Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
M adison pressed her thumb to the panel next to her open window and watched as the large wrought-iron gates swung open. “We’re home,” she said softly, as she parked near the front steps of the house.
Home?
Jax wiggled with excitement as she unbuckled him, and he stretched his arms up toward her.
“Okay,” she chuckled, lifting him onto her hip and grabbing the grocery bags from the passenger seat. “You’re getting heavy, buddy. We’ve got to work on this walking up steps thing.”
Madison climbed the wide stone steps, using her thumb to unlock the front door like Alex had shown her. It clicked open with a soft beep, and she pushed it wide with her hip. The smell of furniture polish and lemon hit her nose instantly. After only one step, she stopped in her tracks staring at the cluster of boxes stacked by the stairs. The baby gate sticking out of one box told her what she would find inside.
All that was left of her belongings. Her stomach twisted, thinking of her ruined things.
“Hello?” A voice called out from the hallway, making Madison jump. She spun around to see a small, older woman stepping into the foyer, wiping her hands on a dish towel. The woman smiled warmly, her dark eyes lighting up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. You must be Madison.”
“Yes, hi.” Madison’s pulse slowed slightly, and she adjusted her grip on the grocery bags. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”
“I’m Angela. I’m the housekeeper. I come in three times a week,” she said. “But don’t mind me. You won’t even know I’m here.”
“Oh, no, I’m thrilled you’re here.”
A housekeeper? Score!
Madison lifted her arm laden with bags. “I got some groceries on the way... home.” She stumbled over the word. “I hope that’s okay.”
Angela chuckled her eyes crinkling. “Of course, it’s okay. This is your house. Alex told me you and the little one were moving in today.”
Angela grinned at Jax and then glanced toward the front door. “The gatehouse called a minute ago. They said your furniture delivery had arrived. I told them to let them through.”
Madison’s eyes widened. “Oh! The bed.” She had completely forgotten about the toddler bed she’d ordered for Jax last night when she couldn’t sleep. “Yes, thank you.”
“Who’s this little guy?”
Jax giggled, then stuck two fingers in his mouth when the older woman shook his foot playfully.
“This is my son, Jax.”
“What a handsome boy. He looks so much like you,” she said, darting a glance at Madison’s face.
The comment hit her squarely in the chest. She’d always noticed how much Jax resembled Opal, but it had never occurred to her that she and her sister shared the same features—meaning Jax also looked like her.
“Thank you,” Madison managed, her throat thick with emotion.
Thankfully, as if on cue, the doorbell rang, and two delivery men stepped inside, carrying a large box between them.
“I’ll take those from you.” Angela nodded to the grocery bags. “You can show these gentlemen which bedroom you’d like for them to assemble it in.”
Show them?
Madison felt a momentary twinge of panic. She’d only been in a couple of rooms of this enormous house, and she had no idea where Alex expected her to stay.
Angela took the bags from her, and Madison gave the delivery men a smile she hoped didn’t come across as manic as she was feeling.
The bedroom they’d slept in the night before had been on the first floor, but the rest were most likely upstairs… right ?
Leading the way with Jax on her hip, Madison climbed to the top of the steps and then looked down the hallways, which disappeared in two opposite directions. The men behind her muttered something, probably annoyed they were holding a heavy box while she stood frozen.
“The rooms to the right might be nice for him. They are the closest to the master suite at the end,” Angela called up from the foyer below. Madison could have kissed the woman for saving her from the embarrassment of opening every door until she found one she could use.
Opening the second door she came to, she stepped inside and smiled. The room was painted a pale gray with a large window overlooking the backyard and what looked to be a beautiful rose garden. The only furniture was a full bed and a matching dresser, so there was plenty of room for the toddler's bed against the wall.
The question that had been lingering in the back of her mind all day resurfaced. Alex had made it clear he expected them to be intimate, yet he hadn’t tried anything last night.
Did he expect them to share a room? Or was he expecting her to claim one of the other rooms, and they’d have conjugal visits?
Madison grimaced.
These are all the things you should have asked before agreeing to marry the man.
Shut up.
“This will be perfect,” Madison murmured to Jax as the delivery men set the box down and began assembling the bed. Opening a closed door on the far wall, she peeked through, delighted to find it was a large bathroom with double sinks and a shower/tub combo that connected to the room next door.
“What do you think?” she said to the toddler. “Playroom potential?”
Once the bed was assembled and the delivery men had left, Madison went in search of Angela, finding her in the kitchen.
“Thank you so much for your help. You saved me from looking like a total flake.”
Angela winked. “It’s a big house. I thought I’d give you a short-cut.”
Madison blew out a breath and then froze when she spotted a familiar item in the corner of the kitchen. “Is that Jax’s highchair?”
