Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
MADDOX
“What are you doing here, Cece?” I shut the office door behind us. Violet had a tendency to listen in, and I didn’t want her hearing if we got into a fight.
Cece walked to the desk and perched on its edge. “It’s Christmas. I wanted to see Violet.”
“And you couldn’t have called first?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Would you have hidden the nanny if I had? Seriously, Mad. Another nanny? Could you be more of a cliché?”
“No.” I held up a finger. “We’re not discussing Natalie.”
Who I dated was none of Cece’s business. She’d lost the right to explanations when she’d abandoned our daughter. Besides, she’d had her mind made up for years. This wasn’t the first time she’d falsely accused me of sleeping with the nanny.
It wouldn’t matter to her that Natalie had known our family for years. That she’d graduated with Heath and Tobias. Or that her tenure as Violet’s caretaker had totaled two days and a party. Cece would never accept Natalie .
“Answer my question,” I ordered. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see Violet.”
“And?”
“And nothing.” She pursed her mouth into a firm line.
I waited, my hands fisted on my hips. There was more behind this visit than her wanting to see Violet. If that was the case, she would have gotten here in time for Christmas.
Cece’s hazel eyes flickered to mine as I waited. We’d had this standoff many, many times, during our marriage and after. She was as transparent as the office’s windows.
So I waited, the clock on the wall ticking as the seconds passed. I’d do this all night if I had to. Though the longest Cece had ever gone in one of our stare-downs had been three minutes.
She huffed and flung out a wrist. “God, I hate it when you just stare at me. Fine. I had to cut my holiday vacation short, okay? Rip and I broke up and the last place I wanted to be was California while he flaunts his new girlfriend all over Instagram.”
Rip . The model. The moron.
Now this visit made sense. Cece had always come rushing to Violet when there wasn’t someone she’d deemed a better companion for her time.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You can’t just show up whenever you feel it’s convenient. You have to call first, like a guest.”
“A guest?”
“Yes, you are in fact a guest.”
“I’m her mother.”
“Then fucking act like it,” I barked.
She flinched.
Shit . I cringed, hoping like hell our daughter wasn’t listening beyond the door.
Mom had pulled Violet aside when I’d told Cece to follow me to the office. With any luck, they were still in the living room. Natalie was probably home by now. A few snide comments from Cece and she’d all but bolted for the door.
It had physically hurt me to let Natalie leave tonight, but I wouldn’t force her to endure what promised to be a disaster. Cece had claws, and though I suspected Natalie had enough bite of her own, I’d save the drama for another date. If there was another date.
Goddamn, I hoped she’d give me another date.
“We’re not going to do this.” I raked a hand through my hair. “Not again. You don’t have the right to show up uninvited. You don’t have the right to barge into my family’s home. You can stay here tonight because it’s late, but tomorrow you’re in a hotel.”
“A hotel?” Her jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not kidding. I won’t do this to Violet.”
“You have no right?—”
“I have every right!” I bellowed. “I have every right. The judge granted them to me, and if you’d bothered showing up at the hearing, you would have heard it too. Except money was more important than our child.”
Cece stared at me, her eyes wide. Violet had inherited Cece’s nose and the shape of her face. But otherwise, Violet was mine with blue eyes and dark hair. She was mine. And it was time to set new boundaries.
“We’re moving here.”
“You said it was a possibility after school was done for the year.”
“It’s happening. Now. We’re not waiting for school to be out. I want to get Violet into the Bozeman school system as soon as possible. The move is effective immediately. We’ll stay here with Mom and Dad until my own house is ready.”
“You can’t move?—”
“I can. How many times do I have to tell you that? I can. You let her go for twenty-five million dollars.”
Her face paled. “Maddox.”
I’d never been this blunt and harsh with Cece before. Instead of brutal honesty, I’d pandered to her, hoping if I didn’t make waves, she’d show up for Violet. Hoping that if I walked on eggshells, she’d keep at least one promise.
No more. Natalie had showed Violet more genuine affection and attention in days than Cece had in years.
