Theo lets out a long breath, clearly trying to pick his battles. “Tell you what,” he says, crouching beside the bed, his voice lowering to that calm, reasonable dad tone that clearly has years of practice behind it. “Remember how you saved Ivy a cake?”
Lucy’s eyes widen. “The strawberry one?”
Theo nods. “Yep. And if you get up right now, you can be the one to give it to her first thing after breakfast. But only if you come to the kitchen like a civilised person.”
Lucy gasps dramatically, throwing off the covers like this is a great and noble mission.
“I forgot about the cake!” She scrambles off the bed with newfound purpose, already halfway to the door. “I have to check if it’s still okay!”
Theo, still crouched beside the bed, exhales in pure relief as Lucy disappears down the hall.
I snort. “You bribed her.”
“Parenting,” he says, “is 75% bribery and 25% bluffing.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And what happens when they call your bluff?”
He rubs a hand over his jaw, smirk widening. “Pray they don’t.”
Theo stands, stretching his arms over his head—and I make the colossal mistake of looking.
Because the movement makes his T-shirt ride up, just enough to reveal a sliver of toned stomach, the defined cut of his hip, and—oh hell—that dark trail of hair disappearing into the waistband of his boxer briefs.
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
A very inappropriate thought pops into my head, followed by about six more, and I must make some kind of involuntary noise because Theo glances at me, eyebrows raised.
I snap my gaze violently toward the ceiling, praying that I don’t look as flustered as I feel.
“Right.” He clears his throat, taking a half-step back. “I, uh—should probably get dressed.”
“Great idea,” I say far too quickly, already trying to extract myself from the blankets. “Same. Also. Clothes. Big fan of them.”
Theo blinks at me, and I want to die.
He huffs a laugh, rubs one of the tips of his red ears, shakes his head, and backs out of the room without another word.
I let out a breath and immediately fling myself out of bed, marching toward the bathroom.
I so have to move to a B&B.
30
Unbalanced
Theo
By the time breakfastis finished, Lucy is practically buzzing. She keeps glancing at the fridge like it holds some kind of sacred treasure, which, in her mind, it probably does.
I lean back in my chair, watching as she finally can’t take it anymore and jumps off her seat, clapping her hands together. “It’s time!”
Ivy looks at her, amused. “Time for what exactly?”
“For your cake, obviously!”
She dashes to the fridge, carefully retrieving the little plastic container like it’s made of pure gold. Then, with exaggerated importance, she carries it to the table and places it directly in front of Ivy, standing back with her hands on her hips.
