Episode 67
Episode 67
Not in a Million Years
RHODES
The few days after we told Emily about our engagement were some of the greatest. My daughter flourished under Maia’s and Alana’s attention. It was as if my bratty teen was turning into a mature young lady right before my eyes. I couldn’t have been more grateful or surprised at the turn of events. Something about committing to Maia, and sharing that happiness with Emily, made her feel more content and secure within her place in the family unit. Not that I’d ever given her any reason to feel she wasn’t accepted, but perhaps years of her mother’s selfish antics had taken a larger toll on her than I had realized.
Emily was a new person. The surliness and angst was all but gone. Now we were gifted with big smiles, laughter, and more hugs in a few days than I’d gotten from her in a year. The summer adventure I’d planned had gone completely sideways, yet my daughter rolled with all the changes beautifully. She was coming out of her shell, sharing her thoughts and feelings, and I had Maia and Alana to thank for it.
“Dad! Daaaaaaad!” Emily called from the other side of the room.
I left the painting I was studying and went over to her.
“Em, don’t yell like that in the Louvre. You’re supposed to be quietly observing the art,” I gently chastised.
Her expression went blank as she looked around, leaned forward and whispered, “We’re in a museum not a library, Dad.”
I couldn’t hide a chuckle. “Touché, honey. Still, people are observing, some studying pieces, possibly for school, and we don’t want to be rude, do we?”
“No, I guess not. I’ll keep it down,” she agreed, proving yet again that she was changing and maturing before my eyes. “Look at that woman. Doesn’t she look a lot like Katie Holmes?” She pointed to a woman wearing a yellow dress and a cardigan. Her brown hair was cut into a simple bob, and she did look exactly like the actress. In fact, the security team following a short distance away suggested the same.
“Yes, actually that does look like her.”
“I ran right into her, and we looked at one another as if both of us recognized something important. Me because I realized she was a famous actress; her I think because she doesn’t want anyone to know she’s here. Should I ask her for a selfie?” She bounced up and down while squeezing my hands. My daughter was about five seconds from losing her mind. The excitement of running into a celebrity was obliterating all levels of intelligent thought processes.
“No Em, you shouldn’t.” I held her hand and moved her farther away.
“But…” She kept looking back at the woman.
Once I got her closer to where Alana and Christophe were quietly discussing a piece, I turned her away from the woman. “Em, I know it seems like an exciting moment, but that actress is just a woman trying to have an experience enjoying art. If you make a scene, she’s going to have to leave, and that isn’t fair, is it?”
“But she’s Katie Holmes ,” she breathed.
I chuckled. “Yes, she is, and what a great story you’ll be able to tell. You ran into Katie Holmes in the Louvre. Won’t your friends be blown away?” I suggested.
“Not if I don’t have a photo with her,” she slumped.
Suddenly, Maia quick-walked down the long corridor toward us. She’d left to use the restroom and was now wild-eyed and smiling like a loon.
“You’re never going to believe who I just saw!” she whispered emphatically. “Katie Holmes!”
Emily spun around and reached for Maia’s arm. “Did you take a selfie with her?” she asked as though the question carried all the weight of the entire world.
This could absolutely backfire in my face after what I’d just told Emily.
“No way! She’s just here enjoying art like the rest of us. I’d never ask someone for a picture if they weren’t at an event specifically for their fans. They’re people, too, ya know.” She looked over her shoulder and lifted her chin. “Oh, and see, she has her daughter, Suri, and some friends with them. How cute. Even celebrities like to go to tourist destinations with their kids just like us regular folks.”
I looped an arm around my intelligent and considerate fiancée and laid a kiss on her temple.
Emily groaned. “My friends will never believe me.” She pouted and I almost caved.
Apparently, Maia did cave because before I could comment, she’d snapped a quick photo of the actress from across the room. She lifted the phone and showed it to Emily. “There you go. Now you have proof. I’ll text it to you when we leave. Then you can share it. We don’t want to risk ruining her time with her friends and family by alerting the masses.”
Emily grinned and started bouncing around like the teenager she was. “Awesome! Can we go to the Eiffel Tower now? I’m starving,” she groaned.
“Darling, it’s Maia’s birthday, and we have reservations for this evening. A few hours from now. How about we get a snack, head back to the estate and get ready?”
Emily danced around then looped her arm with Christo’s. “You hungry, Uncle C?”
“Always, ma douce .” He patted her hand and they walked ahead. “Alana, I know you had your eye on the macarons downstairs. Shall we?” He wiggled his elbow and Alana smoothly slipped her hand through his arm and strutted by his side.
I hugged Maia and led us slowly through the throngs of tourists. “Are you enjoying your birthday so far?”
She bumped my hip with her own. “How could I not? It started with to-die-for crepes, a walk through a gothic church, something I’d wanted to see my entire life, and already today I’ve seen the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. It’s been the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thank you, Rhodes.”
I dipped my head down at the same time she lifted her face up to meet mine. Our lips touched in a brief, but meaningful kiss. “Which was your favorite?”
