Page 92 of Power Play

“Can I call you mommy?” Rory asks, her hands gripping my cheeks in an adorable way to keep my attention, not that she needs the help.

“Sweetie, you can call me whatever feels comfortable for you. If you want to call me mommy, I’d be honored.”

“Yes!” Rory fist bumps in the air before running off to go play.

Looking up at Rex, he has tears in his eyes as well.

“What about the apartment?” Trevor asks.

“Gwen was going to move in, but they won’t let her break her lease. Figured I’ll find someone to sublet it until the lease is up then figure it out.” Cassie says with a shrug.

“You are absolutely not having some random person living with you.”

Turning to look at who said that, I’m surprised to see it’s my brother.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, you are not having some random person move into your home. Fuck that.”

“What, are you my daddy now?”

“If that’s what it takes to get you to listen to me, then sure, I’ll be your daddy. But I’m not going to let you be the idiot that gets murdered in her sleep.You’ve seen those crime shows, it happens.”

“You do watch a lot of Criminal Minds, he’s not wrong about it being sketchy.” I add, which earns me a glare from Cass.

“Can we talk about this later? I want to celebrate your news,” Cassie says with a smile.

“Yes princess, we can and we will,” Max says before stomping off to the kitchen leaving Cassie and I just staring at each other in disbelief. Max is headstrong, but never usually in a way where he tells people what to do.

Apparently that changed when Cassie became involved.

“He’ll get over it. I’m grabbing another glass of wine then we can put the next movie on.”

As she walks away leaving me alone with Rex, part of me wonders if there’s more to the story with Max. Why is he being so…bossy and possessive over someone he claims to hate.

“Stop thinking about it. It doesn’t matter tonight,” Rex says quietly. “Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we deal with the bullshit.”

“Deal. Now get me drunk, sir. I want lots of celebratory sex tonight.”

“You got it, baby girl. I hope you’re ready for the rest of our lives, we’re about to be a power couple.” Rex adds a wink at the end, obviously having overheard the girls and I talk about celebrity power couples.

“I am. With you and Rory? Always.”

Who knew that landing in Rex’s lap one night would be the power play I never saw coming.

ALSO BY LEXI JAMES

* * *

Keep reading to take a glimpse into the Adam and Vanessa’s story:

The Mistake (The Maxwell Family)

Prologue, Adam

She’s gone.

She’s already moved everything out of our place and even put her engagement ring on the kitchen counter as if this were a movie or something.

---