Chapter
Sixteen
My heart was about to beat out of my chest to scurry off into hiding as I made my way into the basketball stadium beside a peppy Drew. He didn’t know his mother was about to lose it, I hid it well, so he was bouncing beside me and asking a million questions per second.
“What time will Mr. Vice show? Will he be here from the start? Where are we going to dinner? I can’t believe he wants to take us to dinner. When are the school holidays? Maybe Vice can come with us. I know it’s only a week, but it’d be fun. Do you think I should ask him?”
“Drew,” I called, and with a hand to his shoulder, I turned him to face me. “Please don’t say anything to Mr. Salvatore about the holiday with your dad. I need to ask for time off first, and I’m not sure if I can get it. Though, no matter what, you’ll be going. I’ve already spoken to both Molly and your nana. They said they could take you on the plane if I can’t get the time off.”
“’Kay.” He smiled, then skipped off toward the double doors.
Slowly, I followed him. My gaze kept flittering around to see if I could spot Den before Vice showed. I wanted to let him know about Vice coming. I should have said something the night we’d been to his place for dinner, but I hadn’t. Actually, I was surprised he didn’t already know via Drew and Rick.
Stepping through the doors, I spotted Den sitting in the second row of the seats. I made my way over and caught his smile when he spotted me. Waving, I kept going until an arm came around my waist and halted my progress. Den lost his smile, and he got up, heading down the stairs.
Shit, shit, shit.
I already knew who was at my back; his scent was a tell-tale sign. More of his heat hit my back as he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Addy. Good to see you.” My body quivered.
“Adalyn, everything okay?” Den asked, stopping in front of Vice and me.
“Um, yes?” I tried to shift to the side, but the arm around me wouldn’t move. So I thumbed behind me, and said, “Den, this is my boss, Vice Salvatore.”
Vice’s body stiffened. “Den, was it?” His free hand came out to shake Den’s.
“That’s right. Vice, was it?”
“Yes.”
“And boss?” Den added, his gaze sliding down to Vice’s arm.
“Yes,” Vice clipped.
“Mr. Vice!” was yelled from Drew over the other side of the court before he took off on a run toward us. It was then Vice took a step to the side, dropping his arm from around me.
I had shifted enough to see Vice smile at Drew, who came to a stop in front of Vice and beamed up at him. “You made it.”
“I sure did.” He ruffled Drew’s hair, and added, “I’m excited to see the game.”
“Cool. You can sit with Mom.”
“I will.”
“’Kay.” He grinned. I watched Drew flash a quick glance to Den and then back again to Vice before he asked, “Where we going for dinner tonight?”
Vice’s smile matched my son’s. Then he chuckled. “That’s a surprise.”
“I like surprises.”
“I’m glad.”
Drew’s name was yelled. “Gotta go.”
“Have fun,” Vice called.
“I will,” Drew yelled over his shoulder.
Vice moved back to face Den, and to my utter shock, Vice said, “We need to talk.”
“What why?” I asked, my tone reaching fearful.
“I think we do,” Den replied. Both men ignored me.
“And I think the game’s starting soon, so we’d better sit down,” I snapped.
“Outside,” Vice ordered.
“Right,” Den supplied before he walked past me.
When Vice went to follow, I grabbed his arm, and hissed, “What are you doing?”
He grinned. “Just having a word with your friend.”
My eyes narrowed even though I was about to hyperventilate. “Why?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, and then, then, he leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose. My arm fell away as he walked off.
Would it be best if I followed, so I knew what Vice wanted to talk to Den about? However, I didn’t. Living in a bubble of denial about them talking was better for my sanity. Instead, I stalked to the seats and sat down.
It didn’t stop my eyes from hovering over the door waiting for them both to enter back in though. Or the fact I couldn’t keep still; my brain, body, and heart were fighting a war. A part of me told me to go out there, another told me to stay put, and then another, anyone could guess which part, was swooning over Vice wanting to talk to Den and letting me believe Vice was warning Den away from me.
* * * *
Both men entered just as the game started, and both wore frowns. My knees bounced up and down as they made their way toward me. What did they talk about? Of course I didn’t know, and when they sat, one on each side of me, I didn’t want to ask. If anything, I thought about sliding to the floor to be away from them.
“Drew plays a good game,” Vice commented.
“Uh-huh.” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the game. The other team made for a shoot, missed, and my baby, my boy stole the ball. “Go, Drew,” I cheered, clapping.
