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Chapter 10
The sound of my yawn echoes through the car as I'm waiting at a traffic light. My body is jetlagged after traveling cross-country for two weeks. Yesterday I returned home, and when I walked in the door, I received a phone call from an important client who had a problem, and it ended up with me attending a video conference call at 3 am trying to solve the conflict. By the time my head touched the pillow, it was 5 in the morning.
I peek at the clock. "Dammit!” I mutter. I promised Charlotte and Emma that I'd pick them up at 10 am for a trip to the zoo, and it's already 10.05 am. When the traffic light turns green, I hit the gas.
Two days ago, I called Emma asking if she and Charlotte wanted to do something fun with me. I could hear the cheerful Smarty in the background, wondering if it was me on the phone, almost begging her mom to let her talk to me. That girl can make my day by hearing her delightful voice.
When Emma put her on the phone, she rambled for twenty minutes straight, telling me everything she had been doing in the last week. Then she asked me millions of questions about my work and where I was. When it was my time to talk, I asked her if she wanted to go to the zoo. The high-pitched scream of happiness that followed made me laugh. So tired or not, I'm not backing out on my promise.
As I arrive at Emma's house, my heart leaps when I spot an enthusiastic Charlotte standing in her driveway, jumping up and down. I wave, and she waves back. Her hair is in a braid, and her cheeks are rosy. I forget my tiredness when I turn the engine off, and she stands by my door with a beaming smile.
"Giant," she screams, and when I step out, she hugs me. I lift her, and she wraps her arms around my neck, giving me a tight hug. "I've missed you."
I swallow, hearing her confession. "I've missed you too, Smarty. Tell me, are you and your mom ready for the Zoo?"
Her eyes sparkle, and when I put her back on her feet, she pulls something out of her pocket and waves it in the air. "Here, this is my list."
"What list?"
"The list of animals I want to see."
I chuckle, and I take the list she is waving in front of me. "Did you write this yourself?"
"I did," she says with pride. "Mom helped, but I did the most."
"You did an impressive job, Smarty. It's a long list; we better go."
She jumps, grabs the list out of my hands and runs to the car door.
"Come on, let's go." I laugh at her enthusiasm and unlock the car door. "Take a seat in the back. I'll get your mom."
But Charlotte shares another one of her strategies. "Mommy, Giant is here," she shouts at the top of her lungs.
Two seconds later, Emma shows up, and my heart rumbles with pleasure at seeing her gorgeous face. My gaze wanders over every inch of her body. Her hair is in a ponytail, and she wears black pants that hug her tight ass perfectly. Her green eyes sparkle, and there's a light blush covering her cheeks. When our eyes meet, both our smiles widen.
"You're magnificent," I say while drinking in her natural look. Emma wears mascara and eyeliner, and her lips shimmer with gloss.
Those lips are a sin.
When she stops in front of me, she inspects my face. "What's wrong?" she asks while touching my cheek. "You're tired. Is everything okay?"
I grab her hand and place a kiss on her palm. She's observant.
"I'm okay. I had a problem with a client last night and went to bad really late."
She lifts her brows. "We can reschedule the zoo."
Her genuine concern for my wellbeing is touching.
"Thank you for caring, but I'm fine. Although there is one thing you can do."
"And that is?" she asks, while her eyes inspect the rest of my body.
"Give me a kiss."
"Oh, is that so, Mister Brown?" she says while batting her lashes. A shot of adrenaline shoots through my body.
"Yes, I strongly believe it will help." A moment later, I feel her hand on my chest, and her soft lips are on my cheek, but the next second, they're gone. I lock my eyes with hers.
