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And her father didn’t have that. Her father’s best friend had always been his wife. He had acquaintances, but those people had gone on with their lives over the years.
“I’m glad that you found her. She’s a good woman.”
“Who is pregnant. She called me this morning.”
His smile widened. “That’s good to hear. Amanda was so unhappy when you two met. It’s nice to see her with a happy life.”
Addy nodded as that odd pang hit her again. She wanted kids, a husband…she wanted more. But Addy wasn’t sure she was built for it. Men tended to think she wasn’t good marriage material. If they made overtures, it was usually a way to gain favor with her father. He might not be in politics anymore, but he still had connections. He was what you would call a mover and shaker in DC.
Of course, that had never been a question with Vic. She had at the beginning, but it became clear that Vic could care less what he could gain from her father by dating her.
“What makes you look so sad, baby?”
He rarely used that term anymore but always seemed to know when she did need it. Those times she felt lost, as if she didn’t fit in the world.
She shook her head. “I guess I kind of miss being able to see her.”
“I’ll spring for a ticket to Honolulu if you want to go.”
“I know, but I don’t need it. I can afford a trip, but I don’t have the time. Lots of after the new year weddings.”
Her job as a florist didn’t allow for a lot of vacations. She sighed. Where did that woman go who lived a carefree life?
“Come here,” he said. Without hesitation, she approached him as he stood. He slung his arm over her shoulder, and they stared out the window. They had done this the morning of her mother’s funeral. They had stood in their old house, blinking against the bright sun, trying to come to terms with the loss. She settled her head on his shoulder. Losing her brother had been hard, but he had grown distant after they lost her mom. It was as if the family fell apart without their anchor, and before they could pull it together, Drew was gone.
This day marked the loss of their old normal, of the two other people in their small family.
“I miss Mom,” she said in a small voice. “I really hate today.”
“I do too, baby. I do too.”
Vic stepped back,feeling like a voyeur. He tried to swallow but found it hard to do with the lump lodged in his throat. From the moment he met Addison, he’d known it wouldn’t be easy.
Vic leaned against the wall, trying his best to ignore the depth of the pain he’d heard in her voice. He failed. Damn, but she tugged at something in him. He wanted her in a way that wasn’t normal…not for him. He wanted her submission, wanted to be her Dom. But for the first time in a long time, he wanted more. He wanted forever.
The thought stole into his mind, but he brushed it back. He wanted her more than any other woman in a long time. But he wanted her submission first.
Women had been easy for him for years. But it had nothing to do with her resistance to him. A part of him wanted to soothe the pain he’d heard. He wanted the right to be the one to comfort her.
“I guess we should get going, or Martha will come in and yell at us. You have two strapping young men to impress with your charm.”
He heard her snort, and he couldn’t fight how his lips curved. “If they expect charm, they will be sadly disappointed.”
Vic heard them shuffling around, so he hurried away, knowing they would understand he overheard their conversation. He didn’t need to give her another reason to build more walls between them. Stepping back into the dining room, he found Justin looking over the pictures.
“Where’s this guy with his arm around her waist?” he asked. “Seems like you might have competition.” He said it jokingly.
“That was her brother, her twin.”
“Oh, then no…wait, was?”
He nodded, and comprehension lit Justin’s eyes. Again, there wasn’t that much resemblance between the two of them, but the smile…they shared that. Before he could ask Vic about him, father and daughter walked into the dining room.
His boss smiled as he looked at the table. “Looks like we have a feast to gorge ourselves.”
Later that evening,Addy settled back in her tub, the warm suds soaking away the aches of the night before. Since Mandy had married, Addy had been too busy with the shop to deal with finding a man. It had been too long since she’d had a man in her bed…or anywhere.
Okay. That was a copout. She had always been able to find men if she was in the mood for them. Unfortunately, since she’d had a taste of Vic, she was sure any man would live up to that flavor.
