by Kendall Ryan
The second the water hit her, she went quiet and I let out a sigh of relief.
I hated to hear her cry. Before I went to bed tonight, I needed to try to look up some more teething remedies because this shit was for the birds.
I knelt on the floor and rolled my sleeves up before setting a couple of her bath toys into the water. For a blessed few minutes, all was quiet. And then, it was too quiet. The sounds of her splashing and her bare bottom squeaking against the tub went still. The little cooing sounds she made as she moved her rubber ducky through the water ceased. And when I dared to look at her face, it was screwed up in intense concentration that could only mean one thing.
“No, no, nonononono!” I stuffed my hands under her arms and tried to lift her out of the water, but it was too late. Bubbles rose from the depths, followed by two brown logs that were definitely not chocolate.
“Addison?” I hollered as Dylan let out a peal of laughter. “Addison!” I called out again, frantic as Dylan’s oil-slicked body slipped from my grasp. I lunged for her again, watching in horror as she reached out a chubby little hand to grab one of the floating logs.
She was just about to make contact when Addison pushed through the door and let out a gasp. “Shit!”
Her voice distracted Dylan just long enough for me to grab her and pull her from the tub. She plastered her soaking-wet body against me and laughed some more.
“Huh,” Addison said, a smile finally reaching her tired eyes as she looked on. “I wonder if she was just constipated.”
I let out a groan as she grabbed a towel and took the baby from my arms, swaddling her in it.
“How about you take her into your bathroom and give her a quick hose-down, and I’ll take care of the floating logs of doom?” she asked, her lips quirking slightly in a way that made the ice wedged inside my chest start to melt.
She wasn’t dumping us. Well, not Dylan at least.
It was a start.
I thanked her and rushed Dylan into the master bathroom to complete the bath-time ritual. Thirty minutes later, she was already nodding off on her changing table as I dressed her in her jammies.
“She’s going to be out like a light,” Addison said from the doorway.
I turned to see her there, looking like she might do the same.
“She didn’t nap at all, so she’s going to be pooped.”
It was exactly that, some off-the-cuff remark that Addison probably hadn’t even meant to be funny, that had me chuckling and then belly laughing a few seconds later.
“Pooped,” I repeated, trying to keep quiet so as not to wake the baby.
Addison started laughing as well, and she held a finger up to her lips. “I swear to heaven, if you wake her, she’s all yours. I’m shot,” she whispered threateningly.
I nodded and lifted the baby, transferring her to the crib in one smooth motion. Addison and I crept out of the room like we’d just stolen something. We didn’t speak again until we reached the living room.
“Well, that was something,” I muttered, raking a hand through my hair and sending a pitying glance down at my soaked shirt. It was only when Addison let out a strangled groan that I realized the wet white cotton was totally transparent, and my abs and chest were on full display. I locked gazes with her, and her cheeks flushed pink.
Jesus fucking Christ. As bad as it all was, she still wanted me.
Thank you, God.
“Look, about last night—”
“You’re my boss,” she said swiftly. “You don’t own me an explanation.”
“But I want to be more than that. For real, Addison. So I need you to know, I don’t think it was a mistake, what we did. I think it could be the start of something amazing. Don’t walk away from that, please.”
She stared at me and lifted a hand to her chest. “Y-you don’t want to end it? I thought what with Jenn coming and all, that you guys were getting back together.”
I wanted to kick myself for not forcing the issue last night and making Addison listen to me, but damn, she’d said she didn’t want to be with me, so what would the point have been? Now, though, I realized there was no way I was giving up without a fight.
“She came to try to get me back. When I told her I wasn’t interested but that we could discuss visitation with Dylan, she declined.”
I still couldn’t believe that Jenn had been so frank with me. So unashamed about her intentions and lack of love for our daughter, but there it was. The ugly truth.
I shook my head slowly and shrugged. “She just wasn’t meant to be a mother, I guess. She agreed that, all things considered, if we couldn’t be together, it would be best if I take full custody of Dylan. She agreed to give it to me without a fight if I released her from any financial obligation. So I did. Papers will be signed next week.”
