Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ADDISON
If looks could kill, the ex-Mrs. Noble would be nothing but a giant bloodstain on the expensive Moroccan-tiled floor of the kitchen. Unfortunately, even Alex’s death glare failed to accomplish that feat. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt a fury like the one that rose inside me when that woman waltzed into this house and I saw the look on Everett’s precious face. Even Keller and his violent antics paled in comparison. After all, Vince brought those onto our family with his own stupidity. Everett and the other boys are innocents.
I don’t know the full story, by a long shot, but it doesn’t take a genius to know that Taren Noble is up to something and she doesn’t care who she hurts in the pursuit of her goals. I want to punch Alex for ever letting that woman sink her talons into him, but I’m reminded that, without her, these sweet boys wouldn’t exist.
These same boys who are now, thankfully, engrossed in a Transformers movie that’s probably too old for them. But I was in a panic, so I’ll worry about explaining the mysteries of Megan Fox at a later date.
If ever I need further proof that I made the right decision in rebuffing Alex, Taren is the physical incarnation of it. She’s utter perfection, from her flawless skin and long, silky, blond hair, to her impossibly long legs and slim figure. And that doesn’t even take into account her expensive wardrobe and entitled bearing. She accepts nothing less than the best, and that clearly includes my boss.
I was dumbstruck when Tristan identified her as the boys’ mother, and before I knew it, she invited herself in and beckoned the other two boys. Aiden immediately rolled his eyes and turned to leave but thought better of it when he heard Everett stifle a gasp. Both Everett and Tristan hugged their mother, which I noticed she merely tolerated rather than returning the affection. Bitch.
Tristan proceeded to run around in circles and regale her with stories of their summer activities while Everett merely stared until tears streamed down his face. Aiden patently ignored her and turned on the TV, I was secretly pleased to see.
What had happened to this family? How long had it been since these kids had seen their mother? I beckoned DeeDee and used the distraction she provided to send several text messages to Alex. He finally responded, and the weight on my heart lifted slightly, although the wait for his return felt interminable.
I can’t hear Alex and the ex-bitch’s conversation outside, and DeeDee and I exchange a few looks but remain silent until we hear the revving of a motor and the sound of the front door opening and closing. Then we frantically busy ourselves so it doesn’t appear as if we’ve been eavesdropping.
Alex switches the TV off and takes the boys into the game room, presumably to talk. I excuse myself to my room to give them the privacy they deserve. But I’m unable to do anything but pace back and forth across the plush carpet. Finally, I pull out my phone and do the one thing I’ve resisted doing since moving into this house. I google Taren Noble.
Forty minutes later, I sit slack-jawed on the white duvet, my blood boiling even though I’ve only scratched the surface of the story between Alex and Taren. They divorced last year, and he won full custody of the children. She quickly remarried and moved to Miami with her healthy divorce settlement and new husband, another professional baseball player. Sources reveal that she’d been having an affair with the new husband before she and Alex filed for divorce. There has also been no sign of Taren in Asheville since the divorce, and it’s common knowledge that Alex remained in North Carolina with the children, only traveling for business related to charity or the Arrows.
I’m mentally plotting her slow and painful demise when there’s a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I say, expecting DeeDee or one of the boys. I’m surprised to see Alex in the doorway, looking tired and drawn, his usual vitality absent.
“Hi,” He runs a hand over his hair. “I just wanted to say thanks for handling things while Taren was here. I know how…difficult she can be, and I really appreciate you protecting the boys.”
I stand from the bed. “Of course. Is there anything else I can do? We had planned to go to the nature preserve before she showed up. Do you think they’d still want to go?”
He shakes his head. “We’re just going to go outside and play ball and order a pizza. They need their dad right now.”
I nod. “I completely understand. Please let me know if I can help.”
“You’ve already helped more than you can imagine, Addison.” He gives me a long, sad look and closes the door.
Crap. I’m beginning to fear I’m a little bit in love with my boss.
Following the whole Taren affair, any boundaries that Alex and I erected effectively disappear. It’s as if we’re both playing on a team together, focused on one common goal—to get that dreaded woman out of the boys’ lives and keep them safe and happy in the process.
Of course, Alex still has tons of work to do with the season in full summer swing, but we often take the kids out together and swim in the backyard pool. Anything to return the normalcy Taren disturbed. And it seems to be working, thankfully.
I know Alex is also in constant contact with his lawyers, trying to thwart Taren’s efforts to essentially extort money from him. He told me her plans for joint custody but very little else. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach is ever present, and I know it won’t fade until this ordeal is over.
Beyond the dread, my body remains acutely attuned to everything Alex. Each time I look at him, or my skin brushes his, no matter how casual the gesture, I feel electric. He’s kept good on his word not to pressure me into anything, and, indeed, he hasn’t touched me in any way that could be construed as a come-on. But the looks…Gah! Those long, heated looks. The ones that say I’ve seen you naked and I liked what I saw . Those damn eyes of his have me changing my panties on what sometimes feels like an hourly basis. Part of me knows that it’s only a matter of time before I cave, but the rest of me refuses to acknowledge it.