked when they received it, especially when they’d been aware of how desperate I was to get the job. I didn’t really want to go into detail why I had wanted to quit but I felt like they knew. I didn’t like the attention Ansel was giving me. It was burdening.

  I removed my hat and apron then set them aside as I followed Taylor out. “I thought he’d been busy.”

  Taylor grinned at me. Her ebony skin beamed under the fluorescent lights and for a moment, I was in awe at how pretty she was. Since I started working here, I’d grown close to Taylor and Jenna, one of the station chefs. It was nice to have girlfriends in the kitchen and restaurant but they also had been teasing me nonstop with Ansel.

  “Joey came by and told me to tell you to come to Mr. Moore’s office when you’re not busy anymore,” Taylor informed me and then winked. “And you know, I contemplated whether or not I should phrase it like, ‘Mr. Moore wants to see you now.’ Knowing there’s something between you two, it’s kind of sexy to phrase it like that. Fifty Shades vibe.”

  I made a face and shook my head at her. “There’s nothing going on between us, Taylor. How many times am I supposed to say that to you and Jenna?”

  “Until it’s true,” Taylor said teasingly as she patted my shoulder and then left.

  I turned to the corner and headed to the hallway that would lead me to Ansel’s office.

  Joey sat at his desk and gave me a small wave. We were a little awkward with each other but that was probably because he was usually the one to deliver my rejection to his boss. Joey motioned for me to enter the office.

  Just as I was about to knock, I heard a familiar giggle.

  “Mom would be upset if I ruined my clothes! Maybe next time I come, I’ll bring a swimsuit so I could play in the pool.”

  My heart raced at the sound of the voice and I quickly opened the door.

  Sage looked i
n my direction and let out comforting squeal. “Mommy!” She rushed to where I stood and wrapped her arms around my waist.

  I knelt down and kissed her on the forehead but my heart continued to thump loudly in my chest. “Hi, sweetie. What are you doing here? Where’s your Aunt Joanne?”

  “Joanne was trying to call you,” Ansel cut in. “And I’m sure she left you a message. She had an emergency and couldn’t bring Sage with her. She was going to leave her with you but I told her you were busy and took care of her myself instead. Sage has done her homework and has eaten, I also gave her a tour of the hotel.”

  “And I wanted to go swimming but I don’t have anything to wear for that. Ansel promised me I could do it next time though.”

  In a span of a few hours the two of them had spent together, my daughter had already grown comfortable with him. I wasn’t sure if I should be thankful for Ansel or be pissed that he didn’t inform me that my daughter had been here in the same establishment as I was for hours. But Sage kept beaming at him and it wouldn’t be a good idea if I picked a fight with him.

  “Thank you for keeping her company but I would’ve appreciated it even more if you told me my daughter was here. I’ll pay for whatever snack she had earlier. I’ll bring her with me to the restaurant. We’re wrapping up already anyway.”

  “Have dinner with me.”

  There he was again. I pursed my lips. “I think it’d be best for Sage and me to go home. Thank you for the offer though.”

  “Oh, but Momma, please?” Sage peered up at me. “Ansel actually toured me around his house too and he has a Nintendo Switch. I really want to play Mario Kart.”

  I gave Sage a pointed look. “Sage, it’s a school night.” I wanted to sound as stern as I could possibly be.

  “But Momma, please? I’m already done with all of my homework and I don’t have anything to study for. I’ve been on my best behavior with Ansel too!”

  “She had been eyeing it earlier when I toured her around my place. I asked her if she wanted to play one game but she declined, said she needed to inform you first,” Ansel told me and he looked at Sage with a small smile. “That’s why I’m offering you two to have dinner. I couldn’t bear the longing look on her face earlier. She already can’t play in the pool. This is the least I could do for her to have fun.”

  I gritted my teeth in annoyance. I wanted to decline but both of them were looking at me with begging eyes. If I didn’t say yes, Sage wasn’t the type of kid to throw a tantrum if she didn’t get what she wanted but she would be disappointed. I also knew how much she wanted to play a Nintendo Switch and this was her chance.

  With a forced smile, I nodded my head. “Okay. We’ll have dinner with Mr. Moore. I’ll finish up in the kitchen and meet you here?”

  “You can meet us in my penthouse,” Ansel said casually and then opened a drawer on his desk. It was the same passkey Joey had given me on the night of the launch. He handed me the passkey and

  I stared at it and turned to Sage. “Be good to Mr. Moore, alright, sweetie?”

  Sage grinned. “I’ve been good to him all day, Mom. I think he likes me.”

  I could only give her a small smile but a part of me was a little surprised. Ansel had never been good with kids. I turned to him. “I’ll see you at your house and thank you, again, for taking care of her. I know you’re not used to being stuck with kids.”

  Ansel smiled at me and shrugged. “She’s your daughter. I’d take care of her anytime.”

  Plastering a fake smile on my face, I slipped out of his office and went back to the kitchen. The whole time I was wrapping things up there, all I could think about were Ansel and Sage. It was surprising for me to see the two of them getting along. Ansel used to avoid children at all costs, whatever their age might be.

