There are in fact ten and a half cakes left in the Beyond kitchen. Shaking my head, I leave two and a half cakes on the counter and cut the rest into easy-share slices. Filling a large tray with the slices, I wrap them securely with cling-film for delivery to the shelter. Writing a quick note for Alexa, who said she and Damon would take them, I put one of the whole cakes into a tin as Scarlett arrives in the kitchen wearing her coat, hat and backpack. Our sturdy re-usable shopping bags dangle from her elbow and the smirk on her face needs no explanation as she eyes the cake in my hand.

“The sex is so good he gets two cakes in one day?”

Narrowing my eyes at her, I set the cake back on the counter as I open the door of the fridge to hide behind. “How do you know he gets two?”

“Cake-math,” she replies, still grinning as she watches me pour a glass of milk. “You made twelve. Gave one of them super fancy frosting - which I no longer see here, so I’m guessing Mr. Green already got his special delivery - with extra treats,” she whispers, before pointing to the half-eaten cake on the counter, about to divulge the culprits. “Benji demolished that half, with a little help from Reeni, and myself - great cake by the way - and you’ve left another for morning tea and sliced the rest up for the shelter, while packing this one up unsliced to take with us to Green’s.”

“You are scarily observant.”

“I know,” she confirms, still grinning. “So it was two cakes good, huh?”

Blushing, I keep quiet by drinking my milk.

“And dirty,” she gasps. “Good for you!” Giggling, she nudges me with her elbow. “Come on. I want to go tease him too.”

Putting my glass in the dishwasher, I fix her with a hard stare. “Do you have to?”

“Ah, yes,” she says, laughing at me as she moves back through the living room and throws me my coat. “Lennox Green turned our Angel-pussyKat into a sex-demon-lioness. He needs to be congratulated.”

“Just... shh. Okay? I don’t need you guys all in my business putting pressure on our relationship when it’s only in its infancy.”

“Infancy?” Scar laughs out loud. “You two have been circling this for like, two years before the man pounced. Your relationship is at least a toddler.”

Tossing the end of my scarf out of my way, I tie my laces. “Then it’s a fragile, complicated toddler, with other kids to think about, so just...shh. Okay?”

“Fine, fine,” she says, raising her palms. “Minimal teasing.”

Grumbling at her, I stand, button my coat and grab the cake from the side table. Checking my phone again, I put it in my pocket.

“That’s about the hundred and third time you’ve looked at your phone this morning,” Scar says, starting down the stairs. “Is Mr. Green sending you naughty texts, or is it that he’s not and you want him to?”

Sighing, I follow her downstairs. “I’m waiting on a message from Andy.”

Stopping on the bottom step, Scar turns to look up at me, a frown on her face. “You’re dating both?”

Shaking my head, I see her shoulders relax.

“Good. I was starting to think I didn’t know you at all,” she says, opening the next door for us both. “You really shocked us with the whole I slept with his father thing,” she continues. “And while we don’t know the circumstances, it doesn’t really align with what we know of you. Now I don’t want to speculate-”

“Seriously?” All she does is speculate. Sighing, I shake my head. “Just to clarify, it was under strange circumstances, and was completely out of character, and I don’t need you to try and understand something I did in the past. You know me now, and you know me well. Okay?”

“Okay,” she says, bumping me with her shoulder in a friendly way as she offers me a gentle smile. After half a block, she clears her throat.

“Yes?” I ask with a roll of my eyes as I smile at her.

“You know how I know you quite well?” she asks.

“Yes?” I say, looking at her sideways.

“You seem nervous.”

“I am.”

“About seeing the bear-man?”

“What? No. He’s great.”

“So it is the Andy message,” she deduces in her detective-like tone.

Shaking my head, I laugh a little. “You could just ask actual questions instead of round-about ones.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” she cries. “Fine. What will his long awaited message be about?”

“A time that suits to meet with him.”

“Meet with him?” Scar says, wrinkling her nose. “Why?”

“To break his heart by telling him about Lennox, and then convince him to keep my secrets from the kids while inviting him properly back into their lives, without letting him know that I screwed his dad while he was gone.”

