Chapter 175
Clara
“I’m going to stay with Granduncle?! Yay!!” Hunter squealed, bouncing in his car seat, his eyes shining with excitement. Damon and I had just picked them up from their parents’ house, and Damon wasted no time breaking the news. Just as he predicted, Hunter was eager to stay with my uncle.
“We’re not only you,” Haven retorted, narrowing her eyes at her brother, but he ignored her.
“You have to be good to your uncle, okay? Don’t cause him any trouble,” I said to both of them.
“Okay, Mama,” they replied simultaneously, and I smiled before turning to Damon, who had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on my thigh.
“Did you have fun at Grandma and Grandpa’s house?” Damon asked.
“Yes! They bought us lots of gifts and gave us lots of cookies,” Haven replied. I smiled at her, then turned to Hunter.
“What about you? Did you have fun?” I asked. He nodded.
“Yes, Momma. We had lots of goodies, and Haven and I brought some for you and Dada,” he replied, and I smiled.
“Oh, my babies are the cutest,” I gushed, and they giggled.
“There was a girl there, she called me her boyfriend and herself my girlfriend. What does that mean, Momma?” Hunter asked, and I tensed, turning to Damon.
He glanced at me before focusing on the road.
“Do you know this girl?” Damon asked. Hunter pouted.
“No. Her momma helps Grandma around the house. She’s shorter than me. What’s a boyfriend and girlfriend?” he asked, and I looked to Damon for help.
(Isn’t it too early for this conversation?) I mind-linked him. He nodded.
(It is, but we have no choice. Hunter will keep asking.) He replied, and I sighed before turning back to Hunter, who was still looking at me expectantly.
“When a girl likes a boy, she asks him to be her boyfriend, and when a boy likes a girl, he asks her to be his girlfriend. They spend time together and are a couple, just like Dada and me,” I explained slowly, looking into his eyes. He stared for a moment before understanding dawned, and a disgusted look appeared on his face.
“Eww, I don’t like her! I don’t want to be her boyfriend!” he yelled. Haven giggled.
“Hunter has a girlfriend! Hunter has a girlfriend!” she sang, making him even angrier.
“I don’t! Mama!” he called out, and I sent Haven a warning glare. She stopped, but a playful glint remained in her eyes.
“You’re too young for a girlfriend, and I’m sure she doesn’t know what a boyfriend and girlfriend is either. Maybe she just wanted to be your friend,” I explained. He scoffed.
“Well, I don’t want to be her friend. She’s weird,” he said, and I frowned.
“You can’t call her weird; she’s a kid just like you. I’m sure when you grow up, you’ll like her better,” I said. He scoffed again.
“I won’t, because the only girl I want to be with is Mama,” he declared. I smiled and tickled his feet, making him giggle.
“Well, too bad, Mama is already mine, and I don’t plan on sharing her with you,” Damon said, earning a glare from Hunter.
“No, Mama is mine. Right, Mama?” Hunter asked. I nodded.
“Of course, my love. I love you and Haven so much.”
“More than Dada?” he asked, eyes wide.
“Don’t push your luck, Hunter,” Damon growled, and I rolled my eyes, mouthing “Yes” to both of them.
“I saw that,” Damon said, and we all laughed.
Night came sooner than expected. As I sat at the dresser doing my hair, I couldn’t help but think about Luca and Delilah. Delilah had told us what was happening with Luca. It pained me to know he was suffering because he’d helped me. He’d tried to convince me I wasn’t at fault and that he’d do it again to save me, but I still felt horrible. I’d been trying to push the feeling away, but it gnawed at me.
“You’re thinking about Luca again, aren’t you?” Damon asked, walking out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. I stared, my eyes traveling up and down his body. Goddess, he was hot!
“My eyes are up here, baby,” his voice broke my trance. He had a knowing smirk.
“You don’t have to just look, baby. Come over and touch,” he said. I rolled my eyes, reluctantly turning back to the mirror.
“The kids will be here very…” (The sentence is incomplete and the following text appears to be out of place)
He walked towards me, and I sighed as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed my face.
“I can be quick if you want,” he murmured in my ear. As much as I wanted to, my mind and heart weren’t settled.
“Stop thinking about Luca, okay? Stop worrying,” Damon said, as if reading my mind.
“He’s your best friend, Damon. You should be worried,” I replied.
“I am, but I’m not letting it affect me because I know, no matter what, I’m going to make those witches reverse what they did to him. While you drop the kids off with your uncle tomorrow, he and I will go to the witches’ coven. So don’t worry, we’ve got this under control, okay?” Before I could reply, his mouth was on mine, and I melted into his arms as he deepened the kiss.
“Fuck, I can smell your arousal, baby,” he murmured, his voice sending shivers through me.
He pulled away slightly, standing directly in front of me. My mouth watered when I saw his erection through the towel.
I was about to reach for him when the door burst open, and Haven and Hunter ran in, giggling, jumping onto the bed.
I stood up immediately, and Damon turned and walked straight into the closet. That was close.
“Mama, come cuddle with us,” Haven called. I smiled, walking to the bed and plopping down. They climbed on top of me, and I shrieked as they kissed my face.
“What, doesn’t Daddy get a kiss too?” Damon asked, emerging from the closet, fully dressed in his pajamas.
“Dada!” Haven called, bouncing on the bed. He chuckled, kissing her face.
“We should go to bed. We all have a long day tomorrow,” he murmured. I nodded.
We all climbed into bed. Hunter was immediately by my side, and Haven was by Damon’s.
Hunter and Haven chattered away, asking Damon questions, and he answered enthusiastically, prompting even more questions.
I smiled, watching them. This was my life, what I’d always wanted: a family.
Damon turned to me with a soft smile, as if reading my thoughts.
“I love you,” he mouthed. I smiled back.
“I love you too.”
To be continued…