The man didn’t answer. “Security is on the way up now. If they see you out, we will look into pressing charges. I’m giving you the opportunity to leave, now, without any problems.”
“I need to talk to Madeline,” I said. “I’m not leaving until I do.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but the man frowned even deeper than before. “As I’ve already told you, Madeline Byers does not live here. While I consider my complex to be luxurious, she’s far too wealthy to be living in a studio apartment.”
For some reason, I hadn’t even thought about that. The place had seemed so nice when I visited, it just made sense that someone like Madeline would live there. Except, of course, she was far wealthier than I thought, and the man was right. There was no reason for her to be living in a studio in one of the more affordable parts of Manhattan. It was nicer than anything I could ever afford, but it wasn’t millionaire nice.
“Sir, security is going to be here any second.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, feeling utterly defeated. Not only had she kept her identity a secret from me, she’d taken me to a fake address. Nothing about the Maddy I knew was real, or so it felt. The girl I had started falling for was a fake. “I’m leaving.”
But she was still pregnant, and the kid could be mine. One way or another, I was going to find her.
I wasn’t going to give up that easily. If she thought I would, well, she was wrong about me.
The man escorted me out of the building, and I went without a fight. Once I was standing on the street, I pulled out my phone and quickly searched for Madeline’s name. Of course her actual address and information was nowhere to be found - she was much too smart to let that info be public. But an article popped up about her upcoming wedding. An engagement party, at Oak and Willow Restaurant. Friday night. The guest list was said to be exclusive, but I’d find a way to talk to her.
I had to.
Madeline
I sat outside the restaurant for as long as I could. Thankfully, my driver, didn’t mind. He gave me my privacy in the back of the limo while I gave myself a little pep talk. It was only for show. Derek knew this, and I’d made myself clear to both of my parents. It didn’t mean we’d end up getting married, it just brought us some time until the media got distracted by a bigger story. Preferably, digging into someone else’s personal life instead of mine.
I’d grown up in the spotlight, so it shouldn’t be new to me, but it was stifling. I hated having to worry about appearances and presenting an image. I wanted to run my business and be taken seriously as a CEO because of my skills, not because I’m an attractive young woman and the daughter of a self-made multi-millionaire.
But for now, I had to play the part if I wanted to make my father happy, and hopefully convince him that I could handle the company better than Derek. I knew that I could show him that my vision for our family’s business was better; that I was the future of the company.
I knew I could do it; I just needed time.
Speaking of time, I checked my phone. I was already late to my own engagement party. No doubt that Derek and my parents were already there, and they were just waiting on me. Any second now, my phone would be ringing off the hook, I thought. I was surprised it hadn’t already started.
I thanked the driver and got out of the limo. I’d ask him to take me to the back entrance, where the employees typically enter and exit, to avoid getting out in the midst of the media madness. We’d managed to escape the chaos, thankfully, but as I approached the door, I heard several raised voices.
“Do you know who these people are? We can’t shut everything down, not now!” a man shouted.
The door was propped open, so before entering, I glanced inside. A man I assumed to be the manager of the restaurant was facing the doorway, but he didn’t see me. He was focused on the two men in front of him. Two men in NYFD gear.
Seeing the gear reminded me of Jax, and that hurt more than it should. I’d thought about him a lot over the last few weeks, but I knew it was better for both of us to just cut our losses before we got too attached. The fact that I was now carrying his baby only complicated things further. I wanted to reach out to him, and seeing the gear, made me seriously regret not being able to see him again.
Then, as if in a dream, I heard his voice.
“It’s the law, Mr. Anderson. We’ve had a report that the fire sprinklers aren’t up to code, and with this man people - especially people of such importance - do you really want to be responsible in case there’s a fire?”
“Jax?” I spoke up before I knew what was happening.
The fireman, in full gear, turned to me and for the first time, I saw his face. He lifted off his helmet, setting it down on a nearby counter, and a smile stretched from ear-to-ear on both of us. My heart skipped a beat, and it took everything in me not to run over and hug him.
“Oh, hey, Maddy,” he said.
The man beside him continued arguing with the manager. “It’ll only take one second. Let us inspect the sprinkler system, and if everything is up to code, you can hold your event.”
“You’re making some very important people wait outside while you do this, do you realize it?” the manager asked.
I was still staring at Jax, however. His hair was a little shorter than I remembered, and his face too. Without any stubble, you could really make out his sweet, baby face and I found myself thinking back to how good his lips felt on mine.
God, I’d missed him. I hardly knew him, but I missed him.
“What a small world,” I said, my cheeks flushing pink as I averted my gaze.
Looking at Jax put some very impure thoughts in my head, causing a yearning inside of me. My insides ached with a need I hadn’t felt since the first time we were together. Seeing him in uniform didn’t help matters either. I never knew I had firefighter fantasies until that moment, but standing there, I suddenly got incredibly hot and bothered thinking about it.
Then, my face fell. Everyone in New York knew about the baby and the engagement party, and my fake upcoming wedding to Derek. If everyone else did, Jax probably knew about it too.
