“We would love it if you would join us,” she said, then looked down at George. “Do you not want to tell Damien all you helped with today?”
George fiddled nervously with his fingers, as if still not completely comfortable in Damien’s presence.
“I-I helped pick out invitations,” he said hesitantly after a moment. “I could tell you about them, if you like?”
Caroline looked toward Damien, and her heart throbbed as a softness settled into his usually sharp gaze.
“Well, then I simply must hear about these invitations,” Damien replied.
Caroline sat at the table with the three men who were her new family, watching not only George but Damien seem to transform before her very eyes. At the beginning of the dinner, George still stuttered a little as he spoke, but within minutes, it dissolved as both Damien and Jeremy included him in their conversations as if he were their little brother. Now George was not only laughing with the two of them but, thanks to what Damien said about food, was eagerly cleaning his plate and had even asked for seconds.
Watching them spurred on even more thoughts of the recent past, and she let herself ponder them. Such as how Damien had broken down her door to protect her. How, when she had caught him in his study, he did not grow enraged or try to force her. Instead, he put the decision in her hands.
Flickers of arousal erupted in her bloodstream as she recalled that moment, and how she had been most curious about the possibility of joining him. Touching him had spurred more dreams, leaving her waking up flushed and panting.
However, what stuck in her mind the most was their interaction at the patio table with Jeremy. He had broken her rule of no touching. To be fair, she was the one to touch him with her foot first, but what he had done to her calf and then both of her feet had felt so amazing that she could not bring herself to ask him tostop. She had never felt such a relief before, and even now, she ached to feel his large hands massaging her again.
Then suddenly she realized something. Aside from their kiss on the street, every time Damien had broken her no-touching rule, it was not to seduce her, but to provide her comfort. When he gripped her chin after her nightmare, when he had brought her out of the water when she was too startled to make it to the surface. When he had brought relief to her sore feet. It had all been done to makeherfeel better.
“Someone seems to have lost herself in thought,” Jeremy’s voice broke through her reverie. “Is everything all right, Caroline dearest?”
She blinked, realizing that she had completely done exactly that, and drew her lips into a smile as she looked up at the table. She blushed as she found three sets of eyes studying her intently. Jeremy’s green eyes glittered with mirth as he smirked. Georgie’s brown ones were looking at her with open curiosity, and Damien’s amber eyes glittered with concern.
She blushed at them all and sat up a little straighter.
“Apologies,” she offered, picking up her fork. “I seem to have been miles away.”
“What were you thinking about?” George asked.
Caroline’s blush grew hotter as she dropped her gaze to her plate and began to concentrate on cutting up a long, steamed carrot.
“Oh, just about the ball,” she lied. “How lovely it will look thanks to all of your help.”
She looked up again and gave George another smile. He seemed satisfied with her answer and began talking again, animatedly,about his paper dolls. Jeremy’s smirk widened, as if he knew she was lying, then immediately turned his attention back to George and engaged him in the subject. Damien, however, lifted a curious brow, the left corner of his mouth drawing up in a sinfully handsome side smile, as if he had known precisely what she was thinking about.
Quite positive that her cheeks were literally on fire now, Caroline abandoned her dinner and picked up her wine glass, drinking it down in deep gulps.
“Are you all right?” Damien whispered to her, his deep voice causing the butterflies in her stomach to take flight again.
“Yes,” she gasped, after swallowing her wine. “Quite fine.”
“You do not seem like it,” Damien murmured.
His eyes then raked down her figure, slowly, as if savoring every inch of her, and then dragged back up to her eyes. There was no longer concern, but there was fire burning in his gaze when she met his amber eyes again. Then, to her relief, he looked away and joined Jeremy and George’s conversation.
A few minutes later, with his second plate empty, George leaned back into his chair and sighed, closing his eyes. Caroline smiled affectionately at the little boy. Then she lifted her gaze and saw that not only she, but Jeremy and Damien were giving him the same affectionate look.
“I believe someone is ready for bed,” Caroline said.
George opened his eyes as he shook his head, but it was clear he was fighting sleep.
“Not yet,” he pleaded as Caroline rose to take him. “It was such a good day.”
“And we will have another good day tomorrow, my lad,” Jeremy assured him. “I simply cannot plan this party without your help. But now it is time for rest, so we may work just as hard tomorrow.”
“Well,” George said as he yawned widely, “all right.”
Caroline, Jeremy, and even Damien chuckled when Caroline picked up the little boy, and his little head rested on her shoulder.
