Page 103 of Even if It Hurts

“I clearly have. Still doesn’t make it fun to sit here while you drool over him.”

She sighed dramatically as if I’d just sucked all the fun away from her day. With a pathetic, pleading look, she asked, “Can you just tell me if your ovaries explode every time you see him holding that baby?” She pointed toward the open bedroom door. “Because mine totally just did.”

I nearly knocked her off the bed in my attempt to get out of it. “They’re awake?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,wait,” she hissed, grabbing my arm and yanking me back just as I managed to reach the doorway. “You so would not be running out there if you had any idea what you look like right now. Take a minute and fix yourself.” She pushed me in the direction of the attached bathroom. “Plus, your breath is horrible.”

I blew on her face for good measure and hissed a low, “Brat,” when she smacked the side of my head.

“Love you!” she called out as she practically danced out of the room.

My eyes rolled when I stepped into the bathroom and glanced in the large mirror. Other than my hair being a little wilder, I didn’t look any different than I had the day before. But I still took the time to freshen up and put on new clothes before following the scent of breakfast sausage and freshly baked biscuits to where everyone was gathered in the kitchen.

Kaia noticed me first from where she was playing with a spatula in Asher’s arms. With one of those ear-piercing shrieks, she smacked the back of Asher’s head with the handle of the spatula just as he was turning my way.

One side of his face scrunched up in obvious discomfort and what looked like irritation, but I knew better. The subtle twitch of his lips gave away his growing adoration as he bent to set Kaia on the floor.

“Go get her,” he said to his niece and intently watched as Kaia speed-crawled toward me, spatula still firmly in her grip.

“Hi, pretty girl,” I whispered as I scooped her up, my eyes widening and head bobbing as she immediately fell into an endless babble while showing me the spatula. “Oh yeah? Wow,” I said as I slowly made my way deeper into the kitchen. “Tell me all about it.”

“Morning,” Asher mumbled as he curled an arm around my back and pulled me close to his side.

“Morning.” A smile I couldn’t have fought if I tried spread across my face when he pressed his lips to my forehead. Not that it was the first time, it was just different like this. In my aunt’s house, with both her and my sister standing just feet away.

It made it real.

Like we’d been in a bubble before that could’ve popped the second my family entered the picture again. But that simple claim and the weight of his hand on my back erased every one of those worries.

“Where’d you sleep?” I asked as I searched just beneath his eyes, a whisper of relief blooming in my chest when I noticed the shadows there were so much less pronounced than they’d been last night.

“Couch.”

An acknowledging hum built in my throat as I watched Kaia continue explaining all about her new favorite thing. With a quick glance at my aunt and sister, I lowered my voice and asked, “And how did I get to bed?”

“You think I can’t carry you?”

“Is that what you did?” I shot back in the same tone that bordered somewhere between challenging and teasing.

“Would you have rather I left you on the couch?”

“I would’ve rather you slept on a bed,” I told him. “That bed’s big enough for both of us.”

“I know,” he muttered, surprising me. At the subtle slant of his lips, I felt my cheeks fill with heat that quickly doubled when he informed me, “You asked me to stay.”

I wasn’t sure what was more embarrassing. That I’d asked him to stay or that hehadn’t.

As if sensing my unease, he tilted his head to trap me in that dark stare as he explained, “You were asleep. Wasn’t sure I wanted to wake up to you screaming and hitting me because you hadn’t expected me to be there.”

My head dipped in a nod as I swallowed past my nervousness. “And if I’d askedbefore?”

Heat and desire flared in his eyes and had a shiver working down my spine. “You’re dangerous,” he muttered in a reluctant but clearno.

“Just to sleep,” I clarified.

“Dangerous,” he repeated in the same tone before stealing a swift kiss.

“Get a room,” Wren called out before pretending to gag.

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