Be My Hero (Forbidden Men #3)(74)

The compliment made her glow. I'd flirted with her numerous times and flat-out told her she was gorgeous. But thanking her seemed to have an even better effect. She just looked so satisfied. In her element. The pleased glow on her cheeks made her more beautiful than she already was.

A high-pitched beeping from the kitchen interrupted the moment, making me frown. What the hell was that? For a second, I thought it might be a smoke alarm. But Eva bolted upright, taking Julian with her. "Oh! Your supper's ready."

Supper? My mouth fell open. "You cooked?" She cooked?

"Don't get too excited. It's just a frozen pizza. You seriously have nothing in your cabinets, Patrick. I'm thinking you need to leave a little cash with me tomorrow, so I can go grocery shopping for you. Julian's almost out of diapers, too. I'd have given him some of Skylar's but, compared to her . . . " She paused to set her hand over the little boy's ear so he couldn't hear. Then she whispered, "He has a huge ass."

I laughed. "Compared to this little doll, I think everyone has a huge ass. But yeah, if you want to go grocery shopping, I'd be more than happy to fund it." I'd be happy to kiss the ground she walked on.

But cleaning? Cooking? Grocery shopping? I was beginning to wonder if there was some rare disease I could somehow inflict on the Rojas family, that way Eva could be the temporary babysitter forever.

"Here, can you hold him for me?"

I blinked because that was usually the question I asked Tristy. "Yeah. Of course." After transferring Skylar to one arm, I opened the other for Julian. Eva grinned at the three of us after she handed him over. Then she sauntered off, her hips swaying with a natural rhythm that made my mouth water.

I wanted every little part of this woman that ever existed. Needing to trail after her, I followed, bringing the kiddos with me.





Chapter 18


PICK


Eva talked me into going to work that evening at the club. So I did, and that sucked ass too, because I couldn't let a pair of drunk girls drive home on their own, which made me run even later than usual. After I dropped them off at their front door, I realized how potently it left my poor Barracuda smelling like fruity perfume. So I took the long way home with the windows down to air it out.

I didn't want Eva smelling them and thinking something had happened that hadn't when I had to take her back to Mason's. But when I finally returned to my apartment at damn near three in the morning, she was dead asleep in my bed, with both babies tucked around her. I spent a moment just watching them, loving the sight of them together. This was supposed to be my family. My happily ever after. And she should've been my wife.

My chest swelled with longing and a thirsty kind of need, but also with joy because they were really here, for however long I had them.

I planned to relish every second.

Backing away, I tiptoed to the living room and texted Reese to tell her Eva was asleep. I'd drive her home in the morning. Then I flopped onto the couch, pulled the lap blanket onto my shoulders, and passed out.

Hours later, I woke to Eva tapping me on the shoulder. "Why didn't you wake me when you got home?"

I tried to tell her I hadn't wanted to disturb any of them and that I'd already called Reese, but I'm not sure if she understood much through my tired slurring, until she answered, "Well, thanks for letting us get our rest, but Skylar and I can take the couch now. I didn't mean to fall asleep and steal your bed."

I waved her off. "It's okay. Go back and stay there for the rest of the night."

She frowned. "I'm not kicking you out of you own bed, Patrick."

"Damn." I let out a dreamy sigh and grinned up at her as I rolled onto my back. "It still sounds hot when you call me that, even when I'm half dead asleep." With a yawn, I curled back onto my side, facing away from her. "Please, God, don't make me get up and move right now. Can't 'member when I last had this much sleep."

She was quiet for a minute before saying, "You're right. I'm sorry for pestering you. Go back to sleep, Patrick."

I smiled at the address and then sighed when she lightly ruffled my hair. I loved the feel of her fingers against my scalp. About to sink back into peaceful oblivion, I bolted upright when a thought occurred to me.

"Shit! Is Fighter awake?" I hadn't gotten up with him yet, and usually I did once or twice a night.

"No, I just fed him, changed him, and put him back down."

I rubbed my face. Why did I feel so crusty? "You didn't have to do that, Tink. I'm home, I could've gotten up." I was a little chagrined that I had slept right through his crying.

Eva merely rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it. Seriously. I was already up with Skylar."

"Thank you," I said, meaning it from the bottom of my heart. "I owe you."

She shook her head as if amused by me and strolled down the hall toward my bedroom . . . to sleep in my bed. I groaned and collapsed back on the couch. With as much wood as I was sporting, it'd be a while before I got back to sleep now.

***



In the morning, I got out of the shower to peek into my bedroom, my towel wrapped around my waist. Eva wasn't in bed and neither was Skylar. I heard rumblings in the kitchen so I dropped the towel and dug through my underwear drawer for something clean. Once I was dressed, I carried my socks into the kitchen, which for some reason was where I put them on each morning. When I reached the entrance, I was surprised to find Eva pouring two bowls of cereal.