I glanced at Caleb who was sauntering into the living room looking sexy as hell. I shook my head, getting my thoughts together.
After my initial time back in Grand Haven, I eventually did trek back to the city. I grabbed some of my belongings, and then we seamlessly slipped into a routine like we had before our breakup. Fiona was grateful for the company. Okay, she didn’t say that, but I read between the lines and eye rolls.
To say Noelle was thrilled at the fact that we were back together was an understatement. She asked me what I was to her one night as we were putting her to sleep.
“Roxy is mymother. Even though I don’t like her very much.” She rolled her eyes in a classic Noelle fashion. “Dad is my dad, but what are you to me? I mean, you guys aren’t married yet so you can’t be my stepmom,” she blurted, nearly giving Caleb a heart attack with the last part of her statement. I had never seen his eyes bulge like that before.
“How about for now I’myourGrace?” I placated as I tucked the covers under her chin. “It will be our special thing. Who cares if people don’t get it?” I winked.
She asked me through sleepy eyes, “Does that mean I’m your Noelle?”
“Of course,” I reassured her right before her eyes closed from a long day.
She seemed to love the idea because she went around saying it to anyone who would listen.
My heart nearly burst watching her be proud to know me. Proud of me. I loved her and did hope to call her mine officially one day.
I was also thrilled that the catty girls at school finally let up and stopped with their bullshit. Changing classes was like a switch went off, and from what teachers and her guidance counselor said, they forgot about Noelle and moved on to the next thing.
“Okay, fine,” I relented, looking between the both of them. “We can go Saturday to the city after Daddy is done with Bar and pick up the rest of my stuff.”
Caleb and I had a wordless conversation with our eyes as Noelle started making lunch plans for us.
I knew what he was asking me. It was the same thing he asked me almost nightly. Caleb wanted to know whether I wasokay. There were a lot of big changes happening and he was concerned it would prove to be overwhelming.
I felt the opposite. For once in my life, I felt a sense of peace and home. Like all the pieces of a puzzle were falling into place.
I was grateful for my struggles because they led me here.
“Grace, can I have some of the purses you wanted to give away?”
“Noelle Anne, she’s donated her stuff to shelters, not the charity of Noelle!” Caleb admonished, shaking his head.
I leaned down to whisper in Noelle’s ear, “I’ll snag you one or two.”
“Oh great, you’re ganging up on me already.” Caleb groaned, throwing his head back on the couch.
“Oh, Caleb,” I moaned, as I tugged the ends of his semi-wet hair a little too tightly. Leaning up on my elbows, I watched him closer, loving how he was already naked from the blow job I gave him when he exited the shower.
He removed his mouth from my clit and peered up from between my legs. “You have to be quiet. Noelle isn’t asleep yet.”
I nodded and thrust my hips back at him so he could continue his ministrations. His thumb circled my clit as he applied pressure in all the right places, his tongue flicking away.
I gasped a little loudly, and the door flung open. Shit, I thought Caleb locked it. Before it was fully opened, I pulled the blanket over Caleb’s frame, fluffing the comforter so it was semi-discreet.
“Hey, Grace. Is Dad in here?” Noelle asked, not looking up from the fancy cell phone I convinced Caleb to get her. Even his kid has a nicer phone than his flip phone.
Caleb’s breath and beard tickled against my thigh and I stifled a laugh, pursing my lips together to compose myself. I shook my head and then answered, “Nope,” popping thep.
“I could have sworn I heard you talking to someone.” Noelle looked at me questioningly as my grip on the plaid duvet tightened. If this girl didn’t become a lawyer, I’d be shocked.
“Haven’t seen him,” I choked out, wringing out my hands. “Must have been the video on my phone.” I grabbed the device off my nightstand, careful not to move too much, since I didn’t want to flash the kid, and waved it at her.
“Fine.” She huffed and slammed the door.
I ran out of the bed and locked the door behind her. I spun and leaned against it, looking at Caleb, who was out of breath from being suffocated by the blankets.
We laughed together, and then he threw a pillow at me.
