Page 34 of Nothing to This

There were the twins standing beside them.

“Hey, guys,” JD said and crouched.

She liked that, how he so easily put himself at their eye level either by crouching or picking them up.Doing it made him accessible, showed that he was there for them.He didn’t want distance between himself and their children, he wanted to be close to them.

Their bold baby girl looped her arms around her father’s neck.“Cuddle me too, Daddy,” Sky demanded.

JD hugged her with one arm and scooped the other around Kye to pull him close too.The way the father linked the siblings piqued her curiosity.

Being with JD wasn’t something she’d ever considered.She’d always been an independent woman who didn’t need a man to hold her up.This, what she was watching, was a physical manifestation of what this man was to their offspring.They adored him, she’d always known that, but in that moment, the fierceness of his love was frank, and she sensed how far he’d go to protect them.

The sheer intensity of it was odd given such an innocuous moment.Holding his children on this random Sunday night in the safety of his bedroom, he couldn’t be more relaxed.Yet he seemed to be generating energy.The sensation was so strong, she got edgy.

“I’m going to start dinner,” she said and touched her son’s head as it was closest.

She only got a step away from the group when JD spoke.“Let me take you all out for dinner.”

She looked back, his arm was still wrapped around a child on each side.“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Come on, it’s a crime that we’ve gone all their lives without going out for a meal together.”

“People will recognize—”

“We’ll go out of town, somewhere with private dining…” He looked from Kye to Sky.“Mommy says you guys have never been on a plane.Do you want to go on Daddy’s plane?”

Excited, both kids gasped, their little faces glowed.

“Daddy have a plane?”Kye asked.

“No,” she said before JD could answer.“He’s kidding, sweetpea.Aren’t you, JD?”

Eyeing him, she needed his support.Until the lawyers had done their thing, she was still under a gag order.The kids wouldn’t be able to keep secrets, asking them would be unfair.

JD gave each kid a squeeze.“Go find your best clothes, guys.Daddy will get you there so fast you’ll feel like you’re flying.”

Excitedly chattering at each other, the kids ran out of the room.

As JD stood, she moved in close again to whisper, “You can’t ask them to lie.”

“And don’t ask me to lie to them,” he whispered back.“I do have a plane and I won’t lie to them and say I don’t.”

“But if you start showing them this whole glamorous side of your life, they’ll talk at daycare.”

“I’ve taken them to nice restaurants and in the back of limos, all sorts.”

“Yeah, saying they went to eat food with Daddy or rode in the back of his big car is not the same as saying he took them on his private jet and had their own personal hostess feed them truffles.”

“Then I’ll give Nadia the night off,” he said.As soon as she opened her mouth in shock, he smiled.“I’m kidding, babe.”

Pressing a hand to his chest, she tried to push away, but he put his hand over hers to keep her there.

“It’s not a joke, JD.I could get into serious legal trouble if the kids tell people who you are.”

His smile widened.“Babe, you don’t really think I’d let anyone hurt you in any way, do you?”

With curled fingers, he rested the pad of his thumb on her cheekbone.She didn’t like looking into his eyes and believing him.

“All I’m asking for is time to talk to my lawyer,” she murmured, moving her face against his hand.It would be harder for him to argue if she came across as yielding, rather than defensive.“Overlord.”