Beckett t was quite the challenge to dive back into work after my salacious encounter with Arianne, but I had to. I spent the rest of the day briefing her on our marketing strategies and the massive upcoming promotional campaigns the advertising agency has been working on. She gobbled it all up, not missing a beat. There’s something so darn sexy when she’s in business mode, legs crossed, and attention on me, while visions of her dissolving all over my tongue were still running rampant through my mind. Our salacious interactions at the office are so illicit, which makes them that much more forbidden... and scorching hot. It’s our little secret. As much as I would’ve loved to continue playing with her all weekend long, I already have a date. “Hey, Beckett,” Holt says when he opens the door. I enter my older brother’s home and drop my weekend bag on the floor next to his luggage. “How’s it going?” A tiny blonde princess comes racing towards me. She zigzags in front of her dad, her arms wide open and ready to greet me. I bend down in time to catch her. She jumps into my arms and giggles as I turn around in circles. I bring her close to me and shower her beautiful face with kisses. She giggles harder. “Too many kisses, Uncle Beckett,” she says. “There’s no such thing as too many kisses.” “You forgot to kiss Luna.” My niece points to her best friend. I drop her to her feet. She adjusts her tiny tiara and her yellow princess dress. “Woof! Woof!” The eager Staffie lets me know she’s waiting. I bend down to pat her head. Well, I’d like to pat it, but I can’t because she’s wearing a tiara. She’s also wearing a doggy-princess dress and her neck is garlanded with doggy jewelry. Not one to be left out, Luna jumps into my lap in search of a kiss. I oblige. “Princess Luna, how are you?” “Luna isn’t a princess today. She’s a lady-in-waiting,” my niece says. My gaze shifts to my big brother’s. “I sense a theme for the weekend.” “Sorry. I had to pick my battles,” he says. “I couldn’t talk her out of the princess costume even though it’s only Friday night and movie night isn’t until tomorrow.” “It’s going to be fun, Daddy. Uncle Beckett is going to be the bodyguard. I’m going to be the princess and Luna is my best friend.” “I’ve been downgraded to bodyguard? Why can’t I be a princess?” I pretend to be offended. Naomi giggles. “Princesses need bodyguards. That’s the rule.” I guess I don’t have to wear Luna’s jewelry or her tiara for our play date. Not that I’m complaining much. It’s a small price to pay for my little niece, who believes I can hang the moon. “A weekend of fun awaits,” I say with a laugh. “Uh-huh.” She nods, sending her tiara flying. She bends down, picks it up, and places it on her head. The movement is regal. “Tonight, we’re going to have donut high tea. Tomorrow, we’re going to have cupcake high tea, and on Sunday, we’re going to have pancake high tea. We should also have waffles on Sunday. And strawberry-flavored unicorn funfetti cake.”
The things I’ll do for my five-year-old niece. For two years she lived in London while my brother was building his recording label across the pond. She still has traces of her British accent, and high tea remains a staple in her world. “That’s a lot of dessert,” I say. “What about food?” Her little eyebrows furrow. “Dessert is food.” “No, it’s not,” Holt says. “But it is,” Naomi says. My brother levels me with his blue eyes. “Don’t let her eat too much sugar or else you won’t know what to do with her. Make sure she eats real food. And no sugar for Luna. She’s only allowed doggie treats.” “No problem,” I say. “Naomi, while I’m away, you listen to Uncle Beckett,” my brother says. Huge sparkling blue eyes look up at us, her mass of blonde curls, a little wild, a mischievous grin stretching her lips. She’s up to no good. “What did I just say, Noni?” Holt says. “I’m always a good girl, Daddy. I always listen to Uncle Beckett.” She clasps her little hands in prayer under her chin and bats her eyelashes at her father. I swear she’s a breath away from growing angel wings. “I want to hear it, Noni,” Holt says. “Luna and I will eat real food, Daddy.” “Good.” My brother turns his attention to me. “Thanks again for doing this.” He pats me on the shoulder. “I’m just doing my job as her uncle. You need to attend an important last-minute business trip. Your fiancée is in Jersey, Mom and Dad left this morning for Santorini, and coincidentally, Jace is out of town with his kid, and Jagger is on the East Coast with his daughter.” “What are the chances everyone would be gone at the same time? The beauty of living in a Manhattan Beach gated cul-de-sac, on the same street as your cousins is you always have back-up babysitters.” “Good thing I’m only a five-minute ride away, so I’m not too far when the Halsey brothers can’t watch Noni. You know I’ll never say no to babysitting my favorite niece.” I wink at her. That earns me a huge grin. “That’s what makes me the best uncle in the world,” I say, puffing my chest out. “Uncle Beckett, you’re the bestest and my most favorite uncle ever,” my biggest fan says. “Make sure she gets a bath,” Holt says. “She’s going to be covered in sugar by the time she’s ready for bed. Luna will need one tomorrow.” “Okay.” “Don’t forget, she has ballet tomorrow morning and music lessons in the afternoon. Saturday night is movie night.” “Pizza?” Holt runs a hand through his brown hair. “These days, Noni is obsessed with charcuterie and cheese boards.” “Fancy palate for a tiny human.” “Tell me about it. I need to cut her off Food Network.” Right. She has you wrapped around her little pinkie finger. “Since we’re away, I won’t fight her on it,” Holt says. “All the ingredients are in the fridge. You have French baguettes in the freezer.” “Copy that.” “You decide what you want to do on Sunday morning, and in the afternoon, she’ll go play with her friends on the street with Luna.”
