I went to walk past her, and Elle blocked my way. Quickly, I sidestepped, but again, she got in the way. She wouldn’t let me through until we dealt with the issue.
I preferred to avoid the obvious because I had fucked up when I claimed Elle as mine, making a grave error in judgment. The only requirement was for metal mouth to hand over the pizza and scram. I had enough to deal with.
Elle grabbed the pizza boxes, but I didn’t let go of them.
“You can’t go answering my door and—” I raised a hand to cut in.
“Claiming to be your husband? I know...” I ran a hand through my hair. “Christ. I screwed up.”
“What?” Elle stared at me in shock.
Holy fuck.Me with my big fucking mouth. Elle must’ve missedthatpart of the conversation with the pizza delivery boy.Shit.Damn cat was out of the bag now.
“Pizza’s here!” I hollered to create a diversion.
I startled Elle, causing her to jump. I released the pizza boxes, and Elle stared down at them. Wide-eyed with an agape mouth from the bombshell I had dropped.
I brushed past Elle in silence and ran a hand down my face. Avoidance was key with her as I headed for the garage to retrieve the damn tree and somehow distract her from what I had set in motion. A fucking conversation I didn’t want to have with the woman I was supposed to hate, but was getting way too close to. I couldn’t turn back the clock to erase all the mistakes I had made. The first one being taking care of her daughter, who bounced for joy in front of me as I hauled in the damn Christmas tree I had offered to cut down.
Christ.Why me?
Chip barked while I got the bottom of the evergreen into the stand, supporting it to stand up on its own. Elle had joined in and fastened the bolts but didn’t speak a word. Excellent. For once, she was speechless. I only had to announce she was my wife to get some dang peace, but the silence wouldn’t last after her father found out what I had done.
Gabriel would kill me. We’d get into an argument, tension would take over, and he’d strangle me. I wasn’t sure I’d fight back because I deserved whatever he did to me. I had touched his only child. His darling daughter, who meant every fucking thing to him in this entire world. He wanted the best for her, and I wasn’t it. I was no good for Elle, and she deserved a man fit to care for her along with Faith.
“There.” I huffed while wiping my hands on my jeans. “The tree is standing, and I think it’s time for me and Chip to head out.”
“No, Mr. Timber. You promised to stay for dinner and decorate the Christmas tree.” Faith pouted.
Chip laid down beside her and whined at me. Fucker gave me the saddest eyes in the goddamn world, and I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling. Unbelievable. I took him in when he was a puppy, and he takes the kid’s side.
“Stay. Have pizza.” Elle grabbed my arm and handed me a paper plate with pizza on it as she leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Don’t you fucking break your promise, Jack.”
“Fine,” I grumbled and took the plate.
“It’s got pineapple on it.” Elle smiled up at me. “Your favorite.”
I squinted my eyes at her and watched her take a bite of her pizza slice. She licked her lips after the cheese fell into the corner of her pretty mouth. Christ, I wanted to kiss her lips and shut her damn smart mouth up, but I held back.
Elle didn’t know it yet, but she’d only made the fire blazing inside of me burn out of control. There was no more holding back once we were all alone, and I’d quiet her until she whimpered for me. Until she begged me for more.
Oh, sweet, fucking little Elle wanted to play. Princess wanted to mess with me and figured she’d be the champion. But I’d be the one in first place, while she was down on her knees, congratulating me with her lips wrapped around my di—
“Here, Mr. Timber...” Damn kid interrupted my obscene thoughts again. “I got you a slice of the meat pizza. Mommy must’ve forgotten you don’t like pineapples. I’ll take that one.”
I hesitated for a moment. Stared down at those yellow fruit pieces, which appeared far too juicy to be on a fucking pizza. I wanted to cave, but Elle tested me. She challengedme, and I wouldn’t let her win. I’d make the woman swoon and reign triumphant by making her fucking pussy drool.
“Nah, kiddo...” I took a huge bite of the dang slice with tons of pineapples on it, chewed and pointed at Chip. “Give that slice to Chip. He looks hungry.”
Chip sat up, ears raised, mouth salivating, and licked his jowls.
Faith giggled with a shrug. “Okay.”
Faith whistled at Chip, and he followed her lead to the kitchen, leaving Elle alone with me. She aimed her puzzled stare directly at me, as if she couldn’t figure me out. I had dropped the bait into a frozen lake, and she took it like a damn fish that had been starved all winter.
“I thought you hated pineapple pizza?” she asked me.
Elle walked over to a box filled to the brim with sparkling tree decorations, which made me want to throw up at how glittery and colorful everything was.
