Which was absolutely not to flirt with his mom.
With all his stealth lip-reading, I could only pray the kid couldn’t pick up on innuendo, too.
He jabbed at the page with his forefinger, brows rising high.
Hey, I thought we were making lollipops?
Forcing myself to stop looking at his mother, I chuckled at the way Evan was staring up at me like he’d be all too happy to put me in my place.
This time, I didn’t even try to stop myself from ruffling my fingers through his hair.
Grabbing his notebook, I headed over to the island. He scrambled onto a stool right beside where I stood so he could read as I wrote.
Don’t worry, buddy. I am here to make lollipops.
Knew he could read my lips, but something about communicating with him this way made me feel like I was talking directly to him.
I looked up, made sure Evan wasn’t paying attention, and said, “But if your mom wants to put me to work after we’re finished, she totally can. I’m all hers.”
Fighting laughter, she narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m pretty sure these lollipops are going to keep you plenty busy. They are a lot more time-consuming than you can imagine. By the end of the night, you’ll be regretting agreeing to come help. Begging for someone to put you out of your misery.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I can go all night.”
Damn it all, I just couldn’t help myself. Not when it came to her. Not when I knew that redness would go flushing up her neck and splashing on her cheeks.
Sweet.
Heat.
“Awful sure of yourself, aren’t you, Dr. Bryant?” The words fell from her lips, throaty and low.
As she rounded the island, my attention swept from her legs, to the swish of her hips, and to the sway of her ass. She hiked up on her toes and grabbed three plates from a high cupboard.
“I’m one-hundred percent confident in myself, Ms. Masterson. I wasn’t granted knighthood without reason. And I believe we’ve already talked about my stamina.”
This time, she did laugh, shaking her head. “You are the cockiest man I’ve ever met.”
She glanced back at me. Playful and sexy and the best thing I’d ever seen.
This woman was a vision. The kind of face that hit me right in the gut. Because there was no question she was stunning.
But it was the sheer goodness radiating from underneath that absolutely made her glow.
“Don’t ever mistake confidence with arrogance. They are two very different things,” I told her. Tension throbbed, clinging to the air and rippling with unspoken things.
Like she was issuing a secret, saying she’d really like to experience what that might be like.
“Shall we get to work so I can prove it?” I asked, not even sure what I was asking anymore. Knowing I just kept getting myself deeper and deeper. But I didn’t know how to stop myself when I was around her.
She walked back to the island. Evan had his head down, scribbling something across the page. She set the plates on the counter and pressed her hands to either side of them, the swell of her tits just peaking over the neckline of her dress.
“Dinner first. You’re going to need your energy.”
Favorite food?
Reading his question, I pursed my lips in playful contemplation before I said, “Pizza.”
I made sure Evan, who was sitting next to me at the table, could see my lips clearly.
Favorite car?
“Uh . . . foreign or American?”
He studied me through his thick glasses, so damned cute I was having a hard time focusing on making the candy. Having a tougher and tougher time keeping it at bay, the affection for this kid that just kept growing and growing.
American.
“Well, that’s easy then. A 1968 Shelby Mustang.”
Whoa, he mouthed, nodding his agreement. Mine, too.
“Really . . . are you sure you’re not just trying to copy me?” I would have written it down, but I was wearing plastic gloves that were covered with melted sugar.
Across the table from us, Hope was over there, grinning this affected, sweet grin as she worked.
Her expression beneath the light pouring in from above shot straight through the center of me. The girl looked so damned happy while she listened to the interrogation Evan had been giving me for the last twenty minutes.
I’m not a copier!
He angled the pad of paper in my direction before widening his eyes and giving me a little shake of his head.
Like I already should have known.
I grinned at him. Of course, I did.
My expression must have assuaged him, because he was tapping the end of the marker on the pad, considering his next question.
Favorite ice cream?
“Strawberry.”
It was out without a thought, and my gaze immediately darted to Hope across the table.
Maybe just so I could catch the blush heating up on her cheeks.
Obviously, she knew exactly the direction my thoughts had gone spiraling.