Her eyes are wide and full of wonder, and my heart squeezes watching her.
“Mommy, can we go play outside?” She all but begs, and I can’t help but laugh at her little pouty lip. She’s so good at that, but it’s not necessary now.
“Let’s go eat some breakfast first,” I tell her, and her little face falls as if I told her no.
“None of that, Princess. It’s the first snow,” Nathan says, and I jump. I didn’t realize he had followed me. I turn and find him standing in the doorway, watching us both with just a hint of a smile.
It’s strange, really, how often I get to see him happy now. He wasn’t exactly cold before, but his smile is definitely something that is only for a select few and the fact that I’m one of them… My heart pounds just thinking about it, and him, and this wonderful family I get to be a part of.
Addison turns away from the window with a squeal and runs from the room, right past Nathan. He shakes his head and follows after her, leaving me slightly confused but with nothing else to do but follow them.
What I don’t expect is for everyone to already be in the kitchen. It’s rare for everyone to be home this early between all their businesses and just having lives, and on the off chance they are, well, not everyone is a morning person.
Yet even Desmond sits at the counter with a cup of coffee.
“Kitten, there you are!” Des says with a smile. Addy sits on his lap, already devouring waffles and fruit, from the looks of it.
“Morning,” Alex says, dropping a kiss to my temple before he presses a warm cup of coffee into my hands.
“Done!” Addy yells, jumping down from Desmond’s lap and taking off back toward the stairs.
“Where is she going?” I ask nobody in particular, only to turn back to see them all looking at me with the same knowing look in all their eyes. “What am I missing?”
“It’s tree day, love,” Alex answers as if that is supposed to mean something to me; it doesn’t, and judging by the way he laughs, I get the feeling my face says as much.
“On the first snow, we go and get our trees,” Oliver says, offering me an adorable smile that takes my breath away.
Things have been a little tense since Italy, when Nathan made them watch as he fucked me, almost as if he couldn’t bear to look at me. For a little while, I was concerned he would never be able to look at me again, but slowly it feels like we're working our way back to at least friendly territory.
Not at all what I want, but better than the silent treatment.
It takes me longer than it should for me to process what he’s said, and I didn’t even hear Des until he’s right next to me, his hand waving in front of my face.
“Earth to Kat.” I snap out of it and feel my cheeks heat at being caught. “What ya thinking ‘bout, Kitten?” Des asks, his voice little more than a raspy whisper in my ear that gives me chills.
“Don’t get any ideas. She’s mine tonight,” Nathan says, making Des move away, shooting him a glare.
“Bullshit, you had her last night.”
“We were in her room last night. You were more than welcome to join us,” Nathan says as he moves through the kitchen to get his own cup of coffee.
I almost feel bad; Alex got me mine. Should I get him his?
I move toward him, but I don’t make it more than two steps before Alex stops me. His arm wraps around my waist and pulls me to his chest.
“I don’t think so. What is the point of me making your coffee if you're just going to make his?” he asks me, attempting to sound stern, but I know better.
Alex is rarely serious; he just sounds like an asshole.
With a huff, I let him direct me to a stool. Sitting down, I stick my tongue out at him before taking a sip of my own coffee. He made it perfectly, which only makes me more annoyed.
It’s not fair how perfect they all are.
I gasp when his fingers grip my face, not hard but enough to turn my face to meet his gaze.
“I’d suggest you keep that tongue in your mouth.” His eyes blaze as his lip twitches in a hint of a smile that he pushes down. “Unless you want me to put it to use.”
“Fuck me, can we get through coffee before we start this shit, please?” Vince snaps, making me pull away from Alex’s grasp. Embarrassed, I take a sip just for something to do.
