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"Because I've never met her," she says like that should be patently obvious. "You can't keep her all to yourself."
"Uh, yes, I can."
"No, you can't. If you want the world to know she's the love of your life, you can't keep her locked up in your house. You need to be seen out and about with her."
"We were seen out today." Photographers were snapping photos like crazy once we passed through the security gates. I thought Charlotte was going to crawl through the floorboard trying to hide from them.
"I know. I saw the pictures. You guys look cute together. Now, bring her tomorrow, and the world can see you out and about again," she says.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're bossy?"
"Yep, all the time," she says, making me smile. Kelsey doesn't give a crap what anyone has to say. She knows exactly who she is and doesn't make any apologies for it. It's part of what everyone admires about her. She's terrifying and bossy and far too smart for her own good. But she's also brilliant and fiercely loyal, and she genuinely cares about us as people. To most publicists, we're dollar signs. Kelsey doesn't see us that way. She doesn't treat us that way. Every single man on the team would run through fire if she asked us to do it.
"Fine, I'll bring her," I say. "But you have to talk to Kris."
"I talk to Kris every day."
"No, you don't. You talk around him."
"I do not."
"Yeah, you do."
"Whatever," she huffs, avoiding the subject like always. "I have stuff to do. Stop bugging me. Go make babies or something. Actually, please don't make babies. You're a big enough pain in my butt on your own. The last thing I need is for you to go crazy like Wes."
"Laney will straighten him out."
"Laney is going to murder him if he quotes that baby book one more time," Kelsey says and then giggles. "I hope I'm there to see it."
"Savage."
"Whatever. You know you want to see it, too."
She's not wrong. Wes would crawl through hell naked if Laney asked him to do it. But ever since they found out she's pregnant, he's been driving her crazy. It's hysterical watching someone like him lose his shit over his wife. Wes is a beast, one of the best enforcers in the league. If someone needs to be put in check on the ice for playing dirty, he's the first to do it. They usually don't require a second reminder to play nice. But when it comes to Laney, he's a teddy bear.
I give him shit for it, but I'm not even going to lie. Every time I see them together, jealousy eats me alive. I want what they have, and I want it with Charlotte. She's been in my head, making a mess of it since day one. She's been in my heart, setting fire to every inch of it for just as long. I always thought I didn't stand a chance in hell with her. I'm not blind. She's miles out of my league. But I know she's in love with me, even if she refuses to admit it.
I'll wear her down. Somehow, someway, I'll topple her defenses. And when they fall, I intend for her to land in my arms…right where she belongs. I don't care if John approves or not. If he loves my mom the way I think he does, he should get it. Some people are worth fighting for, worth dying for. Charlotte Anne Mabry, my messy, magical little fairy, is one of them. I won't allow anyone to come between us, family or not.
"I gotta go," I mutter to Kelsey.
"I'll call you with an update later," Kelsey promises. "And Theo? Take care of her. She's been through a lot the past couple of days."
"I will," I promise and then hang up. I quickly dial John's number, but it sends me straight to voicemail. This isn't something I want to tell him through a machine, so I hang up and send a quick text, asking him to call me. Once that's done, I toss my phone onto the bedside table on my way to the bathroom to check on my girl. I'm not even halfway to the door when I hear her splashing around on the other side of the door.
"Oh, shoot!" she cries, and then something hits the floor.
Worried she may have fallen in the shower and hurt herself, I burst through the door like the Kool-Aid Man, and then have to stop to take in the sight unfolding in front of me. Charlotte is on her hands and knees beside the tub, soapy bubbles sliding down her golden skin. They're everywhere else, too, burbling over theside of the tub faster than she can clean them up. Her shampoo and conditioner bottles are overturned on the floor beside her.
"Jesus," I mutter, staring like the greedy bastard she's turned me into. She looks like a water nymph with dark tendrils of hair plastered to her face. The graceful arch of her back lifts her ass into the air. I'm not sure if I want to smack it or sink my teeth into it more. Every inch of her is lush and ripe and ready to fuck.
"Sorry about the mess," she says, looking up at me with pure misery in her eyes. Twin spots of color bloom on her cheeks. She doesn't try to cover herself or kick me out of the bathroom, though. "I got in a fight with your bathtub. It won."
"I see that," I say, reaching over her to turn off the jets, which are still going full blast, sending more bubbles over the edge of the tub onto the floor. As soon as the jets power down, bubbles stop spewing all over the place.
"Oh, sure, " Charlotte huffs, sitting back on her heels to glare at the tub. Her hard nipples have my dick pulsing. They're so damn pink, like the cotton candy little kids always eat at games. "Nowyou want to work."
"I would have warned you that the button sticks if I'd known you were going to bathe instead of shower," I say, fighting the urge to laugh at the look of betrayal on her face. She really does have the worst luck of anyone I've ever met. I carefully make my way to the closet, placing my feet carefully, to grab another towel. "I need to get someone out here to look at it. Here, little one. You get back in the tub. I'll clean this up."
