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“I can’t wait to tell your mother. I’m gonna tell your uncle first because he’s standing right here, but I’ll call her next. We’ll have to get together to celebrate.”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Maybe tomorrow. I still have a long drive and have to move my stuff in.”
“Of course,” he said. “The timing is perfect because Sapphire is about to pop at any moment.”
The thought of Conway made me feel better about this move. I used to see him all the time, and now we hardly spoke. I would get to spend time with him again, even when he was a father. “I’m excited to see what the new Barsetti is gonna be. Hope it’s a girl since it’ll drive Conway crazy.”
Father chuckled. “Yeah. Raising a daughter isn’t easy…and when she’s an adult, it’s even harder.”
When I was growing up, all my guy friends would tell me how hot my sister was. She was a hot commodity—still was since she was single. I knew my father hated dealing with it, just the way my uncle hated dealing with Vanessa.
“So, tell me about your house,” Father said.
“You know that place with the iron gates and cobblestone wall?”
“The one that’s ten acres and three stories?” he asked in surprise.
“Yep. That one.”
He whistled. “That’s one fine piece of real estate…and a little big for one man.”
“I’ll have a maid.”
He chuckled. “Not what I meant, and you know it.”
I smirked but didn’t address it. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Father. I should concentrate on the road.”
“Alright, son. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
When I finished putting my stuff away at the house, I drove to Florence to retrieve Mia. I parked in front of the gallery behind Griffin’s truck, then walked to the front door of the apartment. I knocked and was greeted by Griffin.
It was the first time he looked genuinely happy to see me. “Good, you’re here.” He grabbed the bag off the floor and handed it to me. “It’s got all her stuff inside it. It’s pretty heavy…they did a lot of shopping.”
I felt the weight on my shoulder. “And they bought a lot of shoes, I can tell.”
“Yep.”
“I’ll send you a check for everything.”
He brushed it off. “Don’t worry about it.”
“No, I will. She’s my woman. I’ll buy her clothes.”
He grinned, his arms across his chest. “Your woman, huh?”
“You know what I mean.” I stepped farther into the apartment and saw Mia come toward me. She used to stare at me with disgust, her eyes full of raging flames. But now, the look was totally different. She came to me like she’d been waiting for me to walk through that door all day. She moved into my chest, her small body perfectly fitting against mine. She was over a foot shorter than me, and her hair smelled different because she’d been using a different shampoo. My hand cupped the back of her neck, and I felt the softness of the strands, remembering how they felt against my thighs and stomach when her lips were sealed around my dick.
My other arm circled her body, resting in the deep curve of her lower back. I squeezed her against me, having missed her more than I realized. There was a connection between us now, a loyalty both of us felt.
She stayed against me for a long time, sinking into my body like it was as comfortable as a pillow. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She tilted her chin back to look at me, and she rose on her tiptoes to kiss me on the mouth.
I kissed her back, embracing her soft lips. My arm tightened around her waist as I squeezed her against me, and my fingers dived deeper into her hair. I nearly forgot my cousin was standing there with Griffin because Mia’s kiss did crazy things to me. When I pulled away, I saw Vanessa grinning at me, like she was getting a lot of enjoyment out of this. “You ready to go, sweetheart?”
“Yeah.” She pressed her lips tightly together to absorb my kiss then hugged Vanessa. “Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it.”
“We loved having you,” Vanessa said. “If you ever need a break from Carter, you have my number.”
When she turned to Griffin next, all she got was a nod from him. “We’re always here if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” Mia came back to me, not expecting any more from Griffin.
Griffin wasn’t an affectionate guy, but I suspected he purposely didn’t touch Mia. Maybe it was because she had been a slave for so long. Or maybe he just didn’t touch any women besides Vanessa. Vanessa wasn’t the jealous type, so that didn’t make sense.
“Thanks again.” I hugged Vanessa before I shook Griffin’s hand. “You always have my back, and I appreciate it.”
“That’s what Barsettis do,” Vanessa said. “Griffin told me about your conversation. I hope that means you’ll be speaking to your father?”
