“I’ll go home, Ronan. I’m kinda tired. But it was, like, the best day ever!” he exclaimed.
I helped him up into the cab, noting how he favored the leg. We’d skirted a lot of wires, slowly trod over covered-up cables, and stuck to the edges of the crowds, but he had done it. I could see he was tired and the long afternoon had taken a lot out of him, but his eyes shone with happiness.
“You go get Beth. I’ll get this lot home,” I said with a grin. Even Paige looked ready for a nap. I wondered how she’d feel about letting me lie down with her, snuggle her close to my chest, and sleep a while. Maybe I’d ask.
With a wave, Ronan left, and I loaded the last of the stuff into the back, squishing the unicorn in last. It was so big, Lucy could ride the thing. The guy manning the throwing booth wasn’t happy when I aced the balls in the buckets and won it. His smile was fake when he handed it to me, but I didn’t care. Munchkin was so excited, I thought she’d squeeze my neck until I stopped breathing.
I climbed in the driver’s seat and held back my laughter. Evan and Lucy were both asleep already. Paige was halfway there. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled.
“Thank you,” she murmured, her eyes drifting shut again.
I stroked my fingers down her cheek, the skin warm from the afternoon sun. “You’re welcome,” I replied.
It’s only the beginning, I added silently.
Only the beginning.
The fair was only about five minutes from Paige’s house, but I drove around slowly for about twenty minutes to let her have a nap. I was certain those were a rare treat for her. I parked in the driveway, leaving the engine running. I quietly opened the back door, Evan lifting his head and yawning.
“We’re home?” he asked.
I put my finger on my lips, motioning between Paige and Lucy. He grinned in understanding and slid from the seat, going ahead of me as I carried Lucy into the house. I followed him to her bedroom and laid her on the bed, making sure Mr. Teddy was beside her.
“You should take off her shoes,” Evan whispered.
I tugged them off and lifted a light blanket over her.
In the hall, Evan smiled. “I’m gonna go to my room for a bit. Thanks, Liam, for today. It was great.”
“No problem. I had fun.”
He tilted his head. “You’re like Ronan, aren’t you?” he said. “A really good guy.”
“Thanks, Evan. I try to be.”
“You are,” he said emphatically, then turned and limped into his room. I heard his bed squeak as he sat down on the mattress, and when I peeked in, I saw he was already deep into building something with his Lego bricks.
I returned to the truck and shut off the engine, smiling at the fact that Paige didn’t move. I opened her door, undid her seat belt, and slid my hands under her. She stirred as I climbed the steps.
“What—wait, what are you doing?” she asked, gripping my shoulders.
I set her on the kitchen counter, brushing her hair off her cheek. “You were sleeping. I was hoping to get you into the house and tuck you in. Let you rest.”
“Where’s Lucy?”
“I got her in bed and took off her shoes. Evan’s deep in Lego land.”
She yawned, looking rumpled, sleepy, and beyond adorable. Exactly the way I had imagined her waking up beside me in the morning.
“You didn’t have to do that, Liam.”
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. She burrowed into me, feeling soft and small. I liked how she pushed as close as possible, her arms going around my waist, her head resting on my chest.
“I wanted you to have a little rest.”
She hummed against my sternum.
“How about I tuck you in bed?”
She tilted her head back, gazing up at me, her eyes warm. “How about we take advantage of the kids being occupied and the fact that we’re alone?” she whispered.
I didn’t need another invitation. I dropped my head, capturing her mouth with mine. She tasted of candy floss and cinnamon. The kiss started off as a gentle press of our lips, a coming back together of this new, warm feeling of intimacy, then it changed. It became deeper, stronger, and needier. Desire kicked in for both of us, and Paige’s arms tightened around me, a low sound escaping her mouth as my tongue delved and swirled around hers. I stepped between her legs, yanking her tight to my torso, feeling the way she molded to me. Her hard nipples pressed against the material of her T-shirt and into my skin. Her fingers played restlessly on my back. She wrapped her legs around my waist, bringing her core flush to my body. With a low growl, I tightened my embrace, tilting her head for better access, and sealed my mouth over hers again. I cupped her ass, encouraging her subtle movements. Drank in the taste and feel of her, desperately trying to maintain some sort of control over myself, knowing the kids were down the hall and this could go nowhere, yet not wanting to stop.
Until the sound of a throat clearing and Ronan’s voice startled us apart. “Hey, what’s up?”
I glowered at him standing in the doorway, wearing a shit-eating grin. Beth stood next to him, looking shocked.
“Not much, thanks to you.”
Paige flushed and slid off the counter. “I have to go and check on Lucy.” She hurried away, and I watched her go, frowning. I glared at Ronan for embarrassing her. Beth eased away from him, murmuring about going to see Evan. We were alone in the kitchen, and I crossed my arms.
“What?”
He stepped closer, suddenly serious. “She’s a single mom, Liam. That’s sacred shit.”
“I’m aware.”
“I care about her a lot. She’s Beth’s best friend. Not to mention Lucy and her feelings. You don’t trifle with that.”
I felt anger roll through me. “I’m not. I already told you, I care about both of them. A lot.”
He met my gaze, my focus steady and determined. His eyes grew round. “Wow. You’re falling for her.”
I lost my aggression and stepped back, shaking my head. “Yeah, I am. Both of them.”
“You might want to tone down the kitchen groping. The kids like to wander around at times.”
I chuckled low in my throat. “Evan is deep in Lego, and the hall floor squeaks. Lucy was in her room, and I could hear her singing away when she woke up from her nap. I knew where they were.”
“You didn’t hear us.”
“I can’t listen for everything, Ronan. I thought you were taking Beth to your condo.”
He shook my head. “She’s exhausted. She needs a quiet night at home, not alone with me at my place. Not sure I could resist her there.”
I nodded. “How about pizza for everyone, and we’ll go? We can hang together tonight, and we’ll be back in the morning to pick them up.”
“You going to introduce Paige and Lucy as yours tomorrow?”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I think I need to check with Paige first. We’re still figuring things out.”
“With your tongues?” he asked mildly, grinning.
I grabbed him in a headlock, laughing.
“Shut up, little brother, or I’ll tell Beth about the time you pissed your pants in the woods when you thought you saw a bear.”
He grunted as he tried to escape. “I was five, for God’s sake. You told me it was a bear that ate bad kids—I was scared for my life!”