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“Uh-huh. And then he told Momma she was pretty and he asked if he could buy her some ice cream too,” he goes on and suddenly I am much more interested in who this jackass in the park was.
“And what did your mom say?”
“She told me not to eat too much ice cream before dinner,” he yawns as he snuggles against me.
“No, I mean…” I stop talking, aware that I’m trying to shake down a four-year-old boy for information on his mom’s dating habits. I’m only looking out for her, though, aren’t I? Yeah, right, Jax.
“You two look cozy,” Lucia’s voice startles me.
“You were quick,” I say as I turn to her.
“Yep.” She arches an eyebrow at me. “Those two wear themselves out so much they go out like a light as soon as they have a bath and are tucked up in bed.” She crouches down to Matthias. “Your turn, munchkin.”
He reaches up his arms and she takes him from my lap. “Night, Jax,” he mumbles sleepily.
“Night, buddy.”
“I won’t be long,” she smiles at me and I nod. I’ll be right here waiting for her even though I know I should leave.
CHAPTER 5
LUCIA
I close the door to Matthias’ room and tiptoe along the hallway past my little brother’s bedroom too. The three of them are fast asleep at last—whilst I adore them all, I am looking forward to some peace and quiet.
A thrill of pleasure skitters along my spine as I remember that Jax is downstairs too. I can’t help but smile to myself at the thought of spending some time alone with him. I wonder if I can persuade him to stay for dinner. I certainly hope so. Even if he wasn’t so good to look at, he still makes the best company. He cracks me up like no one ever has before and he is such a great listener. He catches me unawares and I often forget that he is my father’s best friend. I have been guilty of pouring my broken heart out to him a few times in the past and as far as I know he has kept my secrets. It’s one of the many reasons why I love him so much.
I have had the biggest crush on him forever, but as I’ve gotten older, it’s turned into something much more, at least on my part. I find myself thinking about him often, wondering what he’s doing and who he’s with. The thought of unexpectedly bumping into him makes me feel giddy and nervous and I look forward to any time spent in his company.
I sense a shift in him too, or perhaps I want to see one so much that I am imagining it. Not that he is ever inappropriate, but sometimes I think I catch him watching me. Then whenever I look up, he looks away. He checks up on me often for my father, I know that much, and I enjoy keeping the pair of them on their toes. I smile as I recall the times I have led them to believe I have a far more interesting dating and love life than I actually do.
As I walk down the staircase, I hear the sound of the television in the den and smile. That’s a good sign that Jax is sticking around for a while. If he wasn’t, he’d be hovering around the hallway waiting for me to come downstairs so he could leave.
I walk into the den and he smiles when he sees me, that slow sexy one that makes my insides turn to jelly.
He flashes one eyebrow at me. “The last little monster finally asleep?”
“Yes,” I say with an exaggerated sigh as I flop down onto the sofa next to him.
“I assumed you’d be hungry. I ordered us some pizza.”
“Oh, you’re a mind reader,” I giggle “I would sell one of my kidneys for a huge slice of pepperoni right now.”
“Steady on, wildcat. No need for that. It will be here in ten minutes,” he laughs.
An hour later, Jax and I are sitting on the floor surrounded by the remnants of two large pizzas. I rub a hand over my stomach and groan loudly. “You shouldn’t have let me eat so much.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Are you kidding me? One thing I have learned in all of my years on this earth is to never come between a hungry woman and her food.”
“Well, you do study the opposite sex extensively.” I arch an eyebrow at him.
He narrows his eyes at me. “I do?”
“From what I’ve seen, Jackson Decker, you must have screwed your way through the entire state by now?”
“Lucia,” he warns me but there is a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
“Anyone special right now?” I ask before I take a sip of the soda beside me.
