Page 84 of More Than Friends

He shows off his perfect dimples with a cocky smirk. “Is it working?”

I shake my head and playfully swat at his chest. “No. You’re going out, Jude. I promise I slept great and am looking forward to some alone time with Ava.”

His face softens as he reaches up to move hair from my forehead once again. “I just feel bad leaving you alone with her while I go out and have fun with the guys.”

I frown. “Why? I told you to do it.”

He’s quiet for a moment, and I wish that I could get into his head to read his thoughts. It feels like there’s something he’s keeping to himself as his gaze travels over me, and I’d give anything to know what it is. “I don’t know,” he finally gets out. “I just don’t want you to feel like I’m taking advantage of you or anything.”

My heart melts at his words. I put my hand over his, keeping his palm placed firmly against my cheek. “I don’t think that. I’m the one who made the plans for you.”

His fingertips twitch against my skin, and he’s quiet for longer than I like all over again. My heart hammers in my chest because no matter how perfect the morning has been so far, it’sobvious there’s something he wants to say and isn’t, and that makes me nervous.

I try to keep quiet for as long as possible in hopes that he’ll say whatever’s on his mind, but he doesn’t. And as much as I wish I had the courage to just ask him what he’s thinking, I don’t know if I want to know. I don’t want to ruin whatever bubble we’re in, the one where I got to have him all night and still wake up next to him in the morning.

I can’t take the silence any longer, so I plaster on a smile. “So it’s settled. You’re going to Pembroke. You’re going to have fun. And you’re going to tell whoever you’re comfortable with that you’re an amazing dad to an incredible daughter.”

He smiles, and the sight of it calms my nerves slightly. His eyelids crinkle at the corner, and his dimples make an appearance, and seeing that makes me believe that maybe I’m overthinking what’s going on in his head. “Is that so?”

I nod. “It is.”

“Fine. But for the record, I’m kind of sad at the thought of getting out of the house. I like spending my time with my girls.”

My girls.

This isn’t the first time he’s called me his girl, but something about now hits harder than it did before. I want to be his more than ever.

I don’t know if he can see the flush to my cheeks with the early morning sunlight filtering in through the window or not. Whether he can see it or not doesn’t matter. It’s there because I enjoy Jude calling me his girl far more than I want to admit to myself.

“We’ll be here when you get back,” I assure him.

“Good. I can’t wait.”

He leans in for another kiss, and I close my eyes and get lost in it, trying not to let my heart get too excited about being called his. No matter how much I want that to be true, and despite thetwo of us finally giving in to the physical attraction between us last night, there’s still so much we need to work out. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and there’s still a chance I can get hurt at the end of all of this. I try to remind my heart of that as it hammers against my chest at the way he possessively kisses me.

I want to be Jude’s as much as I want him and Ava to be mine. With each passing moment with them, that becomes more and more obvious. I just don’t know what the future holds, and having so many unknowns is terrifying.

So for now, I push all thoughts of what’s to come from my mind and focus on the present. I get lost in kissing Jude, trying my best not to worry about the future.

FORTY-SEVEN

JUDE

“Areyou sure you’re okay with me leaving?” I ask Charlotte for what might actually be the hundredth time.

She rolls her eyes before yanking open the front door. “Jude, I’m positive. Give me Ava, and go have fun.”

I look down to where I hold my daughter in my arms. She gives me a gummy smile when our eyes connect, and it does nothing to encourage me to leave. As much as I’d enjoy catching up with friends at Pembroke, I meant it when I told Charlotte I prefer to be home with her and Ava. “How am I supposed to leave her when she’s smiling at me like this?”

Charlotte smiles before taking a step closer to us. “Just think of the smile she’ll give you when you get home.”

I sigh before pulling my gaze from Charlotte. If I look at her too long, I’m afraid I won’t leave. I’ve seen her in the morning numerous times since she first moved in here weeks ago. But this morning is different. Her hair is untamed, memories of tangling my fingers in it all night flooding my mind at the sight. Her lips are red and swollen from where I kissed them all night, and there are even small red marks along her neck that I left there.

Seeing her this morning is different from all the other mornings, because this morning, it felt like she was actually mine. I didn’t wake up to find my arms empty. She woke up in my arms the way I’d dreamed about many times before but never got to actually experience until today. She was there, in bed with me, and I can’t deny how perfect and normal sharing the morning with her has been.

We kissed in bed before both getting dressed and waking up Ava together. It was perfect, and it’s hard not to insist on spending the rest of the day together.

“Now tell me, am I golfing eighteen holes today or just nine?” I ask, leaning in to press a kiss to my daughter’s head. After sleeping all night, she’s happy as can be. Seeing her in such a good mood doesn’t do anything to help me leave the house alone for the first time since she came into my life.