Page 22 of Verdict

Ava’s shoulders dropped, relief flooding her face. “That would be amazing.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Okay, I’m going to go shower now. I’ll be out shortly.”

I nodded as she spun on her heel and padded down the hall toward her bathroom.

I glanced down at Ellie on the monitor, sleeping soundly. The sight of her immediately eased the tension in my jaw.

“Your mommy is pissing me off,” I muttered softly to the screen, “but you’re totally worth the headache.”

Because if I was being honest, my ego felt a little bruised. Women didn’t usually turn me down for round two.

Chapter 6

Cohen

“Here’s her bag—diapers, wipes, extra onesies, burp cloths.” Ava slipped the strap over my shoulder as I held Ellie close to my chest. “Here’s about thirty pouches of breast milk and her bottles.”

Seems excessive.

She placed the second bag on my other shoulder, then tipped her head back, hands on her hips. “I think that’s everything?”

“Ava. You do realize—except for the breast milk—I already have all of that here, right?” I crossed the kitchen and set the bags on the island before I toppled over with my daughter still in my arms.

“Oh. Right. I forgot.” She waved a hand in front of her face. “Mom brain.”

She stepped closer, brushing her fingers softly through Ellie’s dark hair before pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“I know how to take care of my daughter,” I said, nudging her toward the elevator with my free hand. “Go. Have fun. Stop worrying. Seriously, go.”

Ava was heading to Primrose Hill for the day to ride horses at her sister’s place. She was nervous about leaving Ellie for more than a couple of hours, but I’d reassured her—approximately five hundred times—that Ellie would sleep through most of it. This was one of my few days off, and I wanted to spend it with my daughter. Alone.

After the mistake, slip-up, or whatever the hell Ava had called it, things between us had returned to their regularly scheduled programming. Her walls were as high as ever, and I respected the boundary. I had to. I also made more of an effort to keep things separate when it came to time with Ellie.

It wasn't like I wanted anything serious, but seeing the regret etched across her face as she called what happened between us a mistake bothered me more than I wanted to admit. If it were up to me, we’d ease some of the stresses of new parenthood together—with our clothes off. So what if we had incredible sex? That didn't have to mean anything more... except that we should be doing it more often.

Ava put her hands up. “Fine. I’m leaving. I love you, sweet Ellie girl,” she called over her shoulder as the door shut behind her.

Finally.

I exhaled and looked down at Ellie. “Sometimes your mommy drives me fucking batshit crazy,” I cooed.

Ellie smiled—probably gas, but I chose to believe it was because I was hilarious.

I grabbed one of her bottles from the bag full of baby gear deposited on my counter. After pouring some breastmilk into the bottle, I used the bottle warmer Ava had gotten for my place. I settled down into a chair with Ellie in my arms, and she happily took her bottle.

I loved these moments—just her and me.

She had a habit of wrapping one of her tiny fingers around mine as she ate, and it was always in that moment that I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be. Her long eyelashes fluttered shut as she slipped into a milk coma. I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

I’d never imagined myself as a father. Never thought I’d have kids. But being her dad felt as natural as breathing. And somehow, she made everything feel… right.

After I got Ellie settled down for yet another nap, the elevator chimed.

I padded down the hallway from her room. I swear to God, if Ava was already back, I was going to lose my mind.

I rounded the corner and found Walker James standing in my kitchen instead.

“The fuck are you doing here?” I grinned as we locked hands and pulled each other into a hug. “I forgot I gave you a keycard.”

Walker flashed it, waggling his brows. “Figured it was safe to drop by unannounced since my perfect niece is with you.” He headed straight for the fridge, popped it open, and grabbed a beer. “Otherwise, trust me—I would not risk walking in on you fucking some random girl.”