Chapter 18

Today has been a pretty good one. Iris stopped by to drop some things off to me and told me that I was doing a great job. She complimented my new intake system I created for the guests. It wasn't much, but it saves time and makes the guests feel a little more special. The fact that Iris recognized that means a lot.

I've been floating on cloud nine ever since. Even Tristen has noticed a difference in me.

"If you keep humming like that, people are going to think you got laid last night," she teases.

I blush at the insinuation. Mostly because it's true. Ever since the night in my kitchen, Mason and I have been sneaking away when we can to have sex. Taking that next step is what we needed to get closer. I no longer feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. I've pulled my foot inside and firmly closed the door.

I'm much happier for it too. Everything in my life seems to be going right for once.

"Oh my gosh. You did. You're holding back on me."

"Shhh." I look around to make sure no one notices her outburst. "I don't really talk about stuff like that too much. Plus, we are at work."

"Fine, but I want drinks and some details. Bring Chloe. I'm dying to get to meet her."

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can actually agree to something without figuring out someone for Ari. Her father would happily watch her.

"Okay. I can do that. You'll love Chloe. You two will be like two peas in a damn pod."

"She's fun, then. Good to know. Oh shit, Mr. Flirty at two o'clock."

I cringe before turning to find the man in question walking toward the front desk. He's not an unattractive man. If I were single, I might even enjoy flirting with him a bit. He's obviously some kind of businessman. I haven't asked him any questions, but he did tell me he was in town for business and not pleasure. After which, he made a comment about him being open for a little pleasure, though. In response to that, I listed off the local sites that he could see. He didn't like that too much, but I shut down his next attempt at flirting too.

Ever since he checked in two days ago, he has found reasons to stop at the front desk. The first day, it was because he forgot one of the destinations I had been telling him about. The second day, he came in before my shift to ask something. He then asked when I would be there, but they wouldn't tell him. When I came in later that day, he found his way up to the front desk to ask about a good restaurant. I gave him a few suggestions but then directed him to the concierge, who would be better equipped to answer those questions.

I force a smile as he walks up today. I don't know how many times I have to politely tell this guy that I'm not interested for him to get the message.

"Hello, Mr. Park. How can I help you today?"

He leans against the desk, giving me what I can only describe as a flirty smirk. "I'd say you could come with me to this boring meeting, but I'm guessing you wouldn't have too much fun."

What does one even say to that? Like who uses that as a way to flirt? Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I paste on a fake smile instead.

"Oh yes. That would be quite boring, but I also have work, so there's that. Is there anything else I could help you with?"

His smirk dims a little. "Maybe a coffee with some conversation? When is your break?" he asks.

I'm about to kindly turn him down when I hear a voice from beside us. "I'm sorry, Clint. My employees aren't available for coffee dates. They have a job to do. If you are done harassing them, would you like to proceed to our lunch meeting?"

Mr. Park straightens before smiling at me. "Well, she's not married. Are you dating anyone? I don't see a reason she can't have a drink with me when she's not on the clock. You don't own your employee's time outside of work, Mason."

Mason moves behind the counter to my side. His arms go around me, making me stiffen. I feel like I'm being pissed on right now. I don't like it.

"This particular employee is not available. Even if she was, we do not allow our employees to fraternize with guests. It's a bad look for the hotel."

Mr. Park's face turns red. "And the CEO fucking the receptionist is any better?"

Mason growls, "You might want to rethink your position, Clint."

"No need. I'll be going. I don't think this is the right place to use for my business."

Mr. Park stalks away toward the elevators. I wait until he is inside before I turn to Mason, glowering at him.

"That was unnecessary and unprofessional," I hiss.

"He wouldn't have stopped propositioning you. I took care of the problem." Mason tries to touch me again, but I step back.

I'm seething mad. This is my place of work. I don't care that he is the CEO. I refuse to accept special treatment because of him. If he wasn't the CEO, that little act of dominance would have gotten me fired, and rightly so.

