“Rory?” he asks, voice rough.
My cheeks heat and I shrug, turning away to close all the cabinets I still haven’t processed. Probably never will. “Suits her.”
“Rory Grace,” he mutters, running his fingers over the adoption application we filled out last night. I need to send it off when I leave for work tomorrow. “Rory Grace Archer.”
Swooning, I nod, squeezing his hand. “It’s beautiful.”
“So are you.”
I swat at him with a tea towel. “Don’t flirt with me.”
“Why the hell not?” He crosses his arms and leans against the counter, looking truly put out. “Flirting with you’s my favorite thing.”
“Because,” I huff, hanging the towel. “It leads to your mouth on me, or your…” My brows waggle knowingly as I gesture to his obviously hard dick. “Thatwinds up in my…”
“Your what, baby?” he asks huskily, stepping toward me like a predator. “Your sweet, honey-flavored pussy? Your deliciously soaked pussy? Your greedy, insatiable, cum-filled pussy. Say it.”
“You’re…” My mouth opens and closes in shock, blood heating and pussy clenching at nothing but his filthy mouth. “You’re incredibly inappropriate!”
“Been a while since you called me that.” He chuckles. “Haven’t called me inappropriate since before I started eating your pretty pussy. In fact, lemme do it now and see what else you can call me.”
I squeal when he makes a dive for me and run around the kitchen, putting the island between us. “Don’t say that! She’ll hear you!”
“She’s not paying a lick of attention to you or your pussy,” he taunts, biting his lip as he closes in on me with his massive strides. “ButIlove yourpussy. Love to taste yourpussy. Touch yourpussy. Fuck it with my fingers and mouth and—”
“Poo–poo–seeeee,” a tiny voice screams with an adorable laugh.
We both freeze, heads whipping toward Aurora who’s waving her teether around above her head like a cowboy hat as she repeats the babbled word again and again.
“Oh my God,” Kade drawls, mouth hanging open, face pale. “Did she just…”
“Yep,” I breathe, nodding. “She did.”
“Pooooo–seeeeeee!”
We stare at her, stunned into silence, as if the air’s been sucked clean out of the room.
Aurora, completely oblivious to the absolute chaos she’s unleashed, erupts into another round of delighted giggles. Her cheeks are flushed, her dimples on full display, and she’s so damn proud of herself it makes something in my chest go soft—and unhinged—all at once.
Kade breaks first, a choked sound bursting from him as he claps a hand over his mouth, eyes wide with horrified amusement.
I don’t even try to hold it in—I throw my head back and lose it. The full-body-shaking, face-wet, can’t-breathe kind of laughter.
Kade follows suit, wheezing, bent over, actually crying as he mutters, “We’re so screwed,” between gasps.
We.
My laugh dies, but my smile sticks, as I press a kiss to Aurora’s head and smooth her hair back. “You’re perfect, you sassy little genius.”
Today, she’s in an adorable yellow romper, and I’ve squeezed her short curls into a tiny half-up ponytail—the rest still as chaotic as ever.
My heart squeezes as she giggles up at me, giant brown eyes rimmed with lashes I’m jealous of, and I can’t help but wonder if she looks like Marlee.
If so, Kade’s ex was stunning.
Throat tight, I flick my gaze to him and find him already staring at her, an adoring but… sort of sad, expression on his face.
Does he think of her mom every time he looks at her? Does he miss her and wonder what it would be like if Aurora weretheirs?
