Chapter 17

"If you can't trust me to be her father, then I can't do this with you anymore."

His words are like a shot to my heart. My eyes start to tear up.

He's not wrong. I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I feel like everything with him has been too simple. Like it's the fantasy I always had of us being a family. I can't trust it. The way he makes me feel is scary. I don't want to lose it. I don't want Ari to lose him.

"So you're leaving us?" I whisper.

He growls, "I will never leave my daughter. I don't want to leave you, Livvy, but you're treating me like I'm an interloper in your life, though. One second you tell me you trust me and that I'm Ari's father. Then the next you are calling her your daughter and acting like I'm some villain out to hurt her. I'm here, Livvy. I have been here. I will be here. If we can't make this work with me and you, it will be what it is, but I won't leave our daughter. I will always be here for her. I won't stop being her father. You are going to have to be okay with that. I have given you time to come to terms with me being here, but I'm done. I won't have you making me feel like I'm less than you in parenting her. We are equals."

He's angry. I get why. I have been treating him like a boyfriend coming into our lives. I've been hesitant because of the past. He has done nothing but show me that he's here for our daughter. For me, even. I've just been too stubborn to let go of that fear.

"You're right," I find myself saying. "I'm sorry. I fucked this all up."

I turn away from him, wiping my eyes. He's at my back in a second, pulling me into his arms.

"Livvy, I am falling so fast for you. I have been. I want this with us. I want to be the man you need. Everything I've said about us is true. If I have to choose, though, I will choose Ari every time. I might be falling in love with you, but she's part of my soul. I won't let her go, no matter what."

"I wouldn't want you to. That's been my biggest fear. That you would leave when things get hard."

"What do I have to do to prove to you that I won't leave? Tell me and I'll do it," he pleads.

I let my head fall back on his chest. "I don't think there is anything you can do. This isn't a you issue. It's me."

He turns me in his arms, looking me in the eye. "It's an us issue. You're not alone anymore. I'm here. Use me."

"Just keep being there. I'll work harder on letting go of some of the control. I never wanted to make you feel like I was claiming her as only mine. She is our daughter. It's just taking me some time to get used to remembering that."

"Take all the time you need, but talk to me. You can't blow up on me like you did today. I get that you were scared. You didn't know what happened. Trust me, I was scared when it happened. I looked away for a second, and she had fallen. I think I died for a second. Then it was like it just clicked in what I needed to do."

"Why did she have like six Band-Aids?" I ask.

"She insisted the kitty ones made her feel better. I couldn't say no. It's just a scrape. She probably only needed them for a few hours, honestly. I'm sorry I didn't call."

"No, you were right. It wasn't your fault. It could have happened to me too. She wasn't hurt enough to go to the hospital. I get that you meant that when you said it wasn't serious. I just panicked. I'm not used to depending on anyone, and I'm sorry for making it sound like I don't trust you because I do."

"It's okay."

"It's really not. Are we okay, though?"

He pulls me in for a quick hug. "We will be."

"I'd like to go check on her, though, if that's okay."

"Of course."

Walking to her room, I find her sleeping on the floor. I feel the moment Mason moves in behind me.

"Seems she was exhausted. Let me move her to the bed."

I watch as he walks into the room, picking her up. He tucks her into bed before kissing her forehead. Then he comes back to the door.

"I'll be in the kitchen."

Heading into the room, I check her over before kissing her too.

"I love you, Bug."

Leaving her night light on, I close her door as I walk back out into the main area. Mason is leaning against the counter, waiting for me like he said.

He always does what he says. Why do I always question him?

I'm tired of being in this constant state of doubt. He said he was falling in love with me, but the truth is, I'm already there. I love him.

I can't say the words, but I can show him.

Moving to stand in front of him, I put my hands on his shoulder. His hands find my hips easily. Then I lean up and kiss him.

For a moment, he doesn't move, but when I swipe my tongue on his bottom lip, he opens up for me. Then he is devouring me.

Within the span of several seconds, he spins us, pinning me against the counter. Then he picks me up, setting my ass on the edge of it.

"Livvy, you're killing me," he growls. "All I want is you and our kid. I need you to get on the same page with me."

I kiss his cheek, then his neck. "I'm here. On the page. Let me show you."

I pull his T-shirt up and over his head, my hands trailing on his chest. He shivers at my touch, making me want to do it more. My lips find his again as my fingers explore. Then they find his pants. I work to quickly undo them.

"Wait, Ari is in the other room," he whispers.

"She's sleeping. She didn't even react when you moved her. If we are quiet, we will be fine."

