Paul

As he pulled out into traffic, he tried to think of a way to clear the air between himself and Amaya. As usual, he’d lashed out at her in the worst way possible, years of arguing with his ex-wife having turned him into someone he didn’t like when he was frustrated. The kind of guy that lashed out at a vulnerable woman who had every right to be suspect of his intentions. She didn’t know him, they were pretty strangers, and obviously she didn’t feel the same insane pull that he did. In the back of his mind, he knew he was rushing things and acting like a maniac, but he couldn’t help the primal need he had to care for Amaya and Peyton.

In the backseat, the little girl happily played with a stuffed sheep Gino had given her, some promo from a mattress company.

Gripping the steering wheel, he took a deep breath before saying, “Amaya, I’m sorry.”

Her posture was stiff as she stared out the window, the purple and pink streaks in her hair gleaming in the bright sunlight. “If you could take me to a car rental place, or a car dealership, I would appreciate it.”

“What?”

She continued staring out the window as if it held the answers to the universe, the walls around her up so high they were almost visible in the tension radiating off her. “I’m not staying with you. We’re not staying with you. In fact, you can just stop the car now. We’re in town, and I’m sure there’s a taxi service. Thank you for your hospitality, but I’m afraid it’s time for us to part ways. I’ll deal directly with Sandra, and I’d appreciate it if you left us alone.”

Each word struck him in the gut, and he had to pull over into the parking lot of a grocery store before slamming the Range Rover into park. “No.”

Jerking her head to him, she frowned. “What?”

“No.”

“You don’t get to tell me no.”

“I just did.” Frustrated, he closed his eyes and blew out a harsh breath then said in a low voice, “Look, I really am sorry for the way I reacted, for the things I said. You didn’t deserve it and I feel like a major asshole for snapping at you. Please forgive me.”

“Mommy?” Peyton said from the backseat. “I’m hungry.”

Glancing at the time, Paul winced. “Sorry, princess. We’ll get you fed. You in the mood for some homemade macaroni and cheese?”

“Yum!” Peyton smiled at him while her mother glared.

Wanting to take the look of confusion and pain off her face, he reached out and cupped her cheek, startled when she cuddled into his touch like a kitten. He didn’t know if she was that desperate for comfort, or if she enjoyed that it was his hand touching her, but before he knew it he’d pulled her into a hug that should have been awkward, but wasn’t. No, pulling her into his arms was one of the most natural moments of his life, his body designed to hold her close, to envelop her as she pressed her face to the side of his neck.

Her nose rubbed at the sensitive skin there and he swore he felt a brush of her lips as he whispered into her ear, “I’m sorry I was a jerk. My ex-wife...well, she didn’t exactly fight fair. I became someone I didn’t like when I argued with her. I’m not that guy anymore. It’s not who I am, who I want to be, and I’m sorry you had to experience that crap firsthand. You are one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and I’m sorry I added to the stress going on in your life. I lost my temper. It won’t happen again, I promise. I know you probably won’t believe me, but I learn from my mistakes and it won’t happen again.”

For a long moment, she didn’t say anything, her breathing slowing as her arms loosened a bit around his shoulders. He was tempted to stroke her back, to let his hand run over the solid muscles of her body. She was slender, but strong, and he wondered how flexible she was. Considering she was a yoga instructor, probably pretty damn bendy.

“I’ll give you one more chance, but that’s it. I hate fighting dirty, and that’s what you did. You hit me where you knew it would hurt. I’ll let it go once, but you do it again and we’re gone. Understood?”

Knowing she meant it, he pushed her away enough that he could look at her as he said, “Understood.”

“And you need to know that I’m not in any place to have a relationship right now.”

Even as she said this, her hands had begun to slowly explore his shoulders, his neck, her touch light and teasing in a way that drew his nuts up tight. “Okay.”

He could easily see the disappointment on her face. “Okay.”

Before he could really think about his actions, he slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her close enough that he could whisper in her ear again. “I’ll give you some time because I know you need it, but I’m telling you right now, Amaya, you and me? It’s going to happen.”

The pulse in the side of her neck thundered beneath his thumb as she said, “No, it’s not.”

He allowed himself the briefest taste of her skin, a soft kiss followed by a brief flick of his tongue. “Yes, it is. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually you’ll realize who I’m going to be in your life.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“I’m going to be your person, Amaya. The one you put on forms to contact in case of an emergency. The guy you can always count on, the one you know will always put you and Peyton first. You’re gonna find out firsthand why they call me Bulldog, because I can get pretty tenacious when I see something I know I want. I sink my teeth in and don’t let go.”