Angela glanced over her shoulder and nodded. “Liev brought it when he delivered the other boxes.”
The tattooed man from last night .
“That was nice of him,” Madison said carefully, still not sure how she felt about a stranger packing up her house. Last night, when Alex had informed her of what he’d planned, she was too exhausted to object.
The older woman shrugged. “I think he was hoping to catch you here. He tried fishing for information about you, but even if I had already met you, that boy should know better—I don’t gossip about the family.”
Madison wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Oh.”
“Not that Liev would do anything with it,” Angela quickly reassured her, noticing Madison’s concern. “He’s fiercely loyal to his cousin. I think he’s just excited about the wedding.”
“Word travels fast,” she said weakly.
“In this family?” Angela chuckled. “Absolutely.”
Family. Is she a relative of Alex’s?
She wanted to ask but didn’t want to reveal just how little she knew about her almost-husband.
Her arms had begun to ache, and she set Jax down. When he toddled instantly over to bang on his highchair with an insistent, “Up,” she sighed.
Jax was blissfully unaware that their entire world had been turned upside down. All that concerned him was the ever-looping combo of hungry/sleepy/bored.
For a moment she was jealous.
“Hungry?” Madison asked, shifting Jax’s highchair closer to the kitchen table before lifting him in and securing the straps.
As she prepared his food, Angela pulled a face at Jax, making him giggle.
“Would you mind if I fed him?” Angela gestured toward the plate of shredded chicken and green beans. “I have grandkids, but they live far away. I miss this.”
Madison hesitated. Angela had been nothing but warm and welcoming, but she was still a stranger. Madison didn’t want to be rude, but she also wasn’t sure how she felt about handing over the task.
“You’re right to be cautious,” Angela said, clearly understanding Madison’s hesitation. Her smile didn’t slip, but her gaze turned wry. “Do you really think I would let any harm come to Alex Kovalyov’s new son?”
“I suppose that’s a good point.”
It was moments like this that reminded her Alex wasn’t like anyone she’d ever known. He wasn’t just powerful—He was feared. And no matter how charming or protective he was with her, that underlying truth was impossible to ignore.
“I guess we could give it a try.”
Angela grinned as she took the food from Madison’s hands, her movements practiced and easy as she helped Jax pick up each item. Madison lingered nearby, making small talk while subtly watching. Within minutes, it was clear she’d been worrying for nothing.
“I’ll just be dealing with the boxes. Come get me when you’re ready.”
Angela waved her hand over her shoulder, much more interested in Jax than what Madison was doing.
Madison chuckled and then tackled the mess in the foyer. Starting with the boxes that were obviously Jax’s, she carried them up the stairs, stopping to prop the baby gate against the wall in preparation for being installed later. She smirked, wondering what Alex would think coming back to his beautiful home ‘toddler-fied.’
It took a depressingly short amount of time to carry the boxes upstairs. Once Jax’s room was ready for bedtime, she returned for her things.
She left the boxes containing items she didn’t need, like towels and kitchen utensils, in a neat pile by the bottom of the stairs. She would take them to the storage unit later. Madison hoisted the remaining two boxes that contained her toiletries and the very few items of clothing that had escaped destruction.
Stopping outside the master suite she set the boxes on the ground, alongside the bags of clothing she’d bought from the big-box retailer to hold her over until she had time to replenish her wardrobe.
Hurrying downstairs, Madison followed the sound of banging to the kitchen. She found Jax sitting on the floor, happily drumming on an assortment of upside-down pans with wooden spoons, while Angela sat watching from the kitchen table.
“I’ll wash them before I leave,” she said hurriedly.
Madison waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. Thank you so much for watching him.”
“I have to make a confession.”
Madison’s stomach tightened.
Please don’t let this be something bad.
She had instantly liked Angela and wasn’t sure she could take another setback today.
“I usually leave by three, but when I got Alex’s message, and then Liev mentioned the wedding, I stayed late so I could meet you.”
Madison’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Well, I’m glad you did. I’m not sure how I would have gotten all that done if you hadn’t been here.”
Tucking her purse under her arm, Angela smiled. “I’m happy to help whenever I can. I’ve always loved babies.” She kissed Jax on the head. “See you next time, sweet boy.”
Once Angela was gone, the house seemed empty, even with Jax’s symphony on the floor. It was an odd feeling to know that she lived there now. It was her “home,” but she still wasn’t comfortable exploring without Alex.
When Jax began rubbing his eyes, Madison loaded the pans into a dishwasher that looked like it had never been used. The freebie detergent pod was still taped to the inside, for goodness sake. Madison made a mental note to check on the basics… like laundry detergent, an essential commodity with a toddler.
