Chapter 28
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
Liam
I didn’t think it was possible to feel so much in such a short period of time. But over the last few weeks, something shifted. It wasn’t dramatic or even all at once. But it’s becoming something … steady. Like puzzle pieces finally coming together that should have been there the whole time.
We’re building our own routine. Pancake breakfasts. Midweek park visits. And bedtime stories when I can make it.
Alie and I are falling into an easy rhythm too. We see each other at the complex, eat lunch with Sera, and text when we’re not together. And we linger long after Sera is sleeping. Being inside of Alie is becoming a favorite part of my day, but I haven’t spent the night yet.
But then she invites me to go to her parents’ house in the Hamptons, just the three of us. This means I get to stay with my girls overnight. For two whole nights.
The house is like something you see in a magazine. White siding, big wraparound porch, flowers everywhere, a pool, and tennis courts. And I can see the beach when we pull into the circular driveway. The ocean air blowing into the car windows is salty and a little cool in the summer heat.
Sera practically vibrates in her seat the minute she sees the water.
“Beach!” she shrieks.
I get out of the car first and open the back door, and Sera’s little arms are up, waiting for me to get her out.
Alie laughs as I unbuckle her. “Be careful!”
I scoop Sera into my arms, and she points to the shoreline. “Go, Daddy!”
I can’t help but laugh as I run toward the beach with my daughter in my arms, giggling.
Alie follows behind us, shaking her head but smiling.
The ocean is restless and loud, waves crashing against the shore in a steady rhythm.
Sera insists on being set down so she can run toward the water.
“Wait—” Alie starts.
But I’ve already got her hand.
“We’ll stay in the shallow area,” I promise.
Sera squeals when the cold water hits her toes.
“Cold!”
“Yeah.” I laugh. “That’s the Atlantic for you.”
I take both of her hands and lift her when bigger waves reach us. She throws her head back and laughs every time I lift her.
Alie steps beside us, her hair whipping in the wind.
“You look like a natural with her,” she says quietly.
Her words hit me more than she knows. It does feel natural, being with Sera. And I think she really likes spending time with me. At the very least, she thinks I’m fun to play with.
“Thanks.” I lean down and kiss her cheek.
Her eyes twinkle in the sun, and her hand touches my back.
“I’ll go get some towels. You good with her?”
“Yeah, I got her. I’d offer to get them, but I have no idea where they are. Do you want us to come with you?”
“No, I got it. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, I’ll get our bags later?”
“Yeah, that’s fine, or I’ll have the house manager get them. Sera won’t want to leave the beach yet.”
“House manager, huh? Fancy,” I tease, making her roll her eyes as she walks away.
Sera tugs at my hand.
“Make a castle?”
“Well, we don’t have any buckets, but I guess we can do a drip castle.”
She points to a bin near the walkway leading to the house. “In there.”
“Buckets?”
She nods. “Yes.”
Guess we miss out on the oh-so fun trek to the beach with our arms full of sand toys and towels here.
“Okay, let’s go get some buckets and see if there are any shovels in there too.”
She skips along beside me through the sand.
We get a few buckets, shovels, and a small rake.
“Let’s find a spot for our castle.”
We walk back toward the water, but far enough that it won’t get washed away by a wave.
By the time Alie gets back with towels and a blanket, we’ve made a very crooked sandcastle that Sera has named Princess Daddy Castle House.
I don’t question it. I roll with it because my kid is freaking adorable.
Alie sits back on a blanket in her bikini, watching us for a while, snapping pictures on her phone with a look on her face that makes my chest tighten—soft, almost disbelieving.
When Sera loses interest in the moat we’re working on and moves on to collect seashells, I wander over to Alie.
“I really like this little scrap of fabric you’re wearing.” I sit next to her and run my finger under the strap around her neck.
She grabs my finger and kisses it, then holds it in her hand, twining our fingers together.
“You okay?” I wrap an arm around her shoulders.
She nods. “I am. I just … I never thought this would happen.”
“Never thought what would happen?” I suspect I know, but I want to hear her say it.
“This.” She gestures to Sera, then to me. “You. Her. Together.”
I glance over at my daughter, who’s now filling a bucket with more sand than physics allows.
“I’m here now. And I’m not missing any more time,” I say quietly, but firmly.
