Chapter Four
He was really doing this. Kaden pulled in behind her, glancing at the small white building Bree now called home. Damn things changed over the course of the year. First order of business would definitely be moving her out of this hellhole and back into a house she’d call her own, even if they never truly shared it as a family.
Damn. He killed the engine of his Mercedes just as her mother stepped out from the townhouse. Eighteen months ago, Regina Miller looked like the mom every kid wanted—a housewife by nature, loving toward her daughter and supportive to her husband. Ex-husband now, but that was another story for another time. Now, Regina stood with her hand on her apron-covered hip, looking like a bull seeing red.
He stepped out from the car, trying to prepare himself for her attack, though she didn’t attack the person he suspected.
“You go to a funeral for one night and come back married?” Regina all but yelled at Brianna causing some nearby neighbors’ gazes to wonder. “Brianna, did you learn nothing from the first round of foolishness with this boy?”
Brianna licked her lips, nervously trying to usher her mother inside. “Mom, people are watching. Let’s go inside and talk about this.”
Kaden came up to them and saw Regina ready to spit fire. He knew he should say something but “hello” felt awkward.
“Mom, come inside, now. You need oxygen, and we need to talk.”
Finally, Regina stepped inside and Brianna followed behind her, leaving Kaden to close the door after them. The small living space closed in around him tighter than a glove. If he wanted to, he could touch both walls by holding his arms out. A set of steps sat next to the door, and the foyer led into a hallway to which he assumed led to the living room and kitchen.
He followed the way the women went, finding his assumptions to be right. The small living room served as a dining area as well, and a little bathroom sat underneath the steps. Considering what Brianna used to live in—a four-bedroom, three-bath home of at least two thousand square feet of living space—to this, he knew she left for the money. With the way she worked off her pretty behind, he knew she didn’t have much of it left.
“Mom, would you sit and listen to me. It’s not what you think.” She stood next to her mother, forcing her to wear her oxygen mask.
“Not what I think? My daughter is married to the same man that abandoned her pregnant with his child eighteen months ago—did I miss something, or does that accurately describe the situation?” Regina glared at him before turning her head away from them both.
“Mom, please.” A baby started crying, and Regina looked toward Kaden as if he were solely responsible for it. “Just, listen to me.”
Brianna took off down the hall and climbed the steps as if she were competing in a marathon. Before he even had time to blink she came back down, carrying a tearful child with the same emerald green eyes he and his father shared.
“Mom, Tim’s will stated that if we didn’t get married, Shiloh wouldn’t get her inheritance. He’s giving her his ranch in Texas, the five-million-dollar ranch he loved so much. That’s more than I could ever give her in this lifetime, and I believe she deserves it.” She situated the baby higher on her hip. The small child looked at Kaden with amazement in her eyes. “He also set up a trust fund for her which she can use for college if she wants, or to buy her first house, or for something that I can’t give her. Mom, it’s only for a year. Until the estate is settled.”
“It’ll just be a year for you to get attached to him, for that baby to get attached to her father, and then what? He’ll leave. Just like he did when he found out you were pregnant.”
“Ms. Miller, I have no intentions of running away from my family.” Kaden finally said, realizing he never called Regina “Ms. Miller” his entire life.
“Yeah?” she sounded amused. “You’re the love-’em-and-leave-’em type, Kaden. Tell me once when you’ve had a relationship longer than a year.”
“Mom, this isn’t fair.”
“What wasn’t fair was seeing my daughter go through the pain of childbirth without the father, the wonderful sperm donor, there helping her through it. Do you think pushing a live human being out of a vagina is easy?”
Kaden shook his head, dropping his gaze to the floor.
“Damn right it’s not easy. Especially when complications arose.”
“Complications?” He darted a glance to Brianna, who shook her head.
“Nothing major,” she replied.
“Nothing major? Shiloh’s heart rate dropped to the eighties because the placenta detached and sent you into premature labor. And then once you started pushing her out, she decided to come out breech. If that’s nothing major, I’d hate to see something important.”
