Page 59 of Keepsake

He, honest to god, grinned at me. “Well, it is always lovely to hear.”

I couldn’t deal with serious MMA fighter Alvaro Castillo grinning at a dick joke. One, because he was gorgeous when he smiled. Two, because I knew for a fact he was right.

He was so goddamn right. He was the biggest I’ve ever seen. And the piercings…

The blush came from between my breasts, burning its way up my cheeks. He noticed it, looking confused for a second before he cleared his throat and faced away.

“You should stop worrying so much.”

“Mmm, sure. Done,” I replied sarcastically.

“It’s been only two weeks.” He turned back to me.

Yeah, it was only two weeks, but I still felt like I was failing somehow. I feared the kids telling his mom, who they were visiting this weekend, everything I did wrong. Arguing with Dashiell, messing up Lachlan’s naps, and forgetting to kiss them goodnight. Caridad would be horrified. What cold and horrible woman was I, denying kids the simple comfort of a kiss?

“I can see the wheels turning in your head,” he said, almost in a whisper.

I gulped, afraid of crying. “I don’t want to fuck them up.”

His lip twitched. “You never curse.”

“That’s how much I don’t want to mess it up.”

“You’re not messing anything up,” he told me in a firm tone. “You’ve got this. I don’t know how, but you do.”

“It’s not enough,” I whispered, like I could make it a secret between us. “There are so many variables to being a guardian and it’s like when I figure out one thing, another comes up.”

“And then you fix that part. It’s ok.”

I blew out a breath. “It is not enough.”

Surprisingly, he chuckled. “That’s the kind of thoughts that go through that mind of yours?” He reached over, his thumb grazing my temple and smoothing over the worry lines.

“It is hell inside.”

“So, tell those voices to shut up,” he told me, looking serious. “You’re ok. You’re enough.”

I almost laughed, “Says who?”

“Are you contesting my authority?”

A smile tugged the corner of my mouth. “Only every day.”

“You should respect your elders.”

That made me giggle. “You’re too old to ask for respect, Alvaro. You have to demand it.”

My words unlocked something in him, and he turned completely my way. Going up on his elbow, his eyes locked on me. I felt myself grow hot again, and I swallowed a lump in my throat. His warm whiskey eyes traced the curve of my neck before fixing back on mine.

He was holding himself back. No reason why I should know that, but I could see perfectly the effort it was taking for him not to reply to my comment. I was dying for him to let loose.

Just the thought made my cheeks burn. He noticed my tomato red cheeks and smirked. He said nothing, just looked at me and unknotted all the knots of my existence. With just one burning look and a smirk.

My mouth was dry. I would have fallen onto my knees if I were standing, but I was in bed… with him. I rubbed my thighs together, making his eyes go that direction and like a pull between us, we moved closer to one another.

And Lachlan whined.

Alvaro and I stopped in our tracks, looking down at the toddler’s head between us. Gulping, I put distance between our bodies, chuckling to myself, trying to change the mood.

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