Before leaving, I confirmed with the person at the front desk that I would receive the results via email within twenty-four hours because I’d paid extra. Olivia’s behavior on the way back to the car didn’t change, but her ass knew not to slam my door.
Knixon woke up when I put her in the car, saying she was hungry. I stopped to get her, and her only, some food, and went back to the hotel. After helping Knixon out of the car, I knelt in front of her.
“Here’s your food. Hopefully, I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay?”
She nodded as she took the bag from me, then shocked me by wrapping her arms around my neck. I returned the hug before standing. Olivia was a few feet away, waiting by the stairs. I watched Knixon until she reached her mother.
I slid behind the wheel, still tense from my interaction with Olivia. Skye took the hand closest to her, intertwined her fingers with mine, and lifted my hand to her mouth. As soon as her lips made contact with the back of my hand, all the tension I felt disappeared.
“Thank you, baby.”
“Always,” she responded softly, with the back of my hand still against her lips.
Stokely was headed back to Texas in the morning, so Skye made his favorites for dinner, and we enjoyed it on the patio. We’d finished eating hours ago, and after working together to clean the kitchen, Stokely went to hang out with some friends, while we spent time on the patio.
“We should probably head inside before the mosquitoes start to attack,” I said.
“I know, but I could literally sleep out here. Maybe I can get an enclosed gazebo to put over there. Then I could sleep out here.”
She pointed to the corner of her yard.
“Is that what you want?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you think there’s enough room?”
“I could take some measurements and show you how much space it would take up.”
“You still haven’t let me pay you for all this. Until then, I won’t hire you again.”
“All this good pussy is payment enough. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to pay for another damn thing in yourlife. I got you covered as long as you keep sitting on my face and dick.”
We were lounging on the couch, with her in front of me, between my legs, and my arms around her body. I slid my hand between her legs, and when she didn’t move it away, I rubbed my thumb over her clit.
“Can you believe it’s been almost two weeks since I finished the patio, and we haven’t christened it?”
She removed my hand from between her legs as she lifted the waistband of her shorts. Just as she was about to put my hand into her shorts, my phone rang on the table, causing her to pause.
I looked at the screen and was slightly alarmed to see Black Elm Suites. Skye quickly grabbed my phone, and when she gave it to me, I answered it and put it on speaker.
“This is Knox.”
“Hello. Mr. St. Patrick?”
“Yes.”
“This is Madisa calling from Black Elm Suites. We found a little girl wandering the hotel. She said she was looking for her mother. After checking the cameras, we found that she’d left a room that was reserved under your name. The little girl’s mother wasn’t there, and upon further investigation, we found that she had left earlier this afternoon.”
“Shit.”
“Our sentiments exactly, sir. Would you like me to call the police, or?—”
“No. I’m on my way.”
Skye was already on her feet and headed inside when I ended the call. We slipped on our shoes and were in my car in less than a minute.
“I can’t believe she left her at the hotel alone,” Skye said.
“A part of me isn’t surprised. I didn’t mention this because when I think about it, it pisses me off. When they came to my office, Olivia was dressed to the nines, and Knixon’s clothes were too small and dirty, and her hair wasn’t combed. Before going to the hotel, we went to TJ Maxx, and I bought a few outfits, underwear, and other essentials I thought Knixon might need. After getting the room, I stayed until Olivia gave Knixon a bath and combed her hair.”