Wooing His Accidental Wife (Unexpected Lovers Book 5) Read online

  But I do love these stolen minutes in time where I allow myself to feel his love for me in every one of his movements. I store them up like little treasures and hide them away where not even my demons can touch them. Because when all this is said and done, they’re all I’ll have left.

  “Hey,” he says, stilling and pulling me from my thoughts. “Where’d you go just now?”

  “Nowhere.” I brush my nose against his. “I’m right here, with you.”

  He reaches down my side, his fingertips tracing each of my curves, then he lifts my thigh and hooks it around his hip. Slowly, he drags his hips back then drives back inside just as leisurely. Our new angle feels incredible, hitting just the right spot inside, and I arch my back as he does it again.

  “More,” I beg.

  “Anything for you, Addy,” he swears.

  We climb higher and higher together, his pace faltering as he nears the peak with me. I squirm beneath his lean body as pleasure coils deep in my belly, making it impossible to be still.

  His thrusts become erratic, harder, deeper until he slams inside me one more time, his jaw clenching as he comes, and I follow him right over the edge into oblivion.

  It’s taken me two days to plan our first date. And I’m taking it slow, easing her into the whole idea by keeping it lowkey. We’re staying in, and I’ve lit like a hundred candles—or close to it, I swear it felt like a hundred—and placed them strategically around the apartment.

  It looks like a freaking ethereal wonderland in here, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m pretty damn chuffed with my efforts. I even went as far as making sure I didn’t pick conflicting scents to her plants. I should get points for that alone.

  I check the time. I sent Ads out to get girly shit done with Tia and the girl squad a couple of hours ago. She should be home any minute now, so I queue up some smooth beats and finish putting the last of the taco fillings on the table.

  Stepping back, I’m surveying the apartment, making sure everything is just right, when I catch the snick of the front door being opened. I dash to the fridge, pull out a couple of chilled-to-perfection Coronas, pop the tops, then lean back against the benchtop and hold one out to Adley in offering.

  Her jaw drops as she stares at me, then her head slowly swivels, looking around the large open space of her living area. “Wh-what’s all this?”

  I grin, taking a step toward her. “Date night, baby.”

  Her gaze snaps back to me. “Date night?” she repeats. “I—this is, I don’t know what to say, Dax.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. Just come over here, give me a kiss, then sit down and eat with me. It’s that simple, Ads.”

  She swallows hard, then licks her plump lips. Her eyes bounce from me, to the beer in my outstretched hand, to the candlelit table, then back to me. “Okay,” she says, breathing out as she nods, I think more to herself than to me.

  I watch her carefully as she approaches me. I’ve never seen her look so damn nervous. The second before she reaches where I’m standing, I place the Coronas on the counter in front of me so my hands are free to touch her. She steps into my space and lifts her doe-eyed gaze to mine, so many emotions playing across her face. I can’t tell exactly how she’s feeling.

  Lifting my hands, I cradle her cheeks in my palms then brush a kiss to her forehead. “Hey, baby,” I hum against her lips. “I missed you today.” I kiss her the way my body is demanding me to, licking at the seam on her mouth until she opens for me, her tongue coming out to meet mine.

  Breaking the kiss way too soon for my liking, she tilts her head to the side and flicks her gaze to the table. “Tacos, huh?”

  “Uh, yeah. Tacos, beer, candlelight… I’m romantic as fuck, don’t you know.”

  A gorgeous, genuine smile tilts her lips as she chuckles. “I see.”

  I grin. “Fuck yeah you do. And you better start getting used to it, ’cause this is just the beginning. Now come on,” I say, releasing her face to take her hand and tug her toward our meal. “I’m starving.”

  She comes with me willingly, not an ounce of fight in her as she takes the seat I direct her to and immediately begins assembling her first taco. If my heart had a fist, it would victoriously pump the air.

  I quickly detour to the bench and retrieve our beers, then take my place across from her at the small dining table. My eyes fix on her mouth as she bites her food then moans, closing her eyes as she chews.