Nodding slowly, Scarlett raises her eyebrows and puffs out a plume of hot breath. “Yup. That explains your current state of tense edges.”

“I’m not that tense,” I say as we approach the door to Green’s. “I’m actually looking forward to getting it over with. I just hate waiting. Andy said he’d probably get a break for lunch, but I’m waiting for confirmation of the time.”

The bell jingles as Scar pushes through the door and Lincoln greets us from behind the counter in a cheery voice. Recognizing my cargo, he quickly slips around the register to offload the cake from me.

“You are too good to us, Katarina,” he says, eying the other customers. “I’ll take this upstairs in a minute. We already polished off the one you left this morning.”

“You guys have a cake problem.”

“We’ve got it under control,” he swears, hand over his heart. “It’s only banana cake. We can say no to any other kind. But sweet banana - she calls to us.”

“What does she say?” Scar asks with a giggle.

“That’s between us and the cake,” Lennox says, coming through the curtain with an armful of boxed vegetables, stacked up to his chin. Turning his head to kiss my forehead as he passes, he stashes the cartons under the end display. “Linc, run that cake upstairs before you give in to the sweet temptation,” he warns, turning back to me, his heated gaze making my cheeks warm.

“You’d know all about that, huh?” Scarlett jokes, cuffing him lightly on the arm.

Lennox looks to his arm, back to Scarlett, and then beyond her; to me. His eyes darkening in a hungry way, he doesn’t open his mouth to reply. “Mmm.”

Trying not to laugh, Scarlett clears her throat and steps out from between us. “I’ll fill the bags,” she says loudly and clearly, before laughing quietly and muttering, “Wouldn’t want to get between a bear and his honey pot.”

“Wise,” Lennox says, taking a step closer before glancing at his other customers. Hesitating, he moves his hands behind his back and lets his eyes travel me instead. “Everything okay?”

Nodding, I take a step towards him and pause too. Curling my fingers into my palms to keep from reaching for him, I put my hands in my pockets.

Lennox’s eyebrows twitch and his dark lashes fall against his cheeks in an elongated blink. “Have you heard from Andrew?”

I shake my head. “Not yet.”

“You should come back here to wait; after your deliveries.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Looking around the store and then meeting his eyes and seeing the undeniable appetite there, I take a deep breath in an attempt to stave off the flush I know will find me any second. “Won’t that be... distracting?”

“Yes.”

Snorting at his quick response, I look around the store again. “Yes?”

“Yes,” he confirms. “But it’ll distract you too. I’ll keep you busy.”

With a raging mega-flush now in full force, I raise my eyebrows.

“With chores,” he clarifies, a little color filling his own cheeks now. Glancing at his crotch, he turns to look out the window as he shakes his head. “Katarina Sophia James, you will need to at least try and behave yourself.”

Being with him makes me want to do anything but.

“What if I can’t?” I ask, reaching for my phone as it chirps.

Looking at the screen, I forget the delights of flirting with Lennox Green as Andy confirms he has time to see me in a few hours. Swallowing roughly, I take a deep breath as I put my phone back in my pocket. Even keeping hold of it doesn’t keep my fingers from twiddling as I think about the meeting.

Reaching into my pocket, Lennox draws out my hand and kisses my fingers lightly as he meets my eyes.

“You come back here when you’re done. I will keep you busy until it’s time and I will come with you if you need me.”

Releasing a long breath I nod. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now go and help Scarlett with the bags before she gets a hernia.”

***

AS MUCH AS I WOULD have liked to bring Lennox with me for support, I’m very aware that turning up at Andy’s door with a bear of a man behind me will only instill further belief that any decision I express was somehow formed under duress. I need Andy to know that my responses come from me.

Doing my best not to become unhinged by my only other visit to the Embassy Suites, I make my way to Andy’s room and force myself to knock on his door before I have the chance to chicken-out. At least it’s not the same room I shared with his dad.

The door swings inward, and a very handsome Andy Coulson, dressed in a well-tailored suit, beams at me before pulling me into a hug.

