AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He releases me with a groan and reaches for it. “Sorry. I’m guessing it’s—yep. Olivia. Reminding me I’m on cake patrol.”
“There’s cake?” I ask hopefully.
He laughs. “How are you still into cake, after the week of weddings we’ve had?”
I shrug, smiling. “It’s a gift.”
Charlie texts a reply. “It’s my niece’s birthday, she’s turning two.” he explains. “I happen to live a block from the premier bakery for dinosaur cakes, so I’m the delivery guy.”
He reluctantly climbs out of bed, then surveys me with a grin. “Dammit,” he says, in a tone that makes me shiver. “You better be holding all these thoughts.”
“Will do.”
I get out of bed too, stretching, and I’m hunting for my clothes when Charlie asks, “You want to come?”
“Well, Idid,” I joke, gesturing to the bed as if we hadn’t gone one extended and twice-satisfying round earlier this morning.
He laughs. “I meant, for the cake.”
“Sure,” I agree. “Do they do muffins? I mean, I should at least pretend not to eat cake for breakfast.”
“I meant to the party.”
I pause.
“You want me to come with you to a family event?” I ask slowly.
He shrugs. “Sure, why not? I mean, if you want to.”
He’s being so casual, maybe he doesn’t know. Meeting the family = relationship territory. Or does it? Maybe he figures that since Olivia knows the truth about our arrangement, she won’t get the wrong idea.
An idea like thinking I’m his girlfriend.
Or am I?
It’s way too early for questions like this, so I try to stifle the urge to overthink. Do I want to spend the day with Charlie?
Yes, I absolutely do.
Simple.
“I’m in,” I declare with a smile. “Sounds like fun.”
We pickup the cake and party supplies, and head over to Olivia’s place. She lives in a gorgeous old brownstone that looks imposing from the outside, but the minute we step through the door, we’re met by a cacophony of kids’ voices playing, with toys and a stroller piled in the hall.
Not so imposing, after all.
Almost immediately, one of the kids tags Charlie as their resident dinosaur. He shoots me an apologetic look and then goes off roaring, with at least one tiny kid clinging to him at all times.
Luckily, Olivia’s friends are welcoming and fun, and we gather in the kitchen, eating kids’ snacks and chatting. Her husband, Ryan, is a former football player turned owner of a health food franchise, and her friend Alice seems to be some kind of private detective, which sounds like a blast.
“A personal assistant, hmmm?” Alice asks with a curious glint in her eye.
“Slash new business owner.”
“You guys know all the juicy gossip,” she says. “I’ll have to call you if I need any background research.”
“I don’t know about that,” I demur. “Discretion is part of the deal.”
