Page 12 of Nothing to This (Nothing to… #8)

After settling the kids with their coloring books in the kitchen, and trying to decide what to make for dinner, she ventured down the hallway and around to the guest room. JD’s room.

The door was open. Although the bed was the same, the linens were fresh. An unfamiliar desk had appeared from somewhere and landed in the corner of the room.

At that desk was where she found JD.

Knocking on the open door, she waited on the threshold until he looked up. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have… shouted.”

“I love my children, Rylee. Why is it so difficult for you to understand that I love them?”

If he wanted to make her feel worse, he was going the right way about it. “I know you love them, JD. I do know that. I told you, if I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t be making this so easy on you.”

Pushing back in the chair, he folded his arms. “Are you making it easy on me?”

“I said I was sorry for shouting.”

“For shouting?” he said. “I don’t give a damn about you raising your voice.

I give a shit that you think I’d prioritize sex over my twins.

You’re the one who’s been on her back all weekend.

” Shocked and insulted, her mouth opened.

Had he really just said that? “If you feel guilty, don’t take it out on me. ”

“Guilty?” she demanded, storming forward. “How dare you! I haven’t been out whoring myself, I spent the weekend with my boyfriend! Something I only do every two weeks because I spend the rest of the time caring for your children.”

“ My children,” he said, thrusting up out the chair, sending it spinning as he stormed around the desk. “That’s right, and I’ve been with them all weekend. When do you think I got the time to seduce a random woman?”

Her contrition dwindled. She didn’t care when he came up close and sure wasn’t going to back off.

“I imagine a man like you has them on speed dial,” she said. “Is there like a central number billionaires use for slut takeout? Hookers for Hotshots Hotline?”

“Right, ‘cause I need to pay for it.”

“You pay for everything else,” she said. “Isn’t that what you’ve been doing with your family for years?”

“Oh, so that’s why you’re pissed? Because I’ve been working to take care of you and our children?”

“Don’t give me that. You did this long before I got pregnant. You love your work, the company, the power.”

Getting closer shouldn’t have been possible, but, somehow, he leaned in to loom. If he was trying to intimidate her, he’d be disappointed.

“Not as much as I love my family!”

“And why the hell should we believe that? We’ve been here for five years, all of us! For five years your mother, your sister, me, your babies, we’ve all been right here, JD! And now we’re the flavor of the month you want us to trust that we can rely on you?”

A frown darkened his expression. “You think you can’t rely on me? You could have called me any minute of any day and I’d have been here for you or the kids.”

He could infuriate her from afar, even in his absence, turned out he was better at doing it in person.

“The point is, we shouldn’t have to call!

” she argued. “You should’ve been here for us!

” He didn’t retort. Through the silence, their sharp breathing surrendered the adrenaline.

“I… I’m sorry.” She exhaled. “I don’t know why I’m in such a bad mood tonight.

I missed my babies. I missed being home. It’s no excuse but…”

His hands rose to her shoulders, then slid down her back to pull her against him. “You should’ve come home.” Closing her eyes, she relaxed. “Don’t miss them. Be with them.”

“This was your time.”

“I’ll have lots of time with them, as much as you allow. I’m a rookie, but learning is fun. Surprisingly.” A few beats passed. “We’re family, Ry; you and me and our twins. We do whatever it takes to support each other. I’m sorry if I’ve let the three of you down.”

Compelled to comfort him too, she coiled her arms around his waist. “You haven’t let us down. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“And I shouldn’t have commented on how you spent your weekend. Your relationship is none of my business. You deserve time off to have fun.”

Breathing in, her muscles grew heavier. “He’s not happy,” she said. “He wants to meet you.”

“We can send the kids to my mom’s if you want—”

“He doesn’t know who you are,” she said. “He knows nothing about you or us.”

“You didn’t tell him?”

The thread of curiosity in his voice could be construed as judgment. Being in his arms, warm and comfortable, she didn’t want to push away or fight again. He smelled good, like male soap and expensive cologne… and her kids. Her precious babies.

“It’s second nature for me to protect you, to keep us a secret.”

“Protect me,” he murmured.

“Protecting you protects the kids,” she said. “Me and my babies live a normal life. I’ve always thought if anyone found out how much their father was worth…”

“You’re worried about their safety?” he asked, instantly hitting concern. Calm and gentle but concern all the same. “Why have you never told me? Babe, we can get them security—”

“They’d ask why. They’re safe now, while they’re so young and under supervision at all times… We will need to talk about it again if our lawyers revisit the contract given you’re in town.”

“Have you made an appointment to see your lawyer? We should get everyone together this week.”

“Are you okay with that?” she asked. “We don’t have to change the status quo.”

His hands opened on her lower back and splayed to press them closer. “I’m not going anywhere, Siren.”

The word opened her eyes.

Staying loose, she leaned back to seek his gaze. “You haven’t called me that since our night together. Is that what you call every woman you’re intimate with?”

“Only you,” he said. “ No other woman’s drawn me in the way you did that night, babe. You remember? I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

Settling her head against him, she smiled when his embrace tightened. “I remember it was your hands you had a problem with.”

“Soon as those elevator doors closed, I couldn’t restrain myself anymore… Your finger touched mine and it was so damn soft, I… It broke me, babe. I snapped… and I never snap.”

