The Intern (The Dalton Family #4)(91)

I tried to ignore all the attention and handed her the bag. “For you.”

Emotion began to fill Hannah’s eyes.

“Congratulations, baby. I’m so proud of you.”

She took the bag from my hand, and I could tell she was surprised by the heaviness of it. “You did not have to get me anything. Last night was more than enough.”

“What happened last night?” Dominick asked.

I laughed.

Hannah rolled her eyes and looked at them. “Shouldn’t you all be in your own conversation and not snooping into mine?”

“But you guys are just too cute,” Oaklyn teased.

“And they’re so entertaining,” Ford added as he lifted Everly.

“Yeah, I second that,” Jenner said.

Hannah’s attention returned to me. “Did you meet Everly?”

“Yesss!” Everly answered for me. “You owe Mr. Declan a pink cupcake!”

“Is that so?” Hannah said as she looked at Everly. “Maybe I need to bring Mr. Declan with me the next time we bake together, and you can give him one of your cupcakes. How does that sound?”

“Yay! I like sparkles everywhere. Do you like sparkles?” Everly asked me.

“I think Mr. Declan likes extra sparkles,” Dominick responded. “And his favorite color also happens to be pink.”

“It isss?” Everly asked, her mouth hanging open.

I gave Dominick a look and then glanced at Everly. I couldn’t disappoint the kid, and I feared the truth would crush her. “Pink’s cool,” I told her. “I can definitely hang with some pink.”

“Hannah, I can bake with Mr. Declan. He’s fun.”

I smiled at Everly.

And then Hannah grinned at me. “Everly’s approval is a huge deal, just so you know. She doesn’t let anyone bake with us.”

“Not even me,” Ford admitted.

“That’s ’cause Daddy doesn’t bake good, and he likes to leave out ingredients”—she put her hands over her mouth, like she was attempting a whisper—“like the chocolate chips.”

“Ford,” I said, teasing him, “how could you?”

Jenner pointed at Ford and said, “A strong contestant for the Worst Dad Award.”

“Hey, hey,” Sydney shot back, rubbing her hand over Ford’s chest. “I dare you to find a better dad than this one.”

While Jenner and Dominick challenged that statement, Hannah rose on her tiptoes and said softly in my ear, “Is it time I rescue you and take you somewhere private for a second or—”

“Yes.”

She giggled. “Thought so.” Her arms lowered, and she linked our fingers. “Bestie, I’m going to return Mr. Declan in a few minutes, okay? Make sure to keep this group in line while we’re gone. Don’t let them do anything we wouldn’t do.”

“I’m on it,” Everly replied.

Hannah led me through the house and up a staircase and down a hallway, where she opened the last door on the right, closing it once we stepped inside.

After a quick peek around, I said, “Was this your bedroom?”

“Yep, and Mom hasn’t changed a thing.” She sat on the bed, setting the gift beside her. “She keeps saying she’s going to redecorate and make it into an official guest room, but she never will. I think she’s secretly hoping Cam and I will move back in.” Her hand went up in the air. “That’ll never happen, in case you’re worried.”

“If you move anywhere, it’ll be into my place, not back here.”

Her brows rose. “Do you think you could handle waking up next to me every morning?”

“I’d look forward to it.”

I broke eye contact to walk around the space, checking out her swim team trophies and the framed photos of her and her friends. There was a chair in the corner that had bags hanging over the side and several shelves of paperbacks. The door to her closet was cracked open, and there were still clothes inside.

“How many secrets does this room hold?”

“Oh God,” she sighed. “Millions.”

“Any worth sharing?”

She shrugged. “I plead the Fifth.”

“Fair enough.” I stood in the center of the room. “If you’re still her baby, how is Mom going to react when she finds out you’re dating an older man?”

“Mom already knows. I don’t keep much from her.” She crossed her legs and tapped the spot next to her, inviting me to join her on the bed. “She’s dying to meet you, which is going to happen the second we go back downstairs. Dad, too, but I’ll admit, he’s not the nice one. That’s Mom.”

“I hear dads never are—not that I have much experience in that department.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Uncle David and Aunt Sue have already filled them in on your accomplishments, I’m sure. They’re going to love you.”

I nipped her bottom lip. “Will they love me as much as you do?”

“Impossible.”

“Give me those lips,” I demanded.

She slammed our mouths together.

As her taste instantly hit my tongue, her vanilla scent filled my nose, and I breathed her in, listening to each of her exhales releasing with tiny moans.