She fits in so well with us, it’s as if she’s always been here.
I pull into the driveway, and when I open the door, she opens hers as well.
“Wait for me,” I instruct her, then walk around to the passenger side of the truck. I offer her my hand and help her down to the concrete. Before she can walk away, I pin her against the door, the way I did yesterday, in this same spot. “Come to my place tonight. Have dinner with Piper and me.”
“Reed, I want to—”
“Great.”
“But I have—”
“Work,” I finish for her. “You have to eat, and my place isn’t out of the way.”
I see her softening. I lean in closer and press my lips to her ear.
“I want to spend time with you. Say yes.”
“Yes. I’ll come.”
Hopefully, I’ll have her coming sooner rather than later.
I kiss her, just below her ear, and breathe in her citrus scent. Her hair is soft against my nose.
I want to crush her to me and devour her. God, I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want Noel.
But that’s for later.
“I’ll text you my address,” I say as I pull back.
“I’ll be there in an hour.”
* * * *
“How did you know that Broadway Bar & Grill is my favorite?” Noel tosses the empty to-go containers in the trash.
“I didn’t. It’s my favorite,” I reply with a smile.
“I always get the BLT,” she continues. “And you somehow knew to get that for me. Are you stalking me?”
“I don’t have time to stalk you,” I reply as I lean against the countertop, watching as she tidies the kitchen. I told her she didn’t have to do that, but she just shrugged and did it anyway.
Honestly, I’m too tired to argue. If the woman wants to clean the kitchen, I say, let her.
This time.
“I’m ready,” Piper announces as she walks into the kitchen. She’s in her jammies, ready for her nightly reading time.
“I should go,” Noel says, and my stomach tightens.
I don’t want her to go.
Not yet.
“I want Noel to read to me,” Piper says. “Please?”
“Oh, I suppose I can do that,” Noel says with a surprised smile. “Sure. Do you have a favorite book?”
“Yeah, come on,” Piper says, taking Noel’s hand and leading her to her temporary bedroom. I can hear their voices as they get settled on the bed.
I tidy up, putting Piper’s snow suit and boots in the closet, her socks in the laundry. I reach for a damp sponge and wipe down the countertops.
Once all of that is done, I walk to the bedroom and listen as Noel finishes the first story.
“You read good,” Piper says around a yawn.
“Thanks. Does your daddy read to you at bedtime?”
“Yeah, he reads good, too. I like stories. Mommy used to read to me.”
“I like to read books, as well,” Noel says.
“What kind of books do you like?”
“Hmm. Fairy tales for grown-ups, I guess.”
“I like princess stories,” Piper says and yawns again.
“I think you’re ready for sleep.”
“I’m not tired.”
It’s the same every night, and it seems it doesn’t matter who’s tucking her in.
Good to know.
“Goodnight, sweet girl.”
I walk into the kitchen and pour two glasses of wine, just as Noel returns from Piper’s room.
“She’s beautiful,” Noel says.
“Thank you.” I pass her a glass and take a sip from mine.
“I’d like to know more about both of you.”
“Well, then, let’s sit and talk for a while, shall we?”
Chapter Five
~Noel~
The building Reed’s condo is in isn’t just down the block from mine, it’s literally next door. So, walking over for dinner wasn’t a hardship.
And staying to read to his daughter made me the most relaxed I’ve been in a long time.
These two are quickly worming their way into my heart, and it’s both exhilarating and a little scary.
“What would you like to know?” Reed asks as we settle on his plush couch. I toe off my shoes and rest my feet on the ottoman in front of me, my wine cradled in my hands. Reed shifts to face me and rests his elbow on the back cushions. “I’m an open book.”
“I am, too,” I say before taking a sip of my wine. “I feel like I know you, but I really don’t know you at all. Are you from Seattle?”
“Yes,” he replies. “I grew up in Issaquah. My dad was a firefighter, and Mom was a high school principal.”
“Siblings?” I ask.
“No,” he says. “I’m an only child, but my best friend, Elijah, has been like a brother to me since we were in grade school. He’s my business partner.”
“Wow.” I blink and shift so I’m facing him, one leg under the other. “You both decided to go into finance?”
“Not at first. He was going to be a pro-football player, but he got hurt in college, and his path shifted a bit. I’ll admit, I’m glad.”
“I bet.” I smile and lay my head on my hand, my elbow also resting on the back of the couch. “I have a sister. Joy is exactly one year older than me. We were both born on Christmas Eve.”
“Joy and Noel,” he says and smiles.
“Christmas names. Our mom passed away a few years ago, which was hard. Dad, especially, has struggled, but I talked to my sister yesterday, and she said Dad has a date on Saturday. Maybe he’s starting to heal.”
“I hope he is,” Reed says. His dark eyes are kind. He’s watching me, truly listening.
“Me, too. Are you close to your parents?”
“I wouldn’t say we’re close, but we’re not estranged. I see them on holidays. They don’t live in Washington anymore. They haven’t even met Piper yet, but I think they’re planning to make a trip up after the new year.”
