“Yeah. I thought you could tell.” She shrugged.
“How would I be able to tell if you never opened your mouth? You normally say all kinds of reckless shit without a problem. But when it comes down to telling me how you feel…you clam up? Bad girl.” I tipped my chin and nipped at her bottom lip, making her squeak. “Shh…” I pointed to the ceiling and she nodded.
“I didn’t want you to think I wanted a relationship or anything. No strings attached, remember?”
“Well, what do I do if I want to void our previous contract?” My hands rode her tiny waist, pulling her closer. Xari was like oxygen. I needed her near and around me at all times. The closer….the better.
“You’re the lawyer, Freeman.”
“I am…” We fell into another kiss because I was helpless. Sucking and biting on her lips and tongue was the greatest high.
“Xari!” Frankie’s voice sounded from the steps. “Come on, I need your help…please? I’ll make you more bagels.”
Xari pulled away from me and smiled. “I gotta help our girl pick out clothes. We can talk about voiding that contract later.” She bounced out of the room and I watched her ass as she left.
What the fuck was she doing to me?
I was seriously considering moving forward with her. Now that I knew her and saw past the bratty, seemingly immature exterior, I saw a woman I wanted to grow with.
Fuck. I needed to take a walk.
I went to the mailbox and made sure to take deep breaths and look up at the night sky. Normally, the housekeeper grabbed the mail but I needed an excuse to stretch my legs. I grabbed the small stack of envelopes in the mailbox and flipped through them. Two of them were for Xari. One credit card statement and one car note. I left them both on the island for her when I walked into the kitchen. I didn’t open her mail but I remembered when she first started working for me how she couldn’t stick to a budget and had no plans for extra streams of income. She hadn’t paid her car note because she thought her parents were still paying it. The same went for all her bills.
She went from stacks of statements to two. Her car and her consolidated credit card.
The whiteboard wall near the pantry was decorated in Xari’s curly handwriting with Frankie’s schedule mapped out for the week. She pushed the schedule to me and Alexis promptly, and she’d never been late picking Frankie up from school or activities. Her parents were worried that she’d never grow up but as far as I was concerned, Xari was growing into a beautiful, rooted woman.
“Daddy! Come watch me model!” Frankie had to stop shouting through the house. It shattered whatever thought I was having every time. I headed to her room and found her dressed in a pair of distressed jeans and an orange halter top that tied around her neck. All I saw was pretty bronze skin fit for a princess. My brows bunched together and I sighed, folding my arms.
“You’re wearing a jacket over that shirt, right?”
“A jacket? It’s getting hot outside now. I’ll bake.”
“Okay, so why not a tank top?”
“Because I like this shirt.” Her eyes held onto defiance and I knew I had my work cut out for me.
“Look, sweetheart…you’re beautiful. This color is amazing on your skin but you’re not wearing a halter top.”
“Seriously, Dad? It’s a shirt. I’m not showing a lot. Just shoulders.”
“And your back. It’s too much, Francesca.”
“I have a cute Gucci tank that would look adorable with these jeans. Go through my shit until you find it.” Xari was the tension breaker Frankie and I both needed.
“What if I find something else I like? Like that floral Dries Van Noten blouse…” Frankie’s eyes sparkled when she leaned against Xari whimpering and pleading. I knew those eyes. Those were the puppy dog eyes.
“Okay…but nothing white or cream or…”
“I get it, Xari. No light colors. I’m not five. I know how to keep things clean.”
“Sure you do, Frank.” Xari smiled and patted her on the head. I knew if I weren’t standing there Frankie would’ve had an expert comeback for Xari. Instead, she just glared and walked to her room.
“Haven’t you learned how your daughter operates?” Xari asked, bumping me with her hips.
“I know. The more resistance I put up, the more she puts up and we end up in a stalemate.” I tugged Xari close to me and kissed her forehead.
“See, you get it.”
“I know but when I see my baby girl all dressed up and looking grown…” I groaned, tilting my head back. “I lose my shit.”
“I know. Can I tell you a secret?” She laughed into her hand.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“I was hoping you’d veto the halter top. It was a bit much. Frankie is my little baby. I don’t want to see her in a halter yet. Maybe when she’s fifteen or sixteen.”
“I might agree to that,” I said, skimming my fingertips over Xari’s full lips.
“Sixteen and she can wear halter tops.” She popped up on the balls of her feet and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Why the fuck can’t decisions with Alexis go over this well?” I didn’t want to bring up Alexis while I had Xari in my arms but I hated the way I had to fight with her when it came to raising our daughter.
“Because Alexis is full of fillers. It’s in her brain now.” Even though I thought I was going to pop a blood vessel when I saw Frankie in that top, laughing with Xari brought me back down to earth.
“We’re still on for talking about that contract, right?” I asked.
“Yes, of course,” Xari grinned.
“What contract?” Frankie walked in with an arm full of shirts and blouses. Xari and I jumped apart like we got caught fucking. My arm was only around her shoulders but Frankie had never seen us physically close that way. “Why was your arm around her, Dad?” She chuckled.
“Jesus, Frankie am I so mean you think I can’t give your nanny a hug?” Calling Xari a nanny felt wrong. She was a part of our little family now. She wasn’t just a nanny.
“Nanny?” Xari snapped, looking at me with eyes that could slice me in half. A nervous laugh was my only armor in a gunfight.
“Xari is like my big sister,” Frankie said, also taking offense to me calling Xari her nanny.
“Right. I mean, not exactly a sister but…” I tried to distance Frankie from thinking about Xari like a sister. It would make shit weird when I told her…
What the hell was I going to tell her?
Had I decided to take the next step with Xari?
“Look, let’s pick out one shirt from the five million you have so you can put my clothes back.” Xari clapped her hands. Frankie eyed me for a little while before dropping the clothes on her bed.
I decided to leave before I interjected my opinion in any more outfit choices. I went to the den and tried to look over work emails but my book kept calling. I always answered when words called.
My lips burned for a sip of whiskey but I refrained. I heard Xari’s voice telling me I didn’t need to drink when I wrote. I didn’t need to hide my passion.
So, instead of pouring myself a glass of Jameson, I started typing.