Suit, стр. 58

“California? You know the geographical distance between California and Florida, right? What the fuck was wrong with Orlando? Now we have to fly, too.  Four-hundred-twenty bucks a night? We’re you born this stupid?”

“Were you? Even the girls know the difference between Disneyland and Disney World. You said Disneyland. Disneyland is in California, not Florida. You didn’t say anything about any of that, Paxton. How was I supposed to know?” He did say Disneyland. I heard him with my own ears.

“How many nights?”

I sort of ducked behind myself, hunkering my shoulders to hide. “Five.”

“Great. I’ll be in my office for the next two weeks, trying to get enough work to pay for it. Come in there as soon as you get the girls to bed. I’m going to take about five grand out of your ass for the next two weeks.”

“Paxton, how can you be mad at me for something you told me to do?”

“You shouldn’t have told the girls without talking to me first. Now what? Are you going to go out there and pull the five star resort out from under them now? Tell them we’re staying at Super 8 instead?”

“I would, Paxton. They wouldn’t care. They’re happy just to go to Disney. Do we need money?”

I grunted a little when my back hit the door jam. Paxton’s hand habitually went around my throat, and his lips moved close to mine. “Money in this house is never your business. Your business is this house, those girls, and taking care of me. You got it, Slut?”

I shoved him as hard as I could. “Fuck you! I’m not a slut. Don’t call me that again. Don’t ever call me that again.”

Paxton stumbled two steps back with a look of utter shock. Eyes wide with a dropped jaw.

“Mom! Mom! Rowan spilled her drink.”

Paxton gathered his bearings with the distraction. “Walk away, baby girl.”

I did. I walked away with a roll of paper towels, and a pounding heart. Holy shit. I just shoved Paxton Pierce. I had a death wish.

Paxton didn’t lie about spending his time in his office. As much as I wanted to go to him, try to talk to him, and get him to see how much he was overreacting, I didn’t. I even let both girls fall asleep beside me on the couch so he would come out and carry them to bed. He did that, but he also ignored me.

I could see him busy at his desk. Engrossed in the papers in front of him and his computer screen. It took me at least ten minutes to get up the nerve to interrupt, but I finally did it. Fast with words running together. “They’re both out, Paxton. Can you carry them to bed?”

He looked up from his work still wearing reading glasses with dark frames. Damn. Paxton was one of those guys. Glasses looked sexy as hell on him. He slid them from his face and dropped them to his desk without a word or another glance.

Our eyes locked again when he lifted Rowan from my right arm. My eyes soft and pleading, hoping to lighten the mood. His was tainted and angry. Talk about pouting over spilled milk. Jesus Christ. I took a deep breath when he walked away, kissing Rowan’s blood head, and rubbed the whiplash out of my neck. The exact same thing was repeated with Ophelia. I didn’t get the time of day. Restricted eyes and a glare. That’s it. And there went the two steps back again.

Paxton walked right past me without another glance, back to his office. This time, closing the door. He never requested my presence to bend over his lap or his desk like he’d promised. As messed up as it sounds. I felt rejected and that made me sad.

I tucked both my Clydes in with kisses and left him alone in his office. What else was I supposed to do? I tried. I tried every day to please this man, and I couldn’t do it. Maybe a lavender bubble bath and a nice stiff drink would make it all go away.

That was a nice plan. One that didn’t work. I downed the drink, and I was out of the calming bubbles. Rowan and Ophelia dumped the rest of a half a bottle in my shower. They spent at least an hour, slipping and sliding in there while I sat on the counter and read a book that automatically downloaded on my tablet. Evidently I preordered months before. I was engrossed in this girl’s life and didn’t even realize what they were doing. Black Rain by Jettie Woodruff. I read it in one sitting and instantly preordered the next one. Luckily I only had to wait a few days. Perfect for vacation. It would be on my tablet before our upcoming vacation. An amazing book that had my total attention was the reason I didn’t have bubbles.

The drink was good, and I think it did help settle my nerves a little, but something else was weighing on my mind. I knew I was irrevocably in love with Paxton. Why? I had no clue. Paxton was the most difficult man on earth, and I was fascinated by him. I wasn’t stupid though. I didn’t know if my heart could do Paxton Pierce for a lifetime. This wasn’t working for me. I didn’t know if I could do this.

I didn’t get to go to Paxton’s office that night, or the next, or the next. Paxton worked late every night. He spent a couple hours with the girls in the evenings and ignored me even more. My excitement for our trip became less and less thrilling. I didn’t want to go anymore. Paxton proved to be more of a dick than I ever thought possible. Nine days. That’s how many days he worked late. That’s how many days he ignored me. Even sex. He didn’t touch me. Not even a kiss. When Paxton played the silent treatment card, Paxton meant business. I tried. I tried like hell to get through the thick skin with no avail. I gave up and dreaded the five day trip with him.

Paxton Pierce was an impossible man. One that no woman could please. Not even me.

Chapter Nineteen

Rowan and Ophelia were beside themselves the day we were set to take off on our trip. I packed all our clothes and had them loaded in the car before Paxton ever got home from work the night before. I was over it. Over his childish silent treatment, over the vacation, and over Paxton. I couldn’t do it anymore. Maybe before, but not now. Not anymore.

I’m the one who copped the attitude when we got to the airport. It was just before sunset, around eight o’clock. Paxton did that. He knew we were going to be in the air for a very long time. A night flight was perfect. My problem wasn’t the evening plans Paxton made. It was the airport, the plane, and his holier than thou attitude.

“Oh look, girls. A private plane,” I smartly said while I watched a two seated golf cart arrive to retrieve our things.

Paxton looked at me with a dark glare. “Don’t move.”

“Can we, Daddy? Can we get out?” Rowan and Phi asked, exciting adrenaline, pumping through their veins. I hated when he did that. Usually he was good about not being a dick around them, but sometimes he slipped. Or they overheard, like this time. They didn’t get it, not like I did. Thank God they were too excited to notice the dominance their father had over their mother.

Paxton smiled back at his prides and gave them their wish. “Yes, you can get out.”

I sat there like a good little girl and waited for permission to get out, too. Five minutes. That’s how long Paxton left me waiting. He talked to the pilot while the girls helped load the cart with our things. I played on my phone, fuming from the inside out. We couldn’t afford Disneyland, but we could afford private planes. Made perfect sense to me.

I defiantly held up a finger when Paxton opened the door. My phone was taken right out of my hand and placed in his shorts pocket. Jerk. I declined his hand and sidestepped him, smiling brightly at the girl’s excitement. One finger through my belt-loop stopped me.

“Calm down now, Pumpkin,” I heard in whisper through a smirk. Paxton did this shit on purpose. Not being used to this side of me, Paxton got off on me being disobedient.

A twist of my arm separated his body close to mine. I’ll give you pumpkin. Jerk. Paxton laughed behind me, and I shook my head. Not at him. At myself. I loved this Paxton. The playful one that liked me. I could tell myself a million times that I wouldn’t let myself get wrapped up in him the next time he decided to be normal. I promised myself that I would stay somber. Even when we had sex. I hadn’t had to worry about that. We hadn’t had sex. In nine days! That was the longest I’d gone without sex since I could remember. Inside jokes aside, that was a long time for me.