Page 67 of Beneficial Misfortune

I freeze for a moment, very aware of the fact that Desmond is still standing a few feet away watching us. But even with my embarrassment, I can’t stop myself from melting into him with the feel of his lips on mine.

He kisses me like I’m the best thing he’s ever tasted, as if he needs me to survive, and I’ll be damned if I don’t kiss him the same way. By the time he pulls away, my lips feel puffy, and my breathing is ragged. When I finally peel my eyes open, he has a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

It’s well deserved, but I reach out and smack his chest all the same. He deserves that too, for doing that in front of Desmond.

I have a feeling he did it mostly because he was there.

“What the fuck!?” Desmond says from behind me, much closer than he was a moment ago. A second later, his hand drops onto my hip and pulls me back into his chest, and I feel his hard length pressed against my lower back.

“Kitten,” he growls, grasping my chin in his other hand and tilting my head back so that I’m looking up at him through my lashes. His eyes roam across my face, from my eyes that are no doubt blown wide with lust, to my swollen lips. It’s impossible for me to miss the hunger that shines down at me.

“We had a meeting last night.” Alex’s words seem to be exactly what Desmond wanted to hear. A smile curves his lips a moment before he presses them to mine in a strange upside-down kiss that shouldn’t be as hot as it is, but pulls a soft moan from my lips all the same.

“Kat!” Addison’s tiny shout has me pulling away as I stumble forward in an attempt to put space between me and Desmond. Unfortunately for me, I end up running right into Alex, and I feel his chest rumble.

Despite his amusement, he steadies me before turning back to his coffee, and by the time Addison comes barreling into the kitchen, I’m an acceptable distance from both of them. If she were older, I have no doubt she would pick up on the tension and other cues, but I thank my lucky stars she’s not.

She’s still in her pajamas, her long hair in the braid I put it in before bed last night, though nowhere near as neat. Since I’d moved in, she has a tendency to run to me in the mornings, and while I love it, I don’t think that’s what this is about today.

Instead of her usual smile, her lower lip is puffed out in a pout, and her eyebrows are pulled together as she stops in the same doorway Desmond had just been in moments ago.

“What’s wrong, Addy?” I ask, moving toward her on instinct before dropping down on the floor to scoop her into my arms.

“Marie said you can’t be my mommy!” she wails, burying her face into my shoulder, and I can feel her warm tears as they begin to soak through my shirt.

To say her words catch me off guard would be an understatement. Who’s Marie, and why is she talking to her about me being her mom? But I know she doesn’t really understand. So I do the only thing I can and try to soothe her, gently rubbing a hand up and down her back as I assure her I’m not going anywhere.

It doesn’t seem to do anything as she continues to cry, even as she hugs me back.

Unsure of what else to do, I turn to look at Desmond and Alex in hopes they can help. Both stand where I left them, watching us but unmoving.

A little help.

I mouth the words to them so Addison doesn’t hear me, and that seems to be all they need to get moving.

Thank god.

“Addison, Princess,” Alex moves toward us, dropping to his knees beside me and laying a hand on the back of her head. “Don’t cry. Kat’s here with you every day. She plays with you and swims with you. She loves you very much, and that’s all you really need.”

His voice is calm and soothing, but still, it doesn’t seem to help. If anything, I think she might be crying harder now.

“But I want a mommy! Everyone else ha-has a mommy, and Kat is the most perfect mommy ev-ever!” Her words are choppy as she fights to breathe through her crying, and I feel my own eyes well up with tears.

“Addison.”

Nathan’s voice has my head snapping up as I find him walking toward us from the dining room. While the rest of us slept in, he appears as if he’s been up for hours, already dressed and perfectly put together. Even though he’s not in his suit, he somehow finds a way to make his simple button-up and khaki shorts look as though they're meant for a runway versus a Sunday morning coffee.

“Da-daddy!” she hiccups as she wiggles her way out of my arms before running full speed into her father's waiting arms.

“Princess, we’ve been over this. You don’t have to have a mommy. I know it feels like everyone else does, but you knowthat’s not true.” His words are gentle but firm, offering her no way to deny them.

“But I want one, Daddy. I want Kat to be my mommy.” Her words are hardly more than a muffled whisper, but they're impossible for me to miss.

“You don’t need Kat to be your mommy,” Desmond says, and for a moment, Addison doesn’t respond, simply continuing her crying. But it’s clear he’s gotten her attention, and when he doesn’t say more, she can’t seem to help but look up at him in confusion.

He offers her a small smile before going over to take her from Nathan. “What do mommies do?” he asks her, walking into the dining room, and the rest of us follow. The food smells great, but I don’t feel as hungry as I should after my time with Alex.

Desmond is able to soothe her, and we eat. All the while, Addison lists things a mother would do. It’s not until we’ve finished eating that Desmond’s question seems to have an actual purpose, though.

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