Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
S ierra
As he thrust in and out of me, I couldn’t stop thinking about how he told Gretchen we weren’t a couple. In the back of my mind, I knew that, but a part of me felt like we were a couple. I wasn’t looking for anything when he interviewed me for the job as his assistant. But here I was, in his home, in his bed, helping him care for his kid. I liked it and our situation. He wasn’t the bad guy everyone made him out to be. He hid himself from the world because of his pain, just like I did.
“God, you feel so good.” He rolled me on top of him.
My hands clutched his chest as I rode him, and our eyes stayed fixated on each other. My body reeled from the orgasm that took over me, causing him to explode inside me.
“Don’t move.” His hands gripped my hips tightly.
I could still feel his hardness inside me.
“Bring those beautiful lips down here.”
Leaning over, my lips meshed with his. His hands moved away from my hips and wrapped around my back as my hands were placed on each side of his face. Something changed. I felt it.
The following morning, I opened my eyes and found him staring at me.
“How long have you been awake?” I smiled.
“Just a few minutes.”
The bedroom door opened, and Ellie ran in, jumping on the bed and cuddling between us. Thank God we both slipped on pajamas last night.
“Morning, sweetheart.” He brushed her hair from her face.
“We have to find the Elf.” She beamed with excitement.
Shit. I forgot about that damn Elf.
“I’ll be right back.” I threw back the covers. “You two stay here.”
“I want to find the Elf,” Ellie said.
“And I want cuddles first.” Jack pulled her into him and looked at me.
I ran down the stairs and grabbed the Elf that was still in place from the day before. I had to think fast. I set him on the counter, took a bite of a cookie, and set it on top of him. Shit. I would have to look up ideas for this thing. Running back up the stairs, I climbed into bed.
“Where did you go?” Ellie asked.
“I was looking for my phone.” I tickled her, and she giggled.
“Come on, Ellie. Let’s get you some breakfast. I need a cup of coffee,” Jack said.
“Me too,” I said, climbing out of bed.
He picked Ellie up and carried her down the stairs. Setting her down, she ran around looking for the elf.
“Where did you put him?” Jack whispered.
“In the kitchen. God, I hate this. Why don’t you come up with some ideas?”
“No way. I hate that creepy thing,” Jack said as we walked into the kitchen.
“There you are!” Ellie spotted the elf. “Look, he’s eating a cookie.”
“Remember, you can’t touch him, or he’ll lose his magical powers,” I said, and Jack’s brows furrowed. I shrugged.
“You’re a silly elf for eating a cookie in the morning.” Ellie giggled.
Jack made us a cup of coffee while I made Ellie’s breakfast—scrambled eggs, an English muffin with butter, and blueberries that cost a fortune this time of year.
“Have you given any thought about dinner tonight?” I asked Jack.
“I’ll call Carmine’s. I know him personally. He’ll cater for us tonight.”
After Ellie finished her breakfast, she ran to the living room and played with her toys.
“I guess we should go out and look at bedroom furniture for her today,” Jack said.
“Good idea. Have fun.” I smiled, patting his chest.
“Excuse me? You’re coming with us. I don’t know the first thing about kid’s furniture.”
“And you think I do?” I cocked my head.
“You’re a woman. I’m sure your mind is filled with decorating ideas.”
“Don’t make me go out there,” I whined. “I had my fill yesterday.”
“You’re coming. End of discussion.”
I grabbed the elf from the counter and threw it at him. He grabbed it and immediately dropped it on the floor.
“That’s not funny, Sierra.”
“Yes, it is.” I laughed.
“You know I hate that thing. And now it lost its magical powers because you touched it.”
I couldn’t stop laughing. “That rule only applies to children, dummy.” I picked the elf up and set him back on the counter with the cookie.
W e stepped inside Crate & Kids, which was massively decorated with Christmas décor and played soft Christmas music overhead.
“Good morning. My name is Francine. Is there anything I can help you with today?”
“We’re looking for bedroom furniture for my daughter,” Jack said.
“Is this her?” She pointed to Ellie.
“No. She’s just a random kid we picked up off the street.” The words spewed out of my mouth, and Jack looked at me. “Just kidding. Yes, this is Ellie.” I smiled.
“She’s adorable. Follow me. I have the perfect set that I think you’ll fall in love with. This is perfect for a child her age.”
“It’s a twin. She needs a full,” I said.
