Page 30 of Daring Wicked Love (Wicked Dade #2)

“Why is your leg doing that?”

Because your mam is about to walk through that door, and it is scaring the shit out of me.

“I’m just cold,” I lied, bringing my jittery leg to a standstill. “Have you got your bag packed?”

“Yup.”

“And you’ve picked what teddy bear is coming with you?”

Penelope nodded. “Jasper is coming this time. He’s never been to New York, and I think he’d like to see all the bright lights.”

“I think so too.” I smiled, despite the nerves churning my stomach. “Do you want a snack for the car ride?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, please. Can I have some of those wraps you made yesterday?”

Jumping into action, doing whatever I could to distract my mind and not stare at the front door waiting for Maura to appear, I busied myself making up the pesto chicken wraps.

I was a little surprised when Frederic sent the message alerting me that Penelope’s mother was coming to the house, especially because Frederic wouldn’t get to talk to Penelope about her first day at school, which apparently rocked.

Dropping her off for her first day, I wasn’t sure who was more nervous.

Mercifully, she took to school like a duck to water.

When I picked her up at midday, she skipped out of the school gate with a smile taking up her whole heart-shaped face.

It killed me that Frederic had to miss it.

To ensure that he didn’t miss how happy she looked, I snapped a photo of her on my phone, followed by a selfie of the two of us at the front of the school gates.

I’d been seconds away from sending them to Fred, only he beat me to the punch and texted me a warning about his ex-wife.

It didn’t feel right sending the pictures, not when I knew he was going to be in serious need of cheering up whenever he got home. Between court and Penelope spending the night away with her mother, it was likely to take its toll on him more than he’d ever say out loud.

By the time I was wrapping Penelope’s snacks in clingfilm, the sound of the front door closing shut echoed throughout the whole house.

Now or never.

Look, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t really know anything about Maura, having never physically met the woman.

But the damage she had done to Frederic, the ordeal with the court, the threat to take Penelope away, the mess she left his heart, and his inability to trust, told me everything I needed to know about her.

And as much as it went against my very core belief of trying to see the good in people, I truly struggled to believe there was any good within a woman like her.

But she was still Penelope’s mother at the end of the day, and I’d play nice for the sake of the five-year-old I loved too damn much to ever upset.

Walking into the hall, I was greeted by a painfully beautiful woman fixing Penelope’s hair. I mean goddammit, she was gorgeous, with legs that didn’t quit, and cheekbones that would cut through glass.

Why wasn’t I surprised that Frederic was married to such an elegant, model-looking type of woman?

Frederic was brutally handsome, of course he married someone equally breathtaking.

“Where’s her stuff?”

Well, hel-fucking-lo to you, too.

“In the kitchen, along with her snack for the car ride.” I tried to keep my voice light. “Let me go and get it for you.”

“I need to go and get Jasper from my bed. I’ll be right back.” Penelope skipped away.

Going back into the kitchen, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I was acutely aware of the high heels on the marble floor and the sickly-sweet perfume following me.

I gathered Penelope’s bag, her snack, and a bottle of water from the fridge, all whilst ignoring the other woman perching herself on one of the kitchen stools.

Neither of us spoke, the uncomfortable silence stretching out and threatening to suffocate me any second.

I didn’t need to look at her to know her feline eyes were watching every move I made — like a rabid wolf stalking a rabbit.

“Do you want a chicken wrap for the car ride?” I spoke, unable to take the silence any longer. “I have plenty of leftovers if you’d like me to make you one?”

Her red lips pursed.

“More pesto chicken for me, then,” I huffed a half-chuckle. “Oh, do you think it would be okay for Pen to call Fred later? I know she is dying to tell him all about her first day at school.”

“Fred,” Maura repeated slowly, the corner of her mouth twitching. “The thing is, we have a show tonight. I doubt she’ll have time to ring Fred. ”

“How about just before she goes to bed?”

