“Are you offering to go on vacation with me?”
Addison closed her eyes and pictured a beautiful beach on the ocean, where the weather was the perfect temperature, and she sighed. But reality set in, and she opened her eyes. “I wish. Maybe when I’m done nursing Thane, we can go somewhere together.” Thane was only five months old, and she wanted to make it until he was a year before she stopped nursing. She’d done the same for Spencer, who was now two years old. “I’ll just have to make sure not to get pregnant again right away.”
“They do make this thing now called birth control.”
“You’re so funny. I was on the minipill. I just forgot to start back on the regular pill once I stopped breastfeeding. I won’t make that mistake again. I have an IUD now.” Addison loved her kids, but if she had another right away, she might go insane.
“Great. Then, let’s make tentative plans to go somewhere together. It’s summer now anyway. We should do it when it’s cold outside and we’re freezing our asses off.”
“Hmm…Thane will be a year old in February,” Addison said with a smile. But she soon lost it. “But that doesn’t take care of you now.”
“Yeah, but February’s not that far away. Right?”
Maddox’s phone vibrated on the bed, and a notification popped up.
Flash: Tickets booked. Will forward flight info. Can’t believe I’ll be there in just under a month.
Addison grinned as a plan began to take shape in her mind.
Flash was the nickname for Tommy Morelli, a former SEALs teammate of Maddox’s. He and Olivia had met once, and while the two of them hadn’t exactly hit it off, Addison had sensed some sparks. Plus, if anyone could sex up Olivia, it would be a Navy SEAL. Especially one like Flash, who had gotten his nickname for a reason.
“I have a better idea.”
“What is it?” Olivia asked just as Maddox exited the bathroom.
“Why don’t you come here for Brook Days next month? Will your current case be over by then?”
Maddox’s eyebrows flew up.
“We’re on track to be finished with closing arguments in the next two weeks or so. What weekend is Brook Days?” Olivia asked.
Addison told her and added, “But come for more than just the weekend. Come for a week or two. It’s not the ocean, but it’ll get you away from the city. And we could always go to the lake and sit on the beach if we have the time.”
“Let me check my calendar,” Olivia said.
“I’ll wait.”
“Who are you talking to?” Maddox asked.
Addison pulled the mouthpiece away and sat up. “Olivia.”
Maddox chuckled and shook his head. “You know that’s when Tommy’s going to be here.”
Addison forced a confused look on her face. “Oh, it is? I completely forgot.”
“What did you say, Addison?” Olivia asked.
Addison moved her phone back to her mouth. “Oh, nothing. Maddox was talking to me.”
“Oh. So, if my current case is finished and I can get one of the other partners to take a small case, I should be able to make it work.”
“That’s the best news.”
“Are you sure I won’t be in the way?”
“Nope. You can stay in my old apartment above my office. No one is renting it right now, so you can have your own space.”
And no one was renting the Carson brothers’ apartment either. The Carson brothers owned the building next to hers. Being neighbors had worked for her and Maddox. It might influence Olivia and Tommy, too.
“I like that idea.”
“Yes. This will be so much fun.”
Olivia laughed. “Whatever you say. I’d better go. Tell Maddox hi for me.”
“Olivia says hi,” Addison relayed the message and held out the phone.
“Hi, Olivia,” Maddox said loud enough for Olivia to hear.
“See you next month,” Olivia shouted.
“Okay, but I just have to warn you—”
Addison quickly brought the phone back to her ear. “Sorry, Olivia, gotta go.”
“Wait. What was Maddox going to warn me about?”
Addison fake laughed. “Just the boys. They’re a handful. Please say you’ll still come.”
“I’ll still come.”
Addison looked over at her husband, who had his hands on his hips. She smiled at him. “Okay. We’ll talk later. See you soon.”
“See you soon. Bye.”
Addison ended the call before Maddox could say anything else and flopped onto her back, her heart racing.
“Addison, what did you do?”
“Nothing. I invited Olivia here for a break.”
The bed dipped as Maddox put a knee on it. “Did you purposely invite her for when Tommy will be here?”
Addison winced. “I plead the fifth.”
“That’s lawyer talk for guilty.” Maddox lay down next to her.
“So what if I did? Those two need to hook up.”
“Isn’t that for them to decide?”
Addison rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to tie them up and force them to have sex. But if they happen to be around each other and get a little turned on…who am I to stop them?”
Maddox shook his head and laughed. “This is going to be a disaster.”
“No, it won’t. You’ll see.”
“Okay, but don’t get mad at me when I tell you I’m right.”
“I won’t because you won’t say that.”
“Whatever you say.” Maddox rolled on top of her. “Now, speaking of being tied up and sex…”
Addison threw her arms around his neck. “What do you have in mind?”
1
Tommy
I exited the airplane and pulled out my phone, turning off Airplane Mode. The first notification that popped up was a text message from my friend Maddox.
Mad Dog: Sorry, running late. The baby wouldn’t go to sleep, and I didn’t want to leave Addison alone with both kids crying.
I shuddered. Two kids under three. Mad Dog was crazy. It wasn’t any wonder he’d jumped at the chance to have me visit.
Don’t get me wrong. He loved his wife and his two boys, but I also knew