“I can handle that,” I say. “Don’t forget, on Monday morning you have to drive her to school. Her nanny will pick her up in the afternoon.” “I won’t. I left the Alfa Romeo at home for that reason.” I didn’t buy my Mercedes-Benz G 550 Luxury SUV for my niece, but it comes in handy when I have to be her chauffeur. “I’ll be back from New York by Monday, early evening.” “I got it covered,” I say. I have no idea how Holt ke eps it straight while running a successful recording label on his own. Rhys has been gone for a few days, and I feel the pressure. And I don’t even have to worry about tiny princesses—human or canine ones. There’s a honk outside. “That’s my ride,” Holt says. “I have to go.” “Love you, Daddy,” my niece says, bouncing on her toes. My brother lowers himself to his daughter’s height and wraps her in his arms. “Love you, too, Noni.” “What about Luna?” Holt rubs his dog’s head. “Love you, too, Luna. Be good,” he says to Noni. “I promise, Daddy.” She plants a kiss on his cheek with dramatic sound effect and all. Holt stands up. “Thanks again,” he says. “I owe you.” “Don’t worry, I’ll come knocking at your door when I need you to babysit my kid.” Holt’s eyes widen. “What?” He squints at me. “What did you just say?” I r eplay my words in my head. Shit. “I don’t remember.” Blatant lie. “Are you going to be a daddy?” Noni continues before I can answer. “Luna, Uncle Beckett has a girlfriend, and he’s going to have a baby. We’re going to be big cousins.” She jumps up and down. “When are you getting married, Uncle Beckett?” Wait. What? “Luna and I are going to be flower girls.” No, no, no. Holt’s face contorts in myriad expressions. “Is there something I need to know?” I shake my head. “Absolutely not.” He leans into me and whispers in my ear. “Did you knock up a woman?” I take a st ep back. “I said that in passing.” He studies me. “Beckett, you’ve never alluded to having kids before... even in the distant future.” “It was a figure of speech,” I say. “Words like babies, toddlers, kids, and children frighten you.” “You’re exaggerating.” “Are you feeling okay?” “Why does everybody ke ep asking me that?” “Maybe because what’s coming out of your mouth is so out of character, it’s worrisome,” Holt says. “Please...” I roll my eyes. “Seriously, Beckett, if you fell and hurt your head, I need to know. I’m about to fly across the country and leave you in charge of my only child. If you’re suffering from a concussion or temporary insanity, you’re in no position to take care of my daughter.” I flatten my lips into a thin line. “She’s in good hands and you know it.” “So, Uncle Beckett, you’re not going to have a baby with your girlfriend and you’re not getting married?” “No, sweetie. There’s no girlfriend, no baby on the way, and I’m most certainly not getting married.”
“Oh.” I’m ecstatic my bachelor status remains intact. My niece, on the other hand, is quite disappointed. She’ll get over it. “Does this have to do with the ‘Holy Chic’ woman?” I conceal my surprise. “What are you talking about?” “Bree was going on, and on, and on about it. You know how much of a celebrity-watcher she is.” I shake my head. “Teenagers.” “Jagger’s daughter was so obsessed, he became curious. Until he brought it up, I was unaware you were the talk of the gossip rags.” “Why did Jagger go through you when he could’ve asked me?” “He wanted a straight answer,” Holt says. “I’m offended.” “I understand where he’s coming from,” he says. “What is that supposed to mean?” “Jagger sent me photos. Miss ‘Holy Chic’ is stunning. She’s also nothing like your usual type... If those photos are more than smoke and mirrors, I’d say, it’s about time, little brother.”