He leans in impossibly closer, bracing his hand on the cabinet that my head now rests against.
“We always have things to do, such is the nature of our business. But I need you to look at me and really understand the words I’m about to say, Kat.” It takes me a second to center myself enough to look past his lips and think beyond his erection pressed against me, but I manage, somehow.
“Before you, I worked too much, we all did, but me most of all. I should have been here for Addy more often, should have been more involved in her schooling, and been building memories with her.” His voice is tight, and his jaw clenched, and I can’t stop myself from reaching out to rest my hand on top of his that rests on the counter beside me.
Taking a deep breath, he continues. “I thought I was doing what was best by securing her future, and while that is important, our company could go under tomorrow, and we would still be set for life. I was running, restless, looking for something I didn’t even realize I needed.”
“Someone I didn’t even realize I needed.”
Nathan isn’t soft with many people, but there’s no other way to describe him right now as he stands before me.
“I never want you to feel guilty for teaching us to do more than just work, for making us a family.”
Damn it, when he says it like that, it sounds a whole lot better.
“We’re home because we want to be, we work because we have to, and anything we put off can wait. You and Addy are the most important things, above money, above the company.”
My heart is pounding, each word hitting me like a shot of adrenaline. The smile on my face is making my cheeks ache, but I can’t stop it.
“Understand?”
“Understood.” He hardly lets me get the word out before he presses forward, his lips molding to mine in a way that makes me think soulmates might be real after all.
“Ew! Gross, get a room!” Des says as he walks into the room, and I roll my eyes. Nathan doesn’t pull away, but he does pull his hand from under mine.
“Oh, that’s five dollars for the jar, Daddy!” Addy says with a giggle, letting me know where Nathan’s hand just went.
This time, he does pull back, turning to find Addy happily sipping her hot cocoa, coloring a page in the coloring books we had bought on our most recent trip out.
“I didn’t say a bad word, Princess.”
“That means a bad word, though, so it still counts.” She shrugs and continues to color, not the least bit concerned with what Nathan has to say.
Nathan seems to contemplate for a moment before he pulls out a five-dollar bill and drops it on the table.
He fishes out another one, holding it up between two fingers, and she peeks up at him. “I’ll make it ten if you tell me how you know what that word means.”
He doesn’t even get to finish the offer before her hand is in the air, finger pointed right at Des.
Aw, poor Des.
He throws up his hands in a way of surrender and turns to meet Nathan’s gaze.
“Come on, Dad, I flip Alex off all the time. It’s not like I’m teaching it to her on purpose or something.” Des attempts to explain, but Nathan waves him off.
“Don’t you dare try to corrupt her! It’s bad enough you already corrupted my woman.”
“Your woman?”
“Boys.” They both stop and turn to me, Des with his signature shit-eating grin, and Nathan with one that lets me know exactly where Des got his.
“Addy, your brother is here to play princess dress-up with you.”
I watch Des’s gaze move from me to Addy, eyes wide, before he glares at Nathan.
Something tells me that’s not why he was here, but he is now, as if he could ever say no to her. She’s off the stool, hot cocoa forgotten as she races toward Des, grabbing his hand and yanking him from the room.
“That wasn’t very nice,” I say with a laugh as Des disappears around the corner.
