Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 232

*Michael*

“I really don’t feel like cooking, do you?” Shelby asked as she walked out of the bathroom and sat down next to me on the couch. The day had been stressful, and I could tell it was taking its toll on her. Her eyes had dark circles underneath them, making the thin skin look almost bruised.

“No, I don’t. Do you want me to order something? What sounds good?” I asked her, pulling her feet into my lap. I began to massage the ball of her left foot, and she m****d in response.

“Well, what do you say we just get some pizza and breadsticks?” she suggested. She laid her head back against the arm of the couch and shut her eyes to enjoy the foot massage. I hated that she was so fraught and strained from dealing with this bullshit. It made anger boil up inside me, and I wanted to find each and every person responsible and ruin their lives.

I used my thumbs to press into a particularly tight spot in the middle of Shelby’s foot, then answered, “Consider it done. Toss me my phone from the table behind you, and I’ll put in the call.”

I continued to massage Shelby’s feet and calves as I called and ordered our dinner, and thirty-five minutes later, the doorman buzzed our apartment and let us know our delivery had been dropped off.

“Give me a few minutes,” I told Shelby. “I’ll walk down and grab the food.” I stood and slipped my tennis shoes on, then exited our apartment and used my fob to access our elevator.

I reached the bottom floor and walked into the lobby where Greg, the doorman, was standing guard over our pizza. I thanked him and grabbed the hot boxes, heading back upstairs to feed my hungry wife.

The aroma of fresh mozzarella, rich tomato sauce, and fresh bread wafted up to my nose in the elevator, and my stomach growled hungrily in response. I almost ran when the elevator reached our floor, and when I kicked open our front door, Shelby jumped in response.

“Jeeze,” she chided me. “You scared the s**t out of me.” She stood and grabbed Thomas and Amelia from where they were cooing and laughing on the floor, and I followed her into the kitchen.

She placed the babies into their high chairs, then handed them their utensils and grabbed plates and napkins from one of the cabinets. I sat the pizza boxes on the stove and grabbed the plate she held out for me. When I opened the box and pulled a slice from the pie, I watched the cheese stretch and cling to the pizza. I plopped it onto my plate and sat down at the table.

Seconds later, Shelby joined me, and we ate in relative silence, except for the chattering and giggling coming from Thomas and Amelia. I noticed that this was the first meal in days where Shelby’s laptop was nowhere in sight. In fact, I hadn’t seen her touch it since she got home earlier after her boss’s accident.

I hoped this meant that she really was done messing with the more dangerous aspects of this case and that our lives would get to settle back down into a somewhat normal state.

After dinner was finished, I cleared the plates while Shelby took the babies into the nursery and changed them into pajamas. When I walked into the living room, she already had the twins’ nursing pillow laid out over her stomach, and the two happy, sleepy infants were nursing to their hearts’ desire. Their eyes were droopy, and I could tell they’d be asleep in minutes.

I sat quietly next to Shelby on the couch and picked up the TV remote from the end table next to me. I clicked on a streaming service app, then passed the remote to Shelby so she could pick what we watched. She scrolled, and when I noticed both babies were asleep, I took my turn and scooped them into my arms to transfer them to the bassinets in the living room.

Ever since Shelby had the nightmare about the fire, she insisted they always be within arm’s reach. If we were in the living room, they slept in their beds out there. If we were in the bedroom, they slept in the mini cribs she had bought. I couldn’t say I blamed her. This transition to the safe house may have been a precaution, but every day the danger we faced began to feel more and more real.

Once the babies were settled, I cuddled up next to Shelby and chuckled when I realized she had put on a rom-com we had seen many times before.

“Don’t start,” she said to me. “It’s my comfort show, and I watch it every time I need a pick-me-up.”

I nudged her shoulder with mine and replied innocently, “I didn’t even say anything.”

She rolled her eyes at me, then leaned back to enjoy her movie. I didn’t pay much attention to the plot considering how many times we had watched the movie, but I enjoyed being close to her and knowing that right here, right now, everyone I loved was safe and happy.

Halfway through the movie, Shelby’s cell phone began to ring. She picked it up and showed me it was her boss calling. She answered and turned the phone on speakerphone, “Hello?”

