“Yes, I’m coming,” Sable said as she wiped a smear of vanilla off the boy’s cheek with her napkin.
“Awesome. You can share my pizza. I never eat the whole thing, but Dad always eats his. One day, I’ll eat as much as him because the Fae boys in our family getreallybig.”
“You’re already really big.” Sable gently pinched his biceps, and Cash couldn’t help but smile at how his son blushed. “You too, Dad.” She gripped his muscular biceps, and Cash flexed his arm, loving how her eyes turned molten at the sensation. He was learning he loved almost everything she did, which made him nervous. No woman was this perfect. Had he finally gotten lucky, or was this a repeat of Clover’s mom? Had he found his happily ever after, or was the other shoe about to drop?
You’re a good influence.”
Cash’s wordsplayed on repeatin Sable’s brain the entire time they prepared their pizzas. They’d opted to make multiple small piesso they couldshare a few different flavors, and guilt had chewed through her stomach as she helped Clover arrange the pepperoni slices into a smiley face on the cheese. If she were a good influence, she would’ve fled the second Clover introduced her to his father, and she definitely would’ve turned down their dinner invitation. If she were a good person, she would warn Cash he was in danger.
But she wasn’t a good influence. She was a selfish girl who couldn’t think about anythingother thanCash when he entered a room. As she sliced the veggies, all she could focus on was howright it felt standing in his kitchen cooking dinner with him and his son. Two of her older brothers had married their soulmates, so she’d heard from them about the intense attraction that signaled you’d found your other half. She saw how her siblings thoroughly changed the moment the right women stepped into their lives, and she suspected she finally understood them.
“Do you have any fives?” Clover asked.
“Sable?” Cash nudged her arm when she didn’t answer. “He’s asking you.”
“Oh, sorry.” She jerked to attention. They’d decided to play games while they ate, and the kitchen table was strewn with colorful cards and every flavor of pizza they could think to make.
“What do you need?” she asked.
“Fives,” Clover said.
“Sorry, go fish.”
“Ugh…” Clover groaned as he selected a card from the deck, clearly not receiving his needed five.
“You okay?” Cash asked while a pizza slice distracted his son. “If you need to leave, I’ll drive you home.”
“No, I’m fine,” Sable half-lied. Guilt swirled in her stomach, but she also couldn’tbring herself toleave. Why did this house have to feel so much like home? Why did Clover have to be so fun, and why in god’s name did his father have to be sex and sin and desire wrapped in the body of an honorable and decent man?
“Okay,” Cash said. “But don’t hesitate to be honest with me. Communication is good.”
“Communication is sexy.” Sable slipped her arm below the table and grabbed Cash’spowerfulhand. She gripped him tight, holding his gaze as Clover shoved the meat lover’s slice into his mouth, and everything suddenly felt like it would turn out all right. Cash had that effect on her. Her mother often said when she looked at her father, she felt at peace. It’s how she knewhe was the one, and Sable understood what she’d been talking about. Cash’s gaze stopped the spinning in her brain.
“Really,I’m fine.” She released his hand against her will, but Cloverwas lookingat her expectantly. “I was just thinking.”
“Good thoughts I hope.” He brushed her hair behind her ear.
“They were about you,” she whispered, which was the truth. Cash smiled at her answer and adjusted his glasses, and she was glad her little lie made him happy because if he knew what she’dactuallybeen thinking, he’d hate her for coming into his life.
“Okay, Dad,” she teased, twisting in her seat to see his cards. “My turn. Do you have any queens?”
“Hey…” he groaned. “Did you just peak?”
“I would never cheat,” she said, her expression giving her lie away.
“Fine, here are your queens.” Cash handed her three cards, and with a triumphant yelp, Sable slammed the four-pair onto the table.
“I win!”
“He’s out already,” Cash said as he re-entered the kitchen. They’d finished their pizza and card games and then opted for a movie night which ended way past Clover’s bedtime. He’d been laying against Cash on one side, and Sable had snuggled up on the other, and asamazingas their first two dates had been, the couch took the cake. There was nothing better than being wrapped in Cash’s arms.
Clover had been practically sleepwalking by the time the film ended, so Cash had taken him upstairs while she startedcleaning up the kitchen. She’d hoped to make a dent in the dishes, but he’d barely been gone ten minutes.
“That was fast,” she said as he settled beside her to help.
“He had a blast today. Thanks for being so cool with him.”
“Aww, I’m glad.” Sable smiled. “But what about you? Did you have fun?”
