“Of course, what would you like to do?”
“How about I color a picture while you continue… well, what are you making?” It’s this weird contraption looking thing.
“Origami. Auntie Pres taught me how to do one that looks like a dog. Then I’ll put glue on it and glitter it everywhere.” Clairabella is so animated when she talks, her hands moving every which way. It has my mind conjuring up things that, a month ago, I wouldn’t have even thought of before—Clairabella running around outside on her swing set, me chasing her; Callie holding an infant that looks like a spitting image of myself, with my dark hair and olive skin and her grey eyes.
“It’s beautiful, just like you.” My pointer finger touches the tip of her nose, making her laugh.
That’s how Callie finds us—my shirt sleeves rolled up, coloring with Claira, her pouring glitter on her dog and all over the floor. I’m sure the cleaning staff will have a fit, but they’ll get over it.
“You two are having all the fun while I work, hmm?”
“Mr. Jamie is the best at coloring, Mommy.” Her face lights up.
“I’ll have to take your word for it until I can join you two. Jamie, Mr. and Mrs. Carmine will be here in five minutes. Everything is set up, but you may want to straighten up.” Her eyes land on my forearms that are on display.
“Thank you for allowing me to color with you. Think about what you would like for dinner. It’s your choice where we go.” I kiss the top of Claira’s head before I get up and get back to work.
“Okay, as long as there is broccoli and macaroni and cheese, I’m happy.” She points her thumbs at herself.
“Sounds good. I’ll let you two ladies figure out where that could be. Hopefully, this won’t take too long and we can be on our way.” My hand lingers on Callie’s hip as I walk past her. I’m ready to get this meeting over and done with. My plans are much more important than what the Carmines need.
15
Callie
To say things have been a whirlwind romance would be a huge understatement. Dinner with Claira and Jamie the other night really solidified how amazing he really is. My little girl took to Jamie like he was Lincoln or Colt. If that’s anything to go by, it looks like my girl will have great taste in men when she’s older.
When I walked out of his office, it woke him from a deep sleep, but it still scared me that he wasn’t truly changing. He gave me time to truly see just how amazing and patient he is. His kisses keep me hot and bothered, which leads to some fantasies running through my head nightly, especially if we’re talking on the phone. Jamie’s voice gets deep with need, and I’m not ashamed to say he’s opened my eyes to a world of phone sex a few times. Thinking about that now sends a shiver down my spine.
Today, I’ve invited him along with Presley, Lincoln, their son Noah, Lyla, Colt, and their daughter Brentley. Jamie is already here, helping me get everything ready. When he saw the amount of food I bought, he thought I was crazy.
“Mi Sol, I think you bought the store out,” he rasps in my ear as he comes up behind me, holding my hips. I feel the length of him as my body sinks back against his. I have a deep-seated need for him, one that I’m hoping we can take advantage of tonight once Claira is down for the count.
Wiggling my hips, I tell him, “You haven’t seen the girls eat yet.”
“I know what I’m going to eat,” he whispers in my ear. He licks the outer shell of my ear before dipping down to my neck, licking a path until he reaches my rapidly beating pulse point.
“Jamie,” I moan, and he sucks on it lightly before kissing it softly. We disentangle from each other, much to my dismay.
“I’m going to hear that all night long and soon.” I turn around, needing to see his face. When I nod my agreement, it causes him to chuckle. “I need to get out of here now and set up Claira’s pool.”
“You spoil us too much,” I tell him. Today, he brought flowers for both of us. My heart melted when he scooped Claira up in his arms, hugging her tightly before presenting white daisies to her. My girl pressed the palms of her hands against his cheeks, looked in his eyes, and said, “Thank you so, so much, Mr. Jamie. They’re beautiful, like your eyes.” She’s not wrong, either. Jamie’s eyes are amazing; I get sucked into their vortex a lot.
“Thank you, mi Princessa. That’s the greatest compliment I could ever receive.”
She wiggled out of his arms and put her flowers on the dresser in her bedroom. That’s what led us into the kitchen. I needed a moment to wipe my eyes before either of them saw me.