“I’m so glad you agreed to see me,” he says, stepping back and welcoming me into his room. “I’m sorry about the inconvenience of any delays in getting back to you. We’re flat out on a project at the moment and the boss is really driving us hard. Come in. The water just boiled. Can I make you a tea?”

“That would be nice. Thank you.” Looking at his view a moment, I shrug out of my coat, laying it over the back of one of the chairs before sitting in it. The hotel chair is as stiff and awkward as I feel.

“Can I please apologize again for last night?” he says, setting two cups of tea on the table in front of me. He nudges one closer to me before taking a seat in the chair opposite. Scooting his chair into a more conversational position, he takes my hand, making my eyes fly quickly to his. “I mean it, Kat. I was really wrong to treat you like that.”

Smiling politely, I retract my hand and pick up the cup, bringing it to my lips. “I’m sure it was quite shocking for you,” I say, cringing just a bit. “Probably you weren’t expecting to see so much of me when you came calling at my work.”

Blushing, Andy reaches for his own tea. “Not exactly. No,” he agrees. “Though the sight was better than I’d imagined - and being a teenage boy living next to you, you can bet that I did a fair bit of imagining,” he says, laughing at himself as his blush deepens.

Clearing my throat, I smile despite my discomfort. “I’m really sorry if I’ve given you the wrong idea about... well a lot of things, Andy. But the thing is, I like my life, and I’m kind of seeing someone.”

“Oh,” he says, straightening. “Oh,” he repeats, much deeper this time. His tone is filled with sudden understanding as his cheeks burn almost as brightly as I know mine can. Nodding once, he noticeably takes a small breath before arranging himself more casually. “Oh?”

Stifling a chuckle, I nod. “We’ve known each other a while, but it’s still new. He’s wonderful.”

“Oh,” Andy says, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice, despite maintaining his stoic expression.

My heart hurts for him, but he needs to understand there’s no hope for us. “I’m sorry for not keeping in touch, Andy - Drew. I really am. I loved you very much, but as you said, for some reason,” - your asshole father - “didn’t feel I could show it. When you left for college, it was easier on myself to let you go. My life was hard, and I didn’t want to burden you when you were only just getting the chance to find yourself. A lot can happen in seven years, and although it was wonderful to see you again, I’ve moved on in that way.”

Again, he nods, but remains silent.

“I’m sure that probably comes as some relief, now that you know I’m a stripper,” I add lightly, nudging him with my elbow. “Imagine taking me home to your dad now!” I add with a giggle as I imagine Brett Coulson’s face at his prodigal son returning home with not just the small town girl/one-time hooker, but a full-time erotic dancer! It’d dash all his high hopes to dust, that’s for sure. Surprised by my own giggle, I’m suddenly bolstered by the fact that I can laugh about it.

“Are you okay, Andy? Drew,” I correct myself, touching his shoulder. “I was only joking.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Nodding, he smiles too. “I just...” Rubbing his forehead, he smiles again and shakes his head. “The others had kind of encouraged me not to take no for an answer from you, but now that seems... problematic.”

“Others?” I ask, almost spilling tea as I return my cup to the table and turn to him more fully. “Tim and the girls?”

Andy nods, wincing. “I’ve been keeping in touch with Tim and Jem since the holidays. Tim seemed to think I’d still have a shot with you; that you were just too busy seeing to everyone else’s needs to consider your own, and if I just didn’t take no for an answer, I’d definitely be able to convince you I was worth your time. Except now, I realize Tim might not know very much about your life in Buffalo.”

Sighing, I drag my hands down my face. “Okay.” Taking a deep breath, I let it out nice and easy. “So no, Tim doesn’t know I’m a stripper, and he doesn’t know about the man in my life - because as I said, that’s a new development. But while I haven’t told him yet, Tim has actually met him. Briefly.” Sighing, I shake my head. “I know he and the girls were hoping we’d get together - especially after I caught them all spying on that kiss you hit me with on the doorstep, but I think that’s largely because they’ve missed you. They probably figured us getting together was a way to fast-track you back into their lives. The snowball fights really haven’t been the same since you left.”

