—Autumn—
Packing was taking longer than expected and we decided to leave tomorrow morning instead.
Julian invited himself to spend in the night in my house.
He was going to sleep in the guest bedroom.
Yesterday didn’t turn out as planned, and although we did share his penthouse suite, we steered clear of each other, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
The anxiety I felt having him in my home wasn’t as emotion I’d expected.
This was my safe haven, the place I’d go to escape the stressors of life.
He was invading my personal space in a way I wasn’t prepared for or anticipated.
It didn’t help that he was bonding with Capri right off the bat.
He was in her room, helping her pack while I cooked dinner.
It felt like we were playing house, and it was too close for comfort.
Capri walked into the kitchen alone.
“Where’s your dad?”
“He’s taking a shower and asked me to tell you he needed a towel.”
Julian clean.
Wet.
Naked.
It sounded like a bad idea to me, but I couldn’t exactly say that to Capri. I nodded, grabbing a few from the linen closet before walking across the house toward the guest bedroom.
I knocked on the door. “Julian?”
He didn’t answer, so I opened the door to find the bedroom and bathroom empty.
I realized all too quickly the son of a bitch probably had the balls to use my shower.
Stomping one foot in front of the other, I marched into my bedroom, and the first thing I heard was the sound of the shower in my sanctuary.
I shook my head, the audacity of that man.
As soon as I opened the door, I shrieked and instantly placed my hand over my heart while my other hand was firmly placed on the doorknob.
There was Julian, in all his naked glory, water glistening off his chiseled physique.
He was freshly showered and stepping out onto the tile.
My gaze shifted from his face, to his chest, to the place I had no business looking.
His cock.
Jesus.
I. Stopped. Breathing.
Licking my lips, I actually envisioned myself licking from the V in between his hips and tracing my tongue down to his dick. The memories of us showering together and having sex under the showerhead immediately assaulted my mind.
When my lustful glare finally met his, I noticed the cockiest fucking grin plastered on his handsome face, and it instantly washed away all the desire I was feeling for him.
It didn’t matter he was fully aware of the effect he still had on me which was more than likely the reason he decided to use my shower instead of the one in the guest bedroom.
Knowing I’d walk in here with a towel in my hands to drool over his perfect dick.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked, throwing the towel at him, and he caught it mid-air.
“What does it look like I’m doing, kid? I’m showering,” he simply stated, drying off and not bothering to cover his cock.
“No shit, smart ass. But why are you showering in my room?”
“I wasn’t aware you assigned showers for your guests.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t play that game with me. You know exactly what you’re doing. Down to telling Capri to ask me to bring you a towel.”
“I don’t know what you’re implying. All I wanted was to shower. It isn’t my fault you don’t know how to control yourself, and you’re still staring at my cock.”
“Oh my God! Then fucking cover it!”
He laughed, wrapping the towel around his waist. “Seeing as I have no clothes, I might have to wear just this towel for the rest of the night.”
“I’m sure I can find something of Christian’s for you. He’s always leaving his clothes behind when he comes to visit.”
“Or I can use the clothes you’ve stolen from me over the years.”
“Like I still have them.”
“I saw my black hoodie in your closet, kid.”
My mouth dropped open. “You snooped through my things?”
“No, but it got you to admit you still have my shit.”
I glared at him.
“You shouldn’t poke the bear.”
“Oh, so you’re the bear now? Here I thought you were the asshole.”
He winked. “Sweetheart, I can be both.”
“You’re just a shameless bastard at this point.”
“At least I’m not asking you to call me daddy.”
“Ewww … don’t ever say that again.”
He chuckled, tugging on the ends of my hair. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
I smirked. “Just today?”
“You know you’re drop-dead gorgeous, kid.”
“What’s with the flattery? What do you want?”
“For you to tuck me in.”
“It’s too early for your bedtime, Mr. Locke.”
“We’re back to Mr. Locke, are we?”
Backing away from the bathroom, I informed, “Dinner’s almost ready. I don’t think your hoodie is going to fit you anymore. You’re bigger than you were back then.”
He arched an eyebrow. “How about my cock? Is that bigger too?”
“No.” I shrugged. “It wasn’t ever that big to begin with.”
He growled as he reached for me, but I was quicker and jumped out of his grasp.
“I’ll get you some of Christian’s clothes. Don’t come out of my room. I don’t want to scar our daughter with her thinking men are all this small.”
This time I wasn’t fast enough, and he threw me over his shoulder and smacked my ass so fucking hard.
“Julian!”
“I’ll show you fucking small, kid.”
“Put me down!”
“Keep your voice down, or our daughter is going to think I’m torturing you.”
“Umm … you’re spanking me! Same difference!”
“If you’d be a good girl, you wouldn’t need any discipline.”
“Julian, put me down!”
He did, tossing my ass on my bed. Except, he hovered over my body and caged me in with his arms around my face. My heart beat rapidly against his chest, feeling his dick against my core.
To prove his point, he thrust against my pussy. “How’s that for small?”
I smiled. “Didn’t feel a thing.”
With that, he flipped me over and pinned my hands above my head, locking my wrists together.
