CHAPTER 13
KEVIN

I drew in a deep breath as the smell of the ripe ocean air filtered through the house. I felt something stir beside me and it caused my eyes to pop open. There she was, with her hair spilling over the pillow and her curves glowing in the morning Caribbean sun, her leg shoved between mine.

I couldn’t believe it, but she was there, in my bed, curled against me. My arm was draped over her and her leg was tangled up in mine. Her back rose and fell with the deep breaths of her comfortable slumber and I was able to press morning kisses to the bare skin of her shoulder. I watched goosebumps erupt on her body, an involuntary reaction to a sensation her skin wanted more of. I planted kiss after kiss on her bare body. I placed a kiss at the nape of her neck.

That one made her moan, so I placed another kiss there for good measure.

It felt so nice to have a woman in my bed, to be wrapped up in her and have her curves fitting nicely against me. She molded to me. She pressed her ass into my cock. She sighed and turned over, her beautiful breasts falling against her body as she slipped her leg idly back between mine.

She gravitated toward me, even in her sleep.

I brushed some hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Brooke was a beautiful creature to behold. I looked down at her puckered nipples and felt my cock stir. The memories of the night before came rushing back to me as her womanly scent drifted towards my nostrils.

She had been perfect. She tasted like the ocean and the wine she had been drinking all through dinner. The fiery passion I had felt for her the night before caused my cock to swell. I felt my veins thrumming with want as I looked at her sleeping form. The sheet was falling away from her body, revealing her soft curves and the valleys of her body I hadn’t yet kissed. I ran my hand along the dip in her waist, watching as yet more goosebumps puckered against her skin.

I had to get away from her if I was going to keep a handle on my urges.

Just the thought of the night before had my cock standing at attention, leaking with a desire to be within her. If I thought for one second she would enjoy waking up to my cock, I’d spread her legs and bury myself within her. But I had no idea if that was something she would want, and I had no way of asking.

So I was stuck breathing deeply on the edge of the bed as I sat up.

“Kevin?”

Hearing her voice filled with sleep sent a shiver up my spine.

“Morning,” I said, as I looked back at her. “How did you sleep?”

“Really well, considering I accidentally fell asleep here.”

“Accident or not, I’m glad you did.”

“You are?” she asked.

“It was nice waking up to you. It always was.”

Her eyes fluttered open and caught mine. They were clouded with sleep, but I could tell she was processing my words. It was the truth. Even though we had only spent three months together, the times I had woken up next to her were wonderful. I had fallen for her all those years ago, but the timing had been terrible and my actions were inexcusable. She demanded more because she knew she deserved more, and I couldn’t cater to a woman like that and build the company I wanted.

“I really need to get back to my room,” Brooke said.

“Stay here. I can go intercept the kids when they get up,” I said.

“What if they tried to go into my room last night and didn’t find me there?”

“Stop worrying. Like I said, if anything Sydney crawled into bed with Daniel. I’m going to get the kids some breakfast and that’ll distract them long enough for you to get back to your room.”

“Okay,” she said. “Sounds like a plan.”

She flopped back down into bed and I grinned. She really was beautiful, a lovely contrast against the white sheets of my bed. I stood up and drew in one last deep breath before I reached for some pants in the corner. I slid them up my body and buckled them closed, then turned to grab a shirt.

And I found Brooke staring at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she said breathlessly.

But that tint in her cheeks told me exactly what was going on.

I slipped out of the room just as the kids came out of theirs. They were padding down the stairs and heading straight for Brooke’s room. I strode down the hallway and wrapped them up in my arms, then picked them up and started carrying them into the kitchen.

“But what about Miss Brooke?” Daniel asked.

“Miss Brooke is tired and she’s still sleeping. Let’s give her some time to rest,” I said.

“But doesn’t she eat breakfast?” Sydney asked.

“Yes. When she wakes up,” I said. “What? You don’t want to eat breakfast with your old man?”

“Don’t you have work?” Daniel asked.

I felt my heart sink at his question.

“No,” I said. “Daddy doesn’t have to work. I’m all yours.”

I sat my children on the edge of the counter and clanged the pots and pans around. I wanted to give Brooke some cover noise in case the kids heard her walking around. They were laughing at me as I stumbled around, faking almost falling down and crashing all the pots and pans to the floor.

Then Sydney threw a pan onto the floor to join in on the fun.

The kids and I cooked up some eggs and ham before we sat down to eat. I wasn’t sure if Brooke was going to join us, and part of me hoped she had gone back to sleep. The time she had spent with my kids was wearing on her, I was sure of it. She had been so great to rearrange her entire schedule to do this for me, for us, and I wanted her to reap the benefits of that very large bed I had in the guest quarters.

But I heard my laptop ringing out in the other room. A video call I was going to be missing.

“Go get it,” Daniel said.

“Whatever it is, it can wait,” I said.

“Daddy, go get it,” Sydney said.

“No. I promised you guys a vacation with me, and that’s what you’re getting,” I said.

But the moment the ringing stopped, the phone on my hip began to vibrate.

I looked up at my kids and their eyes were narrowed at me. Daniel quirked his little eyebrow before he crossed his arms over his chest. Sydney leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs, like she was trying to shake me down or something.

I laughed and shook my head as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. The kids took off into the other room, probably setting us up to watch a movie the minute I was done. I could hear them whirling around the room, pulling blankets off the couches and gathering all the pillows from the rooms.

“What are you guys doing?” Brooke asked.

“Making a fort,” Sydney said.

“Then let’s make sure we get all the blankets and pillows,” Brooke said.

I smiled at the kitchen table as I answered my phone.

