After she buckles her seat belt, he closes the door, he faces me. Something intense lights his eyes as he steps toward me. I lock my knees in place and tip my head back to keep him in view. He stops a couple of feet away.
“It’s good to see you again, Ellie. I’m glad you’re here.”
I swallow past the dryness in my throat. “We’re glad to be here too.”
His head tilts to the side. “Are you?”
“Yes, of course. Maisy’s been looking forward to this since the day you left.”
His lips form a smirk. “That’s not what I asked, but I’ll let it slide.” He steps back and digs his keys from his pocket. “Follow me.”
I nod and tear my eyes away from his powerful green gaze.
Once I’m behind the wheel, I blow out a harsh breath. I start my car and follow Judge out of the parking lot, starting this new life and praying I come out the other side unscathed.
Chapter Sixteen
JUDGE
THEY’RE HERE. THEY’RE REALLY fucking here. I’m still shocked by that fact as I lean against the wall across from the bedroom Maisy will be using as Ellie helps our daughter unpack clothes for a bath. My eyes stray back and forth from one to the other.
I’ve seen Maisy on Skype every day since I left. Each day she looked better, but I didn’t realize just how much until they showed up at The Hill. I’m not sure if she’s back to what she was before her kidneys failed, but she’s definitely gained some weight. Her cheeks are fuller, and her hair shines brightly in the light of the room. And she moves around as if she wasn’t recently on her deathbed. This makes me so fucking happy. More so knowing I had a hand in her recovery.
She giggles and nods when Ellie leans down and says something in her ear and then lightly pokes her in the side. The sound is pure heaven, and there’s not a chance in hell I’ll ever get tired of hearing it.
My eyes move to Ellie. She’s every bit as beautiful as always. She’s in a pair of low-waisted, slim-fitting jeans that hug her ass perfectly. Her sheer white shirt, unbuttoned halfway down her torso, shows off a black tank top. Her top dips just low enough to expose the very tops of her tits and cleavage. It makes me want to bury my face there, rub my cheeks along the smooth flesh and breathe in her intoxicating scent. Her black hair, thick and long, hangs down to the middle of her back. It looks soft and silky, and I know it’ll feel good against my skin.
My dick hardens behind the zipper of my slacks, and I straighten to adjust it. Now’s not the time to catch wood. I think of mundane things, unsexy things, work things. My hard-on softens just in time as they turn and head out of the room.
“All set?” I ask, smiling down at Maisy.
She nods, her hair swaying against her face. “I can’t wait to take a bath in your big bathtub.”
I grin. To say Maisy was mesmerized by the size of the garden tub in my bathroom when I gave them a tour was an understatement. I thought her lower jaw was going to drop off.
“You sure you won’t get lost in all the bubbles?” Ellie quizzes.
“Nah.” Maisy shrugs. “If I do, I’ll find my way out.”
We all laugh as I lead the way back to my room. It feels so Goddamn good to have them here, knowing they won’t be leaving this time.
I leave them in the bathroom and walk back down to grab my phone from the kitchen bar and check my notifications. I’ve got four missed messages. Three are from Mae. I kind of left her hanging when we left The Hill. Word got back to her that Ellie and Maisy are in town. I knew it was bound to happen. That’s why I wanted to get them out of there as soon as possible. As much as I want them to meet the rest of my family, I want to give them the rest of the day to rest.
Just as expected, as we were walking outside, my phone dinged with a text from Mae, demanding I bring them by. I replied that I would bring them over tomorrow.
I pull up her first reply.
Mae – If you make me wait a day longer, I’ll just show up on my own.
I have no doubt she will. Mae can be quite tenacious.
I swipe to her next message.
Mae – How does she look? I know you talk to her all the time and do the video chat with that Skyt program thing, but you can always tell better in person.
I chuckle at her mispronunciation of Skype. Mae’s not very good with the latest technology. It took her years to learn how to text properly, and the only reason she did was because it’s the only way to get in touch with my brothers and me when we’re busy with work.
I bring up her last message.