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Her mouth twists in a wry smile. “I’m pretty sure you could tell her we’re leaving for Antarctica and she’ll go without a fuss. She adores you.”
And I adore her. More and more, I’m finding myself agonizing over the fact that she’s not biologically my kid. That she could have been, if only I’d paid better attention when it mattered.
Giving Martin Patterson a lead implant between his eyes is top of my To Do list once we get back home.
As Clara predicted, telling Willow we’re going back home tomorrow goes easier than I anticipated. She’s excited to see Gloria and Bambi again, and wants to show off her new mermaid doll and matching seashell necklace I picked up in the market between Helen Cooper’s house and the docks.
Plus something else for Clara while she wasn’t looking.
I spent the rest of the day actually working on my laptop while the girls had their picnic lunch and splashed in the pool. For dinner, I pried myself away from the computer so we could grill burgers and make sandcastles on the private beach while the sun set over our last full day in this island paradise.
If I could have my way, I don’t know if we’d ever leave. No Martin, no Greg, no Raizo?—
Fuck.
Raizo.
He’s going to be pissed when I tell him he can take his auction and shove it up his ass.
Clara tiptoes into the bedroom from the hallway, no doubt celebrating her success at finally getting Willow to lie down and at least pretend to fall asleep. I tried my best five stories and three songs ago, but the kid kept popping up like a daisy pumped with energy drinks. I lied and said I had to use the bathroom just so Clara could take over.
Now, she’s in my—our—room and shutting the door behind her softly.
“Is she—” I begin to ask, but Clara waves her hands at me like the slightest sound will wake the Kraken.
She peels off the oversized shirt she’s been wearing over her bikini and carefully hangs it up on the back of the door. Since she won’t let me talk, I sit up in bed and fold my hands behind my head, perfectly content to watch her little striptease number.
I’m pretty sure she’s unaware of her rapt audience, because her shimmy-kick of her bottoms is not the sexiest attempt and she hisses a curse word when her top doesn’t untie at her back.
“Need help?” I whisper across the room.
Clara spins around, eyes wide. Mine widen, too, but with delight at the full frontal view of her. I draw the blankets back as an invitation to come join me in bed.
She does crawl in, naked and warm and mouthwatering, but she presses a finger to my lips before I can pull her in for a kiss. “We have to be quiet. Willow’s in the other room.”
“I can be quiet.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not me. Taking you. It’s a bit of a different challenge.” She grins and finally lets me kiss her. “But if you want, I can see about waking up early, and, you know… be your alarm.”
I loft a brow. “Even with the little one next door? Aren’t you worried we’ll wake her up?”
Clara winks. “Not with my mouth full.”
Fuck. Let it be morning now, please. “You know, we could just?—”
She kisses me again, then taps my nose with a finger. “You need sleep. We both do. And we both know that once we get started, we won’t stop for awhile.”
I both love and loathe how right she is. So I sigh and wriggle my way back down under the blankets and sink my head on the pillows. “Fine. Be a responsible adult.”
“You’ve been doing that for both of us. I figured it’s my turn to help shoulder the burden.”
I roll onto my side and curl around her, tucking her into me. “When we get back home, we’re going to need to do some rearranging.”
“Oh?” She snuggles into me and closes her eyes, but her smile says she’s still listening.
“I want you to move your stuff into my room. If you want,” I quickly add.
Clara stills.Shit. I might be moving too fast. The island sun has fried my brain as it is?—
