The Man Who Has No Love (Soulless 3)

“Because when moms and dads break up, they find new people…and those people become other moms and dads, right?”

“Stepparents, yes.”

“Well, is she my stepmother?” He shifted away so he could look up at me.

“No, she’s not. Why would you think that?”

He shrugged. “I saw you holding hands at the movies…”

I guess it wasn’t dark enough to hide our affection.

“And I saw you kiss…” He giggled, like it was something to be embarrassed by.

Shit.

“It was gross,” he said with a laugh.

Damn, kids picked up on stuff quick.

How did I handle this? “When a parent gets remarried, the person they marry becomes a stepparent. Cleo and I aren’t married.”

“Are you going to marry her?”

“Maybe…someday.”

“Ooh…”

“Derek, I need you to do me a big favor.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t mention this to Mom.”

Now, he looked confused.

“I just… It makes my life a lot easier if you don’t say anything.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “You know how Mom makes me sad?”

He nodded.

“She would make me really sad if she knew.”

“But why? Cleo makes you happy. I love Cleo.”

I smiled. “It’s complicated. But I’m glad that you like her so much.”

“She’s awesome. She makes me happy.”

“Yeah, I know.” I patted his head.

“I’ll keep your secret, Dad.”

“Thanks, man.”

“How long do I have to keep it?”

I felt like an asshole asking my son to lie for me. What kind of father did that? But I had to protect Cleo until I moved out of the building. Her job meant a lot to her, and I’d feel like shit if she lost it because of my jealous ex. “For a while. I’ll let you know when it’s not a secret anymore.”

“Okay, Dad.”

Five

Deacon

Like always, she knocked on the door before she stepped inside.

I was at the dining table, my laptop and papers in front of me. I looked up the second I heard her come inside. “Hey, baby.”

I loved seeing her walk in the door, like she was coming home after a long day instead of entering my condo as my assistant. “Hey.” She reached the table and set down her things.

I got out of my chair and greeted her, hooking my arm around her back and pulling her in close for a kiss. It was a hot embrace, because I hadn’t seen her in days. My hand slid to her ass, and I gave it a squeeze before I pulled away.

“I like it when you grab my ass.”

“Good. Because I wouldn’t stop even if you didn’t.” I returned to the table. “I have some leftovers in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”

“No, I’m fine.” She sat down and looked at the papers in front of her.

I continued to stare, because I knew she had something to say. “So, I’ve found you a place.” I knew she hated this so deeply, letting me uproot my life for her, but there was just no way around it. There would never be a scenario where I could live in the building and openly carry on a relationship with her.

“Alright.”

She handed me the folder. “The square footage is similar. It’s got a great view. It’s been recently renovated, so it’s got brand-new appliances, hardwood floors, et cetera. It’s just a few blocks from here, so you’ll still be close to Derek.”

I took the folder and looked at it without reacting, flipping through the papers and reading the features.

“I’m sorry…” I could tell she hated this.

“It’s alright.” I kept flipping through until I was done. Then I set it down. “I’ll take it.”

She studied my gaze. “You don’t like it.”

I shrugged. “It’s good enough.”

“I want you to love where you live.”

“Honestly, anything other than this place is a step down. But it’s comparable enough.”

She took the folder back and returned it to her pile. “I’ll keep looking.”

I watched her and I could imagine the guilt she felt, as if we were doing something wrong. “As long as I have you, I don’t give a damn where I live. The place is great. I’ll take it.”

“Tell me what you don’t like about it so I can do better.”

I sighed.

“Come on, please.”

I was quiet for a while, looking out the window. “Kitchen is too small. I’ve got a lot of appliances since I cook all the time. It needs to face the opposite direction because I want to see the sunset, not the sunrise. None of the bedrooms are big enough for my private gym.” He didn’t look at me, like he hated complaining.

She didn’t take it personally. “I’ll keep looking.”

I turned back to her. “Even if we never find the perfect place, I’m okay with relocating. Don’t feel bad about that.”

“It’s hard not to.” Her voice dropped. “I know you love it here.”

I did it love it there. It was the perfect location, the perfect view, the perfect everything. “But you’re the reason why I love it.”

Her eyes softened.

“Any luck with an assistant?”

She cringed. “No…”