“Do you see me crying?”
“Cool trick, Ms. Lockmore. Kind of like the vents in the chemistry classrooms take care of fumes from experiments.”
I wink over my shoulder at Olivia. “The crybabies did not get me. But speaking of, I’ll have to ask Ms. Caringello what was up with the stink in her room today. Maybe her vent isn’t working properly.”
Chapter 22
Liam
Dinner goes off without a hitch and without any tears at all. Not long afterward, Olivia declares that she’s going to go take a quick shower. Before she heads upstairs, she gives Quinn a shy smile. “Thank you for being willing to help me this afternoon.” She nibbles her lip. “And for the talk.”
“Of course. Any time at all.”
Oh boy. Is my baby girl having boy trouble? I make a mental note to see if she’ll talk to me about it at some point.
She nods at Quinn like she’s taking what she’d said to heart and bolts up the stairs, her sixteen-year-old legs taking them two at a time.
I turn to the sink to begin washing the dishes, knowing Quinn is watching me like a hawk. I need to keep my hands busy for a second so I don’t out-and-out demand to know whatever it is Olivia is going through.
She blows out a quick breath. “Let me help.”
“Nah, you’re our guest.” I shake my head, shooting her the best grin I can manage at the given moment, as my brain is too preoccupied thinking about what could be going on with Olivia.
“Doesn’t matter if I’m a guest or not. I want to help you get this done so we have a few minutes alone together before I have to go.”
I quirk a brow at her. “Want to get me alone?”
She rakes her teeth over her plump lower lip, and my eyes drift over her as she approaches. “Not like that.” She grabs the dish towel sitting on the counter and swats me with it.
“Careful, I might like that.” I go back to soaping the dishes, rinsing, then begin to hand them off to her.
As she dries, I sneak a look at her out of the corner of my eye.
“You know, watching your big, strong hands dipping down into that soapy water, cleaning up the dishes we dirtied making dinner together? Now that’s sexy. Flowers are nice. Cooking and dishes done are better.”
I grin at her. “Good. I’m glad you like what you see.”
She taps her finger to her lip. “And there’s something about how obvious it is that you love and care for your daughter—that does something to me, too. The way you watch over her and ask how she’s feeling, how you checked on us while we caught up on the work from her school absence, your gentle teasing while cooking … well, it’s enough to make a girl’s heart flutter.” Her tongue darts out to wet her lip. “And it’s obvious she loves you, too.”
I clear my throat, needing to ask. “So, she talked to you again?”
“She did.”
“Good. Boy stuff?”
“Yeah, a little of that, a little of some other things. She’ll be okay. She has a good head on her shoulders.”
I rinse out the sponge and set it aside before I take the towel from her and dry my hands. “Thank you for looking out for her. I’m cool with that, so long as you tell me if I need to kick some kid’s ass.”
A myriad of emotions flow through me before I lean in and feather a kiss across her lips. She whimpers quietly. My hands coast up her arms, squeezing her biceps before I drag her closer. One hand slides up to her neck, my thumb brushing over the pulse point and lingering there as her eyes look deeply into mine. She melts in my arms, and when I lower my mouth to hers again, something deep within me ignites. Lust fuels my every move, flowing through my veins like white-hot iron. I grasp her waist and pull her firmly against me as I ravage her mouth. My brain is a little muddled and for that reason, I don’t hear a single
thing until Olivia’s gasp of surprise from the bottom of the stairs cuts through the moment, startling me.
Quinn and I jerk apart.
The three of us stare at each other for what could have been a split second or an eternity, I’m not sure.
Finally, Olivia’s voice squeaks out, “So, it’s true. What people at school are texting me about is true. They saw you on a date this weekend?”