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"You might." He narrows his gaze. "You like me more though."
I like him more than most things. "Maybe."
"No maybes." He pushes his hands on the wall, so his arms bracket me. "Tell me what else you like, Ellie."
I know what he expects me to say. He thinks I'll tell him that I like his mouth, or his hands or his beautiful cock. I do but that's not what I want. I want something else.
"I like pancakes. I'd like to have pancakes for dinner."
His throat works on a large swallow. He blinks his eyes to chase something back. His voice has a rasp when he finally speaks. "You're sure? You're very sure, Ellie?"
"I'm positive," I say because I am. "I want to go home and change my clothes. After that, I want to come to your real apartment and have pancakes with you and May."
"Thank you," he says in a whisper before he kisses me. "Thank you for this."
Chapter 44
Ellie
I stand at the entrance to his building. I'm late. I promised him I'd be at his apartment door by five o'clock, but I had no idea what to wear. Adley wasn't around to offer her advice, so I tried on several different outfits before finally deciding on a pair of jeans rolled up at the ankles and an oversized light blue T-shirt knotted at my hip. It doesn't show too much skin. That's the look I was going for.
"Ms. Madden?"
I turn at the sound of a male voice saying my name. I know it's not Nolan. His voice is deeper with a clear timbre. This voice is higher. There's a pretense of something regal there.
"Hi, Dino," I say after glancing at his name tag. The only reference I have for how to speak to a doorman is my encounters with the man who worked in the building where Tad's condo was in Vegas. Paul was his name, and when he wasn't busy rushing to help the residents in and out of taxis, Ubers or their chauffeur driven cars, he was doing card tricks on the small desk he stood guard by.
My greeting takes Dino by surprise. He takes a step back and smiles. "Mr. Black told me to expect the most beautiful redhead in the world. He wasn't kidding."
Since Dino is cashing a paycheck partially funded by Nolan, I take the compliment with a grain of salt. "You're kind. I'm late. I should get up there I guess."
"It's your first time meeting Miss May, isn't it?"
The question is too personal, but it's welcome. I need a pep talk before I meet Nolan's daughter and since Adley was nowhere to be found, Dino is second best. "Yes. Do I look nervous?"
He holds his index finger and thumb an inch apart in the air. "Just a wee bit."
I suck in a deep breath and push my shoulders back.
"She's the sweetest girl you'll ever meet." He marches over to his desk near a bank of elevators. "She drew me this picture just this afternoon."
I look down at the sheet of white paper that's decorated with a tall semi-rectangular building, a stick figure wearing a large square hat and another figure next to it with enormous ears on the side of its head. "It's adorable."
"This is our building." He points out as his hand glides over the paper. "This is me in the hat and that's Montgomery, the monkey Miss May wants to adopt."
I giggle. "I heard about the monkey."
"If you smile like that, you'll win her heart." He moves to press the elevator call button. "They're on the top floor. Penthouse One. Just knock on the door and he'll be waiting."
"Thank you." I squeeze his forearm through his perfectly pressed uniform just as the elevator doors fly open.
***
"Wow," I whisper under my breath when he swings open the door to his apartment.
It's not the view of the city that's visible on the far wall. It's not even the polished marble floors. It's him. Nolan is standing directly in front of me. A small girl with long blonde hair is next to him. They both smile at me and when they do the pink headbands sporting bunny ears sitting atop their heads move slightly in sync with each other. The fact that they're both wearing jeans and white T-shirts only adds to how perfect they are together.
"It's her." The little girl jumps up and down. "Daddy, is this her?"
