Page 50 of Prudence (Balfe Family #1)

Her smile deepened as she sat down on a stool and popped an olive into her mouth.

“They’re so in sync. Deirdre said almost the exact same thing.

She’s always wanted a sibling.” She paused, her eyes widening a little before she continued, “Not that it’s a given that we’ll, um, you know, blend our families or anything. ”

Her cheeks flushed as I lowered onto the other stool and tugged her close, sliding a knee between her legs as I caught her hands and interlinked our fingers. “I’m in love with you, Milly. There’s nothing casual about how I feel for you, so please don’t be embarrassed about saying stuff like that.”

“Okay, it might be tough, but I’ll try.”

Moving closer, I pressed my lips to hers in a kiss that was meant to be soft and fleeting. Unfortunately, we both got carried away, and before I knew it, I was pulling her into my lap, my tongue down her throat while my hand found its way under her top. Milly was breathing fast when she broke away.

“Perhaps we should cool off a little. The girls will finish their whisper fest any second now and will be back in here for the food.”

“An almost impossible request, but okay,” I said, grinning hotly as she shook her head and went to grab some plates.

The following morning, I took Gigi to Covent Garden to visit the dress shop she liked, while Milly and Deirdre stayed home to spend some time together before our flight later that evening.

When we returned to the townhouse, I sent Gigi upstairs to pack her purchases away with the rest of her luggage.

I went into the living room and found Deirdre’s father had arrived back from his medical conference.

Colin Morgan was a tall, slim man with the same golden-brown hair and green eyes as his daughter.

I saw where Deirdre got her height, as well as her sharp cheekbones. Milly had much softer features.

“You must be Derek,” Colin said, standing to greet me. He and Milly had been sitting on armchairs sipping from espresso cups when I walked in. “A pleasure to meet you.”

His accent was posh, similar to Deirdre’s.

I got no sense of jealousy or power play.

He seemed like a genuinely friendly bloke, which was a relief because although Milly had stated they were very much platonic, sometimes male interest could evade women’s radars.

That didn’t seem to be the case with Colin, and I shook his hand with ease.

“Good to meet you, too, and thanks for letting me and my daughter stay here this weekend. You’ve got an amazing home.”

“Some would say I work too much to properly enjoy it, but yes, I agree. It’s a great place to live.”

Milly stood and came to give me a soft peck on the lips, running her hand down my arm before she asked, “How was shopping with Gigi?”

“Expensive,” I said, and she laughed before turning back to Colin.

“Our flight leaves in a few hours. Do you mind driving us to the airport?”

“Not at all.”

“I’m just going to make sure I packed everything.

Be back in a few,” she said, kissing me once more, and then I was alone with Deirdre’s father.

If all went according to plan, I was going to be a part of his daughter’s life, so I decided being cordial was the best course of action, even if my irrationally possessive side hated any man who’d ever laid a finger on Milly.

“Would you like anything to drink?” he asked, motioning to the espresso cups, but I shook my head. A short, somewhat awkward quiet fell as I shoved my hands in my pockets and studied the books on the shelf in front of me.

“Milly used to speak about you sometimes,” Colin said, breaking the quiet.

His statement snagged my attention. “Oh?”

“Not often, but enough to let me know you were important to her. I think you might’ve been the one who got away. She’s had partners over the years, but none of them lit her up when she spoke about them like you. I’d always hoped the two of you might find your way back to one another eventually.”

I shot him a disbelieving look. “You did?”

He gave a soft chuckle as he ran a hand over his wavy hair.

“A strange thing for an ex to say, I know, but me and Milly, well, you might not be aware, but we were first introduced by her aunt. She was a friend of my parents, and that woman tends to get what she wants.” He paused to shoot me a meaningful look, and I suspected Milly had filled him in on recent events.

“Anyway, I think we both knew we weren’t right for one another early on, but unfortunately, Milly and I both suffered from a similar complex, the need for approval from certain elders.

Mine was my father, and Milly’s was her aunt.

They were both so intent on us being together since we had so much in common, both training to be doctors and all that.

To be honest, I’m surprised we didn’t force ourselves to stay together longer, considering how under the thumb we were.

But I managed to break out of my father’s influence early on.

It’s nice to see that Milly has finally escaped Nell’s hold over her. ”

Colin stood, taking the last sip from his espresso, then patted me on the shoulder. “She’s an amazing woman and an incredible mother. I couldn’t ask for a better co-parent. Be good to her, yeah?”

His gaze was suddenly assessing, and I found myself looking back at him steadily. “I have every intention,” I stated evenly, and Colin gave me a nod of respect before he left the room.

Later that evening when we landed in Dublin, we caught a taxi home, dropping Milly off at her place first.

“If you’re going to London again before the end of summer, please take me with you!” Gigi said as I was helping Milly grab her suitcase from the back of the vehicle.

“I don’t think I will be, but if I change my mind, you’re welcome to come,” Milly replied, leaning back into the taxi to give my daughter a hug.

“You don’t have to do that,” I told her quietly as I rolled her suitcase up onto the footpath.

She shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not a fan of flying alone, even on short flights, so I’d be glad of the company.”

“Okay, well, are you free tomorrow night?”

“I think so, why?”

I shot her a tender smile and took her hand in mine. Lifting it, I pressed a kiss to her soft skin before replying, “Because I’m taking you to dinner.”

Her eyes lit with interest. “Oh?”

“The first of many. I plan on courting you like an old-fashioned gentleman, so get ready. There will also be gifts.”

She giggled and my chest eased at the sound. “Well, if you insist.”

“I do. Be ready at seven.”

With that I pulled her in for a kiss, despite the fact that the taxi driver had shot me a pointed look that the metre was still running. Gigi groaned from inside the vehicle. “Oh, come on. I’m on board with this and everything, but no PDA, please.”

Smiling, I released Milly, already inpatient for our date. “Miss you already,” I whispered, and her cheeks flushed with pleasure as I climbed back into the taxi.