Chapter 9 #2
I grip the door handle tight enough that my knuckles turn white.
“Yes, sir,” I grit out before I leave, slamming the door behind me.
“Oh.” Kat’s gasp pulls me from my thoughts, and I feel my anger melt away when I look up and find her coming out of our little library down the hall from Dad's office, Addy trailing behind her like a little lost puppy.
Same, kiddo.
It takes me a second to realize I’d probably startled her.
“Sorry, Kitten. I didn’t realize you guys were around.
” I tell her with a smile as I make my way toward them.
Addy’s face lights up when she sees me, and if I weren’t already in a better mood seeing Kat, I would be now.
I swear she’s the cutest little girl; her smile is so damn contagious, I don’t dare even try to be upset around her.
My mind wanders back to my conversation with my father, Kat, and a baby—but not just any baby.
My baby.
Fuck…
Alex always made fun of my father for his so-called breeding kink. Until just now, it wasn’t something I thought we had in common, but with Kat…
The idea of her round with my baby. Kids running around the mansion with her hair or eyes.
Shit, I need to think of something else because fucking her isn’t an option right now. Not with Father busy and everyone else gone.
“Hey, Princess, did you and my kitten find anything good?”
Addy looks up at me with her lip jutted out, and I get the feeling the answer is going to be no.
“We need new books,” she whines, making me raise a brow in question, but she doesn’t elaborate, and I turn my gaze back to Kat.
A fond smile pulls at her lips as she looks down at Addy, mussing her hair.
“Addy’s reading level is a few grades higher than her current grade, which means that most of the books are too easy for her.
We could use some simple chapter books, but the library here seems to be short on them.
Mostly, there are picture books or adult books that I assume are more Oliver’s speed. ”
Huh, I knew Addy was brilliant, but I never stopped to think about things like reading levels. I personally hate reading. I’d never be someone who picked up a book for fun. She was right about Oliver, though; he enjoyed reading the same way she did, but not all the books are his.
“A lot of those books are actually my father's. He enjoys a good book,” I tell her, and get the pleasure of watching her eyes go wide.
Huh.
“I think a few might be Vince’s, too. He’s been known to spend some time in the library.”
I watch her reaction carefully, trying to see if she has any kind of pull to Vince the way Father suggested, but if she does, she hides it well.
I might not love the idea of him being a part of what we have, but the more I think about what my father said, the more I wonder if perhaps I’m being too harsh.
Vince is like a second father to me, so what’s the difference between sharing with him and my actual father?
To be honest, there isn’t much, only the unknown. I’ve never shared with him before, and the idea of him trying to steal her from us made me see red.
No, if she is interested, he’s going to have to agree to this the same way the rest of us have.
All or nothing, because I don’t care if he’s like a father to me or not; if he tries to take her, I’ll kill him or die trying. In this case, considering I’m pretty sure he can take me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Kat asks, pulling me from my thoughts, and I notice her cheeks are pink, her eyes downcast.
She’s so fucking perfect.
“Nothing, Kitten,” I say, fishing my phone from my pocket and pulling up the app. “Throw some books in the cart.” I pass her my phone, and she opens her mouth, looking stunned, but no words come out.
“No! Mommy’s going to take me to the bookstore!” Addy says, looking at Kat with those big pleading eyes that get her anything she wants.
Kat drops to the ground, her hands on Addy’s shoulders so that she’s looking in her eyes.
“I said we can go to the bookstore soon. That doesn’t mean today. Remember, Mommy has a headache, so how about we just order some for now and start with those?” She’s so patient and understanding, without falling prey to her the way we always do.
Addy looks like she wants to argue, but eventually she nods, and Kat hugs her.
Kat had agreed to stay home as often as possible for the next few weeks while Vince looked for Carter.
At first, I thought it would be a struggle. Kat is always on the move, going places and doing things. But since that day, things have felt a little different. I don’t think we needed to ask her to stay home at all; she would have just done it.
“How about we go downstairs and find something for lunch and look at some books?” Kat suggests, and that perks Addy right up. She loves being in the kitchen with Kat, something I never realized she was lacking with previous nannies.