"That'll be a challenge," he murmurs, licking the shell of my ear.

"Oh, you don't think you can be quiet?" I tease, shoving my hand down the front of his pants to palm his erection.

"Oh, Livvy honey. I still remember the way I made you scream the first time. It's not me I'm worried about."

I remember that night very well. He's right. I screamed until my voice was hoarse. Then, more recently, he used his mouth to do the same. I very well might be the problem.

I don't want to stop, though.

"You'll just have to find ways to keep me quiet," I tell him.

He growls, pushing me back. I think he is about to leave, but instead, he starts pulling my clothes off like a man on a mission. Then he pulls his own off. Once we are both naked, he looks like he is ready to eat me.

"Not today, sir. We don't have much time. I don't think Ari will stay asleep for more than an hour. Grab a condom. I put some in the top of the cabinet above the fridge."

He quirks an eyebrow at me. "When did you do this?"

I slap his chest. "Go." As he starts moving, I tell him the truth. "After the night at your place. I wanted to be prepared. I love Ari, but we are not ready for another one."

He comes back, opening the condom. He slips it on before moving between my legs again. Then he kisses me.

"I'd handle a million babies from you."

"Sweet sentiment, but no thank you. Now make me scream."

He smirks at me. "Sure thing."

His hand clamps down on my mouth at the same time he thrusts inside me. I swear I see stars at the sensation. The only thing I've had inside me since him is my fingers and a couple of toys. I forgot how good a real cock feels. I moan behind his hand, making him chuckle.

"Should've brought duct tape," he jokes.

Before I can retort, he's thrusting in and out of me at a steady pace.

"I wanted the first time we had sex again to be romantic, but you said we have to be quick, so quick it is," he murmurs against the side of my head, his hand still firmly on my mouth.

I try to keep my noises low, but he feels too good. He angles my hips so he's hitting my G-spot while his pelvic bone is rubbing against my clit. It's an attack of the sensations, especially with his mouth sucking and licking my neck.

It doesn't take me long. Less than five minutes before I come hard. His name is on my lips, not that he can hear it. All he can hear is muffled moans behind his hand. I won't lie, the fact that it limited my breath made me even hotter.

Seconds after me, I feel him jerk inside. He lets out a manly moan, low and growly, in my ear. Then he bites me softly on my neck, trying to muffle it.

It's the single hottest moment of my life.

When he's done, he pulls back and kisses me on my lips.

"Stay here. Let me clean you up."

He heads into the bathroom, coming out with a washcloth. He wipes between my legs, making sure to get the lube from the condom all off. Then he helps me down from the counter.

"I'll order dinner. Anything specific you want?"

I smile up at him. "Whatever you want."

Then I head into the bathroom to change.

I look back, smiling as he puts his phone to his ear while he pulls his pants on.

I almost fucked this up today.

I won't do that again.

Mason is my future.

Our future.

* * *

"Did you get the invitation to the meeting at the foundation?" Max asks as soon as he steps into my office.

Of course she's trying to rope him into this now. My mother has been trying to get me to agree to a meeting with her for two weeks now. I have no desire to see her, though. I'm still unsure how I feel about everything that's happened up to this point.

Prior to finding out about Arianna, I would have said I loved my mother unconditionally. She had her issues, but she was my mother. I knew she loved me. I chalked all the crazy shit she did up to her trying to do what she felt was best for me.

That started to change the day I found out that she tried to pay Olivia off to abort our child. I don't think it really clicked in my head at first what she really did. The more time I have to think about it, though, the angrier I get.

I can't imagine a world without my sunshine of a daughter in it. Knowing that my mother almost robbed me of the chance to know her has done more to our relationship than I initially believed.

"I got it, and I declined. She's been sending them to me for weeks. She tried to come back here last week, but security refused to let her in. I think she realizes I'm serious about all of this."

Max takes a seat in front of my desk. "I worry about her mental state sometimes, especially since Dad died and he isn't here to talk her down. She is so high-strung and feels like she needs to control every part of our lives. Yours more than mine even."

"I guess I didn't really realize that until Olivia came back. I mean, I always knew she was a bit demanding, but I figured it was just because Dad died. I thought she would eventually chill out, but she has only gotten worse now that Olivia is here. God, I miss him."

"I do too."

We fall silent in our shared moment of grief.

He shakes his head and clears his throat. "She does seem to have an unexplainable hatred for Olivia. I just can't believe she actually kept the fact that Olivia was pregnant from you. She really believes that she was looking out for you."

