The evening was perfect, the sky full of purples and oranges as the sun set. There was a bit of a chill in the air, but nothing uncomfortable. The kids were bundled up in little jackets, all of them making happy noises as they looked around at the sights of the neighborhood.
About five minutes later, the five of us arrived at the small corner park. The space had lovely greenery and a nice playground where other kids were already at play. I let the kids out of their stroller, and they were off to the races.
The five of us had a great time, Alfred and Ethan having their fun in the sandbox while the girls came up with silly games of their own.
“Four kids, huh?” asked one of the other parents, a thirty-something woman who was taking in the sight of the quads with something like wonder. “How do you handle all that energy?”
“Honestly, I’m still figuring it all out,” I said with a smile.
After an hour, I received a text from Chloe checking in and letting me know she was back with the food. A home-cooked meal from Chloe sounded so good I could hardly stand it. I gathered up the kids, said goodbye to the parents I’d met, and our little convey headed back to the house.
We entered to see Chloe standing at the kitchen table, taking ingredients out of her bag.
“You guys have fun?” she asked.
“We had a blast,” I said, meaning every word.
I let the kids out of the stroller, and they ran back to their new toys with the same boundless energy they’d had all day. Once they were occupied, I approached Chloe and looked over the ingredients she’d bought.
“What’s on the menu, chef?” I asked.
“Well,” she said. “I was thinking about the first time you and I met, back at that dinner party your dad threw. You remember what we ate?”
“Of course,” I said. “Duck à l’orange. One of the best meals I’ve had in my life.”
She gave a pleased smile.
“That’s right,” she said. “Anyway, I thought I’d do a spin on that since duck really isn’t in the budget—chicken à l’orange.”
“Sounds amazing,” I said. Though deep down, I swore that Chloe would never have to cut corners when it came to finances ever again.
“Plus, the kids don’t exactly have the most refined palates in the world, so I can just cook them some breaded chicken.”
She put her hands on her hips and looked over the ingredients.
“Ready?”
“You have no idea.”
The two of us started preparing the meal. The kids were in the living room, so it was no problem keeping an eye on them while we cooked.
“Okay,” said Chloe. “The first step is getting everything prepped. I’ve got the recipe here, so take a look at that and start getting it all portioned out and ready to use.”
She handed me her phone, which was opened to one of her notes that had the process for the meal all laid out.
I started as she requested, setting the spices and everything else out on the counter.
“Great,” she said. “Now, why don’t you start halving the oranges and getting them squeezed. We’re going to be marinating the chicken for a little while, and that can be done while I’m making the chicken fingers for the kids.”
“You got it, boss,” I said.
We set right into it. I grabbed a nearby knife and started slicing the oranges, the amazing smell of citrus filling the air. Once I was done, I began juicing them.
About halfway through the oranges, Chloe chuckled. I raised my eyebrows.
“Is my technique that bad?” I asked with a smile.
“No,” she said. “It’s not that. It’s just…I don’t know. You were amazing with the kids today. I don’t know what I expected, but you’re a natural with them. Some people are overwhelmed by there being four of them, but you seemed like you loved every second of it.”
“That’s because I did,” I said, my tone sincere, my eyes glancing up at the kids, still happily playing. “They’re all incredible. And I can’t believe they’re mine.”
“They’re yours,” she said, her eyes warm. “And so far, you’re really passing the hell out of the dad test.”
I felt ten feet tall. Chloe’s words made my heart soar. Now that the kids were in my life, even for the afternoon, I couldn’t imagine living without them.
“It was scary at first,” I admitted. “Learning that I didn’t just have one kid, but four of them…I don’t know. I felt more overwhelmed than I ever have with my company.”
“Wow,” she said. “The unflappable Jordan King getting worried. Hard to believe.”
“Hey,” I said. “At least you had nine months to prepare.”
“Good point,” she said. “I kind of threw you in the deep end.”
“But I’m glad you did,” I said. “I’ve always felt like something was missing from my life, despite my success. And…this was it.”
Chloe gave me a smile so big her eyes lit up.
The rest of the cooking went well, with Chloe only having to good-naturedly scold me for bad technique a few times.
“Hey,” I’d said. “You want an app, I can do that for you. Cooking’s something else.”
After an hour or so, the chicken à l’orange was in the oven, and the chicken fingers were ready to serve. The two of us wrangled the kids, putting them in their highchairs and setting out their plates. We loaded up their food, the kids not wasting any time before digging in.
“Easy to please,” I said, crossing my arms and watching the quadruplets demolish their chicken fingers.
“You’re seeing them on a good night,” she said. “Sometimes it’s all I can do to get the food in their mouths and not on the floor.”
She was being lighthearted, but I couldn’t help but realize that Chloe had probably spent countless nights wrestling with these four—nights when I could’ve been here to help.
