Page 14
Patience is not a trait anyone would say I possess; however, I find I have an infinite amount of it when it comes to one Hester Hawthorne. She’s worth every ounce of waiting I’ll endure to earn her trust and affection. I suspect I’ve already earned the latter at the very least.
It’s nearly eight in the morning now, and I know she needs to be at work at nine, which means I might just go back upstairs and get her moving. All sorts of scenarios play out in my mind about how I could motivate her.
“Daddy!” Scarlett’s call of delight curtails them for later evaluation. “Where’s Hester?” She cocks her head to the side, reminding me so much of her abuela. It’s the twitch in her nose that mimics the older woman.
“She’s coming,” Ma coughs as if she knows something. “She was hopping in the shower, I think.” This infuriating woman makes another sound, and I shoot her a glare to shut her up, not that she gives a damn.
“We have waffles and bacon!” Scar squeals. It’s one of her favorite breakfasts and normally is only made on weekends.
With school starting up soon, I imagine Ma is taking every chance she can get to spoil the kids before then. Especially since Scarlett begins kindergarten, and nobody around here is ready for it except my sassy princess.
“I’m sure she’ll love it.” Dainty footsteps catch my attention, and I turn to see Hester enter the kitchen in the same clothes she wore yesterday, looking shy and adorable.
“Hester!” Scarlett shatters any awkwardness there may have been as she runs to the woman I’m utterly fascinated with, drags her to the table piled high with food, and chatters her ear off as Nate joins them.
“I like her, Cato. Her softness will smooth some of your blunt edges.” My mother nods and turns back to the stove where she continues cooking. I don’t dare look under the lids, or I’ll get a wooden spoon to the fingers.
Leaning against the counter, I watch as Hester interacts with my kids. It won’t matter to her that they don’t carry her DNA; she’ll love them like her own. Hell, I think she already does. It also brings up thoughts of knocking her up, seeing her belly round with my baby. Watching her feed our child.
Fuck.
My dick throbs, ready to rut her like a wild fucking animal for days on end. The only thing stopping me is the fear in her eyes on that damn bus yesterday. It was unexpected to see a lifetime of hurt within them. All of it centered around men, and I refuse to be added to the list of people who have harmed her sweet soul.
“Boss.” Z’s presence brings foreboding as he enters the kitchen from a side door leading outside. Ma and the kids are still on alert after our recent lockdown.
Meeting his reserved stare, I recognize it must be important, or he wouldn’t have interrupted our morning. “Give me five.”
He nods and leaves as silently as he came.
Ma glares at me like I’ve summoned the seventh circle of hell. Nate’s arms are folded across his chest, daring me to leave without an explanation, and Scar is mostly oblivious, her attention still on Hester. And Hester is…cautious. She wants to know what’s going on, but keeping her young companion occupied matters more.
Christ, when did my life become about diplomacy?
Walking towards Scarlett and Hester, I place a hand on the back of each of their chairs and squat between them. Scarlett’s eyes glimmer with tears she won’t shed because she abhors crying. “I’ll be back in a little while. Abuela is going to take you school shopping this morning, so you make sure you eat and brush your teeth, yeah?”
She sniffles, rolls her eyes at herself, then nods. “Yes, Daddy. Will you be home for dinner?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
It’s her favorite meal because she gets to help out the most in the kitchen, so she gets much of the cooking credit and basks in the attention.
Turning my focus to Hester, I notice that Scarlett’s eyes are identical in color. Looking into them, I say, “I’ll be back to take you to work.” She nods but doesn’t respond, and I fucking hate it because she has the most addictive voice I’ve ever heard. It’s soft, sweet, with a hint of smokiness, and utterly hypnotizes me. Gripping her chin, I drag her face closer so I can taste her plump lips. “I’ll see you soon.” Another nod. I shake my head and turn to my stubborn boy. “Nate. With me.”
His eyes light up as he follows me down the hallway to my office. I point to a chair across from my desk for him to sit in, then take a seat in my own.
“You aren’t old enough for the details.” His eyes narrow. “Don’t argue with me, Nate. I’ll share what you need to know, but that doesn’t mean you get anything important.”
The glare turns into a pout and a long pause. “How am I supposed to keep us safe if I don’t know what’s going on?”
“How about you just worry about being a damn kid?” I’ve worked fucking hard to make sure my kids don’t have to worry about a thing until they’re old enough to understand their dad isn’t the nicest man.
He thinks it over. “I’m in charge when you’re not around.” Who knew this would become a negotiation?
“You’re in charge of Scar.” He agrees and offers to shake on the deal. “Now get out of here and make sure you’re ready to go shopping.”
“Is Z taking us?”
“Always.” Zaiden is the only one I’ve trusted with my mother and children for years.
