A Redo (The Sterling Shore Series #6) (20 page)

I’m touched and confused at the same time, and he sighs while dropping his head back.

“I really suck at this, don’t I?”

This time, I’m the one smiling in amusement.

“Suck at what?” I have no idea what he’s talking about, but I love how nervous he suddenly seems.

He looks back down, letting his eyes find mine to paralyze me. Damn. I wish he’d study the ceiling a little more.

“I don’t do anger, yet you can make me see red in a flash. I don’t do irrational things, yet with you, nothing ever makes sense. It’s like I can’t stop myself no matter what logic is against us. I don’t do passionate, but with you, well, my blood boils, and I swear I can’t stop thinking about you.”

He takes a deep breath, and I lock my knees in place to stay vertical. He seems reluctant to keep speaking, but he does.

“I don’t show affection in public, nothing more than a simple hand-hold or a light touch. Yet every time I’m with you, I want to kiss you, hold you, touch you… I want everyone to know you’re with me. Which is crazy, since we weren’t a couple while I was doing all of that. But in my head, somehow I’ve decided you’re mine, and I can’t seem to stop thinking that way.”

I’m torn between smiling and groaning. “Wren, that’s because I’m your daughter’s mother. That’s not… That last part… I don’t want you getting your feelings confused because—”

He cuts me off by kissing me, stealing my breath and swallowing the small gasp I release. When his arms wrap around me to keep me from melting into a puddle on the floor, I slowly turn to mush in his embrace, kissing him back and forgetting the words I was trying to say.

See? He makes me stupid.

He pulls back, and I lean forward, as though gravity is once again shoving me against him. After a few seconds, my eyes finally open, and I see him staring at me with nothing short of determination in his eyes.

“Does that feel like I’m confused, Allie? You don’t seem to understand. You drive me fucking crazy, and no one has ever done that before. Ask anyone who knows me. The fact that your Angel’s mom… Well, it actually complicates things. It doesn’t make it easier to fall for you at all. But I want you too much, and I’m not strong enough to pretend like I’m strong enough to deny it anymore. I’m just rambling now, huh?”

He’s adorable when he’s flustered, and I pull him down, kissing him, shutting him up the way he did me, and his arms tighten around me in response.

“I’d say we’d take it slow,” I murmur against his lips, feeling my lips curl in a smile, “but you’ve already promised to make it hard for me to walk. I’m holding you to that.”

He groans before picking me up, but then he smiles when my legs wrap around his waist.

“What time do you have to be into work?”

“Seven.”

“Then I’d better get started so you can get some sleep.”

I shiver in his arms, and the low, throaty chuckle he releases in response has goosebumps breaking out over my skin. The man I hated is definitely making me question whether or not I’ve been falling in love.

“You’re spending the night?” I ask, silently cursing the catch in my throat.

“I’ll have to. I don’t think I’ll be able to walk either once I’m done.”

I grin at him before his lips find mine, relishing how easily he carries me back to the bed. He turns and pulls me on top of him once we’re nestled back on the soft mattress, and he slowly peels my robe away, baring my body to him once more.

I got pregnant at eighteen. I lived in a house where I wasn’t allowed to spend the night with anyone but Bella. I wasn’t allowed to have anyone over. And I never broke the rules very often.

Angel was always more important than men, so I kept my relationships distant. No one made anything worth the risk of getting her attached. And I never spent the night with the few men I’ve gotten physical with over the years.

Sadly, Wren Prize is about to be the first man I’ve ever actually slept with. He’s not the only one who has lost control.

Chapter 25

WREN

Blonde hair is splayed across my chest, and I can’t help but smile as I look down at Allie. She looks content, her body wrapped around me like she’s never letting go, and my fingers start running through her hair.

For the past two days, I’ve woken up in Allie’s bed. I’m not sure why she doesn’t want to come to my house, but I could get used to this sleeping arrangement.

My smile dies. I can’t get used to it yet. Not until she believes that I’m not going anywhere. Once Angel is home, things will change. I’m not sure how much they’ll change either. Allie pushes men away, keeps them at arm’s length. And that’s my fault.

It’s a dick thing to even think about, but I’m almost glad. I’d probably be a mess if she had a man in her life right now.

“You’re the best pillow in the world,” she says groggily, her words muffled against my chest.

I grin down at her just as she peers up with sleepy, green eyes. “Then maybe we should discuss future sleeping arrangements. I don’t want us to lose this when Angel comes home.”

The smile on her face vanishes, and I tense. Shit. I pushed too fast.

“We can’t sleep in the same bed when she comes back. We can’t share a bed in Aspen either—”

A loud knock at the door interrupts the rejection blow Allie is delivering, and I’m almost grateful. Allie covers up before telling Bella to come in, and I try to ignore the fact that she’s no longer relaxed against me. She’s tense, just like me.

Bella walks in, but she isn’t smirking at us like she usually does. She looks pissed. Fuck. What now?

“Lisa just called,” she says, but I have no idea who Lisa is.

“And?” Allie asks around a yawn.

It’s five-thirty. Who is Lisa, and why is she calling at five-thirty in morning?

“And Aspen is going to have to be cancelled.”

