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Jasmine
A tingle rolls down my spine and I look up, seeing Adam watching me through the mirror as I finish with Cleo’s hair. She’s been all smiles since she came home Monday night and it’s something I really want her to keep.
She told me Tuesday morning all about her new friend Serenity who asked her if she wanted to play with her during recess when they were at lunch. So of course I had to share that with Julie and Serena. I’m sure Julie would have asked more questions if she hadn’t been dealing with some issue that popped up with one of their new work site. Apparently some permit went missing with the city and she was raising hell with them because she had the official copy of it to prove it was issued.
I had a phone call from Cleo and Adam last night and we decided to FaceTime so I could see her happy face instead of just listening to her gushing about the other new friends she made with Serenity asking her if she wanted to play again. It prompted her to ask if I was coming over this morning and my only answer was of course. Which then turned into her asking Adam if I could have dinner with them tonight and the way Adam looked at me…no way was I going to say no to that.
I give Cleo a kiss to the cheek, making her giggle, and watch her hurry out of the room to get her things, barely stopping to give Adam a hug as he heads my way.
“Can I just say that I really like having you here in the mornings,” he states, pulling me into his hold and I slip my arms around his waist, resting my head on his chest with a smile.
“I like it too,” I tell him, a little sigh escaping when Cleo shouts up to us that she’s ready.
“I was thinking,” Adam says as we move down the steps, “if you brought a bag with a change of clothes tonight, Cleo wouldn’t necessarily know that you stayed overnight. That is, if you’d like to of course,” he adds dropping a soft kiss to my lips making my heart melt. “We don’t have to do anything but sleep if you’re not ready. I’d be fine just holding you all night, baby.”
“What if Cleo would realize it?” I ask, more than ready to say yes but not at that little girl’s expense.
“Then I’d tell her that I love you far too much to be away from you, and that I hope you’ll become a permanent part of my life quite soon. Which means you’ll be part of her life for good quite soon as well,” he states and holy crap, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted. The look in his eyes, his words, it all fills me with warmth and peace and a desire that’s begging to be sated.
“I’ll stop back by my place and grab some clothes before coming to dinner then,” I state, smiling when his eyes light with a bit of surprise while the rest is intense need that just makes mine deepen.
“If you’re teasing me right now, Jasmine, I swear, I’m going to lose it,” he growls at me, pulling me flush against his body, letting me feel every single inch of him and it’s incredible.
“My parents taught me to never run from love, but to embrace it and hold onto it, no matter how fast it happens or when it happens. You came into my life at the exact right moment I think, for me, for Cleo, and hopefully for you,” I add as his head descends my way, his hand cupping my cheek.
“Absolutely the perfect time,” he agrees before giving me a kiss I’ve been wanting since our date. It fills every bit of me with need and I reach up on my tiptoes wanting more.
“Woops,” a giggling high-pitched voice shouts, breaking us apart and I can feel my cheeks flushing seeing Cleo staring at us.
“Have everything, honey?” Adam asks her and she nods, her eyes dancing between us as she smiles brightly.
“So when can I start calling her Aunt Jasmine?” Cleo questions us and I turn my face into Adam’s chest, laughing softly to stop from telling her now and never leaving here.
“Soon I hope,” Adam states, pulling my gaze back up to him and the longing there has me nodding in agreement.
“Yes! This is going to be so cool!” Cleo shouts before hurrying out to the car while we follow a bit slower.
Adam stops me when I start to walk towards the open garage door, putting something in my hand and I glance down at it in surprise, seeing the garage door opener there. “This way you can park inside the garage and come in anytime you want.”
“Anytime?” I tease, lifting a brow at him in surprise. “So I could come over this afternoon and snoop through things and you wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all. In fact,” he adds, taking out something else and my heart flutters seeing it’s a key. “The new alarm code is zero three one three.”
“New?” I state glancing from the key back up to him with a grin.
“I changed it Sunday. My most recent housekeeper seemed off, so I let her go and changed the code to something important I’d remember.”
“Which was what?” I ask confused by that.
“The day I met you,” he whispers into my ear making my heart soar, before giving me a last kiss to get Cleo to school on time.
My morning is spent thinking mostly about Adam, the other part on Cleo’s party, but by lunchtime, I can’t stand it anymore. I let the girls know I’m heading out but can be reached on my phone, then head home to get some things.
It's not entirely unusual for me to sneak in and grab something in the middle of the day, but I deftly avoid going over to the main part of the house, and not simply to avoid the questions of what I’m up to. The rest is so there’s no chance of walking in on Mom and Dad doing something I so do not need to see. Dad might be almost seventy-eight, but you’d never know it the way he goes.
I pop into the grocery store on my way over to Adam’s and grab the ingredients for lasagna and tiramisu. It’s one of my favorite meals but I know Cleo likes it as well and I want to make something special for us tonight.
I pull up to the house, opening the garage door then stop seeing a woman at the front door peeking in through the window. She’s so intent on it that she apparently didn’t even hear the garage opening, which is odd.