Kaden’s heart stopped beating in his chest. He stared at Brianna, who was doing her best to keep from crying in front of the child, he supposed. And then the sweet little baby smiled at him, and he couldn’t hold it back anymore. He wanted her to like him, even if the rest of her family hated him.
“Can I hold her?” he asked, the child’s grin growing wider. She seemed almost shy, laying her head against her mother’s chest, though she still stared at him.
“I don’t want him anywhere near my granddaughter, Brianna. I’m too weak to be there for you both when he breaks your heart again.” Regina popped the mask over her mouth, seemingly done with their conversation.
“He’s her father, Mom.” A tear fell to Brianna’s cheek, a tiny rivulet gliding across her smooth skin. “And like it or not, he’s here now.”
She turned to him, closing her eyes before speaking. “Shiloh, sweetie, this is your daddy.”
Taking a step toward her, Kaden reached out, and the small child willingly leaned toward them. She wanted him to hold her, and he couldn’t have been more thrilled.
He lifted her small body into his arms. “Hey, Shiloh.”
She grinned, laying her head against his shoulder. She smelled fresh of baby powder, the sweet scent of youth. He couldn’t help the invisible fist squeezing his heart. Eighteen months of guilt washed over him, as he wrapped the child in both his arms. How he walked away from her so long ago, he’d never know. She felt right. She felt perfect. She felt like home.
“While you two reacquaint, I’m going to take a shower and change.” Brianna rubbed her daughter’s back. “I’ll be back in a minute, sweetie.”
Once she disappeared, the child’s smile was gone, big wet tears forming in her eyes. “It’s okay. Mommy will be back in a minute.”
“She’s a momma’s girl.” Regina commented. “Once Brianna’s out of sight, she wails until she comes back.”
As if on cue, Shiloh’s whimper sounded. Kaden didn’t know what to do. One minute the child was smiling at him, and the next she cried. Her small whimper turned to a wail, and he panicked.
“You’re going to have to take her upstairs.” Regina commented. “If Brianna asks, I’m going to the Bridge house.”
Just like that she left Kaden and the small wailing child alone in the townhouse. What had he gotten himself into?
Okay. Bree was only upstairs. He’d take the child up, let her see her momma, and then she’d be fine, right? Shiloh’s chubby cheeks turned red with her cries, while her breath came in gasps. So much for liking him. The child seemed as if she hated him at this particular moment.
He climbed the steps, hoping Bree would give him some pointers. Now, he realized why he didn’t want kids. They cried. They pooped. They got into more trouble than humanly possible before the age of two. He had no business raising kids.
He found what he assumed to be the bathroom and rapped on the wooden door. As if psychic, Brianna opened the door. The shower was still running, and her magnificent body only covered in pink terry cloth. She smiled before grabbing the wailing child and soothing her until the silence engulfed them again.
“Your mom went to the Bridge house.”
“Figures.” She stepped back into the steamed room, and shut the shower off. “At least I washed my hair. Normally I can’t even do that.”
She walked past him, the child now sucking her thumb as she rested against her mother’s wet shoulder, and went down the hall into another room. Once he came to the door, he realized it was her room.
“Sorry about the mess. When I come in from work, I usually just strip and fall into bed. My clothes normally stay where they lay until laundry day.” She sat the baby on the bed, pulling her pillows to the side.
“I think she hates me.” Kaden said, leaning against the door frame.
“She’s my girl. She acts this way with everyone, so don’t get discouraged.” Brianna began brushing through her wet hair with quick rapid strokes. “She did go to you, didn’t she? That means something.”
“I’m the stranger who’s invaded her home.” The child stared at him, her lashes still holding small teardrops.
“She’ll get used to you.” Brianna, grabbed a large shirt from her closet and pulled it over her towel-covered body. Before he had time to even comprehend what she was doing, or to be a gentleman and turn his back, she pulled the towel out. The damn thing fell only to mid-thigh, barely covering her behind. “We didn’t discuss it, but when are you bringing your stuff here?”
