“I’m not sure about this visitation schedule,” she said stiffly. Her gaze met mine, and she was in full mother-bear protective mode. “It’s too many days.”
“Too many days?” I fucking didn’t think it was enough. My intention had been working my way slowly to joint custody, and she was questioning my initial request of a few days a week when I didn’t have a road trip.
Houston, we have a fucking problem.
“I’m their mother. I know best.” She glared stubbornly at me, her chin jutting out as she clenched it.
“I’m their father, and I have rights too,” I shot back, equally stubborn and more than a little insulted. This woman was becoming a master at pushing my buttons.
“I don’t want my children exposed to certain elements common in a pro hockey player’s life.”
“Elements? Like what?”
“A revolving door of women, for one, drugs and alcohol for another.”
“That won’t be an issue. I don’t do drugs or have a revolving door of women.” Hell, I hadn’t wanted another woman since Caro came back. Now there was subject a shrink would love to explore, and I wasn’t going there.
“You don’t have roommates who’re single hockey players? What about them?”
She had me there. “Uh, I do. Kaden and Steele. They’re good guys. They’ll behave when the kids are around.”
“Have you discussed this with them?”
“Uh, not yet.”
“Then how do you know they’re willing to give up their decadent lifestyle when children are present?”
“Because they will, or I’ll get my own place.”
She sniffed and looked down her nose at me. I’d forgotten how much I hated it when she did that. She made a few notes in the back of her day planner. I leaned forward to read them, but she slammed the planner shut.
“I’m willing to do what it takes. I’ll be by later this afternoon to meet the kids.” I glowered at her. We were at a standoff, and we hadn’t discussed any of the other points in the agreement. Unfortunately, my dick wasn’t nearly as annoyed. In fact, my boy found her anger a turn-on and was begging for a chance. Damn it. This wasn’t the time or place for lust, and my weakness for her annoyed the fuck out of me.
“It’s too soon.”
“In my opinion, it’s way too late. See you around four thirty.”
“We have plans. Come tomorrow.”
“I have a game.” I crossed my arms over my chest and gave her one of my intimidating hockey-player glares. She didn’t even blink.
“Friday night then.”
I wanted to argue. I didn’t want to wait even one more hour, but two days? I didn’t answer, but I stood, tossed a few bills on the table to cover the tab, and left before she had time to change her mind.
It was crucial we maintain an amicable relationship for the kids’ sakes, not ours. While my parents had always presented a united front, I’d had too many friends whose parents used the kids to get back at the other parent. I would never do that. Never.
One way to maintain a cordial relationship with Caro was to stay out of her pants, yet every time I was around her, I wanted nothing but to strip off every stitch of clothing and plant myself deep inside her. She had always had some kind of sexual hold on me, and seven years later, she still did.
My self-control was infamous, but she tested not just my patience but my willpower to the limits.
Caroline point of view
That afternoon the sunshine turned to rain, and the kids were getting cabin fever, edgy and distracted.
Some days they put aside their resentfulness and sorrow, behaving as they once had. Other days Heath barely spoke to me, and Hailey freely expressed her anger by directing it toward me. Today was one of those bad days. Despite my efforts to engage them, they chose to ignore me and played a video game. While I normally limited their playing time, on a crappy day like this, I was too tired to argue. Instead, I tortured myself by thinking of my earlier conversation with Easton.
Putting him off was stupid and irresponsible. My actions honestly made no sense, but I wasn’t making a lot of sense lately. Two hours, two days, two weeks. What did it matter? Any timeframe would be too soon for my taste. Better to rip the Band-Aid off all at once and get it over with.
Still, I hedged. The sooner Easton got involved in the kids’ lives, the more I’d see of him. I wasn’t sure how I’d handle his presence in my kids’ lives and, even worse, in mine.
Junie was doing her nails, while Rusty sprawled on the couch next to her. I slumped in the nearby chair. The thing was one of those uncomfortable hotel chairs that wouldn’t be comfortable no matter how you sat in it.
“You need a glass of wine,” Juniper said.
“Tell me about it. It’s been a long day.”
Junie sent a sympathetic smile in my direction and turned back to her nails, which she was painting a bright orange.
“Aren’t you a little late for Halloween nails?”
“These are fall nails, you know, Thanksgiving colors.”
I shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
A sharp rap on the door startled both of us. Before we could react, Hailey leaped to her feet and scurried to the door. I yelled after her, but she ignored me. She knew better than to open the door to a stranger, but she was mad enough at me to ignore my warnings and do it anyway. I hurried after her, but she beat me to the door.
She swung the door wide open and stared at the large man taking up the majority of the doorway.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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