Rasping, “I used to love you in this position.”
I inadvertently moaned.
“There’s my good girl.”
When his hand slipped in between my legs, Capri called out, “Momma, Daddy? Where did you guys go?”
“I guess it’s true what they say about kids being little cock blockers.” He let me go, and I got up, slapping him on the chest.
“Don’t look so disappointed,” he teased. “You could always play with your pussy later with the arsenal of toys you have in your drawer.”
My face paled. “You did snoop through my thi—”
Capri walked in. “There you are.” She peered back and forth between us, smiling. “What are you guys doing?”
“I was just about to get your dad some clothes. Do you know where Uncle Christian left his sweats and sweater the last time he was here?”
“I think they’re in the laundry room cabinet. I’ll get it for you, Daddy.” She excitingly ran out of the room.
“Payback’s a bitch,” I threatened in a lighthearted tone. “Just wait until I snoop through your things.”
“What’s mine is yours—you can look through anything.”
I tried to hide the smile on my face as I walked out the room to go finish dinner, playing it off like his words didn’t affect me.
—Julian—
Autumn cooked my favorite dish, and we ate together as a family.
It was crazy how effortless this was. How natural it felt being here in her home, watching as she finished up dinner while Capri set the table.
I enjoyed watching their routine, thankful to be a part of it.
How Autumn was able to balance being a successful publicist, and a loving and attentive mother was not lost on me.
It was sexy as fuck.
She was amazing with our daughter, and I could tell that she and Capri were very close. Seeing their special relationship warmed my heart. Making me realize how much I’d truly missed out on.
After Autumn introduced Emily to me, she told her to stay and eat with us, but Emily didn’t want to intrude, saying she wanted us to eat together alone.
During dinner, Capri asked, “Daddy, what was your high and low today?”
I cocked my head to the side. “High and low?”
“Yes. My high was meeting you, my low was eating this broccoli.”
I chuckled.
“It’s just this thing we do during dinner.”
Capri nodded. “Momma, what was yours?”
“Well, my high was coming home to you. My low was… I don’t think I had a low today.”
“That was your high, kid?”
Her eyes burned, understanding my subtle reference to what had happened on my plane earlier today.”
“Kid?” Capri noted. “Why do you call Momma kid? She’s not a kid. She’s big.”
“She wasn’t always.”
“You knew Momma when she was a kid?”
“I’ve known her since she was born.”
She beamed. “Really?”
I nodded.
“What was she like? When she was my age?”
“A lot like you.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
“She was always up to no good.”
“Not true,” Autumn disagreed. “I was always a good girl.”
“And look how much that’s changed.”
“How did you know Momma?”
“Well, I was her b—”
“I think that’s enough questions for tonight.”
“Oh, come on, Momma…”
I grinned, loving the fact I had another teammate now. Two against one were always the best odds. After Autumn finished clearing the table, she told Capri to go get ready for bed while loading the dishwasher.
I grabbed the glass out of her hand. “You cooked—I got this.”
“You’re going to clean up?”
“I do know how to load a dishwasher.”
She smiled. “You’re Alpha CEO now. I assumed you had maids who do everything for you.”
“I do, but you’re not my maid, kid.”
Taking the glass out of my grasp, she suggested, “Why don’t you go tuck Capri in. I’m sure she’d love that. She picks out a book, and I read it to her, but she’s usually passed out before I get to the third page.”
I didn’t want to intrude on their time. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve read her a bedtime story for the last nine years. I think I can give you one night.”
“You know I’m going to want a lot more than one night.”
“I know, but let’s begin with one.”
“Fair. I’d like for Capri’s life to stay as normal as possible, and also for Emily to live at the ranch with us.”
“I’d love that.”
“Great. Let her know I’ll be responsible for her salary now.”
She shook her head. “You don’t need to pay her. I’ve been pay—”
“You have me now.”
“You’re not going to let me win this, are you?”
“I don’t lose, kid.”
“Fine.”
I left before she could change her mind, walking up the stairs to Capri’s room. She was already laying in her bed with a book in her hands. Her bright green eyes lit up when she realized I’d be tucking her in.
I didn’t have to look up to know Autumn was watching us from the doorway, listening to every word I was reading.
I could feel her presence anywhere, and for years I felt it from states away.
Although, Capri fell asleep in the crook of my arm, I continued until I was done with the story.
I didn’t want to let her go. I was going to capture every moment for as long as I could. Once I was done, I kissed her forehead.
“Hmm… I love you, Daddy.”
I froze hearing her say those words to me for the first time. Letting my lips linger, I replied, “I love you too, baby.”
By the time I actually left Capri’s room, it was well into midnight. On my way to the guest bedroom, I walked by Autumn’s door. It was closed, and I resisted the urge to open it and demand to sleep in her bed. I’d been demanding everything else, and this shouldn’t be any different.
When my hand was on the doorknob, I heard her exclaim, “That son of a bitch!”
I smiled, I couldn’t help it. Deciding I didn’t need to sleep in her bed for her to know I was near. She was about to play with herself, thinking about me.
Too bad for her…
I stole all her toys.