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I kiss Lucas on the cheek, and he makes a gagging sound, rubbing his cheek vigorously. "You can't do that anymore. I'm too old."
"If you don't listen to me, I'm going to kiss you some more." As an afterthought, I add, "In public. At school."
He straightens up, adopting a stoic expression, then joins Chloe on the couch seconds before the doorbell rings. I practically sprint to open the door.
"Hi," Christopher greets me, his eyes raking over my body, resting on my hips a tad too long, making me blush. Behind him, the sky is a mix of heavy clouds and streaks of clear blue and orange, as if the heavens aren’t quite prepared to let go of the summer, or allow autumn to take over.
"Come inside."
The second I close the door, the sound of feet shuffling informs me that the kids are on their way here. So much for them staying in the living room.
"Christopher," Chloe calls. Lucas is right beside her, inspecting Christopher. Lucas's hair is exactly the same shade of dark chocolate as Chloe's, while Sienna’s and mine are a few shades lighter. Lucas is a tad too tall for his age, while Chloe is smaller than other four-year-olds, something Lucas endlessly teases her about. Sienna mouths “I'm sorry,” and I smile, letting her know it's not the end of the world. After all, Christopher was lovely toward Chloe on our first encounter.
"Hi, Chloe." He ruffles her hair good-naturedly. "I brought the three of you something."
"Ice cream," Sienna exclaims. "Ben & Jerry’s with chocolate cherry and coconut."
"That's my favorite," I remark, wondering how he guessed.
Sienna shakes Christopher's hand, introducing herself, then snatches the ice cream out of his hands.
"You have great taste," she informs him. "We love Ben & Jerry's."
"Glad to be of service. And you must be the man of the house, Lucas."
I'm pleasantly surprised Christopher remembers his name, and I melt as he smiles at my brother.
"See, Victoria," Lucas says, "he's not an ogre. He's nice."
Blood rushes to my face, embarrassment rooting me to the spot. Mental note: Never say anything in front of the kids that would embarrass you if they repeated it in front of anyone else. Ever.
Out of the corner of my eye, I peek at Christopher. His lips are pressed together, as if he's trying hard not to burst out laughing. Not that I'm blaming him.
"Who wants ice cream?" Sienna asks, holding up the box. Chloe and Lucas answer in unison. "Okay, let's go. Thank you, Christopher."
They disappear into the living room, yet I can't bring myself to meet Christopher's eyes, still ashamed from Lucas outing me. A buzzing noise startles me.
"Sorry, I've got to answer this," Christopher says, placing his phone to his ear. "How did it go?"
The person at the other end of the line speaks quickly, but I can't make out any words.
"I don't care," Christopher says harshly. "We're not caving in. That's our offer. He can take it or leave it. We've invested millions on this."
I study him in silence, trying to reconcile the powerful businessman before me with the man with a tomboyish charm who brought the kids ice cream.
After he finishes the conversation, he shoves his phone in
the pocket of his pants, opening his arms wide. "I'm all yours now. Promise."
"First things first, sorry about the ogre thing. I told Lucas that because he was insisting on meeting you, and I thought it would put him off. I try not to mix my personal life with my professional one, but…."
"Don't worry," he says with a rueful smile.
"Follow me."
He walks in step with me as I lead him through the house all the way to the office. "Thank you for bringing them ice cream. It'll keep them occupied. You sure have a knack for kids."
"Grew up in a big family," he says simply. "Knowing how to keep the small ones occupied was a basic survival skill."
