can imagine. Sure, I’m crazy about her. But I’m still the man of this house. It was sweet that she bought him a costume, but her prancing around in this outfit makes her look like sin.
My sin.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Take it off.”
She huffs, looking to Nathaniel for backup.
“Why should she change, Dad?” He scrunches up his face. “She looks great! And I like her costume.”
“He likes it, Daddy.” She raises her arched brows, daring me to keep up my arsehole act. Then I look at my son, who looks hurt.
“Our costumes go together, Dad. We,” he points between himself and Nikki, “go together.”
I swallow hard, looking between them. I can’t ruin their moment. If they’re bonding over this, I’ll have to go with it. And the truth is, seeing them like this? It’s amazing. Under my breath, I mumble, “Yeah, alrighty then.”
He rolls his eyes, and I wonder how he went from ten to fifteen in a matter of minutes.
“Don’t worry, Raff. After you take a picture of us, I’ll take the costume right off.” Her eyes sparkle. I want to laugh out loud, strip her naked, and then spank her good.
As luck would have it, she dropped meat sauce on her top during dinner and had no choice but to change immediately. Thankfully, so did Nathaniel.
I’ve dealt with Harry Potter, but Voldemort? Gives me the damn creeps. I suppose it could be worse, he could have been a death eater.
“You think she’s upset?” Nathaniel asks.
“Upset?” I ask for clarification.
“Maybe we should get different costumes. I don’t think we should let her feel bad.”
“Don’t you dare.” Nikki laughs, having overheard him. “I can’t wait to see what my two favorite guys are going to be.”
“Well, what are you going to dress up as?”
“I’ll be working at the Sweet Spot wearing these cool new aprons that Nellie made, and we’re going to paint our faces a bit.”
“But you’ll go trick or treating with us, right?” Nathaniel asks.
“Of course, and I will definitely be taking a ton of pictures of you two.”
After cleaning up, Nikki walks over and grabs one of her many bags from our trip to the mall.
“I got you something else.” She hands Nathaniel the bag, and he pulls out a pile of books. “I read this series after I finished Harry Potter.”
“Percy Jackson.” He smiles up at her. “Aunt Faith tried to get me to read this.”
“Well, maybe some nights when Raff has to be downstairs, we can read together and discuss. Maybe even Faith can come over, too.”
“That would be pretty cool.” He nods and smiles.
Damn this woman, God damn.
It’s been two days without seeing Nikki for more than an hour because she has been finalizing the details for the Holiday Springs office for Beckett. At least she and Nellie have been—from what I understand—engaging in ‘impressive discussions’ about the future of the Sweet Spot after hours. I’d rather be anywhere but in a car with my gorgeous girlfriend and my son, on the way to her family’s home for a pre-Halloween dinner.
There won’t be any more days like the past few. I finally caved and hired the French chef, who had not a clue I knew French when he said my kitchen was a fucking joke and that if he didn’t need this job to secure his Visa, he’d tell me to stick it in my ass, and another girl, Tabitha, who had said she’d only be here until the season slowed down.
I was only halfway into the conversation with my son, bartering over how much candy he’ll be allowed to keep after Halloween when I put my hand on Nikki’s bare thigh. I love how my hand spans her leg just right and how I can feel the wake of goosebumps left behind as I rub soft lines up and down her skin with my fingertips.
Nate and I finally agree that he can keep twenty pieces, but also agree that if he gets a package with two Reese’s in it, it only counts as one piece. Pulling into her aunt’s driveway, I see there are already a few cars here. I open the door for Nikki as Nathaniel jumps out, excited. For Nathaniel, the more family, the better.
“Hello!” her aunt calls out from the front door of the classic brick colonial—the great all-American home.
Nikki walks up the steps to the house, giving her aunt a long hug before introducing us. “Aunt Gloria, this is Raff and his son, Nathaniel.”
“I’ve heard so