Meeting His Match (A Match Me Novel) (Entangled Lovestruck) (15 page)

“You have me over a barrel and you know it.”

Only because he refused to consider anyone without the McNeill name for the position. Caine waited, steepling his fingers. While his father thought it over, his mind wandered once again to Addison.

He’d looked up her matchmaking business and had spent entirely too much time staring at her picture on the About page. It was an old one, her hair cut differently than when she’d been down here, but her smile was the same. He’d even gone so far as to call the damn number, only to be informed that she was on vacation. The woman on the other end of the line refused to tell him when she’d be back. She’d shut off her personal phone, too.

For all intents and purposes, Addison had disappeared off the face of the earth.

She was in New York, but he couldn’t exactly fly in and start going door to door. He
could
have asked Regan, but Caine wasn’t sure she’d take his side. She could just as easily step in and block him from…going door to door or whatever half-assed plan he could come up with.

That didn’t stop him from coming up with them.

Which just proved he needed to get his ass back to work, sooner rather than later. At least if he was in the office, he wouldn’t be cruising airline sites for tickets from Nashville to New York.

His father cleared his throat. “Fine. We will do things your way.” He pushed to his feet. “Now get your ass back in the office before Gloucester has a goddamn stroke.” He turned and marched from the room.

Caine dropped his head into his hands. He’d won. This was exactly the balance he’d wanted to free up some of his time to pursue other things—to pursue a relationship with Addison. He should be over the moon that he’d accomplished it. But the crushing weight in his chest prevented it. What was the point? He couldn’t imagine sharing his life with anyone but that pain-in-the-ass matchmaker, and she’d already proven that she was more inclined to cling to her martyr status than try to be happy.

He had nothing. Less than nothing, because now he knew exactly what he was missing in his life.

Well, fuck that. He wasn’t about to sit back and let her get away. It was time for drastic measures.

Chapter Twenty

Addison swept through her apartment, looking for some indication that she’d forgotten something. The cab would be here in ten minutes, and she wanted to make sure she was at the curb and waiting. Her suitcase stood next to the door, ready to go. The only thing not completely ready was
her
. She stopped and took a deep breath. After Regan had left, she’d booked the first flight she could find to Nashville. It was just poor luck that it didn’t leave until the next afternoon.

It didn’t help that she was already kicking herself for waiting this long. A few days seemed like a small thing in the face of forever, but now that she could face the fact that she’d been totally and completely wrong, it was too much to be away from Caine. She wanted his arms around her and his voice rumbling in her ear.

But there was no telling if he’d take her back. She’d been singularly awful to him before she left, and he’d be totally justified in telling her to get out of his sight. Or, worse, that he wouldn’t even see her.

She swallowed past the panic trying to take over. There was only one way to find out for sure what his reaction would be, and it was to get her ass on that plane and go apologize.

After one last glance to check the time, she opened her door and wrestled her suitcase through it. The elevator seemed to take forever, but she was reasonably sure that was only her nerves talking. The flight was going to be hell.

Outside, the brisk breeze made her wish she’d put on a heavier coat.
At least I’ll only be outside for a few minutes
. She hefted the suitcase over a crack in the sidewalk and closer to the curb.

Somewhere nearby, a chorus of barking started up, painfully familiar. It was impossible, though. She’d left Gollum and her pups back in Tennessee. It was just a strange homesickness coming over her and making her think that some other dog sounded like them.

Her throat tried to close, but she forced herself to take another deep breath. She was going to make things right. It didn’t matter if she’d left without saying good-bye. She was going back.

“Addison!”

What in the world?
She turned and stumbled back a few steps at the sight of a tangle of white dogs. As they got closer, their barking increased in time with their pace, until they were dragging the person behind them. She followed the knotted leashes up to a body that had become nearly as familiar to her as her own. But it couldn’t possibly be… “Caine?”

He wrestled the dogs into submission inches away from her legs. “You’re here. I didn’t know if I’d make it in time.”

“In time?” She couldn’t take her eyes off his face. Had it really been less than a week since she saw him last? It felt like a lifetime. “You’re in New York.” She tentatively reached out to pet Gollum’s head. “You brought the dogs.”

If he were anyone else, she would have said the expression on his face was…sheepish. “They’re terrible road trip buddies.”

He’d
driven
here? There were so many things she’d wanted to say to him, but now that he was standing in front of her, she couldn’t find a single word. “I—”

“I shouldn’t have let you leave.” He took a step toward her, but had to instantly retreat, because the dogs started clamoring again. “You’re the only one I want, and I let my anger get the best of me.”

