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“Come here, you.” I pull her into my arms, not caring that she’s going to get me wet. I’m in my new swim trunks Courtney bought me. I tickle her until she threatens to pee on me and then relent.
“I was kidding!” she yells as she takes off racing toward the pool.
“Don’t run!” every adult outside yells at the same time.
“Come on, let’s go give the ladies a break.” Maverick rises from the lounge chair and makes his way toward Courtney and Scarlett, and I follow along behind him.
Maverick scoops Lacey out of Scarlett’s arms and coos to her, while I settle on the lounger next to Courtney and offer Ryan my finger, which he latches onto immediately. “You trying to steal my girl, little man?” I ask the baby.
My eyes find Courtney’s and she smiles. “He’s doing a good job of it.”
“That’s not going to work for me.” Leaning forward, I press a quick, soft kiss to her lips before scooping Ryan out of her arms. “She’s already taken,” I tell my nephew.
Scarlett laughs. “Come on, Court, let’s go cool off.”
“Do you need anything?” Courtney asks as she moves her legs to the side of the lounger. “A drink or something before I get in?”
“No, baby. I’m fine. Go cool off. I’ll be right here in the shade.”
“Okay.” She winks, and my cock stirs. She knows I love it when she says that to me, because great things happen when she agrees so easily.
“You’re sunk, brother,” Maverick says, as soon as the ladies are out of earshot.
“Yeah, I think I am.” I don’t think I am. I know that I am. Today has been eye-opening. Maverick said it hit him like a lightning bolt, and it did me as well. I never imagined it would be this way. One minute I’m ready to pick her up to go hang out with my family and the next, she’s holding my heart in her hands.
I guess if I’m being honest, it’s been coming for a while now. All these weeks we’ve been hanging out together, I’ve kept reminding myself that we were pretending. Somewhere along the way, I stopped.
Now, all I have to do is convince the love of my life that we should stay real.
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
Courtney
My eyes pop open when I feel soft lips against my bare skin. “Morning,” I murmur as Merrick’s arms tighten around me.
“Morning, baby. The sun is starting to rise.”
“Then we should still be sleeping.” I pull the cover up to my face and burrow in deeper. His deep chuckle warms me more than the blanket ever could.
“Just open your eyes and watch the sunrise with me.”
“Too sleepy.”
“Well, I guess I’ll eat breakfast.”
“Not hungry,” I mumble, closing my eyes. We were up way too late last night, making out like teenagers. I think my lips are permanently bruised, but I’m not complaining. I loved every minute of it. However, I’m exhausted, and we don’t have plans today that I’m aware of, so I’m most definitely sleeping past sunrise.
I know that I should wake up because Chloe gets married next Saturday, and my days waking up in his arms, in his bed, are numbered. I’ve been avoiding thinking about it at all costs. I keep pushing it to the back of my mind
I have to figure out how I’m going to live without him. I never had a choice where Merrick was concerned. I was always going to love him. It’s as stress-free as if it were written in the stars. He’s so easy to be around, so loving and attentive, and he treats me like I’m special, as if I’m someone of importance to him, not just some girl who works for his sister-in-law whom he agreed to help out.
That’s where we started, but that’s not where we are now. No, instead, I’m lying naked in his bed, while he trails kisses down my spine, trying to figure out a way to convince him to love me back.
My eyes are closed, but they pop open when I feel him press on my hips beneath the covers so that I’m lying flat on my back. I’m ready to ask him what he’s doing when his lips press very low on my belly.
“I thought you were eating breakfast?” I ask, reaching down and running my fingers through his hair. I hear him chuckle before he pulls the covers down so that I can see all of him.
