“Please do. That was…that was…” Addison shook her head. No words.
“I will take that as a compliment as well.”
Addison nodded and turned her head slightly to look into those rich brown eyes. Eyes that were sparkling. Eyes filled with kindness and caring. Eyes of a woman she… Before she realized it was happening, Addison felt her own eyes well up. What is happening? screamed through her head as she clenched her jaw tightly and willed away the emotion.
Katie’s entire expression softened as she used her thumb to wipe away the one tear that must have escaped. “It’s okay,” she whispered.
There was only one way to eclipse the embarrassment that threatened to swamp Addison, and she grabbed onto it. In one quick move, she had Katie on her back, Addison’s entire body stretched out above her. “It will be,” she said, just before she kissed Katie with every ounce of energy and feeling she had. And when she finally pulled back, Katie’s eyes were wide, her breathing ragged, and she made a sound that was a sexy cross between a whimper and a moan that had Addison instantly wet all over again.
Yeah, this was going to take a while.
Chapter Seventeen
Thank God for Uber, Katie thought, as she never seemed to have her own car anymore. She sat in the back of a Toyota Camry driven by “Karl” and wondered if he could tell by looking at her what her night had been like. Did she look like she’d spent hours making love with the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen? Did she smell like it? And that thought made her grin. And blush a little. And sink down into her seat…which brought to her attention the pleasant soreness that she’d woken up with. A little stiff here, a little tender there…
God, what a night.
Katie hated to leave this morning, but she knew she should get home to help her mother with her father. While it was true that having the home health aide helped immensely, she still felt like she should be there more often than she was. Her mom was still exhausted and her father wasn’t going to get anything but worse. When Katie had texted last night to tell her mom she would be staying at Addison’s, Liz was nothing but excitedly supportive. Still, Katie wanted to get home. She needed to.
She probably should’ve woken Addison up, but she looked so gorgeous, so beautifully peaceful when she was sound asleep. So different than her tense alertness in the office. Her breathing was deep and even, her lips slightly parted, the comforter covering most of her but leaving one leg enticingly visible. Katie knew if she did wake Addison up, she wouldn’t be leaving any time soon. So she’d hunted for paper and left a note. Then, not wanting to get back into her dress and heels from last night, she snagged a pair of yoga pants, a bright blue sweatshirt, and some Nikes that were only about half a size too big for her.
What could only be described as a dreamy sigh escaped her lips as Karl pulled up in front of her house. She thanked him and headed inside.
“Well, there she is.” Her father’s cheerful voice surprised Katie, made her stand in the foyer and blink for a beat before reminding herself to take every moment she could and savor it. David sat in his chair watching what looked to be Deadliest Catch on the television. “Hi, Katie-cat. Have a fun night?” he asked her.
With a nod, Katie crossed over to kiss him on the cheek as she said, “I did. Very much so,” and tried to hide the tears that welled in her eyes, just as they did every time her father actually seemed like himself. Her mother came from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel, a knowing grin on her face. When Liz raised her eyebrows, Katie chuckled and held up a finger. “Let me go shower first.”
As she undressed, she held the sweatshirt to her face and inhaled deeply, taking in the unique scent of Addison. She couldn’t describe its combination accurately—a blend of something spicy, something woodsy, something edible—but knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was her. If she were blindfolded and given three different shirts to smell, she’d easily be able to pick out which one belonged to Addison. She felt surrounded by that scent and she loved that, was almost reluctant to get in the shower and scrub it all away. She actually lingered on the bath mat for a long moment before sighing and stepping inside.
The hot water of the shower reminded her how sore she was as it beat on her shoulders, her thighs. Even her nipples ached, and the sudden flash she got of Addison’s mouth on them, her hands, her fingers, sent a surge of wetness between her legs that had nothing at all to do with the shower. She stood under the water for a long time, her hands folded near her chin—she could still smell Addison on them—while her brain played her a sexy little montage of the previous night. Naked bodies, sweat-slicked skin, whimpers and moans and cries. The feel of Addison’s astonishingly sexy body under her hands, her mouth. The feel of Addison’s hands and mouth on Katie’s own body. How they’d hurried and slowed, then hurried, then slowed. Addison’s beautiful blue eyes filling with tears after that first time, and how sweetly embarrassed she’d been by them. Katie let the water beat down on her until she was pink from head to toe and the heat began to taper, which was a good thing because her memories had her overheating in a major way.
She got out, dried herself off, and put on her own leggings, but opted for Addison’s sweatshirt again. There was something about wearing Addison’s clothes that made Katie feel closer to her somehow, kept the memories of last night alive, fresh. She left her hair wet, her face devoid of makeup, and headed downstairs to face all the questions her mother surely had.
Liz sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Voices from the living room told Katie that the home health aide had arrived.
“You look much more relaxed than you have,” Katie said to her mom, as she got herself a mug and filled it with coffee from the fresh pot on the counter. It was true. She still looked very tired and a little sad—always a little sad—but the stress that usually veiled her features was a bit less obvious.