“It comes in a full size.”
Ellie climbed up and started jumping on it. “I like this one.”
“No jumping on the furniture, sweetheart.” Jack grabbed her and set her down.
“Wait a second. What’s that section over there?” I pointed.
“That’s our teen collection,” Francine said.
I grabbed Ellie’s hand and took her over there. “Jack, I like this furniture better.”
“It is nice.”
“It’s for teens. Your child is what? Four or five?”
“Four,” I narrowed my eyes at Francine.
“She has many years before she needs this.”
This lady was getting on my nerves. “Listen, Francine. She’s going to grow. Why would we buy baby-looking furniture and then have to come back in a few years and buy another set? But that’s your whole point, right? You want us to come back in a few years and spend thousands more when we can spend it now, and she has it until she’s an adult.”
“Excuse me for a moment.” She walked away.
Jack hooked his arm around my waist. “This is why I needed you to come with us,” he whispered in my ear.
“I love this tufted bed in white,” I said. “And this dresser, chest, bookcase, and desk.”
“I don’t think she needs a desk right now, Sierra. She’s only four,” Jack said.
“The point is she’ll need one. When she goes to kindergarten next year, she’ll have homework. It’s best to teach them how to do homework at a desk.”
“How do you know so much?” His eye narrowed.
“Every home I was in, I had to sit at a desk to do homework. I just think it’s a good thing to have in her bedroom. She’ll grow with it. This is a one-time buy, Jack. She’ll have this bedroom furniture until she goes to college.”
Ellie threw herself on what looked like a lounger. “I want this!”
I looked at the tag. It was called a Polar Bear Modern Lounger. I picked her up and sat down.
“Oh my God. I want one, too! Jack, this is a must.”
“Okay. Okay.”
Francine walked over with her iPad. “Have you decided what you want?”
“Yes,” Jack said. “We’ll take this bed, dresser, chest, bookcase, desk, and that lounger.”
“Excellent choice. Your little girl will love all of it.”
“Really?” I cocked my head. “You just said that it was for teenagers and not four-year-olds? A sudden change of heart since it’s more expensive?” My brow arched.
“Sierra.” Jack looked at me.
Francine ignored my comment. “How about bedding? We have lovely options over here.”
“Hello Kitty! Hello Kitty!” Ellie pointed to a comforter spread out on a bed.
“How adorable.” I smiled. “Do you like Hello Kitty, Ellie?”
“Yeah. I miss mine. It’s at home with my mom.”
Francine looked strangely at me. “You’re not her mother?” she asked.
Like it was any of her damn business.
“No. I’m the woman her father had an affair with. I totally broke up their marriage.” I shrugged. “I’m not mad about it either.”
I glanced at Jack as he stood there with his hands tucked tightly in his pants pockets, shaking his head.
“Oh. We have that comforter in stock if you want to take it today. We also have the matching sheet set. And we have a few Hello Kitty stuffed animals left if you’d like to buy her one to keep at your home for when she visits. That way, she’ll have one at both homes.”
I placed my hands over Ellie’s ears. “She lives with us now. Her mother vanished into thin air. Gone. Poof. Disappeared.”
Jack sighed and slowly closed his eyes.
“I see. Since it’s almost Christmas, this adorable pink Christmas tree over here would be perfect in her bedroom.”
“I don’t think so,” Jack said.
“I love it! I want it! I love Christmas trees!” Ellie whined.
“Who the hell puts a Christmas tree in their child’s bedroom?” I asked Francine.
“Almost everyone does. Mothers decorate their children’s bedrooms so they can feel the Christmas spirit when they’re in there.”
“I hate to tell you this, Francine, but we aren’t fans of the holiday season.”
“Excuse me?”
“I think you heard her,” Jack said.
Let’s get you checked out.” She quickly walked away.
“Why, Sierra? Just why?” Jack asked.
“She’s nosey, and I don’t like nosey people.” I took Ellie’s hand, and we followed Francine to the register.
After we left the store, Jack shook his head. “I can’t believe how much all that cost.”
“You can afford it, Mr. Billionaire.” I patted his back. “Think of how happy Ellie will be in her new bedroom. Now all we need is a painter to paint the walls. Know anyone?”
“No. I don’t. I’ll call Adalyn Grant. She’s the interior designer who did my townhome. She’ll give me the name of someone.”