Justice Falling (Falling #3)(49)

“You’re such a good man,” she whispered against my lips.

“I try, Precious. I try. You okay here alone?” Tanner tugged on my arm, no longer capable of waiting patiently. “Come on, Mr. Nate. Let’s hurry!” I stood up, grabbed him by the waist and twirled him onto my shoulders. He gripped the top of my head perfectly.

“Oh my, don’t drop him!” Camille watched in amused horror. I gripped the boy’s hands and held them out wide.

“I’ve got him. Trust me.” I smiled and spun him in a circle. He giggled and clenched my hands firmly.

“I do, Nate. I so do. Wait.” She came to me and put her hand on my back pocket where my phone was. She swiped her finger across the lock and her picture lit up. A saucy grin lifted her lips after seeing the photo. “I want to take a picture of you guys.”

“Please! Mum wants one of sport here.” I tickled Tanner’s thighs with one hand and he laughed.

“Okay ready. Say cheese.” Camille snapped the shot.

I pulled a laughing boy off my shoulders and asked the bloke playing with his phone next to us if he’d do the honors and capture our first family date.

I held Tanner on my hip and tugged Camille to my other side. Tanner slung his arms around my neck, hugging me. It felt beyond right. Beyond just a smile. This was a jaw aching, cheek burning, eye squinting happiness that I would fight tooth and nail to keep. I was on top of the bloody world.

The man snapped a couple shots. Quickly I sent the snapshots to Mum, Camille, Collier, Emma, Ella and my email address with the caption, This is my life, and it’s perfect.

I then took my little sport on the circle ride. While we were in the air, the wheel stopped for a panoramic view of New York. At the very top, Tanner hit me with a question I was nowhere near prepared for.

“Are you going to be my Daddy?”

After a couple deep breaths, I formulated the answer to a question I had no answer to. I decided to just be honest.

“I don’t know, sport.”

He accepted that answer, then asked, “Are you going to marry my Mommy?”

Visions of Camille with a white dress hugging her long and curvy body, walking along the beach, a beautiful sunset behind her, a bouquet in her hands and a glorious smile on her face had the words clogged in my throat.

“Maybe one day. We’re just starting out.”

He nodded and bit his lip. “If you marry my Mommy, will you be my Daddy then?”

I laughed and pulled him close to my side. “Yeah, sport, if your Mum and me get married, I’d be honored to be your Daddy if that’s what the future holds.” Nothing like a kid to get right to the heart of it.

After a long silence, the ride ended, and I clasped his hand. As we were walking toward a revived Camille, Tanner yanked my hand and I stopped. “Mr. Nate?”

I went down on my hunches and looked into his baby blue eyes. “Yeah, sport?”

“I hope you marry my Mommy.”

I smiled as I replied. “Me too, sport. Me too.”

He gave me the first real hug I’d ever received from a child. He was warm, small and fragile. Instantly, my protective side came out as I curled the boy to my chest and settled my chin on his head. He smelled of cotton candy and popcorn with subtle hints of the baby lotion I smelled on his mum. From here on out, I’d associate those smells with joy and happiness.

I closed my eyes and delighted in his embrace. It was gone far too quickly. It turned out that a day of fooling about with a four year old was as exhilarating as it was exhausting. I brought them both back to my flat where I had planned on making dinner. Tanner was asleep in the car five minutes after we left the theme park. When we got to my place, Camille pulled his sleeping body out of the car and put him over her shoulder.

“I can take him,” I offered. He looked pretty heavy.

“I’m used to it.” And I bet she was. A single mother. All alone. Not for long if things kept going as well as they had today.

We rode the elevator to my flat and I had her carry him into one of the spare rooms. This room was simple. Not much in the way of design with solid green walls, dark cherry furniture and a white duvet. London was supposed to start on the redesign this week. I should have Camille talk with her about things she may like to see since I planned on having her here a lot more. With Camille here, that meant the little guy would be here, too. He needed his own space. There was no reason one of the four bedrooms couldn’t be for him. I made a mental note to discuss my new idea with London.

In the kitchen, I pulled items to make a simple pasta dish. Mum made it very clear that children were often difficult eaters, and pasta was usually a sure thing. “Does Tanner like pasta?”

“Oh yes, he’s not really a picky eater. As long as it doesn’t have exotic things in it, he’ll be fine. He can pick out anything he doesn’t like.” She poured herself a glass of crisp white wine. It was so easy, being with her, having her in my home. I turned on light classical music on the sound system in the nook off the kitchen. Chopin’s lilting tones filled the kitchen through the surround sound speakers.

“Is the music okay for Tanner?”

“He’ll sleep through an earthquake most of the time. Besides, he’s tired. He may not even wake for dinner.”

I grinned and pulled her against my body. “Really?” I was instantly aware of the possibilities that gave us. Slowly, I slid both hands from her waist up her back and down again. She sighed, tilting her head to the side and I took her pale lovely neck, dragging my teeth along the smooth surface until I heard her inhale of breath. That was the first sign she was aroused. Her breathing changed. Then her breasts pebbled. I could feel them tighten against the thin layer of my shirt. “How well does he usually sleep?” I asked while kissing my way down her neck to suck and nibble on the delectable spot where her neck and shoulder met, the space I loved.