Liz sipped her coffee as Katie took a seat across from her. “Speaking of relaxed, tell me about your night.”
It was interesting to look at her mother then. Interesting because, as an adult, Katie could now see different aspects of facial expressions that she never noticed as a kid. For example, right then, Liz’s face held a combination of emotions, and Katie knew her so well that she could see each of them clearly. There was curiosity, of course. There was an edge of excited “tell me all the dirty details,” as if they were college roommates. There was also a sheen of worry, of concern, and Katie understood that just as well as the other feelings because she had her own worry and concern. She’d slept with her boss. On top of that, she had developed feelings for her boss.
In the grand scheme of things, neither was good, but she honestly wasn’t sure which was worse.
* * *
When Addison opened her eyes on Sunday morning, she noticed a couple of things right away. First of all, she’d slept like a baby and now felt more rested and energized than she could remember feeling in…well, she couldn’t remember when. Ever? It was possible. Second, she was alone in the bed. She lay there listening for several moments but finally came to the conclusion that, yes, she was by herself. The disappointment she felt about that was a little bit stronger than she wanted to acknowledge, but when she turned her head to her right—the side of the bed Katie’d fallen asleep on last night—and saw the note propped up against the bedside lamp, that disappointment faded. Addison rolled onto her stomach and reached for the piece of paper.
I had to get home to help with my dad and I couldn’t bear to wake you, you looked so peaceful. Had an amazing time last night. Text later.
Katie had drawn a swirly little heart and signed her name. Addison shook her head at the schoolgirl grin the note brought to her face. While she would have preferred to lounge around this morning and have breakfast together—something she hadn’t done with anybody in years—she knew Katie had an obligation to her family, and Addison would never stand in the way of that. It was true that her own father was often absent, but she knew if she needed him, h
e’d show up. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to have him nearby all the time but not be mentally present for much of it.
Rolling onto her back again, Addison stared up at the high ceiling of her bedroom and let herself reminisce about the limb-melting, toe-curling night she’d spent with Katie. Her grin widened as the thought occurred to her that Katie’s cheerful enthusiasm in life also carried into the bedroom, where she was very much engaged and fun and completely open. Even better, Katie liked to snatch the upper hand from Addison—not something Addison was used to or allowed very often. But Katie had done so several times even after that first one. Once the clothes had all come off, they’d been on utterly equal ground—something new for Addison. She was used to being the boss, being in charge. But Katie Cooper had no problem playing that role, and surprisingly, Addison had no problem letting her. In her mind’s eye, she recalled Katie above her on her hands and knees, looking down into her eyes. Telling her how sexy she was and then using her knees to push Addison’s apart, almost roughly.
Arousal washed through her now as she recalled their third—or was it fourth?—time, Katie’s hands on her thighs, holding her open as Katie’s mouth, her tongue, did such sexy, erotic things to her, and a gentle, insistent throbbing began as she lay there in the morning light. Addison reached for her phone and, before she could overthink, sent a text to Katie.
I want you. Right now.
Then she tossed the phone back onto the nightstand and let her memory have its way with her for a while longer.
When she got out of the shower a little while later, there was a text waiting from Katie.
The feeling is totally, completely, utterly mutual.
Addison couldn’t keep the grin off her face. That is, until the next text came through fifteen minutes later. From her mother.
Family dinner tonight. 7 pm. Do not be late.
No preamble. No comments—good or bad—about last night. And just like that, Addison’s lovely, carefree mood flew away to parts unknown. For a split second, she actually thought she could see it, that mood, sprouting wings and taking off from her shoulder, leaving her far behind while her usual worries and stress and intensity came stomping back in to take over. As if on cue, her stomach cramped for the first time in days, and Addison clenched her teeth as she bent forward slightly to ride it out.
It was kind of amazing how quickly her outlook could shift. Even Addison was aware of it, though she tried not to dwell. She did her best to shove Katie and their amazing night together into a corner of her mind so she could focus on the work she’d brought home on Friday. She spent most of Sunday on her laptop, returning emails, sending some out, doing research on James Lang and his complexes, even though she’d already learned everything she could possibly know about the man, from his age (fifty-seven) to his marital status (on wife number three) to his favorite sport (golf…of course) from him last night. And when she couldn’t take it anymore, she sent a text to Katrina asking if her mother was mad at her for leaving the gala early. Her sister’s return text came almost immediately.
She’ll get over it. More importantly, HOW ARE YOU?
The capital letters made Addison chuckle, and before she could answer, another text came.
Did you and Katie leave together?
Addison gazed out the window at the light flurries as she thought about how to answer. If she should answer at all. It wasn’t like they were subtle. They left the gala pretty much hand in hand and never returned. There really was only one conclusion anybody who had seen them could come to. Her phone beeped again with another text.
Addie, it’s okay. Katie’s great. You light up when she’s around.
Was that true? Addison’s brow furrowed as she pondered the words. Because the reality was setting in now. In the harsh light of day, the facts were suddenly clear. Katie was Addison’s subordinate, and Fairchild Enterprises had a strict code about that sort of thing.
