Page 112 of That First Night
James turned four in March and he's even smarter, if possible, and is really enjoying his new school. He has made so many new friends in the last couple of months. He goes there full time now instead of half days and he claims to love it even more because he gets more play time with his friends. So far, this move is working well for all of us.
As far as Peyton starting her daycare center, she opted to wait until the move and the wedding was over to get it up and running. We had the place completely gutted a couple months ago for renovations, and they have been working every day to make it exactly as she pictures it in her head. It will double as a day-care center and preschool for kids that are just a little too young for the bigger school. I’m so damn proud of her for what she’s doing with it.
“Ahh, you made my favorite?” Peyton asks as she enters the kitchen.
One thing Peyton would not settle for, in a new place, is the kitchen. She still makes a batch of chocolate chip cookies at least two times a week. She says that the kitchen is the heart of a home. It’s the space friends gather when they come over. She fell in love with this house because of the kitchen alone. It’s nearly identical to our kitchen in the penthouse. The windows allow the right amount of natural light and overlook our property in the backyard.
“Of course.” I lean in and press a kiss to her forehead. “You know I will be making you these for the rest of our lives.”
“You’re too good to me, Mr. Ford.”
I groan as I wrap my arms around her and bury my face in the crook of her neck. “You know what it does to me when you call me that.”
“Do I?” she asks seductively as she wraps her arms around me and claws at my back. Her body melts into mine as she presses herself into my groin.
“You’re insatiable, woman,” I say as I push her off of me before my dick gets hard with James in the next room. “James is right out there, and you have to eat your breakfast.”
“Fine,” she rolls her eyes. “But you should know that as much as I love these waffles, I would much rather have something else in my mouth for breakfast.”
I don’t reply but give her a kiss before I turn her around to give her a smack on the ass as she saunters away to the kitchen table to eat her waffles.
“Are you heading into the city today for work?” she asks between bites.
“Not for work,” I tell her as I clean up the dishes. “But I am meeting Marc in the city for lunch to go over a couple things that we have meetings for next week. There's a big property we’re trying to lock a deal in with. He’s also got some shit going on with his predicament that he got himself into back in December. You know, the whole fake fiancé thing with Avery.”
“What kind of shit?”
“They didn’t lock in the deal at the charity event in December.” I shake my head and laugh. “Apparently the owner hasn’t made up his mind yet. He was supposed to decide by the end of May. Now, he claims he needs the summer to make up his mind. Which means he and Avery have to go back to playing house for show.”
“You’re joking!” Her eyes widen.
“I wish I was,” I scoff. “Why the shocked look?”
“Well.” She shakes her head and pauses. “I know she doesn’t bring much of her personal life into work. She’s been really good about keeping it professional at work with Marc, but she started seeing someone casually a couple of weeks ago.”
“This…” I laugh. “This is a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Don’t tell him when you see him today,” she pleads. “Let her tell him and let them figure out their own shit.”
“Absolutely will not be breaking that news to him,” I shake my head. “He’s going to fucking lose it, you know.”
“Big time.” She laughs. “What time will you be back?”
“I’m not sure.” I tilt my head to the side in question. “Why? What do you have planned today?”
“I…” she pauses as she swipes the last piece of waffle through some syrup on her plate. “Nothing. I will probably just hang out here and clean.”
I raise a questioning brow at her. “Why would you be doing that when Rosie takes care of that for us?”
“Good point. Although I don’t mind helping her.” She rises from the kitchen table to put her dish in the sink. “I think I will… watch a movie. Yes, that's it. I will watch a movie.”
What the fuck? She is acting very strange right now. She knows we still have the housekeeper from the penthouse. She even still makes us some amazing grab and go lunches. That makes this whole encounter pretty weird.
“Uh… Okay?” I say in confusion.
She moves to stand in front of me where I lean on the kitchen counter and wraps her arms around my waist. She’s going to be my wife soon. We have lived with each other since she first moved into the apartment. Yet, every time she touches me, it sends a wave of electricity through my body. Her touch still lights me on fire, and I feel that will never stop.
What’s that country song that I never really paid attention to until Peyton waltzed into my life? ‘I thought I loved you then.’ I know that a year from now I am only going to love her more than I do at this moment.
