I reach for it. “Mum, is that you?”

“Luke, where are you? We’ve been calling both yours and Callie’s phones for the last ten minutes, and neither of you are answering. Personally, I am hoping this means you’re together and otherwise engaged.”

“Are you at the hotel now?”

“Yes, we’ve just finished checking in. Sean’s excited to see Callie. And you, of course. Can you meet us downstairs?”

“I’ll be there in five.”

“You still didn’t answer me.”

I hold the phone out to Callie who I know is dying to say hello to my mother. She rips it out of my hands. “Estelle! You’re here!”

Silence while she listens to Mum.

And then her eyes find mine, and she smiles as she says, “Yes, Estelle, I know how your son feels about me. He just told me. After we had sex.”

I shake my head at her, and she grins before poking her tongue at me. I leave the bed to use the bathroom, and when I return, she’s sitting, watching me.

Pulling a shirt over my head, I mutter, “It’s no wonder you and my mother get on so well. You both like to share highly inappropriate information with each other.”

She laughs and unfolds her legs so she can leave the bed and come to me. Pressing her naked body hard against mine and looping her arms around my neck, she says, “It’s best to just give her the information she’s looking for because then she has no reason to keep hounding. I swear you men need a course in how to communicate woman-style.”

I grip her ass. “No, what we need are women who know when to open their mouths and when to keep them shut.”

“And now you’re just trying to rile me up because you know that kind of thinking pisses me off.”

I grin and squeeze her ass. “Yeah, maybe. You’re hot when you get all ranty at me.”

She quirks a brow. “You know when else I’m hot?”

“When?”

“When I’m pleased with my man and I bring my A-game. So I’d recommend you start making nice with me if you want some of that action.”

My lips find hers, and I kiss her slowly and deeply. When I end it, I say, “Out of everything you just said, all I heard were the words ‘my man’.”

She’s silent for a beat. “You never stopped being my man, Luke Hardy. You just never knew it.”

48

Callie

Family.

I never realised what I was missing out on until I became part of Luke’s family. Sitting around the table over dinner, with this family, I feel so much love and acceptance that my heart could actually burst.

Sean crawls onto my lap and rests his head against my chest while wrapping his arms around me. He’s been my shadow all afternoon, which is cool, because if he wasn’t mine, I’d certainly be his.

Luke smiles at us as he reaches for my hand. Since we’ve spent all afternoon with the family, we haven’t had a chance to talk about what’s happening between us. I’m okay with that, though, because I think we’re on the same page now.

“So,” Estelle says with a clap of her hands. She’s so happy to be here with us all. Her glow burns bright. “Sailing is booked for eight tomorrow morning.” Looking at Avery, she asks, “What have you decided, darling?” I smile at the relationship they’ve formed. Estelle has become the mother to her she hasn’t had for most of her life.

Tyler answers for Avery. “She’s not going. I’ll stay here with her.”

Avery scowls at him before looking at Estelle. “I’ve decided not to go. But Tyler will go with you. I’m going to check into the day spa instead.”

Tyler opens his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. “I’ll stay with Avery. We can have a girls’ day.”

Tags: Nina Levine Elixir Romance
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