Page 33 of Mister Daddy

After lunch, Carter has to go back to work, so I head for the deck to see if the girls are still there. Sure enough, they are.

“Hey,” I say when I get close enough. They both look surprised but offer me tentative smiles. “I’m really sorry about the other day. I just want you to get to know Carter the way I have. He’s booking a table at Harper’s tonight, on him. Will you come?”

They share a look, and Caitlyn shrugs.

“Why what’s in it for us?”

I stare at her.

“Free food from a fancy restaurant and the opportunity to get to know guy I’m seeing.”

She sighs.

“Okay,” she assents. “We’ll be there. And for the record, I’m sorry about the other day, too. It was never supposed to be like that, Abby.”

Not wanting to push our slight truce, I head for the deck to get the sun I’ve been craving. Living in Miami used to mean constantly tanned skin, but since I took on more clients at the firm, I haven’t had nearly as much time to lay out as I used to. I know, I know, the UV rays are bad for you and I’ll probably be hopelessly wrinkled in two years. Yet, I still adore basking in the sun’s warm rays, and hopefully, this trip can tide me over until I quit my job and get to spend every day on the water.

The waves lull me to sleep under an expanse of intensely blue sky. I haven’t had much sleep since I met Carter. We’re up half the night rolling around on the sheets before we finally close our eyes.

I wake up to some kids running on the wooden deck, their wet shoes squeaking with each step. Their mother trails behind them, looking exhausted and begging them to just stop running, please. The kids don’t listen.

My phone clock reads just after four. My skin feels tight and warm, but luckily I don’t burn, so my sunshine nap won’t leave me in pain tomorrow.

Our room is still empty when I return, so I take a quick shower and grab a dress from my closet. It’s not as fancy as the red number I wore to Carter’s poker tournament, but it’ll be okay for Harper’s. I’m sure the girls will be wearing much nicer clothes. For once, I’m okay with that. Carter likes my jeans and t-shirts as much as he likes my dresses. I’ve never had that before.

Once I’m dressed, I escape to Carter’s room. Lately, he’s been leaving it unlocked so that I can slip in whenever I want. This floor is heavily secured, so he’s not worried about anyone breaking in. And even if they did, they wouldn’t get much because he keeps all his valuables in a safe, including several fancy watches and his money clip. I think I even saw some gold bars in there, but I’m not sure.

Yet I know that my man’s not a crazy billionaire. He loves a lot of regular things like baseball and jet-skiing. He listens to all kinds of music but has a soft spot for classic rock. He only sees his parents four times a year when he takes quarterly vacations from monitoring his ships. He’s traveled to hundreds of countries on cruises and flights. He’s never been married and doesn’t have kids. And he’s incredible in bed.

Like I said, fighting with Jessica and Caitlyn has had one good thing: getting to know Carter better.

Six o’clock approaches fast, so I leave my man’s room and head for Harper’s. Carter is at the restaurant already when I arrive, and he looks amazing. My guy is dressed in a black suit with a stark white dress shirt beneath, highlighting his bronzed skin. His black hair is brushed off his forehead, emphasizing those rugged features, and his eyes look so blue that I could melt.

“Hi,” I whisper, leaning up for a kiss when he stands to greet me.

“Hi yourself,” he rumbles. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” I titter, shaking my breasts a bit as if teasing him. “I’m glad you approve.”

“Sweetheart, I not only approve, but you’re going to get that dress torn right off you if you don’t behave. It doesn’t matter that we’re in public. One elevator ride, and we’ll be back in my suite,” he warns.

I giggle again, and fortunately, at that moment, Caitlyn and Jessica arrive. They look nice enough. They’re twenty-something girls with long hair and flowery dresses. Carter, by contrast, looks like a billionaire from a movie.

Dinner starts off quiet, but my guy is charming and keeps the conversation flowing like good wine. By the time our food comes, Caitlyn and Jessica are opening up, telling him about their jobs and the things they love. He nods, smiles, and makes insightful comments, and I’ve never been so proud. Of course they love him. Who wouldn’t?

After we eat dinner, Carter excuses himself for a business meeting with some board members, leaving his card with the waiter so that everything is charged to his room.

The girls and I order dessert and sit awkwardly until I break the silence.

“I really like him,” I tell them. “I wish you guys would accept that.”

Caitlyn reaches over and takes my hand. “We do. I’m really sorry I flipped out on you. It just hurt that you would rather spend your vacation with him than with us. But I get it. Now that we’ve really, properly met him…”

“You get it?”

Jessica nods. “We get it. And we won’t complain anymore when you want to hang out with him. But we have a condition.”

“Okay?”