  “Oh, my God,” she mumbles. “Thank God Amá taught you how to cook. This is amazing.”

  Pride suffuses me. “Damn right it is.” Then I dig in, constructing my own array of tacos from the vast selection of fillings I prepared.

  Can’t go wrong with Mexican and beer. And whoever disagrees doesn’t know what the hell they’re talking about.

  We made more progress last week than we have in all the years we’ve been doing this. Waking up each morning, I’m filled with rightness and surety. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and so is she.

  Adley’s place is closer to my office than mine, which means I now have time to stop at my favorite coffee shop in the mornings on my way in. Swinging open the door to The Brew Guru, I inhale the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee as I take my place at the back of the line. It’s the best smell in the world, well, maybe second… There’s just something about Ad’s scent that drives me insane.

  I shoot her a good morning text while I’m waiting to order.

  DAX: Have a good day, gorgeous. I’ll bring home take-out tonight so we can eat together before you head into the club. Any requests?

  She was sound asleep when I left, so I brushed a quick kiss to her temple and snuck out without waking her. I value my life too much to risk stirring her before seven. Actually, that’s a lie. Anyone stupid enough to try getting her out of bed before ten deserves what they get. She manages Trixie’s, a drag club downtown, and mostly works nights.

  When I reach the front of the line, I order the biggest Americano they have and a breakfast bagel, then I move down the counter to wait. It doesn’t take them long to prepare my order, the crew work together like a well-oiled machine here. It’s one of the reasons this place is my favorite. The other is the phenomenal bagels.

  Picking up my Americano from the counter, I turn and nearly collide with the dude behind me. “Shit, sorry,” I murmur as I move to step around the guy.

  A baseball cap obscures my view of his face, until he lifts his head from his cell and his eyes widen. “Hey, man,” Arlo says, grinning. “How’s it going?”

  “Alright, you?” I take a sip of my steaming hot coffee and sigh in contentment.

  He shrugs. “Good, or I will be once I’ve consumed a gallon of caffeine,” he says, chuckling. “Did an all-nighter with my study group, and I’ve got a class in an hour.”

  “I remember those nights, and I don’t miss ’em,” I tell him.

  “Gotta do what ya gotta do to get where ya wanna be.” He slides his cell into his back pocket.

  And that reminds me of my conversation with Atticus at the wedding. “Hey, did you end up coming in to see about a position at Parker and Sons?”

  “Yeah, I did. Thanks, man. I start next week. I’ll be in all day Tuesdays, Wednesday mornings, then Thursday and Friday afternoons. They were really good about letting me work around my classes.”

  “Great! Guess I’ll be seeing you around more often then.”

  He nods, a smile curling his lips. “Yeah, oh, hey, how’s Dani doin? I didn’t get to catch up with her at the wedding,” he asks, waggling his brows.

  I roll my eyes. He and my twin kinda paired off when we were all in Vegas for Tia and Bates’s bachelor weekend. I’m pretty sure nothing happened between them… “She’s fine, asshole. Actually, she’s seeing some guy she met there. One of Bates’s cousins or something.”

  He sighs, dramatically clutching his heart. “Ah well, at least we’ll always have Vegas.”

  I slug him in the shoulder, and he bursts out lau
ghing. “No, but seriously, that’s great, she’s a cool chick.”

  “Arlo,” the barista calls, sliding a large, iced coffee across the bench toward him, a flirtatious smile curving her lips.

  “Thanks, Shelly.” Arlo shoots the girl a wink as he takes his drink.

  “Such a player,” I chuckle, grinning at the sight of her phone number scribbled on the side of his cup.

  He shrugs. “It’s not my fault I’m irresistible. I’m just blessed in the genetics department.”

  “And modest too.” I chuckle. “Guess you’re not planning on settling down any time soon then.”

  “Who knows, man. I’m a firm believer in going with the flow. If it happens sooner than later, I won’t be mad about it. But, until then, I’m happy sampling all that life has to offer.”

  I nod, his logic surprisingly mature for a college kid. “That’s uncharacteristically wise of you. How old are you again?”