“Actually, it was Winged Victory . Those wings are magnificent. Not to mention, it’s so old, being from 190 BCE, but I like that it was suspected to be an offering to the gods. People from that era worked that hard creating something incredible as a tribute or a gift to something they believed in with their whole heart. There’s not a lot of things, if any, I’ve ever believed in so completely.”
“And what about us? Do you not believe in our ability to be happy together?” I swallowed down the sudden lump in my throat at the heavy turn in our conversation.
She smiled prettily and rested her head on my shoulder as we continued walking. “That remains to be seen, but so far, the odds are definitely in your favor.”
I grinned, feeling the weight leave my chest and be replaced with a golden warmth, like the sun shining on my face on a cloudy day. “I’ll take those odds. You ready to go back to the house and rest before dinner?”
Maia stopped and curved her body closer to mine. “Does that mean we might have some private alone time in the bedroom?” She walked her fingers slowly from my stomach up my chest, landing on my nape where she wrapped her cool hand. Then she looked up at me with those stunning doe eyes and licked her lips.
I gritted my teeth and tugged her flat against my chest on a groan. “You’re killing me, you know that?” I tucked my face against her sweet-smelling neck, enjoying the spicy vanilla scent.
She chuckled. “Well, we’ve yet to do the deed, and I was thinking, it’s about time we cross that bridge.”
I ran my hands up and down her back, then allowed myself a handful of her luscious ass, gripping just enough to grind my hardening length against her abdomen. “You’re making me hard in the middle of the Louvre.”
Maia teased the hair at the nape of my neck with her fingers. “Sounds like a big problem. We should take care of that immediately,” she mocked. “Maybe Alana and Christophe can drag out their time with Emily and we can race back?”
“You little minx,” I dipped my head and took her mouth in a rather indecent public display of affection, tangling tongues with her in the middle of the busiest museum ever.
Eventually I pulled away, glorying in the fact that Maia’s eyes were hazy with desire. “I’ve got good news and bad news, I’m afraid.”
“What’s the bad news?”
“We’re not going to head back separately, because we’ve promised Emily we’re having a family dinner tonight at the Eiffel Tower. She’s also looking forward to getting ready with you and Alana. I don’t want to change plans on her the way her mother does. Right now, she’s becoming the young lady I’d hoped she’d be, and I don’t want to derail that by snatching away time we’d agreed to spend all together.”
“True, I did tell her we’d have some girl time. Guess our libidos will need to calm down.”
“Not exactly. Which leads me to the good news.” I waggled my brows suggestively. “After dinner, you and I are going to spend two full days alone in a quaint Parisian hotel.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Really? Won’t that upset Em?”
I shook my head. “Actually, it was her idea. She knows we’d like a little bit of private time, and Alana and Christo apparently promised to take her to a few castles in the French countryside. One of them has converted a portion into hotel rooms, and they’re planning to stay.”
“Oh, I bet she’s ecstatic about that,” Maia agreed.
“Absolutely. So let’s head back and get ready for your big night.”
“You mean our big night,” she winked.
“God willing,” I whispered under my breath and subtly adjusted my package while I heard Maia softly snicker next to me.
“Minx,” I taunted, and she squeezed my hand and laughed out loud.
* * * *
“Beautiful isn’t it,” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around Maia’s small form and looked out over the Parisian horizon.
“It’s unbelievable, Rhodes. I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here. Dinner was phenomenal, the Louvre was incredible, and being able to spend it with people I care about…” Her voice caught. “It’s been the best night of my life.”
I kissed the ball of her shoulder. “It’s not over yet,” I tightened my hold around her, pressing my front flat to her backside. “Lots more celebrating to be had at our hotel.”
She placed her hands over mine and leaned against me. “How can this be real life?”
“What do you mean?” I hummed and kissed up the length of her neck. She had her hair pulled up into a complicated mess of curls that I suspected Alana had created.
“All of it. Having a family to eat dinner with on my birthday. The closest thing I’ve had to that since I was a teen was a burger and fries, a few beers, and a night of playing pool with my best friend.”
“Sam?”
“Yeah. He knew birthdays were hard for me, so usually, we’d just eat at this pub we liked, toss back a few cold ones, then I’d kick his ass at pool.”
“Ah, so you’re a pool shark. Noted.”
Maia laughed, then sighed. “He called me today. Told me I never had to worry about those guys that broke into my place, which we already knew from Alana’s contact. But he also said the place had been cleaned. He salvaged what he could and was going to leave it ready for me if I ever needed to come home.”
“That’s because I sent him three years’ worth of rent to keep the place available,” I admitted.
“What?” She spun around. “Why would you do that? Are you planning to get rid of me before the three years are up?” Her eyes went wide, and I could feel her tremble against me.
I shook my head. “No, not even close.”
“Then why would you do that if you weren’t planning on staying married to me?” Her tone was panicked. She gasped. “Are we even getting married?”
