Page 58 of Under His Control

Not today.

Eva sat next to me on the bed, playing a form of silent peek-a-boo with Liv, who smiled back at her instead of playing with the stuffed animal between them.

Instead of sneaking back to her room last night, Eva stayed with me. She slept over, and I wasn’t going to ignore how big of a step that was for us. This wasn’t the first time she’d stayed in my bed, but it was usually for a nap, not to wake up with me in the morning.

Now that she had, now that I had the supreme pleasure of opening my eyes and seeing her as the person to greet me first thing, I wasn’t sure I could ever go back to not having her in my bed.

“Morning.” I cleared my throat and watched as they both looked over at me. It was a cozy, gentle moment for the three of us, and I wanted to be lazy and savor every second of it.

“Can you tell Daddygood morning?” Eva repeated it slowly a couple more times.

“Hi!” Olivia pushed her hand to her mouth and released it, blowing a kiss. “Hi!”

Eva and I laughed lightly at her enthusiasm.

“Hi!” Eva replied in kind, tickling her as Liv smiled.

Seeing them together was a treat, and if I hadn’t already reached the point of being utterly besotted with this generous woman, I definitely was now.

It was a huge change from what I knew before. When I met Eva, she was so aloof and stiff, icy and quick to cast judgment. Looking at her now, I respected that she’d shifted with my arrival in her life.

“Eva?”

She didn’t look at me. She only had eyes for Olivia as my daughter lunged at her and kissed her face. On both cheeks, her nose, her brow, her chin, then everywhere again. Over and over, like a bird pecking, and it elicited giggles from both of them. “Yeah?” she asked when she could manage a moment to speak.

I wasn’t immune to the laughter. I chuckled along as I shifted on the pillows to accommodate the ache in my upper back.

“How come you were so icy when we met?”

She sighed. “That’sthe burning question you want an answer to right now?”

“You’re just so…” I brushed her hair back to see her face clearer. Olivia slumped to her chest, hugging her, but she grabbed hold of my hand before I could lower it. She traced the calloused areas and lines of scars on my hand.

“It’s not you. I’m looking at you now, happy and open and so good with her.” I shook my head. “This is the real you. Why did you need to hide behind a front and act so cold when we met?”

She shrugged, not denying it or protesting. “It’s a defense mechanism.”

“Be hard and tough at the first interaction, then maintain it until you can lower your guard?” I guessed.

“That sounds about right.” She sighed deeply, gazing at me.

I loved that she wasn’t offended or irritated that I was asking about this.

“Last night, you were on the frontlines of danger. You saw how much the family relies on physical defense against our enemies. I’ve always been prepared for managing and staying strong against other levels of enemies. We don’t only get attacked. Someone is always out there waiting to lie to us, to manipulate us, and to con us. I was raised to always expect the worst and prepare for it.” She smiled at Olivia, then leaned in to kiss me. “But I don’t count on the worst from you two. Only good times. A bright future.”

I rose up on my elbow and kissed her for longer. “Then maybe we shouldn’t waste so much time trying to hide it anymore.”

Her answering grin blinded me. “Yeah?”

I nodded. “We can go to this baby party?—”

“Baby shower,” she corrected with a lopsided smile.

“Together. No more trying to pretend we’re not sleeping together.”

“I don’t want to burst your bubble, but Tessa and Nina caught on quick.”

I rolled my eyes. That didn’t surprise me, especially not after the night Tessa let herself into my room to tell me about the security concerns. “And it’s probably safe to assume that what Tessa and Nina know, so do Dante and Romeo.”

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