But then, Kat isn’t just a nanny; she really is like her mother.
Addy is bounding down the steps, her hand on the railing as she hums a song to herself in her own little world.
I’m pretty sure it’s the song from that movie where the sister almost freezes the other to death, but I can’t be sure. I’m not great with the princesses, that's all, Oli.
I wonder if maybe they’ve spent some time together yet.
“Here,” Kat says, holding my phone back out to me.
Instead of taking it, I turn and follow Addy down the stairs.
“Desmond,” she shouts after me, and I hear her follow behind me.
“Yes, Kitten.”
“Take your phone.”
“But you haven’t ordered any books yet.” That gets Addy’s attention, and she stops at the bottom of the stairs to look back up at us. I make it to her a second later, and Kat is only a few steps behind me.
“I can order them just fine on my phone,” she says with a huff, again trying to hand me my phone back.
I know she can; she’s on our account and has access to Dad's black card, yet for some reason I really wanted her to do it on my phone.
“Have you spent any time with Oli lately?” I ask completely off-topic as an idea begins to form in my mind.
“What?” Kat’s eyes go wide, and I see the slight blush that colors her cheeks, but I’m not sure if that’s because she has or simply because I asked her something so forward.
I reach out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into my chest.
Fuck, I love her reactions.
“What do you mean, ‘what’? It’s a simple question. I was just curious if you and Oli have had any time to get better acquainted.”
Her face is damn near on fire now, redder than her hair as she attempts to pull back from me. I hold her for a moment before I let her go, and she quickly takes off toward the kitchen with Addy in tow, her gaze downcast at the floor.
It’s not nice to tease her, but I can’t help it. She’s just so damn cute, and her reactions really get me going.
Not to mention, I really am curious about her and Oli. They would be great together if only he’d give her a damn chance. I know that Natasha hurt him. She hurt us all, but he’s never gotten over it.
I follow Addy and Kat into the kitchen only to almost plow her over when I find her stopped in the doorway, frozen. It only takes me a second to understand why when I spot Oli sitting at the counter, his laptop open with a cup of coffee and one of the muffins Addy and Kat made a few days ago.
“Oli!” Addy says with a smile. I can hear it even without seeing her face, before she drops Kat’s hand and makes a dash toward him.
I wasn’t aware that Oli was home right now, and from the looks of it, neither was Kat.
It takes Oli longer than it should for him to realize anyone is here; by then, Addy is in his lap, demanding his attention.
“Oh, Addy.” He reaches up and pulls an earbud from his ear, and it makes a little more sense.
He quickly scoops her up into his arms before setting her on the table in front of him.
“Sorry, I was just getting some things done for the office. I didn’t hear you come in.
” He looks at us almost sheepishly. His eyes move from me to Kat, and I decide to tease him while I’m at it, too.
Stepping forward, I snake my arm around Kat’s waist. Leaning down, I gently press my lips to that soft spot behind her ear that drives her crazy.
I can’t see her face, but judging by his, I’m going to say she liked it.
“Oli,” Addy whines, and I bark a laugh when he has to physically shake himself to get himself together.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess. What did you say?”
“We have to buy new books. Can you help me pick some?”
I drop my chin to Kat’s shoulder and watch them together. Oli is a lot like another older sibling to her. I’m not even sure she realizes they're only cousins, but I honestly don't think we've ever told her. We don’t need labels; we know who we are, and that’s all that matters.
“He’s so cute with her, isn’t he?” I ask as I run my hands up and down her arms a few times with building pressure that I know she loves, and she doesn’t say a word, but her nod is enough.
If you ask me, Oli really needs to get his head out of his ass, but then again, nobody asked me, so I’ll enjoy her time spent between the three of us until he’s ready to step up…or not.
“You all are adorable with her,” she deflects, and I roll my eyes.
I know I’m cute.
I stand up straight, letting my arms drape over her shoulders and my chin rest on her head, the scent of her shampoo enough to make me crave her.
“You know what I think we need?” I ask, getting Oliver and Addy’s attention as well. Nobody answers, and I frown at them.
Whatever.
“A vacation!”