Stalking into the office behind the front desk, I make eye contact with Tristen. She nods, letting me know she can cover for a minute.

Once the door closes behind Mason, I lay into him.

"That was completely unacceptable. I'm not some tree you can posture around and piss on to mark your territory. I know that you own this hotel and you feel you can do whatever you want, but this is my job. I take it very seriously. My reputation with our guests is important to me. Even the slimy ones. You can't interfere with that."

He moves closer to me. "I won't stand by and let some scumbag flirt with my girlfriend. Especially when I know he is married and has two children. He is a complete loser."

"That doesn't matter. What he is or isn't should not be a concern. You should have faith that I know how to handle myself. That I will turn him down because not a single other man is even on my radar."

"It's not about trust. It's about wanting to protect you. I'm going to talk to Max. I think you would be better suited in the office."

"Excuse me?" My tone drops to a deadly tone.

I'm no longer angry. I am fucking beyond livid. He's about to flip the bitch switch. The one where I'm so angry, I start crying.

"It would be better for you and me."

"If you speak to Max, consider our relationship terminated. I can't believe you would even think I would even consider moving to the offices." My eyes are tearing up now. I can feel the first one falling. "That you wouldn't even consider what that office reminds me of. That I'm traumatized because of it. It's so bad that every time I can, I get one of the other employees to do a run up there if needed. Now you think you can just make a decision about my job without considering how I would feel about that? Maybe I've been wrong about you. I won't deal with controlling behavior, Mason. There are things in my life that you are not allowed to have a vote on. My job is one of them."

"I'm not trying to take the decision away from you. I'm just trying to do what's best for you."

I snort, tears freely flowing now. "The fact that you feel that way has me concerned. Isn't that the same reasoning your mother gave you about asking me to kill our child?"

That question has him standing stock-still in shock.

"Livvy…" He trails off, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"What, Mason?" I can hear the exasperation in my tone.

I'm expecting an argument. For him to make his demands and this to be the end of it all. I knew it was going too well. I had just gotten comfortable. I'm not allowed to be happy. I know this.

Then he surprises me.

He runs a hand over his mouth. "You're right. It's not right of me. I told Max to leave me out of business decisions regarding you because I can't be impartial. This just proves it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stepped in, and I shouldn't have tried to force a change on you."

"No, you shouldn't have. I get hit on all the time. I know how to brush them off. I'm committed to you. You need to trust me."

"I do. It's not you that's the problem. My jealousy got the best of me. That and I never liked Clint much. I only accepted the meeting because his company is looking to sign an exclusive contract for all their travel needs. It would have been a lucrative deal for us, but it's not worth it. Not to work with someone with his ethics," Mason tells me.

"That's no excuse," I remind him, holding firm.

"There is no excuse. I need to do better. I know that. This isn't a you issue, it's me. I'm still new to this whole relationship thing. If you can be patient with me and forgive me for my mistakes, I'm willing to learn." He steps forward, grabbing my hands. "I have dealt with my mother trying to make decisions for me my entire life. Ones that are supposed to be for my benefit. It has only gotten worse since my father died. I never want to be like that. To you or to Ari. We are partners. We make decisions together. I won't say I don't want a vote on everything, but we can at least talk it all out and come up with a decision together, right?"

He's making concessions. He's taking the initiative to make things right. He's not running.

"Okay. We can talk everything out, but I get the final decision if it doesn't affect you."

"Deal."

He pulls me into his arms, kissing the top of my head.

"I'd say we survived our first fight as a couple, wouldn't you?" he whispers against my ear.

"We have."

"I care about you so much, please don't give up on me. I'm rough around the edges, but I'm worth it. I promise I will be worth it. I'll put in the work."

He strokes my head as I sniffle, my crying coming to a stop.

"It's not just you. I need to work on things too. We will do it together. It's a two-way street."

Pulling back from him, I kiss his lips gently. He reaches up, brushing my tears away.

"Can I get back to work now?" I ask him.

