When the movie’s over, I shut off the TV. “Okay, Hailey. You know what time it is.”
She deflates, the excitement from the movie washed away by the promise of a bath. “Yeah.”
Iris dutifully checks her instructions. “Oh yeah! Bath time. C’mon, Hailey. We’re gonna get you cleaned up for bed.”
Hailey does her best raspberry, which ends up just being a lot of spit. “Baths are no fun.”
“Are you kidding? Baths are the best!” Iris takes Hailey’s hand and starts leading her upstairs. “All those bubbles and the splashing! We’re gonna have fun.”
“You want me to come help?”
Iris waves me off. “Nah. I can handle a bath.”
Forty wet, wrinkled-Hailey minutes later, they emerge from the disaster zone that was Hailey’s bathroom, giggling and carrying on. I don’t know what they did in there, but it’s the most fun I’ve seen Hailey have with a bath in a long time. Since Lisa.
Must be another woman thing.
“I’ll clean it up after she’s asleep,” Iris says on her way by as Hailey drags her to her room.
“C’mon, Miss Iris! Story time.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get it while you read her a story.” I walk into the bathroom and immediately regret my offer. How did they make such a huge mess?
By the time I’ve got all the splashed water mopped up and the wet towels in the hamper, Iris has finished putting Hailey to bed. She rests her hip against the bathroom door frame and watches me finish cleaning up. “You really didn’t have to do that. It was my mess.”
“I know. But it gave you a few more minutes to chill with my daughter.”
Iris smiles. “She’s a great kid. You’re so good with her.”
“You are, too. You just don’t see it yet. She adores you. Even if you didn’t have a cat she can annoy, I think you’d be her second favorite person.”
“After you?”
“After Elsa.”
We share a laugh at that, then head back downstairs to open some wine and watch a movie that’s rated a bit above Hailey’s age. With Hailey asleep, I feel more confident in making a move on Iris. As soon as we’re situated again on the couch, I let my hands roam while she watches the rom com she picked. One hand works to take out her Hailey braid while the other slides up her shirt. Iris moans when I give her breast a gentle squeeze, and I kiss the side of her neck.
“Are you trying to give me another hickey, mister?”
“Maybe.”
She twists and catches my mouth with hers. “Maybe we should take this upstairs.”
“Your wish is my command.”
Chapter 15
Iris
Micah doesn’t carry me up the stairs this time; rather, he chases me, growling playfully as he pinches my ass all the way.
I try to hush my giggles when we pass Hailey’s room, but Micah makes me squeal with a well-placed grab that has my hormones in overdrive. This man barely touches me, and I’m soaking wet!
When we get to his room, I close the door behind us and go to lock it, then realize the knob has no lock. “Um, Micah?”
His lips are already on my neck again. “Mm?”
“How do you lock Hailey out?”
