“Hey! That was mine!”

“You were still eating your last spoonful” Lorenzo said holding the bowl of ice cream out of Alexis’ reach “Remind me to never get between a woman and her ice cream” Lorenzo laughed

“Let it be a lesson to you” she said holding her mouth wide

The door bell rang

Lorenzo spooned another bite in to her mouth before getting up to open the door

“Wenzo!” Kristina squealed immediately reaching for Lorenzo

A smile covered his face and then he looked at Ned for the ok to take her

Lorenzo held out his arms to her and she grabbed him instantly squeezing his neck tight as he kissed her cheek repeatedly

“Ned please come in. Alexis is in there on the couch” He said directing Ned to where she was

“I see you finally have your walking cast” Ned observed as he followed Lorenzo in to the living room

“Yes a few days ago” Lorenzo responded then turning his attention to the curly headed little girl in his arms “Wanna see mommy?”

“Mommy, mommy”

“Hey Sweet Pea!” Alexis said hearing Kristina call her name

Kristina squirmed to get down, loosing interest in anything and everything that wasn’t her mommy

Lorenzo let her run to Alexis

“Be careful Kristina” Ned reminded

Alexis tried her best to help Kristina up on the couch beside her

“Sweet Pea I’ve missed you so much! Look what I have… ice cream!”

Kristina immediately began jabbering and Alexis responded as if she understood her every excited word

She only stopped to open her mouth for a spoon full of ice cream

“Like mother like daughter” Lorenzo said shaking his head

“Yes the infamous sweet tooth” Ned said laughing

“Ned, can I get you anything?” Lorenzo asked politely

“No thank you” Ned said returning his politeness

“This is a great house”

“Thank you I wanted Alexis to be more comfortable…”

“He shouldn’t have done this!” Alexis said chiming in

“She has yet to stop protesting about it”

“I’m sure she loves it” Ned assured

Lorenzo smiled

“Well how about I show Kristina around her new house and you too can talk”

Lorenzo held out his arms for Kristina and she easily obliged

Both Alexis and Ned watched until they disappeared

“Thank you”

“For?”

“For bringing her … for keeping your promise”

“I meant what I said”

“Thank you” she repeated

“I’ve accepted you love him. And I can see she loves him too. I also know she loves me too. That’s what makes it easy. The more love she gives, she receives. You and I both are still learning that lesson right?”

Alexis gave a shy smile

They both were still trying to learn that lesson

“This really is a great house” Ned said changing the subject

“From what I’ve seen of it yes it is”

“Did the doctors give you any more indications about how things are going with the leg?”

“No not really. Just more wait and see. Right now it’s all about how I do in therapy”

“And that’s still going well?”

“So they tell me”

“Well Kristina should be wearing down soon. I think Brooklynn did all the entertaining she could this afternoon”

Alexis grimaced at the thought of poor Brooklynn and then laughed “Good”

“You sure you can handle her? I mean I know you can… but she can just be a handful”

“Viola is coming first thing tomorrow morning to help…”

“Mommy! Sing, sing”

“Sing?”

“Swing” Lorenzo clarified

“Oh you found your swing huh?”

Alexis looked at Lorenzo grinning

“Looks like someone is getting s-l-e-e-p-y” Ned said as Kristina began to rub her eyes “I should go. You guys have a lot of settling in to do… Alexis please don’t hesitate to call if you need me ok”

Ned leaned down kissing Kristina “I’ll see you later sweetheart and you take care of mommy ok”

Ned then stood to Lorenzo and extended his hand

“Lorenzo”

“Thank you Ned”

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lorenzo had dressed Kristina in what she insisted were her favorite pajamas and then Kristina snuggled in to her mommy’s arms for a story until she was fast asleep

“She was tired” Lorenzo said sitting down beside the two of them wrapping his arm around them

“Ned said she and Brooklynn had a big day”

Alexis sat there for the longest time admiring her little girl

Running her fingers gently through the ends of her curls

Touching her skin… her cheeks, he nose, her eye lids ever so softly tracing her in her mind

“I’m actually going to miss not being able to chase her around the house”

“You will be able soon” Lorenzo assured

She hoped he was right

“You ok?” he asked

“Muscles are sore I guess”

“How about I try and relax you?” Lorenzo said kissing her on the cheek

Alexis nodded

Lorenzo reached for the phone “Snake can you give me a hand? Thanks” He hung up the phone and took Kristina gently in to his arms to where her head rested on his shoulder

 “You stay while I tuck her in”

“What if I don’t?” she joked

“I’ll be back in a second” he said pretending to ignore her comment

“What, did you call Snake to come and watch me?”

“You’ll see. Be patient”

++++++++++++++++++

“Thank you Snake” She said wincing as she helped pull herself on to the bed

“You need anything else?”

“No thank you Snake, I’m fine”

“Boss?” Snake said checking with Lorenzo before he left

“No that’s all. If you would see that the door is locked on your way out”

“Yes sir. Goodnight Ms. Alexis” He said grinning shyly

“Good night Snake”

Lorenzo rolled his eyes at the two of them

Snake left

“You two are something else” Lorenzo said amused

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Never mind!”

Alexis looked at Lorenzo grinning knowing exactly what he was talking about

“So just how do you plan to relax me?” she said remembering why she made the trek to the exceedingly more comfortable bed

“Here I’ll show you” he said as he began to pull her shirt off of her

“Taking advantage of me?” She guessed with a raised brow

“If you’d like me to” He said grinning

She pulled him in to kiss her

“Well the thought has crossed my mind once or twice”

“I got you in bed to relax you”

“That would relax me” she pouted playfully

Lorenzo leaned in giving her a kiss once more this time on the forehead

“That’s definitely not a taking advantage kind of kiss”

Lorenzo just grinned as he left her

He appeared quickly in the doorway again with a small tub of water and sponge

“Ms. Davis your bath waits”

Alexis grinned

He sat down beside her on the bed

“You shouldn’t do this you still have your armed all wrapped up” she protested

“Clothing is no longer necessary” he said removing the last piece from her body and completely ignoring her protest

She watched him

She watched every delicate move he made. He touched her as if she would break

She at that moment wanted his beautiful sexy hands to touch every inch of her

She also didn’t want him to touch her at all

She wanted him too much and she knew she even creatively couldn’t have him the way she wanted him

But she was glad he ignored her protest

“It’s so hard for me to resist you when you do this” she said her eyes already closed as he ran the soft sponge down the center of her chest

“Just lay there and let me relax you. I promise you feel so much better”

She grinned still not opening her eyes only slightly moving her body against the motion of his hands and the drops of water that trailed like tears of joy down her belly

“You’re so beautiful”

“You’re sweet for saying that”

“You don’t believe me?” Lorenzo questioned detecting it in her voice

“I guess I do, I mean I do it’s just I don’t feel beautiful. I mean look at me. I have a cast on my leg, a cast on my arm… cuts on my forehead that haven’t healed

“You’re beautiful Alexis. Even with a cast over that sexy, long leg of yours and a cast on your perfect little arm you are beautiful!”

Lorenzo convinced Alexis as he spoke each word and every drop of water hit her skin

“I’m going to get spoiled if you keep this up”

“Spoiling you is exactly my intention”

Lorenzo then proceeded trailing down her leg to the tip of her toes

END CH. 24