How did he tell her that she lived in a dump? “Uh, actually, I was thinking of buying a house.” She turned to face him, her nipples dark beneath the stark white fabric. “Uh, with four people living together, I just figured we’d need more space. That is, if you want.”
“I can’t afford a house payment.”
“I can.” He stepped away from the door, deciding to take a seat next to the baby on the bed. She was actually really cute when she wasn’t cry. Funny he thought since she looked like him. “You don’t have to worry about finances, Bree. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Kaden, no offense, but I don’t want your money. I don’t want anything from you.” She grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on while remaining modest the entire time. “And if you buy a house, that’ll get tied up with the divorce settlements and be one big hassle.”
“No it won’t.” While he talked to Bree, the child crawled toward him, pulling on his arm to lift herself off the bed. Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms, situating her on his lap. “I buy it. We live there. No big deal.”
She narrowed her eyes then stared at her daughter in amusement. “Whatever. Mom won’t like the idea, though.”
Regina would just have to get over it. “Do you want to go house hunting, or is it something you want me to handle?”
“If it’s going to be anytime soon, it’ll have to be your doings. I don’t have any more days off for two weeks straight.”
He knew it was because she asked for the extra shifts. She needed the money, but soon she wouldn’t have to worry. He couldn’t say so, but she’d see in her own time. She wanted more time to spend with their daughter, and he was going to give it to her.
“That’s fine with me. Uh, I’m keeping my place in Raleigh. I still have work there, and probably won’t be able to travel back and forth every night.” Especially when he had big cases to deal with.
“Oh, okay.” She sat next to them on the bed, watching as the child lay against him, sucking her thumb. “She never acts this way with strangers. I told you she’d be easy to get along with.”
He rubbed Shiloh’s back as if it were the most natural thing to do, and her big emerald green eyes stared up at him. “If only everyone treated me this way.”
* * * *
A week went by, and Brianna hadn’t heard much from Kaden. With him working, and her working, it left little time for idle chitchat. He was gone before she got up and asleep before she went to bed. Crazy as it may seem, she thought their arrangement would be different.
Christmas would be here before she knew it, and she still had shopping to do. Luckily with all the overtime she’d been working, she saved enough money to actually buy presents. Granted, it wouldn’t be much, but at least her child would have stuff under the tree.
She came in early one night, to a quiet house. Her mother evidently had already gone to bed, and she didn’t know if Kaden was here or not. She threw her stuff down on the dining room table only to see Kaden sitting on the couch watching television.
“Hey,” he said, flipping through the channels.
“Hey. What are you doing up?”
“Waiting for you.” He clicked the TV off and rubbed his eyes. The poor boy looked beat, even as he sat in his dress pants and nice blue button-down shirt. Normally he changed when he first got home. “I found a house. Well, actually Dad found the house since I’ve been in court all week. I was going to look at it tomorrow and wondered if you could come with me.”
She was taken aback with the kindness in his expression. “Uh, maybe. I’m off during the middle of the day for about two hours. Can you schedule an appointment then?”
She came over to him, plopping down on the couch. Sitting never felt so good. She kicked off her shoes and yawned a really big yawn. She knew he didn’t like living at the townhouse, and her mother agreed that she’d stay here while they moved into a new house. She wouldn’t have to deal with babysitter issues since Kaden agreed to put Shiloh in preschool, but she didn’t think all this would be happening so fast.
“Yeah, I can make it then.”
He pulled her foot onto his lap and started rubbing her aching insoles. “Do you have a specific time?”
Like she could think with him being this close? “One. I come home around eleven to be with Shiloh, give mom a break, and then go back to work around three. Two hours should be enough time right?”
He nodded, concentrating on her feet. “I also wanted to ask you to go shopping with me. I need to get Shiloh and you some presents.”
