Page 54 of The Arrogant One

“Holy crap. What’s that like?”

I shrugged. “Exactly what you’d expect. A house full of chaos when we were growing up, kids everywhere, never a quiet moment. We’re probably an even tighter family now than we were back then. I’d say that’s because we’re not under the same roof anymore. Space is a good thing when you have a family that large and you didn’t have enough bedrooms for everyone to sleep in, and there was endless sharing when it came to food, clothes—everything.” I gazed up at the ceiling and across the living room. “We didn’t grow up like this. Or anything that even remotely looked like this.”

She nodded. “I get it.”

I pointed at the glass that framed the view outside even though it was almost too dark to see what I was aiming at. “My brother’s house is straight across the canyon, and another brother’s place is off to the right—both visible from here.Eden and Colson live right around the corner. And what’s funny is that not only are our houses in the same area, but we work together too. I see most of them every day.”

“It’s just my sister, Cat—spelled like the animal—and me and our small family of four. I’m trying to imagine having three other Cats while growing up”—her hands went to the top of her head—“and I can’t. Chaos would be an understatement.” Her eyes were wide and stayed that way. “Where do you fall in the age lineup?”

“Directly in the middle.” I swiped my thumb over the side of my scruff. “Is that what you would have guessed?”

“I haven’t guessed anything. I’m still in shock that your poor mother was pregnant five times and four of those were boys.”

“And each of us was born about two years apart.”

She took a deep breath. “That’s so many months of being pregnant and feeding and changing diapers and—just whoa. I mean, I love it, but it’s still a lot.”

“All the power to the people who want a team of children. I wouldn’t change the way I grew up for anything, but it’s not something I want when I get married. Two is the perfect number, in my opinion.”

“So, you want kids …” Her teeth were back, this time grinding across her bottom lip.

“I do. You?”

“Very much so.” She linked her hands together. “Growing up, I wanted to be married by twenty-five and pregnant soon after so I had my kids young. Not that thirty is old—I’m not saying that at all. I’m also not saying I’m ready to have kids now. I’m just saying life didn’t play out according to my plan.” She glanced down at her fingers. “But I’m honestly so happy with the way things unfolded. It’s just ironic how you have thisvision and the path you think you’re on and things never seem to go that way.”

“In my experience, things tend to go better.”

She rubbed the top of the glass with her thumb, and I couldn’t stop watching her fingers, something about them keeping my gaze locked.

“I thought I’d go to the University of Southern California and ended up at Arizona State University—the best decision,” she said. “I thought I’d live in Scottsdale after graduating, and I came back to LA instead—another decision that worked out incredibly well for me.” She smiled. “So, yes, Lockhart, I agree, things tend to go better.”

“You’re a Sun Devil, huh?”

“And proud to be one.” She laughed. “Are any of your siblings married?”

“None of them are.”

“Stop. You’re kidding?”

“No, we’re all single.” I crossed my arms. “Some because of choice, some because they’re married to work, and some, just like me, who prefer playing the field. Or the old me, that is—until I met you and you changed my opinion.” I pushed up the sleeves of my shirt.

“Instead of a one-night-stand kinda man, you’re a two-nighter.” Her expression told me she was challenging me.

“Excuse me, this is night three.” I stretched out my fingers, fucking dying to put them on her, and placed them back on the counter. “And I’m hoping there are many more after tonight.”

She slowly dipped her head in agreement. “How about kids? Does anyone in your family have them?”

“Colson, the second oldest, has a little girl, Ellie.”

“I bet you go wild for her, don’t you?”

My thumbs tapped the stone beneath them. “We all do.There isn’t anything that little one can’t get from us. I’d buy her a car if she asked me to.”

“A car? Hold on. How old is she?”

I chuckled. “Four—and I know it’s extreme, but that’s how much she owns me. There’s no limit when it comes to her. We spoil the shit out of her.”

Her brows pushed together. “Didn’t you say you guys all work together?”