  But Ansel just spent the rest of the afternoon with my daughter and they seemed to be getting along great. I also didn’t want Sage to be too comfortable with him. I had submitted a resignation letter to Alice and Doug earlier. So when I lost this job, she’d ask more questions. She would wonder why I lost the job when my boss seemed like a nice guy to her.

  “Heading home?” Jenna asked after we changed back into our clothes.

  I shook my head. “No. Not yet. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  Jenna looked at me with curiosity shining in her blue eyes but nodded her head. She waved goodbye.

  I watched as she left the building. I lingered around for a bit, making sure no one would see me slip into the elevator and head to the penthouse. The last thing I needed was to add fuel to the flame.

  When I reached the top floor, it occurred to me that Ansel usually had someone else cook for him. After all, he lived in a hotel and both Alice and Doug did too. They must cook for him or something. When I came into his house though, I could already smell dinner being cooked and my daughter sat in front of the TV, focused on the game she was playing.

  “Hey, you’re here!” Ansel greeted me. “I made naked pasta. It’s either that or spaghetti but I was craving this more. Sage didn’t really want anything in particular.”

  He wore an apron which was an absolutely odd sight for me since I never saw him wear one when we were dating. “She has a chef for a mom. Any cravings she had were always satisfied,” I told him with a small shrug of my shoulders. I wanted to sit by Sage in the living room.

  However, Ansel reached for my wrist and wrapped his hand around it, tugging me to the kitchen. “Let her be. She was so excited to play when we got here and I have a feeling that you might want her to leave right after dinner.”

  When he said this, I felt guilty because that was honestly what I planned to do. He pulled me in the kitchen and I stood in the middle, staring at the elegantly designed space I always had a soft spot for.

  Something seemed familiar with how it looked and I ran my hand over the white granite and stopped on the wooden counter. This part would be perfect to use when you’re baking. The moment the thought occurred to me, I drew my hand back.

  “I had you in mind when I was talking with the architect and interior designer,” he admitted.

  His statement made me look at him in wonder. “You haven’t seen me for eight years, Ansel.”

  He shrugged. “True but you never left my mind since then. I thought that I’d be okay if we broke up but the truth was, I struggled a lot after I lost you. It’s why I’ve always looked for you. It was stupid of me to have let you go.”

  I clenched my hands into fists. “Please don’t direct the conversation there, Ansel. You invited me and my daughter here for dinner. I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about our past when she’s under the same room roof as us.”

  Ansel handed me a glass filled with light pink liquid and I brought it to my lips, needing the drink.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry if my approach has been too aggressive for you. I was being inconsiderate, insensitive, and selfish. I should’ve kept in mind the position that we both had and the length of time we’ve been apart. And the heartbreak that you suffered because of me.”

  His statement made me stare at him in absolute surprise. Ansel was never one to humble himself down and admit any wrong he had done. The guy thrived on his pride and almost never apologized to me. It had been one of the few troubling things about our relationship but I’d always made up for it to keep the relationship from sinking.

  Then Ansel surprised me again by pulling something out of the back pocket of his jeans. He waved the right envelope in front of me. “Alice and Doug told me about this earlier. They said you wanted to quit,” he said all of this in a hushed tone and even he was cautiously glancing at the living room and making sure Sage was still engrossed in her game. “Is it because of me, Maia?”

  I snatched the envelope from his hand and sipped at my drink again. If Ansel wanted to discuss this before dinner, I needed a bit of liquid courage to discuss it with him. “Yes, Ansel, it is because of you. It’s because of you and your aggressive advances. I made it clear to you that I
came here to work in your restaurant.” Looking at him and meeting his honey eyes, I added, “I made it clear to you that you don’t have a chance getting back into my heart after the way you broke it.”

  I expected him to disagree and tell me he was only doing all of this because he really wanted me back.

  Instead, Ansel looked down and let out a sigh. When he met my gaze again, he looked apologetic. “Don’t quit, Maia. You need the job. I know about you being broke and you’re raising Sage all on your own. I don’t want you to suffer again.”

  Despite the fact I knew he was saying this in a good way, I couldn’t help but take it in another way. “My life is mine to live, Ansel.”

  He sighed and ran a hand through his light hair. “Look, don’t quit. Stay with us here in Onyx Shrine. And I’ll even make you the head chef! I’ll discuss it with Doug. He’ll be fine with having someone co-head the restaurant with him. You can make him handle the things he does right now and you can handle everything else in the kitchen like you already are. But your pay will be the same as his. In that way, you and Sage can live comfortably. As for Sage, you don’t have to leave her with Joanne every afternoon. Sage told me about it earlier. I’ll let her hang around here in the hotel and then she can go home with when you get off of work. How does that sound? It sounds good, right? I put a lot of thought into everything.”

  All I could do was stare at Ansel and wonder if he was being stupid or if, once again, he was showing off his riches even when he seemed to be doing it unconsciously. “Are you mocking me right now, Ansel?”

  His eyes widened. “What? No. No! Of course not. Look, I just don’t want you to quit, Maia. I know you need a job. It’ll make me feel bad if you quit because I was annoying you. All I really want to do is just help you out. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

  I could hear the genuine worry in his voice. It was even evident in his eyes. Ansel was worried about Sage and me and I didn’t know how I was supposed to process that. “Why are you so worried about us?”