Dangerous Temptations (29 page)
He cupped my face and brought his lips to mine, kissing me fiercely and without control. Slowly, he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against mine whispering, “I love you.”
I smiled up at him and whispered back, “I love you, too.”
Alex
Four years and nine months later…
As I unbuttoned my chef’s coat, I stared at my beautiful wife and son sleeping peacefully in our bed. He was cradled by her side, with one arm wrapped over her swollen belly. Only two years old and he was already protective of his soon-to-be little sister.
Ever since opening up our new restaurant,
Elizabeth Rose
—named after both of our mothers—I’ve been working late making sure everything ran smoothly. Fortunately, Mac worked from home so she could stay home with Colton. Her boss had been very accommodating ever since the launch of her new baby and maternity fashion blog started bringing in ten times the advertising revenue than her old one.
“Mac…” I whispered. She didn’t budge, so I carefully picked up Colton and carried him to his own bed. I leaned down and kissed his forehead before turning the light off and shutting the door.
I walked to the bathroom and turned the shower on, needing to get the kitchen smell off me. I smiled as I thought about the events of my day. I never would’ve guessed five years ago that I’d be a chef at my own restaurant in New York City. Once my dad and I made amends, he signed my full trust fund over to me, and I went to culinary school. Once I finished, I spent months training with top chefs in five-star restaurants and learning new techniques that I eventually mastered and brought into my own restaurant.
It wasn’t just about getting to do something I loved, but we donate part of the proceeds to the Coalition for the Homeless. Customers have the option to donate extra money, sign up to volunteer, or donate goods. We’ve been able to bring awareness back to the city and that’s been the most important thing for Mac’s sake.
“Alex?” I vaguely heard Mac’s voice through the door.
“In here,” I called out, rubbing soap over my arms and chest. She opened the door and smiled as our eyes met.
“You didn’t wake me.”
“I tried,” I reassured. “But you sleep like the dead.”
“Oh. Guess I was more tired than I thought.”
“Wanna join me?” She opened the door just as I asked.
“Already planned on it.” She smiled. I leaned in and kissed her. “So how was your day?” I asked as we stood under the stream of water.
“Great. Busy as usual.” I grabbed the shampoo and poured some in her hair, massaging my fingers into her scalp. “How was yours?”
“Well, it only took me five hours to finish one blog post because Colton wanted my attention every three seconds. Then I planned to work on it during his nap time, but he made me lay with him in bed until he fell asleep and then
I
ended up falling asleep instead.” I chuckled at her scowl. “Oh, your dad called. He’s invited us over for dinner this weekend for you to meet his new fiancée.” She smirked and let out a low laugh. “Anyway, we’re supposed to come at six. Will you be home on time?”
I narrowed my brows at her, curling my upper lip up. “Yes.” I sighed. “But I’m
not
calling her Mom,” I mocked.
She burst out in laughter, wrapping her arms around me. “I’m glad we can all be in the same room together at least.” She flashed a genuine smile. “It makes it easier for Colton. William’s his only grandparent,” she reminded me.
“I know.” I kissed her softly on the nose. We finished our shower and lay in bed together. I rubbed my hand over her belly and pouted. “She never kicks for me.”
“When she wakes me up at three a.m. kicking my ribs to death, I’ll make sure to wake you up.”
“We need to get you on a better schedule, kid,” I teased, rubbing my hand over her belly once more.
“We’re not going to call her kid, are we? She needs a name,” she pouted. We’ve been discussing names for months and we haven’t been able to agree on anything.
“Okay…tell me your list again.”
“Cora, Caitlin, Camila, and Cassie.”
“Why are they all C’s?”
“So they match Colton’s,” she replied in an obvious tone.
“Um…okay.” I laughed. “Well, then I guess I like…Cora and Cassie.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it.”
Oh, god…the hormonal mood swings.
“I am, sweetheart. I’m just very tired.” I kissed her and pulled her closer to me. “Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
She grumbled. “That’s what you always say.”
“Sweetheart, I promise. We’ll talk about it. Just not now when I’m half asleep.”
“Okay.” She smiled and kissed me, curling her body into mine. “Love you.”
Three Months Later…
“She looks just like you,” I said, admiring how perfect our new baby girl looked. “She has your same cheek bones. And your cute little jawline.” I rocked her next to Mac’s hospital bed, in complete awe at how much I already loved her. “Maybe she’ll have your feisty attitude, too.” I winked.
“We can only hope.”
A knock came at the door and her nurse walked in, smiling wide. “I have some papers I need you to fill out.” She handed them to Mac. “You had the baby so fast we didn’t even get to that yet.” Mac and I were at dinner when her water broke. She delivered a half an hour after we arrived at the hospital. “What’s her name?” the nurse asked.
The smile on my face dropped, and I turned to look at Mac, who wore the same expression I was. “Um…” She started to stumble.
“We’re still deciding,” I interrupted. The nurse looked at us with an odd expression but just nodded in response and told us to page her when the paperwork was complete.
As soon as the nurse shut the door, Mac turned and scowled at me. “Don’t give me that look,” I pleaded.
“Our baby is going to be named Kid,” she cried. “It’s all you called her during my pregnancy so it’s probably all she knows anyway.”
Oh, hello, postpartum hormones!
“Not true,” I reassured. “Let’s just go over your list again and decide which one she looks like.”
She rambled off the names again, but nothing stuck out. I thought for a moment and said, “What about Lauren Elizabeth?” It was her middle name and her mom’s name combined, so I partially expected her to yell at me how stupid that idea was, but surprisingly, she didn’t.
