He turned to me and held my hands between us. “And you’ve been good for me too.”
I leaned forward and kissed him, telling him that I felt the exact same way without so many words.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Noah
The next morning, I woke up early. Jess was still asleep next to me. Memories from the night before flooded my brain. Jess’s soft, silky skin felt good under my fingers as we made love on the beach. That had been something unexpected for me. I had so much more to learn about Jess. Her wild side had contrasted with her sweet self a few times since I knew her, especially when it came to our sexual encounters. I’d never felt so passionate around anyone, not even Wendy. I loved Wendy, but Jess was different. She was perfect for me at this time in my life. Being with her made our little family complete.
I watched Jess gently breathe in and out for several minutes before I slipped out of bed. I quietly put on pants and a shirt and headed out into the hallway. I started the coffee and was surprised that Chloe was still asleep. Though knowing Gina, the older woman was probably exhausted after spending the entire night with a chocolate-fueled three-year-old.
I checked the refrigerator for milk when an idea came into my mind. Since Chloe was a bad flier—something she informed us about on the ride home from the airport—she most likely wasn’t going to visit us anytime soon. So, to thank her for her hospitality toward me and Gina, I decided to make everyone an American breakfast as a slight gesture for everything she’d done for us this trip.
I just started cracking the eggs before I heard a door open behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Gina coming into the kitchen.
“Morning, Daddy,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “I didn’t hear you leave the room.”
“I, uh—I didn’t want to wake you, honey.” Jess and I still hadn’t told Gina of our new arrangement. I was risking her catching us by staying in Jess’s room, but after last night, Jess and I were closer than ever, and I wasn’t willing to leave her side quite yet after we got home last night.
“Whatcha doing?” she asked, climbing up onto one of the kitchen chairs.
“I’m making breakfast for everyone; want to help?”
“Yeah!” she exclaimed.
I shushed her, and she slapped a hand over her mouth, and she slowly turned around toward the hallway.
“Bring your chair over,” I said. “You can whisk the eggs.”
While I had to correct Gina’s whisking methods a few times, she was able to complete the task with little mess.
Chloe came into the room shortly after. “What is this?”
“It’s a small token of my appreciation for everything you’ve done for us.”
She placed a hand on her chest. “Well, it’s that sweet. It’s me who should thank you for getting my daughter down here and all that.”
The toast popped up from the toaster, and I started to butter them so they would melt and remain soft until we all sat down.
“Can I help ya?” Chloe asked.
“No!” Gina said, firmly. “You should sit.”
I smirked. “You can help yourself to some coffee.”
Chloe wagged her finger at Gina, and my daughter squealed with delight. I had done the same gesture before I tickled her. She assumed a tickle was coming from Chloe too.
“If you would allow it, chef, I can squeeze some fresh orange juice.”
“I love orange juice,” Gina said. “Can I help?”
“You can watch,” Chloe said. “The juice press loves to eat little fingers.”
Chloe pretended to eat Gina’s fingers, and she giggled. The two of them set up on the opposite counter, and Chloe started cutting up oranges.
When the breakfast was plated and ready to be served, Jess st
ill hadn’t emerged from the bedroom. I put everything on the table and excused myself to go get her. I had the urge to be in her general vicinity at that very moment. Last night was wild, and my attachment to her had grown immensely. I hoped to make her a permanent fixture in my life when we returned to the States. And since Gina loved Jess so much, I didn’t think my daughter would have a problem with our new arrangements.