Page 78 of Embracing the Change

Jamie started chuckling again.

Dru pulled away, wiped under her eyes and then smacked Judge’s arm. “Don’t be a jerk!”

“Ow!” Judge yelled, rubbing his arm dramatically. “Dad! Dru’s picking on me!”

Jamie had no clue if Nora sent Judge out to drive the point home. Maybe. Maybe it was Chloe.

And maybe it was that his son was just as determined to make sure Dru didn’t get lost in all that was happening because the only person she biologically belonged to was gone.

It didn’t matter.

Judge had driven the point home.

Biology didn’t matter.

Family did.

And Jamie had the greatest kids on Earth.

CHAPTER 9

BOTTEGA VENETA

Nora

Jamie and I were sitting in the back of his car. His driver had picked us up from the airport.

Our luggage was wedged in the trunk, and we were headed to my apartment.

I was hoping this wouldn’t be just his first stop, but his only one.

I was also gearing myself up to make certain it was, by inviting him up for the evening if I found it wasn’t.

I had no idea why I was hesitant about that. I’d never had an issue with sharing my desires.

It was just now that the time was nigh (very, very nigh), I felt timid about it.

One of the vagaries of being a woman, or perhaps being human, that I wasn’t fond of.

It was mid-evening New York time, early for us in the time zone our bodies were accustomed to.

So truly, there were no longer any reasons why we couldn’t fully embrace the change to our relationship at my apartment.

The last several days with Chloe, Judge and JT had been fabulous, but Jamie and I had lives to get back to, and that family had to get used to being a family without a whole host of loved ones trooping through all day.

This meant our parting was bittersweet, at the same time necessary.

Jamie was currently on his phone, scrolling through his email.

I was on mine, scrolling through my schedule.

My eyes caught on something, and I turned fully to him.

“Darling, can I assume we’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming now that the parent trap was successful?”

Jamie turned fully to me, a handsome smile on his lips, his hand reaching out to capture mine.

One thing I noticed of late that was delightful and tortuous (both for obvious reasons) was that Jamie was an exceptionally affectionate man. He held hands. He snuggled. He cuddled. There was close contact when sleeping. Hell, I couldn’t even walk past him and be in reaching distance without him touching me, even if it was only to trace his finger along the back of my hand as I passed.

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