He pressed his thumbs into her arches, and she wanted to moan at how good it felt but bit her lip instead. The man was good at what he was doing, that was certain.
“Uh, sure.” Her head fell back to the arm of the couch, her body turning to complete mush. “But you don’t have to, you know.”
“I know.” When he finally looked up, she saw the deep emerald eyes turn almost black. Stubble covered his chin, giving him the sexy, edgy look all women loved. Once upon a time, she loved it too.
“Um, I should get in bed.” She was a chicken. If he made any advances, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to say no.
“Okay.” He slid her foot off his leg, keeping his eyes on hers. The man had been one week celibate and as far as she knew that was a record. For a long as she could remember, he had a woman on his arm, as well as in his bed. Now he was married to her, but didn’t have her in his bed.
“Kaden.” It was as far as she got before he pulled her legs down and covered her body with his. She opened her mouth to protest, but he misread her and took it for encouragement.
With one sweep of his tongue, what little sense she had left went out the door. His body felt hot against hers, his mouth so gentle yet erotic. He had a fabulous mouth that definitely made women scream. Yeah, she knew this firsthand because he had made her scream over and over.
With slick thrusts, his tongue glided against hers, and she couldn’t hold back any longer. She pulled him hard against her mouth and kissed him back. She’d probably live to regret it, but it had been one hell of a long day. She needed a goodnight kiss. Or so she told herself.
“Wait, Kaden. Stop.” He did, though he only stared at her, his body wedged between her legs. “We can’t do this.”
“Why not?”
“Kaden, come on.” She pulled away from him, forcing herself to sit up. “You don’t like me. Not in that way, and having sex would only make our relationship more complicated.”
“Having sex would make our relationship a lot easier.” He sat back, watching her she knew, but didn’t dare to turn around to find out.
“Yeah. Um, I don’t think so.” She stood abruptly and headed for the stairs before she gave in and jumped his bones. “I’m going to bed.”
She all but ran upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom. She inhaled deeply and smelled his cologne. She smelled like him. God, that alone was enough to make a woman’s knees weak. She leaned against the door, realizing her body responded all too well to his mouth. Her nipples beaded underneath the white shirt she wore, and her breasts ached for his touch. Her womb clenched almost unbearably, while her panties were wet with wanting. What the hell had she been thinking, kissing him back? Leading him on and then cutting him off. That was just cruel.
She changed into a tank and boxers—her normal attire for bedtime—and made her way to the bedroom. Kaden had been sleeping on the pullout bed built into her couch, but she wanted him in her bed tonight. Maybe her mother was right. This marriage was bologna because there was no way she’d walk away without a broken heart. It was impossible, because the last time he left her heart shattered, and this time, she wasn’t sure if she could mend it back together again.
She fell in bed and was grateful for the soft fluffy pillow to hug. Not as good as Kaden’s warm body, but good enough for her right now. All she needed was sleep, and she’d regain her common sense back. She had to believe it, because too many more nights alone with him and he’d make her love him . . . again.
* * * *
Kaden pulled up to the two-story ranch-style house his father set up for him to see today. He called Bree and told her the details, though she seemed a little short with him on the phone. He was stupid to kiss her last night, though nothing in the world could have stopped him. And kissing her only made him want her more.
He killed the engine just as the broker stepped out of his own Mercedes with a wide, toothy grin on his face. Just what he needed to deal with today. Another salesman.
“Hello, Mr. Riggens,” the man said thrusting his hand toward Kaden as he slammed the door behind him. “I’m Howard Hughes. Your father said you and your wife were looking for a house to buy.”
“Yes, sir.” Kaden shook his hand as the man babbled on. Evidently Howard and his father had gone to school together.
“Well, good. Good. I have several houses available for purchase in different price ranges, but your father said money was no hindrance?”