It was twisted. I didn’t want to be happy, because Dylan deserved a mother who loved her, but the truth was this was for the best. If the only reason Jenn wanted Dylan in her life was to get to me? That wasn’t a mother’s love at all.
“I’m sorry it happened that way, Max. I wish you’d said something. I was so worried about my own feelings, I didn’t stop to consider how hard her coming here must have been for you.”
I stepped closer, relief flooding me when Addison didn’t pull away. “You had no way of knowing how things had gone down. I should’ve told you she called in the first place. Can we have a do-over?” I asked, tugging her close and closing my hands over her hips. “You get in bed tonight, drink your chamomile tea, and get a good night’s sleep while I set the house straight. And then tomorrow, we start fresh. We tell each other everything. How we’re feeling, what we’re worried about, if we’re feeling threatened, or even if we need some space. Complete honesty and a real-life, grown-up relationship. What do you say?”
She leaned up and kissed me on the mouth, but not before I saw a shadow pass over her face. “Yes,” she murmured, curling her arms around my neck and hugging me close. “I want that so much, Max.”
I squeezed her hard and then released her, stepping back with a groan. “If you’re going to go, go now. My mind knows you’re tired and overwrought, but my dick definitely doesn’t give a shit.”
She cocked her head, the shadow fading as an interested gleam entered her eyes. “I’m tired, but I’m not that tired.”
“Nope,” I said, using her shoulders to turn her around and usher her toward her room. “No way. I’m probably still harboring some sort of doo-doo parasites, and you have Spaghetti-Os in your hair, not to mention the fact that your eyes are crossing with exhaustion. Tomorrow, we’re going to wake up to a new day. Clean clothes, clean house, clean baby—”
“Clean hair,” she added with a laugh as she dutifully headed down the hallway.
“And then, you and I can get dirty at night together,” I added.
Addison turned and eyed me for a long moment, looking so intrigued by the thought that I almost dragged her back and bent her over something.
“Promise?” she asked.
“Oh, fuck yeah. Scout’s honor.”
And I couldn’t wait.
Chapter Nineteen
Max
I stared down at the cookbook and groaned.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered.
Not only had I forgotten to add the butter, but I’d put in five tablespoons of flour instead of teaspoons. I picked up the bowl and upended it over the trashcan. Thirty minutes of mixing and measuring and whisking, all down the drain.
“Sum a bitch,” Dylan muttered as she struggled to get hold of a rogue Cheerio on her tray.
I let out a groan and bent low until we were eye to eye. “Please, do Daddy a favor and don’t tell Addison where you picked that up from, okay, pumpkin?”
Her eyes lit up and she laughed. “Assin?”
My heart beat double-time and I tickled her chin. “Did you say Addison? Say it again. Addison.”
“Assin,” she chortled back gleefully.
Okay, so maybe
my raspberry soufflé was in the shitter, but the baby had just said Addison’s name for the first time. If my own emotional reaction to hearing it was any indication, Addison was going to be stoked.
I opened the oven door and peered in at the browning pot roast. It looked exactly like the picture in the book, and smelled like a home run. I just had to hope that I was enough for dessert.
The doorbell rang and I swiped a hand over the dishtowel I’d tucked into the waist of my jeans.
“Be right back,” I murmured to the baby, heading for the door. I swung it open to find my mom standing there, her face full of anticipation.
“Where’s my baby girl?” she said, pushing past me and swiveling her head around as she searched for Dylan.
“Hello to you, my wonderful mother,” I said with a smirk, bending low to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Boy, it didn’t take long for me to go from prodigal son to persona non grata, did it?”
She slapped my chest gently and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly. You’ll always hold a place in my heart, dear. She just holds the rest,” she said with a wink. “Now, where’s that little angel?”