“Did you bring her a Christmas present?” I asked.
The guilt on her face was enough of an answer but she launched into an excuse, typical Cece style. “I was in a rush to make my flight. I got home from Hawaii, swapped out some clothes and went straight to the airport. There was no time to shop.”
In a rush to make her flight. I scoffed. It wasn’t like she had to make it through security lines in time. She had a private fucking plane and a pilot who’d wait for her to swing into a store and buy a last-minute gift.
“Please don’t be mad.” She pushed off the desk and crossed the room. That famous pout of hers, the one that hadn’t worked on me in years, was fixed on her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a gift. I’ll take Violet shopping tomorrow for whatever she wants. Hopefully I can find something other than a dollar store. Tell me there’s at least a mall or something.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Turn up your nose at Montana. Bozeman is a fantastic town. You’ve been here before and you know there are some upscale shops downtown. And a mall. I won’t have you tainting this place for Violet by being a snob. This is going to be her home.”
She snarled. “Why are you being such an asshole tonight?”
“Do you really need me to answer that question?”
“Come on, Mad.” Cece sighed, placing her hands on my chest. “I don’t want to fight.”
My hands clamped over her wrists and I pried her away. “No.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d made a pass at me since the divorce. Sex was her way of getting out of trouble, and during our marriage, it had worked. But never after we’d split.
“This is about that woman, the nanny, isn’t it?” she sneered and stepped away.
“Natalie. Her name is Natalie. And you can get used to her being around.” Because if I had my way, Natalie was going to be a familiar face in everyone’s lives, Cece’s included.
“How long have you and Natalie been fucking?”
“That’s none of your business. And I’m done with this conversation. You can stay here tonight and tomorrow I’ll expect you to find a hotel. You’re welcome to visit Violet while you’re here but you need to call first. If you take her anywhere, you need to tell me where you’re going and how long you’ll be gone.”
She tossed her hands in the air. “You act like I’m a criminal.”
“No, I’m acting like a parent. I’ve been the one to pick up Violet after you leave. I’m the one left holding her while she cries and deals with the fact that her mother doesn’t give a shit about her life. So things are going to change. My daughter, my rules. You can either conform or get the fuck out. Understand?”
Her mouth fell open.
“Do. You. Understand?”
She blinked .
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Without another word, I walked to the door, whipping it open and holding it for her as she marched out of the office and down the hallway to find our daughter.
Thankfully, her irritation with me didn’t bleed into her time with Violet. Cece managed to stow her frustration and act perfectly happy to shower Violet with hugs and kisses.
I spent the rest of the night hovering, watching as Violet showed her mother all of the Christmas presents she’d received. While Violet took her shower, I hauled up Cece’s three suitcases to Violet’s room because they’d decided to sleep in the same bed. Then after Violet was dressed in her pajamas and had brushed out her hair, I tucked her into bed.
“Good night, princess.” I bent to kiss Violet’s forehead and give her a hug. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Daddy.” She snuggled into her pillow.
I stood and glanced at Cece who was propped up on a bunch of pillows beside our daughter.
“Night, Mad.”
“Night.” I nodded, my heart twisting at the smile on my daughter’s face.
Cece could be a good mother. When she tried, when she put her own selfishness aside, she could be a good mother. Violet adored her and craved her attention.
But Cece wasn’t there enough. She never had been.
I walked out of the room, easing the door closed save for a small crack. Then I leaned in to listen.
“Did you know that we’re moving here?” Violet asked Cece.
“That’s what Daddy said. You like it here, don’t you?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty fun.”
Yesterday, after the presents and Christmas meal, I’d sat Violet down and asked her if she’d be okay moving to Montana sooner than later. Though she’d been bummed to leave her friends, I’d promised she’d make new ones. And I’d promised that every Saturday, we’d go sledding.
Natalie had suggested we find a special activity. Sledding and swimming in the hot tub and whatever else we fit into our Saturdays would be our special activities.
“Can you move here too, Mommy?”
