Page 57 of Stick Move

He cocks his head. “Oh?”

“Delicious, bootylicious.”

His soft laughter pushes back the last of the anger inside me, replacing it with happiness and love. He scrunches up his nose. “Is bootylicious even a word?”

“It can be our own private word.”

He leans in and presses his lips to mine. “I like sharing private things with you.”

I exhale again and glance around. “I didn’t know how much I needed this. How much I needed this time off just to grieve.”

“Sometimes when we’re too close to things, we can’t see them for what they are, Sunshine.”

“What you did. Making me a nanny. I know you needed help, but part of that decision, it was for me too.” I’m not asking a question, but he does answer.

“I know it’s not my right to make decisions for you, that’s never my right. But you needed to find your place in your new world, and I needed a nanny. Like I said at the time, and I still say it. It’s a win/win. I hope you don’t hate me for making decisions for you.”

“I could never hate you.” With my heart full of love and hope for a future, I smile. “Come on. Let’s get Camryn and get her home and in bed.” I stand and he slowly gets ups. “Let’s hurry.”

“I know it’s getting late.”

“That’s part of it, the other part is there’s somewhere I want to take you to.”

I take his hand and he frowns. “Oh, how will we do that if Camryn is in bed?”

Giving him my best mischievous look, I whisper, “You’ll see.”

17

NOAH

The place Brighton took me to last night was the moon and back—without leaving the comfort of our bed—surprising the hell out of me by wearing a sexy little French maid outfit. Trust me, one look at her and I was nearly done before I began. Jesus, when was I ever this happy? I’m not sure, but it scares the fuck out of me because I don’t want it to end and that ring…wow, that ring looked amazing on her and maybe, with a lot of love and luck, one day we will have it sized for her.

Yeah, I fucking want that.

My alarm goes off, but I’ve been awake for a while now, thinking about life and how I ended up owning this resort and falling in love with the girl I bought it from. Little footsteps sound on the floor as an excited Camryn comes running into the room.

“Hey Bean, are you excited?”

“Yes!” she yells at the top of her lungs and jumps on the bed. I instantly cover my nuts because her feet have freaking radar. “Is Ms. Brighton coming too?”

“Yup, she said she would, remember.”

“I remember.” She jumps up and down.

“You should go get dressed, we don’t want to be late. Pancakes?”

“Pancakes,” she yells and jumps from the bed. “I’ll go get Ms. Brighton.”

“No, it’s okay,” I say. “I’m sure she’ll be here on time. No worries. You head to your room and get dressed.”

She runs from the room and I tug on my sweats. Once I get her breakfast, I’ll have a fast shower, but first, coffee. I leave the bedroom and as I walk down the hall, I hear voices. My heart jumps a little as Camryn squeals about something, and then Brighton tells her to go get ready.

Camryn comes running back down the hall. “Daddy, Daddy, look at what Ms. Brighton got me for my first day.”

She holds up a gorgeous dress that only a woman would be able to pick out and my heart lodges in my throat. “Isn’t it pretty? Ms. Brighton says it’s my color.”

“It is your color,” I assure her, having no idea what I’m talking about.

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