“I’m gonna miss you, honey.” She pulled him in for a tight hug and held him for a long time.
Derek just stood there, like he didn’t care.
When she pulled away, she gave him an encouraging smile. “You and your father are going to have such a good time together.”
“I know,” Derek said. “I’m happy I get to stay with him.”
Ouch. Fuck, that must have hurt.
Valerie stilled slightly, her gaze dropping like she didn’t know what to say. “Well…that’s good, then.” She rose to her feet then patted him on the head. Then she turned to me, a subtle hint of disdain moving into her features.
I didn’t want to end on bad terms, so I’d stopped being angry with her for leaving. I believed in science and entropy, randomness, but sometimes I wondered if things happened for a reason, if things worked out the way they were supposed to. Maybe this entire thing benefited everyone. “Take care, Valerie.” I eyed her bags on the floor. “Need help with those?”
“No. Jake will get them.”
This could be one of the last times I ever saw her. If things worked out in London, our conversations would grow less frequent. I wouldn’t see her in the flesh. And those phone conversations would probably die away too. I didn’t feel sad about it. It felt bittersweet, honestly. “If you ever need help or anything…you can call.” She wasn’t my problem anymore, but I would always try to help her out since she was Derek’s mother.
“Well, I should get going.” She turned to Derek again. “I love you, honey.”
“Love you too, Mom,” Derek said automatically.
I patted him on the head then guided him out of the condo. We moved into the hallway and stepped onto the elevator. When the doors were closed and we descended to my floor, I looked at him. “You okay, little man?”
“I’m fine, Dad.”
“You seem sad.”
“No. I want everyone to be happy. If Mom is happier there than she is here, that’s where she should be.”
“She’s not happier away from you, Derek.”
He shrugged. “Can we go get some ice cream?”
I wanted to shut him down, but then I realized doing something fun was appropriate in a situation like this. I pressed the button to the lobby when the doors opened to my floor.
Derek grinned. “Yes! And we need to get something for Cleo for Christmas.”
“Did you have something in mind?”
He nodded. “She loves to color, so I was going to get her a new coloring book. She really likes flowers and stuff, so maybe something with a garden.”
I smiled. “She’ll love that, Derek.”
“Cleo picked me up from school yesterday, and we picked out some stuff for you.”
“You did?” I asked. “What did you get?”
He stuck out his tongue. “I’m not telling you.”
I chuckled. “Fair enough.”
“What are you going to get Cleo?”
I’d put some thought into it. She liked to wear nice clothes, her mother’s jewelry because it was the nicest thing she owned, and she loved expensive heels so they were easy to walk in. She didn’t have any other hobbies because she worked so much. “I think I’m going to get her a bracelet.”
“A bracelet?” he asked. “That’s boring.”
I had something else picked out, but it was inappropriate to share. “A nice bracelet, to go with her nice clothes. I think she’ll like it.”
“Why do women like jewelry so much? It doesn’t do anything.”
I shrugged. “It makes them look pretty.”
“I think Cleo is pretty without it.”
I smiled. “Yeah. True. I think she’ll like this, though.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I’m going to have it engraved. It’ll say it’s from us.”
“I guess that’s pretty cool…”
The doors opened, and we walked through the lobby then got into my driver’s car. “So, ice cream first and shopping later?”
“Yeah,” Derek said excitedly. “I’m getting chocolate. What are you getting?”
“Vanilla.”
“I wish Cleo could come with us. She always gets a sundae.”
“Yeah.” I smiled. “But I’m sure she’ll come next time.”
Ten
Cleo
I walked in the door to Derek sitting on the couch, eating a snack, while Patricia worked in the kitchen. “Hey, Derek.”
He quickly chewed his apples so he wouldn’t talk with his mouth full. “Hey, Cleo. Dad and I went Christmas shopping yesterday. I think you’re gonna like what he got you.”
“Yeah?” I asked. “Now I’m excited.”
“But my gift is better.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure it is.” I went into the kitchen and saw Patricia pull out the tray from the oven. “Hey, Patricia. How are you?”
“Great. Just finished dinner. When will Mr. Hamilton be home?”
“He texted me and said he was on his way. I can take over from here.”
She pulled off her mitts and set them on the counter. “Anything you need before I go?”
“No, you’ve done great. Have a good Christmas.”
“You too, Cleo.” She turned away.
“Patricia?”
“Yes?” She turned back.
“How are you getting along with Mr. Hamilton?”
“Honestly, he’s an easy client. Doesn’t need much and doesn’t say much. My uncle was a very gifted man, so I’m kinda used to people like him at that point. But I do hope he warms up after a while…”
“Yeah, it took me a long time to break through those gates.”
“How does he feel about me?”
“No complaints, so that’s a good sign.” I smiled.
“Good. Well, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
She said goodbye to Derek before she grabbed her coat and left.
I plated the food and set the table. “What do you think about Patricia?”
“She’s cool,” Derek said as he watched TV. “She can’t really help me with my homework, though.”