Why in God’s name was he apologizing? He’d told her that he wanted her from the start.
She
was the one who’s made a mess of things. “I have the answer to the question you asked me back in your bar.”

He’d had his mouth open—no doubt to keep apologizing for something that wasn’t his fault to begin with—but he went still at her words. “I’m listening.”

Her lower lip quivered and she made an effort to keep herself together. “I’d match him. I’d do everything I could to make sure he had a second chance at being happy.” She moved closer, edging around one of the pups, and stopped just before she touched him. “I don’t know how this thing with us will work. But… I think I love you, Caine. And that kind of thing doesn’t come around often enough to just throw it away because it scares me.”

“I missed you, darlin’.” He transferred all the leashes to one arm and pulled her against him with the other. “So damn much.”

She slipped her arms around him. “I missed you, too.” The dogs caught sight of something they found interesting and lurched ahead, nearly taking Caine off his feet. She laughed. “We should get them inside before you lose that arm.”

“Yeah.” He winced. “We’re going to have to find a house with a yard or a massive apartment, because five dogs in limited square footage will be a disaster.”

Her heartbeat picked up. “What are you saying?”

“I’ve renegotiated with my father. You were right about my quitting, but I was able to get him to agree to let me delegate some of my responsibilities. And to relocate if I choose.”

Relocate. He meant
here
. She smiled. “I hear New York is nice this time of year.”

“Yeah.” He looked around. “Nice and crisp. And the company can’t be beat.”

She threw her arms around him again. “I’m so sorry I was so terrible and blind and that I almost ruined things with us. Forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. We all make mistakes.” He glanced at the dogs. “They missed you, too, you know. They love you as much as I do.”

He loved her. It was something she’d barely dared to hope. Addison kissed him, feeling like she could walk on the clouds. “I love you so much. Your being here feels too good to be true.”

“It’s just the beginning, darlin’. And I can promise you this—the best is yet to come.”

Epilogue

Caine held Addison’s hand as they climbed out of the cab, ready to catch her if she stumbled. She’d been doing that a hell of a lot more often these days, to the point where she’d given up the taller of her heels. Her growing stomach threw off her equilibrium, in addition to the cravings and morning sickness that she was only now, in the fifth month, moving past. “How do you feel?”

She pushed her hair back. “Like I could use some cake with extra frosting.”

“I’ll call in the order. Lemon filling, like usual?”

“Yes, please.” She grinned up at him.

“Consider it done.” He pulled her close and kissed her temple. He wasn’t usually a man who obsessed over what a woman ate, but something about knowing that Addison was nurturing their child in her stomach changed everything. Part of it was the sheer pleasure she took in the food she was craving—the only other time he saw that look of ecstasy on her face was when he was inside her—but most of it was this primal need to take care of everything for her. He opened the door into the building. “You’re certain you don’t want to know what the baby is until we can pull together a gender reveal party?”

She stopped. “Don’t you? We don’t have to wait. I just thought it would be a fun idea.”

“I want to.” He kissed her to hide his sigh of relief. If she’d changed her mind in the last hour, he’d have to find a way to stall their going up to the condo. Surprising Addison was borderline impossible, but he’d enlisted Regan’s help to make it happen. Slipping the doctor the instructions had made him feel like a novice spy, but it would be worth it if everything came together.

She pulled away with a laugh. “You know better than to get me started down here. We can have sex after I get my cake.”

“Your priorities are skewed.” He pushed the button for the elevator and used the movement to check his phone. A text from his sister-in-law waited.

We’re good to go.

Thank God.

“On the contrary—my priorities are right where they should be. These days, food is the best kind of foreplay.”

Caine followed her into the elevator, wondering for the first time if he’d made a terrible mistake. The only other time he’d surprised her was with his proposal, and even that hadn’t been a complete surprise because Addison knew the moment they moved in together that it was coming. The wedding had been delightful, but she’d been the one steering that ship, and he was more than happy to do what made
her
happy.

This was something else.

She’d mentioned a gender reveal party last month when she was reading through one of her countless baby magazines, and how much she liked the idea of having their family and friends there to share the news with them as they found out. So he’d quietly asked Regan to help set it up and then invited all their friends. Caine sighed and pulled her closer, laying his hands on her rounded stomach. He wasn’t usually so impulsive, but the thought of waiting to know if they were having a boy or girl for the days or weeks it would take Addison to plan a party to perfection made his skin twitch. Considering how unsure she’d looked when the ultrasound woman asked them if they wanted to know the gender, it was a safe bet she felt the same way.

