“At least if you do have to fight, you know you’ll win,” Spencer says with a determined jut of his jaw.
Paxton sends him a skeptical look. “I know no such thing.”
“You’re her biological father. Your name’s on the birth certificate.”
“And Mark’s been her primary caretaker her entire life and his name is on the adoption papers,” Pax points out.
Charlie nods. “It’s much of a muchness. Given her age, a judge would likely ask for Kaley’s input in this situation.”
“No one would be asking her anything because it’s not happening,” Paxton says fiercely.
“Maybe you should ask her,” I suggest with a shrug.
Pax frowns at me. “Huh?”
“Ask her if she wants to move here to live with you—that’s what you want, right? If she says yes you can use that to convince your ex not to take her to England. Or would he drag her there kicking and screaming?”
Paxton lets out a soft laugh, and I’m glad to see his usual good humor return to his face. “Oh, man. Mark would flip the fuck out if I suggested that. Especially if I got Kaley in on it.”
“Let him,” Spencer says. “Like you said—you don’t have any official custody agreements so why the fuck should he always get to act like it’s his way or the highway?”
Paxton nods, his whole demeanor appearing lighter than it did a few moments ago. “You’ve got a point there.” He flashes me a broad grin. “Thanks, Jax.”
I shrug. “No worries.”
I barely have the words out of my mouth when Paxton lurches forward, grabs my face, and plants a kiss right on my lips, drawing back with a huge grip. “You’re awesome, thank you!”
Swift as a flash, Skyler slides in between me and Paxton, fixing the older man with a hard look. “Hey, back off, buddy. Those lips are mine.”
ChapterTwenty-Four
Skyler
There was never goingto be much chance of me turning down Jackson’s suggestion of a sponge bath, but it’s taken a little while for me to find the right opportunity. Sunday would have been perfect, but the engagement party ended up being a much later night than I think anyone had expected and by the time Jax and I crawled out of bed it was almost noon. Rocket kept giving me big, sad eyes, letting me know how much he’d missed me all day Saturday, and I knew if I didn’t pile on the love and attention straight away I’d be getting the cold shoulder for days. So I said a temporary goodbye to my shower dreams and spent the afternoon doting on the cat, much to Jackson’s chagrin.
But today is my chance. It’s a rare weekday morning where I don’t have to rush off to work. I have to be in court to assist one of the partners with pre-trial motions, so there’s really no point in me going all the way up to the office just to come back Downtown for the nine thirty hearing. I still haven’t got my Bar results—the big day is Friday, next week—so “assisting” really just consists of sitting down, shutting up, and passing the occasional note. I’m excited, though. It’s the first time I’ll be sitting there at the front of the courtroom as a member of the defendant’s legal team.
And after next Friday, the next time I’m in a courtroom I might actually be arguing.
“What are you doing?” Jackson asks, flashing me a curious look when I follow him out of the bedroom and into the bathroom when we wake on Wednesday morning.
This is the part of the morning when I usually make our coffees and then hang out in the bathroom, chatting to Jackson while he showers.
“You wanted a sponge bath, remember?” I remind him with a grin.
He lets out a soft chuckle. “I thought you’d forgotten about that.”
I shake my head. “God, no. Just been waiting for the right opportunity. Late start today, so we canlinger,” I say with a waggle of my eyebrows.
He lets out a breath of laughter before reaching to turn the water on. “Youmight have a late start. What makes you think I can afford to…linger?”
“The fact that you can’t fire yourself,” I say wryly. “So do you want me to run soapy hands all over that beautiful body or not?”
The question is unnecessary, of course. I’ve learned all about sensual pleasure recently and I know it’s something Jackson feels to an intense degree. We’ve always had a tactile relationship, but it’s reached new levels recently, with Jackson seeking out my touch at every opportunity he can find. And I’m always happy to give it to him. He might not want sex from me, but I can still give him pleasure and that’s what counts.
Once the water’s hot, Jackson steps into the tub and holds a hand out for me. I grin and join him under the luscious heat of the shower, belatedly remembering to tug the curtain closed so we don’t flood the bathroom.
For a moment I just take in the incredible sight of his gorgeous body: hard muscles, inked skin, and those strong arms that always know how to cuddle me just right.
