Rafe
We landed in Barcelona eleven hours later. For our body clocks, it was just before eleven in Los Angeles, but since Barcelona was nine hours ahead, it was already Monday morning.
The Barcelona versions of my family’s Mercedes conversion vans met us on the tarmac. Emery and I took our big boy in one while Caroline and Charlotte had the other to themselves. Elvis had done amazingly well on the flight but I could tell he was tired and the fact that the sun was out was confusing to him since his body was telling him it was time to sleep. He nodded off in the van on the way to my parent’s house, only waking up when Emery gently ruffled the foof on top of his head and told him we were there.
He grumbled as we got out of the vans but then perked up as I took Emery’s hand and walked everyone into the massive backyard. “It’s all yours, little E,” I told him. “I had the staff put water pails out for you so you’re good to go. Sleep wherever you want, little dude. Mommy and I will be right here,” I said, gesturing to a door on the patio, “And Caroline and Charlotte will be over there in the guesthouse.” He looked between the two structures like he understood—probably because he did.
Emery worried her lower lip as she stared down at him. “You stay here,” she said. “I want to see your face as soon as I wake up.”
The look he gave her said, don’t be crazy, Mom. Of course I’m going to be here when you wake up. I’m never leaving you. After rubbing his face against her a few times, he sauntered off to get a drink from one of his new pails. My parent’s housekeeper, Enid, and the two security guards on duty, Theo and Guillermo, came into the yard to meet Elvis after they finished dropping our luggage inside. As was his way, Elvis turned on the charm for Enid, but was dismissive of the guards. I was only half kidding when I told them they’d need to work hard to earn his trust.
After the introductions were made, I walked Caroline and Charlotte to the guesthouse and let them in. In the four years since the Francesca debacle, I hadn’t gone inside. For the first time in all those years, I didn’t care. With Emery at my side, I showed them to the bedrooms and demonstrated how to work the property intercom system. I also explained that they had a chauffer at their disposal and also that they were free to make use of the pool and outdoor areas. I’d paid a small fortune to have Caroline fly out with us, but I felt like I owed her more. Just having her there had helped to settle Emery and that had been priceless. The girls were as tired as we were so they opted to nap first before doing anything. My girl and I laughed as we admitted that we were about to do the same thing.
On the way to the main house, Emery looked around in wonder as she took in the sights of the massive yard. “This is glorious,” she praised. “All of the plantings and the greenery are so lush. I can’t wait to come out and explore.”
I knew my parent’s yard was an oasis but it was somehow even more so when I saw it through Emery’s eyes. She let out a low whistle when we walked through a glass door on the patio into the bedroom. “If this were my bedroom I’d never leave home either,” she joked.
I barked out a laugh as I picked her up and tossed her onto the enormous wrought iron bed that was the focal point of the room. “I don’t live with my parents, Miel,” I chuckled as I lifted her feet, removed her flip-flops, and tossed them across the room. “This is a guest room—my old bedroom is upstairs, but I wanted us to be down here so Elvis would know exactly where we are.”
She positioned herself so that she was leaning back on her elbows. “How come we didn’t go to your house?”
“Because,” I said as I worked on taking off my socks, sneakers, and tee shirt, “I live in a penthouse in the city and there’s no room for little man there. There’s barely room for me there, and I’m not talking square feet. It’s very utilitarian and lifeless. I spend more time out on my terrace than anywhere else. Also, I figured if he got curious and wanted to explore the house next door it wouldn’t be an issue since it belongs to Mateo and Ava.”
“Your parents yard is nearly as big as a park. He’s got plenty of room without exploring what’s next door.”
I gave her a pointed look as I took off my shorts. “We both know he’s nosy as hell. By the time we wake up from our siesta he’ll probably already have scoped the place out.”
She sighed and let out a little laugh while I walked back to the bed and undid the snap and zipper on her shorts. She helped by lifting her hips so I could pull them down, then sat up and raised her hands so I could pull her shirt up and over her head. I had to force myself not to stare too long at her lime green and white polka dot lingerie because if I didn’t control myself I’d be removing it with my teeth. Once I had the alarm set for noon I climbed into bed with her. After pulling the comforter up over us, I took her into my arms. The past forty-eight hours had been chaos, but I’d never been happier in my life—and it was all because I had Emery.
Her little sigh as she melted into me was music to my ears. My dick was hard and I wanted her so badly I ached with it, but her wellbeing came first and she needed sleep. Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face and the woman of my dreams in my arms.