"Of course. I think I'll go pick up Ari early now that my meeting is canceled. See you later?"

"Of course. See you at home."

As we walk out of the office together, I can't help but think about how, for a minute there, I really thought that we were done.

If this is what a healthy relationship looks like, then I'm glad I gave Mason another chance.

* * *

"I need to borrow our daughter for a little bit this evening. I think you should make plans with Chloe," I tell Olivia when I get to her place on Friday morning.

I thought I had almost lost her on Tuesday. She was so angry at me, and with good reason. I was being a jealous and possessive asshole. Women only like men like that in books. They don't want it in real life. She could have given me the boot then and not accepted my apology, but Olivia is far more forgiving than she should be. I'm grateful for it, though. It gave me another shot. When she said I was acting like my mother, it was a wake-up call I needed. She was right. I was making decisions for her instead of with her.

I didn't miss how she said that the office still gives her bad memories. I'm surprised she even came up to visit me the day she laid her claim. It wasn't until she said it that I realized that was the only time she has ever visited me in my office. I thought it was because she was professional before, but now I wonder if it's not because of how she feels about the offices in general.

"Why would that be?" Olivia asks from her spot on the couch.

I'm rolling up my shirt sleeves as I stand at the end of it. I don't miss the way her eyes take in my forearms. It makes me want to smirk, but I don't want to draw attention to it. I like her eyes on me. It's that possessiveness inside of me. Makes me want to beat my chest. I just need to be better about letting her see those bits.

"I'm taking Arianna on a daddy-daughter date," I inform her.

She quirks her head to the side. "You are? Why are you doing that?"

"I read that fathers who are involved with their daughters' lives and who start daddy-daughter dates young teach the girls what a gentleman is supposed to be like on a date. It helps set up expectations that can help reduce the chances of her getting into an abusive or toxic relationship."

She stands, moving toward me, placing her hands on my chest.

"Oh yeah? What else have you been reading?" she asks.

Leaning in, I nip at her chin, making her giggle.

"It also says that fathers who have a good relationship with the mother and who show a healthy and loving relationship by kissing and being affectionate show the girl what type of relationship she should strive toward," I tell her.

She smiles up at me. "Well, I think we have that down. Ari told me yesterday when I picked her up from day care that she likes that we are the only parents that seem to love one another. The other kids all make it sound like their parents hate one another."

"Well, we are falling in love again. I'm sure that helps."

"Can't hurt," she admits, kissing me.

"What are you guys doing? I'm going to be late," Ari says from her bedroom door.

"Such a stickler for rules, huh?" Olivia teases, going over to her to pick her up. "Your father has something he wants to ask you, Bug."

Ari looks at me with a bright smile. "What is it, Daddy?"

Taking her from Olivia, I kiss her forehead. "Would you like to go on a date tonight with me?"

Her eyes widen. "Without Mommy?"

"Yep."

"Oooh, that will be so much fun. What are we going to do? Can we go to the aquarium? To the movies? To get ice cream?" She rattles off ideas.

"I will get it all planned, and we will have fun. For now, I need you to go to day care, and then when Mommy brings you home, pick out your prettiest dress and be waiting."

"Thank you, Daddy. I can't wait."

I smile over at Olivia, mouthing, "Thank you."

Her answering smile lights my world on fire.

* * *

"Wow, this place is really fancy," Ari marvels as I hold her in my arms.

The restaurant is one that you would bring a date to if you were looking to impress them with money. The food is quite fancy, but I called ahead and the chef agreed to make whatever my little girl wants. For a fee, of course.

"This is where a man takes a woman he wants to impress. Are you impressed?"

She nods her head, her little curls falling around her face.

She went full princess for this date. She's wearing a blue dress with the puffy bottom that she wears when she wants to feel like that one ice queen from that kids movie. She insisted Olivia curl her hair, though. She wanted to be unique.

The kid is a hoot, but fuck if I don't love her.

"Do I have to eat that stuff?" she whispers in my ear as we are led back to the table I reserved for us.

