Page 117

“We did a lot of things,” she murmurs. “I kept Brooke busy.”
I lean over her, my body pressing against hers while I prop myself up on my elbows. We’re both fully clothed, but my body doesn’t care. Desire stirs, swift and insistent.
Her arms loop around my neck, pulling me closer. “I missed you,” she says, her voice barely audible.
“My little shortcake, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” I press my lips against hers, and my cock springs to attention, digging into her.
Her eyes fly open, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, youhavemissed me.” Her hand slips between us to brush against my arousal.
I dip my head, capturing her mouth in a kiss that’s all heat and longing. My tongue sweeps in, tasting her sweetness, feeling the warmth I’ve yearned for. She’s everything—my lover, my friend, my soulmate.
“Jett,” she whispers, her voice breaking through the haze. “We can’t. Brooke is in the other bed.”
“I know,” I murmur, though every cell in my body protests.
She sighs, her head sinking back into the pillow. “And I’m so tired.”
I brush another kiss against her temple, then lie by her side. “I’ll just stay here for a little while.”
Her arms wrap around me, and she snuggles into my chest. “Okay, but then you have to go back,” she whispers, as if she’s in a daze.
“Okay,” I lie, pulling her closer, and imagine what it would be like to have this all night long and into the morning.
***
The soft patter of little feet jolts me awake.
“Daddy?” Brooke’s voice pierces the quiet.
I blink, disoriented, and turn to find her standing in the doorway. She’s clutching her stuffed elephant, her gaze darting between me and Cari. We’re both fully clothed, thankfully, even though we’re wrapped up in each other’s arms.
I try to untangle us as my mind freezes, scrambling for an explanation.
Cari, however, doesn’t miss a beat.
“Good morning, Brooke!” she says brightly, sitting up and smoothing her hair. “Daddy must have been so tired when he got back, he just wanted to say goodnight before going to his room.”
Brooke tilts her head, considering this, then nods solemnly. “You should sleep in your room, Daddy. You’re too big for this bed.”
I bite back a laugh, relief washing over me. “You’re right, sprout. I’ll head back now.”
Brooke climbs onto the bed, throwing her arms around Cari. “Can we have pancakes for breakfast?”
“Of course,” Cari replies, hugging her back. She glances at me over Brooke’s shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I slip out of the room, closing the door behind me. I’m filled with a profound sense of love and relief, and the undeniable realization that I don’t want this to end.
Chapter 42
JETT
I left Cari and Brooke having breakfast on the terrace this morning and retreat to the study.
It’s not how I want to spend the day, but I need to double-check the Pinewood acquisition. Everything appears to be humming along, according to the flood of emails from our legal team. Still, I’ve learned to trust, but verify.
My gaze drops to the calendar on my desk, and I sigh in frustration. I’ve burned four days of our vacation putting out fires and now I have such little time left with Cari. I wonder if she’s still planning to leave when we return. The uncertainty of that answer makes me uneasy. It’s something I don’t even want to contemplate—a life without her, when I’ve seen how life can be with her in it. Our days in Bermuda are dwindling down fast enough as it is. I feel like there’s an hourglass somewhere running out of sand, counting down the minutes until she’s gone from my life. And I don’t like it.
I deserve this time away, on account of having worked the weekend on the Pinewood deal.