“Elle?” Sally whispered after Elle turned out the bedside lamp, leaving only the glow of the nightlight.
Elle sat down on the bed and pulled Sally’s heavy hair away from her neck, answering, “Yes, honey.”
“Will you teach me to make chocolate cake?” Sally asked.
Elle’s breath caught in her throat.
There were women who wanted to own seven hundred dollar shoes.
And there were women who wanted to run nations.
At that moment, there was nothing more that Elle wanted in the world than to teach Sally how to make chocolate cake.
Somehow, Elle managed to reply, “Sure, Sally.”
“And how to walk in high heels?” Sally went on.
Her throat threatening to close, Elle forced out, “Of course.”
“Hurrah,” Sally cheered sleepily.
Elle leaned down and kissed the girl’s temple before she got up and made her way to the door, thinking that Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty got it wrong. They should have bypassed the handsome prince and went direct to the broody-hot architect who designed the castle and also happened to have two beautiful children.
“Elle?” Sally called when Elle hit the door to her bedroom.
Elle turned to face the room. “Yes, Sally.”
“Thank you for making Jace happy again,” Sally whispered and Elle felt her breath escape in a rush as her heart stopped beating.
She didn’t answer, couldn’t, she could only hold on to the doorframe and hope she didn’t pass out.
“And Daddy too,” Sally went on quietly.
Elle’s heart squeezed.
Maybe Sally Cameron didn’t slide through life shielded by her indefatigable good cheer.
Maybe Sally Cameron felt just as deeply as her father and her brother but, in her six year old’s way, she did what she could to take care of her family.
Summoning a strength she didn’t know she had, Elle pushed away from the door, walked to Sally’s bed and again sat on its side, sliding her fingers through Sally’s hair.
“You don’t have to thank me, sweetie,” Elle whispered.
“Yes, I do,” Sally whispered back.
Elle leaned forward and got close to Sally’s ear. “No you don’t, Sally, because we’re even. I was sad when I came here. So very sad. But you and Jason and your Daddy made me happy too”
“I’m glad,” Sally replied softly.
“So, I should thank you,” Elle told her.
Sally twisted her neck, Elle’s head came up and Sally grinned at her before saying, “You’re welcome.”
Elle stifled a giggle and grinned back.
“Now, go to sleep,” Elle ordered.
“Okay, Elly Belly,” Sally said cheekily through her grin.
With a light kiss on Sally’s smooth cheek, Elle left the girl and wandered to Prentice’s rooms in a daze, Sally’s words and what they meant tumbling through her mind. She didn’t know it but she entered the bedroom with a small smile playing at her lips.
Prentice was taking off his shirt but his hands stilled when his eyes came to her.
“Sally’s in bed,” Elle announced, not noticing Prentice’s posture, she walked to the bed, sat on the side and pulled up her pant leg to get to her shoe. “Jason too?” she asked.
“Aye,” Prentice answered and Elle’s head came up in surprise for he was closer than she expected him to be.
In fact, he was standing, now shirtless, right in front of her.
Her hands still on the strap of her shoe, Prentice got closer.
“Is something –” Elle started.
“Don’t take off your shoes.”
Elle blinked and sat up straight. “What?”
Prentice didn’t answer. His hands went under her armpits and he lifted her to her feet. He turned so his back was to the bed, she was facing him and, before she knew what he was about, he’d swept the turtleneck clean off her body.
She watched him throw it across the room before her eyes came back to him and she began, “Pren –”
But she didn’t say more because her trousers were sliding over her hips.
Her hands went to his wrists but he ignored them, grasped her at the waist, lifted her free of the trousers that had pooled at her feet and he kicked them aside.
Then she stared, dumbfounded, as he sat on the side of the bed and, hands at her hips, pulled her between his opened legs.
She was trying to come to terms with standing, wearing nothing but her bra, panties and saucy shoes in front of a seated Prentice, his hands sliding to her waist then back and down, to cup her bottom, his eyes roaming her body, a body that seemed to heat under his gaze.
“Got a call from Dougal today,” he announced bizarrely before he leaned forward and ran his tongue along the top edge of her panties.
“Yes?” she breathed, forgetting her near nudity and Prentice’s strange announcement as her mind focused with pinpoint accuracy on what his tongue was doing.
“Aye,” Prentice said softly against the skin of her belly, one of his hands stayed cupped at her behind, the other one slid forward, the tips of his fingers trailing the lower edge of her panties, around and in and her breath caught as Prentice went on, “He asked me for pointers.”
“Pointers?” Elle parroted, losing concentration on what he was saying as her mind preferred to focus on the heat that was building everywhere.
“Aye, Elle,” Prentice whispered against her then he rubbed the stubble of his chin on her skin, his head tilted back to look at her. “He wanted pointers on how to f**k Annie against a wall.”
Elle’s body froze but her eyes went wide and her stomach plummeted.
“Oh my God,” she breathed.
“Apparently, Annie told him, because you told her and Mikey, that I had a particular talent in that area.”
“Oh my God,” Elle breathed again.
Visions of Prentice throwing her out of his beautiful home because she had such a big mouth filled her head but visions of Prentice’s devilish grin filled her eyes as his strong hands suddenly yanked her forward so she was straddling his lap.
His arms went around her, one tight at her waist, the other hand sliding up and fisting in her hair.
Elle put both hands to his neck and tried to remember how to breathe.
When she accomplished this feat, she whispered, “I’m sorry. So, so sorry. I got carried away and –”
“I’m no’ sorry,” Prentice cut in, his grin still wicked. “Dougal said I’m practically a legend.”