Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“You’re just as sexy without them.” I turned away.
She followed me then searched for Derek. “Where is he?”
“My mom is watching him for a few hours.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s Valentine’s Day.”
“Oh yeah.” She came closer to the table and saw two boxes, both with ribbons. “Wow, I’m really liking this.”
“I’m making your favorite dinner too.”
“Really?” she asked. “What’s my favorite dinner?”
“Burritos.”
She grinned.
“But these aren’t frozen.” I grabbed one of the boxes and handed it to her. “This is for you…but it’s mostly for me.”
She grinned wider, like she knew exactly what it was. She opened the top and pulled out the black bodysuit.
“I know lingerie isn’t that romantic—”
“It is to me.” She set down the box and kissed me. “I like that you buy me sexy things to wear.”
My hands went to her ass and squeezed her cheeks as I rubbed my nose against hers. “Good.”
“I hope you never stop.”
“I won’t.” I didn’t care if her body changed after the baby. I didn’t care if she aged. My attraction to her was deeper than the surface. My love had turned into lust. And that was the best kind of lust. I released her and grabbed the other box. “This one is actually for you.”
She opened it and saw the candy inside. “Ooh, that’s what I’m talking about.” She grabbed one and took a bite. “Damn, that’s good.”
“Dinner is done, so I’ll set the table. I thought we’d eat and then…”
“That sounds perfect. How long do we have?”
“Until eight.”
“Alright. Then let’s hurry up and eat.” She sat down at the table. “So we can get to the good part.”
Twenty-One
Cleo
We headed to the cabin for the long weekend.
Derek was excited because the weather was going to be clear with sunny skies, high sixties, the perfect introduction to spring. I was excited to leave the city and get fresh air, to sit in the sun and feel warm for the first time in months. Deacon must have been excited about everything because he didn’t pack his laptop or his paperwork.
We drove past the gate and into the driveway.
“What are we going to do first?” Derek asked. “Fish? Can we fish? Please?”
“Geez, we haven’t even gotten out of the car, little man,” Deacon said with a chuckle. “Let’s have lunch first.”
“But I’m not hungry,” Derek argued. “We just ate breakfast.”
“Like four hours ago.” Deacon opened the door and got out first. “And Cleo needs to eat. She’s gotta keep your brother healthy, right?”
Derek bowed his head. “Yeah…okay.”
I smiled at him, loving the way he already loved his little brother. “Thanks, Derek.”
“I want him to be strong like me and Dad,” Derek said.
“He will be.” I squeezed his shoulder and opened the door.
Deacon was already there, taking my hand and helping me out like I was so big I couldn’t handle myself anymore. It was unnecessary, but it was so sweet that I didn’t complain. I liked it when he took care of me. I’d been taking care of myself for so long that I thought it would be difficult to allow someone else to take the reins, but it was the easiest handoff in the world.
Deacon tipped the driver then carried our bags into the house.
“Okay, let’s eat fast,” Derek said. “We gotta find those fish.”
We were on the lake most of the day, huddled under the shade of the canopy. There was no breeze, so it actually felt like eighty degrees instead of seventy. Their poles were in the water, and Derek looked over the edge of the boat anxiously, like he could see anything in the murky water.
I was in shorts and a t-shirt, wearing a hat even though I was already in the shade.
Derek had on one of those floppy hats with bait hooks along the edges, making him look like an experienced fisherman in the midst of retirement.
We enjoyed the silence together, the gentle rock of the boat, the sound of birds and frogs.
It was interesting that Derek loved fishing so much since he didn’t keep the fish. And there was a lot of silence, a lot of doing nothing, but he seemed to be thoroughly entertained.
Deacon sat beside me on the leather chairs, in running shorts and a t-shirt, his arm around me. He would occasionally kiss my neck, place his hand over my belly like he needed to remember how it felt, or whisper something to me.
It was the happiest moment of my life. There was nothing special about it, the three of us on the boat when I didn’t even like to fish, but it was so serene, so peaceful, a moment I would treasure forever.
Because it was everything I wanted.
I wanted these quiet moments with Deacon for the rest of my life, growing our family, making time to take trips to the cabin and wherever else we wanted to go. It made me realize stepping down from work really wasn’t that hard, not when I got this instead. I never imagined I would end up with some brilliant billionaire who had no social skills, but now that he was mine, I couldn’t believe I’d lived so long without him.