Nina’s annoyance washed away as she laughed again. “True. But I don’t think that’s a replicable solution.”
“Maybe not, but it’s the right one in this case.”
“Hmm.” They sat in relatively companionable silence for a few minutes, sipping their champagne.
“Have you gotten over the loss of your precious artwork?” Nina asked once the silence had stretched too long.
Theo shook his head. “Never. I visit it in the closet often and yearn for the day we’ll be reunited.”
Nina paused, brows furrowed. “Are you making a joke?”
“Clearly.”
“You aren’t very good at it.” She sipped her champagne again. “You should sayjust kiddingso people know it’s a joke.”
“Wow.” Theo shook his head, but he was smiling. “So rude, Nina Thompson. And I’m not kidding.”
“That’s me.” She winked. “Rude, through and through. Seriously, though, how do you like the updated décor?”
Theo looked around and shrugged. “It’s nice. But it just doesn’t feel like me.”
Nina shrugged. “I think the family thing suits you. More than you think, at least. Maybe someday you’ll actually try to have arealfamily, instead of just borrowing one.”
“Very rude,” Theo said. “But honestly, no. I won’t. Epsilon is my baby. I’ll always prioritize work over my personal life, which wouldn’t be fair to my hypothetical real family. I appreciate you and Jack stepping in, but for me, this is the closest it’ll ever get to real.”
He spoke casually, without a hint of sadness, but Nina’s heart still fluttered. How sad that a couple of strangers were the closest thing he would ever have to a real family. Jack made her life more complicated, but he also gave her life so much meaning.
“We’ll have to make the fake family really real, then,” she said. “Let’s do all the family things. Zoo outings and Sunday pancakes and movie nights and all that.”
She expected Theo to say no and to argue that he would be too busy with work for any of that, but he shrugged.
“That actually sounds fun.”
“Ha!” Nina beamed. “I knew you had a fun side under all that arrogant exterior.”
“And the barbs just keep coming.” Theo shook his head in faux hurt and topped up their champagne glasses.
“You can throw one back,” Nina said. “Throw a barb? Hmm. That doesn’t quite sound right. But I mean, you can tell me something you’ve been thinking about me. Even if it isn’t flattering.”
“I’m impressed with you,” Theo said plainly. “I have been from the moment we met. You clearly care about Jack so much, and you’re making the best of a truly impossible situation. That’s kind of amazing.”
Nina blushed. “I thought you’d say something mean.”
“Why would I?” Theo smiled and sipped his champagne. “You’ve been great. Smart, thoughtful, creative — all that.”
It was the first time Theo had said anything like this, and Nina wasn’t sure how to respond. Her cheeks were warm, and her heart was beating fast. It had been easier when he’d just been an arrogant jerk who’d asked why she didn’t send Jack to a better school. Now… well, now she saw the strong lines of his jaw and the dusting of a five o’clock shadow. She smelled his faint masculine perfume. And she was somehow sitting right next to him on the couch, so close that she could easily reach out and run her fingers through his sandy hair. Which of them had moved closer? And when?
Nina blinked as she slammed back into the present. She shouldn’t be thinking about touching Theo’s hair or leaning in to kiss him. He was the same arrogant jerk he’d always been. And he’d just admitted that he had no time for a real family. Most importantly, she was here because of Jack, to do what was right for her son, not because of herself.
“I’d better head to bed,” she said abruptly. Theo looked surprised, but he nodded.
“Sure. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”
“Exactly.” But the busy day tomorrow wasn’t the reason Nina was fleeing. The real reason was that the champagne had made her feel warm and relaxed, and Theo was sounding more and more like a real person and less and less like a stuck-up jerk. She bade him goodnight and hurried upstairs, not looking back.
She would need to be careful. This arrangement was complicated enough without wanting to kiss Theo.
Hopefully, tomorrow, he’d go back to being arrogant and distant, and she’d forget all about her fleeting feelings for him.
