Final Offer: Chapter 40

Thanks to the Kane brothers’ family jet and Cal’s connections, Cami and I are leaving Michigan for the first time since I brought her home with me almost six years ago. The whole adoption process feels like it happened a lifetime ago. When I met Cami for the first time in the NICU while she was being weaned off drugs, I was barely twenty-four years old and was still nursing a huge heartbreak.

The social worker assigned to her case gave me the easiest choice of my life when I arrived in California.

Adopt Cami or let someone else do so.

Best decision ever, I say to myself as I check out Cami. She has her cat-ear headphones on while she watches an episode of her favorite show on the flat screen embedded into the wall of the jet. I tried to sit next to her, but she wanted the couch all to herself because my girl is a cushion hog, so Cal and I settle into the captain’s seats diagonal to hers.

The flight attendant passes Cami a juice box before placing our waters on the table in front of us. I place my wireless earbuds in my ears only to have Cal steal one.

“I forgot mine.” His fingers lock with mine, sending a blast of warmth up my arm.

“Are you going to play something or should I?” He motions toward my phone on the table.

I hit play and settle into the chair. Cal flips my hand over and starts to run the tips of his fingers across the inner part of my arm.

“Cosquillas?” I gasp.

His lips form into the sweetest smile. “Some things never change.”

My lips purse like I sucked on something sour. “I’ve changed.”

He raises a brow. “How?”

I pause the music to answer him. “Well, for starters, I like country music now.”

“Talk about a metamorphosis,” he replies dryly.

I give his shoulder a shove.

He only laughs as he latches on to my hand again. “What else?”

“I went full vegetarian for a year after watching a documentary.”

His eyes stretch wide. “Was your mother alive at the time?”

“Yes. She was completely horrified by the idea and unofficially revoked my Colombian citizenship.”

He chuckles under his breath. “That sounds just like her. That woman loved her churrasco more than anything.”

“I know. Why do you think I started eating meat again? She didn’t give me much of a choice.”

His smile widens.

“Also, I’m now a morning person. No more snoozing and skipping alarms for me.”

“Shame. I used to love finding new ways to motivate you to get out of bed.” He smirks.

My eyes roll. “More like you found ways to keep me in bed for as long as humanly possible.”

“It was a noble effort.”

“The only thing noble about you was your commitment to making me come first.”

“It’s an obsession, not a commitment.”

We both laugh. I continue telling him about the different things that changed for me, which in reality aren’t many once I list them. The most life-altering event was becoming a mother, and Cal already knows all about that.

“What about you? Anything changed?” I nudge him with my shoulder.

“My life is pretty uneventful.” He sighs.

“That’s not true. You’re a cat dad.”

“Right. The pinnacle of my life right there.”

“No job?”

“Nope.” He taps his fingers against his thigh in a random pattern.

“Come on. Something has to have changed in six years.”

“I’m no longer afraid of clowns.”

“What?” I gasp. “Since when?”

“Since Iris convinced me to go to a haunted Halloween maze. Turns out the theme that year was—”

“Clowns?” My pitch rises.

“I should have known she was setting me up the moment she asked me to go with her. I don’t do horror, but for her, I was willing to put on a brave face and try. Plus, Declan seemed pissed when she talked about us going out together.”

“Why didn’t you turn around and leave when you found out the theme?”

“Because Iris blackmailed me.”

“How?”

“She threatened to release this video if I ditched her.” Cal pulls out his phone and plays a video of him using an umbrella as a weapon against a creepy clown.

“I think I love her.” I wipe the tears from my eyes after the minute-long video finishes with Cal shrieking.

“I’m positive you two will become instant best friends the moment you meet.”

My chest warms. “I can’t wait to share the photo I have of you at your fifth birthday party.”

His eyes bulge. “Tell me you didn’t save that.”

I grin. “Of course I did. It always makes the bad days better.”

His hand holding on to mine tightens. “I have one of those too.”

My cheeks heat. “Please don’t say it’s the one of me trying on makeup for the first time.”

His eyes spark. “No, although that one is a classic.”

I scratch my head. “I thought I got rid of all my mom’s incriminating photos.”

He shrugs. “Maybe you didn’t.”

I shake his shoulders. “You need to tell me which one.” I will not rest until I know which embarrassing photo Cal keeps of me for the bad days.

“Relax. I was just joking. I swear it’s not bad.”

“Like I should believe you,” I scoff.

His eyes roll as he pulls a photo out of his wallet and tosses it on my lap. “Consider this our first test in trusting one another.”

My hands shake as I lift the photo Cal saved in his wallet.

“Is this…” I flip the photo, answering my question for me.

“You saved it.” I turn it over again and stare at the younger versions of us. The photo has lightened with age and light exposure, and the edges have worn over the years. “This is what you look at on the bad days?”

He swipes the photo from my hands and tucks it back inside his wallet. “Yup.”

“Of all the photos, why this one?” My voice shakes.

“Because it reminds me that there was once a time when I was truly happy.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into a hug. “I want you to be truly happy again.”

His arms tighten around me. “I’m getting there.”

The private car drops us off at the fanciest hotel Dreamland has to offer. Cal takes us up to a penthouse suite with its own private elevator, chef’s kitchen, movie theater room, and a perfect view of the lake that makes up a large part of the Kane Company property.

“This is so cool!” Cami gets lost somewhere between the dining area and the chef’s kitchen.

Never in my life have I stayed somewhere quite like this.

Rowan, Cal’s brother who I haven’t seen since he was wearing braces and freaking out over comic books, left a note about the all-access VIP passes.

Food. Drinks. Behind-the-scenes exclusive experiences.

