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Addison was refreshing. She was caring and intuitive, but she also had a vulnerability about her that made William desperately want to take care of her. She was maternal in a sense that William couldn’t fully comprehend. This scared him. It took a lot to faze William, but children, even the idea of children, threw him for a loop.
He understood that children weren’t pawns; they weren’t something to take for granted. You were either in or you were out. It wasn’t so much children per se that scared him shitless as much as it was that he worried whether or not he’d be a good father. He excelled at everything he tried, and he didn’t want fatherhood to be the one thing he messed up. He’d never had a father, and since his own mother didn’t have a maternal bone in her body, he worried that perhaps it was genetic. She saw William as her meal ticket, and she took it, leaving the rest up to the slew of nannies she employed.
The fact that Addison was married hadn’t bothered him at first. He’d dated his fair share of married women and had never really given it much thought, until he met this married woman and she hadn’t returned his calls and emails or responded to the flowers he sent.
William was all the more confounded when she seemed generally conflicted about sleeping with him, determined to put it behind her and focus on her marriage. This just didn’t happen to him. Rejection was a new concept. He was handsome and extraordinarily wealthy, and things came easy for William. Everything except love. Real love. So when he saw it written upon Addie’s face as she spoke of her husband and children, when he felt her restraint and knew she was holding back, when most women would’ve taken the selfish route and given in, that was it for William.
He wanted that. He wanted her. He knew that he would do everything within his power to win. This was William’
s sweet spot. After all, takeovers and acquisitions were his specialty.
Despite trying to keep her distance, Addie was falling for William. He was extremely charming and did everything he could to see that she was comfortable and happy. He was the kind of man that Addie dreamed about loving. The kind of man that needed saving and who would save her in return. From what little she knew about him, she found that she and William were alike in so many ways. For one thing, their upbringings were similar, and they connected over shared experiences. She was open with him in a way that she had never been with anyone about growing up in her grandparents’ home, without parents, where love was scarce and affection was nonexistent. Because he got it. He understood. Still, deep down she knew William was never a long-term thing. His type never was. For starters, their lives were so very different that they practically lived on two different planets. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have fun and enjoy the moment, which was exactly what she was doing when she made the life-altering decision to accept Sondra’s offer.
Lying on a chaise lounge by the pool overlooking the expanse of the ocean with her head on William’s chest and the warm sun shining upon her face, she decided she’d do it. Addie couldn’t put her finger on it, couldn’t nail down the exact reason why in her mind, only that she felt it was the right choice to make. It was more of a hunch, really. A feeling that something was about to change and that taking the role and ultimately the money was the smart thing to do.
What she hadn’t decided was whether or not she and the boys would move to China and reunite with Patrick. What she did know was that, no matter how welcome the distraction or how well it soothed her hurt, no matter how amazing the sex or how beautiful the location, her heart wasn’t here. It was at home with her children, her life. And part of it was in China with Patrick. Yes, they had problems and had certainly made mistakes, but that didn’t erase their history. It didn’t erase the years, the decade, and all of the good times they’d shared.
That was the thing about marriage. It’s never all good or all bad. It’s just two people doing the best they can. Addie’s mind flashed back to memories of Patrick hold and soothing Connor as a baby. To him cheering as the twins were delivered. She pictured him on their wedding day, and she realized what she already knew, that she missed him, that she loved him, and that she wanted to be a family again.
But whether or not she was willing to uproot her family and leave a job she loved to do so was another matter altogether. She’d have to give it a lot of thought. And later, once William left to attend a series of meetings, she decided she’d sit by the pool and pore over the training materials Sondra had given her. In hindsight, she would come to understand that sometimes not choosing was in actuality doing just that.
Twelve
Addie awoke in William’s arms as he lowered her gently down onto the bed. God, she loved it here. Everything was peaceful. Serene. If her boys had been here with her, she knew she’d be tempted to stay forever. The smell of the ocean, the breeze blowing at just the perfect speed, the warm sunshine, and, oh my God, the food, it was almost too much. She tried her best to soak it all in.
“What time is it?” Addie asked, yawning, forcing her eyes open.
“Two o’clock. You fell asleep by the pool. I didn’t want to wake you.”
Addie rubbed her eyes, confused. “You carried me all the way here?”
William smiled. “Yep.”
She pulled William down on the bed toward her, kissing him lightly on his lips just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. He was real. Damn, those lips. What was it about this man that drove her to the edge?
She picked up her pace, lifting his shirt over his head. His chiseled body was now a deep shade of brown. She hadn’t thought it possible for him to look any better than he had that first time. But he did. “Addison, I can’t. I have to go. My meeting is in half an hour.”
Addie grazed the edge of his jaw with her tongue. “This won’t take that long. Promise.”
William laughed though his gaze was serious, focused. “No, really, Addison. I have to go,” he replied, gently removing her from his lap, placing her on the bed.
Addie scoffed. “Oh, and here I was assuming you were the boss.”
William leaned in, kissing her firmly. He lingered. “Wow. That was a low blow. But you know . . . you’re pretty cute when you pout.”
Addie rolled her eyes and plopped herself playfully backward on the bed, sighing loudly.
William scooped her up. “That’s it, young lady. You asked for it.”
He carried her to the bathroom and placed her on the counter as he slipped out of his bathing suit. “I hope you like it in the shower.”
Addie bit her lip, considering how much trouble she was going to be in if she didn’t get a hold of herself. “Well, as a matter of fact . . .”
Addie threw her swimsuit on and gathered her training materials and made her way back down to the pool. Glancing behind her, she saw a man she only knew as Joe following not far behind. It was weird to have one of William’s security guys in tow with her everywhere she went, but she did her best to try and ignore it.
The first day there she questioned William about why she needed security when he was the likely target. He spoke in a clipped tone, only saying that if she were known to be traveling with him then she was just as likely a target. Noticing the way his demeanor changed and his jaw tightened, Addie let it be and left it at that.
Addie sat down and flipped through her booklet before opening it, trying to ensure that Joe didn’t get to close. He sat down across the pool and began reading a book of his own.
