Chapter 24Family Night – Kerry
Chapter 24
Family Night – Kerry
I ’ve never attended the infamous Grimes Family Night.
Their Saturdays are sacred, and according to the girls, each one is “the best day ever.”
And now, after the most exhilarating kiss of my life, I’m here to be a part of it.
I live with them five days a week, so I shouldn’t be nervous, but this is different.
This isn’t work.
This isn’t part of the contract.
This is an invitation.
This is leisure.
This is crossing a line—twice in one day.
Another professional risk we’re willingly taking, and I can only pray it’s not one I’ll regret.
Nervous as hell, I stand at Vic’s front door, exhaling as I smooth down my Clark Atlanta pajama set, mentally debating whether I look.
.
.
right?
Casual but not too casual.
Comfortable but still cute.
Before I even knock, the door swings open, and I see two of my favorite faces in the world.
“Ms. Kind! You’re here!” Syd barrels into my arms before I can get a word out, her little body warm and buzzing with excitement.
I lift her up and laugh as she squeezes me tight.
Then, I spot Ari nearby, already dressed for bed, her eyes watching me with something softer.
Something deeper.
Her expression is unreadable, but it makes my heart pinch.
I kneel, opening my arms.
She steps into them without hesitation.
Ari’s hug is different from Syd’s.
It lingers.
She clings to me, holding on like she’s afraid I might slip away.
And I find myself wanting to assure her that I’ll never let go .
A sigh escapes her as she whispers against my shoulder.
“Thank you for coming. We have so much planned.”
I run my fingers through her curls, pressing my chin to the top of her head.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Then suddenly, a buttery sweet aroma drifts from the kitchen.
I take a deep whiff and let out a low, appreciative sigh.
“Mmm. What in the world is your dad cookin’ up in there?”
“This is why we don’t eat sweets during the week. C’mon!” Syd giggles.
The girls each grab a hand and drag me toward the kitchen, where the scent of cinnamon rolls collides with the even more delicious scent and sight of Vic.
He’s standing tall and at ease, wearing his “Chef Grimes” apron over a fitted Howard University t-shirt that flexes every bit of his tattooed arms and broad chest.
Lord, help me.
He’s in his zone, pulling a tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls from the oven, oblivious to us at first.
Not until Syd and Ari dip their fingers into the frosting.
Then, his head lifts, and his gaze finds mine.
The hunger in his eyes is unmistakable—so full and raw that I nearly crumble.
But just as I start to drown in it, a smirk tugs at his lips, replacing our moment of vulnerability with something lighter.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
He leans casually against the counter, shaking his head.
“Such a shame to look that good in an ugly outfit.”
I blink.
“Excuse me?”
He gestures toward my pajamas, feigning disappointment.
“We only rep HU Bisons in this house.”
I snort, rolling my eyes.
“Boy, please. I’m a proud CAU Panther!”
Before I can say anything else, he moves around the counter, closing the space between us in just a few strides.
And then, he hugs me, casual and friendly.
Except there’s nothing casual about the way his hands linger at my waist, the way his fingertips graze my skin as he pulls away.
A shiver runs through me, but I keep my voice light.
“Are you as excited to see me as the girls are?”
His smirk fades into something deeper.
His voice drops just enough for only me to hear.
“Even more. ”
After helping Vic prepare the dessert bar, I follow the girls into the family room, and I’m stunned.
A princess fort stretches across the room like a little palace, beautifully decorated with twinkling fairy lights.
Miniature tables draped in pink and gold are set up for the dessert bar.
A projector screen waits with The Princess and the Frog queued up.
The whole space is transformed into something out of a fairytale.
I blink in awe.
“Oh my goodness, this is beautiful! How long did it take Ms. Tina and the team to set this up?”
Ari tilts her head, confused.
“Daddy did this. He decorates every weekend. We pick the theme, and he makes it happen.”
My gaze snaps to Vic.
He looks embarrassed in the cutest way.
Then, he clears his throat, shifting under my scrutiny.
“The girls wanted a princess night.”
Syd grins, practically vibrating with excitement.
“Because, Daddy, we’re your princesses, and you’re the king! And now that Ms. Kind is here…”
Ari smiles sweetly.
“We finally have a queen.”
Their words warm my heart, and my throat suddenly tightens.
King.
Queen.
Princesses.
A family.
Something I have yet to create on my own.
But tonight, I get to live in my own little fairy tale.
The night is pure magic.
We have a princess tea party with cinnamon rolls, giggling between bites.
We sing along to every song in The Princess and the Frog , dramatically belting out lyrics while Vic shakes his head, pretending he’s too cool to join in.
But it’s inside the fort where we tell our own fairytales, where we create our own happily ever afters.
By the end of the night, we’re tangled together in a pile of blankets—Syd nestled against Vic, Ari curled against me, our hands clasped between them.
Just as their eyes begin to droop, Syd lets out a sleepy sigh.
“Ari, is this what it feels like to have a mommy?”
I feel Vic tense beside me.
His thumb stops brushing over my hand.
We both wait.
Ari was only four when she lost her mother.
She barely remembers her.
I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose the greatest love you never even got the chance to know .
Syd stirs again.
“Ari?”
Ari’s lips press into a faint smile.
