Page 34 of Best Kept Secret

"Do you want to see if we can get a babysitter for Pari, and you can come along?" I suggested, suddenly wanting her with me. "Nova might be there with Anson, and a few of my other friends will have their spouses with them."

Mira's eyes widened. Had I just suggested that she was a kind of spouse? What the fuck was I doing?

"Iamthe babysitter," she said quickly, freaked.

"You're her aunt.Nother babysitter. I'm her father and not her babysitter. Okay?"

She smiled, and I wanted so much to brush my lips against hers. Feel her mouth, that sandalwood taste of hers. Would her pussy taste just as good? Smell as potent?

"You go, Beau. I'll stay home. Pari and I are going to bake cookies tonight."

The one thing I had discovered about Mira was that she was a world-class cook, and I wanted her to go to CIA and become the chef I knew she could be. The woman whipped up meals thatmade me grateful that I hit the gym every day because I, who ate out in some of the finest restaurants in the world, was worried about eating too well at home, and putting on the pounds.

"Well, I'll see you when I get back." I reluctantly let her go. I didn't want to, though. This woman was doing something to me, and I craved her—her company, voice, smell…all of her.AndI hadn't even fucked her. Yet.

For a man who frequented sex clubs and often enjoyed sex with two women at a time, and even foursomes, though crossing swords was not my thing—this unintentional celibacy was quite a change, yet not at all a challenge, as I assumed it would be. Part of it was a shift in my thinking—becoming a father brought with it a new sense of responsibility. Not that fathers couldn't have threesomes—they could, if they were lucky—but being a dad had turned me into a bit of a homebody, something I'd never been before.

She took a deep breath. "Youreallythink I can get that job at Savannah Lace?"

"I do, darlin'." I kissed Mira's forehead, and her scent went through me like warm bourbon. "It's all going to work out, I promise."

She looked at me with all the trust in the world, and I was felled by the force of it. "Thank you, Beau."

Chapter 13

Mira

Pari was playing on the living room floor, and I was cleaning up after dinner when I heard the doorbell. I wiped my hands on a dish towel, my heart doing that little anxious flutter it always did when someone showed up unannounced. I took Pari's hand in mine, and we tentatively walked to the front door. I wasn't expecting anyone. Beau hadn't mentioned anyone coming, either.

"Hey." Nova gave me a quick hug and picked up Pari, who leaped with joy when she saw one of her favorite people. In the past weeks, Nova had been Beau's only family member who had become my friend. She was full of energy, and I really liked howopen she was. Also, she was only a few years older than me, and yet, she'd achieved so much. I looked up to her.

I'd met her fiancé a few times. Anson Larue was quieter than Nova, but the two of them gelled really well together. I could see the love between them—anyone could; it was mesmerizing. Nova had told me that they'd fallen in love when she was young, and had reconnected a year ago. Now, they were stronger than ever as a couple.

Pari grabbed Nova's hand and dragged her to the living room. "I made a castle." She pointed at a Duplo block fortress she was building.

"Look at you, sweetie, building an empire over here!" Nova sat on the floor next to Pari. That was one of the things about Nova that I had felt; she could brighten up a room without trying, like she was born with some natural charm that pulled you in. Anson stood in the doorway, his hands casually in his pockets, giving me a small nod.

"Hope we're not interrupting anything," Anson said, his voice smooth and warm.

"Not at all. But Beau isn't here. He's out…actually, he said that maybe you all would be there with him." I bit my lip. Had Beau lied to me? Was he out with Fallon or some other woman?

"We came by to offer our babysitting services for the evening. Give you a break so you can go downtown and have some fun," Anson smiled.

I blinked, not sure I'd heard him right. "A break?"

Nova turned, her eyebrows raised as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Yeah! A break. Beau was wondering about getting a babysitter so you could go out with us…and we thoughtwe'dbe the babysitters."

My immediate reaction was to laugh it off, the way I always did when someone suggested I take time for myself. "Oh, no, that's really nice of you guys, but I—"

Nova cut me off, waving her hand like she wasn't about to let me finish that sentence. "Mira, when was the last time you went out? Like, actually out…alone…with someone who isn't pint-sized? Wore something that didn't have food stains on it?"

I looked down at my jeans and T-shirt, and winced. There was a tomato sauce smear on my shirt, and a chocolate one on my pants.

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. I couldn't remember the last time I'd gone out like I used to, back when I first left my parents' home and started building a life of my own. Between taking care of Asha, then Pari, and now trying to navigate this new chapter, I hadn't had any time for… me. I'd become so used to looking after others that the idea of someone looking after me felt strange. Indulgent, even.

"You deserve it," Nova added, her voice softening. "You've been doing everything for everyone else for a long time now."

I glanced at Anson, who was smiling patiently, clearly in on whatever plan Nova had cooked up. He nodded toward the door. "My driver's ready to take you downtown. We'll stay here with Pari, and when you get back, we'll head home. Think of it as doing us a favor by allowing us to practice for when we have kids someday."

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