Page 31 of Finding You
From what Raven had seen so far, the place was truly a bachelor’s pad with leather furnishings, a gigantic flat screen television on a wall in the living room, and there’d been a small bar in the corner of the dining room. The house was larger than it looked on the outside.
After passing a couple of bedrooms and a bathroom, Zion stopped at the door at the end of the hallway. Then he nodded toward it as she approached.
“This is a gift from my parents and sisters. I hope you like it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Still cradling Zanaya against his chest, Zion stood next to Raven as she stared open-mouthed at the nursery. His mother was good at overstepping, but by the shock and emotional reaction from Raven, he was glad his family had done this. It felt good to be able to have a designated space for his children.
He glanced down at his adorable, sleeping daughter, and his heart swelled. He might’ve thought of having kids way off into the future, but he could honestly say he was happier than he’d been in a while. He was holding one of his precious babies, and everything felt right in his world. Everything felt better than perfect.
He lifted his gaze to Raven who still hadn’t spoken. “Do you like it?”
“Are you kidding me? This is unbelievable. Zion, this is beyond gorgeous and everything I want for our babies,” she said, emotion choking her voice as she blinked rapidly and bit down on her bottom lip. “This is extremely generous. I can’t believe your family did all this.”
He hoped she didn’t cry. Though he’d dealt with his share of tears growing up with four sisters, he hated to see women or kids cry. Happy or sad tears, he didn’t like them.
He reached over, wrapped his arm around Raven’s shoulder and placed a kiss against her temple. He loved touching her, any part of her, and that jolt of awareness each time Zion held her close was as strong as the first day they’d met. He had a feeling it would only get stronger as time went on.
“I’m hoping my family and I can help make things easier on you going forward. How you’ve managed on your own this long with two babies is amazing, and I want you to know you no longer have to. I’m here not just for the babies, but you too.”
“Thank you. You have no idea how much all this means to me. From the moment I learned of these two, I vowed to do everything I could to make sure they have a good life. Knowing you’ll be a part of it…” Her words trailed off as she visibly struggled to pull herself together, swiping at a few errant tears.
“These months have been hard and exhausting.Though my friend Teresa has been a huge help, knowing I have you and your family to lean on is more than I could’ve imagined. There aren’t enough words for me to express what all this means to me. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad we found each other. Now, how about we get the babies settled, and I finish dinner?”
“You cooked?” she asked, glancing at him as they moved farther into the nursery.
Zion chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised. Like I told you before, I’m not just another pretty face. I do have skills in other areas.”
A slow smile spread across her beautiful face as her gaze bounced between his eyes and his lips. “I know.”
His pulse jumped at the way she was looking at him. He hadn’t meant for his comment to sound suggestive, but hey, if she was thinking about kissing him, he wouldn’t stop her. However, he wanted her to see the other sides of him. He wanted her to see the man who she could count on. The one who planned to be there for her and their kids. But he wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to taste her again.
That was actually something he was looking forward to, but first, he wanted her to get to know him—not just physically. For the last twenty-four hours, he’d been thinking about what a future together would look like. It was premature to think they’d fall in love and live happily ever after, but from day one, there’d been something between them.
Hopefully, by the end of the night, they’d have a plan for how to move forward. He had some ideas. He just hoped he could talk her into them.
After showing her the guest room—the room she’d be staying in tonight—Zion went to the garage. He grabbed a bag and a small suitcase that she had left in the car and brought them inside.
“Now, let me formally introduce you to one of my best friends,” Zion said when he made it back to the living room. Raven was sitting on the floor next to Onyx’s crate, talking to him. Of course, his dog was eating up the attention and whining to get out.
“He is so cute,” Raven said and stood, then dusted off the back of her jeans that hugged her butt and hips perfectly.
Even after giving birth only a few months ago, the woman’s curvaceous figure was sexy enough to stop traffic. Zion was trying not to stare, but it was hard not to. The form-fitting yellow sweater she was wearing highlighted his favorite body parts of hers—her breasts.
More than a handful, they were sitting up high, and he longed to palm and squeeze each one of them. They were luscious a year ago, but now they appeared to be even fuller. If that weren’t enough, her nipples were pushing against the material. What he wouldn’t give to tease and suck them into his mouth—to sample them again.
Dude! Stay focused, he chided himself. Now was not the time to be lusting after her.
“All right, boy. Let’s get you out of there,” he said to Onyx as he opened the crate and held on to the dog’s collar. “I want you to meet the mother of your brother and sister. This is Raven.”
“You can let him go. I love dogs,” she said, and Zion did.
Like a proud papa, Zion was glad Onyx didn’t jump on her. Instead, he sniffed her all over, his tail wagging.
Zion had been training the dog for years and had even enrolled him in an obedience class shortly after getting him as a puppy. Onyx was well-behaved, and the true test would be how he handled being around the babies.
