Page 2 of Protecting Addison
“Do you mind? I started calling you that without even asking if it was all right. I can call you Addison,” MacGyver told her quietly.
But she shook her head. “I like it.”
“Okay.”
A beat of silence settled between them. Then she asked, “What’s on tap for you today?”
“Working out, as usual. Then I’ll come home and shower and help with breakfast. I can take Artem and Borysko to school if you can get Ellory and Yana.”
“Of course.”
“I should be home early. We have a few meetings, but Kevlar told us yesterday that we should be done by three.”
“Cool.”
“You? What do you have going on?”
“I have three cakes to make.”
“Three?” MacGyver asked incredulously.
“Yeah. I said yes to a last-minute cake because the woman was desperate.”
“You don’t need to say yes to everyone anymore,” he reminded her gently.
Addison’s green eyes were steady on his. MacGyver loved this. The intimate feeling of talking in the dim light of the early morning. When the kids were asleep and it was just them.
“I know. I mean, I forget sometimes that I don’t need to squirrel away every penny just in case. Have I thanked you today?”
MacGyver shook his head. “Don’t. You’ve thanked me more than enough. We’re moving on.”
“I just…what you’ve given Ellory and me…it’s…it’s more than you’ll ever know.”
MacGyver reached out and ran his hand over her head, smoothing her bedhead hair away from her face. He loved touching her, didn’t get the opportunity to do it enough. Her eyes closed as he caressed her. It was all MacGyver could do not to lean forward and kiss her. His desire for her was a physical ache. But he didn’t want to do anything that might scare her, or make her think he was going to take something she didn’t want to give freely.
“If you weren’t here, Artem, Borysko, and Yana would probably have to be sent back to that hellhole where I found them. So you’re giving me,them, more than you know as well.”
She smiled at him. A lazy, sleepy smile that MacGyver would give anything to be on the receiving end of every day for the rest of his life.
“What masterpieces will you be creating today?” he asked, changing the subject back to the cakes she’d spend the day baking.
“Elsa fromFrozen,Jurassic Park, and a fiftieth anniversary cake.”
“You’ll take pictures?” MacGyver asked.
She chuckled. “You’ve already seen my Elsa cake.”
“Don’t care. I’m in awe of what you can do with flour, eggs, sugar, and frosting.”
Addison’s smile widened. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Are you kidding? You’re a true artist, Addy. What you do…it’s impressive as hell. Not only do you make cakes that should be featured in some decorating magazine—wait, is there such a thing?”
Addison giggled. “Probably.”
“Anyway, not only are you a freaking artist, you’re helping families make memories. And that’s something that’s more important than anything else.”
“Ricky,” she murmured.