Her breathing slowed; had she ever been so calm? “I was sunk after that first kiss. I’d have given you anything for making me feel that way.”

“You gave me two children, Ry. I’ve never shown you my true gratitude for that.”

“We’ve never talked about the night we met.”

“We’ve never talked.” He pulled her closer. “You’ve never let me hold you like this.”

With their lives being so disparate, they’d never had the opportunity.

“Feels good,” she said.

He stooped to kiss the top of her head before squeezing her in his arms again.

It did feel good. JD was strong, his embrace secure.

Since he’d arrived, she’d been off-kilter and overwhelmed, unsure how to make the pieces of her life fit together.

But standing there in his arms, a weight lifted.

Not that she didn’t have the same responsibilities, but that she didn’t have to shoulder them alone.

Pressure on her leg broke their embrace. JD must have felt it too because he stepped back at the same time.

There were the twins standing beside them.

“Hey, guys,” JD said and crouched.

She liked that, how he so easily put himself at their eye level either by crouching or picking them up. Doing it made him accessible, showed that he was there for them. He didn’t want distance between himself and their children, he wanted to be close to them.

Their bold baby girl looped her arms around her father’s neck. “Cuddle me too, Daddy,” Sky demanded.

JD hugged her with one arm and scooped the other around Kye to pull him close too. The way the father linked the siblings piqued her curiosity.

Being with JD wasn’t something she’d ever considered.

She’d always been an independent woman who didn’t need a man to hold her up.

This, what she was watching, was a physical manifestation of what this man was to their offspring.

They adored him, she’d always known that, but in that moment, the fierceness of his love was frank, and she sensed how far he’d go to protect them.

The sheer intensity of it was odd given such an innocuous moment. Holding his children on this random Sunday night in the safety of his bedroom, he couldn’t be more relaxed. Yet he seemed to be generating energy. The sensation was so strong, she got edgy.

“I’m going to start dinner,” she said and touched her son’s head as it was closest.

She only got a step away from the group when JD spoke. “Let me take you all out for dinner.”

She looked back, his arm was still wrapped around a child on each side. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Come on, it’s a crime that we’ve gone all their lives without going out for a meal together.”

“People will recognize—”

“We’ll go out of town, somewhere with private dining…” He looked from Kye to Sky. “Mommy says you guys have never been on a plane. Do you want to go on Daddy’s plane?”

Excited, both kids gasped, their little faces glowed.

“Daddy have a plane?” Kye asked.

“No,” she said before JD could answer. “He’s kidding, sweetpea. Aren’t you, JD?”

Eyeing him, she needed his support. Until the lawyers had done their thing, she was still under a gag order. The kids wouldn’t be able to keep secrets, asking them would be unfair.

JD gave each kid a squeeze. “Go find your best clothes, guys. Daddy will get you there so fast you’ll feel like you’re flying.”

Excitedly chattering at each other, the kids ran out of the room.

As JD stood, she moved in close again to whisper, “You can’t ask them to lie.”

“And don’t ask me to lie to them,” he whispered back. “I do have a plane and I won’t lie to them and say I don’t.”

“But if you start showing them this whole glamorous side of your life, they’ll talk at daycare.”

“I’ve taken them to nice restaurants and in the back of limos, all sorts.”

“Yeah, saying they went to eat food with Daddy or rode in the back of his big car is not the same as saying he took them on his private jet and had their own personal hostess feed them truffles.”

“Then I’ll give Nadia the night off,” he said. As soon as she opened her mouth in shock, he smiled. “I’m kidding, babe.”

Pressing a hand to his chest, she tried to push away, but he put his hand over hers to keep her there.

“It’s not a joke, JD. I could get into serious legal trouble if the kids tell people who you are.”

His smile widened. “Babe, you don’t really think I’d let anyone hurt you in any way, do you?”

With curled fingers, he rested the pad of his thumb on her cheekbone. She didn’t like looking into his eyes and believing him.

“All I’m asking for is time to talk to my lawyer,” she murmured, moving her face against his hand. It would be harder for him to argue if she came across as yielding, rather than defensive. “Overlord.”

“I’d prefer if you’d call me ‘Daddy’ at home. Reminds me of what we made together… I knocked you up. I’m the only guy in the world who’s done that.”

His swagger almost made her laugh. “Let me guess, that’s a turn on.”

He slid his hands onto her hips. “Is that why Bren was talking about your uterus?”

She laughed. “God, don’t ask me about that, please.”

“Okay,” he said, easing in to kiss her hairline before turning her around. “Go put on a pretty dress. Kye and I will spoil our girls in private dining tonight.”

She headed out but called over her shoulder. “Go help him get dressed or he’ll end up in half jammies, half Hulk costume. I’ll get Sky.”

“You got it, babe,” he said just before she disappeared into the hall to get ready for the evening.

She and JD had proved they could go from zero to a hundred fast when it came to losing their tempers with each other.

Maybe it came from his business experience or her parenting skills, or maybe a bit of both, but they’d been mature in calming down and apologizing, compromising.

They were finding their way in this new reality. She could tell, reining JD in a little every once in a while was going to take practice… and patience.