Page 69 of The F*ck-It List

“Hmm,” he agrees. “That seems fair.”

“Tell me about your game,” I say, wanting to hear his deep voice now.

He huffs out an almost self-deprecating laugh. “I’m quite shit at it and I’m not sure I totally understand it.”

“Oh.” I laugh.

“But Con’s really into them and I enjoy playing with him, even if he is a little shit about it.”

I bite down on my smile. “You two are cute.”

He scoffs. “I don’t know about that. He needs a kick up the arse most of the time, but he’s a good kid. He’smykid.” August shrugs a shoulder, almost like he’s brushing off the obvious sentiment.

I skim the surface of the water with my palm, most of the bubbles have fizzled away now and the bath is cooling but I don’t want to leave this happy little place we’ve found ourselves. “Can I ask about his dad?”

“You can ask.” August laughs. “Joanie doesn’t know his name or where he’s from.”

“Oh.” I laugh with him.

“Yeah, she was kind of a wild one when she was a kid, guess she still is, just toned down a little. She had this big idea of moving to London as soon as she hit eighteen, wanted to leave village life behind and become a highly successful interior designer. But she came back less than a year later with her tail between her legs and a baby in her belly.” I nod hoping he might continue. “I was so fucking happy to have her back.”

I smile at him as his eyes stay on his own feet, lost in a memory that clearly warms him from the colour rising in his cheeks.

“Eli was already living with us by this point and the three of us were kind of inseparable, I found it hard when she moved away.” He looks at me then; a vulnerability I’ve not seen from him before brightening his amber eyes. “I don’t like people leaving.”

I feel like he’s pleading with me, which is why I give him my soft reassurance. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He nods again. “Anyway, when she came back, Eli and I were sharing a room again and he snores like a fucking motorcycle.”

I bark out a laugh, and he grins at me.

“So, I was usually awake when she got up with Connor in the middle of the night. I used to sit with her while she fed him and then I’d burp him while she rested. It was nice. And I’ve always felt like Con was a little bit mine too, you know? Like I had a responsibility to help him grow and make sure he doesn’t end up a total screw up.”

“He won’t,” I say easily because that kid is pretty great. I’ve definitely witnessed his cheek and a lot of audacity, but I haven’t seen the delinquent side his family seem so concerned about. “Why was Eli living with you?” I ask, trying to remember if he’d told me that before.

“When his parents died, he only had an aunt somewhere up north and he didn’t know her. My parents spoke to her and with social services and it was agreed Eli could stay with us, so he got to stay in the village he’d grown up in, stay at the same school, and stay with friends.”

“That’s pretty incredible of your parents, taking on another kid like that.”

He shrugs. “It’s the kind of people they are. It’s the kind of place Port Doone is. We look out for our own.”

“I love that,” I say tiredly, my body shivering under the cooling water.

August slaps his thighs and stands. “Come on, sunshine. Time to get out.”

He holds out his hand for me, and I rise from the bath, his eyes track the water as it drips down the curves of my body, and I watch his throat work over a swallow. The prickly heat of his gaze warms my cold skin and as our eyes lock, something so much warmer than lust passes between us. I step out and he takes a towel from the heater, holding it out and wrapping me up.

“Would you like something to wear?” he asks against my ear from where he crowds me from behind.

“Yes, please,” I turn my head and kiss his jaw gently.

With a kiss to my crown, he leads me back to his room and makes me sit on the bed while he goes to his dresser and pulls out a sweatshirt, handing it to me. “I, uh.” He pulls on the back of his neck. “Any bottoms I have would just fall off you, are you happy in your leggings or do you want me to run to yours and get something for you to wear?”

God, he’s cute. “I’m fine,” I tell him, and he gives a serious nod.

“Okay, I’ll go cook the pasta and you’ll come down when you’re ready?”

“Sure,” I say feeling seven kinds of relaxed and happy.