She came to an abrupt halt and then her smile lit up her entire face as she took in his presence. Warmth snaked through his chest into regions so solidly frozen with layers and layers of ice. Places that had never felt warmth in his life. God, would she always light up this way for him? Only him?
“You’re home,” she whispered, launching herself into his arms.
He caught her and gathered her tightly against him, burying his face in her hair. For a long moment he simply held her there, inhaling her scent and savoring the feel of her warm, fragile body against him.
“Good day?” she asked when he set her back down on her feet.
He nodded. “You?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Same old, same old. Practicing for the recital. Didn’t get out until fifteen minutes late so I thought I’d make it up to the guys by making dinner. I wasn’t sure if you’d make it home on time.”
He glanced at the table, surprised to see so many places set. When he returned his gaze to Hayley, she was looking anxiously at him.
“I invited Maddox, Justice and Thane to stay for dinner. Is that okay?”
He put his finger to her lips, a peculiar fluttering in his stomach. “You inviting my brothers to eat will always be okay, princess. They need this. I need this. I had no idea you could cook, though.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not the chefsomepeople are, but I get by in the kitchen. You neverasked. The guys can vouch for this particular meal since they ate it while you were out of town on yourbusinesstrip.”
She’d cooked for his brothers while he’d been out of town? Maybe them staying with her twenty-four-seven hadn’t been the best idea. She was young, beautiful and so very loving, caring and effervescent that who in the world wouldn’t be charmed by her in a matter of seconds? Only a man missing a dick could look at her and not get ideas. Ideas that could get them killed. By Silas.
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I’ve always said you were a woman of many talents. Many, many talents,” he murmured as he closed in on her again. “I have no doubt I’ll be wowed.”
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Bet your ass you will.”
He pattedherass when she turned away and returned to the kitchen. She threw him a saucy wink over her shoulder and then busied herself with the remaining food.
“Soup’s on!” Hayley bellowed from the kitchen.
Silas grinned at the feisty little minx and how she had every single one of them trained to obey on command. Hell, he wasn’t excluding himself either. He’d already acknowledged that he might have the control in their relationship, but all the power rested with her.
Well, just until after supper. The little temptress still had to be punished for her earlier blatant defiance, though he had a good idea he would enjoy her punishment every bit as much as she would. He nearly snorted at the idea of actually hurting her. He’d cut off his right arm before allowing anyone to hurt her, much less inflict physical harm on her himself.
As he heard his brothers making their way to the table, Silas stuck his head into the kitchen.
“Need any help, princess? You shouldn’t be carrying so many heavy dishes at the same time.”
She turned, her arms loaded down with the platters in question, and gave him another smile that caused him to melt on the spot.
“This is the last load,” she said. “Go ahead and take a seat with the others. I’ll be right there.”
Ignoring her invitation, he stepped forward and relieved her of two of the heaviest platters, ignoring her eye roll. That would get her another punishment when the others left.
He sniffed appreciatively as his gaze wandered over the trays piled high with food.
“Smells wonderful, princess. I can’t wait to try it. This must have taken you hours.”
He frowned slightly as he said the last. Then he glanced back up at her.
“Don’t think I don’t appreciate the fact you cooked such a wonderful meal for me and my brothers, but you already put in a long day between your classes and the extra practice when you get home. There’s no need for you to be on your feet all afternoon when any one of us could go pick something up.”
Her smile was soft and she did not roll her eyes this time. “You’re so good to me, Silas. But the truth is, this is honestly the only full meal I’m any good at making. As a result, I don’t cook it often. In fact, the last time I made it apart from when you were out of town that time was for my father before he passed away. I’m more of an improvise-and-make-do-with-what-I-have-on-hand kind of girl.”
His heart twisted at the sudden flash of pain in her eyes at the mention of her father, and a scowl worked its way over his features before he could call it back at the image of her getting by on the little to nothing she’d had before she’d moved in with him.
“Never again will you go without,” he vowed.
The thought made him physically ill, and he had to shake the images off before the trembling in his clenched fingers caused him to drop the dinner she’d prepared all over the floor. Here was a woman who deserved so much better than what life had handed her. She was so loving and giving and life had shit on her at all turns. That shit was over. He’d make sure she always had the means to live easy and free. Even if it was without him.
