How stupid is that?
I don't even know the man, yet here I am on the verge of a meltdown.
Not wanting him to see how his harsh rejection affected me, I storm out of his room in search of my carry-on that I'm pretty sure we left beside his front door. For the second time, I don't look around his place, my gaze falling to the floor so that I don't catch a glimpse of any family portraits that may be hanging on the walls. The last thing I need is to see a picture of James when I'm feeling this vulnerable.
When my eyes land on my one piece of luggage, still intact and waiting for me by the door, I let out a sigh of relief. I'm about to reach it when a familiar voice calls out my name from behind me.
"Nicki?"
I turn around, my jaw slacking open in disbelief, when I see my little sister with a mug of coffee in her hands walking towards me.
"You're here!" she beams, placing the mug on a side table to rush towards me and pull me in a hug. "I can't believe you're here. I was almost sure you were going to blow me off when you didn't answer my calls. When did you get here? Who let you in? I'm so glad you made it on time! This is going to be the best Christmas ever!" she rambles on, utterly oblivious to my shocked state.
She pulls away from our embrace, her whiskey-colored eyes twinkling with glee.
"What...what are you doing here?" I croak, still trying to piece the puzzle together.
"What do you mean?" She chuckles. "Oh, I get it. Did you take something so you could get on the plane? Jesus, Nicki, when will you get it in your head that nothing bad will happen if you step foot on a plane. You're not a kid anymore," she reprimands, rolling her eyes.
I want to remind her that our parents died in a plane crash, hence my hesitation in boarding a flight, but I'm still too shell-shocked to find Valerie in the same house as my one-night stand to say anything.
"Whatever. I'm sure the drugs will wear off before we make the drive up to the cabin. Knox and his dad should be home any minute with some more supplies. Wait until you see the place. I swear it's right out of a fairy tale."
I'm still in utter shock, not understanding what she's saying, when the sound of a door opening behind me has a cold shiver running down my spine.
"Oh, good. They're here!" Valerie jumps excitedly, running past me to greet the two men that just walked through the door.
I swallow dryly, my feet refusing to move, and turn around to face what I'm starting to realize I'm about to find.
"Nicki, don't just stand there. Come say hi," Valerie states frustratedly.
I close my eyes and take a massive intake of breath before turning around and coming face to face with my worst nightmare. As expected, Val is clinging onto the arm of an uncomfortable-looking Knox.
But he's not the one my eyes land on first.
It's the rugged, handsome man that knows every inch of my body standing beside him.
"Don't mind my sister. She's not usually so out of it. She's just a little jet lagged. Come on, Nicki. Come and meet my father-in-law. James, this is my sister, Nicole. Nicki, this is Knox's dad, James."
Fuck me!
Oh, wait.
He already did.
Chapter 4
What in the fuckity fuck?
“James Cross,” I stutter, my eyes glued on the sexy, ‘one-night’ stand I not only spent a scandalous, explosive and freaking daring night with but he’s Mr. Cross.
THE Mr. Cross.
I was right last night…
James is the man from the ultra-penthouse. The man who showed me how to make myself come, how to be pleasured and he showed how filthy sex can be. Sure it was a case of mistaken identity that turned into a scandalous night in the dark and then last night…
Oh sweet baby Jesus.
We watch each other, his dark, hooded gaze clashing with my bewildered one.
I wait to see some flicker of recognition or at least for surprise, because I sure as hell am surprised, but instead, his chiseled face is impassive, deadly and so damn gorgeous, my heart starts pounding away in my chest.
I’m watching him so intently that I hardly notice Knox watching me with guilt written all over his face. It’s as if he just fades in the background when James--his father--is in the room. God, James is Knox’s father! My mind is reeling!
“Uh, Nicki,” Val says in a high pitched tone as she strides over to me, all wide-eyed with faux innocence and concern, but I can see the message she’s sending. Don’t embarrass me. “Are you all right?”
“Y-yeah,” I whisper, unable to take my eyes off of the face I spent last night kissing and admiring while he screwed me so good, I forgot everything about this… this dumpster fire of a reunion with my sister and my ex boyfriend. And now, in the space of a few minutes, I discover this twisted, dirty and wrong thing with James is seriously fucked up. “Sorry, I’m just trying to get my bearings about me. It was a long night.”
James' nostrils flare just a tiny bit, I doubt anyone would’ve noticed, but my cheeks flush as I see the lust in his eyes. I look away, unable to look at him a second longer.
“Of course,” Val says with a fake smile that I see clearly now. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. “How was your flight?”
“It was go-”
“Great,” she says, cutting me off. She grabs my hand and practically tugs me along with her. “Come meet Knox’s dad! He’s been really great, you know, with allowing us to celebrate our marriage and the holidays in his beautiful Colorado home.”
Marriage. Of course. My baby sister and my ex are married now. Of course.
I try my best not to show my revulsion or the slight twinge of sadness on my face. Instead I focus on Val and how beautiful she looks, ignoring the chaos in my chest as I step closer to the two silently observing yet vastly different men.
I can feel James’ heated gaze on me. He’s watching me with a canal precision that makes my blood simmer, but if I’m being honest, my body temperature is heating up for a whole different reason.
“You never met Knox’s father before, did you, Nicki?” Val questions with a sly smile on her face.
It’s then that I look at Knox, trying to swallow the spiky ball of shock lodged in my throat. The asshole looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here, all nervous as if someone forced him to stick his freaking dick in my baby sister behind my back then went ahead and eloped with her.
“No,” Knox speaks for the first time, his voice scratchy and awkward. “They’ve never met.”
I glance at James. He’s giving me the kind of look that says ‘I’ve seen you naked and I want more.’
“Oh, I did,” Val exclaims. “I met James years ago.”
“What?” I whisper, feeling the third bomb of the morning go off. I look at Knox, but the asshole doesn’t even have the courage to look at me, then I look at my sister.
“Yeah, I met him when he came to see Knox years ago! It was so fun!”
“Years ago, huh?” I repeat, the broken pieces shattering even further. If Val met Knox’s father years ago--presumably when we were still dating, then that means Val and Knox were already going behind my back for a long time. It wasn’t a ‘mistake’ that ‘just happened’. And now, here they are, married and together and meanwhile, I spread my legs for my ex’s father. Over and over again.