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Cassie shoved a clump of hair behind her ear. “Are you sure you want to come in? Emily is teething. She’s cranky more often than not since last night, and I’m...well...”
Ian closed the gap between them, laying a gentle kiss on her lips. “Beautiful.”
Okay, there was no way she couldn’t melt at that sweet declaration even if he was just trying to score points. He’d succeeded.
When he stepped into the house, Cassie stepped back and closed the door behind him. Emily grabbed hold of the couch cushion and pulled herself to her feet, throwing an innocent smile over her shoulder to Ian.
Cassie laughed. “Seriously? She smiles for you and I’ve had screaming for over twelve hours?”
“What can I say? I’m irresistible.”
No denying that. Cassie still wasn’t used to his powerful presence in her home, but she was growing to love it more and more each time he came for a visit.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, squatting down beside Emily. “Did you have your mommy up last night?”
Emily let go of the couch to clap her hands and immediately fell down onto her diaper-covered butt. She giggled and looked up at Ian to see his reaction.
Cassie waited, too. She couldn’t help but want to know how Ian would be around Emily. He hadn’t spent too much time with her, considering he stopped by at night and he’d gone straight to Cassie’s bed.
Reaching forward, Ian slid his big hands beneath Emily’s delicate arms and lifted her as he came to his full height.
Cassie couldn’t deny the lurch of her heart at the sight of this powerful man holding her precious baby. Was there a sexier sight than this? Not in Cassie’s opinion.
“I know we talked on the phone, but congratulations.” A smile lit up his already handsome face. “I’m so happy for you and Tessa.”
Cassie still couldn’t believe it herself. Of course they’d trained to win, but what trainer and jockey didn’t? The fact they were that much closer to winning that coveted Triple Crown still seemed surreal.
“I’m still recovering from all the celebrating we did in Baltimore,” she told him. “I’ve never been so happy in all my life. Well, except for when Emily was born.”
“I have a surprise for you,” Ian told her as Emily reached up and grabbed his nose.
Cassie went to reach for Emily, but Ian stepped back. “She’s fine,” he told her. “I love having my nose held so my voice can sound a little more like a chipmunk when I ask a sexy woman to go away with me for a few days.”
Shocked at his invitation, Cassie shook her head, trying to make sense of it. “Go away with you?”
Ian nodded as Emily reached up on his head and tugged his glasses off. Immediately they went to her mouth.
“She’s still fine,” Ian told Cassie as he dodged her again. “They’re sunglasses. She can chew on them all she wants.”
“They’ll have drool on them.”
Ian’s eyes darted to the lenses, but he just sighed. “Oh, well. So, what do you say? You up for getting away for a few days?”
Oh, how Cassie would love to get away. To not worry or train or do anything but be with Ian because their time together was coming to an end and she was certainly not ready to let go.
“Ian, going away with you sounds amazing, but I can’t.”
Ian glanced at Emily. “She’s going to use you as an excuse, isn’t she?”
Cassie laughed. “Actually, yes. But she’s not an excuse. I mean, I can’t ask anyone to keep her for days, especially with her teething and upset.”
Bringing his gaze back to Cassie, Ian crossed the space between them until he stood so close she could see the flecks of amber in his dark eyes.
“I’m not asking you to hand her off to anybody. I want to take you both away.”
Cassie stared back at him, sure she’d heard him wrong. He wanted to take her and a baby? A cranky baby?
“But...but...are you sure?”
Ian dipped his head and gently kissed her before easing back and giving her that heart-melting grin. “I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t sure.”
A million things ran through her mind. Could she actually take off and be with Ian for a few days? Did he honestly know what he was asking? Because she really didn’t think he knew how difficult playing house could be.
“Stop thinking so hard.” He shifted Emily to his other side and reached out to cup the side of Cassie’s face. “Do you want to go?”
Cassie nodded. “Of course I do. It’s just—”
“Yes, you want to go. That’s what I need to hear. Everything else is taken care of.”