“And get her worked up and refuse to go to sleep for me? I think not.”

Inhale, rise the fuck above. “I just think it would mean the world to them both.”

“Oh, you do?” Maura’s lips curled into a lifeless smile. “Well, seeing that I am her mother, and you are the nanny , I think I know what is best for my daughter.”

I couldn’t help but step back, her words stinging like an open-palmed slap across the face. “I didn’t mean to overstep. It was only a suggestion.”

If there were an award for the best resting-bitch-face, by gee, Maura would win first and second place.

Thankfully, Penelope appeared with her teddy bear in one arm and her sketchbook in the other. “Ready to go, Mama.”

Maura didn’t look away from me, her eyes scanning the mess of loose curls trying to escape my scrunchie, moving down to scrutinize my pink denim dungarees, before jumping back up to my face. “Go wait in the car, Penny. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Penelope darted across the kitchen and hugged me goodbye. “See you and Daddy tomorrow?”

I placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Of course, we’ll be right here waiting for you. Both you and Jasper have fun and enjoy the show.”

Maura remained firmly in her seat, her hands resting beneath her chin as Penelope slowly broke away and disappeared to the car.

“You’re cute.”

I blinked slowly. “Excuse me?”

“I can see why Fred hired you,” Maura drawled. “You’re pretty, young, blonde, and not to mention the whole doe-eyed innocent thing you’re rocking.”

Patience was something I normally prided myself on. My ability to withstand most situations and people was being truly tested by this one woman.

“Have you fucked him yet?”

My mind fought with my body not to react.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” A wolfish grin broke across her lips. “Let me guess, you think you can fix him?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I used to be like you once,” she continued.

“Back when I first met him, I thought the same, too. He was broken, damaged, and all kinds of fucked up. Do you know that I was the first woman he’d ever fucked?

Pathetic really. God, if it hadn’t been for his money and big dick, I would have never agreed to marry him. ”

There was no raising above, not when it came to the woman, this blonde-haired fucking demon before me.

“Not to mention my father practically forced me down the aisle the second Dade Diamonds showed promise. Daddy always was adamant that I married for money over love.”

Sparks of anger unfurled into life within me.

“I told myself that I could mold Frederic into the husband I wanted. But all he did was work. I was bored out of my mind being married to him. It’s hardly my fault I sought fun elsewhere.

” She stood from her seat. “I realize I broke his twisted heart, but how was I supposed to love someone like him?”

How dare she?

How fucking dare she?

Frederic had issues, and sweet hell, I was staring straight at his biggest one, but it didn’t mean he needed fixing.

He deserved someone who loved him, sharp edges and all.

My fingers twitched, itching to throw something at her smug, beautiful face. It was amazing how she could be so pretty on the outside but so rotten and ugly on the inside.

“A bit of friendly advice, don’t get emotionally attached. Fuck him all you want. Hell, do what I did, get pregnant and secure yourself a fat pay cheque for eighteen years.”

“I think you should leave now.”

She smoothed out the skirt of her dress. “He’ll never be able to love you back, not after what I did to him. I’ll always be the one and only woman he foolishly loved.”

“Get out.”

Maura’s lips curved into a pleased smirk. “I beg your pardon?”

“It’s time for you to go. I’ve listened to enough of your shit. Get out.”

Maura blinked innocently as if she didn’t know what she was saying, as if she hadn’t carefully handpicked the words that she knew would burrow under my skin.

I told myself that I was going to play nice, that I was going to rise above, but every word out of her mouth was a rusty nail screeching down the chalkboard of my patience.

My palm begged to slap the lipstick right off her face.

“Woman to woman, I am just offering you advice,” she said. “You can take it or leave it…”

“Correct me if I am wrong, but I am certain you were told to leave.”

We looked in unison as Frederic walked through the kitchen door. The tie around his neck was askew and his narrowed gaze was fixed firmly on his ex-wife.

