“Babies?”
“At least one more, two if you want that.”
“Landry?” she whispers.
I hum as I watch her eyes fill with wetness. “I want babies with you. I want a whole life with you.”
“Then you’re going to get just that, honey, because that’s what I’m going to give you.”
Shifting my head to the side, I touch my mouth to hers, slipping my tongue inside of her, I consume her, not allowing her to ask any more questions or comment on anything else. Otherwise she’ll get a drunken proposal and I at least want her to know that I’m dead fucking serious about this and do it sober. Maybe over donuts and coffee. Definitely tomorrow.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
TENNESSEE
Holden tugs on my arm. I grunt, opening my eyes to look into his bright blue ones. He smiles sleepily and I match his turned up grin with one of my own. I start to sit up, then realize that both Landry and I are completely naked.
Pressing my lips together, I reach out and touch Holden’s nose. Then, I search my nightstand for the television remote control. Turning on the TV, I find a cartoon, and make sure the volume is low.
“Watch TV for a minute,” I whisper.
Once he’s distracted, I slip out of bed behind him and quickly tiptoe until I find Landry’s shirt from last night and slip that on. Then, I make my way to the closet and quickly put on some panties, shorts, and a tank top before I grab a thick long cardigan to cover myself up.
When I’m a little more decent, I walk back into the bedroom and see Holden in the exact spot I left him, mesmerized by the educational cartoon I found on PBS. Scooping him up in my arms, I turn the television off and slip out of the bedroom.
Carrying him downstairs, I wonder if Landry is even going to go to work today? As drunk as he was last night, I somehow doubt it.
As I make a quick scrambled egg, toast, and fruit breakfast for Holden, I can’t help but think about what Landry said last night.
A baby.
Our baby.
He wants marriage and a family with me. Then I can’t help but feel guilty. His children are older than me, does he really want to spend his retirement raising babies?
He’s worked his entire life at his company and has already raised his family, why would he want to do it all over again? And then I wonder, would he really? When it comes down to it, when we’re five years down the road, will he say it’s too much and leave?
“You’re thinking hard,” a voice huskily rumbles.
Lifting my head, I turn and look behind me to see Landry leaning against the kitchen counter. He’s shirtless, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches me. He doesn’t look hungover in the slightest, in fact, he looks delicious in every way and surprisingly well rested.
I blink at the sight of him, and he must realize that I’m completely in awe of him. “I was drunk, but I wasn’t hammered, honey.”
“You were swaying,” I point out.
He closes the distance between us, his hands slipping inside of my cardigan and his fingers grip my hips. Lowering his face, his lips touch mine. He smells like minty toothpaste and sex. Inhaling deeply, I moan against his mouth, but he doesn’t deepen the kiss.
“I was,” he whispers. “You sobered me up, though.”
“Landry,” I hiss.
He chuckles, touching his lips against mine in a quick kiss before he takes a step back. My eyes travel down his shirtless body and I grin at the sight of him in athletic shorts. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in them before and it’s hot.
Usually when he works out, he takes his clothes to the gym, then comes home to pick me up and we go to work together. Typically, I’m fast asleep when he gets up and heads out of the door.
Reaching between us, I run the tip of my finger beneath the waist of his shorts and glide it along his taut stomach. I watch the movement, licking my bottom lip and sinking my teeth into my flesh as his stomach clenches from my touch.
“Tennessee,” he warns.
Lifting my eyes, I look up at him as innocently as I possibly can. His lips curve up into a grin. He reaches for my face, his palm cupping my cheek as he watches me. Neither of us speaks for a long moment.
“Are you going into the office today? I was all prepared to call in sick for you,” I say with a grin.
Landry snorts. “I’m good. After some breakfast?”
I’ve already fed Holden, he’s happily moaning with each bite he takes, but it seems Landry would like something too. Glancing at the clock, I wince at the time. Landry follows my gaze and I hear him grunt.
“Just leave it all out. I’ll make something and hang with Holden while you get ready.”
I could kiss him. So I do. Rising to my toes, I touch my mouth to the corner of his in a quick kiss. He immediately wraps his hands around my waist and tugs me against his chest.
“After everything the past few, you’re good?” he asks.
Humming, I shift my head and tilt it back to look up into his eyes. “I should ask you that,” I offer softly.
He smirks. “It was interesting information and maybe I should feel betrayed or something, but I’m just disappointed.”
“In her?” I ask, a little confused by his words.
Landry shakes his head. “No, honey,” he rasps. “In myself. I should have left when I knew something was wrong. When she started drinking more, when she started cheating without reservation or care. I became everything that I despise in a man. I became a spineless pussy.”
“But you did it for your kids,” I offer.
He snorts. “I look like the biggest pussy to them.”
Pressing my lips together, I stare at him for a moment. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe that,” I state.
“How’s that?”
“Because as a parent, we don’t know what the hell we’re doing, but we’re trying to do the best by them. At least most of us are and I know that’s all you were trying to do. You took everything she did, you didn’t accept it, but you allowed it because you thought it was best for your kids.”