I gestured to the kitchen and Mom scurried away. I joked about it, but the truth was, I couldn’t be more thrilled about how quickly my parents had opened their hearts to Dylan. As parents, they’d been loving but reserved, attentive but strict. As grandparents? That tiny baby girl had them wrapped around her finger.
They’d only seen her a few times since she’d moved in with me because my father had gotten a stomach flu they hadn’t wanted to transmit, but they Facetimed with us three times a week, and couldn’t wait to get their hands on her again now that he was better. When I’d called to ask if they wanted to have an overnight visit, they were ecstatic.
It was going to be weird to be without Dylan. I’d become so accustomed to her being here, to hearing her sighs in the middle of the night and kissing her downy head in the morning. But tonight, after the rough couple days we’d had, I wanted to focus completely on Addison and whatever this was growing between us. She deserved my undivided attention because it was finally starting to hit me that this could actually be the real thing between us.
By the time I got back into the kitchen, my mother had already gotten Dylan out of her high chair and was shouldering her diaper bag.
“Don’t forget. She doesn’t like cold water, so give it to her room temp,” I said, bending to ruffle my daughter’s soft curls. “And she hates peas. If you try to give them to her, she’ll spit them out and refuse to eat anything else. Also, no grapes unless you slice them l—”
“Lengthwise,” my mother cut in dryly, shaking her head in mock disgust. “I swear, it’s like you think you hatched from an egg fully grown. I got you through your toddler years just fine, so spare the lessons, kid.” She hoisted the baby higher on her hip and bustled over toward me. “Now, give your mother a kiss good-bye so I can get out of your hair and you can try to seduce this nanny of yours.”
I froze and stared at her in stunned disbelief. “How . . . what do you mean?”
“You said you needed a sitter for a date. I’ve seen and talked to your nanny during a couple of our Facetime visits, and you’d be stupid not to give it a whirl,” she said with a shrug. “Judging by your face, I’d say I’ve confirmed my suspicions. Don’t mess it up; she seems like a good egg.”
With that, Mom wheeled around and made for the door again, disappearing as quickly as she’d come.
Don’t mess it up, indeed. No pressure there.
The oven timer went off, saving me from having to think about that dire warning for too long, and I bent to take the roast out, releasing the scent of roasting meat and onions into the air.
“Oh my God, that smells like heaven,” Addison said, stepping into the kitchen and tossing her keys onto the island.
I grinned and set the pan on the stove before turning to face her. “Thanks. I didn’t even hear you come in.”
I’d sent her off to get a spa treatment that afternoon, hoping it would scrub away the memory of pasta-hair and shit-water from the night before. Her glowing skin spoke volumes, but her eyes were glassy with tears. She swiped them away and forced a smile.
“I came in just as your mom was leaving. Boy, she is a real bundle of energy. She looks like a kid at Christmas.”
“Yeah, she’s excited,” I agreed, my stomach sinking as I stepped closer and took her hand. “But don’t try to distract me. What’s going on? You’re crying, Addison.”
She let out a snort that turned into a broken sob, and my heart cracked in two. Not at all what I had planned for tonight. I just wanted to make her smile.
“Talk to me. Are you hurt?” I asked, pulling her into the circle of my arms.
“N-no. Oh God, it’s so dumb. When your mom said hello to me, Dylan said my name. She called me Assin.” She laughed again and then hiccupped. “You must think I’m a frigging idiot right now.”
“On the contrary, I think you’re so fucking amazing, you take my breath away.” I pulled back and stared into her eyes. “And the fact that you love my daughter so much means everything to me.”
“She’s the best kid in the world,” Addison said. “You didn’t have to ask your parents to take her tonight, you know.”
“I do know. But I wanted to.” I lowered my mouth to hers, swearing to myself it would just be the one kiss for now. I’d planned to romance Addison, to feed and pamper her all night. But the second our mouths touched, it set off an avalanche of need, and I gripped her closer.
She opened her mouth and touched her tongue to mine, groaning as I pulled her closer.
