CHAPTER 279: BEFORE BED (1)

Georgia’s POV

When we arrived at Nick’s penthouse, Benjamin was in the room, playing with Katie, while Prudence was vacuuming the area rug in the living room.

I immediately walked over to her and reached for the vacuum. "Mom, you shouldn’t be doing this. You’re a guest here. Nick has a house cleaner who comes in every morning. Let me take over."

But she just smiled and pulled the handle away from my grasp. "No need, dear. I was just cleaning up some cookie crumbs, that’s all. It’s no trouble."

She nodded toward the coffee table. "The wedding planner and architect dropped by earlier to leave something, check that instead. I can handle a little vacuuming."

I sighed but smiled anyway. There was no winning against her when she was set to do it.

When I turned toward the coffee table, Nick was already there, flipping through the mood boards and design sketches spread across the surface. His brows furrowed slightly as his eyes moved from one picture to another, focused and unreadable.

"They’re so fast," I said, leaning over the back of the sofa to peek at the designs.

"Yeah," he murmured, still studying the papers. "I told them to rush it. I’ll give them a bonus."

I pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I’ll check on Katie. Be right back."

The guest room door was slightly open, and I could already hear the sound of laughter from inside. I peeked through the crack and saw Benjamin and Katie sitting on the floor surrounded by stuffed animals. Just as I was about to step in, their conversation stopped me.

"You promise to study hard, okay?" Benjamin said gently.

"Yes, Grandpa. I want to be like Aunt Georgia when I grow up," Katie said, her little voice so sincere it tugged at my heart.

"I wish she was my mommy... because I don’t have one. All the kids in nursery school have a mommy or daddy. Some even have a grandpa or grandma when their mommy and daddy go to work. I don’t have any of those."

My throat tightened instantly. The words hit me like a quiet punch. I wanted to run in there and hold her tight, but I stayed still, one hand pressed against my aching chest.

Benjamin’s voice softened. "Oh, princess, come here." He lifted her onto his lap and brushed her hair aside. "From now on, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. You have me, and Grandma Prudence, too. Tomorrow, I’ll buy you a phone, okay? You can call me whenever you need me at school, and I’ll be there."

I had to bite my lip to stop the tears from spilling. Watching them from the doorway like that, I realized it was really the beginning of a family.

I peeked through the doorway when I didn’t hear Katie reply, only to see her nodding at Benjamin with a big, bright smile. I knocked softly, and both of them turned toward me.

"Did you miss me?" I asked.

Katie’s grin grew even wider before she ran straight into my arms. I lifted her up and kissed her cheek.

"I did! But not so much," she said, giggling. "After school, Grandma and I went to the supermarket and bought lots of food! She said she’s going to cook all my favorites."

"Really? Now that you mentioned it, I’m starting to get hungry," I said, pretending to pout. Katie laughed when I poked her sides playfully.

"Tomorrow, we’re going to visit Nanna Wendy," I added, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "She’ll be moving to her new room and can have visitors anytime."

"Even kids like me?" she asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"Yes, even kids like you," I said with a smile. "So you have to sleep early tonight, alright?"

Katie nodded eagerly, then turned to Benjamin. "Grandpa, sleep here! Let’s go to Nanna tomorrow together."

"Baby, he—" I started to explain, but Benjamin was already nodding enthusiastically.

"Of course! Give me a second, sweetheart. I’ll tell my driver to bring me some clothes from home so I can stay here tonight and go with you tomorrow," he said, standing up with that familiar, fatherly authority.

"Dad, you don’t have to—" I began again, but he cut me off with a chuckle.

"What are you talking about, Georgia? My granddaughter asked me to stay. Of course, I’ll stay," he said, and walked out of the room without waiting for another word.

As I watched him go, I noticed Prudence standing by the door, smiling softly, her eyes warm, content. The sight made my chest ache in the best way. For the first time for years, everything just... felt right.

"Are we being a burden?" I asked with a small, awkward smile, suddenly feeling self-conscious about how crowded the penthouse had become.

Prudence laughed softly, brushing off my worry. "Oh, dear, you’re overthinking again. You and Katie are blessings from heaven. Our days were getting dull anyway; this, all of this, it’s fun for us. Something new." She reached out and took Katie from my arms. "Now go get some rest. Nick already went to the bedroom. I’ll put Katie to bed."

I nodded and leaned down to kiss Katie’s forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Aunt Georgia! Don’t worry, I’ll have Grandpa and Grandma here with me!" she said, wriggling out of Prudence’s hold before jumping onto the bed and pulling the blanket up to her chin. Her grin was so proud that Prudence and I couldn’t help but laugh.

By the time I went to Nick’s room, he was already changed into sweatpants, bare-chested, and standing by the table, still looking over the wedding designs. I paused by the door for a moment, my gaze catching on the smooth lines of his back before he turned around with a teasing smirk.

"What?" he said, that playful spark in his eyes. "Want me to take off the rest, too?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Aren’t you tired?" I asked, closing the door behind me as I walked closer.

"For you? Never," he said, the corner of his mouth lifting into that familiar half-smile. "How about one round before bed?"

I stopped mid-step, unsure if he was serious or just teasing again. "You’re impossible," I muttered, rolling my eyes before turning toward the en suite. "No. I’ll shower first, then we’ll go over the designs together."

But just as I was about to close the door, his hand caught it—firm, warm. I froze, looking up at him.

"Are you sure you don’t want to?" he asked, voice low and tempting.

That look in his eyes told me he wasn’t joking this time.

*******

Thank you for the Golden Ticket!

CozyReader