Page 35 of Passion

“Bye, sweetheart. See you later.”

Kizzie frowned for a moment. “I wanna stay with Mommy. We’ve been here a long time.”

“Maybe next weekend, okay?”

“Okay,” she said sadly.

I rolled my eyes at him, and we made our way to my car. I should just keep them anyway, but I knew I would never hear the end of it. He didn’t know where Gentry lived, but I was more than sure he was going to follow us to find out.

“Hi, Mr. Gentry!” Kizzie said as she waved her hand excitedly.

I smiled big. Maybe I was wrong about Clayton after all. Maybe he was really uncomfortable with the kids being around me. For him to let them come around me today shocked me. While we had a decent time last night, I felt like that was intentional. I felt like he planned to not make it home last night before he even left.

Maybe this was done in good faith to show he was trying. I didn’t know. My gut usually never steered me wrong, so this had me thoroughly confused. When they got to the back patio where I was standing, I said, “Hi, Princess Tiana! Hi, Kota!”

They both smiled, and I stooped to extend my hand. Kizzie shook my hand and said, “Wow! You’re tall!”

I chuckled. “So I’ve heard. You think so? I thought I was short.”

She giggled and put her hands over her mouth. Man, she was so adorable… a mini version of her mother. I was pretty sure if I looked at baby pictures of Giselle, she probably looked just like this beautiful princess. Dakota shook my hand then turned and pointed at the pool. “Poo!” he said.

I chuckled. “Can we swim?” Kizzie asked.

“You have to ask your mom,” I said as I pulled Elle in my arms.

She smiled as she slid her arms around my waist. Lifting her head, she puckered her lips. I kissed her softly, and the heat from it scorched my fucking lips. Damn. The passion was back. I wanted to take her inside the house and have my way with her. “Are they staying overnight?”

“No. I threatened him again, but I’m gonna follow through this time. After I told him I was filing Monday, he let them leave with me but asked me to bring them back tonight. I’ll let him make it with that for now.”

“You seem so much happier.”

“I am.”

I kissed her lips again, then she pulled away to find Kizzie and Dakota staring at us. I wanted to tell them that I was their stepdaddy, and that stepdaddy season was here, but I knew that would piss Clayton all the way off. I chuckled inwardly as Kizzie asked, “Mommy, do you live here?”

Giselle glanced in my direction, and before I could tell Kizzie the explanation we’d come up with, she said, “Yes. This is where I’ve moved, and I’m trying to get things situated. You wanna see your rooms?”

“Yeah!” Kizzie yelled.

Giselle winked at me then picked up Dakota and went inside. “Come on, Mr. Gentry!” Kizzie yelled.

I chuckled and followed them inside. Kizzie’s eyes widened as she looked around. She stretched out her arms and said, “This house is big!”

“Yep, and it’s all for us. This is your mom’s, Dakota’s, and your house too.”

“Really? This is where we’re going to live?” she asked me, her eyes still wide.

“Yes, ma’am. Is it fit for a princess?”

“Yes!”

She surprised me by running over to me and hugging me around my legs. I stooped down to her, and she threw her arms around my neck. Man, she had already wrapped me around her fingers. Had my ass all tangled up between all ten of them. Dakota, not wanting to be left out, he wiggled out of Elle’s arms, forcing her to set him on his feet. He ran over to us and hugged me too. This was what I thought would have happened almost a month ago.

I supposed things got harder right before the breakthrough. I was about to give in, only to have the children in our house the very next day. I stood with both of them in my arms, and they laughed as they did their best to hold on. Giselle smiled big as she watched us get along perfectly.

“I need to take a shower after I show you your rooms. So come on! Those pancakes at IHOP are screaming for me to hurry up!”

Kizzie laughed hysterically, and that only caused Dakota to laugh too. He probably didn’t have a clue about what he was laughing at. We ascended the stairs as they looked down at the floor. “We get to climb stairs!”