Chapter 12 #2
She comes to give me a hug this time, then Sophia throws her arms around the woman’s stomach, gripping her midsection with all her might.
This girl loves big. It’s easy to see that.
“I love you, Sophia,” Pearl says fondly, wrapping an arm around her back before heading out the door.
I lock it, even with the men guarding from the outside. One can never be too careful.
“Come on, let’s go see what kind of stuff you got!” Sophia dashes toward the staircase, and I follow.
As soon as I enter the bedroom, she climbs up on the bed while I start unzipping the first piece of luggage that’s waiting for me on the floor.
Inside, I find all kinds of pants and more shirts than I know what to do with. I start on the other, carefully opening it.
“I hope there are dresses in there!” Sophia creeps toward the edge of the bed and waits with excitement bubbling out of her.
“What do you think is in there?” I glance up, donning a smile, and she taps her temple thoughtfully.
“Underwear and socks.” Her giggles flare across the room, and it gives me butterflies.
There is something about a child’s laugh. It’s like the cure to all the sadness in the world. If only they could bottle it up.
As I start to open it, I see that there are in fact dresses, all kinds of them.
She jumps off the bed and plops beside me. “Ooh! Try this one on!”
Her hands dig out a green one, the color of the sea, flaring at the waist.
And I do. I try on as many as she wants, hearing her laughter and wanting more of it. We spend hours laughing together, getting to know one another. And every day, we’ll only get closer.
But I realize that one day I’ll have to leave her and break her heart, and that only breaks mine.
MICHAEL
As I ready to leave the office, my assistant, Ashley, hands me a cup of coffee to go.
“Is there anything else you need today, sir?” She flips her shoulder-length blonde hair back.
“No, that’s all. Thanks. Have a good evening.”
She nods, picking up her tablet from the corner of my desk, and leaves the office.
Gathering my keys and phone from the desk, I prepare to head out too, ready to be home with my girl. I’d spend all my free time with her if I could, but I’m the one in charge of our company, and I need to ensure it’s being run smoothly.
As soon as we opened the upscale bars and restaurants, I started a corporation.
It makes us appear legitimate in the eyes of everyone else, especially the law.
We may have some of them in our pocket, but there’s always a new fed sniffing, hoping to be the one to finally bring down the infamous Messina crime family.
That won’t happen, not with me at the reins. They won’t find anything. We’re good at what we do. The dirty money is well hidden. They’d never trace any of it back to us. All they’re doing is wasting their time.
I step out of the office, slipping into the elevator.
I hadn’t heard from Elsie since her texts, nor did I see anything alarming on the cameras I have installed all over the estate.
It took everything in me not to go back home as soon as I left for the day.
I’m not used to leaving Sophia alone with a stranger.
It’s either family or Mabel who watches her when I’m not there, but if Elsie is to be my wife, I have to start trusting her with my daughter. But shit, that’s hard to do.
Earlier, I watched them on the laptop at work as they splashed around in the pool, laughing together like they’ve known each other for years. I was damn jealous that my daughter was having more fun with a stranger than her father.
As soon as they came out, Sophia lay on Elsie’s shoulder on the lounger and Elsie stroked her hair like she was already her mother. Like she cared about my little girl.
I shut it off immediately after that, my chest heavy at the sight of them together. My daughter will never have that. And Elsie may not have wanted to say it, but I’m not enough. I never will be.
Stepping out of the elevator, I enter the garage and get into my Tesla Roadster, the car I drive when I know I don’t have to get Sophia from school.
The drive home is quick. Once I get off the highway and make it the few short blocks to our house, I park right in the garage. And as soon as I enter the house, I hear Sophia giggle.
“Just wait until Daddy sees—”
“Sees what?” I ask with a tilt of a brow, dropping my keys on the counter.
I find Elsie on a chair, and I can’t quite see her face because my daughter is in front of her with a makeup brush in hand.
“Daddy!” Sophia yelps, running into my arms.
That’s when I see Elsie, and her face…well, I know immediately that’s my daughter’s handiwork. I fight a laugh because the amount of makeup on her face is ridiculous, but she’s happy. She’s damn right grinning as she shrugs.
“Look how pretty she looks, Daddy!” Sophia pulls my hand until I’m standing right in front of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
My gaze roams every inch of her.
“She is that,” I mutter, almost under my breath. “You did a great job on her cheeks, princess. They’re so…uh…pink.”
Like I bet another part of her is. Images filter through my mind of her tangled around my body, my cock buried inside her, my name on her lips…
“Thank you, Daddy. Want me to do yours now?”
“Uh, maybe next time.” I scowl internally at the thought.
“Oh, come on, Daddy.” Elsie rises off the chair, her body almost touching mine, her tone seductive as hell.
Her hair flows past her shoulders as her hand slinks out, her fingertips gently grazing around the side of my neck, and I instantly harden. Not just my cock, but every goddamn muscle in my body.
She bores her eyes into mine. “Let the girl have a little fun.”
My jaw tenses and my hand snaps to her nape. I yank her to me until my mouth lines up against her ear. “You’re trouble, you know that?”
I hear her sharp inhale, and it warms every cold inch of my heart.
“So, Daddy, can I?” Sophia pulls on my suit jacket.
Reluctantly, I retreat back from this woman—this tempting woman who’s like a magnet, pulling me in until I forget everything I swore I’d never have.
“It smells good in here. Did you guys make something?” I planned on cooking as soon as I got home, but it looks like I may not have to.
“Yep.” Sophia answers. “We made dinner. We just finished. After I do your makeup, we can eat.”
I chuckle. I was hoping the food would distract her from the makeup, but I should’ve known better.
I look back at Elsie, whose fingers now brush past the spot below her ear, the same place my mouth had been. I like knowing she’s still thinking about it. About me.
The new clothes I got her already seem to fit quite well. A little too well.
Fuck.