But her privacy had been trampled.
For months.
“Where do you want to go?” I ask, stepping into the room. “I can build you an office anywhere.”
“Who said you’re coming with me?” she teases, but she can’t hide the pleased look on her pretty face.
“I don’t break all the rules for just anyone, Kitten,” I tell her, scooping her into my arms and holding her in my lap as I take her seat.
“If you break this chair, I’m going to be pissed.”
“I’ll buy you a new one.” She rolls her eyes but curls into my chest. “The cabin is too far away and neither of us would get any work done.”
“Some of us only had a notebook to do our work in,” she sasses without looking up.
“And what did we learn from that?” I fire back, making her shake with silent laughter against me. “Thought so.”
“I don’t want to go to Chicago. I like it out here. I just…”
“What?”
“Colt is going to be annoying with all theI told you so’s.”
“Meaning?”
“Well, needing a bodyguard for one.”
“I think we can both let that one slide.”
“Yeah but,”—she sighs, pushing up to meet my gaze—“he built me a house.”
I want to act surprised but I’m not. Based on my limited interactions with Colt, that seems exactlylike something he would do. Royce probably mentioned something about it when we first started our investigation, and right now, I wish I’d paid better attention.
“Is it the one next to his?” I ask, trying to rack my brain and remember exactly what it looked like.
“Yeah, I told him not to do it but he didn’t listen.” She rests her head back on my shoulder. “I guess I should thank him for that.”
“We’ll get him a fruit basket.” She snorts and nuzzles her face into my neck.
“Kat?”
“Hmm?”
“I need to know if not having kids is a dealbreaker.”
“What?” Her tone is confused as she sits up again and threads our fingers together. “Oh, do I want kids? No, I know you got a vasectomy and I’ve had my IUD for a while, and I just figured that when I was ready I would know but…” Her voice trails off as she stares past me. “It hasn’t happened and I’m more than okay with that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll let my brother have the honor of promoting our parents to grandparents.”
“What about being an aunt?” I smile as I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Emerson’s cousin had triplets. I told her it was her penance for giving me such a hard time.”
“How’d she take it?”
“I think I’m on the hook twice more for babysitting.”
“You’re awfully sweet, Tom Oakden. You try to convince people you’re made of stone but you’re not. Not even close.”
