Page 87 of The Sweetest Mistake

“I knew my mom would find a way to sneak over here,” he said, amused.

“Who can blame her? It’s her first grandchild.”

Connor was tracing patterns on her back, and she felt her body warming with every stroke. It was impossible to lie in bed with him and not want him to touch her like this. She’d be shocked if they made it through the night without making love.

“I’m sure there will be more,” he said quietly.

“True. Harper and Finn will probably get married soon, and I know they want kids.”

Brushing her hair back with his fingertips, he said, “I’m not talking about Harper and Finn.”

“Oh.” Julia’s heart skipped a beat, but she was afraid to think he was talking about them.

“Well, it doesn’t seem very likely for Liam since he’s not dating anyone right now…”

“Julia?”

“Um-hmm?” Her heart was racing, and she willed herself to calm down.

“I’m not talking about Liam either.”

“Then that leaves…”

“Us.”

Her eyes flicked upward to connect with his, and what she saw there took her breath away. He gazed down at her with such intensity, such emotion, that she was temporarily rendered speechless. With one hand resting on her hip, he cupped her chin with the other as if to keep her locked in place.

“I didn’t want to do it like this,” he said, his voice catching.

“Do what?”

“Julia?”

“Yes?”

And then Ava shifted in her crib and let out a little cry.

They both stilled, waiting to see if she’d go back to sleep. But then came another cry and some rustling noises.

Connor sighed as Julia moved out of his arms.

“Maybe she’s just cold,” Julia said. She padded across the room and leaned over the crib. Sure enough, Ava had kicked off her blanket, but her eyes were wide open, and when she saw Julia, she broke into a sweet smile.

Julia hadn’t noticed that Connor had gotten up too until she felt his warm body up against her back and his arms snaked around her waist. Resting his head on her shoulder, he peered down at Ava.

“Looks like she’s up,” he said with a touch of regret in his voice.

“We’ll have to get used to this—being interrupted I mean. How about if you pick her up while I go warm up a bottle?”

“Sure,” he said.

Glancing around for the nearest clothing item, she picked up his T-shirt from the floor and pulled it over her head before going out to the kitchen. As she was coming back down the hall toward his bedroom, she stopped in her tracks. Is he singing? She stood and listened for a few seconds, smiling to herself as he hit the crescendo. And then she slipped back into the room.

Connor was sitting up against the headboard with Ava perched on his thighs. His large hands engulfed her little back, and she appeared to be enraptured by his version of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

Suddenly, he glanced up and noticed Julia standing there, and she swore she saw his face flush.

“Bon Jovi? Out of all the songs in the entire world, that was the song you chose?” she teased as she climbed onto the bed and sat next to him.