“You’re saying I took her shit because I thought my kids needed both parents at home?”
I laugh softly. “You know why you did it, Landry. I don’t need to confirm it. You did it because you said so yourself. She was and is an unstable addict and you were worried about the kids being alone with her for long periods of time. Now that I know her a little better, I understand that, completely.”
“Why do you make me feel better, when I know that I fucked up?” he asks.
Taking a step closer to him, I place my palms against his chest and slowly slide them up until I wrap them around the back of his neck. Tilting my head back a little farther, I look up into his amber-colored eyes.
“I’m selfish, Landry.” He snorts, shaking his head, obviously not believing me at all. “If you had left her, you would have moved on and found someone else, then I wouldn’t be right here with you.”
His lips twitch and he closes the distance between us, his lips touching mine, his tongue sliding across the seam before he lifts his head. “Okay, Tennessee,” he says. “That makes me feel a little better.”
“Does it?” I ask with a grin.
He laughs softly, his gaze focused on mine. “Yeah, honey, it does.”
LANDRY
I had plans on dropping to my knee right there in the kitchen, in front of both her and Holden, but then we started talking about Susan and it just wasn’t the place. I don’t want that woman in my life unless I have no choice. She is definitely not in this intimate part of my relationship with Tennessee.
Once Tennessee and I are at work and we’ve dropped Holden off at childcare, we ride the elevator together up to my office. I’m not surprised to see Susan waiting at my closed, and locked, office door as soon as I step off of the elevator.
“Landry?” Tennessee whispers.
“I can’t sit on this,” I grunt.
This is it. This is the moment she s
tops fucking with us. Then, I can propose to Tennessee, then I can marry her, then we can start working on more children. I know to the outside world it seems crazy and probably irresponsible, but I love her. I love what we have. I want so much more of it.
“Oh, how cute, you even come into the office together,” Susan sneers.
I hear Julie clear her throat, but I ignore both of them. “Thank you for meeting me,” I mutter as I walk Tennessee over to her desk. Looking into her green eyes, I focus on her and only her. “If you want to go in with me, you’re more than welcome.”
Tennessee shifts her gaze from mine to over my shoulder as she looks back at Susan. She shakes her head. “Honestly, as much as I want to see her reaction. I think it would be better if you did this without me.”
Dipping my chin, I touch my mouth to hers. “Door will be unlocked, come in anytime.”
She laughs. “Okay, Landry.”
Touching my mouth to hers, I take a step back giving her a wink, then I wipe the expression from my face and turn to Susan. She rolls her eyes as I walk toward the door and unlock it. Opening it, I hold it open for her to walk through, but not because I’m a gentleman, because I want to make sure she doesn’t lock it.
She walks directly toward the chair that is across from my desk and sinks down. I watch as she crosses her legs, then tugs her skirt up shorter. There is no denying that Susan is beautiful. She’s almost flawless, I know because I paid the plastic surgeon’s bills that made her that way.
“You wanted to see me, though I’m not sure why, everything will be final in just a few short days.”
I hum, walking over to my seat and sink down. Looking across the desk from her, I clear my throat. I wonder how long I can keep her in suspense, then I wonder what she’s going to say to me, if she’s going to try and defend her choices, or admit to them.
“You know, I found out something about you. I debated even telling you that I knew. Then, I thought about what you put Tennessee through and I decided, fuck that.”
“Shut up,” she snaps.
Shaking my head, I snort. “I don’t think that I will.”
“Landry,” she warns.
My lips turn up into a grin. “You’ve been bad, for a lot of years, Susan. If your circle of friends knew about this extra addiction you have, and this supplemental income it earns, they may ostracize you and it wouldn’t have anything to do with me or this divorce, either.”
“Shut up,” she says again through gritted teeth.
Standing up, I walk over to my window. This is one of the last times that I’ll have this view and if you would have asked me six months ago, I would have said I would fight for this building until the death, but not today.
Today, I’m excited for the rebranding, the starting over, the future. Six months ago, every day was gray and bleak. It’s different now, now that I’ve found love. Now that my life is complete, my children are grown and on their way to find their own happiness and me? I’ve found mine and I’m never letting it go.
Turning around, I level her with a gaze. I am not going to let her walk out of here without saying the words to her face. Without asking her why the fuck she would do what she’s done? Without making her hear it all from my mouth.
This moment is my closure. I fucking deserve this shit.
“You’ve been selling your body, Susan. Haven’t you?” I ask.
She narrows her gaze on me, crossing her arms beneath her breasts, but doesn’t speak. Tilting my head to the side, I wait. I can wait, I’ve cleared my schedule for the day just for this. I don’t move. I don’t speak.
I watch and I wait.
Susan throws her hands in the air with a huff. “Fine. You want to know?” she sneers.
She’s going to say something really hateful, and I’m ready for it. I’m braced. In all honesty, her words haven’t had the power to hurt me in so long, I’ve forgotten the last time that they even did.
