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He ran his hands down her arms. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“I feel a lot better. No headache. Guess I just needed some sleep.”
He nuzzled her neck. “I like sleeping next to you. Especially when you snuggle into me and wrap your leg around my waist. You’re much more trusting and open in your sleep.”
“Y-you really did stay the night?”
“Oh, yes. You didn’t seriously think I’d leave you with Caleb teething?” There was an almost hurt note to his voice.
She shook her head. “I knew you wouldn’t. But you should have woken me. It’s late and you’ll be needing to get to work—”
He pressed his finger to her lips, silencing her. She frowned and tried to move her head to stare up at him. But he kept her still.
“I’m not working today. So there’s no reason to be concerned.”
She relaxed and he moved his hand. “You’re having the day off?”
“Yes, and I’m going to spend it with the three of you,” he said casually as he moved away from her and towards the kitchen. “I thought we might take the boys on a picnic by the river.”
A picnic? With Saxon? And the boys? She stood there frozen for a moment. That was so . . . so normal.
He turned and looked at her, eyebrows raise. “Problem?”
Even though he was still dressed in the clothes he’d worn yesterday, he managed to look as gorgeous as ever. While she . . . oh, holy shit, she looked like a mess. She reached up to smooth down her crazy hair.
“Aspen?”
“No. No, problem,” she squeaked out. “I’ll just go get ready.” She turned and rushed out of the room, hearing his low chuckle follow her.
That was embarrassing.
8
She was an idiot.
She stood, hidden behind some shrubbery, and watched as he climbed into the pool. The lights around the patio gave off enough light for her to view every gorgeous inch of him. Did the man not have any flaws?
Sure, he did. He was arrogant, bossy, and he always thought he was right.
He could also be kind, was too clever for her peace of mind, and far too perceptive. And his body, oh, Lord, his body would put most men to shame. And she had an especially good view right now as he was dressed in just a pair of swim shorts. Very short swim shorts. She licked her lips as he dived into the pool. There was barely a splash. The man swam like he did everything else in life, perfectly, with precision, and without hesitation.
How she envied that.
Sometimes she felt like she was a mess of anxieties and worries. Fear that she’d mess up with the boys and scar them for life. Afraid that she’d lose her job and would be out on the streets. That she’d reach rock bottom with no way out and fail Jamie and Caleb.
Money-hungry whore.
She pushed that voice away. She wouldn’t let Aaron’s mother get to her. Winifred Hartfield had probably never known a day’s hardship in her life. Never worried where her next meal was coming from. But she sure knew how to hate. And the old bitch had thought that Aspen would abort her boys. For money.
Bile rose, and she took a deep, fortifying breath. They were okay. They were safe. She glanced down at the baby monitor she held in her hand, smiling as she took in her sleeping angels. Weren’t all children angels when they were asleep? Saxon had the cameras installed the day after she’d arrived.
She looked over at her boss again. What was she going to do with him? When she’d protested the expense, he’d simply given her the look. The one that made her want to slide to her knees and do whatever he asked. Then he’d calmly stated that the boys’ safety was more important than her pride, or did she think otherwise?
Way too clever for her peace of mind.
She’d been here for close to two weeks and she felt more stable and happier than she had in years. And she thought the boys seemed happier as well.
She not only worked fewer hours and got paid more, but they were living somewhere safe. Where she wasn’t worried the boys would get sick or hurt themselves. Sure, Renard wasn’t the easiest guy to get along with, and she often had to bite her tongue, not wanting to argue with him and have him complain to Saxon.