Saying nothing, Andy just blinks at me.

“I’m kind of glad you’ve been keeping in touch with them,” I add with a smile. “We’d happily have you back in our family anytime you want to come. Just not as my boyfriend, because that role is already taken.”

Smiling, Andy seems to relax a bit. “Okay,” he says nodding slowly. Eying me carefully, he puffs his cheeks out as he exhales. “Don’t be offended by this question, because I’m kind of naive about all of this, but I can only imagine how I’d feel about my girlfriend dancing naked in front of other men. This guy, does he... care about you enough?”

“He cares very much,” I reply without the need to even think about it. “He supports me in everything I do, and knows just how to make me feel loved and cared for. If I want something, he does what he can to help me get it. He has a daughter the same age as the twins and we’ll be introducing them all to each other next time I head back to Franky-town.”

Breathing another sigh of relief, Andy smiles. “Good. You deserve a good man. Do I get to meet him too?”

The warmth in my cheeks is difficult to ignore and I squeeze my eyes shut for a second. “You already sort of have. Twice. It’s Lennox Green, from the store; Green’s Produce.”

“That guy?” The surprise in his voice makes me giggle, and I nod.

“Yeah. He’s adorable.”

“Adorable? I was thinking... dangerous,” Andy says, leaning back. “He could break you like a toothpick. Is he gentle with you?”

Only when I don’t want it hard and rough.

Bright vermilion flames must surely be moments from engulfing me and I pick up my tea again to hide behind it. “He’s actually very sweet, and patient, and good for me. Can we talk about something else? Like if you were serious about coming to Franklinville when we go home to introduce everyone?”

Andy sips his tea. “Would that be okay?” he asks quietly.

“More than okay. We all love you and have missed you terribly.”

Smiling easily now, Andy takes a bigger gulp of his tea. “And this Lennox Green of yours won’t mind?”

I shake my head. “I told you; he helps me get what I want, and I want you back in my family’s lives. We’ve had enough loss; it’s time to add some faces for a change.”

“You’re sure?”

“Mmhmm. I’ll sort out the issues between me and your dad too, so it won’t be weird, okay?”

“Sounds great,” Andy says, grinning now. “You seem really happy ThunderKat.”

“I am happy,” I agree, before frowning and pointing a warning finger at him. “But you have to promise not to tell the kids about the dancing. I won’t have them feeling bad about anything I’ve done in the name of feeding them, you hear?”

“Loud and clear,” he says, carefully. “I wasn’t so sure at first, but I can see that you really are happy, so I’m starting to understand that your... dancing is part of that. You always were happiest twirling around.”

“Exactly. So you’ll come home a bit more, but keep my secrets?”

Setting down his empty tea cup, Andy moves his chair back as he stands. Holding out his hand, Andy grins as I shove my cup back on the table and stand too. Taking his hand, we run through the old secret handshake, hugging after the growl.

“Good to have you back, ThunderKat.”

“You too Andy.”

***

“HOW’D IT GO?” LENNOX asks as soon as the happy bell jingles on my way in. Across the store in seconds and pulling me into a possessive hug, he growls a little. “Did he try and kiss you again?”

Giggling, I push him back. “There was no kissing.”

“Until now,” he says, pulling me back in and taking my lips as his hands weave into my hair. A quiet moan dies in my throat before it can get any louder, because Lincoln yells for us to get a room, and more than one other customer is laughing.

Lowering from my toes as Lennox slowly peels me from his lips, I giggle again, knowing I must be blushing something fierce. Smirking as his thumb brushes over my hot cheek, Lennox clears his throat.

“Linc you got this? I’m going on break.”

“You could at least try to be a little more subtle about it,” Linc says, laughing. “Don’t eat all my cake while you’re up there.”

Lennox grunts in reply and turns to lead me out back. That’s when I see that the other snickering customers are in fact known to me. Lex gives me a little wave as Damon winks at us.

“Damon’s helping me with dinner tonight,” she explains quickly, holding up her basket. “Promise we’re not spying.”

