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“This is so beautiful,” she breathed. “I’m afraid to touch anything and mess it up.”
I laughed and meandered over to stand at her side, taking a deep inhale of her citrusy scent. “Don’t sweat it. I may have given them an unlimited budget, but my sisters and mom are penny pinchers.” I shrugged and set her bag on the chaise at the foot of the bed. “Besides, if you were to break something, it would just give them an excuse to redo the whole room.”
Ava chuckled but didn’t look convinced. I prowled back over to her and took up a good deal of her personal space since I was unable to help myself. Rather than kiss her like I wanted, I glided the tip of one finger along her jaw and murmured, “Make yourself at home, baby.”But don’t get too used to it, I thought. I’d be moving her into the master suite as soon as possible.
It looked as though she’d stopped breathing, so I took a step back, pressing my lips together to keep from smirking. “I’m going to get started on dinner. Come down and join us whenever you’re ready.”
“Um…Roan?”
I’d started to walk away, so I paused and turned back to her. “Hmmm?”
“How do I get back to the kitchen?”
She blushed, a little sheepish and completely adorable. But I didn’t want to further embarrass her, so I just gave her a gentle smile.
“Follow the entry hallway all the way to the back of the house, then turn left.”
She nodded, and I told my feet to get moving again, but instead, they stayed planted on the ground while Ava and I stared at each other. I wondered if she felt this intense attraction as acutely as I did? I was quickly becoming obsessed with her, and I had a feeling it was only going to get stronger.
“Don’t be too long, baby,” I rasped before forcing myself to leave and head back downstairs.
I gathered up the munchkins and settled Cassidy at the bar with a coloring book. Then I changed Daisy’s diaper before strapping her into her high chair with a couple of toys.
Ava entered just as I was setting Cassidy’s mac and cheese in the microwave. Her eyebrows popped up when she saw the packaging. “Microwaveable? I expected a chef to make her homemade, or at least the stuff from a box,” she teased, her blue eyes twinkling. I loved that she’d lost some of her awkwardness, becoming a little more comfortable with me.
Shrugging, I pushed the time button, then faced her and leaned my hip on the counter. “She won’t eat any other kind besides these little bowls. And believe me, I’ve tried everything to fool her.”
Ava laughed, and I couldn’t help smiling at the beautiful sound.
“Are you okay with Chinese?” I queried as I opened a drawer and withdrew a take-out menu.
“I love it,” she answered.
“Great, tell me what you’d like, and I’ll put in an order.”
Once that was done, I returned the menu to its place and finished making Cassidy’s dinner. “Up to the table, Cass,” I told her as I helped her down from the stool at the island. Once she was in her booster chair, I added peas and carrots to her mac, which she wrinkled her nose at when I set the bowl in front of her.
“We made a deal, sweet cheeks,” I reminded her.
She let out a long-suffering sigh, then picked up her spoon and scooped up a bite. Her overly dramatic expression intimated that she felt she was doing me a huge favor by eating it.
I was perilously close to laughing, so I spun around and busied myself with grabbing a jar of baby food and a spoon.
“Would you like me to do that?” Ava asked sweetly.
I was about to tell her to just relax when I glanced at her and realized she was hoping I’d say yes.
“Sure, baby.” I handed her the items, then made a bottle and set it on the counter next to Daisy’s high chair. The doorbell rang, and I checked the monitor on the tablet propped on the island. It was our dinner, so I strolled to the front door to collect it.
By the time I set out everything we needed, Daisy had finished her food and was contentedly sucking on her bottle. Somewhere in the short time we’d all been together in the kitchen, Ava had become comfortable and no longer seemed on edge. As we ate, the conversation was easy and Cassidy regaled us with made-up stories that had Ava giggling.
After we finished our meal, Ava wordlessly helped me clean up, then we all returned to the den. “I told Cassidy we could have a movie night tonight,” I told Ava as I sat on the couch. Cassidy immediately crawled into my lap and curled up against me. It never failed to melt my heart when she did that. Ava was holding Daisy on her hip, and she attempted to sit at the other end of the couch, but I stretched out my long arm and captured her wrist, tugging her closer and down into the spot right next to me.
I turned on Cassidy’s favorite movie, and we watched in silence until the end credits rolled. Both girls were out like a light, so we carried them up to their rooms. I laid Cassidy on her bed, then changed her into a nightgown before pulling up the covers and placing a kiss on her forehead.
“Night, Daddy,” she whispered with a big yawn. “Aunt Ava? Will you tuck me in, too?”
I took Daisy from Ava so she could give Cassidy a kiss and hug.
