by Tessa Bailey
Seeing the love showered on Gabby from Jonah and her family every two weeks had led Renee to agree to overnight stays twice a month. Tonight would be their first.
They reached the stoop of their brownstone then, Jonah’s stoic expression telling her how nervous he was for the visit. Two-hour visits with Gabby were one thing, but a full night represented a whole new ballgame. Anxious for the chance to comfort him, since Jonah was usually the one comforting her, Caroline draped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. Immediately, his hands went to her hips to pull her closer, the way she craved.
“It’s going to be fine.” She massaged the back of his neck until his eyes closed. “She’s going to adore her new bedroom. We’re going to spoil her and send her home dying to come back. Just like every other time, but longer.”
“I can’t believe she asked for a dragon-themed bedroom.” He shook his head. “After all the pink flowers and princesses I waded through…”
Caroline pressed her forehead against his chest and laughed. “I think our motto with Gabby is ‘Expect the unexpected.’”
“Yeah.” Jonah focused his intensity on her. “I know someone else like that.”
A familiar hunger rippled in her belly. “Last night—”
“Don’t. If we talk about it, I’m going to drag you inside and do it again.”
Caroline laid her lips on top of his. “She has to go to sleep sometime.”
He melded their mouths together in a mind-bending kiss. “I’m counting on it.”
“Good God.” Oliver’s voice interrupted the direction of their thoughts as he approached them on the sidewalk, carrying a fistful of balloons. “I didn’t know you guys made out in public without a camera crew to record it.”
Reluctantly, she stepped away from Jonah. He drew her back into the circle of his arms with a grunt. “Could you let it go, Oliver?”
He pretended to consider it. “Nope. Never.”
Jonah shook his head and laid a kiss on her temple. A moment later, Caroline felt the tension build in his body. Knowing what it meant, she eased away from him and took his hand. The three of them watched, tentative smiles on their faces, as Renee’s station wagon pulled up along the curb. Before Renee had even turned off the engine, Gabby jumped out of the passenger side wearing heart-shaped red sunglasses.
“All right.” She tossed her sandy blond hair over her shoulder. “Let’s do this, Dad. I’ve got rainbow sherbet and a Disney movie with my name on it.”
Oliver burst out laughing beside them, but Jonah merely reached out his hand. “I’ve got something to show you first.”
They all walked to Gabby’s park.
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Acknowledgments
As always, to my husband and daughter, thank you for putting up with me. This book meant lots of trips to the park to get out of my hair, and I appreciated the silence very much. I love you both.
To my editors, Heather Howland and Kari Olson, thank you for all your amazing work and helpful suggestions to make this book the best it could be. Not to mention the beautiful cover, designed by Heather.
To Cari Quinn and Katee Robert for coming up with the particulars of Serve right alongside me and beta-reading the book. Thank you for being just as excited as I was about these characters/ideas.
To Christine Smith for reading an early draft and helping me fine-tune the dominant/submissive relationship between Jonah and Caroline. Your insight was invaluable.
To a certain Greek family who inspired the dynamic/working relationship between Caroline/Oliver/Philip Preston, I won’t mention you by name, but thank you just the same.
About the Author
NYT and USA TODAY bestselling author Tessa Bailey lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, she enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.
www.tessabailey.com
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