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter what she believes. She refuses to accept her now, so I can't have her in our lives. I'm not even sure I'm ready to forgive her yet. Part of me feels like since she's our mother, our blood, I should be able to forgive her, but then I remember the things she's said about my daughter. It was bad enough hearing her talk about Olivia the way she does, but I get it. She's a girl I'm dating. I even get her being cautious that Olivia claimed Ari was mine. With the lives we live, it was a solid concern, but if she had taken five minutes out of her day, she would have realized that Olivia was being genuine. For Christ's sake, the woman rarely lets me spend money on either of them and won't let me pay her back child support. Last I checked, that's the exact opposite of what a gold digger would do." I shake my head.

Max chuckles. "I don't think Olivia has the time to put a plan into place to try to trap someone. The woman doesn't have an evil bone in her body."

"Exactly, you get it! I draw the line at her speaking negatively about my daughter, though. She is my flesh and blood. My everything now. If she can't accept that, then I have no place for her anymore. Blood or not, that is my hard limit."

"As it should be. Besides, Arianna is amazing. She's so obviously part of you. She took to you so well too. Olivia isn't the villain Mom thinks she is. She's not some gold digger looking for a handout. She took care of Arianna for four years without you. Not only that, but she kept a photo of you around so Ari knew who you were. That doesn't sound like a woman who is out to do you harm."

"I agree. She didn't have to do that. She honestly thought the worst of me, and she still let my daughter believe the best in me. You know she almost didn't take the job here because of me. She was going to let this opportunity go because she was worried I would find out and do something to her."

"Christ, that would have been terrible. She has literally helped turn this place around. I know she's only on the front desk, but the customers have been much happier with the customer service since she's gotten here. Not only that, but she has implemented some processes to help streamline everything while teaching one of the employees we pulled from the restaurant to fill in everything she knows. They are two of our best employees down there now."

I smile, pride for my girl flowing through me. "She really is an asset. Mother almost cost us that. Speaking of the employees, how is everything progressing? I came here to help you with it, then got caught up in my own shit that I haven't even been paying attention."

"Hey, your shit is pretty important. We have weeded through and gotten rid of most of the problem employees. They were really good at hiding the bad behavior when we were around. Now we are slowly hiring on new people to fill those spots. It's a work in progress, but it's going."

I nod, glad to hear he's gotten it under control.

"Did you really even need me here?" I joke.

He lets out a heavy sigh. "Not really. I'll be honest, I was hoping for a break having you here to help out."

"I'm sorry, man. I can step in more if you need a few days off. Olivia won't mind," I tell him honestly.

"Nah, I think I figured my shit out. Don't worry about me. Having Arianna in the family now has given me a renewed purpose. She's what we needed to get out of the rut we were both in."

"You're telling me. I feel like I'm living for the first time in years. I love being CEO, but that's just a job. It was my whole life, but now I have something better in my life. Something that gives me a reason to come home every night. It's intoxicating. I spent so long avoiding commitment that I never imagined settling down. Now that I have, I can't believe I waited this long," I admit.

"You're much happier. I can tell. Don't let them go."

"I won't."

"Good. Where is Eli, anyway? I haven't seen him in a few days."

"We had a crisis at our Sacramento hotel. I was set to go, but he offered. He didn't want Ari to be sad. She's got all of you under her spell." I chuckle.

"Like she doesn't have you under that same spell, Dad?" He quirks his eyebrow at me.

"Fair point. She has me wrapped around her tiny little finger. I wouldn't have it any other way, though."

"Happiness looks good on you, man. I'm glad you found them."

"Me too. You'll find your own happy ending one day."

"I hope so." He sighs, standing. "Guess I better get back to it. Do you want in on some of the changes Iris and I are considering making?"

I consider it a moment. "If it involves Olivia, I think it's best I stay back. She won't accept anything if she thinks I had influence on it. She's independent like that. She won't take any handouts."

"I wish she saw herself the way we see her. She has been a godsend to us. I'll leave you out of it, though. I'll make sure she knows that her relation to you has no bearing on her position here."

"Thanks, brother."

"Of course. Tell that niece of mine I love her. I'd love to take her on an uncle date soon. Let me know when she is free."

"Will do."

As he leaves, I smile to myself. Olivia was worried about how everyone would react to her and Arianna, but she had no reason to be concerned. Like I knew it, my brother and friends have accepted her with open arms. They fight over who gets to spend time with her. It's quite comical.

I only wish my mother would have been the same way so that Ari would have one grandparent. It breaks my heart that she will never know the kind of love that comes from a grandparent.

It doesn't matter, though. Olivia and I will love her enough that she won't miss it.

I will give my little girl the world, come hell or high water.