“Good morning,” I murmur.
“Hungry? Dad’s making breakfast.”
“Oh, I’m ok. I don’t want to intrude on your time with your dad.”
“Get in here, Ruby,” Liam calls from somewhere behind me.
Aiden holds out his hand, offering to help me off the couch. It’s almost comical. He’s small, and even a fraction of my weight would pull him down. Instead, I scoot my butt to the edge of the cushion and stand of my own volition. Taking his hand in mine, I let him guide me through the living room.
To say Liam’s house belongs in a magazine would be an understatement. It’s modest in size, but the vaulted ceilings, deep earthy tones, and black accents lend to the overall warmth of the home.
Aiden pulls me through two antique doors into a gorgeous kitchen with black cabinets and butcher block countertops. It’s not the architecture that steals my breath—it’s the man standing at the stainless steel stove holding a spatula. He’s wearing nothing but an apron and a pair of low-slung grey sweatpants. His muscled back is on full display, along with a significant portion of his chest, finally answering the niggling question of whether his tattoos travel anywhere else on his body. An intricately detailed pair of wings peek out from the apron, and it’s clear there’s more hidden beneath.
Liam clears his throat, interrupting my shameless perusal. “Do you still like your eggs scrambled like a child, or have you evolved in the last ten years?” he asks wryly.
There’s a sassy retort on the tip of my tongue, but I’m spared the effort as Aiden leaps to my rescue. “Hey! Scrambled eggs are the best.”
Liam’s lips tip into a slight smile as he looks at his son, and the pride I see there is almost overwhelming. Liam Murphy isbeautiful. Liam Murphy as a dad is downright bad for my heart. “Sorry, buddy. You’re right.”
“I’m with Aiden on this one. Do you have any?—”
“Shredded cheese?”
Heat creeps up my neck as Liam steals the words from my mouth.
I tilt my head to one side and smirk. “Do you remember everything?”
“When it comes to you? Yes.”
The statement is so matter-of-fact, I can’t even wrap my head around its meaning.
“Sit, Ruby. Breakfast will be ready soon.” Liam points his spatula at the island.
Aiden is already waiting patiently for his meal, but I’m still frozen on the spot, gaping at the gorgeous man who’s cooking for me.
Aiden stands and pulls out the stool directly beside him, his wide smile melting my heart. “Here. You can sit with me!”
“Thanks, little man.” I return his smile and slide into the seat. “Such a gentleman.”
Liam passes me a cup of coffee, and our fingers brush as I reach for the handle. Is he doing it on purpose? Maybe it’s my subconscious giving in to my every impulse to touch him.
“Two creams and an ungodly amount of sugar?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Of course,” he says. “Wouldn’t dream of giving you coffee that actually tastes like coffee.”
I snort out a laugh as he turns back to the stove and cracks two eggs into a hot skillet. I didn’t know I had a thing for men who can cook, but fuck is it doing something for me.
Thank god I packed my vibrator.
“I have to be at the bar at noon,” Liam says. “If you’re not in a hurry, you can catch a ride with me.”
“What about me, Dad?” Aiden asks.
“I’m dropping you off at school after breakfast.”
“Can Ruby come? Pleeeease.” Aiden clutches his hands together and bounces on the spot. I want to tell him I’m more than happy to tag along, but I’m not his parent, and I don’t want to overstep.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, buddy. Ruby probably wants some privacy.”
