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“Charlotte,” he sighed. “Please don’t fight me on this.”
“Sorry, I have to.” I gave him a half-smile. I wasn’t feeling very cheery. In fact, I must have been feeling quite naive to think Drake and I would magically make things work. Or at least that it wouldn’t be this hard. I knew it was going to take some work, but I was beginning to see just how many obstacles we had before us. They loomed larger than the mountains surrounding us.
“Why?” He gritted his teeth.
“Because, I never want this”—I pointed between us—“to be about money.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I invited you here. You are my girlfriend and the mother of my child. I think that gives me the right to pay for your damn—” He cleared his throat. “I mean your skis.” He gave Jameson a sheepish grin.
I had to say, I liked watching him squirm and realize he needed to watch his mouth around his son.
“You said a bad word,” Jameson was happy to point out.
“Yes, I did. I’m sorry,” Drake’s frustration was coming through.
“You’re forgiven.” Jameson gave him a toothy grin, which made Drake’s countenance soften.
“Thank you.” Drake tapped Jameson’s nose before he turned his attention back to me. “I’ll join you in a couple of hours.” He leaned in and brushed my lips.
“Great. Still not letting you pay for our skis.”
He groaned against my lips. “Add this to the list of things we will talk about later.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll have security here make sure you’re not bothered.”
“Thank you.” I took Jameson’s hand.
“If anyone gives you any trouble, call me and I’ll be right out.”
“I’m sure it will be fine.” That wasn’t exactly true. “See you later.” I wanted to flee with my son. Not away from Drake necessarily, but away from his “life”—and Marissa and anyone who thought just because I had a child with Drake it gave them the right to have access to my son or me.
Drake tilted my chin up with his finger. “Can we please make this a good day?” he pleaded. “I’m trying, Charlotte.”
“I know,” my voice hitched. “It’s just this . . . is hard,” I admitted.
“For that, I’m sorry. I wanted you to come with me today because I’ve longed for a time when you could be by my side as more than my assistant.”
That statement alone did more to melt my anxiety and insecurities away. For a moment I let go of Jameson and fell against Drake, my head landing on his chest. He wrapped me in his arms. I held on and soaked in not only his moody scent but what he was offering—himself.
“Can we just stay like this?”
He pulled me closer and kissed my head. “You got this.”
“So that’s a no?”
He chuckled before whispering lowly in my ear, “You and I will rendezvous privately later tonight.”
A rendezvous? No one had ever wanted to rendezvous with me. That sounded fun. A strong shiver coursed through me, leaving me shaking in his arms.
“Are you guys going to keep touching?” Jameson complained.
“Yes.” Drake kissed me chastely before letting me go.
I turned and found my son scrunching his face. “I’m not going to ever let a girl touch me.”
“I’m okay with that.” I smiled.
Drake, on the other hand, knelt in front of our son and tugged on his hat. “I promise one day, when you’re older and the right girl comes around, you’re going to want her to touch you.” Drake winked up at me. He wasn’t too bad at this dad thing.
Jameson still wasn’t buying it and grimaced, which was fine by me.
“Will you do me a favor while I’m in my meeting and take care of your mom?” Drake asked Jameson.
Jameson stood tall. “I always take care of her.”
“Good man.” Drake fist-bumped Jameson. “I’ll join you soon, and you can show me how well you ski.”
“I’m really good,” Jameson boasted.
“I have no doubt.” Drake stood and hit me with those eyes of his. “Don’t let anyone make you feel insignificant today, especially yourself. See you soon.” He turned and walked away as if he hadn’t just given me the most beautiful advice, making me want to kiss him all over. Maybe it would all be okay.
“Mom.” Jameson tugged on my arm. “I don’t like being famous.”
“Me neither, bud. Me neither.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Aunt Iz!” Jameson went flying into the house later that night. Drake and I trailed behind him. “Aunt Iz, where are you?”
Izzy came sauntering out of the hallway, wearing her painting overalls.
I felt bad leaving her today, with all the work we had left to do, but she’d encouraged me to go. I think more for Jameson’s sake. We both knew it was important for him to get to know Drake. And judging by today, they were going to get along just fine. They’d zipped up and down the slopes together in fine father-and-son-fashion. I’d let them do a few runs by themselves, as weird as it was for me not to be by Jameson’s side. But I wanted more than anything for Drake and Jameson to love each other. For them to have a lasting relationship. I never wanted a moment between father and son where either one of them would say things that are not only hard to take back but would lead to an estrangement.