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, but he knew he was forgiven when she said, “Did you just compare me to a dog toy?”

“You’re like a bacon-wrapped sausage and egg biscuit to a hungry hound.”

Her laughter filled the SUV, and he pulled back onto the empty country road, the fresh air pouring in from the open sunroof. “If that’s your idea of a compliment, no wonder you’re single.”

“I’m single because I don’t believe in wasting my time with women anymore. I wasted enough years with my ex. Now, I’m not saying I’ve been an angel, but the women I’ve dated know I wasn’t a...” He looked into the backseat where Peyton was busy showing her lamb different things outside the window. “Interested in anything long term.”

“I see.”

He could tell by the chill tone of her voice that she clearly didn’t. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m done wasting my time with women that don’t count. I know when I meet her—the woman I’ve been waiting for—I want her to know she’s the one, the only one.”

Her gaze flicked to his, then back to the road. “Huh.”

“That’s it? I bare my soul to you, and all you’ve got is ‘huh?’”

Shaking her head, she gave his arm a gentle pat. “Women, we’re mysterious.”

“I’m hungry!” Peyton chimed in from the backseat.

Paul grinned into the rearview mirror. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you fed. We’ll go have lunch at my brother’s place. He has the world’s best macaroni and cheese.”

“Better than Mommy’s?” Peyton asked with wide eyes.

Aware of Amaya watching him with a small smirk, he quickly amended his statement. “Second best, sorry. I forgot mommy’s is always number one.”

“Good save,” Amaya chuckled.

They pulled up to a red light, and unable to help himself, he leaned over and gave Amaya a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”

Paul opened the weathered front door of the Flagship restaurant. The hostess at the stand—Jodi, his sixteen-year-old freckle-faced niece—smiled at him, revealing a mouthful of braces as she flipped her long, brown ponytail. “Hi, Uncle Bulldog!”

“Hey, Jodi. Can you hook us up with a table on the deck?”

Grabbing some menus, Jodi nodded. “Sure. The family table’s still open, so you’re in luck.”

As Jodi led them through the restaurant, Amaya said in a low voice, “Family table?”

“Yeah, this place is the McGregor’s official watering hole. My parents used to own it, and my mom sold it to my brother Caleb when she retired. The hostess is my niece, Jodi.”

She smiled up at him. “Oh, that’s right. You help out around here as well.”

Jodi chimed in, “Uncle Bulldog built this deck with my cousin Larry and his crew.”

“Nice,” Amaya said as she looked around the patio.

He felt a flash of pride as he watched Amaya admire his hard work. The deck was up on stilts because of how close they were to the sandy beach. The elevated vantage point gave them a great view of the water and the bright red and white lighthouse that jutted into the sky far out on the massive cement pier. At night, the lights of the surrounding cove sparkled like fireflies and he had a clear vision of Amaya in his arms as he hung out with his family beneath the stars and drank a cold beer.

Jodi led them to a table large enough to comfortably seat sixteen people that took up the far side of the deck. A blue and white striped tent stretched over the table, providing shade from the hot sun. Jodi removed the massive ‘Reserved for Family’ sign and set the placemats down on the table so they were seated close to each other with Paul and Amaya across from each other with Peyton on the end. Her placemat had crayons and Amaya helped her open the package while Paul chatted with his niece.

“Either of your parents around?”

“Mom is picking up Jane from soccer practice, but Dad is in the kitchen. Should I tell him you’re here?”

“Sure, but only if he’s not too busy. I’d like him to meet Amaya and Peyton. She’s the one renting the cottage from Grandma Sandra.”

Jodi whirled, her long hair flipping out behind her. “Oh, my sweet gravy, I heard dad and Uncle Dean talking about it last night. They were mad because Uncle Toby was supposed to check on it after the last renters left, but never did and now he’s on vacation. I’m so sorry you had to walk into that. You must think we’re a bunch of animals.”

“It’s okay,” Amaya said with a gracious smile as she reached out and squeezed Jodi’s hand. “I know my plans were last minute. Sometimes things just slip through the cracks.”

Beaming at Amaya, Jodi took their drink order, then left Paul alone with his girls.