“Kevin Spenc—”

“It’s me. Shut up and listen.”

“Uh—Owen? You good?” I asked.

“We have a big problem.”

“What? What's wrong?” I asked.

“Gianni forked over the rest of his financials, and it’s not good. I don’t know what the hell he’s been feeding you, but his company’s about to go under.”

“What?”

“Yeah. He told you he could afford this contract, but he wouldn’t even be able to pay the bare minimum every month for the next ten years. He’s two bad moves away from declaring bankruptcy.”

“Are you sure? This is Gianni we’re talking about. He runs the largest banking institution in Italy.”

“Yeah. Right into the fucking ground, and they don’t have government protection like we do here in the States. He’s been in the red for the last nine months. I don’t know where he’s pulling his money from, but I’m guessing it’s nothing legal. I know he doesn’t have a board of investors, but either way, we can’t go through with this deal. We need to pull the plug on this now.”

“I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for—”

“Financials don’t lie, Kevin. I’m looking right at them. I ran the calculations four different times before I called you.”

“And they’re all the same?” I asked.

“Every single one. Gianni’s business is bankrupt. The investors have turned down his payment plan, and as the other person who has to sign off on this contract for it to hold, I can’t. I won’t.”

“Fine. Fine. Let me give Gianni a call then and set up a meeting. The least I can do is let him down in person after I shook him down for his financials the other day.”

“Good. Let me know when it’s done,” he said.

I hung up the phone with Owen and dialed Gianni immediately.

“Questo e Gianni Russo.”

“Gianni, it’s me,” I said.

“Kevin! Buongiorno. Did Owen get those financials I sent over yesterday? I never heard back from him.”

“That’s typical. Once he gets the documents he likes to go over them with a fine-toothed comb. High-end clients deserve high-end service,” I said.

“Very well. What’s the verdict?”

“I was wondering if we could sit down and talk about it face-to-face. Business like this is better done over a good bottle of wine.”

“Ah, celebratory wine. I like the sound of that. When were you thinking?”

“Are you free for lunch?” I asked.

“Not today, no. But I am tomorrow.”

“Then tomorrow it is. I’ll get everything together and we’ll meet at the restaurant that seems to know us by heart now.”

“Perfect. I love their selection of wine. We’ll get ourselves a nice bottle. My treat.”

I furrowed my brow at his statement. It was like he was completely oblivious to his monetary situation.

But how was that possible? As the head of a large institution, he should know everything that was going on.

“How does noon sound?” I asked.

“I’ll see you then, Kevin. Ciao.”

“Ciao, my friend.”

After I sent Owen a text message telling him about my meeting with Gianni the following day, I tossed my phone onto the table. What the hell was going on? Gianni’s company was going under, but he was going to buy us a bottle of wine? He actually used the word celebratory, as if he knew he was going to get this damn contract. What the hell kind of twilight zone had I stepped into?

I had no reason to mistrust Owen’s calculations, but I knew I was missing something.

“Daddy?”

I looked up and saw Sydney standing in the doorway with her stuffed unicorn in her arms.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Movie?” she asked.

“Oh yes. I’m coming right now. And I’m bringing chocolate,” I said with a grin.

I got up and opened a cabinet, pulling out a massive chocolate bar I’d seen the other day.

“We can all split it,” I said. “How does that sound?”

“Kit Kat! My favorite,” she said. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, princess.”

I settled down with everyone on the mounds of blankets and pillows on the floor. Beauty and the Beast began to play on the television, but I couldn't get past the opening number before I was in my own head again. I was worried about Gianni. It was clear someone in his company was pulling the wool over his eyes, and having to deny him this contract would expose that. But Gianni was also the one that sent over the records.

Unless he had someone in his accounting department send them over for him.

I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I needed to get my hands on those financial records. I got up in the middle of the movie and went back into the kitchen, then sent Owen a text message. I wanted those files he was sent emailed to me immediately, and then I wanted him to check and see who had sent him those files.

I went and sat back with the kids, but I was only half present. My eyes were watching the movie, but my brain wasn’t processing it. I was still reeling from the phone conversation, panicking about Gianni and his company, and disappointed at losing the contract.

It would’ve put my company in a wonderful position, and it was gone in the blink of an eye.

After the movie, the kids wanted to paint, so Brooke pulled out the large craft box I didn’t even know we had. The kids were painting at the table as I leaned against the doorway, my nose stuck in my phone.

It wasn’t until Brooke brushed against me that I was pulled back into the present.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine,” I said.

“I thought you didn’t have to work.”

“An emergency came up.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Wanna go do this meeting for me tomorrow?”

“What’s going on? Can you talk about it?”

“Look, Daddy! I drew the ocean!” Daniel said.

I looked up and saw the globs of blue paint sliding down to the kitchen floor. It was interspersed with greens and yellows, and something that I figured was a sun was dripping down the paper. I smiled at my son as the paint continued to fall on the floor, and Brooke was right there to clean up the mess.

She was a godsend, and worth every penny I was paying her.

“That’s awesome. And you know what? When it dries, we’re gonna frame it and put it on the wall,” I said.

“What about mine, Daddy? Can you do mine?” Sydney asked.

“Of course I can, princess. We’ll frame both of them.”

The kids ran off to happily paint some more and I felt bad for leaving them there while I had to deal with this Gianni bullshit. I was disappointed that the deal was falling through, mostly, I found out, because it meant that I had given up precious time with my kids for no damn good reason.

I vowed to myself that after I put the issue to bed with Gianni at lunch the next day, nothing would tear me away from my kids for the rest of the trip.