“Yes, Syd. This is what it feels like to have a mommy.”
Syd hums contentedly.
“This is the best day ever.”
A tear slips down my face before I can stop it, but Vic wipes it away and then flashes an assuring smile.
The house is quiet now, the girls deep in their dreams, tangled up in the blankets inside their princess fort.
The night was perfect—pure, unfiltered happiness, filled with laughter, cinnamon rolls, and fairytale endings that felt a little too close to reality.
But as we clean up the last of the mess in the kitchen, I steal a glance at him while drying the last dish, noticing the way his brows furrow.
He’s so close, yet it feels like he’s a million miles away from me.
Vic has been quiet.
Too quiet.
Something’s on his mind.
And I don’t have to guess what it is because I can feel Syd’s innocent question still lingers between us.
I set the dish down and turn toward him, wiping my hands on a towel.
“Vic.”
He doesn’t answer right away.
He just looks at me with stormy, conflicted eyes.
I step closer, hesitantly placing a hand on his chest, feeling the unsteady rise and fall beneath my palm.
“Do you regret me being here?”
“Of course not, Kerry. I just—” His strong hands find my waist.
“Have doubts?” I cut in before I could stop myself, my voice quieter now, almost afraid of his answer.
He shakes his head, hard and sure.
“No. No doubts. I only have fears . ”
A shiver rolls through me as his fingers brush over the soft curve of my hip before sliding higher up my ribs, skimming the underside of my breast before finally cupping my face.
I swallow hard, my entire body locked in place.
“Fears? What’re you so afraid of?”
His thumb strokes slow, sensual circles against my jaw, and his voice dips low and husky, sending a hot pulse straight between my legs.
“I’m afraid of fucking you one day and falling in love. But I’m also afraid of never fucking you and still falling in love. ”
His confession snatches the air from my lungs and sets my entire body on fire.
I rise onto my toes and crash my lips against his.
Our kiss is devastating, a crash of need, a wildfire of desperation.
Our tongues collide, teeth clash, and lips bruise.
We both take and take like we’re starving for each other.
He tastes like cinnamon, danger, and addiction, and I can’t get enough of him.
His hands grip my waist, strong and commanding, dragging me against him so hard I feel the full thickness of his unrelenting arousal pressing into my stomach .
A guttural groan rumbles from his chest as he lifts me effortlessly onto the counter.
“You have no idea what you’ve started,” he rasps, his breath hot against my lips.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since our kiss. One taste of you is all it took, and now I’m fucking addicted.”
My head tips back as his mouth glides across my neck, sucking, licking, biting his way down, branding me and setting me ablaze.
“Vic,” I moan, clutching his shoulders.
He slides his large hands under my shirt, pushing it up, up until I yank it over my head, revealing my lace bra underneath.
His dark, thirsty eyes drink me in like I’m the finest thing he’s ever seen.
“Jesus, Kerry.”
He drags his lips down my chest until his tongue trails over the swell of my breasts before he takes my hard nipple into his mouth.
I gasp, arching into him as he licks, sucks, and bites—devouring me, worshipping me with every flick of his tongue.
Wet heat coils deep inside, spreading like lava through my veins.
Then, my hand, eager and greedy, travels down to his hard shaft.
I don’t think.
I just reach.
He drags his teeth along my neck, his lips brushing against my ear.
I shudder and tighten my grip, slowly, tentatively stroking him, marveling at the sheer size of him, the thickness, the velvety smoothness against my palm.
He lets out a strangled curse, his hips jerking against my touch.
His fingers dig into my thighs, and suddenly, my legs are spread wider, his body slotted perfectly between them with the heat of his arousal pressing into my soaked panties.
“Kerry,” he warns, his voice rough, hoarse, barely holding it together.
“If you don’t stop, then I won’t. I’ll fuck you right here on this counter. ”
I swallow hard, my head and heart at war.
“We should stop,” I whisper, though every part of me screams otherwise.
And then, we break apart, breathing hard, and staring at each other like we just barely survived something catastrophic.
“Yeah,” he rasps, chest rising and falling.
“We should.”
But neither of us move.
For a long moment, we just stand there, breathless and staring at each other in the dim kitchen light.
Then, finally, with a sharp exhale, Vic closes his eyes, clenches his jaw, and steps back to lift me off the counter to get dressed.
My lips are still swollen, and my body still thrums from his touch.
But before I can process what just happened, he grabs my hand and leads me back to the family room where girls are still curled up in the princess fort peacefully sleeping.
Vic and I sink onto the large sofa, side by side with our hands still clasped together.
I rest my head against his shoulder while he wraps an arm around me, pulling me close and anchoring me in a way I didn’t even realize I needed.
In the soft, quiet glow of the room, surrounded by tiny snores and fairy lights, I press a kiss to his shoulder, letting my lips linger against his skin.
Before I can pull away, he places a finger under my chin, tilting my face up to his.
His lips find mine, kissing me so softly and so damn sweet.
My chest tightens, and my fingers curl into his shirt.
“Don’t be afraid to fall in love, Vic,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the hum of the night.
“Because I promise… I’m not afraid of falling in love with you.”
His breath stirs against my lips as he exhales and tightens his hold on me.
And then, just before sleep claims me, he whispers, “Good… because I think I already have.”