I held my breath, leaning in closer.
“I don’t know if I can. Sorry.”
“Oh,” Violet murmured.
I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t like there was a job keeping Cece in California.
“Should we go shopping tomorrow?” Cece asked.
“Sure.” There was a rustle of covers as Violet shifted. Then an audible yawn—it was three hours past Violet’s normal bedtime.
I inched away from the door, walking downstairs to where Mom was waiting in the living room with a full glass of wine.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked.
“He went out to the hot tub.”
I nodded and took a seat on the couch beside her, blowing out a long breath. “If she just tried... why can’t she be like this every time?”
“I don’t know, son.”
“It breaks my heart. Because when she wants to be a mother, Violet adores her.” I hadn’t seen Violet this happy in weeks. Her smile. Her laugh. It was almost painful to witness because I knew it would all vanish when Cece did. “What do I do?”
“What you’re doing.” Mom put her hand on my knee. “Be there for Violet when she leaves.”
“Christ, this is hard.” I ran a hand over the stubble on my jaw. “How pissed is Dad? ”
“Oh, he’s pretty pissed. I expect him to disappear first thing in the morning like your brother did tonight. He’s worried that if he is around Cece, he won’t be able to keep his mouth shut.”
Dad was the steady in the house. When Mom was angry, she let it blow. But not Dad. My family hated Cece and rightly so. Mom might be one to lose it, but Dad would simply steer clear and keep it to himself. On the rare occasion he did lose his temper, it was best to be out of the county.
“That would actually be fairly entertaining to see Dad lose it.”
Mom laughed. “He rarely does, but I wouldn’t want to be in her Jimmy Choos if he does.”
“We were having such a good night.”
“Yes, we were.”
“I screwed up with Natalie. I shouldn’t have let her leave.” Maybe I should have kicked Cece out instead and made my choice crystal clear.
“No, it was right to talk with Cece alone.”
Maybe. But I couldn’t leave things with Natalie like this all night. She had to know that she was important too.
“Mom, I need to get some air.” I stood from the couch. “Would you mind being here in case Violet needs anything?”
“I’ve got her. You go. And say hi to Natalie.”
I grinned. “How’d you know I’m going to see Natalie?”
“Because I have three very smart sons. It’s not easy to fit into the Holiday mix but Natalie does. Like she’s always belonged.”
Good to know I wasn’t the only one who’d felt it.
Maybe it should have unsettled me, diving headfirst into a new relationship. After the disaster with Cece, I’d been hesitant to date. But not with Natalie. Every bone in my body vibrated with the need to be around her. To hold her close and see just where this was headed .
I bent down and kissed Mom’s cheek. “Thanks.”
“See you in the morning.”
I hurried toward the garage, grabbing one of Dad’s coats from the hook beside the door. Then I stepped into my shoes and hopped in the car, speeding across town for the dark green house and a woman who was quickly stealing my heart.
The lights were off except for a flicker of blue and white flashes through the front window from the TV. I knocked on the door, waiting in the cold as my breath billowed around me. Then the lock clicked open and there she stood, wearing a pair of Santa-print pajamas. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. The makeup she’d had on earlier was gone.
She’d never looked more beautiful.
“Maddox?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You drove across town to apologize?” She waved me inside. “You could have just called.”
“No, I wanted to do this in person. I’m sorry that we didn’t get our date. I’m sorry that the date we had was interrupted.”
Her gaze softened. “I had fun.”
“Still, that’s not what I wanted. But what if we pretended?”
“Pretended what?”
“What if we pretended it was exactly as I’d planned? We went to dinner. I flattered you with my charm and kissed you good night at this door.”
“Hmm.” She hummed, a smile at the corner of her mouth. “You know, I’m not good with pretend. Maybe show me what you mean.”
“Like this.” I took her face in my hands and dropped my lips to hers, inhaling her sweet scent and savoring the softness of her lips.
She sank into my arms, opening her mouth for my tongue.
