Page 23 of Maldives & Mistletoe

TWELVE

Lily and Damian

DAMIAN

“Give it an hour, and they’ll be sleeping hard,” Damian said to Theo.

Theo chuckled. “They’ll be fine, D. Don’t worry about them.”

Easier said than done. That was just a part of being a father, he figured. He was always going to worry about his kids whether he should or not. Even if was only leaving them for a couple of hours.

“And thanks,” Damian added, “for coming over on Christmas Eve to keep an eye on them.”

Theo shrugged. “We don’t mind.”

No, Damian supposed not. Theo and Eve were always quick to help someone with their kids whenever they needed it, and without complaint.

“How much longer are they going to be in the bathroom?” Theo asked.

Damian laughed. “Until Eve feels satisfied that Lily looks great.”

His brother-in-law only shook his head, but said nothing. Where was the lie, though? Lily was happy just to get out of the hut with Damian for a couple of hours. She wouldn’t have cared what she looked like or wore as long as she could put on one of those comfortable maxi dresses she liked. Eve, on the other hand, came over armed with a bunch of dress bags.

There was only the click of the bathroom door opening that drew Damian’s attention back across the room. Lily came out of the bathroom wearing the same maxi dress she had gone in with, but her hair had been let down around her shoulders in soft waves. She wore little to no makeup, because frankly, Damian didn’t think she needed it anyway but especially tonight.

“What were you even doing in there?” Theo asked. “She looks the same as she did before, Eve.”

Eve shot her husband a look. “Talking—none of your business.”

Theo only sighed.

Damian just chuckled. Fact was, Lily probably indulged Eve a bit, and then chose to wear what she wanted to wear. And he didn’t even care as long as his wife was comfortable and happy.

“Ready whenever you are,” Lily said, crossing the room to come to him. He held out a hand for her, and she took it without question, offering him a brilliant smile as she did so. He still loved her smile the best. That, and her legs. “And since you didn’t tell me what we’re doing, I hope what I am wearing is okay.”

Damian grinned, and leaned in to catch his wife’s lips with his own. Her mouth moving against him was a familiar dance, now, and he loved it the same way he always had. All too soon, he had to pull away because if he started this with her right now, they were never going to get out of here. “What you are wearing is perfect. Plus, I can always get it off if plans change.”

“Yeah, that’s enough of that,” Theo grumbled. “Don’t wanna hear that about my sister. Get out.”

Waving a hand at Theo as if to shoo him off, Damian said, “In a minute.”

Lily winked.

Damian kissed her again.

“Say goodbye to the boys first, right?”

“Sure, sweetheart.”

Joe and Cory had set themselves up under the hammock with their trucks. For now, they were getting along. But how long that would last was anyone’s guess, really. Lily kneeled down to say goodbye, and kiss both boys on the top of their heads. They were too interested in their game to realize their mother and father were leaving, but Damian considered that a blessing.

“Be good for Aunt Eve,” he told his boys, “but give Uncle Theo hell, yeah?”

Cory grinned like he understood exactly what his father said. Joe, on the other hand, went back to quietly playing like nobody had spoken to him at all.

“I heard that,” Theo muttered behind Damian.

He just waved a hand again.