She gasped when she spotted the toys, rushing toward the dinosaur plushies and princess doll house I’d set up for her.
"You got all of this for Mia?"Clara asked at my side, her voice soft with wonder.
"Of course.But Marina helped," I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.“I wanted to surprise you both.I was worried Mia would get bored tonight.”
“Bored in this huge wonderland?”Zoey said, craning her neck as she inspected a huge piece of artwork on the far wall.“It seems impossible.”
“Stranger things have happened,” I remarked, pressing a kiss to the top of Clara’s head.“Shall we tour the residence?”
The ladies giggled at my droll, hoity-toity accent.Mia scampered along with us as I led them around the great room, into the kitchen—where I paused to introduce them to Henri while pouring the ladies a crisp Chardonnay, followed by an apple juice for Mia—and then through the rest of the house.
“Can we see upstairs?”Zoey asked, nodding toward the staircase near my office and some of the guest rooms.
“Of course.It’s got the best view of the entire place.”We went up the flight of stairs, which ended in my loft bedroom with two full walls of floor-to-ceiling windows.New York City was bathed in the mesmerizing amber glow of dusk, where the sunset ricocheted off every steel and glass angle beneath us.Zoey gasped.Mia pressed her nose to the nearest window.And Clara simply gravitated into my embrace.
“It’s Clara’s favorite spot in the penthouse,” I added after we’d all been admiring the view for a few moments.“For a variety of reasons,” I added in a low murmur just for Clara, which caused her to stifle a laugh.
“I can see why,” Zoey said, finally ripping her gaze off the view.She took a deep breath.“That shit just hits different from up here.”
We headed back to the kitchen to watch what Henri was doing.Mia was itching to further inspect the play area, so she skipped into the great room while the three of us chatted near the kitchen island as Henri cooked.
"I’m scared to ask what you’re cooking,” Zoey said, pushing onto her tiptoes to peer past Henri.
“Scared?”he asked with a laugh.
“Yeah.I’m pretty sure it’s going to change my life and I’m not ready for that,” Zoey went on, wafting some of the rich scents toward her face.
“That’s pretty much the number one thing you need to be worried about in these parts,” Clara cracked.“Things can never be the same after you’ve met Nash Nightingale.”
Her words warmed my heart.I scooped her hand into my own and brought it to my lips.“You’re just saying that because you’re my girlfriend.”
“Don’t act like you don’t know how life-changing you can be,” Clara chided me.
I tilted my head, gazing deep into her eyes.“Only if you recognize how life-changingyoucan be.”
That earned me a genuine blush.“Nash…”
“Since day one.”I kissed her hand again as Clara fought a smile.
Zoey fanned herself.“Okay, you two are gonna need to stop.Between these smells and this level of PDA…I either need more wine or I’m gonna have to leave.”
I grinned so hard my cheeks hurt.“That sounds like more wine then.Because this night is just getting started.”
Once I refilled our glasses, I focused on getting Zoey to open up and share details about her life while Henri finished cooking dinner.Mia wandered over occasionally to show her mom new things she’d discovered in the play area.The sight of her skipping back and forth was honestly cuter than I’d counted on.
When dinner was almost ready, Zoey excused herself to use the restroom.I reminded her how to get there, and while she was gone, Clara and I drifted to the big window overlooking the city.
“Zoey is great.”My gaze swept over Clara from head to toe.“But not nearly as great as you look in this dress.Have I told you that yet?”
Clara laughed into her palm, her eyes twinkling as she looked up at me.“You may have.But it doesn’t hurt to hear it again.Who picked this out?”
Alcohol buzzed through me.I couldn’t keep myself from slipping a hand over that delicious groove where her hip met her waist.“I did.”
Her brows shot upward.“Really?”
“Yes.Is that surprising?”
“I just assumed your assistant did all of that,” she admitted.“I never imagined you spent any time on picking out dresses.”