So he’d called Regan and asked for a favor.

He just wished his stomach would unknot itself. The elevator doors opened and they walked down the hall to the door.
It’s not too late to call the whole thing off and plan something out
. He took a deep breath, slipped the key into the lock, and let go of the crazy thought. It was too late to back out now. If Addison was angry, then he’d just have to find a way to make it up to her.

The only problem was how to make up the fact that he’d botched the gender reveal of their first child.

“Caine? Is everything okay?”

Shit. He made an effort to let go of the anxiety trying to take hold. “Yeah. The key’s just stuck.” He wiggled it a bit for emphasis and then there was nothing left to do but open the door and face the music.

They stepped into the condo and Addison gasped. “What’s all this?”

The entire place was transformed. Paper banners hung from the archways in generic white and there were balloons everywhere. Regan and Brock stood on the other side of the living room, both grinning like fools, while the twins jumped on his white couch. Next to them was the entire crew from Connected at the Lips, and Addison’s parents, practically radiating joy.

And his parents were here, too. They stood a little away from the group, but there was only a smile on his mother’s face, and no sign of the tension that had plagued their relationship since he’d moved to New York.

Addison gaped at the group. “Mom? Dad?
James?
”

Her second-in-command grinned. “You didn’t think we’d let you throw a party for the little tyke without us? He or she is going to be Connected at the Lips royalty.”

Her mother smiled. “Honey, of course your father and I want to know if our first grandchild is a boy or girl.” She shot a look at where Caine’s nieces were still jumping on the couch. “Or, heaven forbid, twins.”

Addison laughed, her hand going to her stomach. “Only one in here.” She turned to him, her dark eyes shining. “You planned a surprise gender reveal party for me.”

Was she upset? Angry? He couldn’t tell. Caine took her hands. “If you don’t want this, it’s not too late—”

“I love it.” She threw her arms around him and kissed him. “I love you.”

One of the twins made a noise. “Gross.”

“I love you, too.”

Regan stepped out of Brock’s arms with what looked suspiciously like a bounce. “Are you guys ready? James has agreed to be on picture duty, and the girls are helping, too.”

One of them—Caine still had issues telling them apart—jumped from the couch to the floor. “Doggies!”

Regan grabbed her around the waist when she took off. “Yes, honey. Doggies.” She looked at them. “Ready?”

Addison turned in his arms. “I’m ready.”

Regan released her daughter and the pair raced down the hallway. A half a second later, they giggled and then a herd of dogs flew into the living room and Caine had to tighten his hold on Addison to keep her on her feet. “Down, boys!”

Then he saw what was attached to the back of their collars. Blue cloth. He reached down and pulled one free, and it unrolled into a tiny little shirt. “A boy?”

Addison already had two more blue shirts in her hand. “We’re having a boy?”

Sheer joy nearly took Caine off his feet. A boy. He swept her into his arms and spun around, nearly tripping over the dogs. “A little boy.” He met his father’s gaze over her head.
I’m not going to make the same mistakes you did, but you’re welcome to be a part of his life.
“A grandson.”

His father nodded as if he received and understood the silent message, and a heaviness Caine hadn’t even been aware of lifted from his shoulders. They were going to be all right. It might be a little bumpy with some growing pains, but it seemed like his parents wanted to make things right between them. He was only too happy to take that first step.

He went to his knees in front of her and rested his forehead on her stomach. “Hey, fella. I know you’re going to be a little hell-raiser just like your Uncle Brock and I were, and I can’t fucking wait.”

Addison cleared her throat. “Maybe now’s a good time to start working on language.”

He laughed. “I can’t
freaking
wait. I don’t know if you’re going to be a CEO like your daddy or a rocket scientist or something else entirely, but I’m going do my dam—
darnedest
to always be there to support you. I love you, little guy.” He looked up. “And I love you.”

She pressed a hand to her mouth. “This is…this is just perfect, Caine. Thank you.”

“Not quite.” He pushed to his feet and led her into the kitchen. Regan had come through here just like she had with everything else. He lifted the lid of the box in the middle of the counter, revealing the cake she’d been craving for the last few weeks.

“Okay, you’re right.
Now
it’s perfect.”

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