Page 4 of Protecting Addison
She also had the same red hair as Addison. It was beautiful, but anything different, anything that made you stand out in middle school, was never a good thing. Addison had found that out the hard way when she was Ellory’s age too.
“All for us?” Artem asked.
His question brought Addison back to the present. “Yes. All those pancakes are for you. But don’t feel as if youhaveto eat them all. When you get full, we’ll save the rest for a snack after school.” When she’d first met the children, they’d all stuffed themselves to the point of being sick every time they were presented with food. It had taken a while, but it was finally sinking in that they weren’t in a food shortage situation, as they’d been in the bombed-out city where they’d lived back in Ukraine.
“Yana, you need to put down your doll and eat some breakfast,” Addison said gently but firmly.
“Barbie,” she said, holding up the doll proudly.
The little girl wasn’t as proficient with English as her brothers, as the boys had some schooling before war had broken out in their country. Yana had been too young, and therefore had only learned what she’d picked up from Artem and Borysko. She could understand much more than she could speak, but after only a few short weeks in a special program for children with English as their second language—which took place after her regular mornings in kindergarten—she was picking it up quickly.
“Yes, I see. Barbie is pretty. But you need to eat,” Addison repeated, putting a pancake on a plate and squirting some syrup onto it before pushing it toward the girl.
Yana looked over at her brothers, who were happily shoveling bites of pancakes into their mouths, and picked up her fork.
Satisfied the kids were eating, Addison went back into the kitchen to clean up the dishes she’d used to make breakfast and to start prepping to bake her first cake. As she worked, she thought about earlier that morning.
Specifically, the kiss.
She hadn’t been fully asleep when Ricky had gotten out of bed to get ready to go work out with his SEAL team. She’d felt the mattress dip as he rose and opened her eyes just in time to see his sculpted backside disappear into the bathroom.
The man was built—and the more she was around him, the more Addison wanted him. He was everything she’d always dreamed of in a partner. And the way he treated Ellory? That was the icing on the cake.
When she’d first met him, she was immediately attracted to Ricky. Then, oddly, they’d started running into each other more and more around town…at gas stations, coffee shops. When he ran into her and Ellory at a local diner, and ended up at their table, her daughter instantly liked him. But their relationship was still pretty much an acquaintance. Friendly but impersonal.
Until one day he went away, gone on another mission, then came home with three kids in tow…and asked her to marry him for their mutual benefit.
As crazy as it might seem to others—after all, they’d never so much as dated—she hadn’t hesitated to say yes. After years of hospital stays and ER visits for Ellory, Addison was one medical bill away from being homeless, and Ricky desperately needed her help with the kids he’d suddenly found himself parenting.
They were a month in, and true to their arrangement, Ricky hadn’t once made any kind of sexual move toward her…much to her dismay. Being friend-zoned sucked, but she’d brought it on herself. She was too shy to let him know that she wouldn’t mind being more than friends, more than married in name only. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin the good thing she had. She’d doanythingfor her daughter. Absolutely anything to ensure she had the medical care she needed. And if that meant living with the man she wanted more than she could remember wanting anything else in the world, andnottouching him, she’d do it.
But this morning…it was the first time they’d shared such an intimate moment. Ricky went out of his way not to crowd her. Not to touch her without her permission. But this morning, in the dim glow of the nightlights he’d plugged into every outlet in his room, he’d not only brushed her hair back from her face, but he hadn’t pulled away when she’d spontaneously put her hand over his.
And then that kiss…
After she’d heard the front door shut behind him, Addison hadn’t been able to stop herself from reaching between her legs and pleasuring herself as she fantasized about pulling down the sweats he wore to bed every night and showing him without words how much she wanted him.
“Addy, milk? Please?” Yana asked from the table. The kids had immediately picked up on the nickname Ricky had given her, and she loved it.
Shaking herself out of the fog of memories, Addison went to the refrigerator and grabbed the gallon of milk. She refilled the little girl’s cup and topped off Artem and Borysko’s while she was there. She’d just turned to go back to the fridge when the front door opened.
“Ricky!” Yana yelled, jumping off her chair and running for the man Addison couldn’t stop thinking about.
He caught Yana mid-leap and lifted her above his head, making them both laugh. He carried her to the table and put her back in her chair. “Doesn’t look like you’ve finished breakfast, little one. How many pancakes have you eaten already, Borysko?” he asked.
The little boy smiled and said proudly, “Four.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full. It’s impolite and gross,” Ricky scolded gently. “What about you, Artem?”
The other boy chewed furiously, then swallowed before saying, “Six.”
“Wow. You going to have room for the amazing lunch I’m sure Addy’s made for you?” Ricky asked.
Both boys nodded eagerly. There was nothing they liked more than mealtimes. Addison smiled from her spot in the kitchen. She was leaning against the counter, watching Ricky with the children. He was so good with them.
Before she could brace herself, he turned and walked toward her. Remembering what she’d done after he’d left that morning made Addison’s cheeks heat. She forced herself to look him in the eye as he came into the kitchen.
To her surprise, he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
