He held a pair of soft plastic rings looped around his long fingers, all varying sizes that accompanied the yellow peg base clutched in his other hand. He tossed them one by one in the bin, managing to loop the smallest ring around the peg.
Laughing, I scooped up a few half-dressed dolls off the floor, the rest of their outfits mysteriously missing. “Wait until you see her kitchen set. It’s got an oven, microwave, sink, and pantry. I swear, it’s nicer than the one we actually have. I half joked with my sister about using it as a diorama for when we remodel the kitchen.”
“Easier than commissioning a designer to do it for you.”
“And cheaper.”
He snorted softly, bending to grab a few playing cards my niece had gotten a hold of and tossed around the living room during the movie. Flower petals at a wedding had been the scene she’d danced around to, mirroring the flower girl walking down the aisle with her little white basket, tossing rose petals as she went.
I found it adorable how absorbed Ainsley got into things. An adventurous spirit who was determined to experience everything at least once.
Maybe in the next few years, if my sister did end up finding someone to settle down with, Ainsley would actually get to live out that little fantasy.
“I don’t hate kids, if that was what you were implying earlier.”
Turning to look back over at him, surprise danced in my chest. “I wasn’t trying to offend you or anything.”
“You didn’t.” His back was facing me while he squatted, picking up the cards one by one and stuffing them back into the holder. “But I wanted you to know, regardless.”
I worked the inside of my cheek with my teeth.
Whyelsewould he care to tell me something like that unless he wanted to reassure me he wasn’t going anywhere?
Only a sociopath played up the future while having no intention of following through with the illusion they were creating.
Silas was far from that. I’d come to discern that much over the past few weeks of knowing him.
Deep down, he was a compassionate person who simply had an odd way of showing it. Untailored and raw in how he saw the world, and he was never afraid of speaking his mind no matter how harsh the sentiment. At some points, I might have appreciated his delivery to be a little more careful, but at the end of the day, the honesty was refreshing.
I had a thick skin, had to when living in the city and under the same roof as an abusive alcoholic. So, most things that came rolling off this man’s tongue hardly ever caught me in a moment of true vulnerability.
Though, I had a sneaking suspicion even if hedidfind himself around me when I was in the middle of some breakdown, he’d be far more tender. His care was shielded by his callous nature, yet that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.
Stepping around a few plushies knocked over on the carpet, I came up behind him to set both of my hands down onto his shoulders. He slowly lifted his head and tilted it back to look at me, curious.
“Is this you offering to babysit?” I asked, teasing. An underlying test lingered between my words.
Not that I was looking for someone to come around and act as a free babysitter while Amelia and I went about our busy lives, especially with his work schedule, however, I was dying to know where exactly his line in the sand was drawn.
How far into my personal life was he willing to invade?
How far did hewantto be let in?
From my standpoint, I had no problem welcoming him as far as he wanted to go. I’d never been drawn to anyone like this before, so the thought of second-guessing myself seemed stupid and counterproductive when all I’d been wanting to do lately was drown in him.
Why let something like that go when we were both interested in exploring it?
Getting into my own head would only leave me getting ahead of myself and regretting fucking things up.
He searched my face. “Are you trying to get me to sayyesin some convoluted effort to ask me to come around again?”
I grinned. “Maybe in a roundabout way.”
He rolled his eyes, tossing the pack of cards into the toy bin before sinking down onto his knees and sitting back. He tucked an arm behind me to grab onto my shirt, tugging me around until he could get a better hold of me. His grip was firm while he drew me onto his lap, one hand curling around my thigh and the other settling at the curve of my waist.
His two favorite spots, I was beginning to realize.
He kept me pressed tight to his body. “Just tell me you want me to come over. No reason to get so complicated.”
