Page 49 of My Forbidden Billionaire
I chuckle along with her at her blunt assessment of the beverage. “Yeah, it’s not exactly my cup of tea,” I say, a grin spreading across my face at my own pun.
Josephine giggles, her eyes shining with amusement. “I love a good dad joke.”
“It’s one of my favorite parts of fatherhood.” I smile.
At my words, Josephine looks away, her fingers playing with the tablecloth. She’s quiet for a moment before she speaks. “I can’t wait to have a family of my own one day,” she says wistfully, taking a sip of water. “With the right person of course,” she adds.
“Of course,” I say, trying to keep my voice even.
Because the truth is, I hope to be that right person for her.
“I can’t wait to give my kids the kind of life I never had—filled with unconditional love, laughter, and adventure.” Her eyes sparkle as she talks about her future family—it’s obvious how excited she is at the prospect of having children of her own. And it warms my heart to know that despite everything she’s been through, Josephine still has faith in the power of unconditional love and believes in having a family of her own one day.
“That sounds wonderful,” I say softly, reaching out to cover her hand with mine.
We fall into an easy conversation and I find myself laughing more than I have in a long time. And every time she laughs, every time she brushes her hair behind her ear, every time she bites her bottom lip in concentration ... I fall a little harder.
Chapter Eighteen
Josephine
“Stop it! Just let me…”
“But it hurts!”
“I know, but if you stop wiggling, I can…”
“Emmy, Larisa, play nicely.” I joke as I walk into the living room, carrying a tray of hot cocoas.
“But she’s torturing me!” Larisa cries out.
“Torturing you? You wanted me to do this!”
“Yes, but I didn’t want you to wax my legs off! It feels like you’re ripping my skin!”
“Okay, you know what? I’m through with this. You can have the rest done at a salon. And if the lady there puts up with this nonsense and whining and yelling, you can tell her, from me, that she’s a saint. But I, for one, am done!” Emmy throws her hands in the air in a very dramatic fashion and pushes the warm tub of wax away from her. It slides across the wooden floor and stops against the opposite wall.
“But I have a date tomorrow! Am I supposed to show up with one hairless leg while the other looks like it belongs to a wooly mammoth? He’s gonna think I’m turning into a werewolf in the middle of dinner,” Larisa complains as she checks her legs.
“You mean—turning back into a werewolf.” Emmy smirks.
“Finish my legs, please!” Larisa whines.
“You’re starting to sound like one of the little girls in my class,” I say before tossing a piece of licorice at Larisa, laughing. “Here, bite down on this and keep quiet.”
They both nod absentmindedly and Emmy finishes the job. I cover my own legs with a warm blanket and enjoy the atmosphere. A frosty evening, snacks as far as the eye can see, endless hot cocoa, and my best friends seated around the coffee table watching Gilmore Girls reruns.
“So, spill the beans. How was your date yesterday with Jacob?” Emmy asks.
I feel a blush creep onto my cheeks at the mention of Jacob’s name. I clear my throat before answering her question. “It was wonderful, actually,” I say with a soft smile. “He took me to Louisa May Alcott’s house for dinner.”
“Who the heck is Louisa?” Larisa asks.
“Only one of the greatest American female authors of all time,” I reply, rolling my eyes at Larisa’s lack of literary knowledge.
“And he took you there for dinner? Goals,” Emmy says with a grin.
“It was amazing, really,” I say dreamily. “I felt like I was in a fairy tale, surrounded by all these books and history. But the best part was spending time with Jacob. He’s kind, intelligent, and funny. I even opened up to him about Tom and my parents and he was so understanding and supportive. I feel like we just click, you know?”