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“Yes, really.” I grinned and leaned in close to him. “Watch out, these two are cutthroat.” I set my penny jar in front of him. “Here, try not to lose all my money.”
His gaze drifted to my mouth, and back to my eyes.
I winked.
He grinned.
I saw a sweet, loving male shining on his face.
I wanted to taste that sweetness, feel all that love. Basically, kiss the heck out of him.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I turned to the twins, curled my upper lip, and crinkled my nose, to which they burst out in giggles. Even Nereida. My heart squeezed hard in my chest. With all that had happened, with all they’d been through, I had wondered if I’d ever hear them laugh again. I’d also never imagined their simple laughter would ease the grief in my heart.
Seff’s arms came around me and pulled me into his body. “Hey.”
I sank into his warmth, and sighed.
This male. This worthy male held my hand, gave me his strength, and brightened the darkness in my soul.
“Go on and wash up.” His hold on me tightened, then relaxed. “We’ll be fine.”
“I know.” Reluctantly, I pushed away, and he let me go. I pointed at him and said, “I’m not kidding. Don’t let them win. It doesn’t teach them anything if you do. Learning how to lose is part of living. Winning just—”
“Des.” Seff’s fingers lifted my chin. He smiled, and I wanted to run my hands through all his long wavy hair and kiss his whole face. “I got this.” Then he winked.
“Yeah, Desarae, we got this.” Arteisma smiled.
Seff touched my forehead with a warm, soft brush of his lips. I felt it all over my body. Then, he sat and shuffled once more, as if he were already focusing on the game.
I pressed the fingers of both hands to my lips and blew the twins a kiss, which they both blew back. Then, I turned toward the bathroom.
“Desarae?” Arteisma asked. “What about Seff?”
I turned back, locking my eyes onto Seff’s.
“Aren’t you gonna blow Seff a kiss, too?” Nereida had never asked or even seemed to care whether I blew Tillman a kiss, which I never had. Blowing kisses wereoursign of affection, mine and the twins. But there she was, staring up at me while her sister merrily stacked her pennies, waiting for me to answer with either a kiss or a reasonable explanation.
“Are you okay with me sharing kisses with Seff?”
Oh, gods, that came out wrong!
Three faces stared up at me in wonder and shock. Three faces that could’ve been related with their brown eyes and dark brown hair. Seff could’ve been their father.
Would he willingly take on that responsibility?
Arteisma pulled me out of my head when she jumped up and shouted, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She bumped into the table, causing the little stacks of coins to topple and scatter. “Oops! Sorry.” She giggled.
“Nereida?” Seff leaned toward her and asked quietly, “Is it okay with you? Ya know, ’cause, I don’t mind. I mean, I’d really like kisses from Desarae.” He nervously rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I mean...well, I’d better stop right there before I dig myself a deeper hole.”
Nereida looked him in the eye, gave him a sly smile I’d been afraid I would never see again, then shrugged. “Yeah, you deserve kisses.”
Yes, he deservedallthe kisses.
He rested his forearms on the table and grinned. “Okay, I’m ready. Bring it on.”
Arteisma giggled some more as she swept the pennies back into piles in front of her and her sister. Nereida rolled her eyes.