“So, what do you think?” he asked Amaya as she tugged at the edge of her shirt that kept threatening to drop down her arm.

“It’s really nice. I love the view and Jodi seems sweet.”

“She’s a good kid. Caleb, my brother, and his wife Meg have five kids.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of kids.”

“It is, and they run the restaurant and chauffer their kids around for all the different lessons they take.” He smiled at Amaya and loved the way her dark eyes sparkled. “And trust me, good old Uncle Paul has been called on more than once to taxi one of their brood around town.”

“Bulldog!” Caleb’s familiar voice bellowed across the large deck.

Heads turned their way, and he raised his hand in greeting to people he knew that had missed his entrance, their curious gaze taking in him and the girls. He didn’t take women with children out on dates. Hell, he hadn’t brought any woman here since that fiasco of a cat fight over a year ago. No doubt the rumors were already flying around town, and he wondered what people thought when he saw them together. He was as big as Frankenstein, while lovely Amaya had her pink and purple streaked blonde hair with her dimple piercing, and Peyton looked like a cute little curly haired doll come to life.

Caleb cut through the crowd, and one of his cousins sitting at a nearby table with his family noticed Paul looking at him and gave him a big thumbs up with a beaming smile.

Rolling his eyes, he watched Caleb weave through the tables like they weren’t even there. Paul always thought his brother would have been hell on the field in football. He was big and light on his feet, but Caleb chose a different path, picking a family over fame. At first, Paul had been puzzled by Caleb’s decision. Then, as the years went by, he realized how lucky his brother was to have a good wife and energetic but loving kids.

A little shorter than Paul and with a prettier face, Caleb took more after their mother with his light brown hair, but his dark brown eyes were all McGregor.

“Hey, Caleb. I’d like you to meet Amaya and Peyton.”

People at the next table over were obviously listening in, but he ignored them. While it was nice that everyone knew everyone, it was also a pain in the ass. Soon word that Paul was spotted around town with a woman, who he’d loudly announced was taken back at the furniture store, would circulate. He was expecting a call from his aunts so they could pump him for good gossip. Caleb smiled wide as he took Amaya in, and she flushed prettily beneath his admiring gaze.

“My, my, my, Bulldog, you sure have some pretty ladies here with you today.” He gave Peyton a wink, then his smile fell as he sat next to Amaya. “Sorry about the cottage. It’s tourist season here and we’ve been swamped, but that’s no excuse for ignoring the place. Mom’s super pissed at us, and I feel terrible you had to deal with any of that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Amaya smiled and Caleb grinned at Paul.

They chatted for a little bit about the town, Caleb bragging about Paul’s efforts to turn the place into an artist colony and tourist destination, until Jodi came back with their drinks and took their order.

Caleb stood, smoothing his hands over the lightly spotted white apron around his waist. “I gotta get back to the kitchen before the kids burn it down, but can I steal Paul for a second?”

“Of course. It was nice meeting you, Caleb. You have a lovely restaurant.”

“Thanks, Amaya. You two are welcome here anytime, and I mean that. Don’t make me hear about you eating at McDonalds behind my back.”

“Happy Meals!” Peyton shouted. “They have the best toys.”

“Hmmm, that is a good point. I guess you can still get Happy Meals.”

Paul smoothed Amaya’s hair over her shoulder and stroked her cheek. “I won’t be long.”

Her gaze darted to the no doubt watching crowd. “Okay. Uh, does everyone usually stare at you like this?”

“Yep. Told you, I got family, or friends of my family, everywhere. It’s a blessing and a curse.”

“So I see.”

“Besides, beautiful woman like you can’t expect people not to want to take a look. You’re like a flower blooming in an unexpected place, something that demands attention.”

Ducking her head in a bashful move that he found adorable, she needlessly rearranged Peyton’s crayons. “You’re so cheesy.”

“You love it.”

Caleb cleared his throat. “Paul, step away from the pretty lady. You won’t be gone long.”

Amaya giggled while Peyton enthusiastically colored an image of a seagull on the children’s placemat. “Go.”

“Fine.”

Once they were in the hallway leading to the bathrooms, Caleb lowered his voice and leaned in, “What’s the story with her?”

“What do you mean?”

Snorting, Caleb rolled his eyes. “Please, you’re all over her. And I already heard from my wife, who received a phone text from Gino, about how you were in the furniture store buying something for your fiancée.”

