Page 46 of The Dating Ban (Mind the Corbin Brothers #1)

I press a kiss to her temple, my own throat thick. “I take it that’s a yes?”

She lets out a wet laugh, pulling back just enough to look at me, her eyes shining.

“That’s a yes, you absolute dork… if you are okay with that, that is.

” She looks at me with pleading eyes and I suddenly realise that she wants this.

She is not just doing this for Lu; she wants this, probably wanted this for a while.

I grin, brushing my thumb under her eye to catch a stray tear. “Of course. I couldn’t wish for a better mum for Lucy. ”

Ivy sniffs, laughing again, then suddenly gasps as if remembering something important.

“Lucy!”

She spins, rushing out of the kitchen before I can even blink.

I follow just in time to see her drop to her knees in front of Lucy, who barely has a second to react before Ivy is crushing her in a hug.

Lucy squeaks, her little arms flailing for a moment before she clings to Ivy just as tightly.

And just like that, the last missing piece of my world clicks into place.

I lean against the doorway, watching them, my chest so full I can barely breathe.

Lucy giggles, muffled against Ivy’s shoulder. “Are you crying, Ivy?”

Ivy laughs, sniffling. “Maybe a little.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m so happy, Lu.” Ivy pulls back just enough to cup Lucy’s little face, her thumbs brushing over her cheeks. “You made me the happiest person in the world.”

Lucy beams, like she just won the best present ever. “Really?”

“Really.”

Lucy’s eyes flick to me over Ivy’s shoulder. “Daddy, did you ask her?”

I nod, my voice thick. “Yeah, Ladybug. I did.”

Ivy wipes her eyes and turns back to her, smiling so big it’s almost blinding.

“And I said yes.”

For a second, Lucy just stares at her, as if she’s making absolutely sure she heard that right .

Then, slowly, her face lights up.

“Mum,” she whispers.

Ivy nods, her voice thick with emotion. “My Ladybug.”

Lucy launches herself forward, wrapping her arms around Ivy’s neck so tightly that Ivy nearly topples backwards.

“I knew you’d say yes!” Lucy squeals into her shoulder, her little voice full of absolute certainty.

Ivy laughs, squeezing her just as tightly. “Of course I said yes, Lu.”

Lucy pulls back slightly, her face so full of joy it makes my chest ache. She studies Ivy for a moment, like she’s thinking, like something is shifting in her little mind.

Then—

“Love you, Mum.”

The words are soft, natural, effortless.

But everything stops.

Ivy’s breath catches. Her body goes completely still.

I swear, for a second, even my heart stops.

Lucy doesn’t seem to realise the weight of what she just said. She just leans into Ivy again, resting her head against her shoulder, perfectly at ease, like this has always been the way things are meant to be.

Ivy’s eyes flick up to mine, wide and wrecked and shining with tears she’s not even trying to stop.

I swallow past the lump in my throat and nod.

Go on. Say it back.

She presses a shaking kiss to Lucy’s hair, whispering, “Love you too, Lucy.”

Lucy sighs happily against her, and Ivy’s eyes close, like she’s holding onto this moment with everything she has .

I walk over, crouching down beside them, wrapping my arms around both of them.

My girls.

My family.

Ivy

I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, my heart still full.

I’m a mum now. I’m Lucy’s mum.

The thought makes me feel warm and gooey in a way I never expected, like melted chocolate or a perfectly toasted marshmallow. It’s not like anything changed officially—there was no paperwork, no ceremony—but it doesn’t matter.

Lucy called me Mum.

And I am.

I smile to myself, sinking further into the pillows. I hear the faint sound of Theo locking up, followed by the soft creak of the floorboards as he checks in on Lucy.

My heart clenches.

Because I know exactly what he’s doing.

He’s tucking her in.

Even though she’s already asleep. Even though she won’t know.

But he will .

A moment later, the bedroom door opens, and Theo steps in, rubbing a hand through his hair. He’s in pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, looking effortlessly comfortable, and God, I love him.

He shuts the door behind him, padding over to the bed with a grin. “Still awake?”

I nod, lifting the duvet so he can slide in beside me. “Barely.”

He settles in, rolling onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow so he can look at me. “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”

I blink at him. “About what?”

He smirks. “About the fact that she wants to call you mum.”

I let out a breathy laugh. “I mean, yeah.” I turn onto my side to face him, my hand slipping over his chest. “You realise this means Lucy and I officially outnumber you now?”

Theo groans dramatically, flopping onto his back. “God help me.”

I grin, shifting closer, resting my head against his shoulder. “But honestly, yeah. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

His fingers trail absently along my spine. “I figured.”