I cupped her neck, and gently stroked her jawline with my thumbs. “Sweetheart, I did it because things can get intense in my world. When we go back to Los Angeles and make a home, there may be times where you want some space to yourself, or to see Sam. I know you were kicked out of the only home you had with your mom and siblings. My hope in holding onto the space is that you will always have a home to go back to if things get tough. Emily and I have Alana and Christophe’s place as our home away from home. I wanted you to have the same.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” She gulped.
“I’m a sweet guy.” I wiped away her tears.
“You’re not planning on divorcing me early?” Her breath hitched.
“Maia, I’m not planning on divorcing you ever. And that’s the God’s honest truth.”
“But, the three-year rule…”
I shook my head. “You and I are getting married. We’re giving it a real chance. No time limits. No weird rules. It’s me, you, and Emily. Unless something happens where one of us, or both of us don’t want to be in it anymore, then we’re just going to live life. No restrictions. Got it?”
She swallowed, sniffed, and nodded. “But the money, I need it to help my—”
“The second we get married, I’m transferring the full seven million to you. No need to wait. I want to prove that I’m in this. Fully committed.”
She nodded.
“Now, are you ready to eat dessert, say our goodbyes and head to our hotel?”
Her gaze became heated the same way it had earlier in the Louvre. We’d waited long enough to fully consummate what we had burning between us, and I was over it.
“I am,” she reached down and interlaced her fingers with my own.
I bent down and kissed her slowly.
“Dad!” Emily burst our little bubble. “Um, hate to bother you but Mom wants to talk to you.” My daughter’s voice sounded nervous. Something she shouldn’t ever have to feel when talking to her fucking mother.
“I’m busy, honey. Tell her I’ll call her in a few days,” I said without looking at her, instead keeping my eyes firmly planted on the beautiful woman before me.
I could hear my daughter relay what I said.
“Dad, she says if you don’t talk to her right now, she’s calling her lawyers.”
Anger roared through my system like an alpha lion protecting his pride. I reached out and wiggled my fingers. “Give it to me,” I snapped, unable to keep my cool.
Maia moved over to Emily and opened her arms. My girl went straight into them and clung to her for comfort.
“Portia, what’s the meaning of this?” I growled into the phone.
“You’re getting married?” my ex-wife screeched.
I closed my eyes and let out an exhausted groan. “Yes. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“If it involves my daughter, and my husband , then it’s my business!” she snapped.
“Portia, we’ve been divorced for most of Em’s life. You’ve been engaged more times over the years than I have fingers on both hands. What is this about?”
“You’re getting married. To whom? Some little nobody named Maia. A woman half your age! How do you think that looks to our teenager? Hmm…?”
It took everything I had not to rip into her. But since my daughter and fiancée were only a few steps away, I reined it in. “I don’t have to explain anything to you. I owe you nothing. And Maia’s been more of a mother to our child in a week than you have in the past few years.”
“How dare you!”
“How dare you, Portia. How dare you ignore your own daughter for years and then be angry about a new woman in her life. One that actually gives a shit about her. Now, it’s Maia’s birthday, and we have family waiting. I’ll have Emily call you in a few days.”
“A few days! Fuck that! My next call will be to my lawyers demanding they petition the courts for full custody,” she threatened.
“Good luck with that. You don’t have a chance in hell, but I’m sure Emily would love to see her mother more.”
“Rhodes, please , let’s talk about this.” Portia changed her tune instantly to one that was saccharin sweet. “I want you back.”
Is this woman for real?
“You’re delusional if you think we live in a world where I would ever consider taking you back. Not in a million fucking years. Jesus!” I snapped.
“You’re gonna regret this, Rhodes,” she sneered. “No woman will ever love you the way I do.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that load of crap other than I wish you well, Portia. Call your daughter once in a while. Goodbye.”
“Mom was mad, huh?” Emily crossed her arms over her chest protectively. “I didn’t know she would freak out when I told her you were getting married. She asked where we were, and I told her, then—”
“Emily, it’s okay. Our engagement is not a secret. It’s a happy event that Maia and I are excited to share with the world, right honey?”
Maia’s nervous gaze went from me to Emily as she plastered on the fakest smile ever and quipped, “Yep.”
Fucking Portia. I would not let her ruin all that we’d achieved as a small family. “Come on. We’ve got dessert to look forward to. Last one in pays the bill.”
Emily dashed around the bend to the entrance. I stopped and held Maia back. “You heard that?”
“I heard that. She wants you back.” Maia frowned.
“Not ever happening.”
“But…”
I shook my head. “I feel more love toward you in two weeks than I have for my ex-wife in a decade.”
“Love?” she swallowed, her eyes big and full of hope yet tinged with a hint of skepticism.
“Love.” I cupped her cheek.
“Oh boy,” she whispered.
“Oh boy is right. Come on, it’s someone’s birthday, and I for one want to celebrate it.”
She followed me, not saying a single word, the doubt still present in her gaze and that fake smile plastered across her lips.