Page 44 of Krampus Kruk

I step behind her, wrap my arms around her body, and rest my chin on top of her head.

“This is coming along,” I murmur, staring at the ocean scene she’s been working on. “Beautiful, baby.”

She softens into me, and I kiss the crown of her head. She still smells like sex, like me. I smirk.

“Have you decided yet?” I ask, tightening my arms around her before I kiss the clasp of her necklace on the back of her neck. “When we’re going back … ”

She hums then turns her body to face mine. “We’ll leave Saturday or Sunday,” she says after a few quiet seconds. “I need to be back at work on the sixth.”

I groan, low and exaggerated. “Why not spend all of January here? If we do, I’d like my grandson and his mom to visit at some point.”

“I do not want to be called grandma.” Morgan giggles.

It would be fucked to have a child younger than my grandson, but the thought still flashes through my mind—not that it could happen. Although, statistically, my sons are an anomaly for my sad swimmers.

“I’m serious,” I say, brushing my mouth over the shell of her ear. “Do you even like your job?”

“Yeah,” she says, but it’s not convincing.

I lean in. “Do youreallylike your job?”

She hums again, that noncommittal sound that says everything.

“Call in rich.”

She turns to look up at me. “What?”

“You don’t have to work anymore. I’ll take care of you.”

Morgan raises her brows. “That really goes against my whole strong, independent, bad bitch thing.”

“You’ll always be that girl—with or without a job,” I say, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck. I kiss her, slow and deep. “I have maybe five more years of being able to fuck you senseless, so why waste time working?”

She giggles and swats at my arm.

I lower my voice. “Baby girl,” I say, slow and firm. “You know I’ll always take care of you, even when you’re sick of me.”

“Never,” she mouths, and I kiss her again.

“Do you want me to take care of you?” I press.

“Yes.” She exhales, her smile growing.

“So, we have a deal then?”

Morgan bites her lip. “As long as …” She devilishly giggles. “You make me come at least once a day.”

Without another word, I toss her over my shoulder, and she laughs as I carry her toward the house. I give her ass a gentle swat before tossing her onto the bed, the covers still a mess from last night.

“And … ” She draws out the word, staring intently into my eyes as she props herself up on her elbows. “I get to try pegging you.”

I deeply chuckle. “We’re settled then. January in Belize. No work. And I have my work cut out for me to get you to retire for good.”

“Yes, Daddy.”