“Hey Shelby,” her tired voice spoke through the speaker. “I was just calling to tell you I’m okay. My left arm has a fracture, I have a mild concussion, and I had to get twelve stitches in various spots on my head, but I’m alive.”

We both listened intently as Beatrice detailed her injuries, then Shelby asked, “Any news on the SUV?”

“They said they didn’t have any plates on the car, and nobody seemed to be able to tell the cops which way it drove when it sped off,” she answered, sounding dismayed and disheartened. “They’re looking into it, but who knows how long that will take or if they’ll even get any credible leads?”

“Listen, you just worry about resting and recovering, okay? Leave the detective work to the detectives. It’s their job. They’ll find these assholes,” They chatted for a few more minutes, then Shelby ended the call. Her shoulders slumped, and her head fell forward with the weight of the unanswered questions and lack of information.

After a few minutes of sulking, Shelby’s head popped up, and her earnest eyes met mine.

“Do you think you can call Delaney? I know that he can track movement through some security cameras, and unlike the cops, he’ll be able to put his full attention on finding the car. Then, if we can find who did it and connect them to Henderson, we could get at least one arrest made.”

I picked up my phone and dialed Delaney’s number. On the second ring, I heard, “What do you need?” Delaney never had been one to mince words, and he was always all business and no play. It was one of the things I admired most about him.

“There was an incident that happened today that I need you to look into for me,” I said. “Shelby’s boss was involved in a hit and run. It was in front of Marea in Midtown. There was an SUV that didn’t have plates, and I need you to hack surveillance footage and see if you can track it through the city.”

I could already hear the clacking of computer keys in the background of the phone call when Delaney said, “Consider it done,” and then he hung up. He’d call me when he had more information.

I sat my phone back on the table and leaned into Shelby’s side. “It’s done. He’ll let us know if he finds anything useful,” I told her as I leaned close to k**s her temple gently.

“Michael, I don’t think there will ever be enough words to tell you how much I appreciate you,” Shelby said, her voice filled with emotion. “Your support of everything that I do is indescribable. I don’t know where I’d be without your love, help, and guidance.”

“Well, you never have to wonder. For the rest of our days, I’ll be here doing whatever you need. Don’t ever feel like there’s something you can’t come to me about, okay? Whatever, whenever, wherever, we’ll get it done together.”

I tried to make sure she heard the heartfelt sincerity in my voice as I reassured her. I meant every word. There wasn’t a law I wouldn’t break to keep her and my children out of harm’s way.

Shelby adjusted herself on the couch, moving so that our noses touched. She leaned her full, pink lips forward and let them land softly against mine. The k**s began as something sweet and chaste, but with everything going on in our lives, I made it more desperate and needy.

I deepened the k**s, sucking her bottom l*p into my mouth and biting down gently with my teeth. Shelby m****d into my mouth, and I used the opportunity to massage my tongue against hers. We kissed passionately, and I grabbed the back of Shelby’s head to hold her in place. She rested her hands against my shoulders and melted into the k**s, both of us lost in each other.

We pulled away gasping for air when one of the babies hiccupped in their sleep, quickly pulling us back to the present. We sat for a second and caught our breath then silently chuckled before Shelby curled up on the couch and rested her head in my lap. We both raptly watched the rom-com, enjoying the normalcy of the moment.

Less than thirty minutes later, I looked down and noticed Shelby’s breathing was evened out, and her eyes were peacefully closed. I was glad she seemed to be sleeping better over the past two or three nights. The nightmare she’d had caused so much trouble for her when falling asleep, I was afraid she’d never sleep well again.

I watched the rest of the movie with her asleep in my lap, and when the credits began to roll, I looked down at her running my hands through her hair. I thought about everything we’d been through since we met and knew it was all worth it.

Looking over and seeing our babies sleeping in their bassinets made me smile. We had brought those children into this world, and they would never want for anything. I would make sure of that.

It was almost ten by that time and the babies were starting to stir, probably getting hungry.

Thankfully, we had some pumped milk in the fridge I could warm up so my wife could continue to sleep in peace.