“I think you and I have both earned something to drink,” she said, taking a bottle of red wine off the counter.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Now, it’s not some vintage from Napoleon’s private collection like your father might’ve had, but I think it’ll do the trick.”
She flashed me a smile as she popped the bottle open, poured two glasses, and set them on the table. I took mine right away, feeling like I’d earned it as never before.
The two of us sat at the table, saying nothing for several minutes as we watched the kids eat. The smell of the cooking chicken wafted through the air, making my mouth water like crazy.
“Those kids can really take it out of you,” I said. “You get all wrapped up in them, and as soon as they’re busy with something else, you realize how much they’ve been running you around.”
“Welcome to my life,” she said. “I don’t know how other single mothers do it. Plenty of them don’t have the help I do.”
“Well, it goes without saying, but you know that I’m here to help you with whatever you need. These kids are just as much mine as yours, and now that they’re in my life, I’m going to make sure they’re taken care of.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. “But…I’m still going to need to get used to you being around. It’s a major adjustment. I mean, one day I’m thinking that I’m never going to see you again, that these kids are going to be without a father, and the next you’re here being super dad or something.”
“I get it,” I said. “You need space, let me know. I’m here for anything, even if that ‘anything’ involves me giving you time to think all of this over.”
She shook her head, the corner of her lip curled up.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Well, maybe something. It’s just that the man you are now is so different than the one I knew. You’ve gone from a man who didn’t care about anything other than having fun and partying, who handled his problems by running from them, to…this.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to grow up,” I said. “Enough time to learn that responsibility is what giv
es life meaning.”
“Still speaking like a different man,” she said.
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“It’s a great thing.”
We said nothing, instead simply looking into one another’s eyes as we sipped our wine. Then the clatter of a plate against the ground followed by the wailing of a kid broke us out of our moment.
Chloe and I turned to see that Ethan had swatted Sophia’s plate away from her, the food spilling all over the floor. Sophia’s face was bright red as she cried her little lungs out.
“Damn,” said Chloe, getting up. “So much for a peaceful dinner.”
She turned to me.
“You get the mess, and I’ll get the kid,” she said.
“Sounds like a plan.”
The two of us went to work, Chloe lifting Sophia from her highchair and taking her in to the other room to calm her down, and me picking up the stray chicken pieces from the floor and blotting up the smears of ketchup here and there—all the while keeping an eye on the other three kids.
After a little hustle, the situation was taken care of. Chloe returned to the kitchen with a now-calm Sophia, and I was able to both clean up the mess and get another plate of food ready for my little girl.
“Go team,” said Chloe as she placed Sophia back into her highchair.
The timer went off for the food in the oven.
“Grown-ups’ food is ready,” said Chloe, hurrying over to the oven.
“Thank God,” I said. “I’m so hungry that I’m about ready to start snatching chicken from the kids.”
Chloe laughed, and I flashed her a smile as she looked over her shoulder from where she stood at the oven. The smell of the food became even more intense as Chloe took it out.
“Damn,” I said. “However good that smelled before, now it’s just amazing.”
“It’s looking good,” she said, setting down the dish on the oven. “Let me get you a plate.”
I rested my head on my hand as I continued to watch the kids eat, their little faces slowly becoming sticky with ketchup and little bits of chicken breading.
Chloe set a plate down in front of me full of succulent-looking chicken covered in a thick orange glaze. A large mound of mashed potatoes was on the side.
“Don’t wait for me,” she said. “Dig in.”
“Normally, I’d wait,” I said. “But this looks just too good to wait for.”
I cut off a piece of chicken and brought it to my mouth.
“Oh, damn,” I said, chewing slowly.
“Good?” she asked.
The orange blended perfectly with the chicken, the remainder of the spices forming a perfect medley.
“‘Good’ is putting it lightly,” I said. “It’s amazing. And I think my help is what put it over the top, to be honest.”
Chloe gave me a playful swat on the arm as she sat down with her food. She quickly cut off a chunk and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
“I think pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.”
“I’m in total agreement.”
The two of us finished our meal, taking a brief break to get the kids out of their highchairs.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll clean up if you keep the kids busy.”
Another warm smile.
“Deal.”
We both set to our tasks, Chloe taking the quads to the other room and me getting to work on the dishes. Once I was done in the kitchen, I came into the living room to see Chloe on the couch, a pile of sleeping children all around her.
“I think you got them good and worn out for the day,” she said.
“Then I think we ought to get them in bed.”
She nodded, and we took the kids upstairs, slipping them out of their dirty clothes and into some clean pajamas. After the children were tucked in, I gave them each a kiss on the forehead.
All of them looked like little angels. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.
Then it occurred to me what would make this all even more perfect. But that wasn’t for me to ask.
“Okay,” said Chloe. “Grown-up time. You want to go downstairs and finish that bottle of wine?”
“You’re on,” I said.
