Page 68 of Beneficial Misfortune

“And are any of those things not done?”

His question seems to catch her off guard, and it takes her a second to think about it.

She’d named pretty basic things like playing with her, brushing her hair, reading her stories, shopping. I don’t need her answer to know it. These guys would never let her go without.

“No,” she finally says, shaking her head.

“See, so mommy or no mommy, you’re good, Princess.” Desmond smiles at her, and I can tell he’s proud of himself. Honestly, it’s not a bad point and probably the only way to appease a five-year-old who wants one of the few things they can’t give her.

“So even if Kat isn’t my mommy for real, she’s still my mommy because she does all the things a mommy does!”

The problem with good points is that oftentimes, kids miss them.

“Can I call you Mommy?” Addison asks, turning to me with the biggest puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen.

Oh shit.

“I—I, um…” I look at Nathan, unsure what to say. On the one hand, it doesn’t bother me any, but also, I’m not her mother, and I’m not trying to step on any toes.

“Being a mom is a lot of work, Princess. Not everyone wants to be a mom, and while Kat does all those things for you, that doesn’t make her your mother.” Nathan tells her with a stern look that has her hanging her head.

I think it’s the first time I’ve seen anyone hold out against her pouting, but I’m grateful all the same. I catch his eye and hope he sees it, but the second our eyes meet, I see something shine in his eyes.

“That being said, it’s Kat’s choice whether she would like to be called that or not, and you need to respect that.”

What. The. Fuck!

He did not just say that… right?

There’s no way he just threw me to the tiny puppy dog-eyed wolf. But as I hold his gaze, unable to look away, I see the truth. He hadn’t intended to save me from the start.

“Why don’t we give her some time to think about it?” Alex stands and scoops Addison up into his arms with a smile. “Let’s head outside and enjoy the sun.”

Without another word, he leaves, taking her with him, and I’m left to sit there in a daze, trying to figure out what just happened.

The rest of the day is spent outside. We play with Addison, blowing bubbles, pushing her on the swing, and building castles in the sandbox.

Oliver and Desmond disappear and eventually come back out with sandwiches, fruits, drinks, and some chips. We enjoy it on the deck in the shade, and conversation is easy. Nobody brings up this morning, but I know they're thinking about it. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I can see it in their eyes when they look at me.

I have no idea what to say about it, but I swear it almost seems like Nathan wants her to call me Mom…

But that’s crazy, right?

After lunch, I head up to my room. Technically, I’m off today, and right now, I just need a little bit of time to try to clear my head.

The house is quiet. Even Ruby is still outside, happily chasing the ball with Addison.

“Shit!”

I damn near jump out of my skin when I walk into my room and find Desmond sitting on the edge of my bed.

A smile curves his lips as he stands up and stalks toward me.

“Didn’t mean to frighten you, Kitten, but I’ve been dying to get you alone since I kissed you this morning.”

He’s hardly finished speaking before he’s wrapping me up in his arms, pulling me against him, and pressing his lips to mine. Despite my initial fright at finding him here, I can’t help but melt into him. Just like with Alex last night, I’d missed him. It sounds crazy even to me. We’d only spent one night together months ago, but it had been a wonderful night.

This kiss is nothing like the one we shared earlier in the kitchen. Whereas that kiss was sweet and testing, this one is hungry and almost demanding, and I have no intention of stopping him.

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