Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Jamie made my martini, his bourbon, and he walked my drink to me.
I took it and murmured, “Thank you, darling.”
He stayed standing and sipped his drink before he said, “I’m going to call Judge and Dru, let them know we got back all right, and make sure everything is good with both of them.”
He’d been making a concerted effort not to be overpowering, but definitely to make certain his daughter remained well aware of her place, at the same time keeping his finger on his son’s pulse, not only because he was a new dad, but how that came about.
Thus, I understood his need to do this, and nodded.
Jamie bent and kissed my cheek before he walked away, taking out his phone.
I grabbed my clutch to get my own.
I then sent a group text to my children.
I’m home. Talk among yourselves to find a time, and one of you handle setting up that computer thing so we can all catch up. Kisses, Mother
I immediately got from Allegra, For the last time, Mom, you don’t have to sign off texts.
My lips were again curled when I fired off, The death of manners is the death of civilization as we know it.
As I was hitting send on that, I got from Nico, It’s called Zoom, Ma. Or Skype.
Out of habit, I shivered in revulsion.
I loved to hate my son calling me Ma. It was hideous. He just simply refused to be broken of the habit.
Though, if I was truly honest with myself (which, heavens, about this, I was not), I really hated that I loved it.
I prefer Skype, Allegra replied.
Valentina entered the conversation. We don’t need a Skype for you to tell us you’ve FINALLY made it official with Jamie.
Oh dear.
That, I knew, could be blamed on Cadence. My last and Mika’s only were thick as thieves and just as diabolical.
Wait. WHAT!?!?! That was from Allegra.
About fucking time. That was from Nico.
Right? And that was from Valentina.
Language, Nico. That was me.
So I guess that boat thing wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. Yeah, Ma? Again Nico.
It was the new baby. Babies make everyone feel lovey. And that was Allegra, which gave me pause, considering she’d been married for several years now, and it was all fine and lovely that Jamie was a grandfather. He was tall and straight and built and virile (I hoped), and his hair had miraculously only silvered just a little.
But I was not ready.
I’ll tell you about it in the Skype. I cut in. And then I sent, Follow directions. Decide among yourselves when, tell me, and I’ll be there.
Love you, Mom, and so happy for you and Jamie. Allegra.
What she said. Valentina.
Later, Ma. Nico.
I sipped my martini and sent more texts, one to Mika, telling her Jamie and I were safely back in the city, and one to Teddy, informing him of my return, and I was ready when he was to begin to make plans.
Jamie returned shortly after I received Teddy’s response of, More soon, my dearest.
But instead of coming to me, he went to the window and looked out at the city.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
He turned to me, and every molecule in my body stopped moving when I saw the look on his face.
It appeared he was very much still on Arizona time and thus, not at all tired.
On no, he was not.
Not at all.
His gaze moved over me curled in my couch before it came back to my face.
“Everything’s perfect,” he said, his deep voice thick.
Through a mouth that was suddenly dry, I inquired, “Why are you all the way over there, darling?”
“Because Alyona hasn’t retired to her rooms yet.”
I pressed my lips together.
“And I’m struggling with the urge to ravish you on the couch, something that would not only be rude to Alyona, but the first time I sink into you is not going to be on your couch,” he concluded.
Oh my.
I swallowed, and my nipples tingled.
“Goodnight, Miss Nora and Mister Jamie,” Alyona, with excellent timing, called from the back hall.
“Goodnight,” I returned, my voice sounding choked.
“Are you hungry?” Jamie queried.
I was. The food on the plane wasn’t appealing, so I’d only eaten the roll and the salad.
“Peckish,” I answered.
“Can you wait?” he asked.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Right then, sweetheart, I suggest you make your way to the bedroom, because if you don’t, in about three seconds, I’m going to carry you there.”
I needed no further coaxing.
I stood.
But I didn’t go to the bedroom.
I went to Jamie.
His eyes flared.
I took his hand.
At that, his eyes warmed.
And I guided him to my bedroom.
Alyona had left the lights on at the nightstands.
I led Jamie to one, put my martini glass on it, took his drink and set it beside mine.
My heart hammering, my legs feeling like jelly, I took him in, wearing his dandelion yellow, polo necked, long-sleeved, lightweight sweater and off-white trousers. Drinking it all in all at once. His careless but sophisticated style. His height. The breadth of his shoulders. His elegant clothing woefully inadequate at disguising his rugged masculinity. All of that, for the first glorious time, invading the ultra-feminine whites, creams, golds and powder blues of my bedroom.