Stella’s lips curved into a wicked grin, not helping my fixation with her mouth.
Silas was dead wrong. I couldn’t get used to this, because I liked it too much.
“Here’s my sign,” Bennie said, racing for the living room the minute Stella opened the door.Welcome Home, Daddywas written in big, stenciled letters in all different colors. She’d definitely had a lot of help.
“This is great,” I said, picking up thelarge piece of poster board from the couch cushion. “I think I’m going to keep this in my bedroom so I can look forward to it every time I come home.”
I cut Stella a look. All she’d done while I was away, how good it was to have her in my daily life, and that easy smile lifting those damn lips… Words escaped me as our eyes locked.
How could something that felt so good be so wrong?
But it was.
“Isn’t this the best dinner?” Bennie mumbled around a mouthful of macaroni and cheese.
It was better than anything I made for Bennie. I usually took the quick and easy route with meals, especially with Bennie being so picky with food.
I watched in fascination as she poked her fork in a tiny bowl of salad—yes, going for the croutons, but spearing a piece of lettuce with it. I guessed picky didn’t apply when Stella cooked, and it was nothing short of a miracle.
“It is. Stella took really good care of you while I was away,” I said to Bennie while holding Stella’s gaze.
“She did. It was so fun. And she scared Ms. Cullen.” Bennie gave her a devious smile. “Like, she jumped back and everything.”
I burst out laughing.
“Not my finest moment, but I got the point across.”
“I disagree.” I pushed away from the table and stood, gathering the plates. “I wasn’t there, but it sounds like an awesome moment.”
“I ate most of my dinner. Can I watch some TV?” Bennie looked between Stella and me.
“Sure,” I told her as she jumped off her chair and headed for the living room.
“I usually let her watch for a little while after dinner ifshe finishes most of it, which she has been,” Stella said, joining me at the sink.
“You don’t have to explain anything. Thank you for all of this.” I held up my hands. “Don’t slug me, I’m just saying.”
She slapped my chest.
“I won’t slug you. This time.”
“Even with your brother away on some secret military mission, I think you may be the lethal one.”
She laughed and shook her head.
“I wouldn’t say lethal, but if it keeps her teacher in check a little and those two leave her alone, I’ll allow the reputation.”
She handed me the rest of the dishes, our fingers brushing when I took them from her. Electricity zinged up my arm from where her skin grazed mine, both of us frozen in front of the sink. My head ached with the urge to lower my gaze and take her all in, right before I took that mouth that wouldn’t stop torturing me.
I jerked back, rinsing off the dishes like I wanted to rinse off whatever had just happened between us.
I’d spent hours reasoning away whatever was happening between us as some kind of phenomenon brought on by my frazzled state of mind, but it hadn’t worked.
This wasn’t some kind of virus or phase that would pass, as much as I prayed it would. I liked Stella. And it seemed as if I’d underestimated her for most of our lives—how strong she was, the big, fierce heart she had that was more open than she realized, and how, now that I was finally truly looking at her, beautiful she was. Like the most gorgeous woman on the planet kind of beautiful.
And I was the unluckiest man alive because I couldn’t do anything about it.
SIXTEEN