Won’t matter to Mom, she texted back.
Katrina’s response didn’t come right away this time. Several minutes went by and Addison wished they were in the same room so she could see her sister’s face, get a read on what she was thinking. Finally, the text came. You never know. Not exactly a super-positive response. More likely, it was Katrina trying to make her feel better. Which was nice of her, Addison had to admit. She was lucky to have such a great sister, even if she didn’t always cop to it.
I’m sure I’ll find out tonight.
The text exchange ended there and Addison got back to work for a little while longer before she had to change for dinner. She used to look forward to these gatherings, used to enjoy getting to spend time with her parents (when her dad was in town) and siblings. Now, though, it felt like that was a long, long time ago. Lately, the dinners just felt tedious. A lot of things felt tedious to her recently, and she wasn’t sure why. The funny thing was, she’d never thought to examine it before. It never occurred to her to ask herself why. She simply accepted the feeling as something she had to deal with.
Addison stood and walked to the window she’d been staring out on and off all day. The traffic was light. The snow still fell softly, not sticking this time, though it would in the next week or two. The sun had set and dusk was creeping slowly in, dimming the lights and shading the sky in an indigo glow as the December days got shorter and shorter. She leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the window and tried to ease her racing thoughts. This was dinner with her family. It should be enjoyable, not something she dreaded.
Her phone beeped and she slid it from her back pocket and smiled. She couldn’t help herself.
Katie.
Can I see you tonight?
Addison frowned. Dinner with the fam. Maybe after? God, was this a bad idea? She was so torn, but the thought of seeing Katie’s face, of looking into those brown eyes, of watching them darken and hearing her breath hitch as Addison touched her…she wanted that again. So very much.
Sounds great. Text me when you’re free.
In her head, Addison knew that this was going to cause nothing but problems.
In her heart, she didn’t care.
Chapter Eighteen
In the midst of the holiday season, Scartelli’s was busy even on a Sunday night, and Addison had trouble finding a parking spot. The snow that hadn’t been sticking earlier had apparently changed its mind and was now building up on roadways and sidewalks, making travel just the tiniest bit harder. In the lot, she picked out her mother’s BMW as well as both Katrina’s and Jared’s cars, and irritation with herself at being the last one to arrive again settled in on her. Finally catching somebody leaving, Addison waited, parked, and headed inside.
The restaurant smelled heavenly, as it always did, the aromas of basil and oregano and simmering tomato sauce hanging in the air. Addison had decided long ago this must be the way every Italian grandmother’s kitchen smelled. It was warm. Inviting. Comforting.
Nodding at the hostess behind her little podium, Addison headed to their reserved back room—absently taking note of all the glittering Christmas decorations—where she found all the usual suspects. Jack and Ed were both present again, their wives at their sides. Hellos went around the room as Addison took off her coat and hung it on the rack in the corner with everybody else’s.
Her mother barely spared her a glance.
It’s not like I didn’t expect that. With a quiet sigh, Addison took her seat at the table. She’d talk with her mother privately after dinner.
Jared got everybody’s attention, then picked up his glass of wine. “I just want to say what an amazing Christmas gala that was last night.” Murmurs and nods of agreement went around the table. “We had a record number of guests and we raised—” He glanced at Katrina for confirmation. “Nearly three hundred grand?”
Katrina nodded, her smile wide and proud.
“Nearly three hundred grand for the hospital. I’d like to toast to that.”
“Hear, hear,” Jack said as everybody raised
their glasses and clinked.
Big bowls of food were brought in and set on the table, and everybody talked amongst themselves as dishes were passed around. Addison’s stomach was still sour—it had been all day and her mother’s lack of eye contact didn’t help—so while she made a show of filling her plate, she didn’t eat much.
“You feeling okay?” Katrina asked her quietly as she leaned close.
“Fine.”
“I’ll pretend I believe you.” She cut a meatball with her fork, popped a piece into her mouth. “I want to hear all about your night.” That was said in a whisper, thank God, because Addison was not ready to address the subject of her night with Katie with the entire table.
“Later,” Addison muttered.
“You two looked amazing together. Uh-maz-ing.”
Addison fought the small grin that wanted to tug up the corners of her mouth. She lost.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Katrina said, again leaning close, still so only Addison could hear. “I like you together.”
I like us together, too, Addison thought, but there was no way she would say it out loud. She couldn’t. That would be getting way ahead of herself. Way ahead of everything. No, she needed to maintain control of this, to relax around it. They’d had a wonderful night. That much was true. It was fun. It was exciting. It was sexy. Didn’t have to mean anything beyond that, did it?
Any further trail of thought was halted by Meredith’s voice, raised a bit to be heard over the hum of dinner conversation. “I’d like to speak for a moment, if you wouldn’t mind giving me your attention.”
Addison set down her fork and picked up her glass. As she took a sip, she made eye contact with her mother for the first time all evening. It was both a relief and a discomfort. Meredith offered her a barely visible smile, then moved her gaze around the table, her expression open and happy as she stood.
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