Read Online All of Me by Janet Eckford - Free Book Online Page A

about what she was going to do with Grant.
    “Do the men in your family always help with preparing food?”
    Charlie turned toward Grant’s mother. “Well, not always, but if it’s a special occasion they take care of things. Plus there are so many of them it goes faster when they work together.”
    “Well, they definitely have had an influence on Robert and Grant,” Eveline remarked whimsically.
    “Oh, my dear, the longer they are around my boys, the more you’ll see things you never thought yours would do,” Charlie’s mother joked, giving the other woman a half hug.
    Charlie was actually a bit amazed at how well the two families were blending. Her mother and Grant’s both started to walk toward the outside patio. She could tell they were forming a genuine attachment toward each other. Charlie had to reflect that it was probably their mutual love of the ballet that sealed it. When Eveline found out Claire used to be a dancer and now had her own school, the two had become inseparable. It actually eased some of the fears Charlie had once the reality of having a baby with Grant began to settle in. She kept thinking their families were so different it would make things awkward or difficult.
    Actually, they all seemed to get on swimmingly. While the two mothers talked about ballet and theatre companies, the two fathers chatted about golf, with Edward and Grant talking about investment opportunities. Holding her daughter, Charlie felt like everything was working out just perfectly, until Grant looked over in her direction and captured her with his gaze.
    For a moment, Charlie felt as if the air had worked its way out of her lungs. She had almost forgotten just how handsome he was. With the setting sun catching the golden highlights in his hair, he looked like a Roman god, majestic and imposing, with a hint of mischief peeking out from his eyes. Clutching the baby for protection against the magnitude of his beauty, Charlie wasn’t surprised to see a knowing smile lift the corners of his mouth. Breaking eye contact, Charlie pretended to readjust the blanket wrapped around Stella.
    It didn’t help, because she could still feel the heat of his stare on her skin. Before she could control her thoughts, images of their time in Italy began flooding back to her. The feel of his lips on her skin and the sweet words he murmured as he buried himself deeply inside her. Charlie was shocked by that last thought, seeing as her body was completely exhausted from the labor of giving birth. But, to her chagrin, her mind seemed intent on playing out each erotic encounter.
    “Honey, are you getting tired?”
    She cleared her mind as her mother leaned over to place a warm hand on her arm. Actually, until her mother had said something, Charlie hadn’t noticed she was starting to fade. Between her hormones and the mental images she was fighting, Charlie realized she was actually ready for some sleep, like the small baby in her arms.
    “Yes, actually, I am,” she admitted.
    “Here, let me take her, dear. You should go take a nap,” her mother offered as she reached out for the sleeping baby.
    Grateful to her mother, Charlie handed the baby over. Getting up from the table, she addressed the group. “I’m going to take a little nap. Make sure you don’t go to Disneyland while I’m sleeping.”
    Walking toward her room, she could hear her father’s rich laughter. Charlie could also hear him explaining the family story around the statement. When she was a little girl, after every nap she would ask what the other family members did while she slept, and each time her father would say they went to Disneyland. Initially horrified that she might have missed out on the fun, Charlie came to realize it was just another example of her father’s teasing humor. The family joke made her smile as she walked to her room. It also made her reflect on what memories she would make with her own daughter.
    Undressing down to her panties, Charlie felt the