  “Old enough to know when the right chick comes along. I’ll be locking that shit down asap.” He takes a sip of his drink and glances down at his watch. “Sorry, man, I gotta cut and run. I’ve got to roll if I’m going to get to this class.”

  “No worries, I gotta bounce too. I’ll catch you next week.”

  “Yeah, okay, cool. Later, bro,” he says, rushing for the door and nearly knocking a chick on her ass as he pushes through it.

  I chuckle and follow at a more leisurely pace, eating my bagel as I walk the four blocks to the office.

  It’s not until I’m scarfing down a sandwich at my desk that I get a text from Ads about dinner.

  ADLEY: I’d kill for some fresh sushi.

  DAX: Alright, I’ll sort it. X

  Dropping my cell on a pile of paperwork, I call out to Topher, my secretary. He’ll for sure know where I should get it from seeing as he’s a massive foodie.

  He pops his head in the door. “What’s up?”

  “Sushi,” I say.

  “I thought you just had lunch?”

  I shake my head. “Yeah, I did. I meant where’s the best and closest place to get it?”

  He frowns, then completely steps into my office. “Why? You don’t even like sushi.”

  “I don’t. But that’s what my woman wants for dinner, so that’s what she’ll get,” I explain.

  “Your woman?” He gapes. “Since when do you have a woman?”

  I roll my eyes. “You don’t know everything about my personal life, Topher.”

  “Yeah, but we’re kinda like friends. You know I’m dating Celia from accounting.”

  Here we go. I run a hand through my hair and stare at him. “That’s because you were all depressed when you thought she’d broken up with you, and I had to buy you doughnuts and hot chocolate to bribe you to do your job. And you still forced me to listen to your sob story….”

  “Hey, I was devastated. She’s my soulmate, damn it.”

  “I know. You’ve told me, multiple times.”

  He widens his eyes at me and drops into the chair across from my desk. “So, who’s the lucky lady?”

  I should tell him to get back to work, but I lean back in my chair and spill my guts. Keeping Adley a secret was never part of the plan. But that’s what she wanted, so I went with it. Telling Topher is almost therapeutic.

  By the time I’m done, he’s staring at me, his jaw unhinged. It takes him a moment to gather himself, then he shakes his head at me. “That’s either the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard, or the most pathetic. I’m not sure which.”

  I rear back. “What?”

  “Well, I mean it’s super sweet that you’ve hung around for her and done things the way she wants all this time. But, dude, you’re the only one putting any effort into this relationship. And that’s unhealthy. It takes two to make it work. And you’re the one doing all the heavy lifting here.”

  I blink at him, stupefied. I’ve never looked at it that way. It’s just always been how it is, and I accepted that because I love her, and she’s got issues.

  But we’re making progress. She opened up to me. We’re moving forward, I know we are.

  I glare at Topher. “I’ve got it under control. Just use your foodie knowledge and tell me where to get the damn sushi.”

  He shrugs his shoulder and gets to his feet. “I’ll grab the website for you so you can put in an order before you leave. Oh, and this place has other stuff that I think you’ll like, so make sure you check out the whole menu.”

  Nodding, I turn my attention back to my computer screen. “Thanks,” I tell him as he leaves my office.

  I sit there staring at my computer for a good forty minutes, doing absolutely nothing that I’m supposed to be doing. I can’t get what Topher said out of my head. It’s never bothered me before being the one who carried our relationship. I knew from the beginning Ads had some serious shit she needed to work through. And now that I know exactly what that shit is, I can see why just being around was never enough for her to believe how serious I am about us.

  I need to step it up. And that’s what I’m going to do. Starting with getting her the best damn sushi I can get my hands on.

  After letting myself into the apartment, I kick off my shoes by the door and make straight for the kitchen bench to deposit the bags with our dinner in them. Then knowing the conniption Ads will have if my shoes aren’t on the rack, I return to the door and move them up onto the shelf.