“I should hope not,” I say with a smile as Lennox tugs my arm gently, urging me towards the back. “Might see more than you bargained for,” I joke as I allow Lennox to pull me through the plastic curtain strips.

On the other side, he pulls me back to his lips, lifting me from the floor as he opens the door to the stairwell. Wrapping my legs around him as he carries me upstairs, my thumbs stroke his beard as I return his kiss. Nuzzling into his neck, I breathe him in and sigh happily. “Can I nibble on your ear?’ I ask him sweetly. “You have very cute ears.”

Grunting an affirmative response as he kicks the door shut behind us, he pauses momentarily, deciding which way to take me. Reaching for his lobe, I take it between my teeth, tugging it softly before dragging my teeth down it and sucking it into my mouth.

Cursing, Lennox turns and carries me in a different direction. “Damn it, Kat. I want to talk to you about what happened,” he groans.

“Talk after,” I whisper, licking the shell of his ear. “I’m yours and you want me.”

His erection jerks against my crotch in agreement as he moans again. Kicking open his door, he throws me on his bed.

“Boots.”

I lift my feet for him. Making short work of the laces, he tosses my boots to the floor before peeling my jeans off. Pulling me back to my feet, his fingers sweep up my ribs as he grabs my top layers and removes them all at once, leaving only my bra.

“You won’t want this either,” I whisper, unclasping it and letting it fall to the floor moments before his hands cup my breasts and his mouth closes over a nipple.

Unbuttoning his shirt and jeans, I push him back, fighting to keep my head. “I want your shirt off, and your jeans around your ankles,” I say, hooking my thumbs under the waistband of my lace panties and swaying back and forth.

Watching my hips, Lennox throws his shirt over the chair in the corner of his room. “Are you dancing for me?”

Moving in a slow spin, I smile. “I’ve been dancing for you for quite a while now. Take your undershirt off too. I want to feel your skin against mine.”

Pulling it over his head, he throws that on the chair too.

“The jeans,” I remind him as his eyes follow my panties on their slow, skin-grazing journey to the floor. I step out of them as he shoves his jeans down his strong legs.

Taking hold of his smooth shaft, I stroke his velvet skin and kiss his broad chest. “I want it slow and gentle.”

“It’ll be my pleasure,” he says, lifting me to him and lowering us both to the bed. Coating his tip in my arousal, he eases in slowly with a sigh as his tongue flicks my neck in tiny little licks. “I love giving you what you want.”

“I didn’t know what I wanted until you showed me,” I moan softly as he pulls out, then slides in deeper.

One of his hands cups my head as that arm takes his weight, and the other hand runs lovingly over my body, tracing every curve and angle. Every tender touch adds to the pleasure building from his slow dives and gentle grinding.

“If I love you soft, will you still be loud?” he whispers against my skin.

Arching off the bed to meet him, I mumble something that sounds like I don’t know, without even opening my mouth. Pleasure has my lips pressed together at this point, because I’m riding that thin line at the peak, where I could fall at any time, but every moment feels amazing, as if any moment might be the one that sends me over. I never want it to end.

Without any added pressure or depth, Lennox keeps his tender pace, prolonging my splendid agony until my body can resist no longer. My head thrusts back into his bed as I explode around him and he captures my low moan with his kiss as he rides my waves to his own release.

Pressing his forehead to mine as our breathing settles, Lennox chuckles. “I’ll keep soft love in mind when you’re staying over,” he says. “Much quieter, but just as beautiful.” Moaning, he reluctantly moves off me and pulls up his jeans, leaving them open. Heading into his en suite bathroom, he soon returns done up again, holding a warm facecloth.

Lying next to me, he proceeds to gently cleanse between my legs, making me blush and close my eyes to escape the intimate gesture.

“Don’t you start that blushing, Katarina. Let me take care of you. I’m worried I’ll break you if I keep taking you anytime I can.”

Keeping my eyes closed, I nod, because the warmth actually feels pretty good now that the pleasure has passed and I’m feeling sensitive and tender again.

