Page 44 of His Virgin Angel

“So, we’ve been apart a few hours, and I missed you.” He claimed her lips once again.

Brian interrupted them by clearing his throat. “I’m only eight.”

Jack chuckled. “Is that a warning you shouldn’t be seeing all of this?” He released her, and she was reluctant to let him go. Seeing her pot of pasta was boiling, she added in her spaghetti, then stirred the meatball sauce. “You’re staying out of trouble?”

“Yes. Piper can tell you, I’ve not caused a single fight, and I ignore the name calling.”

Brian moved around the kitchen and grabbed the grater. Piper smiled at Jack as her brother started to grate cheese.

In the early days of them moving in here, they would spend all day in the kitchen on a weekend baking cookies. Drake never complained, and even now he asked for them to supply him regularly with cookies.

“Can Drake come and eat with us when we live with you?” Brian asked.

“Sure. Why not?”

“I miss him, and he was nice. He didn’t have to leave.”

“He had his own life, remember,” Piper said.

She’d hated to see Drake leave, but she also understood why he had to go. They were not his kids, and he had a life of his own. She knew he drove Jack around, and worked for him, but there were plenty of hours when he wasn’t on the clock. She liked to think he’d found a special someone to share his love of books.

“Will I still be allowed sleepovers?” Brian asked.

“Depends on the people you’re sleeping over with. Boys yes, girls no.”

Brian tilted his head to the side, studying Jack. She smiled, knowing he was about to get the third degree from her little brother.

“What about bedtime? Piper allows me to go to bed between nine and ten.”

“Seven,” Jack said.

She looked toward him shocked, only to laugh. He was kidding.

“Not happening.”

“Nine-thirty, and you don’t come out of your room unless you have a nightmare.”

“I don’t have nightmares.”

“Scared of spiders?”

“I kill them for Piper. She’s scared of them.”

“Scared of the dark?”

“That’s also me,” Piper said, holding her hand up.

“You’ve got no reason to be afraid. I’ll protect you from the boogeyman,” he said. He grabbed her hand.

There was no way she could have been any happier.

“What about Halloween?” Brian asked.

“What about it?”

“Can we decorate your apartment? We always decorate ours, and we dress up.”

Jack paused, thinking it over. “Sure. No parties though.”

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