“I like it!” she gushed, smiling. “Lauren Elizabeth…it fits so perfectly.” She looked down at her and started crying.
After a couple days in the hospital, we were able to take our baby girl home. Colton met her for the first time that night and absolutely adored her. He wanted to know why she didn’t do anything but sleep, but I knew he’d be wishing she was sleeping when she wakes him up crying at two a.m.
“Can you grab her blanket? I left it in the kitchen,” Mac asked as he cuddled Lauren on the couch. I jumped up to grab it, but just before I walked back in to hand it to her, I stood in the doorway and just watched the three of them. Colton was standing on the couch cushion next to Mac, looking down at his new sister. Mac was smiling, holding Colton close to her as they both just stared down at her.
When I met Mackenzie five years ago, my world tilted on its axis. Before her, it felt as if I was drowning in the expectations that were put into place, and I had no say in the matter. Coming home after graduate school was something I wasn’t looking forward to, but I knew it was time—time to face my dad and the media again.
Meeting Mac that first night was the game changer. She was filled with such a bright energy that it completely changed my perception of having to be home again. When I woke up the next morning with her in my bed, I knew I didn’t want to let her go. I may not have known much about her, but I knew I wanted to
know
more about her.
The first moment she turned around to face me, it hit me like a freight train. I made sure to not let it show, but just like everything else in my life, nothing ever went my way. I had realized who she was. I recognized her from the articles the press did on my father, but she was so much different than I originally anticipated.
That was when I knew.
He wasn’t good enough for her. He was a lying, deceptive son-of-a-bitch, and I wasn’t going to let him keep her.
“Alex?” Mac’s voice grabbed my attention back. She raised her brows at me, looking down at the blanket in my hands. “Can you bring that here, please?”
I pushed off the doorframe and walked toward the three of them, covering Lauren up with her new blanket.
I picked Colton up and set him on my lap as I sat down next to Mac, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pushing us closer together. “I can’t believe how much she looks like you.”
“Yeah…she looks a lot like my mom, too. It’s kind of perfect.” She tilted her head up at me and smiled. “I wish I had pictures of her.”
I pulled her head toward me and kissed her temple. “We’ll always take a lot of pictures.”
“Well, we should all get to bed early,” she sighed, then leaned over me to speak to Colton. “Daddy has a big birthday tomorrow! The big 3-0,” she said, emphasizing the 3 and 0. “We’re going to get up and make him a special breakfast.” She smiled over at him, and I sighed. “No groaning,” she warned me. “We’re having your dad and new stepmom over for dinner. They’re excited to see the baby.”
I wrinkled my nose at her, narrowing my brows. “Isn’t it weird your old assistant is my ‘stepmom’?”
She snorted. “No, it’s fate. They deserve each other…” She looked over at Colton, who was overhearing everything. “In the best way possible,” she added, grinning. She was right about that. Chelsea spent months selling stories about William and when he recently found out, he threatened to sue for slander. Instead, Chelsea asked him out to ‘explain’ and apparently, he bought it because they ended up dating. Shortly after, he proposed and they married.
Apparently, the third time was the charm.
After we tucked Colton in and got Lauren to sleep, we headed to bed ourselves. The past few days have been another life-changing chapter for us, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
“So do you think after the awkward birthday dinner you’re going to make me suffer through, we can lay low a few days before I have to get back to work?” I whispered, holding her tightly against me and tracing a finger along her jawline.
“I wish.” She sighed. “Staci’s wedding is next weekend,” she reminded me, “which means I have to fit my post-pregnancy belly into a dress that is probably two sizes too small.”
I pulled her chin toward me and brushed my lips over hers. “You are going to look beautiful no matter what.” I kissed her lips again as I pulled her closer. “So…how long do we have to wait to have sex again?” I asked between kisses.
She laughed as she shout-whispered, “Longer than three days!”
“Damn.” I grinned.
“At least six weeks,” she reminded me.
I groaned. “Longest six weeks of my life.”
“It’ll go by fast, I promise,” she reassured. “Between feedings, diaper changes, chasing after Colton, and work—those weeks will fly by.”
I covered her mouth with mine, intertwining our legs together under the sheets just as Lauren started to cry. I pulled away and groaned, “Not fast enough.”
She wrinkled her nose and laughed. She shifted her legs to the other side and grabbed Lauren out of her bassinet. She re-wrapped the blanket, swaddling her and tucking her into the nook of her arm. She was such a natural. Right from the start when we brought Colton home, she just knew what to do. She had been so nervous and anxious throughout her whole pregnancy, worried she wouldn’t have any motherly instincts. But she worried for nothing because watching her with him, and now Lauren, was simply breathtaking.
“I love you,” I said, looking at both of my girls. “I love how you love so easily. So natural.”
She smiled up at me as she softly rubbed a finger against Lauren’s tiny cheek. “I love you, too. Thank you for giving me a beautiful family.”
I leaned in and brushed my lips against her, slowly and gently, keeping them there as I said, “Thank you for letting me.”
And they lived happily ever after…
Brooke Cumberland is a
USA Today
Bestselling author who’s a stay-at-home mom and writes full-time. She lives in the frozen tundra of Packer Nation with her husband, 4-year-old wild child, and two teenage stepsons. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading love stories, listening to music that inspires her, and laughing with her family. Brooke is addicted to Starbucks coffee, leggings, and anything sweet. She found her passion for telling stories during winter break one year in grad school--and she hasn’t stopped since.
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