“Thank you,” he says, kissing my belly and shifting off the bed when he’s done.

“Have you eaten?” I ask, rolling to the edge of the bed and reaching for my underwear.

“Why? Am I allowed to take a bite out of that perfect ass of yours?” he says, jumping on the bed and making me squeal when he nips it.

“No biting! I have to dance later. I was going to suggest that I fill you in while you eat.”

Lennox mutters that he’ll fill me in as he eyes my ass again. Moaning, he drags his hand over his face. “Okay,” he says, smacking my butt and smiling as he leaps back off the bed. “Come and tell me about Andy Coulson while I make a pastrami and potato chip sandwich.”

Already halfway out the door, he turns back as I climb off the bed. “And put some clothes on for goodness sake. I can’t be trusted if you walk around like that, and you’re exhausting me. I’ll have to go to sleep before Kimber just to function tomorrow.”

Giggling, I get dressed and sit at his table as he moves about the kitchen. It is becoming one of my favorite sights.

“What are you smirking at?” he says, looking up as he crunches his sandwich together on a plate and comes to sit next to me.

“I just like looking at you,” I reply with a smile.

“Feeling’s mutual,” he says holding his sandwich out to me. Taking a bite, I crunch as I smile and continue to admire him. Watching me right back for a while, he closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Talk,” he says, biting his sandwich and continuing to watch me.

“I told Andy that I was very not interested in him romantically because I am totally hot for the adorable guy from the veggie store.”

“Adorable and scary,” he corrects me.

“I didn’t have to add scary, because Andy thinks you look dangerous.”

“That’ll do nicely,” he says, grinning. “Please continue.”

“And he’ll keep my dancing from the kids, and he’s very happy about being part of the family again, and that I will sort things out with his dad so it won’t be weird.”

“I’ll sort things with his dad,” Lennox says, frowning.

“We both will,” I say firmly. “I need to clear the air between us for the sake of the others, and probably should be present on any visit from you, to keep you from doing anything naughty.”

Chewing slowly, he watches me and swallows. “Can I still threaten him?”

“We’ll see; eat your sandwich.”

Chuckling a little, he shakes his head. “You sound like a mom.”

“I get that a lot.”

“It’s pretty hot coming from a sweet young thing like you.”

“Sweet huh?”

“Mmhmm. A total honey.”

“A bear would think that, I suppose.”

“He would. He can’t get enough. Licks his paws clean and everything,” he says, shrugging his eyebrows at me and polishing off his sandwich.

Shifting in my chair, I feel the warmth creeping up my face. “Jeez, you’re a filthy one.”

“You love it,” he says with another grin. “Only an appreciative and equally dirty mind would’ve gone there Kat. On the surface that was clean as a whistle.”

“Whistles are covered in spit. They’re dirty as fuck.”

His eyes are gleaming at me in a very dangerous way. “Enough, Katarina, or I’m going to haul that sweet ass of yours back to bed.” Groaning, he pulls both hands down his face.

Giggling, I reach over to his fruit bowl and take two bananas. Passing one to him, I start peeling the other. “Will it always be like this, do you think?”

“Like what?” he asks, peeling his banana from the opposite end than I would.

“Hot. And fun, and... needy.”

“I fucking hope so,” he says watching me a while. “I think in ten years I’ll still feel like I can’t breathe when you eat a fucking banana,” he says, swallowing visibly. “Do you do that on purpose?”

“What? Eat?” I ask, thrown off balance by the ease of his ‘ten years’ comment.

Lennox shakes his head, still watching. “The way you wrap your lips around it all slow and gorgeous, taking just a bit too much, so it bulges in your mouth. Fuck.”

Giggling, I cover my mouth as I chew. “I can’t believe you think me being greedy is sexy.”

“Well it is. Stop it, or I’ll never get back to work.”

“I’ll take smaller bites,” I promise, as he finishes his banana in two mouthfuls. “Maybe you should too.”

Squinting at me as he chews, he holds out his hand for my peel and puts them both in the compost bin on the far counter.

Finishing, I clear my throat as Lennox makes tea. “Were you serious before?”

