My (Mostly) Secret Baby - Penelope Bloom Page 0,65

I looking at you?”

“Like you want to take me to the utility closet and put a broom up my ass. Gently.”

“What?”

She smirked. “Inside joke, sorry. But how do I know all this isn’t just because you put a baby in me.”

“For the record, you’re still not off the hook for waiting five years to tell me about that.”

Despite my teasing, I knew deep down she’d made the right choice. God only knew what I would’ve done five years ago—what I would’ve said. It had taken years of erosion for me to admit what I felt. I cared about Chelsea. Fuck, I probably loved her, and that was more ridiculous than it sounded. Just over a week ago, she hadn’t been in my life for five years. And five years ago, she was a blip—just an explosion of perfect sex and the frustrating aftermath.

It had all been so brief, but somehow, she weighed on me still.

Chelsea peeked to see if anyone was looking, then gave me a little kiss on the cheek that was endearingly chaste. “Vulnerability is a good look on you, Mr. Rose.”

My brother burst out of my office then. He let out a dramatic sigh. “I mean, come on. I was trying to be polite and let you guys have a little moment before I came out. But seriously, it has been like ten minutes and I’ve got to piss hard enough to take a urinal off the wall. Can I just—” Chris stuck his palm out, squeezing between us then half-jogged toward the bathroom.

Chelsea smiled after him, then turned back to me. “So, the workday is over soon. Are you really going to personally train me, or was that all just to get a moment alone?”

“A little bit of both, but I meant what I said. I’ll start officially teaching you tomorrow. Why don’t you head home early and pick out something to wear for tonight? I expect to be salivating, and I know you won’t disappoint me.”

Chelsea worked her lips to the side and wiggled her eyebrows. “So I should wear my seared steak print dress, then?”

“I’m sure you’d look amazing in it, but I was thinking something tight and short. Something that won’t put up much of a fight when I decide to tear it off of you.”

She swallowed. “Not the meat dress, then. That one is a bitch to take off.”

34

Chelsea

I took one last look in the mirror, fiddled with my hair for the tenth time, then turned to Grant. “You’re sure this is okay?”

He shrugged. “A thousand dollars to sleep on your couch and tell Luna there’s no hungry hungry hippo under her bed? Yeah, I’ll manage.”

I grinned. “Can you believe she chose that to be afraid of, of all things?”

“Kind of. I’m pretty sure hippos kill more people than pretty much all the other so-called people killers. Sharks, bears—that kinda stuff.”

“Okay, but we live in New York City. I’m pretty sure she’s safe from hippos.”

Luna had been drawing in the corner and decided to join the conversation. “I’m not a baby. I can hear you talking about me.”

“Okay, Miss Big Kid. Answer me this. Our mattress is on the floor. How do you think a hippo could fit under there, anyway?”

“A trap door. Duh.”

Grant held up his palms in innocence. “I didn’t teach her to say ‘duh’ so don’t look at me.”

“I learned it from the guy who sells hotdogs outside our apartment. Duh,” she added.

I walked over to the mattress and lifted it, pointing to the floorboards beneath. “No trap doors. See?”

Luna folded her little arms. “There’s never a trap door anywhere until somebody builds it.”

I hung my head. “Okay. Good luck with her tonight, Grant.”

He saluted. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He plopped his lanky frame down against the wall and stretched out his long legs. Sometimes I felt sad to see him this way because I could still remember so clearly how I thought of him when I was a little girl. He was my giant. My big brother who could do anything he wanted. Now, that version of him had withered away into something mild and sad. But with the money I was earning, and the new position Damon had given me, I’d help him.

I quietly promised myself that I’d use the opportunity I had to help turn his life back around. I’d get him his own place and see him happy again.

Outside, I was surprised to find Damon waiting for me with a bouquet of something