Page 39 of Nothing to This

Without her putting up obstacles was what he was really saying.

Her mind raced; there wasn’t time to nitpick.“We have to tell the kids.”

Standing up, he guided her to her feet.“Let’s go get them now.”

She glanced at the clock above the powder room door.“They’re gone already.”His instant look of concern motivated her reassuring hand to land on his chest.“Brenna picked them up.This is your weekend.She’s bringing them back to the apartment later… We didn’t know what time you’d be out of the office, so she said she’d stay with them… I’m supposed to have dinner with Baxter.”

“Are you looking forward to that?You can tell him the truth, no more secrets.”

Shaking her head, she inched nearer.“Not before we’ve told the kids,” she said.“They should know first.”

He squeezed her shoulders.“They know I’m their father, it’s not a big reveal for them.”

“No, but they don’t know about your means or that you own the building they spend their days in.”Feeling a sliver of anxiety, she touched the edge of his tie.“Have you decided if you’re going to hang around?”

“Hang around?You mean have I changed my mind about living here full time?”he asked and scooped a hand around her face to bring it up.“I’m going nowhere, babe.”They looked at each other for almost a minute, saying nothing.“Why don’t you delay your date until tomorrow night?You and I can make a plan while Bren has the twins.”Smiling, he brushed his thumb across her cheek.“We can be seen in public now.Where’s your favorite restaurant?”

Tipping her head further back, she curled her fingers around his lapels.“A seafood place by the water,” she said.“But if you take me there, your daughter will never forgive us.”

He leaned down.“We’ll tell her we had steak.Do you like seafood?”

She nodded.“It’s my favorite.But Sky tells me sea creatures are mermaids’ friends and so she makes me feel guilty if I suggest eating it.”

“When was the last time you ate there?”

“A long time ago, it’s expensive,” she said.His brows rose.“I don’t mind gouging my children’s father as long as I’m making him a co-conspirator in my crime.”

He shrugged.“I’m pretty sure we’re going to screw them up anyway.Isn’t that what all parents do?”

“Yep, and there’s always the added bonus that if she runs away, she becomes Grama’s problem.”

JD was laughing when the office door opened and Greg came in.Though she tried to be discreet in removing her hands from his lapels and stepping away, there wasn’t much space behind with the chair blocking her.

“We’re going to dinner,” JD said, running a hand down her arm as he headed for his desk.

“It’s barely five,” Greg said.

“Brenna has the kids.”JD shut down his laptop and gathered some papers.“She’ll drop them off at the apartment later.We have to get some things straight first.”

Shock reverberated through her.“What?”she asked, amazed to read the lack of surprise in Greg.“JD?”

He was all at ease.“You told me not to make it difficult for you,” JD said, picking up his things.“But Greg knows exactly who you are and all about the kids.”Still standing dumb when JD came over to thread his fingers between hers, it was too confounding for words.“Come on, babe, we’ll go home and change.Does this place have a dress code?”

“I…” Her laptop bag was over his opposite shoulder and his own computer and files under his arm.“We won’t get a reservation tonight.”

“Oh, we will.Let me worry about that,” JD said, pulling her toward the door.“Let’s go home.”

FOURTEEN

“That was beyond amazing,” she said, folding her arms on the edge of the restaurant table.

JD topped off her wineglass.“The guilt makes it better,” he said.“Now we share a secret.”

“We’ll have to find some way to betray Kye.”She put her menu on the edge of the table.“We don’t want to play favorites.”

The server came to pick up the menus.“Did you decide on dessert?”

“Yes,” she said, straightening her back.“Can we have a cheesecake and a chocolate mousse to go, please?”