“What? Why?” Allie demands as she bolts upright, and I hiss out a breath when she almost takes the entire sheet with her. I’d rather Bella didn’t see me completely naked.

After making sure I keep everything covered, I shift to glare at Bella, waiting on her to elaborate.

“Turns out some of those bitches didn’t like us getting Christmas week off. It doesn’t matter that we put in for it first. They got denied vacation after it filled up. Lisa warned me that it happens every year, and since we’re two of the newer ones, we’re the ones who have to fill in for the bitches who’ve called in sick with the ‘flu’ for a week. Unbelievable.”

Allie curses while shaking her head, and I drop back.

“So there’s no way around this? You two can’t just call in sick?” I ask, only to be glared at by two ill-tempered women who hate mornings and haven’t had their coffee yet.

We really need to start spending time at my homes. I don’t like the duo they have going when they team up against me.

“We’d get looped into their category,” Allie says, but it’s then I realize that angry face isn’t meant for me. “A lot of them were mad that I got the scrub tech job with the best hours. It’s the only way I’d move out here, and they loved my résumé. The surgeons at Sterling Memorial are impossible to get along with, but I do exactly what they want when they want it, and I never complain. Surgeons aren’t known for their people skills in the OR. But resentment festered because we were new, and I got that shift and that job.”

Bella sighs, nodding in agreement. “Same here, well, I’m not a scrub tech, I’m a… Never mind. It’s not important. The point is that I got a job with good, usually flexible hours, and the other women that had been there longer weren’t happy. This is punishment and them essentially flipping us off. We’re not the only ones they’re screwing over.”

Allie curses again, the words sounding odd coming out of her usually sweet mouth, and she buries her head in my chest as she snuggles up against me. But then I feel a wet spot against my side, and I move her hair back from her face to see a tear has rolled down her cheek.

“I need to make a few calls and cancel some things. I’ll see you in a bit,” Bella says while easing back out.

I shift to pull Allie up, but she avoids my eyes.

“Why are you crying?” I whisper softly.

Erica only ever cried when she was manipulating me. Allie’s tears aren’t those of manipulation, but I didn’t realize Aspen was so important to her.

“I can take you to Aspen anytime you want. Tag has a house. Uncle Paul has a place. I could always get a place. I’ve never really wanted my own place there, but if Angel likes it, and if you really want to—”

She laughs lightly, but it sounds sad. However, it does halt my rambling. I really suck at this.

“It’s not about, Aspen. I’ve only had to work one Christmas since Angel was born. I was lucky Bella didn’t have to work. But it was Angel’s second Christmas. Now… I just hate it. I hated it then, and I hate it now.”

Something inside me breaks, and guilt mercilessly stings me.

“Quit your job. Spend Christmas with Angel. I’ll take care of it. I’ll get you a gig in a private practice where you have regular hours and holidays and no hospital drama.”

Her head snaps up, and much to my surprise, she bursts out laughing. She shakes her head while pulling me to her, and I don’t hesitate to push my lips against hers. But she breaks the kiss, muttering something about her morning breath. Like I give a damn. She’s crying over Christmas. Morning breath is the last thing on my mind.

“I can’t do that, but thank you. I’ve applied to some private practices, but they’re harder to get into. And don’t volunteer to strong-arm someone. But it does feel good that you’d be willing to, even though I can’t let you. I’ll… deal with it. It’s part of life.”

I really hate feeling like a dick. If I had been there for her… If I had helped raise Angel… If I had been around to change things… So much could have been different.

“Your jaw is tense,” Allie says, gently stroking my face and bringing my gaze down to her shimmering green eyes that are still wet with a few fresh tears. “Don’t do that. I know what you’re thinking. What’s done is done. Don’t start letting regret eat you up because it’ll destroy us before we get started.”

She’s in my head. Not surprising. I swear she seems to know me better than most of my friends, except for Tag and Rye.

“I hate this. I don’t like seeing you cry when I can fix the problem. Let me get you a job. Or quit completely and just stay home with Angel. With the back child support I owe you, you could easily—”

She surprises me by kissing me and climbing on top of me. I don’t fight her when she moves the sheet out from between us, putting us skin to skin.

“Shut up,” she whispers, smiling against my lips. “You’re making me like you too much too soon. I don’t need your money. And I like paying my own way. Now kiss me, because tomorrow you’re going to Aspen without me, and I won’t see you for another week.”

Her lip trembles, but I know it’s because she realizes she’ll have to spend another week without Angel. To hell with that. She won’t let me fix her job situation, but I can fix Christmas, damn it.

She sinks down on me, trying to distract me before I can speak, and I swear my eyes cross as my cock slides all the way in until I’m fully seated inside her. When my hands go to her hips, words become replaced by pants and moans, and I help her set a rhythm that has us both forgetting reality even exists.

***

WREN

As I walk into the lodge, Kade greets me, clapping me on the shoulder and quickly filling me in on how much better Angel is at skiing than poor, hopeless Raya.

“Skiing is stupid,” Raya grumbles, pouting.

Angel beams at me as she runs and throws her arms around my neck, and I scoop her up, hugging her tightly. “Where’s Mommy?” she asks against my ear.

