He nods and smiles, reaching his hand across the table to grip mine. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” he says in a low, gravelly voice that has my lady parts immediately perking up and wondering if he’s talking about more than just the shift change at work.
Our gazes lock, and I swear this man is making me feel like a teenager who just got her first massive crush. I’m not a mom or a teacher in this moment; I’m just a woman in love with a man. I half want to proclaim my feelings for him right now, but I feel like it’s too soon. Will I scare him away?
His thumb rubs the back of my hand in slow, seductive circles. My face heats under the memory of that thumb doing the same thing to my clit last night. He’s killing me. His gaze drops to my lips, and I swear to God, I’m about to self-combust.
“Mom, where’s my green marker?” Ava calls out from the living room.
“Your bedroom,” I say without turning toward her. I can hear her take off running toward her room. Bray wastes no time. He gets up, walks around the table, pulls me to my feet, and kisses the fuck out of me, leaving me breathless as he steps back and sits down just in time for Ava to reappear.
“Found it,” she says, and then I hear her go back to coloring with the squeaking of the marker against the paper.
My lips are swollen from our kiss, and my body tingles and vibrates with need. “Great,” I manage as I lick my lips. Bray’s heated gaze watches my tongue dart out, and he reaches under the table, presumably to adjust himself.
“Almost done,” Ava declares.
“That’s great, Peanut,” I say as I forget to turn and look because Bray is seemingly eye-fucking me right now, and I can’t stop watching him as he watches me.
“Mom!” Ava scolds. I turn and look at her drawing.
“It’s very good,” I say. “We should get you to bed, young lady.”
Ava groans. “Can Unca Bray read me a story?”
“Sure. Brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, and I will be in in a second,” he says.
“Yes!” Ava exclaims before running to the bathroom.
“Wow, someone’s a sucker,” I tease.
Bray walks around the table again and pulls me to my feet. “I’d do anything for my girls,” he whispers as he leans down and gives me another searing kiss. “Now, finish these grades because I need you naked in the bedroom once Ava’s asleep,” he whispers.
I sit back down and struggle to finish my work. I hear Bray’s murmured voice in Ava’s room, and I know he’s reading to her.
I sail through the last few quizzes before closing my laptop and heading into my bedroom. I decide to jump in the shower. I’m washing my hair when Bray steps into the room completely naked. And holy hell, how did I get such a hot boyfriend? Boyfriend?
He steps into my tiny shower with me, and the two of us press together to make room.
“What?” he asks.
“Are we…what are we?” I ask him. It’s nearly three weeks since Italy, and I have no idea what we are.
“You’re my girlfriend,” Bray says as his lips ghost mine.
“I am?” I squeak.
Bray pulls back. “I need to take you on a proper date.”
“We did that, sort of,” I say.
“We need more of it,” he says. “Tomorrow, we’ll get someone to babysit, and we can go to that Italian place around the corner.”
“OK,” I say with a growing smile. “Boyfriend,” I add.
He grins like a fool. “Come here, girlfriend, I need to make you scream my name…silently, of course,” he adds as we both glance toward the door.
“I can’t eat another bite,” I moan as I shove the plate away. I swear I’ve eaten two pounds of spaghetti and meatballs.
“I could eat some more,” Bray croons as he looks at me with that heated gaze again. I don’t think I could ever tire of him looking at me like he wants to eat me.