“Don’t worry, I’m leaving.” Maura sauntered toward him, the sway of her hips too forced to be natural. She stood at Frederic’s side and ran a hand slowly down the length of his arm. “It was a pleasure talking to you, Orla. Always a pleasure, Fred. ”

The sight of her touching him was maddening. The way her manicured nails lingered for too long, too close to his neck before she finally exited, aggressively burned itself into my mind.

My stomach twisted violently as I processed everything she said.

I realize I broke his twisted heart, but how was I supposed to love someone like him?

Hell, do what I did, get pregnant and secure yourself a fat pay cheque for eighteen years.

He’ll never be able to love you back, not after what I did to him.

It wasn’t any wonder why Frederic didn’t trust another woman with his heart, why he fought to keep people at a distance, because after being married to that she-devil, I’d be the exact same.

“Orla, are you okay?”

I ignored his question and grabbed the decanter of scotch from the drinks trolley. Pouring myself a liberal glass, I knocked half of it back without tasting it.

“Orla?” Frederic’s voice strained. “Talk to me.”

Knocking the other half of the glass back, tears sprang to the corner of my eyes. I blamed the burn on the scotch. It had nothing to do with Maura’s poisonous words playing on repeat in my mind, or the sting of jealousy slithering its way through my body.

Frederic had loved her.

He had truly loved her, and she just threw all that love away.

“I’m fine.” I failed to keep the wobble from my voice. “I don’t know if you know this, but your ex-wife is a real piece of work. I’ve had toothaches that were less painful than talking to her.”

Before I got the chance to refill my drink, Frederic grabbed the glass from my reach. “What did she say to you?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me the truth.”

“She told me that she got pregnant for your money. Oh, and that you hired me because of my looks and that she knows we’ve fucked.” I exhaled. “She said that she would be the only woman you ever loved, and that I shouldn’t get any more attached to you.”

“Are you saying that you’re already attached to me?”

Not bothering with the glass he was holding hostage from me, I took a mouthful straight from the decanter. Scotch dripped from the corner of my mouth, and Frederic watched the droplets like a man starved. “She’s a vile, annoyingly beautiful monster. You deserved so much better than her, Fred.”

He remained silent.

“Oh, and don’t get me started on her touching you.”

“What?”

“The way she touched you, like she was marking her territory… She’s lucky she still has her hands, is all I am going to say.”

He chuckled as he stepped closer. “Did that make you jealous, Pixie?”

“No,” I lied. “But she doesn’t get to touch you, not after everything she told me. She lost the right to ever lay a finger on you when she threw everything with you away. She played you, and hurt you, and fuck…If I see her touch you again like that, I’ll…”

“You’re breathtaking when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous.” I failed to meet his gaze. “Okay fine, I’m maybe just a teeny tiny bit jealous. But how could I not be? Look at her and then look at me.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Compare yourself to her,” he said. “You don’t see it, do you? How utterly and devastatingly beautiful you are.”

“Fred…”

“Trust me, you of all people have nothing to be jealous about.” He silenced me by taking my chin between his fingers and tilting it up to him. “I mean it.”

But I do.

Because she got to hold his heart before she threw it on the ground and stomped on it until it was beyond repair.

The same heart I feared Frederic would never trust to give to anyone, not even me, whose own heart was all but beating his name.

I leaned into his warmth. Between my lashes, I watched his thumb wipe up the droplets of scotch on my chin before placing his thumb on his lips and savoring the taste.

“ Tu as si bon go?t, Orla . ” He groaned in delight. “Let me prove to you that you have nothing to be jealous about.”

Not giving it another thought, I pushed up and ran my tongue along the seam of his lips. “You taste even better.”

My mind put up a weak fight when Frederic sealed his lips to mine, his tongue dipping into my mouth and warming me down to the soles of my feet. Because as he lifted me from the ground, wrapping my legs around his waist, I knew I was too far gone.

Frederic held my heart in the palms of his hands, and there was no going back, even if it meant he’d break it.