Madison decided that a quick sink bath was acceptable for the night because, frankly, she was too tired to do the whole bath production Jax loved. Laying him in his bed, she prayed this was a night that he actually went to sleep without fighting.
Sitting on the floor next to the low bed, she read Jax his favorite book, Barnyard Buddies, which fortunately, like Dino, had been safely in Jax’s diaper bag while their home was being ransacked.
“Big day, huh, buddy?” Madison said quietly. Jax didn’t look up from where he was chewing on Dino’s front leg.
After a few minutes, Madison put up the safety rails and gave him a kiss. Turning on the lamp in the corner, she sat on the edge of the full bed, practically holding her breath.
But all the excitement must have worn the toddler out. After only ten minutes, he’d stopped squirming around and was breathing evenly. Picking up the video baby monitor, Madison crept like a ninja to the door, and with one last peek at the sleeping boy, she pulled the door shut with a quiet click.
Madison moved the baby gate across the stairs, just in case Jax got past the other safety measures, and headed back to the kitchen. She grabbed the pre-cut chicken and vegetables she’d picked up earlier and started a quick stir-fry.
The sizzle of food hitting the pan filled the room, and she took a slow sip of her wine as she stirred. This kitchen was three times the size of the one in her townhouse and full of top-of-the-line appliances that looked brand new. She took another sip of wine.
Housekeeper and luxury kitchen. This arrangement is looking better by the minute.
Once the meal was done, Madison plated a portion for herself but then hesitated, unsure what to do with the rest.
Was Alex expecting dinner? Should she leave it out or put it away? She didn’t even know what time he normally came home, and she doubted he was the type to reheat leftovers in the microwave.
Pressing her lips together, she scooped the extra food onto a clean plate and slid it into the refrigerator, covering it with a napkin—because, apparently, Alex didn’t own a single food storage container or a single roll of cling wrap.
Sitting at the large kitchen table, she picked at her food. Eating alone wasn’t unusual. Most nights after Jax went to bed, she did just that. But this wasn’t her townhouse, and something about sitting in Alex’s kitchen by herself felt strange, like she was waiting for something… or someone.
A pang of loneliness struck her.
Don’t be ridiculous. Nothing has changed other than your location.
Her appetite disappearing, Madison rinsed her plate before setting it in the dishwasher. She braced her hands for a moment on the counter then, with her glass of wine in one hand and the baby monitor in the other, she set about exploring her new home.
On the ground floor she found a fully-equipped gym at the far end of the hallway—one Alex had clearly used that morning. There were two guest suites, a locked door, and a pair of lounge areas. Every room was spotless, and she briefly wondered if anyone other than Angela had ever entered them. The upstairs hallway to the left contained four more bedrooms in addition to the three she had already seen in the other wing, each with its own ensuite.
Eventually, her feet carried her back to the room she found the coziest, the living room where Alex had brought her both times she had visited.
Glancing around the room, Madison realized what was missing. Where’s the TV? Her brow wrinkled. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen a television in any of the rooms.
Oh god. Is he one of those weirdoes that hates television? Because that’s going to be a problem .
Settling on the large sofa with her legs tucked under, she pulled up the latest episode of her favorite show on her phone. Two hours later, she was still scrolling.
Where is Alex? What if he doesn’t come back tonight? Are we supposed to let the other know if we aren’t going to be home?
Pfft. Get real. I have a toddler. I’m always home at night.
An uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach.
It’s totally fine if it’s more like a roommate scenario, she told herself. She was 1000 percent definitely not disappointed he wasn’t there. And she didn’t miss him. That would make no rational sense at all.
A faint beep and then footsteps echoed on the marble floors. Her heart gave an unexpected leap of excitement.
Madison stepped into the foyer, her eyes landing on Alex’s suit jacket, discarded carelessly on the table. He hadn’t noticed her yet, and she used the opportunity to observe him. He really was unbelievably attractive.
Alex’s tie hung undone around his neck, and the top buttons of his crisp white dress shirt were open, exposing the strong column of his neck and a hint of ink that swirled at the top of his chest. His eyes were on the walkway above as he slowly rolled up his sleeves.
Heat flushed through her as his muscles flexed beneath his tattooed forearms. A slow involuntary sigh slipped out, and it took her a second to realize he’d caught her ogling him. Busted.
Alex stopped mid-motion, his intense gaze locked onto hers with an unreadable expression. When the silence stretched tight between them, she felt the first flicker of uncertainty.
Had he not expected to see me? Should I have gone to bed before he got home?
“I didn’t know if you were expecting a martini at the door,” she joked lamely, desperate to cut the tension.
Alex stared for another beat before his lips lifted in a devilish smile that had her pulse racing.
“Only if you’re wearing an apron.