Chance’s eyes grew wide with her opened mouth. “She did? I’m going to go see.”
I turned my attention back to the glare on Paxton’s face. “Get the girls,” he ordered.
My hands went into the air, defensively, stopping him right there. “Oh no, I’m not doing it. They just got in there. You go get them. I’m scared.”
Paxton couldn’t help it. He snickered a little, and so did I. Tension eased between us with a simple smile and a look. A look that I didn’t understand, and I was pretty sure he didn’t either. An understanding that neither of us understood.
“Can I bribe them with ice-cream?”
“And putt-putt golf?”
“Humph,” he grunted as the idea sunk in. “I like it, I haven’t golfed in ages. Let’s do it partner.”
My heart exploded with glitter again, and I didn’t understand that either. One little word had the same effect on me as making love. Partner.
Fortunately, the bribe worked. Paxton lured them away from their friend and the play-place, dangling the carrot in front of their noses. Suckers.
Neither Candace nor Lane acknowledged that we were even there. Not even a glance. The girls and I said goodbye to Chance, but that was it. I didn’t even look their way.
Ice cream and miniature golf was the icing on the cake. Paxton sucked at aiming the ball, and he sucked at being a loser even more. I found it comical as did our giggling girls. Rowan and Phi were even better than him. Of course he let us all win. Of course.
The sun was just about to disappear for the day as we made our way back to the cul-de-sac. A burnt red sky paved the way, ending a pretty good day. I turned to the girls when I heard the click, knowing exactly what it was. Rowan sat behind her dad, Ophelia was behind me, and their hands rested in the middle. Magic stones coming together with a click, click, click, over and over while they stared out the window, lost in their own little worlds.
Paxton pulled his hand from his pocket, placing his hand on the center console, black stone in hand.
Crap.
“It’s at home on the nightstand,” I confessed with an apologetic smile.
“You suck at magic stones, just so you know.”
I chuckled and placed my hand over his stone, loving the way his fingers wrapped around my hand.
I did however have to go upstairs after my stone once the girls were bathed and settled into Rowan’s bed for a story. There was no way I could go to the shower without charging it with power. What was I thinking? I had suggested they power up with their dad while I soaked in a tub of bubbles. That didn’t go over well, but I didn’t stay long. I was serious when I said I wanted to go soak in a hot tub of lavender. My head hurt, but not bad, just a dull ache, enough to make me not feel the best.
I finally left them both with kisses half way into the book Rowan was engaged in reading. She really was quite the reader. Paxton had to help her sound a couple of the bigger words, but for being six, she killed it. Made me extremely proud.
“Keep reading, I’ll be right back.”
I stopped in the hall, knowing that break was for me. “You okay?”
I did try to hide that surprised look?
“What? You look like you don’t feel good.”
I shook my head a little and kissed him. “You didn’t ask me if I was okay when I couldn’t even stand for five minutes. I have a little headache and you’re concerned?”
“It’s never going to be real if you keep holding on to this stuff, Gabriella.”
I almost said something smart, something about him kicking my crutches out from under me when I couldn’t walk on my own, but I didn’t. “Yeah, you’re not the one that has to let it all go. It’s hard. I’m fine. I just have a little headache. I’m going to go soak in a hot bubble bath for a little while. Go finish up with the girls.”
Paxton stared at me briefly while taking in a long breath of air. “Go upstairs.”
“I want my tub.”
“That’s not your tub anymore. Go upstairs.”
“Okay, but I don’t want to do the video tonight.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t. We’ve had a good day. I don’t want to ruin it.”
“Dad, are you coming?” Rowan called from her knees, peeking out to the hall from the foot of her bed.
“Go read with them, I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“I’m coming,” Paxton said as he took my hand. Of course the magic in our hands had to click, two stones coming together as one. One step forward and I was against the wall with a knee pressed right between my legs. Instant euphoric endorphins rushed my body quicker than lightening. “Do you believe in magic, Gabriella,” he asked in that damn husky rasp he used, usually when he was inside of me. His tongue slid between my lips while his knee pressed harder into my suddenly awake clit. Traitor.
“Jesus, God, Pax,” I exclaimed with my hands flat on his chest, trying like hell to get him off of me.
The same sexy words were spoken warmly to my throat. “Continue on, Mrs. Pierce?”
I held in a moan when Paxton jerked my hair, forcing me to look up to him. “You better stop. I’m about to take my clothes off.
That cooled his attempt of being a dominant sex God long enough for me to get away from him. I sucked at playing games. I never won and just like always, I bit the hook, swallowing it whole. Dumb, dumb, fish.
Taking a bath in Paxton’s tub was going to take some getting used to. Not that it wasn’t nice, it was. It was just different. My body was used to the way mine fit. His was too long, and didn’t feel like it hugged me the way mine did. Or maybe I was just looking for every little thing I could find for this not to be real.
Real scared the hell out of me. What if it wasn’t real? Nonetheless, I soaked in the floral scent, relaxing just fine. The hot steam felt amazing on my body, but did little for the dull ache right behind my eyes.
I don’t know the exact time I stayed in the water, but it was long enough for my fingers to start wrinkling. I got out, wondering why Paxton hadn’t come up. It had to have been at least twenty-five minutes. I didn’t have those kids that went full force half the night. Neither one of them could make it past nine o’clock. Of course that was probably due to having Paxton as a father. Captain consistency.
I wrapped my head in a towel, cussing under my breath because I couldn’t find my favorite robe. The soft white one I’d just washed and hung on the back—I stopped looking and stopped cussing my husband when I remembered where it was. My guess was still on the hook, hanging on the back of the bathroom door. I slid on one of Paxton’s long t-shirts instead. Why he even had the shirt was beyond me. Something his guys got him for Christmas I presumed. I was sure he’d never worn the tacky blue shirt that said ‘I’m the boss’ in pink letters.
I stuck my head out from the railing, wondering where Paxton was when he still hadn’t come up. The light illuminating from his office explained why. I groaned while scrubbing my wet hair with the towel, and then descended the steps.
“What are you doing? I thought you were coming upstairs.”
Paxton looked over the frames of his glasses and smiled. “You think you’re the boss?”
I looked down at his shirt and smiled, too, almost forgetting that I had put it on. “Watcha doing?”
“Working, come here.”
“Why are you working on a Saturday night?”
Paxton shrugged and slid his chair back for me to sit. “I don’t know, I didn’t mean to be this long.”
I sat on his lap, pulled my knees to my chest, and looked at his screen. “Are you building that?” I questioned, seeing the pool on the screen.
“Yeah, and he wants a waterfall, guess how I’m doing it?”
“Recycled concrete and cement?”
“Yes, I love it. Best idea ever.”
“When are you going to build one for the girls?”
“You’re not wearing panties. I don’t know, maybe next month.”
“Didn’t think I needed them.”
“You don’t,” Paxton said with a kiss to my arm. His fingers ran back and forth over my inner thigh, close to my naked sex, but not touching me. Not quite. A soft touch to my lips now and then, but that was it.
“Let’s go to bed.”