I smile against his skin. “It’s just… kind of a big deal.”

“It is a big deal.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head, his voice softer now. “And I’m so bloody happy for you. For us.”

I exhale, feeling my heart swell. “Me too.”

There’s a beat of silence, warm and full.

Then, Theo hums. “You do realise, though… this also means Lucy is going to be angry with you at some point.”

I pull back slightly, narrowing my eyes. “Why? ”

He raises a brow. “Because you have to start saying no.”

I scoff. “I do say no.”

Theo chuckles. “Babe, you just let her eat ice cream before bed and encouraged her pony agenda.”

I huff. “Okay, fine, but in my defence, she’s adorable.”

Theo smirks. “She is adorable. But trust me, one day you’re going to tell her she can’t do something, and she’s going to storm off and slam her bedroom door and declare that you’re ruining her life.”

I snort. “I doubt that.”

He shakes his head, looking far too amused. “You won’t doubt it the first time she glares at you like you’re her mortal enemy because you didn’t let her stay up late to watch a film.”

I pause, narrowing my eyes. “She’s never going to glare at me like I’m her mortal enemy.”

Theo sighs, rolling onto his back, draping an arm over his forehead like he’s mourning my innocence. “Oh, Ivy,” he says dramatically. “You sweet, naive woman.”

I laugh, slapping his chest lightly. “Oh, shut up.”

He grins, catching my hand, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “Just remember this conversation when it happens.”

I roll my eyes, but I am smiling.

I shift back into his arms, letting his warmth wrap around me as I nestle into his chest.

I know he’s right. One day, Lucy will get mad at me. She will slam doors, she will give me attitude, and she will push my patience.

But she’ll also come running to me when she’s excited, when she’s scared, when she needs a hug .

She’ll curl up next to me on the sofa, she’ll hold my hand when she’s nervous, and she’ll ask me for help when she’s struggling.

She chose me to be her mum.

I’m still wrapped in that thought, feeling its warmth settle deep in my bones, when Theo shifts beside me.

“You do realise what else this means, don’t you?” he murmurs, his voice low and knowing.

I blink up at him sleepily. “What else what means?”

He smirks, running his fingers lazily down my arm. “You being Lucy’s mum now.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“Well,” he starts, his smirk deepening, “if the rule is that mums and dads sleep in the same room…” He pauses for effect. “It’s about time you officially moved in with us.”

I push up onto one elbow, searching his face, trying to figure out if he’s just teasing. “Theo, you don’t have to offer. I’m already here most nights anyway.”

He shakes his head, shifting so he’s looking at me properly. “We don’t want you most nights, Ivy.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch slow, deliberate. “We want you every night.”

My heart stumbles.

He’s serious.

This isn’t just a casual suggestion. This isn’t just convenience.

He means it.

Theo is looking at me, waiting, his expression open and hopeful, like he’s already decided that I belong here, with them. With him.

And the thing is—he’s right .

Because I do belong here. I’ve belonged here for a while now, haven’t I? It’s just that neither of us put it into words until now. I exhale a slow breath, my heart pounding but steady, and nod.

“Yeah,” I say softly. “I’ll move in.”

Theo’s lips curve into a slow, satisfied smile. “Yeah?”

I roll my eyes at his need for confirmation, but I’m grinning. “Yes, Theo. I’ll move in.”

His grin turns wolfish, and before I can brace myself, he rolls us over, pressing me into the mattress, his weight settling over me in the best way.

“Well, finally,” he murmurs against my skin, his lips ghosting over my jaw, my cheek, the corner of my mouth.

I laugh, threading my fingers through his hair. “Oh, I’m sorry—was I keeping you waiting?”

He chuckles, low and rough, and something about the sound sends a shiver down my spine.

“You have no idea,” he mutters, before finally capturing my mouth with his.

The kiss is slow at first, teasing, full of quiet knowing. Because this is different. This isn’t rushed, or uncertain, or full of the tension we used to dance around.

Theo deepens the kiss, his hands roaming, exploring, like he’s trying to memorise me all over again.

I arch into him, sighing into his mouth, and he makes a low, desperate sound in response, like he can’t get enough of me.

Like he never will.

I pull back slightly, my breath uneven. “You do realise that now that I live here, you’re going to get sick of me?”

Theo smirks, his lips trailing down my throat, leaving soft, lazy kisses that make my stomach flip. “Not a chance. ”

“You say that now—”

He silences me with another kiss, this one deeper, hotter, full of something deliciously possessive.

And God, if this is what moving in means, I’m never leaving this bed.