“Can we talk?” he asked, scratching at his face where his stubble used to be. “In private?”
“Of course,” I said. “But you should probably get to work.”
The other fireman and the manager were headed out of the kitchen and into the restaurant now, but Jax stayed put.
“It’s okay. Finn can handle it,” he said.
“You sure?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” he said. “Let’s find somewhere we can talk.”
“Okay,” I said. My knees felt wobbly, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to walk. I had a good idea about what he wanted to talk about, and I was dreading it. I knew if he asked, I couldn’t lie about the baby. It wouldn’t be right.
Jax led the way into the restaurant, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him. Standing right by the door, arguing with one of the wait staff, was my father. And with him, my mom and Derek. The three people I did not want to run into while with Jax. Glancing to my left, I saw the hallway leading toward the restrooms. I motioned for him to follow me, and he did. I never let go of his arm, and he didn’t pull away.
“I know it’s weird, but--” I started to say, turning to face him.
Jax cut me off, pulling me toward him, and kissed me before I could finish my sentence. His lips pressed against mine, and for a moment, I forgot everything going on in my life. I kissed him back, our tongues dancing in each other’s mouth. It had been a few weeks since I’d seen him, but my body remembered his, and yearned for him like never before.
I heard footsteps in the hallway, so I quickly ducked into the restroom. Jax joined me, both of us stifling giggles.
My heart was racing, and my body burned with a need, however, and I stopped the laughing with another kiss. Standing on my tip-toes, I pressed my mouth to his, wrapping my arms around his neck. It was wrong, I knew it, but it felt so ri
ght. Jax didn’t fight me either, he obviously wanted it. His erection pressed into me, and I rubbed myself against it, bringing forth a gentle moan from his mouth.
“We need to talk,” he said, sounding sad to break the kiss.
He pulled back from me, even as I tried to hold on for dear life. For the first time since we’d last seen each other, I felt alive. I felt happy. And when he pulled away, it hurt more than it should. Even though I knew he was right. We had so much to talk about.
Without missing a beat, Jax asked the question I was dreading to hear.
“Is it mine?”
I could have lied, but that would have made me a horrible person. Even more horrible than avoiding him outright. I decided there was only one thing I could do.
“Yes,” I said. “The baby is yours.”
I watched his face for a reaction. I expected many things, but what I didn’t expect was him smiling. He rubbed his face, chuckled a bit, then said, “I had a feeling it was. So why are you still marrying the jackass that cheated on you. You don’t love him, or was that a lie?”
“No, it was the truth, but the engagement and forthcoming marriage, that’s the lie. I’m not marrying Derek, and I’ve made it clear to him and my parents. This party was meant only as a distraction for the media. My family is unfortunately very concerned with keeping up appearances.”
He seemed to ponder what I’d said carefully.
“Alright. I believe you,” he said, reaching out to touch my face.
“Thank you,” I said, relief washing over me. I wasn’t sure why it mattered so much, but it did. Even though I’d avoided him up until that point, I didn’t want him angry at me. He was, after all, the father of my child.
And now that he knew, we’d have to figure something out.
“I know you weren’t expecting this,” I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking. “I’m perfectly fine with taking care of the child myself. I have plenty of money, you have nothing worry about. He or she will be well taken care of.”
“I know you can take care of the kid yourself,” he said. “But you don’t have to.”
“Jax, we hardly know each other,” I said. “Are you really prepared to be tied to me for the rest of your life?”
He turned his gaze toward me, his blue eyes sparkling. It caught me off guard and nearly took my breath away. His gorgeous eyes coupled with his chiseled, perfect face… God, our child was going to be beautiful, I thought. But more than that, all I could think about was how badly I wanted him. In an ideal world, the two of us could be together. We could be a family. But in real life, it was far less likely. We got along fine for now, sure, but long-term? We were technically still strangers and from two completely different worlds.
“I’m more than willing to step up to the plate. I don’t run away when the going gets tough, Maddy,” he said. His lips pulled back into an adorable, crooked grin. “And besides, I kinda like the idea of being a father.”
“But you didn’t even want a long-term relationship a few weeks ago, and now you’re going to be a father. There’s nothing more long-term than that,” I said. “Listen, just think about this for a bit before doing anything hasty.”
“Anything hasty? You mean like this?” he closed the distance between us, kissing me again. I whimpered as he wrapped his arms around me, and I melted into them. It felt so good to be there, with him. We might still be strangers, but there was a connection between us that I couldn’t possibly understand.
He pushed me backward until I was pressed against the sink. He lifted me up, sitting me down on the counter, his mouth never leaving mine. His hands moved upward, cupping my breasts.
“God, I want you so badly,” he muttered against my lips.
I didn’t answer with my words. Instead, I reached for his pants, fumbling to remove them as quickly as humanly possible.
His hands moved lower on me. His job was easier than mine since I was wearing a skirt. He slipped his hands beneath the fabric. His fingers stroked at my wetness, which was seeping through my panties by now. Sensing that I was very much into this, he helped me with his pants, sliding them down just enough to free his erection from his boxers. I gripped it, stroking him as I stared deep into his eyes.
