Page 15 of Twice as Tempting

Damian quirked an eyebrow at her. “Why should I leave? She’s my niece,” he reminded her.

“Just because you’re related by blood doesn’t mean that I love her any less,” Kelly huffed. With that, Ava emitted a burp that instantly eased the tension and caused them both to laugh.

“See, even her burps are adorable,” Kelly said.

Damian chuckled. “We’re mature adults, Kell. Why don’t we both stay?”

Kelly stared at him for a few seconds before caving in. “Ok, fine.” She stopped pacing and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Damian.

He promptly closed the gap between them.

“What…what are you doing?”

“I can’t see her face from over there,” he explained. “Relax, Kell. I don’t bite. Well, maybe in some situations…”

Kelly swatted him on the arm—the right one with the lightning bolt tattoo up by his shoulder. She loved that tattoo for some inexplicable reason, and she used to trace her finger over it whenever they were…

“It’s my turn to hold her,” Damian said, and Kelly tried not to flinch when she transferred the baby into his arms. He was sitting so close to her that their thighs touched, and she suddenly felt very warm.

“I’ll go heat up her bottle,” Kelly said, jumping up. Any excuse to get away from him for a few minutes.

“I’ll come with you.”

“Why? It’ll only take a minute. I’ll be right back.” Damian stayed seated, but she swore she felt his eyes on her while she walked away.

She took her time in the kitchen and tried to ignore the cooing sounds that Damian made in the next room. He was a man of many contrasts: tough on the outside, yet soft and gentle around kids and in the bedroom. Although he could be rough sometimes too. STOP IT, she scolded herself.

“You ok in there?” Damian called.

“Yep, I’m good,” she yelled. She took a couple of deep breaths, extracted the bottle from the microwave, and returned to the living room.

Ava was cradled in Damian’s beefy arms, sound asleep. “You must have the magic touch,” Kelly said and then instantly regretted her choice of words.

“You would know,” Damian said gruffly.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Maybe.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Kelly glared at him. “I thought we weren’t going down this path again.”

Damian sighed. “Just because we called a truce doesn’t mean that I don’t want you.”

Kelly felt a surge of heat in her loins, but she ignored it. “I’m still mad at you.”

“I know.”

“And I don’t want to be the woman that you just mess around with. Not this time.”

“I get that.”

“Do you, Damian? Do you really?”

He stood up and gently placed Ava back in her bouncy seat. Kelly was still standing in the middle of the room, clutching Ava’s bottle tightly in her hands.