Unable to control myself and my mouth, I’d retreated to the deck. Of course, Bexley thought she should handle Piper on her own.
Feeling helpless, I texted Mike and checked in. He and Milly were heading out on a date, like I should have been. They had a nanny, though, and we didn’t.
Denise’s husband took retirement right after Bexley moved in with me, and they took off to explore the country in an RV. Most recently, they fell in love with an area along Cheat Lake in West Virginia, said they would be back for Christmas to see the kids.
I explained to Mike that Piper, who was supposed to have been watching the other kids tonight, was out of commission. Plus, Mike and Milly were setting things straight and needed the night out. Even though I was pretty certain that our date wasn’t happening any fucking time soon, I had what I needed—Bexley. Forever.
And I couldn’t fault Mike for putting his marriage back together.
Taking in deep breaths, I was trying to remember what it was like when I had my first crush, my first love, when I heard the sliding door open. I braced myself for whatever type of catastrophe might interrupt my Scotch and me.
“Hey.”
Thank God it’s Bexley.
She slipped into my lap with something hidden behind her back.
“What you got there, young lady?” My lips brushed her temple as I breathed all of her in.
“Kiss me, and I’ll show you.”
For the record, she didn’t need to bribe me to kiss her. I set my drink on the ledge and covered her mouth with mine, my hand wrapping behind her neck, pulling her as close as she could be. I wanted to devour her.
Trying to distract her with my tongue, I tugged on her arm, pretending I wanted her to wrap it around me.
“Huh-uh, no way,” she said before breaking free with a smile.
“Come on, Bex. I’ve been sitting out here by my lonesome. I deserve some happiness,” I said with a wink. She knew I was happy as fuck.
“It’s nice out here,” she said, tilting away from me as she stalled.
“Yep. That’s exactly why I’m out here. Inside, it’s a loony bin, and I want to grab Piper and drive her over to Jensen’s house and let her slap the asshole across the face. But somehow, I don’t think you’d like that idea.”
“That’s not a solution. And you love the craziness. You never had anything like this, and neither did I.” Speaking the truth, she smiled even bigger.
“I do love it, but I still think we should hire someone to help.” What I didn’t add was that I planned to hire someone full time to run the house, not these part-time housekeepers. This I knew she didn’t agree with me on.
Proving me right, she said, “We don’t need anyone. The kids are happier when we’re here, or just being together themselves.”
“I feel ya, Bex, but what I want is to really feel you inside and out. Feel you up, if you didn’t know what I mean. Feel myself buried deep in you.”
She laughed, her giggle rising into the night sky. “That’s how we got Olivia.”
“So? We love Olivia. We could have one more kid. We’re already outnumbered.”
“Okay, enough of that crazy talk. Look what I brought you.” She pulled a fat cigar out from behind her back and ran it under my nose.
I breathed in the bold cinnamon and nutmeg scent. “Mmm.” I moaned, a Pavlovian response. “You’re too good to me.”
“I know we’re supposed to celebrate tonight, but Piper’s not doing great, and I feel bad leaving.”
“I know. Don’t worry. Rain check?”
Bexley nodded, touching her forehead to mine. “Remember that night we sat out on the seventeenth hole and shared a cigar?”
It was my turn to nod. “Feels like a lifetime ago, and maybe yesterday, all wrapped up in one.”
“Sometimes I wish we could get the years back. The ones I wasted not being with you.”
“Don’t, Bex.” I ran my hand through her hair and pulled her tight to my chest. I knew this haunted her. I didn’t like thinking of all the time she spent with Seth either, or the years I wasted on Cass. But all of that was behind us now. “Don’t ruin today with that crock of shit.”
“I know. Today’s awesome.”
“Pretty much.” I kissed her, this time not letting her pull away. We stayed like that until we couldn’t breathe.
“Wanna share this?” I waved the stogie in the air.
“It’s all you, AP. On to the next. Time to celebrate.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Me either,” Bexley said, snuggling into my chest.
For a moment, I’d forgotten the reason for our date night. With Bexley, the why never mattered when it came to celebrating together. I’d been biding my time, but I’d finally penned a deal this morning to buy another small resort in Tahoe, and now it was all mine.
Well, ours. We planned to add a luxury spa to the five-star gaming hotel we’d already started. It was a little slice of perfection for travelers who wanted it all.
Federal Stars Hospitality Supplies was no more, and my father was alone to stew about it all by himself. Together, Bexley and I were making a new family legacy. Now the Bexley Brand was quickly becoming a well-regarded line of small luxury resorts.
The thought made me grin as I snagged a lighter from by the grill and lit up my cigar.
It might have felt like a hundred years since we first sat on the seventeenth hole together, but my heart always knew there was only one love for me.
Read other books by Rachel Blaufeld
These are increasingly difficult to write. With every book, I realize the effects of the romance world on my daily life. There is no separation between who I am in my daily life and when I step into Romancelandia. These people are my family.
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