“She’s not my fiancé. I simply told Gino that Amaya’s taken.”

“By who? You?”

“Yep.”

Caleb started to laugh, then he grew incredulous. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“Wait, is this my brother who swore he’d never have a girlfriend again?”

“I was an angry guy back then.”

“You still are, Bulldog. That junkyard dog temper of yours gets the best of you sometimes.”

“Not around Amaya and Peyton.”

“Fuck, I see that stubborn look in your eyes. You won’t listen to reason, too stuck on yourself.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“My brother, I love you, but ever since the divorce you’ve been...around. Not sayin’ that’s a bad thing. You deserved some no-strings happiness after all that terrible shit you went through with your bitch ass ex. But, you’ve got a reputation, and I’m tellin’ you as a married man with experience dealing with women, eventually she’ll hear about it. Someone won’t be able to resist sharing with that lovely young woman how you’ve slept with more than your fair share of women.”

“I’ve got a past; she’s got a past. We all have issues. I’ll deal with it when the time comes. In the meantime, my girls will be living with me at my house, and I’m going to treat them so right they’ll never want to leave.” He looked Caleb dead in the eyes, his brother’s face slack with disbelief. “I’m keeping them.”

“Keeping them? Are you out of your damn mind?” Caleb smiled at an elderly gentleman as he passed on the way to the restrooms. “I thought she was just staying with you for a few days.”

“The cottage is trashed. I can’t let her live there.”

“We’d be more than happy to have her stay in our guest house. I know the kids would love Peyton.”

“No.”

“Bro, no offense, but this isn’t like you. I’ve never seen you this instantly smitten with a woman. Not even Thea in high school. It’s weird. You’re being a gentleman. Are you on drugs?”

Hitting his brother on the shoulder, Paul scowled. “Fuck off.”

“You need to let her know some women may be bitchy about you. There are lots of women that hoped you’d come back for seconds or thirds.”

Pissed, he glared at his brother and glanced around to make sure they were alone before whispering, “I have never, ever bullshitted any woman about any possibility of a relationship with me other than friends with benefits. You know that’s true.”

“Yeah, and I’ve had two of your skanks fighting in my bar ‘cause you were two timing them and they found out.”

Paul’s heart sank as Amaya’s stiff voice said, “Excuse me, we were looking for the bathroom.”

Wincing hard, Paul held out his hand, knowing he was fucked by the way Amaya totally ignored him, like he wasn’t even there. “Amaya—”

“Don’t.” She stiffened and visibly paled when he took a step toward her. “Caleb, if you could call a taxi for me, I would appreciate it.”

“Amaya—”

Peyton looked between them with a worried expression, her lower lip trembling. “Mommy, I have to potty.”

“Excuse us.”

She shoved him out of the way, pulling a bewildered Peyton behind her as she stormed down the hallway.

He called after her, his voice strained and his heart aching, “Wait—”

Caleb cleared his throat. “Amaya, it’s not—”

Before either of them could finish a sentence, Amaya slammed the door to the ladies’ room closed behind her.

Caleb gave him a guilty look. “Sorry, I didn’t know she was there.”

Paul cuffed him on the back of the head. “Thanks a lot, asshole.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Caleb ran his hand through his hair. “Shit.”

Glaring at him, Paul muttered, “Look, I really like this girl. A lot, and I’d appreciate it if you could keep your mouth shut about my previous dating life around her. Got it?”

One of the servers yelled down the hall for Caleb and he raised his hand, signaling he’d be there in a second. “Want me to try to explain it to her?”

“No, just go.”

He stood outside of the women’s bathroom long enough that he wondered if Amaya had somehow snuck out the window with Peyton before the door cracked open and they emerged.

Amaya’s eyes were red and swollen, and the thought that he’d made her cry was a spear right through the clenching gut. He didn’t want any misunderstandings between them, and certainly didn’t want her running away before he had a chance to explain. Mindful of Peyton watching them closely, he launched into his defense.

“Amaya, it’s not what you think.”

“Really?” She tried to walk around him but he moved, blocking her. “Get out of my way.”

“Hear me out first, please.”

“Mommy, I’m hungry!” Peyton said in a long whine.

He held out his hands, standing between them and the exit. “Please, eat. The food here is great and it should be waiting at our table. I swear, I won’t say a word. You can stab me with your fork if I piss you off.”

Amaya looked between him and Peyton, obviously torn between her need to take care of her daughter and get away from him. “Fine.”

