Chapter 23 #2
When April went to bring her favorite scarf from the foyer, with Peyton trailing after her, I kept my eyes trained on Val.
She caught me looking and blushed, but I didn’t take my eyes off her.
Even though I was sitting in the opposite corner of the room, the sexual tension filling the air was palpable.
Eventually Val focused on rearranging some outfits on the bed.
I loved it when she wouldn’t even look at me because she was afraid that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to resist me.
I left the room shortly after the girls returned, partly because I couldn’t stand being so close to Val and not touching her or imagining how our life would look if she was permanently part of it, and partly because the activity was too girly for me.
By the time I finished drafting the third document, it was ten o’clock.
I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes, which had started to hurt.
I’d just opened up a document with some statutes I wanted to brush up on when Val joined me in my home office.
She came next to me and leaned against the desk.
“How are the girls?”
“They fell asleep in April’s bed. We had so much fun. April has great taste in fashion. And we discovered we have the same shoe size, which means I might lend her shoes at some point.”
I glared at her.
“What?”
“Every pair of shoes I’ve seen on you is inappropriate.”
“What? You loved them.”
“On you. Not my teenage niece.”
“Double standard much?”
I let out a low growl. Val grinned.
“You know what, you had me all convinced that you’re this laid-back uncle… but you’re not. I’m going to switch teams. The other team needs me more.”
“I see.”
“I love that you keep their parents’ memory alive,” she said unexpectedly.
“I don’t want the girls to forget them, Peyton especially. She was a baby when they passed away, and I think that mentioning little facts now and then makes the girls feel as if they knew their mom and dad without making them sad. They miss them.”
“And you miss your sister.”
“I do. In the beginning it was honestly a little painful to look at April, because she looks so much like Hannah. I hope my sister is happy with the way I’m raising her girls.”
“I have no doubt that she is.” She watched me with warm eyes. “How did it happen?”
“They went skiing and were caught in an avalanche. It was an excruciating time, especially while the search went on. We were all hoping they’d make it out, and then…. It was tough.”
“I can imagine.”
“I have no idea how I kept it together.”
“You’re a strong man, Carter.”
“My parents were devastated. Especially Dad.”
“How is he? I think you mentioned he had hip surgery.”
“Just spoke to Mom today. His recovery is slow. It’s a good thing she’s there with him, even though the girls miss her.”
Val glanced at my laptop. “Are you done with that?”
In response, I shut it off, then immediately pulled Val into my lap.
“Thanks for coming here today.”
“My pleasure. Though I think I’ve given April shopping ideas that are dangerous for your credit card. Maybe I should have warned you before that I’m known for giving dangerous shopping ideas. My sisters keep telling me so.”
“They do?”
“Oh, yeah. I gave them the shopping bug when we were kids. It was mostly at thrift stores, but people seriously underestimate those. You can find gems. I even had a sewing machine for repairs or alterations. Spent many evenings on it after I returned from the pub.”
“That sounds like your days were long.”
“They were.”
“Did you ever feel like you were failing?”
“Very often.”
That surprised me. “I feel like that almost every week.”
Val placed a kiss on my jaw, then went on to my neck, which made it hard to think.
“I have an outsider’s point of view, and I can tell you that you’re not.”
“But you might be biased because you like me so much.”
She straightened up, looking me straight in the eyes. “Nope, I’m one hundred percent objective.”
“So you sewed after you returned from the pub, huh? And you also planned your business?”
“Well, I didn’t do it at the same time. I only started planning once everyone was old enough to sew their own clothes without losing any fingers.”
“Free time wasn’t a thing for you back then, I take it?”
She laughed. “You could say that. By the time I opened the business though, everyone was older. They didn’t need me so much and I didn’t even know what to do with so much free time. So I basically did the jobs of three people for years.”
“I know what you mean. You condition and train yourself for so long that it’s the only thing you know. It becomes your normal.”
“Exactly. Everyone was telling me I had to slow down, but I was like, what are you talking about? This is slowing down. I’m doing better now, though. I have a healthy balance, and I enjoy my chill life and my time off.”
I stilled, hoping that my less than “chill” life wouldn’t scare her away, because I needed this woman in my life.
Val and I had been dealt similar life blows, only we were at different stages.
She had those busy years behind her and was enjoying her freedom, while I would still be in the thick of it for the next ten years.
I traced kisses along her jawline, then down the column of her throat. She shuddered, and I moved my lips over her collarbone, up to her shoulder, pushing off one strap.
“What should I do about this dress? It covers far too much.”
“Take it off?”
I smiled against her skin, finding the hem and lifting it up to her knees, which were propped at my sides, then further up her thighs until her legs were completely on display.
But then Peyton’s voice sounded throughout the apartment, calling me.
I took in a deep breath, trying to compose myself. “I’m going to move Peyton to her room. It might take a while for her to fall asleep. Do you want to spend the night here?”
The muscles around my middle clenched. I hadn’t planned on asking her this yet. I’d figured I would ease her in, take things one step at a time. But now every fiber of my being was strummed tight, waiting for her answer.
“Are you sure?”
“If you’d rather not—”
“I want to.”
I looked her straight in the eyes, trying to gauge what this meant for her. Was she staying because I could show her a good time in bed, or was she feeling this connection between us grow deeper too? Did she want to let it grow and deepen? Or was she content with the way things were?
Peyton called for me again, interrupting the moment. I kissed Val’s forehead. “Come on. I’ll show you where you can shower.”