There was that feeling again, the one from the first night we were together. I felt like a stupid, giddy teenager, ready to fuck him in the bathroom. I’d never done something so crazy before, and it never even occurred to me that we could get caught. The door was locked, sure, but anyone could hear us, and if my parents came searching for me, well, things could get awkward.
None of that mattered, however. All that mattered in that moment, was my need for him.
“I need you inside of me,” I whimpered, wrapping my legs around his torso and pulling him toward me.
Jax didn’t hesitate, not one little bit. With my hand guiding him, he slipped between my thighs. He pushed my panties aside and thrust into me. That first thrust sent waves of pleasure through my body. My head fell forward, resting against his shoulder. My moans were muffled against his jacket as he moved in and out of my body. His hands held onto my ass, keeping me in place, and just like before, he fucked me with wild abandon.
Jax kissed along my neck, nibbling and sucking. His breathing was ragged, and each time he buried his member inside of me, he groaned softly. I knew, from the sounds he was making, he wouldn’t last long.
And from the way my pussy spasmed around his cock, it wouldn’t be long for me either. Something about him just drove me absolutely batshit crazy.
My nails scratched along his scalp, and my heels pressed against his ass. I wanted him deep inside of me, and I never wanted it to end. Jax pulled my hair back just enough so he could look into my eyes.
“I want to see your face,” he grunted. “I want to watch you as you come.”
No longer muffled, my sounds filled the bathroom. I was moaning and whimpering, on the verge of screaming as I crested the peak. My ass lifted off the counter, pressing into him as I came, and I cried out his name, “Oh God, Jax, I’m coming.”
His face contorted into a look of pure bliss as he buried himself inside of me, long and hard, one last time. He emptied his seed inside of me, exploding with a spray of warmth that filled me up completely.
He held me like that for a few minutes and whispered into my ear, “I had not intended for that to happen.”
“Me either,” I said, chuckling. “But it seems you can’t resist me.”
“No, I can’t,” he said. Gently, he backed away, sliding out of me. “There’s just something about you, I can’t explain it.”
“I understand,” I said, slipping off the counter and back into my feet, pulling my skirt back down into place.
“So does this mean you’ll let me part of the baby’s life?” he asked. His eyes were now serious and dark. He truly wanted to be a father to this child. How could I refuse him?
“Of course,” I said softly. My head was spinning with everything that had just happened and the emotions I was feeling, but I knew it was the right thing to do. “We’ll figure something out.”
“Good,” he said, pulling up his pants. “I should let you get back to your party.”
My party. Yeah, right. It wasn’t for me, and I no longer wanted to attend. I didn’t want to keep pretending to be happily engaged to Derek. I wanted to take back control of my life.
And I wanted Jax to be part of that life. Even if the two of us didn’t work out, he would be part of my child’s life - our child’s life. It was time I did the right thing.
With my head held high, I walked toward the bathroom door. Before I opened it, Jax took my face into his large, calloused hands and pulled it close to him. He kissed me one more time, and my insides fluttered wildly. I didn’t believe in love at first sight, nor did I believe it was possible to fall for someone so quickly. But I felt something for him, and from the way he looked at me, he felt it too.
“You go out first,” he said. “That way we don’t loo
k suspicious. I’ll find Finn and head out of here, let you do your thing.”
I took his hand in mine, gripping it tightly.
“No, I think you should stay,” I said.
His eyes grew wide. “Dressed like this? Don’t you think I’ll stick out?”
I shrugged. “So what? People are going to find out you’re the father eventually, and they’ll dig through your past, find out what you do for a living. Why make it more difficult for them?”
He cracked a smile, and for a second, he seriously considered it. But eventually, he shook his head, giving my hand a quick squeeze.
“Nah, I don’t want to complicate things for you, Maddy. Do your thing. We’ll catch up later. Just don’t ignore me this time. I will be a father to my child,” he said.
“I won’t shut you out again,” I said.
“I’m going to trust you on that,” he said, bringing my hand to his lips and laying a kiss upon the knuckles.
I knew it probably took a lot for him to trust me, after everything I’d done. It meant a lot to me, and there was no way I was going to let him down again.
I’d come clean, I’d do the right thing, no matter the cost.
ooo000ooo
“Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you,” I said, pulling them aside from the crowd.
Mom sighed. “Can’t it wait, dear? Priscilla Jacobs just walked in, and I need to say hello.”
“No, it can’t wait,” I said. “Because I’m calling everything off. Tonight. No more lies.”
I expected Dad to lay into me, but it was my mother who got in the first shots.
“You can’t do this. Not know, not with the press here,” she said.
“That’s exactly why I need to do it now,” I said. I took a deep breath and turned to my father. “And if you’d like me to resign from the company, I’ll do that. I can’t, in good conscious, continue lying about the father of my child, Dad. I would hope you’d understand.”
“He’s here isn’t he?” dad said.
“Who?” Mom asked, looking around the restaurant.
Playing With Fire: Firemen of Manhattan Series Page 12