I look over and see the lobster with its head still attached. I can see why she wouldn't want that.

"No, you can have whatever you want."

She nods as I set her down for her to slide into the booth. I slide in across from her.

She picks up the menu the hostess left for her and pretends to read it. I asked them to leave her one so she could feel like an adult even though I know she can't read the words.

"What are you thinking, love?" I ask her.

She beams up at me. "I don't know. What are you going to get, Daddy?"

"I'm going to get a steak with potatoes and green beans."

She turns her nose up at the mention of green beans. She doesn't like vegetables too much.

"I want pasta," she tells me.

"Do you like alfredo? Or red sauce?"

She shrugs. "I like both."

"Okay, I'll order for you then if you would like?" I ask.

"Yes, please."

When the waitress comes over to take our order, I smile up at her.

"My date will have a Shirley Temple on the rocks. I'll have your finest cola on the rocks as well." I wink down at my daughter, who has started to giggle. "As for an appetizer, we will take some of your seafood fondue and some chicken tenders. Our mains will be steak with potatoes and green beans, medium rare. The lady will have two portions. One of the chicken alfredo and one of the Bolognese with meatballs."

"Very good choices. I'll be right back with your drinks."

After the server leaves, I turn back to my daughter. "Now the man should try to get to know you better. Since we know each other, let's talk about the things that interest you."

The rest of the dinner is perfect. I let her talk all about the kids at her day care and her favorite movies. I tell her a little bit about my work, but only enough to keep her interested and not bore her. We talk about her favorite snacks.

By the time we are finished, I have two meals left to take home for her.

"Let's go down to the harbor and take a walk."

She beams up at me like I hung the moon. It's such a wonderful feeling knowing she loves me so much.

The ride over to the harbor isn't long. When we get out, she reaches out, slipping her hand in mine.

"Do you think we will see any dolphins?" she asks, swinging her arm between us.

"I'm not sure. What would you do if we see them?"

"I would tell them hi. Dolphins are nice."

"How do you know all of this?"

"Mommy lets me watch the animal channel that's for kids. They teach us stuff."

"That's smart of Mommy. What else do you learn?"

"Sea turtles live for a really long time. They are even older than you, Daddy." She is so serious as she tells me this.

"Do you think I'm old?"

She nods. "Very. I hope you live a long time like a sea turtle, though. I don't want to lose you."

"Oh, you won't, baby girl. How old do you think I am?"

"I dunno. Maybe like sixty?"

I choke on a snort. "I'm only thirty-two."

"Oh good. So you aren't super old. Mommy said you were older than her, so I just thought you were really old."

"I'm not that much older than your mom," I tell her, doing the math in my head. "Only six years older."

"Oooh, do you think we can get ice cream soon?" Ari changes the topic.

"I'm sure we can. I thought you were stuffed," I remind her.

"For food, yes, but ice cream is different. I always have room for ice cream."

I laugh, leading her down the harbor walk a bit more. "Okay, well, what is your favorite ice cream then?"

"Strawberry with sprinkles."

"So decisive. Do you know your mommy's favorite?"

"She likes mint chocolate chip. I think it tastes disgusting."

I smile down at her. "It tastes like toothpaste, right?"

She nods. "Yes. Mommy is weird."

"We love her, though."

"You love Mommy?" she asks in a quiet tone, suddenly subdued.

"I do. Very much."

"Good. Don't hurt her. She is a really good mommy, and I don't want to have to miss you again."

My heart breaks hearing that. Stopping, I pull her into my arms, hugging the daylight out of her.

"I won't. I love you too, Ari. You know that, right?"

"I know. I love you too, Daddy."

"Good. Now, should we go get that ice cream?" I ask her, trying to keep the emotions from my tone.

"Yes. Can we take Mommy some home?"

"Of course. We can't leave Mommy out."

As we walk back, Ari says the sweetest thing that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

"Thank you for loving us, Daddy. I'm glad you're home with us now."