She marched back toward their table with Peyton in tow, her head held high as he trailed meekly behind them, no doubt looking as pathetic as he felt.

Peyton didn’t seem to notice the tension between the adults, she was too busy devouring her lunch, but Paul couldn’t seem to swallow down anything more than ice tea. Amaya also picked at her food, sitting stiff in her chair and pretending he wasn’t even there. He waited until Peyton was distracted by watching a guy play Frisbee with his dog on the beach before trying to break the silence.

“Amaya, look at me.”

Her lips tightened. For a second, he thought she was going to refuse, but her gaze darted to his, then away again. “What?”

“I’m not that guy.”

“What guy?”

“The kind of guy that uses women. I’ve never been that guy.”

“That’s not what your brother says.”

“My brother, God love him, has no idea what he’s talking about. He had to deal with post-divorce me, the one that was looking for any kind of distraction he could get from the shi—” He glanced over at Peyton, who was still eating and crowd watching. “From the stuff happening in his life. I had a rebound period, I’ll freely admit that, but I’ve never been a player. Hell, I was with the same woman from the time I was fifteen until I was twenty-seven. I never once cheated on her, even though I don’t think she’d ever been faithful to me. The point is, my brother is talking out of his as-err butt.”

“How do you talk out of your butt, Mommy?” Peyton asked with a giggle. “Is it when you toot?”

Amaya shot him a glare, and he winced, wondering when he was going to stop screwing up.

“No, sweetie, it’s just a saying.” She lifted her chin in the direction of the small, sandy playground for kids that Caleb had set up off the side of the deck. “If you’re finished, you can go play on the swing set, if you want.”

“Yeah!” Peyton shot out of her seat and was running down the steps before Paul could blink, her curly pigtails streaming out behind her as she ran as fast as her chubby little legs could carry her.

They both turned their chairs to keep an eye on Peyton. She sat next to a little boy near her age in the sandbox and began to play. The woman watching them in the sandbox, an older dark-skinned woman with a bright smile, waved then returned to keeping an eye on the kids.

“Do you know her?” She still wasn’t looking at him, but at least she acknowledged that he was alive.

“That’s my cousin Larry’s wife, Monique. She’s French Canadian and the little boy playing with Peyton is Sam. Nice family. They live on the peninsula not too far from my place. If you’d like, we can have them over for dinner.”

“No.”

“Please, Amaya, I’m sorry. Just let me give you my side of the story, okay? You can make your own decisions as to how big of an asshole I was, but at least let me try to make you understand. I won’t bullshit, looking from the outside in the whole situation was a mistake, but I couldn’t see it at the time.”

“Is it true? Were you dating two women at once? Cheating on them?”

“No. Well, yeah, I was dating both of them, but they were aware that I wasn’t interested in a committed relationship with either of them. My cousin says I’m a moron, and I should have realized both Misty and Tiffany wanted more, but I swear neither of them gave me any indication they were upset I was dating other people. Hell, they were dating other guys as well.”

“What happened?”

“I was on a date with Misty when Tiffany came to the same bar. She saw me with Misty and flipped out. Started a huge cat fight, both demanding I chose one or the other, when all I wanted to do was get the fuck out of that bar and never see either of them again. It was a mess, an embarrassing mess, and I learned a valuable lesson that day.”

“What’s that?”

He almost said don’t shit where you eat, but decided to change it to something that didn’t make him sound like a giant asshole. “That I was wasting my time with the wrong women. That I was never going to find a good woman, the kind I’d be proud to be seen with, the kind you bring home for mom to meet, if I kept screwing around like a dumb, horny teenager. During my time playing for the NFL, I saw a lot of relationships fail because guys married the wrong girls for the wrong reasons. I also saw the couples that survived, that thrived and were everything I’d ever wanted in a relationship. The majority of my friends from my glory days are now happily married to great women, content in a way I’d never understood until I met you and Peyton. One look at you two standing on my beach, and I was toast. I want what my friends, what my parents had before my dad passed. The kind of love that’ll get you through the good times and the bad. I want a woman I can depend on, someone with substance, someone with kindness and strength. Someone like you, Amaya.”

Her sad laugh mixed with the happy shrieks Peyton made as she played tag on the playground with a small group of kids. “You think I’m some kind of prize, but I’m not.”

“You are, and it kills me that you can’t see that in yourself. You’re amazing.”