Just one taste, then I let her go. “About what Cece said. The nanny comment. It’s not true. I’ve never been with one of Violet’s nannies. Until you.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
“I trust you, Maddox. I believe you .”
I’d been lucky in my life. With my family. My daughter. My career. Certain days stood apart from the others. Like the day last week when I’d opened the door to Natalie.
“I’m going to kiss you again.”
“Hold that thought.” She laced her fingers through mine and pulled me through the house, stopping at the living room to flip off the television. Then she tugged me down a hallway to her bedroom.
“Natalie.” I stopped inside the doorway.
“I thought you were going to kiss me.”
Oh, I was. Everywhere. “Before I do, I want you to know that I want this. You and me. I don’t want to take it slow. I don’t want to wait to be with you. But if you need time?—”
“I don’t.” She walked over and slid her hands up my coat and to my shoulders. Then she shoved it off, the jacket landing with a thud by my feet.
I dove for her as she came at me, our lips smashing together. There was no hesitancy in this kiss, no reservation. I kissed her like I’d wanted to kiss her since that first time. A kiss that was just a prelude to what was to come.
She fumbled with the hem of my sweater, shoving it up my stomach. Then her hands came to my abs and she yanked her lips away.
“What?” I glanced down to where her hands were frozen on my skin.
She blushed and reached past me for the light switch, flooding the room in color. “No way we’re doing this in the dark.”
I chuckled and grabbed a fistful of my sweater and the T-shirt underneath, yanking them over my head.
Natalie’s eyes went wide as they raked down my chest and to where my jeans sat low on my hips. “Hello, Maddox Holiday.”
Every hour spent with my personal trainer in LA letting him torture me paid off with the flare in her eyes.
“Your turn.” I unclasped the buttons of her pajama shirt one at a time, taking my time as I popped them apart. When I reached the last one, her breath was coming in short pants. My fingers grazed the creamy skin of her stomach and the small jewel that adorned her belly button. Then like she’d done with my coat, I shoved the top off those pretty shoulders.
My arms flew around her, hauling her into my chest. Those rosy, pebbled nipples grazed my skin as I shoved at the waistband of her bottoms.
Her fingers worked the zipper on my jeans but I kept them on, even though my cock ached to slide inside her tight, delicious body. If she wanted an orgasm with the lights on, I was all for it. I could stare at her long, toned legs and sexy curves for days and not have my fill.
I dropped my lips to her neck, sucking below her ear, then I fell to my knees.
Her fingers threaded through my hair as I took in her bare mound.
“Nat.” I placed a kiss below her navel.
“Maddox.” My name on her lips was the best gift I’d had in years.
I leaned in and dragged my tongue across her folds, her sweetness exploding in my mouth.
Natalie’s hands tightened in my hair, the sting in my scalp all the encouragement I needed to do it again.
Sliding one hand up the inside of her leg, I found her wet center and plunged a finger inside. She shuddered as I sucked and licked and fucked her with my tongue until she shouted my name and nearly collapsed as the first orgasm washed over her.
Her limbs trembled with the aftershocks of her release as I picked her up and carried her to the bed, whipping back the covers and settling her on the cool sheets. Then I went back to the light switch, bathing the room in darkness.
It was going to kill me to walk out of here.
I went to her side and kissed her forehead. “Good night.”
“Ni—wait. What?” She shoved up on her elbows. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t have a condom.” So I was going home for a cold, cold shower. Maybe I’d just jump in a snowbank.
“Oh.” The disappointment on her face made the sting of blue balls pinch a little less. “I haven’t been with anyone in over a year. And I’m on birth control.”
“It’s been longer for me.”
She shoved the covers aside and smiled, her hands drifting up her flat stomach to her nipples where she pinched them between her fingers.
I groaned and stripped out of my jeans, my cock, aching and hard, springing free. I wrapped a hand around the shaft and stroked before climbing into her bed and settling into the cradle of her hips.
She kissed me, not caring that her taste was still on my lips.
And when I slid inside, my eyes locked with hers, I knew this was the Christmas that was going to change everything.