So sweet . . . her skin was so soft. It smelled like honey and cinnamon, and I drew back and managed to grin down at her.
“You smell delicious. If that was a trap to try to get me to go down on you, it was a wasted effort. It’s pretty much all I think about anyway.”
Her cheeks went pink with pleasure and her gaze shot to my mouth. “You have a great mouth, Max,” she admitted softly.
Her words sent a hot rush of blood to my cock and I dived back at her with a growl, this time going for her neck. I trailed my tongue over the silky skin and closed my teeth gently over her flesh as I let my hand roam up her rib cage to cover her breast.
Her nipple instantly hardened, and I rubbed it between my fingers. Her back bowed, pressing her closer against me, smashing her pussy tight against my needy cock.
Fuck yeah.
How could I have missed this so much when we’d only done it once before?
Damn, though, that once had been a mind blower. As I recalled how her cunt felt squeezing my fingers, dinner suddenly seemed like a waste of precious time.
“How hungry are you?” I asked softly, my lips still against her throat.
I felt the vibrations of her chuckle as she shook her head. “Not very. Why, you got a better idea?”
I shoved aside the mail that still sat on the counter from earlier that afternoon and sent it scattering to the floor like confetti. Then I gripped her waist and hoisted her up onto the countertop.
With her deep, throaty moan spurring me on, I yanked her shirt up, and with nimble fingers unclasped the front catch of her bra. Her pert breasts spilled forward and the breath whooshed out of me.
“You’re killing me, Addison. It’s like you were plucked from my fantasies and put on earth to torture me.”
I pressed my hand to the small of her back, urging her to arch forward as I caught the tip of one breast between my teeth. She curled her legs around my hips and let her head fall back as a moan escaped her lips. Realizing that I still had a free hand, I slipped it between us and shimmied her cotton skirt up a little higher. She cried out as I cupped her through the lace of her tiny panties.
I sucked hard, drawing her nipple deep into my mouth, laving it with my tongue before letting go.
“I can feel how fucking wet you are.”
She let her head loll forward to meet my gaze. “You mak
e me so hot, Max. All I can think about is how good it feels to have you inside me.”
I curled my fingers around her underwear and yanked hard. She gasped, shivering as they came away in my hand. I let them fall to the floor and then cupped her waiting pussy. The wet heat branded my skin as I palmed her gently.
“Max,” she breathed, shuddering as she wrapped one arm around my shoulders. “We have all night. Just this once, hard and fast?” she pleaded.
I had sworn that this night would be all about Addison, and if she wanted hard and fast, hard and fast was what she’d get.
I released her and used both hands to yank at my button fly, tearing my jeans open and freeing my cock. It bobbed between us and I grabbed hold, pausing to gaze down at her bare cunt for a brief, perfect moment. I’d seen her before, but only in dim light. Here and now, she was so totally open to me, so wet and slick, it was like my daydreams had come to life.
I moved my hand up and down over my shaft, wishing I could be everywhere at once. Eating her pussy . . . pounding my cock into her . . . sliding my hands in her hair as she sucked me . . . watching her beautiful face flush with desire as I exploded, jetting hot cum all over those perfect tits.
Addison’s eyes were locked on my hand as I worked my swollen member in smooth strokes until a bead of pre-cum glistened from the head.
“If you don’t fuck me right now . . .” Addison reached out to run her thumb over my aching tip, catching the creamy bead. I watched, light-headed, as she lifted her thumb to her mouth and sucked.
“Condom,” I muttered, half in a trance as I stared down at her. “I have to go get—”
“I’m on the pill and was tested last month,” she murmured breathlessly. “Are you . . .”
“Oh yeah,” I growled in response. Dylan had been conceived despite condom use. In fact, this would mark the very first time I’d ever fucked without one. If felt so fitting to have it be that way, with nothing between us.
I pressed myself into her and arched forward, flexing my jaw to keep from letting a string of curses fly. Her cunt fit me like a glove, cupping me, squeezing me, milking me with every inch I fed her.