She studies me for a long minute. “I know. I believe you.”
“You bringing me here this weekend? I can’t tell you how much it means to me. Making memories with her … and with you.”
A peace settles over us, and I take her hand in mine.
There’s something special about being here. No cameras. No press. No pressure. No curious eyes on us. Just the wind and waves and the two people who matter most.
That night, Sera falls asleep quickly. Between the beach, swimming in the pool, and too many cookies, she crashed hard.
Alie stands in the hallway outside her door for a second after we tuck her in. She’s wearing a yellow sundress. Bare feet, no makeup, her hair swept back in a ponytail. Her skin is sun-kissed, and she looks relaxed and happy.
I reach for her hand. “What are you thinking about?”
She smiles softly. “I was just thinking that this is the first time we’ve all slept under the same roof.”
The weight of her words settles in.
“I think it feels right.”
“I think so too.”
I lean down and kiss her, but stop it before we take it too far outside our daughter's bedroom.
“Should we go downstairs and have a glass of wine?” she asks.
I tilt my head to the side. “I need to start watching my alcohol intake as we get closer to camp, but I’ll get you a glass, and we can take it outside to the porch.”
“That sounds good. It’s such a nice night.”
We make our way down to the kitchen and get a glass while she picks the bottle she wants.
“Are we alone now, or is the house manager still here?” I ask, looking around.
“She leaves just after dinner unless we ask her to stay.”
“Does she live on the property? I didn’t realize how big it was when we drove up.”
She nods. “Yes, she uses one of the smaller cottages on the south side of the property. You can’t really see it from the main house.”
I pour some wine into her glass, then grab a glass bottle of water from the fridge.
Alie grabs a baby monitor from the counter, and we go out to the porch.
The back porch opens to a view of the ocean, and the pool sits off to the left side, but it’s connected. It’s a large area, covered with couches, tables, lawn chairs, and one of those hanging beds I’ve seen in magazines. Everything is very classy, but not obnoxiously rich. Old-money type of fancy.
She sets the monitor down on one of the nearby tables and walks over to a low railing, leaning her hip against it as she looks out toward the water and sips her wine.
I watch her for a moment, and an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness and …
love rushes through me. It doesn’t scare me or even really surprise me.
I was gone for this girl the first time we met.
And spending time with her since I’ve been in New York has just made these feelings for her stronger.
Add in the fact that she’s the mother of my child … yeah … I’m falling.
I set my water bottle down next to the monitor and make my way over to her, standing behind her. My hands slide around her waist, and her head tilts to the side, giving me access to her neck, her ponytail falling over her other shoulder. I place featherlight kisses on her shoulder up to her neck.
“I’m really glad you came with us.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
I continue kissing her, and when I suck on her neck, she moans and brings her hand up behind my head, running her fingers through my hair.
I move my hands up to her breasts, skimming, teasing over the fabric of her dress.
She loses her grip on her wineglass, and it falls over the railing and into the bushes.
“Oops,” she whispers.
Then she turns her head and pulls my mouth to hers.
I slide my tongue into her mouth when she opens, tasting the sweet wine, and twirling my tongue with hers.
My hands roam over her breasts, up to the straps of her dress, and I take them in my fingers and pull both straps over her shoulders, making the dress pool at her feet.
She’s not wearing a bra, so her bare back is pressed up against my chest. I can feel the heat of her skin through my shirt, but I want more.
I break our kiss and pull my T-shirt over my head, tossing it somewhere behind me.
Then I hook the thin straps of her thong with my thumbs and pull it down her legs.
“Let’s not use a condom tonight,” she says over her shoulder.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. We’re both clean, and I have an IUD. I want to feel you, be as close as I can to you.”
“I want that too.” I run my hands up her legs.
When I stand, I press my body against hers, keeping her in place.
One of my hands skims her stomach, up to her breast, and I pinch her nipple between my fingers as I suck on her neck.
My other hand slides from her hip to cup her pussy, and I slip my middle finger between her lips, her wetness coating it.
I run it up and down and circle her clit.
Her hips start to move, making her ass grind against my dick. I move my hand from her breast to her face and turn it toward me.
“That feel good, baby? Grinding against my cock?”
Her tongue sneaks out, and she runs it across my bottom lip.
“Fuck, baby.”