“You sure you’re okay to put them to bed? I can just call Smitty and ask to start later,” I said, eyeing the kids while they fought it out over what book they wanted to read.
“They’ll be fine. I’ll stay with them until they’re asleep, and then I’ll hang out downstairs,” he said for the tenth time, his deep baritone calming me down. “And I have the baby monitor and know how to turn it on.”
I went up on my tippy toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
It almost looked like he blushed under his beard. “It’s no problem. I’d be here anyway. Might as well do something useful.”
I squeezed his arm and went to the kids to say goodnight. “Okay babies, I’m off to work.”
Lena leaned up, and I peppered her cheek with little kisses, making her giggle. Luca was next, but as soon as I made contact with his cheek, he put his hands up to ward me off.
“No, not there. Take the kiss off,” he wailed, pointing at the spot where I’d kissed him.
This wasn’t the first time we’d been through this, so I pretended to take my kiss off his cheek and made a throwing motion to the other side of the room, getting rid of it.
“Other cheek?” I asked.
He nodded and leaned to the side, letting me press a quick kiss there.
“Sleep tight,” I said and then walked up to Sebastian, who was standing in the door, watching us with a soft expression.
We walked outside hand in hand, and for the first time I didn’t feel like throwing up at the thought of going to Pepper’s.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Why is your face so splotchy?” Elle asked, taking in my appearance when I came into the dressing room.
I cringed when I looked in the mirror, the red spots looking worse in the bright light. “I forgot my lotion at home and used Lena’s diaper rash cream instead. Which somehow gave me a rash,” I replied and sat down at my change table.
I was at the club earlier than I had ever been, and I only counted to one hundred before going inside, the usual anxiety at going to work almost nonexistent. Sebastian had stood outside with me, his steady presence and warm touches calming me more than anything else ever could.
He didn’t ask questions, just waited with me until I was ready. After walking me to the door of the changing room, he kissed me and went off to do whatever it was he did at the club.
I’d only noticed the rash a few minutes before I left the compound, when it was still only a slight red tinge. I didn’t think much of it since a diaper rash cream was supposed to help with rashes, wasn’t it? Turned out that wasn’t the case for faces. Who would have thought?
“Whoa,” she said, stopping next to my chair. “You didn’t sleep at home?”
“We stayed at the clubhouse,” I said, looking around my small dressing table in search of my foundation. I should be able to cover most of the red splotches, and the dim lighting in the club would hide the rest.
Elle leaned forward, catching my eyes in the mirror. “You’re staying at theclubhouse?”
“Wasn’t my choice. Sebastian insisted,” I said, slathering my face in foundation.
“Sebastian insisted?” she asked and took the makeup sponge out of my hand, applying it more evenly.
“Why are you repeating everything I’m saying?” I asked, following her practiced movements in the mirror.
“Because I’m trying to understand what’s going on. Are you together?”
“No.”
She groaned, putting the foundation away and starting with the powder. “You keep telling yourself that.”
“It’s the truth. We’re just staying there until he sorts out…”
I trailed off when I realized what I was about to say.
“Until he sorts out what?” Tia asked, appearing at my other side.
