He works the clasp deftly and when he finishes, he rubs a thumb down my bare skin.
I turn back to him on shaky legs and he looks down at the pendant sitting just below the line of my collarbones. His eyes drag up slowly to meet mine. “It’s whimsical. Like you.”
“You used to hate whimsical,” I remind him.
He shakes his head and dips his face closer to me. “Never hate. Just severely annoyed.”
I go to laugh but it’s cut off by his mouth on mine. My hands curl involuntarily into his shirt and I give him a slight jerk to let him know I like it.
Legend’s hands drop to my hips and he gives a jerk of his own.
Quick note in my mind…Charlie’s sleeping and he just put chicken in the oven which will require a minimum of half an hour to cook, probably more like forty-five minutes.
We have time.
Apparently, Legend is thinking the same things because his hands drop to my ass and he pulls me against his impressively thick cock. The thought of that between my legs makes me wet, which is something that I’m going to have to stop being embarrassed about.
Legend’s cell phone starts ringing and he immediately jerks away from me. He gives me an apologetic look. “Sorry. But I programmed that ringtone for Louise. I better get that.”
“Of course,” I reply, my voice shaky from the spell he put me under with just a kiss.
Legend skirts past me and moves into the kitchen. He grabs his cell from the counter, connects the call and then brings it to his ear. “Hi, Louise.”
There’s a pause then he says, “Yeah…happy holidays to you as well.”
Legend looks at me, easygoing smile on his face and a low simmer of heat still shining in his eyes. He stares at me as he listens to Louise on the other line. I stand absolutely still, almost pinned in place by the look on his face. He runs his eyes down my body, back up again where he pauses on the pendant, before returning to my face where I think his eyes are now starting to sizzle.
His gaze goes blank for a moment—he’s not seeing me at all—then hardens into a gaze that could cut granite. The smile melts off his face and his jaw locks down tight.
“I don’t understand,” Legend grits out between clenched teeth. “Can she do that?”
He goes silent, his expression hardening even more and to such an extent, I feel incredibly uncomfortable.
“Fine,” he growls at Louise. “I’ll get up with him tomorrow.”
Legend disconnects the call and his arm rears backward as if he’s going to sling the phone across the room toward the oven. He seems to reconsider and pulls it in close to his chest as he mutters, “Fuck.”
“What is it?” I ask, my voice small and tense.
His head whips my way, as if he forgot I was there. His gaze softens slightly as he takes me in, standing there wringing my hands with worry.
“Louise says Lida’s been found,” he mutters with obvious distaste to say her name. “Rather, an attorney contacted DCS. He represents Lida. She apparently got one of the certified letters that Louise had sent to her with the judge’s order and relinquishment papers. Apparently, she won’t sign the relinquishment.”
“Why not?” I ask, aghast at this turn of events. “She abandoned Charlie.”
Legend shrugs and scrubs his hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know. Just that she doesn’t want to give up her rights. Her excuse is she was suffering from some postpartum depression but she’s on medications now and is better.”
“Oh God,” I say in what could be termed a tiny wail. That sounds semi-legit. At least I think it would be to a judge who would be listening impartially. I’m not impartial, though, and no way should that woman have anything to do with Charlie. What would stop her from abandoning her somewhere else tomorrow?
Legend places his palms on the counter and his head drops. He stares at the granite top as he tells me, “Louise said she’ll probably be given some type of visitation if she wants it.”
“Does she?” I ask, feeling the urge to grab Legend and Charlie and flee to someplace secret.
“I don’t know.” He lifts his face and stares at me morosely for a moment. Then he sort of shakes his head and gives me a look of apology. “I’m sorry, Pepper. I can’t let this ruin our night together. What will be will be, and I don’t know enough yet to even be worried. I’ll call my attorney first thing, and I’ll throw all my money at it to protect Charlie.”
“It’s okay to be worried,” I tell him, so he doesn’t have to put on an act for me.
I get a smile from him that is bright, genuine, and true. “I know that, and I know I can be worried and still have a nice night with you and Charlie, okay?”