We met up in the living room, and Chloe handed me my wine as we took our seats on the couch. She picked up a nearby remote and flicked on the stereo, mellow jazz music filling the air. I noticed that she was seated on the couch very close to me, closer than one would sit with a friend.
“I never took you for a jazz person,” I said before taking a sip of my wine.
“That’s because I never was. Believe it or not, Ethan loves it. I accidentally turned it on one day, and it totally chilled him out. So, I started putting it on and kind of got hooked.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in the mellow music, letting it relax me.
“My dad would always play this in his study when he was working. He was strict about me not coming in to bother him while he was in there, but I’d be able to hear it through the halls. Always reminds me of weekend afternoons, back when I didn’t have a care in the world.”
“And now you’ve got four of them,” she said with a smile.
“You’re right,” I said. “And even though it’s only been a day, I already can’t imagine life without them.”
Chloe smiled warmly and moved closer to me on the couch. The air in the house was cool, and her body being close to mine was wonderful.
“I bet your dad would be proud as hell to see how far you’ve come,” she said. “You have a company you built with your own two hands, and you’re already a great dad to these kids.”
“I think you’re right,” I said softly.
But there was still a question hanging in the air: just what sort of role did Chloe want for me in the kid’s lives? I knew that I couldn’t force a decision. It was entirely up to her. I’d hoped that I’d demonstrated that I was more than willing to be there for the kids, to be the father they deserved. But only Chloe could decide what was right for them.
Chloe moved her body closer to mine, our arms now touching. I knew I should’ve given her space, let her have total control over the dynamic.
I couldn’t help myself, however. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was the intensity of the feelings that I was barely able to keep at bay. Almost by instinct, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
She didn’t resist. Chloe nuzzled her head into my body, a small smile spreading across her face as her eyes closed.
“If it were up to me,” I said. “I’d make sure you’d never have to have to do this all on your own again.”
“I know,” she said. “You’ve changed. I really think you have.”
She was right, in all ways except for one.
My feelings for her hadn’t changed at all.
I couldn’t hold back any longer; the feeling of her body against mine was too much. With my free hand, I placed my finger under her chin and tilted her head up slightly. As I did, her eyes turned up toward mine, large and open. She bit down on her lower lip slightly before opening her mouth, just enough to let me know that she understood what was on my mind.
Then I leaned in and kissed her.
My body felt on fire from the moment our lips touched. It was so intense and overwhelming that it felt almost like my first. Chloe’s lips melted into mine, and at that moment there was nothing but the two of us and the music and warmth that surrounded us.
We both reached back with the hands that held our wine, setting the glasses down as we fell deeper and deeper in the kiss. My hands moved to her hips, holding her slender body in place as the kiss became deeper and deeper, my heart racing faster and faster.
I ran my hand through her hair, the curls thick and inviting. Chloe’s touch moved over my chest, her hands coming to a rest on my shoulders. Together, we fell length-wise onto the couch, our lips never separating.
We continued to kiss as we lay down, the intensity of the moment growing by th
e second.
Then, as if both coming to the same realization, we pulled our lips apart.
“Jordan King,” she said. “You’ve really done something to me.”
I smiled, my hand caressing the back of her head.
“You have no idea how mutual the feeling is.”
Chapter 33
Chloe
Part of me wanted to give myself to him. Jordan’s kiss, his touch, was so inviting that it wasn’t hard for him to tear down my walls, to rush past the barriers that I’d put between him and me.
That same magic was there, that same intoxication. The spell Jordan had cast on me hadn’t gone away, despite the time and the distance, and despite how much I’d sworn I’d written the man off. He’d made his mark on me, as sure and permanent as a brand on my skin.
But I wasn’t quite ready to let him take me again. Not yet. Being there with him on the couch, kissing him, holding him close—that was more than enough for my heart to handle.
We lay there for several moments, looking into one another’s eyes. Time melted away. The album on the player ended, and a new one began. Occasionally, he’d moved in and kiss me softly on the lips, an explosion of sentiment rushing outwards from my heart each time he did.
After a time, Jordan moved his body behind mine and embraced me tightly. I felt safe and warm and secure, my face beaming with a smile.
“I hope you’re okay with me crashing on the couch tonight,” he said.
I chuckled through my smile.
“I kinda figured you’d be staying over.”
I considered inviting him up to my bedroom, but I was so comfortable on the couch in his arms that moving seemed almost unthinkable.
It was at that moment that I made a decision. Over the course of the day, I’d gone back and forth about the issue of letting Jordan back into my life. Part of me thought that he wasn’t ready, that his old ways were still under the surface, and it’d only be a matter of time before they came back out.
But I couldn’t deny how…magical he was with them today. He threw himself into the role of father, showing the patience and maturity that he needed. Sure, it was only one day, but it was a day that made more than a small impression on me.
Four Secret Babies - A Second Chance Billionaire Romance (San Bravado Billionaires' Club Book 7) Page 20
