Drake Forever (Unrestrained 7)

Of course, I had my space at home, but I liked getting out of the apartment and going to a dedicated studio. When I was at home, I always felt distracted, like I should be doing anything else but paint. Cleaning, especially. So, going out each day for a couple of hours was a way to force myself to focus on my art. When I was at the studio, there were no distractions except the radio or internet and so I got a lot of work done without feeling guilt.

I exited the building and went onto the sidewalk outside, and of course saw Mike right away when he hopped out of the car and opened the rear door for me.

"I feel so bad making you wait," I said when I went up to the car.

"It's my job, ma'am."

"I know, but still. It must get very boring."

He shook his head. "I listen to podcasts on my iPhone. Right now, I'm learning to speak French. When I sit in my car, I get to practice. It's a great job for what I want."

"That's good," I said. "Merci beaucoup."

"Pas de problème."

I smiled and got into the back of the car.

* * *

When I arrived home, I ran up the stairs to the apartment and went inside. After removing my coat and boots, I entered the kitchen to find Drake standing at the stove, stirring something on the burner. Supper was almost ready, and I could see two steaks resting on a tray by the stovetop. Sophie was seated in her high chair next to the kitchen island.

"Hello, sweetie," I said and went to her, kissing her cheek. She smiled at me, and continued to play with her baby crackers, shoving them into her mouth. "Were you a good baby for your daddy?"

"She was a very good baby," Drake said and came over to me, wiping his hands on his chef's apron. He kissed me, and then pulled me into his arms. "She woke up early and instead of letting her stay in her crib in case she fell back asleep, I got her right up. She'll be extra sleepy tonight at bedtime."

He wagged his eyebrows at that and I laughed.

"I see there's nothing wrong with your libido," I said and squeezed him.

"Nothing at all," he said and pressed his groin against me.

"What are you cooking?" I asked when he pulled away and went back to the pan, which was sizzling.

"Sautéed mushrooms with garlic, butter and white wine. They'll go great with the two strip loins I grilled."

Then, Drake turned off the burner under the mushrooms and together, the three of us ate our supper.

We spent some time together as family in the living room, watching a children's show on television then reading Sophie a book after her bath. Drake and I both tucked her into her crib, and she went down without as much as a peep, her eyes closing almost as soon as her cheek hit the mattress.

"Our evil scheme to make our baby go to sleep earlier than usual was a resounding success," Drake whispered to me as we closed the door to her room.

"We're not evil," I replied, laughing softly. Then I turned and faced Drake, slipping my arms around his neck. "We need mommy and daddy time. It's essential for proper functioning and will make us even better parents."

He kissed me and brushed hair off my cheek. "You're right, of course. I need my Kate time. Speaking of which..." He ran his hand down my back and squeezed a buttock. "What would you like first? A nice bubble bath, followed by a full body massage, and then maybe sleep?"

"Sleep?" I said, mock frowning. "When you put your hands on my body after a bath, there's no way I'd be able to go to sleep..."

He grinned, one corner of his mouth turning up. "I'm counting on it, because I had something else entirely in mind than sleep."

"You do, do you?" I said, acting coy. "What could you possibly mean, Dr. Morgan?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Katherine..."

That told me everything I needed to know.

"Yes, Sir," I said solemnly. "I know exactly what you mean."

Inside, I was smiling to myself but I knew enough to keep my smile to myself. "What would you like this one to do first?" I glanced up at his face, not quite meeting his gaze, batting my eyelashes in a way that I hoped was alluring rather than saucy.