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Once the girls had passed out, Cori and I crept upstairs, leaving the bathroom light on in case one of them woke up. It was obvious Cori didn’t know what to make of my house when we arrived, but her reaction to my room was even more priceless. Her lips puckered and she cocked her head to look up at me. I laughed. The midnight-blue walls were complimented by the cream and tan bedding on my king-sized bed and the two sitting chairs on either side of my bookcase. The headboard was my favorite because I made it. The tan fabric matched the bed perfectly.
“Am I inTheTwilightZone?” Cori walked over to inspect the framed, pressed plants on the wall leading to the bathroom. “This is way too tame to be Griffin Steele’s room. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. No, I expected handcuffs, a neon beer signs, and half naked women on posters. This looks like someone with taste designed it.”
I kicked my shoes off, stripping my way to the bed. Finally flopping back in only my underwear, I asked, “I can’t have taste?” I pointed to the top dresser drawer, watching as Cori undressed. Fuck me sideways, the woman was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. Curves and softness for days. I wanted every broken piece of her. She pulled one of my undershirts from the drawer, tugging it over her head, holding her hands out for me to inspect. I patted the bed and she followed my example, lying back next to me
“Of course you can have taste, I just didn’t expect it to be good taste. The whole house is beautiful.” She snuggled in next to me, resting her hand on my chest.
“I knew I wanted this place to be it for me, so I did it right. Took me forever to find the perfect house.” I propped on the pillows, watching her throw her leg over mine. I had to touch her thigh, rub my hand over the smooth skin there, soaking up how perfectly she fit into my life. I also had to appreciate her in my shirt, laying in my bed.Mine.
“Who decorated in here?” Her voice started sounding drowsy so I clicked off the lamp next to my bed.
“No one, babe. Other than Celia when she first got here, no one has even been in my room but you.” It didn’t seem right to ruin my dream home with a chick I wasn’t willing to stick with. So, in the time I had owned my home, no women had been in it. I kind of figured no woman would ever be in my bed, but Cori was my woman.
“Seriously?” Cori squeezed me lightly. I hummed an answer and kissed her hair. It was like I had saved that part of my life only for Cori, even if it was unintentional, she obviously appreciated it.
She passed out quick, but I couldn’t sleep. Her ex was weighing on my mind, along with a million other things. I wanted to know what steps she was taking to keep her and Axel safe from him. He hadn’t personally attacked her, but he might as well have. There was no doubt that he would come around wanting his family back. The thought of her making the choice to go back to Axel’s father made my stomach churn. The idea scared the shit out of me. She swore she wanted nothing to do with him, but what happened when he was clean and sober? The obvious choice was to reunite her family. What woman didn’t want their family together?
The fucking party she wanted to take the girls to was on my mind too. At the time, it seemed funny as hell to watch Karen Tolley get all flustered, but the more I thought it over, the more I didn’t want to have Celia, Axel, and Cori judged because of me. Country Clubs with suburban pool houses were not my scene, daughter or not. Between her ex and the damn party, I would never relax again. If I closed my eyes, it could all be gone.
I must have finally fallen asleep, because I woke up to an empty bed and the faint smell of my body wash. The shower was freshly used which meant my woman was walking around my house smelling exactly like me. The very idea made my cock hard. Damn, I wished I hadn’t missed that shower. I got dressed and went in search of Cori, for no other purpose than to sniff her, smell myself on her.
“So, where is her dad?” Mom’s question made me freeze in my tracks, just before I got to the kitchen doorway to listen. It was rude, but hey, my house.
“Prison. He was in jail for a while before we finalized the divorce. It was like I couldn’t believe the mess my life had become, like I was waiting for him to come home and greet us like he always did. We’ve been divorced for years now, though, he can’t come near us if he does get out either. Or, well, when he gets out I guess.” I heard the water run and the clatter of dishes being washed.
“Does she ask about him?” Mom was going to pry until there were no details left.
“Not much. I have made a point to never talk bad about him, but my family didn’t show the same respect. I don’t ever want her to think there is any bad in her, ever. When she asks, I tell her he made a mistake that got him in trouble. It’s been over a year since the last time it was brought up.” Cori was taking to my mother’s twenty-questions like a champ.
“You should be proud. Most people would break under that kind of pressure, but you have done so well for yourself. And I have to thank you for the quick work you did whipping Griffin into shape. Celia settled him down, but you grounded him. I think he might be falling in love with you girls.” A dish clattered to the floor. If she wasn’t my mother I would have threatened the woman’s life. Instead of killing her, though, I rounded the corner, wishing them a good morning. I could see the girls dressed and ready, eating on the porch.