Drew made it down the end of the court and then passed it to Rick, who shot the ball to the hoop. I held my breath, watched it hit the back of the board, and then slide through the net. “Woohoo!” I yelled, standing and throwing my hands in the air. Drew looked our way, his smile the biggest I’d seen, and then he rolled his eyes at me. Next, his thumb came up, with his arm in the air. I glanced beside me to see Vice grinning and doing the same back to Drew.
Cute.
Shaking my head, I sat back down. Den leaned in to say, “They work well together.”
“They were amazing.”
Den chuckled, bumping his shoulder into mine, which knocked me into Vice because we were all sitting close. Out the corner of my eyes, I saw Vice clench his jaw, his nostrils flare, and then, it was as if in slow motion, he reached out to lay a hand on my thigh before turning to me and saying, “So I thought we could head back to my place for dinner.”
“Um—”
Den leaned around me. “They came to dinner at my place the other night. It was a good time. Right, Adalyn?”
“Um—”
“Of course, I remember Adalyn couldn’t make it to the friendly dinner on Wednesday you’d planned because she was with me. So glad you could reschedule it.”
“Wait—”
“It was. I even got a chance to get to know Jenny, her mother.”
“Jenny’s such a nice lady. Baby, do you remember what she called me Wednesday night?” Vice laughed, and I wanted to crawl up into a ball to die.
Den made a sound in the back of his throat. “Drew and Rick had a great time that night too. It’s great they’re close.”
“Speaking of close, do you know Molly? She’s Addy’s close friend and also my sister.”
Please, please, please someone kill me.
“Will both of you stop whatever this is? We’re here to watch the game, and that’s it.”
“You’re right, sorry,” Vice agreed with a glare toward Den.
“Yes, sorry, Adalyn.”
Were they seriously going back and forth for me? Why?
My nerves had me biting my fingernail. I hated they were acting like possessive idiots because I also despised the fact I would have to let Den down. No one was in competition against Vice-freaking-Salvatore, and the jerk probably knew it.
Thankfully, they stayed quiet throughout the game, except to comment on how it played out with Drew and his team winning. I quickly made my way onto the court just as Drew was flying my way. He was crushed in my arms in seconds.
“I’m so proud of you and your team. What an amazing job. You all worked well together like that.” As Rick came up, and after he hugged his dad, I added, “Great job, Rick.” I held out my hand which he high-fived.
“Thanks, Miss Sage.”
I caught Vice’s brows dipping together. I hadn’t yet told him I’d changed my last name back to my maiden name. It had finally been completed two weeks ago.
When Drew’s body detached from mine, I glanced down to see him fly at Vice and hug him tightly, then pull back to look up. “Did you see, Mr. Vice?”
A smiling Vice was an amazing Vice. He looked down to Drew with affection written all over his face. “I did. Fantastic job, all of you.”
“Thanks!”
It was then I happened to glance at Den. He was watching Drew with Vice, and something flashed across his face before he hid it, met my gaze, and nodded with a small smile on his lips. I wasn’t sure I understood that look, nod, or smile. However, Den then turned to Vice and held out his hand.
“It was… good to meet you, Vice. I’m sure I’ll see you here next time.”
Vice studied Den for a moment, then grinned and nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.” Another male looked past between them before they stepped away. It was then I realized Drew was still at Vice’s side with his arm slung around Vice’s waist, and Vice had his arm over Drew’s shoulders, his hand resting on the opposite one.
“You two ready to go?” Vice asked.
“Sure am.” Drew nodded. After a goodbye to Rick and Den, we made our way out into the car park.
“Mom, can I ride with Mr. Vice in his sweet car?” Drew asked.
“Why don’t we all go in mine, I can drop you back after dinner?” Vice suggested.
“Ah, no, thank you. I’ll take mine and follow you.”
He smirked, probably knowing my nerves were once again present or how the kiss we shared kept rolling around in my mind. My body wanted a replay, and if I was in close proximity to Vice, even with Drew about, I wasn’t sure I could trust myself. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him, which was why throughout the game I kept my hands under my thighs.
“Drive safe,” I called on my way to my car.
“Always, precious cargo on board.”
Oh, wow.
That was sweet.
The man was winning more and more points with me. It unnerved the heck out of me because I still couldn’t understand why he would show any type of interest in me. Heck, I drove the man insane most days.
Unless… was he a masochist?
Grumbling under my breath as I climbed into my car, I realized all the wondering wasn’t doing me any good. I needed to talk to Vice. It would have to be when Drew wasn’t around, though. So all I had to do was get through the night and maybe ask him to lunch one day so we could clear the air, and I could find out where we stood.