“Before what?” he asks, coming to sit back down with two cups.

“The... finding me sexy in ten years thing.”

Kissing my forehead, he smiles. “Definitely serious. You’ll only be thirty-four. Then again you’ll still be sexy in forty years, I’d say. I just hope I’m not too blind by then to appreciate it.”

My hands tremble as I reach for my tea, and Lennox doesn’t fail to notice.

“What’s this really about?”

“So you really do want a long term thing with me?”

“Ah yes, I really do,” he says as if I’m crazy. “I told you that.”

Nodding, I take a sip of my tea.

Sighing, he lowers his cup. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind. I’ve already picked out your name.”

“My name?”

“Mmhmm,” he says, smiling. “Katarina Snow-peas-are Green. I’m assuming you’ll let me marry you one day, and that you’d like to share my totally awesome last name. We have bags,” he says, pointing to the bag of groceries on the bench with the store logo for Green’s on it.

I can’t keep a straight face at that. Lennox takes my hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb.

“I think you’re a wonderful person, and a phenomenal cook, with strong family values, who is good to me, and my daughter, and pretty much everyone else you know. I love you, Katarina. I’m in this for the long haul, if you’ll have me.”

Squeezing his hand, I smile and nod. “I’d like that. I can’t imagine what it’ll look like, but I’m keen.”

“I imagine it will look something like this,” he says, leaning in to kiss me softly on the lips, then more deeply. When he pulls back, my breath is coming that much faster.

“But how do we work that into our lives in a functional way?”

“We’re doing okay so far,” Lennox says frowning. “We’re both still getting things done, even though certain super-sexy redheads make it very difficult,” he says as his eyebrows twitch and the corner of his mouth begins to curl up. “I’m sure my dick will get easier to ignore eventually.” Chuckling a little, he sighs happily. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for, but there are things we could do to make things easier on ourselves.”

“Such as?”

Lennox regards me quietly before speaking. “When I think about the future, I see you here. Maybe with your little sis-”

Cutting him off with my gasp, I glare at him as I try to pull my hand back.

“Now hold on a second,” he says quickly, keeping my hand firmly in his. “Let me finish. You could move in here with your little sisters - if they’d like to, and if you’d feel comfortable with them being here. They don’t have to find out about the dancing, we could keep the same lie that you work behind the bar to explain your absence in the evenings. Though with them here, Jem away at college and Tim a grown man, you could get rid of the house in Franky-town and use the cash to fund the kid’s education, so you could dance a little less - which means I could scuff you with my beard, or get to nibble at you every now and then without getting hit on the nose with a rolled up newspaper - which I’d really like,” he says with a mischievous grin. “But as I said - when you’re ready, we’ll do whatever you want. Within reason, obviously. I’m not pandering to outrageous demands like Lennox fuck me on the table good and hard before supper,” he says, putting on a girl’s voice. “Not if we have three impressionable, young ladies sleeping down the hall. It’s too risky.”

Folding my arms, I lean back in my chair and click my tongue. “You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?”

“I really have,” he says, his grin still very visible as he sips his tea. “Obviously, this wouldn’t happen immediately, considering I’ve never met your sisters, nor they me, and we’d have to get everyone liking each other and on the same page, which could take... years, I guess. Or months. We’ll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, we’ll share what we can - like meals, and beds, and spit,” he says grinning again as he kisses me.

“Gross.”

“You love it.”

I lift one shoulder in partial agreement as my cheeks begin to hurt from the smile I’m restraining.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” he asks, that sexy as hell smile growing impossibly big again.

I nod.

“Good,” he says with satisfaction. “And you like your name? That’s especially important.”

“I love it. I love you.”

“And I, you,” he says, pulling me into his lap and kissing me with the usual thrilling intensity as his hands slip under my layers to trace patterns on my skin. Groaning, Lennox throws his head back and points at the door. “Chores,” he whimpers as his jeans begin to strain beneath me.

Kissing him again as I remove myself from his lap, I run my hands through his perfect hair. “I’ll get your shirt.”