Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4)(96)

Then he kissed her.

Then he carried her to bed.

Then he took off her clothes and smoothed one of her short, sexy, silky nightgowns over her body (another item in his catalogue).

Then he disrobed and took her to bed.

Feeling the satin against his chest, her ass tucked tight in his lap, their legs cocked together and their fingers linked, he realized belatedly that tonight at the pub, Elle had been Elle.

His Elle.

All night.

And the heavy warmth that always hit his gut when he was reminded of his Elle hadn’t hit him.

It had already been there, all night.

And all day too.

His fingers tensed in hers.

“Pren?” she mumbled sleepily.

“Aye?”

“What about you?”

He liked it that she asked. And he liked it that, even sleepy and intoxicated, she asked it in a way that sounded like she cared.

“You can take care of me tomorrow.”

She snuggled her ass deeper into his lap and he reconsidered that decision.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Then almost immediately he felt her body shift into sleep.

He pulled her close, listened to her steady breathing and decided to stick with his decision.

* * * * *

Prentice woke when the bed bounced.

He knew what that bounce meant.

Elle woke as well.

She likely had no idea.

He rolled to his back and went up on a hand, looking toward the foot of the bed.

He felt Elle get up on her elbow.

Then he heard her gasp.

“Morning!” Sally, who was on her knees at the end of the bed holding a struggling Blackie in her arms, shouted.

“Oh my God,” Elle whispered, her body locking.

“When can we have pancakes?” Sally asked Elle, showing no reaction in the slightest that she was disturbed she’d found Prentice in Elle’s bed.

Elle emitted a strangled noise.

Prentice bit back laughter.

Instead of laughing, to Sally he muttered, “Come here, baby.”

Elle jerked in surprise at his words but Sally released Blackie without delay and crawled up Prentice’s body.

Sally had been doing this nearly every Saturday and Sunday (and other days besides) for as long as she could climb on his bed.

As Sally moved, Prentice laid back at the same time he pushed an arm under Elle’s body and curled her around so her front was pressed to his side. Then his arm locked and his fingers curved securely at her waist, holding her to him. His other arm went around his daughter as she collapsed on his chest.

“Are we going to have pancakes?” Sally asked him.

“In awhile,” Prentice answered.

Sally looked at Elle. “Can I have choco-chips in mine?”

Elle was up on an elbow, her other hand pushing against Prentice’s chest, her h*ps unsuccessfully resisting his hold, her horrified eyes were on Sally.

“I… erm, I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

“Blueberries?” Sally enquired, tilting her head so she could rest her cheek on Prentice’s chest but her eyes were still on Elle.

Suddenly, Elle’s body ceased its resistance and her face grew soft. For a moment, she simply gazed at Sally.

Then she replied in a tone as soft as her face, “You can have blueberries.”

It was then Sally reached out and stroked Elle’s hair. At his daughter’s touch, Elle’s eyes slowly closed and Prentice’s heart clutched at the look of longing exposed on her beautiful face.

Isabella Evangelista was the woman that everyone thought had everything.

Seeing that look, Prentice realized she had a handful of good friends.

And, as far as he could tell, not one f**king thing else.

“You have pretty hair,” Sally whispered, still stroking Elle’s hair.

Elle’s eyes opened. Her hand at Prentice’s chest lifted, her fingers caught a lock of Sally’s hair and started twisting it.

“So do you, Sally.”

Prentice felt like he’d become invisible. He didn’t mind, not even a little.

He let them have their moment then Prentice gave his daughter a squeeze and said, “Go watch telly, baby. Let Daddy and Elle sleep in awhile.”

Sally stopped stroking Elle’s hair, her head darted up to look at him and Elle’s body went solid again.

“Telly?” Sally breathed.

“Yes, telly,” Prentice replied.

“But you don’t like us watching telly,” Sally reminded him.

He pulled her up his chest so her face was closer to his. “This morning, you get an hour of telly.”

Sally lifted up with both her hands pressed in Prentice’s chest and she shouted, “Hurrah!”

Then she scrambled out of the bed, not about to miss the unusual opportunity to waste time in front of the television.

“Close the door,” Prentice called, rolling to Elle who had immediately begun struggling. Sally closed the door and Prentice shouted, “Close the other one too.”

“Okay!” Sally shouted back before he heard the other door slam.

Then his full attention diverted to Elle because now she was full on struggling.

“Elle, relax.”

Her body went still and she stared at him.

Then she breathed, “Relax?”