“I’m a grown woman. I need sex and I wanted it from men who would fuck me like they meant it. I’d just had a baby, I wanted to feel something other than what I was feeling. The first time was for fun, after that, I couldn’t help it. Those men fucked me. They didn’t give a shit about my feelings, they wanted it dirty and raw.”
I nod my head with a hum. “But you wanted the lifestyle my money and familial status gave you. Why did you even get pregnant?”
She shakes her head. “You wanted children. I couldn’t let you just go roaming too.”
“How long did you cheat on me?”
She presses her lips together. I think that she’s not going to answer me, but then she does, but it isn’t a full answer and oddly, I’m okay with that, because what she does say tells me everything that I need to know.
“I didn’t cheat on you while we were trying to conceive.”
Nodding my head once. I clear my throat. “In just a few days, this is yours. In just a few days, the only time I have to see you is at a public event for our children. In just a few days your presence in my life is just a bad memory. I hope that you are happy in the future, Susan. I truly do. But we’re done and I’m not sad about that.”
“Well I’m pissed off,” she snaps.
“Leave my family alone. Tennessee and her son don’t exist to you. If you even try to cause problems like you did with Anderson, your friends in society will all know your secret. It will be exposed and it won’t be pretty.”
Her eyes widen. “But then they would know I was doing it while we were married.” She smirks, thinking that she’s pulled one over on me.
Grinning, I lean over. “The difference between us, Susan, is that I couldn’t give a fuck less what those people think about me, if they are fake to my face, or if they invite me to their parties.”
She rises to her feet, stomping with a low growl escaping her lips. “You’re an asshole. I should have just poisoned you or something.”
“Probably,” I say with a shrug.
I watch her spin around and march toward the door. Then before she wrenches it open and walks out, she stops and looks back at me from over her shoulder. Her lips curve up into a maniacal grin.
“I’m going to fuck so many men in this office,” she purrs.
With a snort, I shrug my shoulder. “Do you think I haven’t christened every square inch of this floor and my penthouse? I’m just far better at it than you are, Susan. Go home and have another cocktail.”
She jerks her chin up in the air, then without a word she wrenches the door open and stomps out. I hear Julie call out and tell her goodbye, and can’t help but laugh when Julie follows it up with a muttered, fuck you too.
I could lie and say that I felt bad to out Susan, to tell her I knew about her secret life and to threaten to expose her, but I don’t. Not in the least. She wants to play with the big boys, she’s got to learn the game a little better than that. I may be a pussy, but I’m not going to take any more of her shit, not a single goddamn ounce.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
TENNESSEE
I hide out in the break room until Susan leaves. I could have stayed at my desk, but I honestly didn’t even want to see her again. That woman isn’t right. She doesn’t just give me the heebie-jeebies, she is pure downright mean.
I don’t know how my mother was ever friends with her. Thinking about my mom, I frown. I haven’t talked to her much, too upset about the last time we spoke. She thinks that I’m ruining my life by being with Landry. She doesn’t realize that his age doesn’t factor for me, Landry is just… Landry, and I love him.
Gripping my phone in one hand and the handle of my coffee mug in the other, I decide to just call her. She should be coming home from her night job around now and she’ll be tired, but she’ll talk to me.
Dialing her number, I hold my phone to my ear and wait for her to pick up. It rings and rings. She doesn’t pick up. I leave her a message and ask her to call me as soon as she can. Setting my phone down, I stare at it and wait for her to call me back.
&n
bsp; My entire life my mother has always called me back within the hour of a missed call, no matter what. When forty-five minutes passes by and she still hasn’t called me back, my stomach twists. Someone walks into the room and I lift my gaze to meet theirs.
Landry sinks down in front of me with a sigh. “You okay?” he asks softly.
Nodding, I sink my teeth into my bottom lip. “I called my mom almost an hour ago and she hasn’t called me back. She always calls me back,” I ramble.
Landry hums. “She’s okay. She’s probably just sleeping, you said she works nights and then sometimes day shifts too, right?”
I nod, then shake my head. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Tell me about your meeting,” I say, trying to change the subject to distract myself from my mom.
He tells me everything that happened between them. What was said and who said it. But nothing can take my mind off of my mom and the fact that even by the end of his story, she hasn’t called me back.
“Call her again, honey,” Landry suggests.
I inhale a deep breath, then let it out with a sigh and call her again. When she still doesn’t answer, I frown.
“Can you call her work? Either of them?”
Nodding, I scroll through my phone and find her night job’s number. When I finally get a hold of her boss, Robert, after sitting on hold for far too long, what he says sends a chill down my spine.
“I’m sorry, Tenny, I wish I could tell you more, but your mother hasn’t been in for the last two shifts she was scheduled to work. I have been worried about her, I was fixin’ to call you tonight if she didn’t show again. It just ain’t like Helen to be a no-show, no-call.”
My blood turns into ice instantly. Lifting my eyes to meet Landry’s, I thank Robert and end the call. Landry watches me for a moment, probably waiting to see if I’m going to tell him what’s going on. I don’t, at least not immediately, I’m too numb to speak.
Hypocritically Yours: A Standalone Age-Gap Romance Page 26