“Yeah. Whatever my wife wants, she’ll get.” Just as he said the words, Brianna pulled in the drive in her ratty old Mazda that hummed something awful when she pressed on the breaks. Howard gave Kaden a curious glance, and he grinned. Just because he drove a Mercedes didn’t mean his stubborn wife would give up her ratty old car. In fact, he had just offered to have it serviced, but she refused.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said almost immediately while running toward them in a slinky red dress that accented her curves with every step she took. Her long black jacket hung to her knees though hiding most of her body from Howard’s approving eyes. “Shiloh was a bit clingy to me. More than usual.”
“Shiloh?” the man asked Kaden.
“Our daughter.”
Bree smiled when she came closer, sticking her hand out in greeting to Howard. “Hi. I’m Bree.”
“Howard Hughes. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Riggens.”
After she pulled her hand back, Kaden wrapped his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her hair. He didn’t care what she thought, but Hughes wasn’t going to get any ideas. For one year, Brianna was his. And he intended to convince her of it.
“Well, follow me. This house is very beautiful.” He started the whole spill he probably gave every couple when they came to see his featured properties.
An hour later, they put five houses behind them and came up on the last and final one of the day. A single story cul-de-sac the broker announced as a four-bedroom, three-bath, four-thousand-square-foot home. He could see exactly what was going on in Bree’s mind when she looked the house, though he knew she’d never say she wanted this one. She’d go for the cheapest because she didn’t want to be a burden.
“What do you think?” Kaden whispered as she checked out the master bath.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered back. “But we can’t have something like this, Kaden. It’s too expensive.”
“I told you not to worry about that. Just pick out a house you like, or tell the broker you want to see more.”
She looked almost sad as she stood staring into the master bath, longing, he knew, to be able to afford something like this for herself. She was extremely independent, too much for her own right.
“Sweetheart, we’ve been over this.”
“Yeah, and we agreed to split the bills down the middle. I can’t afford something like this.” She turned to face him, sad.
“Bree, I told you I’d buy the house. It’s not that big of a deal.” He stepped closer to her, pulling her to his body. “Get whatever you want.”
She wrapped her arms around the small of his back, and for a brief second, leaned on him, allowing him to support her. “I really like this one. I think that first bedroom would be perfect for Shiloh. Plenty of room for her toys and her own space. What do you think?”
“I think we just bought a house.”
After signing the paperwork and sealing the deal, the real estate broker handed them the keys to their new home. Brianna called in to work to say she’d be in later, giving them plenty of time to go shopping for Christmas presents.
He bought just about everything Bree picked out for Shiloh, and she nearly smacked him for spending as much as he did, but he loved it. Spending hours with Bree when they didn’t fight or talk about the past was peaceful and wonderful. She made a few purchases herself and they walked away with two armfuls of stuff for their baby.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” They took his car since, well, hers wasn’t guaranteed to make it.
“Brianna, stop being so uptight. It’s only money, sweetheart.” He saw her shake her head in his peripheral vision. “Besides, I didn’t actually buy the house. My parents did, as a wedding present.”
“Kaden!” She tried putting up a fight. But he stopped her before she started.
“Brianna, listen to me, because I’m only going to say this once. Stop worrying about everything. I’ve told you a million times you don’t need to work double shifts—or at all—but you do for your independence, and I respect that. But when someone offers to help you, or to buy you something, smile and say thank you. Okay?”
“Kaden, it’s not that simple. I have no money. I can’t just not work and depend on you to support me.”
“No?” he pulled in beside her car and parked. “I told you—we agreed that I’d take care of you and Shiloh. Stop being a pain in the butt and just let me.”
“Kaden, we might be married in name and legal system, but we aren’t emotionally or physically. I can’t allow myself to depend on you when I consciously know you’ll be gone in a year. I can’t allow you to spoil our child and just walk out of her life as if you never existed.”
“I never said I’d walk out of my child’s life.”
“Yeah.” She opened the door, letting a cold breeze in their warm environment.
He watched her enter the house, the door slamming behind her. Her expression said it all. He also didn’t say he’d be in her life either and that’s what hurt her most.