Some of the stiffness left her shoulders as she studied him. “What are you doing, Paul?”

“What do you mean?”

“All of this. The furniture store, the house, the clothes...being so nice, all of it.”

“Because I want to take care of you.”

“But why? Why go to all this effort for a single mom and her daughter when you could literally snap your fingers and every woman here would jump at the chance to date you? I have baggage, lots of baggage, and I don’t know what you want out of me.”

He struggled to put his feelings into words. To figure out a way to explain everything to her in a way that didn’t make him sound like a crazy man. “I don’t want anything. No, wait, that’s not true. I want you to be happy. I want Peyton to be happy. And I want you both in my life.”

Shaking her head, the diamond piercing in her cheek winked at him as she grimaced. “But why? You’ve only known us two days. We’re practically strangers.”

“Because I...well, because I think you’re something special—you and Peyton.”

“But you barely know us.”

“I realize that, and you barely know me. This is a strange, messed up situation, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize the blessing that’s fallen into my lap. And that doesn’t mean my intentions toward you and Peyton are anything but honorable.”

“Honorable?”

He reached out and placed his hand over hers. “Honorable...and maybe a little dirty in your case.”

The corner of her mouth twitched in an almost smile, but it vanished as she said, “While I’m flattered, I’m really not in a position for any kind of relationship.”

He wanted to talk her into revealing her feelings, wanted to force her to admit there was something special between them, but she was under enough pressure as it was. “I know that. I’m not going to push for more right now, but when you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”

“You’ll be waiting?”

He took her hand in his and leaned forward, never looking away from her face. “Someday, you’re going to recognize that we belong together. The second you do, I’m gonna be there, kissing you until you can’t breathe, until your body grows soft in my arms as you moan.”

She gave him a long, slow blink as her brown eyes darkened to almost black. “I’m not a moaner.”

“You will be.”

Giving herself a little shake, she blinked a couple times and gathered herself. “What if I’m never ready? You know my stay here isn’t permanent.”

“Then I’ve got a long, lonely life ahead of me full of emptiness and woe.”

“Woe?”

“So much woe.”

His teasing worked. That glorious smile of hers peeked through before she turned her attention to Peyton. “Well, I wouldn’t want your woe on my conscience.”

“Say you’ll stay, at least until the cottage is done?” She toyed with her glass of water, drawing designs in the condensation on the side of the glass. “I can help you with Peyton, and you’ll never have to make breakfast.”

“Never have to make breakfast, huh?”

“I’m an early riser, always have been. My internal alarm goes off when dawn breaks the horizon.” He winked. “You could sleep in every day while I deal with Peyton.”

That made her grin. While it wasn’t her usual full out smile, his anxiety that she was leaving eased. “You know just what to say to make a single mom’s heart flutter. But that’s a huge imposition on you.”

“It’s not, it really isn’t. Amaya, I don’t have a job. I only have Elvis to take care of, and without football I’m kind of...floating.  You and Peyton give me a purpose, a path. You’d be doing me a favor by letting me help out.” He watched as Peyton scrambled up the side of the stairs leading to the slide like an agile little monkey.

Amaya was quiet for a moment as she picked some strawberries out of her giant chicken salad then ate them. “Can we just cool it on the relationship part for a little bit? Don’t get me wrong, you are totally hot and your kisses are out of this world, but I need time to just...absorb all these changes. Okay?”

Though it pained him to say it, he agreed. “Okay. But can I still hold your hand?”

Grinning, she laced her fingers with his, and he felt like he’d won the lottery. “You can.”

“What about hugs?”

“Platonic hugs.”

“Cuddles?”

“You’re pushing it, buddy.”

“I was asking for Elvis, not me.”

“Right. Well, Elvis can have goodnight cuddles, but I’m afraid you’re on your own.”

“Fine. What about goodnight kisses?”

“I’ll still give Elvis a kiss goodnight.”

Stroking his thumb along the soft skin of her hand, he said in a low voice, “Just so you know, anytime you’re ready for more than a goodnight kiss, I’ll be waiting. You can use me as your boy toy.”

“My boy toy?”

“Well, I’d offer to be your pool boy, but I don’t have a pool.”

“Good point. And you’re more man than boy.”

“I like to think so.”

She picked her fork back up and dug into her salad. “When I’m ready for all of...that, you’ll be the first to know.”

“That’s all I can ask.”