“So, I walked up and took her aside, told her everything I heard, and broke up with her. She tried to backtrack, but she knew she was caught. About a month went by, and she showed up at my place, telling me she was pregnant. I was shocked, to say the least. We were always careful.”
“Wow, what did you do?”
“After the initial shock wore off, I was actually excited. I always wanted to have kids, be a dad. I figured that she and I could try to make it work, or at the very least, we would figure out a way to co-parent. I was determined to be a more hands-on father than my own. Margot asked me to go to the appointment to hear the heartbeat for the first time and confirm that everything was good. I couldn’t wait.”
I stopped and took a breath. Talking about everything was like reliving it again. It was painful. I remembered it all vividly because it was the last time I trusted a woman.
“We go to the doctor’s appointment, and the doctor does the ultrasound. She can’t find the heartbeat. I was devastated. But what’s worse is that the doctor reviewed Margot’s bloodwork and said she was never pregnant. Margot tried to say she must have miscarried, but the doctor told her that if she miscarried, she would still have trace levels of the hCG hormone, and her levels were zero. The doctor asked if she experienced any other symptoms that led her to believe she was pregnant because those symptoms could be a sign of an underlying health condition. At that point, I couldn’t hear anything that either one of them was saying. I was in shock. I stood up and walked out of the doctor’s office without saying a word. Margot ranafter me, trying to explain.”
I chuckled sarcastically.
“We fought in the parking lot until she finally broke down and admitted she faked the whole thing. She figured we would bond over a lost pregnancy and get back together. That was her plan. It would get us back to where we were.” I shook my head. “I should have known. I should have had her show me a pregnancy test.”
“She could have easily figured out a way to fake that too, Dean. Her lying and deceiving you says a lot about her, not you.” She grabbed my hand, and I loved the feel of it in mine. In every aspect, Addison fit me perfectly.
“Anyway, so that’s my sob story as to why I don’t do relationships. After that, I kept all things with women casual, hence the photos that your sister has seen. I couldn’t trust anyone who had a connection to that world, regardless of whether they had money or not. It’s another reason why I left California as soon as I could and took this job. No one knows me here, no one knows my family or where I come from.” I rubbed the pad of my thumb along the outside of hers.
Addison sighed. “Honestly, I don’t blame you, Dean. How could you trust women after that or even want to go there with someone again?” She looked up at me and smiled. “Thanks for sharing that with me. I can tell it’s hard for you to talk about.”
I nodded and then noticed Cash lift his tail and, sure enough, take a nice massive shit on the grass. I laughed because the timing was impeccable. “Looks like the big man is feeling back to normal.”
Addison looked over at Cash and then beamed up at me. My chest tightened at seeing how happy and relieved she was, as well as the love she had for her horse. “Finally. What time is it?”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. “Just after midnight. I think he can go back to his stall, and we can call it a night. He needs to rest, and I can check on him first thing in the morning.”
Addison nodded and led Cash back to his stall to put him up. I waited for her outside his stall. After placing his halter back on his stall door, she turned toward me. “It’s been a hell of a day. I think I need a glass of wine to take the edge off before bed. Want a glass before you leave?”
I knew I was playing with fire by going back to her place, but fuck it, I wanted to burn. “Sure. Let’s do it.”
I pushed aside for another night the nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I should tell her about Noah.
I stepped into Walker’s guesthouse, where Addison was staying, and looked around, taking it all in. The place was hardly a guesthouse. Most people would kill for this to be their actual home. It was modern yet cozy, well decorated with a beautiful view of the hills and horse pastures from the small back porch. Coal made himself at home and curled up into a ball on the living room rug and passed out.
Addison walked over to the wine fridge, which sat beneaththe counter in the island, and grabbed a bottle of wine. She held it up. “Do you like red?” I nodded, and she grabbed a wine opener. When she turned around to grab a couple of glasses from the cabinet, I took it as an opportunity to check her out because, yes, I was that guy, and I hadn’t seen her in a while, so I was desperate.
She had her long chestnut hair piled on the top of her head and wore a fitted navy-blue long-sleeved top, and her riding pants were still on. She never got to change after her ride, given everything that happened with Cash. Her ass looked incredible, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to walk over and touch her. As she turned around to pour the wine, I quickly diverted my eyes, but the smirk on her face made it clear that she caught me. I cleared my throat as she handed me my glass. “Thanks. So, how’s training going with Dahlia?”
She smiled and leaned against the counter, taking a sip of her wine. “Really well. She’s super smart, so honestly it’s been pretty easy. I think I’m going to take her to a show in a couple of months. I was also ideally going to get Cash back in the Grand Prix ring, but tonight diverted those plans.” She frowned.
“Let’s see how he does over the next couple of weeks. I think he’ll be okay to compete. If we had to do surgery or hospitalize him, I would be saying something different.”
She nodded. “I’ll keep a close eye on him.” I studied her for a moment and could see the exhaustion all over her face. I felt the sudden urge to take care of her, something I hadn’t felt toward a woman in a long time.
“Hey, why don’t I draw you a bath? You look like you needto relax after today.”
She took a sip of her wine and cocked her head to the side. “That’s sweet, but it’s twelve thirty in the morning. I was just going to take a quick shower and then go to bed.”
I stood up and walked toward her. I heard her breath hitch when I placed my hands on her arms. I looked into her emerald eyes. “Let me take care of you tonight.” She let out the breath she was holding and nodded. After she set her wineglass down on the counter, she walked down the hall toward her bedroom as I followed closely behind.
I walked into the massive bathroom that was right off her bedroom. I spotted the large soaking tub and couldn’t help but smile, recalling that night we first crossed the line. I turned on the water and threw in some bath salts and bubbles that I found sitting on the corner of the tub. I sat on the edge waiting for the tub to fill when I caught a glimpse of tan skin, and my heart raced. Addison had her back turned as she took off her shirt and sports bra. She grabbed a robe that was laying on the bed and, much to my dismay, wrapped it around herself before slipping out of her riding pants. She took the hair tie out of her hair and let her long waves fall down her back. I was mesmerized. She walked into the bathroom as I stood up to turn off the water. “It’s all ready for you.” I smiled. “I’ll give you some privacy and take off.” I threw my thumb over my shoulder in the direction of the door.
She surprised me by reaching out and grabbing my hand, stopping me from leaving. “Please stay with me. I know that things are kind of weird between us right now, and we aren’treally on the same page, but being with you just calms me. After today, I need you here.”Fuck me.How could I say no to that?
I smiled. “Of course.” Just as I was about to sit on the edge of the tub, she stopped me.
“No, I want you in the tub with me.”
My throat went dry, and all I could do was nod. She slipped her robe off and let it drop to her feet, and goddamn if she wasn’t the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I was spellbound. I couldn’t help myself as I perused her body from head to fucking toe, taking her in, all toned body and soft curves. I ached to touch her. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I managed to get out in a whisper.