I nod and sip my wine. “I have some personal questions, too.”
“Sweetheart, if I have my way, you and I are headed for as personal as it gets, so ask all of the questions you want.”
I tip up an eyebrow. “I do like your honesty.”
“There’s no need to be anything but honest.”
“You’re right. Okay, how did Piper come to be? And don’t give me the whole when a mommy loves a daddy line.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I dated a woman for a while. I never let it get as serious as she wanted, which I know makes me sound like an ass. She broke things off, and I didn’t look back. I figured she was just finished, and we both moved on with our lives. Flash forward almost five years to about two months ago. I was in my office, and a woman showed up with Piper and said, ‘She’s your daughter.’”
I feel my jaw drop. “No written notice? Nothing?”
“If they sent anything in writing, I never got it,” he says. “The woman had a note from Piper’s mom addressed to me, asking me to take care of our daughter.”
“So you didn’t know until two months ago that you had a daughter?”
“No.”
“You took her in, bought her a new house, and basically turned your life upside down for her.”
He frowns and looks down into his mostly empty glass. “I would have done the same if Vanessa had told me when she was pregnant. Though I probably still wouldn’t have married her. Again, I know I’m an ass.”
“You didn’t love her,” I reply, my voice calm. “That’s not a crime.”
“No, I suppose not.”
“What happened to Vanessa?” I ask. “And why didn’t she tell you? Aren’t you mad at her?”
“I’m angry at her for not telling me about Piper before, yes. I missed so many years, so many firsts that I’ll never get back. But part of me knows why she didn’t tell me. Was it wrong of her? Yes, absolutely, but I think she was afraid of how I’d take the
news. I can only guess that those are her reasons because she didn’t leave me any other explanation. She passed from cancer,” he says and sips his wine. “According to the paperwork I got, she had an aggressive form.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I reply. “Poor Piper.”
“She was devastated. She still talks about her a lot, and I encourage her to. For the first couple of weeks, she was pretty depressed. Didn’t want to eat much or play. She was grieving.”
“Of course she was. I was twenty-six when I lost my mom, and I’m still grieving. I can’t imagine being four, confused, and in a new home with a stranger.”
“Exactly,” he says and reaches over to take my hand in his. His skin is warm and smooth. “But she’s coming out of her shell. She likes her preschool, and I have her in counseling once a week, just to make sure she’s adjusting well.”
“I have to tell you, I know you’re new to this whole parenthood thing, but I think you’re rocking it.”
“You do?”
His eyes are full of hope and vulnerability, and I want to pull him in for a hug.
So I do.
I push up to my knees and gather Reed close, hugging him tightly. “I do,” I whisper. “She’s lucky to have you. And I can see that she loves you very much, even after just a couple of months.”
His arms tighten around me, and the next thing I know, he shifts me into his lap, and the roles are reversed. Now, he’s cradling me.
In those strong, muscly arms of his.
I’ve never wanted anyone to kiss me so badly in my life.
He slowly lowers his lips to mine and pauses, just as our mouths touch. His eyes are open, watching me as if he’s waiting for me to tell him to stop.
There’s no way I want to stop him.
I plunge my fingers into the thick, dark hair at the nape of his neck, and he must take that as an invitation because he goes from hot to boiling in one-point-one seconds.
His mouth is firm, and he knows his way around a girl’s lips.
He cups my cheek in his palm and deepens the kiss.
A soft moan fills the air, and it takes me a minute to realize it’s coming from me.
“You’re so damn sweet,” he whispers as he shifts the angle. His hand roams from my cheek, down my neck, and over my breast where my nipple strains against my bra. He gently brushes his fingers over the tight nub, and then that magical hand of his keeps roaming farther south.
He slips his finger under the waistband of the leggings I changed into before coming over here, and just when I think he’s going to make it to the part of me most yearning for him, we hear a tiny voice.
“Daddy?”
I’ve never moved so fast in my life. We spring apart, and Reed flies to his feet.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“Are you cuddling with Noel?”
I cover my mouth and stifle a laugh.
“Yeah, we were just cuddling. Are you okay?”
“I need a drink of water.”
“Okay, come with me.”
Reed takes Piper to get a drink and then leads her back to bed. I put on my shoes and gather my jacket and handbag. When he returns, I see the disappointment in his eyes as he sees I’m ready to go.
“I’m sorry,” he says as his shoulders slump.
“No, you have nothing to be sorry about. I had a great evening.” I don’t hesitate to walk to him and loop my arms around his middle, pressing my ear to his chest. “Besides, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Damn right you will. We have unfinished business.”
I laugh and look up at him. “I’m finishing your house tomorrow. You and Piper should come around six for the grand reveal.”
“We’ll be there,” he says. “I wish I could walk you home. I don’t like the idea of you walking alone at this time of night.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assure him. “I’m in the building next door.”
“That close?”
“Yep.”
“And all this time, I never met you,” he murmurs as he lightly rubs the pad of his thumb across my lips.
“There are a lot of people in Seattle.” I kiss his thumb and smile when his eyes darken with lust. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Text me when you get home.”