I kissed Mom on the head and Cori on the lips, smelling her. “Sleep okay?” I had no idea what to say to my mother, so I poured my coffee. Cori nodded, red-faced and wide-eyed. Her reaction to the idea of me loving her was not a positive one. Fuck. The worst part was that I couldn’t be mad at Mom, because she was right. One week and Cori had me wrapped around her finger almost as tightly as Celia. Axel just added to the devotion I already felt. I wanted her to trust me, bond with me the way Celia had with Cori. “Can I take Ax with us to the movies this weekend? For her birthday.” I added the last part to not sound so awkward.
“Uh, wow. Sure. I mean, if she wants.” Cori had the same confused look that she wore when she walked into my bedroom the night before. I pecked her on the lips again.
“Great. I’ll let you know when.” Axel didn’t have a father, or not one worth a damn and needed to know how men were supposed to treat women. I was going to teach her how men behaved. Ax wasn’t mine, but Cori was a package deal, and I had plenty of room for a couple more princesses in my life. Taking the girls out would give Cori a chance to relax, to get some rest.
Cori and Axel ran out of the house, thanking us graciously for showing them a good time and heading to work. I had to hold my woman a little longer, loving my smell on her before I let her go. Axel’s party was in a couple of days and her family would be there no doubt. Arianna was one thing, but parents were another. I mentally prepared myself for Cori to bolt when she realized her parents wouldn’t stand for her being with a man like me. Not that I wouldn’t chase her to the end of the Earth, but no matter how much Cori had changed me in a week, I would never be viewed as enough for her and had come to terms with it. If Arianna was her sister, I couldn’t even imagine what the parents would be like.
FIFTEEN
Cori
The water park looked like a party store had puked in the gazebo. Griffin, Harriet, and I worked tirelessly for two hours before the party while Lily watched the girls. Briggs blew up balloons. It was quite the combined effort. Beck showed up with a giant wrapped box, greeted Griffin with a chin lift then sat to help his brother blow up balloons. At least they had moved past whatever bullshit guys like them fight over. Mom and Dad showed up with the cake. Ari brought Ben and Max. Jovie strolled up with Ewan and Amelia, pushing the twins in the stroller. Lydia handed me Cohen, flopping back on the nearest bench while Jacob and Oliver carried a black and pink box over to the gazebo.
“I’m too old for this.” Lydia groaned, rubbing her belly. I covered Cohen with kisses, hugging Oliver when he came over to snag his brother from me. Ollie worshiped his little brother and was about to get to do it again.
“Shouldn’t have waited so long to get yourself knocked up again,” I teased, handing her a bottle of water. I rested both of my hands on her belly, feeling the little baby flutters inside, sighing dreamily. My pregnancy, planned or not, had been so amazing. I felt great and loved the way Richard doted on me, constantly rubbing my bump, waiting on me. Knowing you are growing a person inside you is an incredible feeling. A pain ran through me when I realized I would probably never do it again.
The kids all darted in and out of the water jets, Axel and Celia held hands squealing. Griffin set the last box of pizza on the stone table then strutted over to land a kiss on my head.
“Which one is your mom?”
I swallowed, scanning for my parents. Jovie’s mom, Louise, was there with her dad, Mike. Faye, Briggs, and Beck’s mom was talking to Harriet, and my parents were holding hands on a bench near the kids. One more couple had yet to arrive, and I was afraid they would make Griffin uncomfortable. Hell, they made me uncomfortable, so would go out of their way to poke the bear. If they decided to show up.
I reluctantly dragged my … whatever Griffin was to my parents, sucking up my nervousness. “Hey, guys.” My dad stood and shoved his hand out to shake Griffin’s. “Griffin, my parents, Margo Wallace. Allen Wallace.”
“Nice to meet you both, Griffin Steele.” My parents both shook his hand, then promptly hugged Griffin. Mom started her small talk, asking about Celia and his job. Dad started about football season, and I checked out of the conversation with a smile. Mom and Dad both bordered on obsessed with college football. Apparently, so did Griffin. It was always football season in East Tennessee. He looked like he just won the lottery with that conversation. It was wonderful. Arianna was the only stuck-up bitch in the family, but I was worried my parents would say I shouldn’t be bothering with a guy. My focus would always be Ax, but Griffin was great company, and if it ended up being more, that would just ice the cake.
