Sutton had picked her up from her office an hour ago, something Charlotte had found surprisingly and thoroughly charming.
She’d never been picked up from work by a partner before.
Yet as she’d approached Sutton’s car and Sutton had rolled down the window to send her a sweet, beautiful smile and a wave, Charlotte’s stride had paused.
In that moment, the reality she was settling into washed over her.
She and Sutton weren’t only late-night phone calls and fun dates and hot make-out sessions. They wereyou’ll pick me up after workandwe will go to dinner with your ex to pick up your daughterandI’ll show you the things I’ve never shown anyone.
Charlotte wanted it with an intensity that startled her.
Sutton paused as they climbed the steps toward the front door, giving Charlotte a tentative smile. It was far from the bright, unencumbered grin Charlotte was used to seeing.
Sutton paused, rolling her lips. “I know it’s a little late to not go to this dinner.” There was that self-deprecation. That, mixed with the earnest look in Sutton’s eyes, made Charlotte think back to the woman Sutton had been when they’d first done this. “But I wanted you to know that I really appreciate it. I know that you’re going to New York tonight, that your schedule is crazy busy. I really would have understood if you had to reschedule.”
Everything Sutton was saying was absolutely correct. Charlotte’s schedule was incredibly busy, particularly this week. She had meetings in New York starting tomorrow at eight in the morning, and she’d arranged for Autumn to send her already packed suitcase with Hamish, who was scheduled to pick her up at Sutton’s house after dinner.
“I know I didn’t have to do dinner tonight,” Charlotte softly informed her, searching Sutton’s gaze with her own. “Yes, I’m busy. But the simple truth is that youaremy priority, Sutton. And I’ll do whatever I can do spend as much time with you as possible.”
It was the simple and utter truth.
Sutton’s big, blue eyes went soft as her mouth opened on a quiet sigh. “I…” She swallowed, stroking her thumb over Charlotte’s hand. “I want to spend as much time with you as possible, too,” she admitted before she flicked her eyes toward the front door. “And I really want you to know that having dinner with Layla and Arianne isfarfrom a common occurrence, so I hope you know this isn’t?—”
“Darling, I’m aware of what this is,” Charlotte gently cut into the oncoming ramble, feeling completely endeared by it.
Sutton’s blue eyes searched hers, her eyebrows wrinkling as she hesitantly checked, “Are you sure?”
Charlotte nodded. “This is your ex-wife realizing that I’m not going anywhere and wanting an opportunity—a real opportunity—to size me up. I’m well aware that this is not going to be a regular event.”
Under no circumstances was she going to make it appear to Sutton’s ex that she was uninterested or unavailable in being present and attentive in Sutton’s or Lucy’s lives. Not only because it was so far from the truth, but because she would be damned if she became the only reason Layla had to accuse Sutton of not doing what was in their daughter’s best interest.
The smile on Sutton’s face became softer, even as a slight blush tinged her cheeks. “I hate to have put you in this position in the first place, as I don’t believe it is any of Layla’s business who I’m with. But…” She bit her bottom lip as she explained, “Idothink it’s a good thing for Lucy to have dinner with all of us and see us together. It’s the best thing for her to see all of her parental figures as a unit, no matter what’s going on behind the scenes.”
Her heart skipped a beat at Sutton’s wording; Charlotte was still very much adjusting to the idea of being aparental figure.
She waited for a second, wondering if any other nervous feelings would follow on its heels, but she felt nothing other than an excitedly nervous resolve.
Perhaps she wasn’t quite stepmother status right now, but shewantedto get there, in the future. She wanted to be more and more of a presence in Sutton’s life and in Lucy’s life, to the point that she didn’t have any possible doubts about herself as a parental figure.
And more than anything, Charlotte loved that Sutton felt that way. Putting her daughter first was who Sutton Spencerwasas a person. If Sutton wasn’t exactly who she was—empathetic, kind, thoughtful, loyal—Charlotte likely wouldn’t be so head over heels for her.
“I think that you’re exactly right,” she agreed. “And I want to show up for you,” she promised, searching Sutton’s eyes with her own.
She wanted Sutton to see how much she meant it.
When Sutton leaned down and pressed her lips to Charlotte’s, she believed Sutton knew. Their kiss was soft and searching, Sutton’s hand gently coming up to cup Charlotte’s jaw.
Charlotte reached out with her free hand, sliding it into Sutton’s unbuttoned jacket to settle over her hip. Sutton was wearing a pale blue button-down tucked into high-waisted jeans; it was a casual outfit, simply what she’d worn to her lectures today, Charlotte knew.
She also knew that if she’d ever had a professor that looked like Sutton, she’d have been the most attentive, focused student in class. Hell, she might have switched her major to English.
They both froze, breathing in each other’s air, as the front door opened a foot away from them. Disengaging, they turned toward the doorway to come face to face with Layla, who watched them with an arched eyebrow.
Caught making out on Sutton’s ex-wife’s front porch was also not on Charlotte’s agenda. Though she could see Sutton blushing, Charlotte felt a very real, very dark, and somewhat inappropriate satisfaction slide through her, her mouth curling into a small smile with it.
“I thought I heard something out here,” Layla drawled, her own grin fixed into place. Unlike Charlotte’s, it was tight around the edges.
“We were just about to knock,” Sutton informed her, clearing her throat as she slid her hand down and intertwined her fingers with Charlotte’s.