Page 115 of The Charmer

"I'm pleased," she said, some of her sass coming back. She was slowly getting used to this, which was fantastic because it was only going to get more intense. They were simply warming up. We'd taken them by surprise.

"I could eat something, though," Georgie said. "My stomach is rumbling."

"Babe, you only had toast with honey this morning. Of course you're hungry."

As we turned around to the table, I caught Beckett and Anthony staring at us with open mouths. Zachary, on the other hand, gave me an appreciative nod and thumbs-up. I could perfectly understand my youngest brothers' reactions. Ever since they were kids, they'd heard me say that couple-hood wasn't for me. And this sounded very much like couple-hood. But I didn't regret it one bit.

I led her straight to the dining table. “Just take what you want.”

“This is so fancy," Georgie said. "It's almost looks like a restaurant setting."

"Once a chef, always a chef," Chad said, joining us. "The grandmothers like to say that they might not be able to run a restaurant anymore, but they do everything professionally whenever they can."

He moved closer so only we could hear him. "By the way, I'm really sorry about Bella sort of outing you," he said. "I had no idea anyone even spoke to her about you two."

"Brother, this is the disadvantage of having a village around you to raise kids."

Chad laughed. "It's all good. I mean, it's obviously unfair to you, but I don't mind. So, how's business going, Georgie?"

I liked that he was inquiring about Books & Beads and taking an interest in her.

"We ended up having a great Carnival season. Much better than I was fearing before Christmas. And I might even have gotten inspiration for one or two additional business lines, so to speak."

I couldn't help but beam at my woman. Her business savvy was unique. Georgie honored their family legacy but kept up with the market’s needs simultaneously.

"That's fantastic," Chad said as we all headed back to the living room with our plates.

Everyone spoke with Georgie at one time or another. I was damn proud of the whole clan for making her feel welcome. Even though this was only supposed to be brunch, it lasted the whole day.

In the evening, Georgie asked me to take her home. I was tempted to convince her to come by my house again because I wanted to keep an eye on her, but she did need fresh clothes.

"Want to come in?" she asked me after we'd parked.

"Of course. What did you think about today?"

She beamed. "I had so much fun. When you first suggested it, I wondered if I’d feel out of place, but that wasn't the case at all." She opened the door to the house. “Welcome to my kingdom.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Julian

As we stepped inside the house, I kissed the back of her neck, holding her hair up with one hand.

"Oh, now I see why you wanted to come in," she teased. "Hmm, let's see. My bedroom is right there." She pointed and then walked toward the door off the living room.

Her bedroom was a decent size. When she entered, she looked like a vision. It was semi-dark, but there was a full moon tonight, and she had stepped right into its light.

"Could you help me undress?” she asked.

"Sure. In fact, it's going to be my pleasure." I stepped right behind her. "Your neck has tempted me the entire day," I confessed in her ear. Before moving my mouth to the back of her neck, I pushed her head forward, exposing it even more.

"Really? Why didn't you try anything?"

"You know me, Georgie. There is no trying. I would’ve pulled you into the corner and had you right there."

She shivered, the skin on her back turning to goose bumps. After taking off her sweater, I kissed along her right shoulder blade. Even though I'd wanted her all day, I wasn't in a hurry right now. Everything around us was happening at such a fast pace, but this moment here was different. I moved over to her left shoulder blade as I touched her spine, and she shivered again. Interesting place for a sensitive spot. I planned to return to it later. Then I pushed down her jeans, leaving her in only her bra and panties.

"You're magnificent," I told her. "I couldn't take my eyes off you all day. I like that the sweater isn’t revealing so no one can see what's mine."

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