Chapter 13 Xavier
Xavier
She apologized. I attacked her like a fucking horny teenager, and Rosalee had apologized to me.
Called her behavior unprofessional and inappropriate, and then said she would understand if I wanted her gone.
She'd skimmed over the truth of the matter, which was that I'd attacked her because, dammit, I couldn't help it.
Seeing her with that fire burning in those honey-brown eyes after she clapped back at me for my surly behavior had done something to me, or maybe it was the naked lust in her gaze when it ate me up.
In that moment, I didn't just want her; I had to have her. And that kiss? It knocked me right on my ass. It took me by surprise, both by how intense it had gotten and her response. Rosalee was as passionate when it came to kissing as she was when it came to everything else she did.
Even apologizing.
The sincere look of regret on her face slammed me in the chest because I knew she didn't regret the kiss; she regretted the inappropriateness of it.
Most women would have pushed the kiss further, taken it all the way to mutual satisfaction, and then made me pay out the ass for being their wealthy boss.
That apology shocked me more than anything.
I stared at the space she vacated as she disappeared into the kitchen, shuffling around without saying a word while I couldn't stop seeing the way her tits hung without the hindrance of a bra in that thin t-shirt, her nipples fighting to breach the cotton.
My mouth watered at the sight she made, slightly ruffled and uncomfortable as she apologized—but only for the kiss, not for putting me in my place.
She's one of a kind.
The longer she sat quietly in the kitchen eating, the harder it became to ignore her and the effect she was having on the painful erection pressing against my pants. I wanted her more than I'd wanted a woman in too long to think about, and she was fucking sorry.
Instead of pressing the issue, which I was sure I could have, I retreated to my bedroom and took my cock in hand, squeezing tight to relieve the pressure and failing miserably.
I closed my eyes and there she was, blissfully naked and tempting, crawling up my body and settling over my cock, riding me until I exploded all over my stomach.
I would've rather spilled into her wet heat, hands gripping her hips, but that quick relief allowed me to get a few peaceful hours of sleep.
I woke up feeling renewed and ready to approach Rosalee like an adult, since Chase was working the next forty-eight hours, which allowed me to sleep later than usual.
I was clear-headed, but it all fled when I stepped into the kitchen and found Rosalee with her hair swinging around as she twirled a giggling Violet in circles.
My heart stuttered to a stop. And my mouth watered both at the sight of her looking like she was exactly where she belonged and at the scent of bacon and maple syrup on the air. "Morning," I growled. So much for being clear-headed and adult.
Rosalee froze and turned slowly until her gaze collided with mine and her smile faded. "Good morning," she answered stiffly, offering up a smile that was both forced and awkward.
Violet, completely unaware of the tension, babbled happily, drawing another smile from Rosalee.
"You just want pancakes," she cooed to my daughter, laughing when it appeared that Violet was trying to respond.
"That's right, Vi. Pancakes can cure a lot of things, but hopefully, you'll never have to learn that.
" She nuzzled Violet before setting her on the floor, watching with a sweet smile as she took a few steps, fell, got up, and did it again. And again.
"She's walking."
Rosalee froze and looked at me, a sad smile on her face. "Yeah, she's been doing that a lot lately. I tried to tell you, but…" she didn't have to say the rest. I'd been a gruff asshole, not interested in anything that would disturb my peace. "Anyway, yes, she's practicing walking."
I wanted to shout at her that she was my daughter and I should know every damn thing that happens to her, but that would be pointless. I grumbled under my breath just as my phone rang on the countertop. "I need to get that."
Rosalee didn't respond, just kept her focus on Violet.
"Yeah?" I snapped at the unknown caller and instantly felt bad.
"Mr. Holloway, this is Alison from Dr. Porter's office. Your results are ready."
"Okay," I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "What are they?"
"That's not how it works, Mr. Holloway. I have the username you'll use to access the portal, but you'll have to create an account with a secure password, and then you'll be able to access the results.
" She walked me through the process, and five minutes later, the call was over and I tried in vain to access the portal.
I shoved my feet into my boots, ignoring the snow that continued to fall outside, and settled into one of the chairs overlooking the mountain peaks.
It took a few tries before I was able to access the portal, and when I did, I simply stared at a bunch of lines that meant fuck all to me, except the last one.
The probability of paternity was well over ninety-nine percent, and I was not excluded as the father, which meant it was true. It was real.
I was Violet's father.
She was my baby girl.
I took a minute for that little detail to sink in, and I sat there, soaking up the thought that I was someone's father.
Sure, I'd taken responsibility for Violet, but this was real.
It was true. She was mine, and that meant it was up to me to give her the life she deserved from this moment forward.
It was a heavy obligation, but I was up to the task.
I had to be.
After I stared at the details of the paternity test for entirely too long, I swiped off the page and pulled up my call log.
"Nate, I got the DNA results. Violet is mine.
Get the lawyers on this immediately. I want, no I need, to make sure everything is in order on the off chance her mother is trying to fuck with me.
" There was a good chance she would show up a week from now, a month from now, maybe even a year from now when Violet was safe and settled and I was attached, and then she would make her move. "Please."
"Wow." That was all Nate said for a long minute, maybe two. "I guess congratulations are in order. Wait until Mom finds out."
I groaned. "Nate, don't say one fucking word to her about this. I'll tell her when I'm ready." Which would be never.
"Maybe it'll get her off your back?" He snickered because we both knew the truth.
"It would only intensify her efforts to find me some boring socialite to marry. I don't want to deal with that shit right now."
"My lips are sealed," he promised. "But I will be up soon to meet the little angel myself."
"My door is always open, but you'll be sleeping on the couch." I laughed at the thought of my brother in his three-piece suit curled up on my sofa.
"I'll be fine. If push comes to shove, you and I will sleep head to foot like we used to as kids." Laughter roared out of Nate, and I couldn't help but smile.
"That's not happening, but you're welcome anyway."
"Okay. I'll have the lawyers sort it out, and maybe I'll hand-deliver the paperwork."
"Yeah, yeah. I guess I'll be seeing you soon, then." I ended the call and sat there for at least an hour, watching the colors in the sky shift from blue to pink, purple, and orange. Eventually, I made my way back inside and found the kitchen empty, the house quiet, and myself all alone.
Again.
Which was just how I liked it, at least before a certain golden-eyed beauty moved in and turned my life upside down.