“Your father can answer any questions you have when he gets back.” I set the table with a bottle of wine with two glasses and three glasses of water. “He should be here any minute.” I joined Derek in the living room, seeing his model on the coffee table so he could work on it while watching his shows. “Are you excited for Christmas break?”
He nodded. “Dad said we could go to the cabin.”
“Great. I love the cabin.”
“And then my birthday is right after Christmas.”
“What should we do?”
“I was going to ask Dad if I could have a birthday party at the planetarium.”
“Ooh…that’s a great idea.” I wished I’d thought of it myself.
The door opened, and Deacon walked inside, sexy as hell in his leather jacket and dark jeans. He shed his coat and hung it up on the hanger, then set his satchel on the entryway table. He wore a long-sleeved shirt underneath, dark gray. “Hey, baby.” He greeted me with a deep voice, a handsome smile, and a heart that was visible on his sleeve.
“Hey.” I felt life and excitement rush into me every time I saw him, like my heart would break because it couldn’t contain all the love inside.
He walked over to me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and he kissed me in front of his son. He tugged me close to his chest, wrapping me in warm affection that chased away the cold that swept across New York.
When he pulled back, he rubbed his nose against mine before he released me.
“Excited for Christmas break?”
“I usually go into the office alone, but I think this time, I’ll stay home with you guys.”
I smiled. “That’s nice.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be.” He kissed the corner of my mouth then turned to Derek.
Geez, I was so deep in love, it was ridiculous.
“Hey, little man.” Deacon
leaned down and kissed him on the head. “How was your last day of school?”
“Sad. I’m gonna miss everyone. But I’m also excited for Christmas.”
“Looks like dinner is ready. Get washed up, and we’ll eat.”
“Okay.” Derek went into the bathroom down the hallway to wash his hands.
Deacon walked to the table and sat down, taking a drink of the wine sitting there. “How was your day?”
“Good. Just busy.”
“Are you going to be busy during the holidays?”
I took a seat and grabbed my fork even though I would wait for Derek to join us. “Not really. Once the holidays come, people get busy and they travel, and they aren’t really here. I guess it’s kind of my vacation time.”
“Good.”
“And I thought about what you said, and I think I am going to talk to Mr. Kline about that raise.”
He took another sip and licked his lips. “You should.”
“There’s actually an apartment that just opened up next door, and it’s gorgeous. So close. If he gives me a thirty percent raise, I could afford it. I know the owner, so I asked if he could hold it for me until after the new year. He said yes.”
He held on to the stem of his glass and turned it gently, his eyes watching the light hit the edge. His good mood changed noticeably, lessened obviously. He took a drink then pushed the glass away entirely. “How about we don’t worry about the apartment right now?”
“That’s why I think it’s best to wait until after the holidays. Everyone is off and busy…”
“I mean…maybe you shouldn’t put the apartment on hold.”
“If I don’t, someone will take it.”
He turned to me, his eyes intense. “Maybe you should let someone take it.”
The meaning of his words was pretty clear, but I didn’t want to be wrong. My heart raced; my palms grew clammy. “Are you…asking me to move in with you?”
He stared for a long time, like he was searching for the right words to respond. “No. But…I don’t want you to leave either.”
That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear.
“There’s no rush. Let’s just see what happens.”
“Deacon, nice apartments don’t pop up often. I need to seize the opportunity while it’s available. It’s absolutely fine if you aren’t ready to live together. No hard feelings at all. But I do need to make my own arrangements.”
He stared at the table for a while. “I don’t want you to leave. Can we just…leave things the way they are for a while?”
I tried to be patient with him, to take into account his inability to adapt to modern situations. He wasn’t just trying to be shady, to send mixed signals. He was just struggling to understand what he wanted. “So, you like living with me?”
“I love it,” he said immediately.
“Then…why don’t I just live here, then?”
He didn’t answer for a long time. “Let’s just see where it goes.”
I found it odd he refused to commit, to formally ask me to move in, like he didn’t want to make it permanent. But I decided to concede, to take the risk and be patient with him. “Alright.” It would be cruel for him to let me live there for a couple months then change his mind once I was inconvenient for him. I believed Deacon wasn’t that kind of man, that he just needed time to get there on his own. It took him forever to realize he wanted to be with me, and he said he wanted forever, so I let it go.
His demeanor completely changed once the conversation was over. “You should get that raise anyway. Because you deserve it.”
Derek joined us at the table and ate without complaint.
That was when I dug into my food.
Deacon watched his son for a while, a hint of pride in his eyes, like he was happy to have him there, that the three of us were eating dinner together like a family.
I never imagined ending up with a man with a son. The single father thing had never appealed to me. But now I was living with the hottest bachelor in this city, a man with the biggest heart in the world, and his son was one of the best things about our relationship. I couldn’t believe this was real, that this was my life. I couldn’t believe I’d found this level of happiness just because he’d decided to live in this building.
I never wanted this feeling to end…and I prayed it wouldn’t.
