Al chuckles, and I give him a seething look. He just smiles and shakes his head.
“Cheers to that,” Cornelia says with a clink of her wineglass against Margie’s.
“Give us twenty minutes to vacate the area and get your little one back to our place. We’re old, and we move slow,” Cornelia adds.
I nod. “Thank you all.”
I head over to where Ava is dancing around with the other little kids. “Hey, Peanut. Miss Margie and Miss Cornelia really want you to spend the night tonight. You down for that?”
She giggles and throws her hands in the air as she dances. “Yes!” she screams. I can already tell she’s had a bite of cake because there is a piece of frosting smeared on her lower lip.
“Wonderful. They’ll come grab you in a few minutes so you can get your stuff for a sleepover,” I say with a wink.
She fist-pumps before coming over to hug me. I pick her up and twirl her as she leans her head against my chest. I kiss the crown of her head, inhaling her little-kid-shampoo scent before setting her down. This kid has all of my heart and then some.
“Goodnight, Unca Bray,” she says and waves at someone.
I turn to see Carly walking over to us.
“Mom! I’m having a sleepover with Miss Margie and Miss Cornelia!” she says excitedly as I set her down.
“Wonderful. You’ll have so much fun,” Carly says.
“I’m gonna make them help me look for that key tomorrow,” she says as she does a silly dance move.
Carly laughs and leans down to hug her daughter. “You be good, OK?”
Ava rolls her eyes. “I’m always good.”
Carly gives her a pointed look.
“Fine, I’m mostly always good,” she rephrases.
I press my lips together to keep myself from laughing.
“OK. I’ll see you in the morning,” Carly says as Margie and Cornelia make their way over to us. After a brief chat and another round of hugs, they leave with Ava.
The music slows, and I hold out my hand to Carly. “May I have this dance?” I ask.
She blushes and nods as I pull her into my arms. She melts against my chest. I half wonder if she can hear my heart thumping hard against my rib cage or my dick trying to stand at full staff.
I’m nervous, excited, and horny as fuck. I need to get her alone as soon as possible.
“I think it’s time we called it a night,” I whisper against her ear.
“OK,” she replies as she leans back and looks up at me. I see hesitation, and I’m concerned.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
She nods and takes a deep breath. We’ll be having a talk once we are alone. I need to make sure she’s one hundred percent on board with this.
We say our goodbyes and head down the path toward our villa. She reaches for my hand, and I squeeze hers back, keeping it tucked in mine as we walk. The villa’s quiet when we get inside. I lead us up to her room, wanting to make her as comfortable as possible.
I don’t turn on the lights as the moonlight shines through the windows, illuminating her.
“Turn around,” I say in a raspy voice. I’m practically holding my breath in anticipation. I feel as if I’m about to unwrap the biggest Christmas gift under the tree, the one I’ve been eyeing for weeks. She slowly turns. I push her hair over her shoulder, allowing me to view the top of her back. I run a single finger over her soft skin before tugging the zipper and pushing the dress over her shoulders. It falls in a pool around her feet. I lay a kiss on the back of her shoulder and am rewarded when her skin dots with goose bumps.
“You’re gorgeous, baby,” I coo as I let my tongue dart out to taste her skin. She shivers. I hold out my hand and help her step out of the dress. She turns to face me, but her eyes don’t meet mine.