  “Got the sushi, babe,” I call out as I move back to the kitchen to pull a couple of plates from the cabinet. When she doesn’t respond, I put the plates on the bench and go in search of her. There’s only so many places she could be—our bedroom or the bathroom.

  I check both and come up empty. Worry fills my guy, and I pull my cell from my back pocket and double check that I haven’t missed any calls or texts from her. Nothing.

  Tapping over to her contact, I hit call and wait. It rings, and rings, and rings. Then it goes to her voicemail. What the hell?

  “Hey, babe, just seeing where you are? I’m home, with sushi… Call me.” I sigh and end the call. Should I be worried? She asked for sushi, so that means she should be here. I run my hand through my hair and flick over to Tia’s number.

  My baby sister answers on the third ring. “Hey, hermano, what’s up?”

  I clear my throat, suddenly realizing this wasn’t the best idea, seeing as she has no idea Adley and I are even together, let alone living together and married. “Just callin’ to check in, Chiquita. How’s married life treating you?”

  “Good. Really, really good.”

  I can hear the smile in her voice, and it makes me happy to know she’s truly content. That she found her person. But right now, I need to find mine. “Are you doing anything exciting tonight?” I ask, hoping it sounds like a casual question.

  She chuckles, and Bates says something in the background that I can’t quite make out.

  “Oi, you better not be getting frisky while on the phone to your big brother. That’s sick, chica.”

  “Oh, as if.” She snorts. “That’s disgusting. We’re just about to watch a movie.”

  “Ah-ha, you mean you’ll be neckin’ on the couch with a movie on in the background,” I grumble. That’s what I should be doing tonight too.

  She outright laughs this time. “Yeah, okay. Maybe.”

  I roll my eyes. “Alright, go do your thing with your man. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Hey, wait,” she says. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, of course. I’m fine. Say hey to Bates for me,” I tell her, then end the call.

  Staring at my cell, I try Adley one more time, but come up with the same result.

  Before we moved in together, this wasn’t such an unusual thing. I’d call, she’d screen me, and then she’d call back when she was ready to talk or hook up. But things are different now. She hasn’t done that since the first night I stayed here. Not that I call her a whole lot or anything.

  My grip on my cell tightens as frustration simmers below the s
urface of my skin. I’m not exactly sure what to do here. And I hate not knowing my next move. Not having a plan.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and think it through, rationally. She isn’t at home, and she’s obviously not with Tia. That leaves her work. I look up the number I saved when I called in for her last week and hit call.

  “You’ve called Trixie’s. You’re speaking with Perri. How may I help you this fabulous evening?”

  “Hey, Perri, it’s Dax. Is Ads around?” I’ve met Perri a couple of times in the past. She’s a six-foot-five drag queen with the best set of pipes I’ve ever heard belt out “Proud Mary”.

  “Oh, heyyy, sugar,” she purrs in her deep voice. “I haven’t seen you around here in a long time, baby. Where’ve you been?”

  I scrub a hand down my face and sigh. “I’ve been around, but listen, I’m chasing Adley. Is she in tonight?”

  “Yeah, baby, she’s in her office. You want me to put you through?”

  Frustration gives way to full-blown annoyance. “So she’s there, you’re sure?”

  “Ah, yeah, honey. I saw her walk in like thirty minutes ago. Why? Is something wrong?” Concern drips from her tone.

  “No, no. Nothing’s wrong. I was just checking. I forgot she was working tonight. My bad. Don’t bother her though, I’ll catch up with her later,” I say. “Thanks, Perri.” I end the call before she can reply.

  I’m so incredibly pissed I can’t see straight. She’s at fucking work. What the actual fuck is she playing at?

  Anger thrums in my veins as I stalk over to the bench, snatch the damn takeout bag up and toss it into the fridge. That shit’s expensive, and I have no idea why; they don’t even cook it.

  Ducking into the bedroom, I shuck my work clothes, leaving them on the floor—which I know will irritate the shit out of Adley when she gets home—then throw on my running gear and head for the door. I stop, taking my shoes off the rack and dropping them on the floor in front of it, then I leave.