“Yes, sir.”
He smirks and watches me as I walk down the hall to the elevator. His tall, lean form is the last thing I see as the doors close.
I let out a long breath and, now that I’m alone, fan my face. Damn, that man is potent. Sexy as hell, and so sweet with his daughter.
I’m already in deep.
* * * *
I want every detail to be perfect. The crews left about an hour ago, but I’ve been working my way through the house, making small adjustments and fussing here and there. I’ve never been so nervous for a client to see a finished product before.
At exactly six, the doorbell rings, and I take a moment to smooth my hands down my red skirt and check my hair in a mirror before I hurry to open the door.
“Welcome home,” I say with a bright smile. “Before you come inside, I’d like to step out and hear your thoughts on the outside.”
The sun has set, but it’s not quite dark yet. The lights are on, twinkling in every tree, shrub, and on all the rocks. Red bows and garland are draped on the porch. If it would just snow for me, it would look like something out of a Currier and Ives painting.
“It’s so pretty!” Piper says with excitement. “I like the lights.”
“I do, too,” Reed says, watching me. “Very pretty.”
“You haven’t even looked at the lights,” I murmur, but he just flashes that slow, sexy smile that makes my stomach tighten.
“Very pretty, indeed.”
“I wanna see inside,” Piper says.
“Okay, let’s do it.” I open the door for them and immediately lead them up the stairs. “Let’s begin our tour upstairs, shall we?”
More garland and ribbons weave and loop on the banister leading up the stairs. Bits and baubles in festive colors sit on the hall tables, and I took the liberty of buying winter-themed art for the walls.
“You went above and beyond,” Reed says behind me.
“We’ve barely scratched the surface. Let’s start with your dad’s room,” I say to Piper, wanting to keep the anticipation of her room building.
I open the door to Reed’s bedroom, and he lets out a long, low whistle.
The tree standing in front of the French doors is lit and twinkling in the low light. I used burgundy and greens in his room, keeping in theme with the masculine feel of the space.
“This is great. Not too busy, not overdone,” Reed says, looking around.
“No, simple and classy fits you best,” I reply and feel my cheeks heat when he slides his hand into mine, linking our fingers.
“I love it.”
“I’m glad.”
“Now, my room!” Piper yells and hurries across the hall. She flings open the door, and then stops short, her brown eyes wide with excitement. “Wow!”
“Wow is right,” Reed says when we join her.
There’s a matching Christmas tree in front of her doors, but this one is draped in pink and cream-colored ribbons and ornaments, with bunnies sitting on the branches.
“So many bunnies,” Piper breathes.
“Well, your wish is my command when it comes to holiday décor,” I remind them both and can’t help but smile as we watch Piper inspect every single bunny, holding her own precious rabbit close to her chest.
“What are these bunnies?” Piper asks, pointing next to her bed.
“Those are bunny slippers,” I inform her. “You have a matching robe in the bathroom.”
Piper runs into the bathroom and squeals in delight.
“You decorated the bathroom, too?” Reed asks as he looks inside. More pink bunnies, more ribbons, and even a small tree on the corner of the vanity greet us.
“Of course.” I wink down at Piper, who
wraps her arms around my leg and gives me a huge hug.
“Thank you,” she says.
“You’re most welcome.”
I show them to the guest rooms, where the design is simple and neutral, with reds, and gold and silver accents.
Then we make our way downstairs.
Each of the white kitchen cabinets have wreaths hanging on red ribbons. I brought in red blankets for the couches, pillows that say Joy to the World and Naughty or Nice?
“This should be featured in a magazine,” Reed says as they take everything in.
“Look outside,” Piper says, pointing to the lights strung across the outdoor living space.
Reed pushes back the accordion door, only a quarter of the way because it’s quite cold today in Seattle, and we step out. We can see boats gliding over the water of the Sound, but it’s the lights and the outdoor pillows on the furniture that have Piper’s attention.
“I hope you like it.”
Reed turns to me and pulls me in for a tight hug. Clients have hugged me in excitement before, but it’s usually the female ones that do so.
Not hot, sexy men that I’m pretty sure want in my pants.
His spicy scent surrounds me. I could get lost in him.
“Why is the tree in here naked?” Piper asks as she walks back into the house.
“Good question,” Reed says, looking down at me. “The living room tree doesn’t have any ornaments.”
“Well, this is the tree we picked out together,” I say as Reed closes the glass doors. “Once Bob cut it down a bit, we got it set up.”
I glance at Reed, who just narrows his eyes on me, but they’re full of humor.
It was totally too big for this space.
“A girl should decorate her own Christmas tree,” I say at last. “I have a box of ornaments ready to go. I’m even cooking you guys dinner, and I might have baked cookies for dessert.”
Okay, so I’ve never baked cookies for a client before, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted everything to be just perfect, just so. I like spending time with them both so much, and I wanted to spend more time with them this evening, past the simple reveal of the decorations.
Piper jumps up and down in excitement, and Reed just watches me, his hands shoved into his pockets, and I wonder if I’ve overstepped.
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