We went to Deacon’s mother’s for Christmas Eve so Derek could open all his presents from her and Tucker. He got more presents than any child needed, and Margo spoiled him rotten. There were snickerdoodle cookies, hot cider, and Christmas snacks on the table. But the night was mostly for Derek—who had a great time.
When we went home, Derek was dead tired from all the excitement. Deacon made him walk from the car to the residence because he had to carry the bags of toys, and Derek swayed down the hallway, barely keeping his eyes open.
When we made it inside, Derek immediately went to his bedroom.
Deacon carried everything and set it on the floor by his bed before getting him changed and tucked in for the night. He didn’t make Derek brush his teeth, probably because he wanted him to stay tired. He kissed him goodnight, and then we returned to the living room.
“Should we get the presents?” I asked.
“Yeah. He might wake up early.”
We grabbed the presents from under Deacon’s bed and placed them under the tree, gifts I’d wrapped and marked from Santa. We also had a plate of cookies and milk to put out.
Deacon surveyed the tree, seeing all the gifts for Derek. “He’s a lucky kid…”
“Yeah. And it looks like Santa brought you something too.” I tapped one of the gifts with my shoe.
“What a coincidence. Santa brought you something too.” He grabbed the gift under the tree and handed it to me. It was wrapped in deep red wrapping paper with a gorgeous bow.
I hadn’t had it wrapped for him, and I was shocked he could throw this together himself. “He did?” I shook it slightly, like a child trying to figure out what was inside.
“Yeah. You should open it.”
“Right now?” I asked playfully.
“Yes.” He sat on the couch in front of the tree, the ornaments sparkling, the lights reflecting in his eyes. He was still in his coat because he hadn’t removed it, and his shoulders looked so broad and sexy.
I sat beside him and reached for a cookie from the center of the table. I took a big bite then returned it. “Now he’ll know Santa really came because you would never eat a cookie.” I smiled then ripped off the wrapping until I got to the box underneath. There was a Santa hat on top of red lingerie…very slutty lingerie. “Santa wants me to have this?”
He grinned, that handsome smile that made all women swoon. “I guess so.”
I put the hat on my head then picked up the lace so I could take a look at it. “Wow…I guess I’ve been naughty this year.” I returned it to the box. “And red heels…the whole outfit.”
His arm wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me close, his mouth next to mine. “Put it on for me.” His hand moved into my hair, and he pushed it back, looking at my lips like he wanted to kiss me hard. Lingerie on Christmas wasn’t original, but it was romantic, that he wanted me, wanted me to wear this for him so he could enjoy me until Christmas morning.
It made me feel sexy. It made me feel cherished. It made me feel loved. “Tell Santa I said thank you.”
He brought my face close to his and kissed me, a slow and seductive kiss, his fingers digging farther into my hair. He moved his mouth to the corner of mine then trailed hot kisses to my neck. “I want you on your hands and knees when I walk in there.”
I liked it when he was like this, when he used me to fulfill his fantasies. I picked up the box and walked into the bedroom before I changed. I slipped on the heels, adjusted the hat, and then got on my hands and knees at the edge of the bed. I arched my back and looked over my shoulder as I waited.
He walked in a moment later, shutting the door behind himself as he s
tared at me, his brown eyes intense, dirty, lustful. He slowly walked toward me as he pulled his sweater over his head, revealing his chiseled body. His jeans came next, his boxers last. With his cock throbbing and hard, he stepped up behind me, grabbing me by the neck and keeping my gaze on his. “Fuck.” He guided his dick to my entrance and slid inside me while he gripped my neck, pushing until his balls were the only thing left. He let his dick sit inside me for a bit, like he was enjoying the entrance, savoring the tightness. He released my neck and grabbed my hips, slowly moving in and out, like he was just feeling me, looking down at my perky ass and the deep curve in my back. After a quiet moan, his fingers dug into my flesh harder, and then he pounded into me hard, making me call out with every thrust. He fucked me so hard that I couldn’t keep my mouth shut, so he grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my face into the sheets, so he could fuck me as hard as he wanted and muffle my cries. “Fuck…baby.”
When I woke up the next morning, I was a wreck.
My hair was a mess, my makeup was a shitshow, and I was still in the red lingerie I’d put on last night. The Santa hat was right beside me. I’d been too tired to do my nightly ritual before bed, and once the fucking was over, I went straight to sleep.
Deacon must have already been awake because he said, “Merry Christmas, baby.”
I turned my head and glanced at him, seeing him prop himself up on one elbow, looking down at me with messy hair, affectionate eyes. “Merry Christmas.” My eyes finally focused on his handsome face, seeing the love of my life at my side on this special morning. My holidays were always spent in isolation, waking up to an empty apartment that was cold because I didn’t want to pay extra to keep the place cozy. But now I woke up to this beautiful soul, the man who could make love to me so tenderly then fuck me like I meant nothing in the same night.
He moved on top of me, separating my thighs with his, his forehead resting against mine. He got me into position before he slid inside me, probably touching the come he’d released the night before, and rocked into me, so gentle, as if he were trying to make up for his aggression the night before.
The Man Who Has No Sight (Soulless Book 4) Page 13