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Lucy was quiet for a good five seconds after I stopped talking. Then she cleared her throat and said, “Damn. I guess there was something you could say to get me to change my mind after all.”
I chuckled.
“Okay, then.” She rolled her eyes ruefully at herself and then sent me a tremulous smile before sticking out her hand. “In that case, you have yourself a new landlady, Mr. Merrill.”
23
LUCY
It wasn’t until Vaughn wrapped his warm fingers around mine that I realized how big of a mistake shaking hands with him was.
Suddenly, all I could remember was the bruising and amazing way those very hands had felt when they’d gripped and coasted over me, how his mouth had taken from mine, and his tongue had plundered.
Then, I recalled the regret and horror I’d seen in his eyes when he’d lurched back, realizing what he’d just done.
And that’s why it struck me at that very moment that I had indeed not come to terms with the idea of being single for the rest of my life nor had I made peace with such a reality. But I had, in fact, already discovered the one and only person I wanted to be with, even though a future with him was impossible. The ghost of his brother sat quite firmly between us, preventing that very future from happening by manifesting his memory into a cute ball of baby that was currently chewing on her toes and drooling all over Vaughn’s knee.
I slid my gaze to Ava and reluctantly pulled my hand from Vaughn’s.
I supposed, if I couldn’t have him, then she was the best consolation prize a girl could get.
“I’m guessing we have terms to discuss, and there’s a lease agreement for me to sign somewhere, right?” he asked, retracting his hand as well and using it to stroke Ava’s head.
I nodded, my focus on his fingers as they petted my daughter. Then, I lifted my gaze. “Uh, yeah. I’ve got all the paperwork. But we can go over it later, after you’re settled.”
He nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but my brother popped his head into the room and tapped the wall to get our attention. “Hey! You two better get outside and grab some pizza before it’s gone. Besides, the trucks have returned from their last run, and we’re going to clear this room next, so we kind of need you out of the way.”
“Oh! Okay, then,” Vaughn answered, immediately pushing his way to his feet and naturally shifting Ava in his arms so he could hold her with her back to his front. It was her favorite way to be held. She liked being upright and facing out so she could see everything with her legs dangling for maximum kicking power.
It melted a gooey spot into my soul to see Vaughn indulging her.
But I needed to stop looking for reasons to fall for this man, so I stood as well, plopping my hands onto my hips to face off with my brother. “Wow. All this power and command has gone straight to your head; you’re so bossy today.”
“What’re you talking about?” He grinned with mischievous innocence. “I’ve always been this bossy. Bentley just rarely lets me unleash it.”
“Smart woman,” I muttered as I trailed the two men from the room.
Just before exiting, however, I glanced back, taking in the bare walls and piles of boxes.
I really, really hoped both Vaughn and I were making the right decision about this because it was personally going to affect both of our lives in a huge way.
“Oh well,” I murmured under my breath. It seemed too late to back out now. “Here goes nothing.”
And I turned to leave, only to spot an open box sitting on top of a tall pile of other boxes. It was labeled Bathroom Supplies. I peered in, not at all curious about all the hygiene products that made Vaughn smell the amazing way he smelled, but just—you know—completely curious about all of that.
When I spotted a disposable razor near the top, I paused.
He hadn’t shaved much in the weeks since I’d last seen him. There’d been a thin beard on him when I’d first visited him after Duke had died when I’d told him about my pregnancy. But then, he’d been clean-shaven when he’d shown up at the hospital to meet her, and he’d kept his face pretty bare for over a month after that.
But I had to say, after seeing him both ways, the scruffy look totally worked best for him.
Biting my lip, I lifted my face and glanced around to make sure I was alone before I reached into the box and stole the razor. Then, I hummed unassumingly under my breath as I started from the room and dropped it in a plastic garbage sack labeled Trash.
By the time I made it outside to the backyard where everyone had gathered to eat, Vaughn was getting flooded by family members—all of them female, I couldn’t help but enviously note.
Granted, most of them were probably flocking to Ava in his arms, not him specifically, but still...
That warrior woman inside me that had already claimed him as mine just wanted to shout back off, bitches at some of my favorite ladies on earth.