I’ve spent my whole life around the Kanes’ wealth, but this is the first real time I’m able to enjoy it myself. Since Cal said to spare no expense, I call room service and order three expensive steaks and an overly priced bottle of orange juice for Cami.

I have a Michelin star taste on a Betty Crocker budget, so I might as well enjoy the finer things in life while they last.

When in Dreamland…

A loud foghorn snags Cami’s attention. She runs back to the sliding door and presses her face against the glass, making it fog from her hot breath.

“Look! A boat!” Cami points at a ferry pulling into the dock to drop off the families.

I kneel beside her. “I see that.”

“We can take the ferry tomorrow if you want.” Cal kneels on the other side of Cami.

“Really?” Her eyes go big with wonder.

“For sure. Whatever you want.” He rubs the top of her already-messy hair.

This is the reason I’m willing to wait for Cal. Because love like that—the unconditional kind that comes straight from the heart—isn’t easy to find. I would know after searching for it and failing miserably since he left.

“Thank you!” Cami throws herself into Cal’s arms.

Cal blinks twice at my smile before returning my grin with one of his own. Before I know it, he is swooping me into his arms too, smushing me against Cami. The added weight throws him off-balance and the three of us crash against the carpet, with him taking the brunt of the weight. Cami giggling between us makes both Cal and me both laugh too.

Cami wiggles free and takes off to claim her bedroom. Cal’s arms remain wrapped around me and adjust my weight so I lie on top of him. I suck in a breath as his hand runs down my spine, leaving sparks behind.

His hand pauses on the small of my back. “I want to make the two of you laugh like that for the rest of our lives.”

A tingle spreads through me, starting at my cheeks and heading toward my toes. He cups my cheek and drags me closer to his face.

“Cal…” I warn. “What about Cami?”

The squeak of a mattress and the steady thump of someone jumping makes him smile.

“I think she’s a bit busy at the moment.” His thumb brushes my bottom lip.

“Still.”

He removes his hand, taking his warmth with him. “I dare you to kiss me.”

I blink. “What?”

“You heard me. Either kiss me or be forced into giving up a secret.” The low rumble of his voice makes my lower belly clench.

“That’s not fair.” My voice cracks. Dares have always been a weakness of mine, right after the man who instigated them in the first place.

He tugs my chin closer. “Truth or dare? Choose carefully.”

I bite down on my lip. “I’ve got a lot of dares to make up for. Fifteen, to be exact, according to my last tally count.” The piece of wood on the dock might be long gone, but the memory lives on in my head.

“At this rate you’ll never catch up to me.”

“Only because you’re a daredevil.”

He grins. “And you’re a coward.”

Coward? I’ll show him.

I rise to Cal’s challenge and kiss him. Our lips mold together, the zap of energy sparking between us. He sucks in a breath as I trace the curve of his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. The sound travels straight toward my clit.

My entire body is overwhelmed by the taste and smell of him, turning the experience into sensory overload. I try to place what the feeling in my chest is, but Cal doesn’t let me get distracted for long as he cups the back of my neck.

Control slips from my grasp as Cal dominates. The world I know shifts as Cal becomes my center of gravity, grounding me to him.

“Mommy and Cal, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

Cal and I break apart. Both our eyes are wide as we take each other in. His lips are as swollen as his dick pressing against my stomach.

“First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes Cami in a Dreamland carriage!” She throws herself on top of me, squishing me against Cal’s chest.

So much for not getting caught.

“Are you and Cal getting married?”

The comb I was using to brush Cami’s wet hair slips out of my hand. “Umm.”

“Can I have a sister?” Her smile expands until it takes over half her face.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I knew Cami would have questions, but things are escalating far too fast for me to keep up with.

I reach for the comb and place it on top of Cami’s king-sized mattress. “Cal and I aren’t getting married.” My tongue suddenly feels heavy.

“Why not?”

“Because not everyone who likes each other gets married.” And because I have no idea if we will ever get to a place where that is even remotely possible.

Don’t be so negative.

Hard not to be when pessimism is practically a default setting for me on some days.

“So, you do like him?” She punctuates her question with a few air kisses, making me laugh.

“Of course.”

“Me too.” She grins.

“You do?” Her answer doesn’t surprise me, but it’s nice to get confirmation, especially after everything that happened with Victor.

“Yes. He’s nicer than Victor. He listens to me and likes to ask me questions and doesn’t make me feel like I bother him.” The confession rushes out of her.

I try my hardest to keep my emotions in check. It’s nearly impossible, especially with Cami bringing up Victor. It’s my fault she was ever put in a situation where a man would treat her as anything less than a princess.

Never again.

I tuck a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “I think he’s a lot nicer than Victor too.”

“And he makes you laugh and smile.”

My brows rise. “I’ve always laughed and smiled.”

“Yeah, but you do it a lot more now.”

I’m at a loss for words. It’s such a simple observation on Cami’s part, but it is one that makes my entire chest ache.

Cami pops the bubble of emotion building in my chest with a random question, proving that six-year-old kids truly have the attention span of a puppy.

“Can I have a bedtime story now?”

I go along with Cami’s request, although her comment sticks with me long after she falls asleep.

Cal found his way into my bed while I was busy with Cami. I crawl under the sheets and snuggle against him, although I’m completely ignored as he continues reading his book. His look of concentration draws a soft chuckle from me.

He makes you laugh and smile.

Cal makes me do a lot more than that. He makes me want to have fun, enjoy life, and dream in a way I have long since forgotten over the years. Even with the odds stacked against us, he makes me want to believe we can work out.

But most of all, he makes me want to trust him. To fall in love once again.

With him.