“She’s at home. She has to work. But I’m ready to take you home tomorrow if you want to go see her. We’ll surprise her for Christmas Eve tomorrow if you want. I know she doesn’t want to miss Christmas with you.”

She gawks at me like I’m an idiot, and I have no idea why.

“I have to spend Christmas with her. Can we leave now?”

Good. I thought she wanted to stay, and I had no idea what I was going to do with that other than fly back and kidnap Allie.

“We can’t leave now, but we can leave first thing in the morning. We’re going to take my private jet.”

Her eyes get big, and her smile grows huge. “I like flying.”

I laugh while nodding. “Well, I’m about to take you up to Uncle Paul’s cabin. You can get dressed, and I’ll take you out to dinner. Just you and me. Then you can help me wrap your mom’s and Aunt Bella’s presents.”

Again, her smile flashes, and seems perfectly happy. I think I’m getting the hang of this. Finally.

“Like a daddy-daughter date?” she asks, and my chest tightens.

When I don’t respond—because I can’t—she adds, “Carrie says Dane takes her on daddy-daughter dates.”

I nod slowly. “Yeah,” I say hoarsely. “A daddy-daughter date is what we’ll call it.”

I put her down, and she immediately joins Carrie, who is sitting next to Rain. Raya smiles, propping up on Kade as I look for Mom.

“Mom not here?” I ask, hoping they don’t see how much Angel just affected me with something as simple as the word
daddy
. It’s not like she actually called me that.

“She’s around here somewhere,” Raya says, motioning to the hectic, massive lodge that is teeming with even more people than usual this time of year. “Please ask me about Erica.”

That’s random, but my blood still chills at the mention of her name. How could I have forgotten she’d be here? “Shit. I forgot about her. She hasn’t been up here and messing with Angel has she?”

Raya grins broader, acting as though she’s dying to expose some exciting secret.

“Well, she rented a large chalet shortly after the divorce, but somehow her reservations were deleted a week ago, and that vacancy got snatched up by someone else. And, as you know, it’s booked up this time of year, so she was unable to get anything in town. Then her rental car information got messed up, and she ended up in a Taurus instead of a BMW—poor spoiled girl. And her flight home was somehow messed up, which put her leaving the day after she arrived. So she was only in town for a day. I think she left raising hell and swearing death to the lodge when they said her credit cards had been denied as well.”

Shocked, I take in Raya’s proud smile, while Kade laughs.

“She planned on causing problems when Allie got here. Somehow she knew Allie and Angel were coming, but she never even saw Angel. She wasn’t here long enough to cause drama.”

I relax, then my laughter bubbles out before I can stop it.

“That’s some crazy shit.”

Raya stands taller like she’s about to brag, but she quickly masks her proud smile. “It sounds to me like a skilled hacker showed her what life is like when you mess with people they care about.”

Realization dawns, and I look down at her smirking face. Ray Drivel—I mean, Ray Capperton. Damn.

“I need a drink,” Kade says, tugging Raya’s hand. “And you can’t leave my side,” he adds. “Lyle Hughes is here.”

I barely acknowledge what else they say as I stare at the large crowd, searching for Mom. Finally, I find her, and I frown again. My Aunt Becks is here, and that means Keith is here somewhere. They never come. I’m really glad Allie isn’t here now, because Keith is pro-Erica all the way.

A body is suddenly beside me, and I look over to see Ray Capperton. He looks a little confused, but I’m too busy swallowing down my pride. I don’t particularly like him, but for some reason, he makes me feel as though Angel is safe when he’s around. I feel as though I don’t have to keep her safe by myself.

“Thank you.” Yeah, the words taste all wrong.

“For what?” he asks absently, his eyes very studiously on Mom.

“I heard about what you did to keep away Erica. And thanks for getting Allie’s home secured.”

I forgot he took care of it while I was avoiding Allie. Apparently, she was never leaving her house, so he had his people work around her schedule. Bulletproof windows might have been over the top, but I definitely sleep better at night now that I know they’re safe.

“My own personal security team has a very quick response to breaches. They show up, deal with the issue, and wait until police arrive. She’ll be safe there,” he says, but he’s distracted.

I stand silently, going over everything that could go wrong that could cause Allie to need to use that. But then I remember she’s in a safe neighborhood—very safe.

“You can help me out to repay me,” he says, still pursing his lips. “Your mother keeps calling that Becks woman her sister. Tag also referred to her as Melanie’s sister. Keith is your cousin, right? Her son? Yet Rain and Tria say he’s not their cousin. I feel like I’ve misunderstood something here, and I never get confused.”

I laugh as he continues studying my mother. He really does care about her.

“Mom has always called Becks—which is a nickname, by the way—her sister. Becks is my dad’s sister. He ruined her when he swindled away all the money her late husband had left her in his insurance policy. She trusted Dad with her bank stuff, and he took advantage of that before he disappeared. His own sister—he fucked her over like that. Mom reached out, took her in, helped her get back on her feet, and now Becks and Mom really are like sisters. She says that’s one of the three things she got out of that relationship. Billy and I are the other two.”