Page 95 of Contract of a Billionaire

It was another thing I noticed. Kol spoke French and English interchangeably.

I rose to my full height. Autumn and Branka were still in their own world, in the furthest corner of the yard. Neither one of them had noticed me. Mr. and Mrs. Corbin had, though, and both strode over to me.

“Alessio,” Autumn’s mom greeted me first.

“Mrs. Corbin.”

“I’m making an early dinner,” she continued. Her husband immediately followed up with a grumble. “Will you stay?” Yeah, that would be a hard pass. “I’m making everyone’s favorite.” Still a hard pass. “Please.” Slightly weakened pass.

She glanced at her husband.

“Darling, don’t you want Alessio to stay?” Autumn’s mother was a stubborn woman. “He could help you with the playset you’ve been working on for a month that’s been sitting in the garage.”

This time we both grumbled. “That’s ayes, right?” She eyed us both with wide eyes. The woman was a master manipulator. So unlike my own mother who always feared to even look up. My father killed her spirit.

“Sure,” Autumn’s father and I both muttered at the same time.

I took my suit jacket off and threw it over the fence rail.

“Lead the way, Mr. Corbin,” I told the old man. “If I help you with the playground, you’ll have to help me with the airplane bed I’m going to make for Kol.”

Both Kol and his grandmother squealed happily. Autumn’s father grumbled.

“Hey, brother!” Branka’s voice could probably be heard on the entire street.

“Sister, subtle as always.” My eyes flicked to Autumn and instantly that restlessness that was a constant companion eased. I sought out her eyes. Green. Good, she wasn’t sad nor unhappy.

Her gaze met mine and instantly her cheeks flushed. I couldn’t help the smugness that filled me. Maybe her resolve was weakening. The dream from last night was hard to erase. I’d been going around with a hard-on all goddamn day. My cock wanted her pussy. My fucking tongue wanted to taste her juices.

Fucking great, I’d end up with blue balls.

“Autumn,” I greeted her. She grumbled something that resembled a greeting or maybe ‘fuck off’, I wasn’t sure. “How was your day, dear?” She narrowed those beautiful hazel eyes on me, annoyance clear in them. My lips tugged up. No answer. “Your parents invited me to stay for dinner,” I drawled.

Her eyes snapped to her father, then mother. The former grumbled; the latter smiled happily. “It will be great. Everyone’s favorite. We’ll see if Alessio likes it.”

“I’m sure it will be delicious, Mrs. Corbin,” I said. “Branka has told me your cooking skills are incomparable.”

Snorts and snickers filled the air. My eyebrows shot up. My sister spent many dinners here. She wouldn’t have eaten here if the food was bad. Would she?

Shit, maybe she would. It was better than sitting alone at my place or putting up with the company of our parents.

“Sure,” Branka snickered, and I was positive we’d have to have a second dinner.

Mrs. Corbin clapped her hands eagerly, shooing her husband, Kol, and I towards the garage. We made our way there, Kol’s hand in mine.

“Grandma thinks I can’t handle building an outdoor playset,” Autumn’s father grumbled as he opened the wide door. “But we’ll show her, won’t we Kol?”

My son nodded eagerly, without any intention of releasing my hand. Then he started jumping up and down, squealing. The little boy was a ball of energy.

I squatted down and smiled at him. “Let’s help Grandpa, okay?” He nodded again. “Okay, you carry this bag.” I handed him the bag of screws and bolts. “Perfect. Grandpa and I will get the beams.”

I stood back up to find Autumn’s father watching us with those eyes so much like his daughter’s. Autumn had her mother’s beauty but her father’s eyes.

I rolled up my sleeves and we all got to work. Kol glued himself to me, following my every direction. We moved all of the playset parts out of the garage.

“Over here,” Autumn’s father ordered, pointing to the middle of the yard. My lips curved. I couldn’t recall the last time someone gave me an order. My board of directors and my friends would get a kick out of this one. “This is the best spot. We can see it from every corner of the yard and from the living room.”

I nodded. It made sense. “He shouldn’t be outside alone,” I remarked. Autumn’s father stiffened. I didn’t give a shit. Kol was my son and I wouldn’t risk anything happening to him.