“Shit. That’s the last thing I expected to come out of your mouth.”
Grinning at him, I shrug. “Well, I guess seeing our friends starting their families, and remembering what it was like when we were younger and going through it all with our own kids, it makes you wonder.”
“Okay. That makes sense.”
“And I like this thing we’re building.”
His lips curve up, his fingers flexing against mine. “We’re already built, sweet cheeks. Now we’re driving those foundations deep so nothing can shake us.”
I squeeze his hand too tight at his words that he grunts.
“You like that.”
“I like you.”
“Thank fuck for that, otherwise I would have to stalk you,” he says, making us both laugh. “But to answer your other question, if this thing with us continues the way it’s going and you had your heart set on having another baby—and you wanted to have that baby with me—”
“Um . . . I’m not thinking about practicing making babies with anyone else, honey,” I say in a ‘duh’ voice.
“Good,” he growls, his voice gruff and rumbly and all kinds of sexy. “What I mean is, if you wanted to have that baby with me, then I couldn’t think of anything more beautiful than creating a life with you. We make damn cool kids by ourselves. Combine our DNA and we’d have a genius.”
“You didn’t say you wanted another one, though.”
“Because I have Jake, and you’ve given me Harvey, and together, I think those two will keep us on our toes for a while. I think we have two amazing kids between us, and that’s enough for me.”
“I like that.”
“You do?” he asks, tilting his head and glancing sideways at me while keeping his eyes on the road.
“You sound surprised. I’m a thirty-seven-year-old single mom with a kid and a restaurant that I may not run day-to-day, but I am still the face of the business and have to do all the important stuff behind the scenes. And I also have this sexy boyfriend who works hard, and when he has time off, I enjoy being with him. So none of that is conducive to starting all over again and having a baby.”
“Really?” He actually sounds surprised.
I reach over and rest my hand on his head. “Yes, really. Especially that last part.”
“I did like that bit.”
My lips twitch. “Oh you did, did you?”
“Yep. and the bit about spending time with me.”
I scrunch my nose up, and he growls when he catches me doing it. “Don’t do that when I can’t kiss that look off your face.”
I twist my mouth to the side. “What look is that?”
“A look that has me grateful we’re almost home. At least then I can bury myself inside you when you’re turning me on.”
I remember that there’s still something I haven’t asked about, and I must wear my nervousness on my face.
Rhodes turns to me, his brows bunched together in a frown. “Okay. Now that’s a look I don’t like.”
“Before we get home and get distracted by each other, can I ask you something under the terms of our honesty policy?”
“You can ask me anything at any time, Dee. If it’s mine to tell, then it’s mine to give you.”
“Stop being swoony,” I mutter, making him chuckle and his lips quirk.
“Nope.” His eyes turn soft and gentle. “What do you wanna know?”
“Gilly let slip that you have a birthday party coming up . . .”
“Fuck,” he splutters before he slows the car down and pulls over outside a random house about ten minutes from his place. He turns off the engine and faces me. “I’m so fucking sorry. I had every intention to invite you, but then life got in the way and I forgot. The entire party slipped my mind, because I’m not exactly jumping for joy at hitting the big four-oh. That’s no excuse, I know, but I truly meant ”
“I thought—”
In the blink of an eye, he’s reached over, undone my seat belt and hauled me to his side, his hands tangling in my hair and holding me there ensuring he has my complete attention. “You thought that because it’s my birthday and both my parents and Lily’s parents were going to be there, that I wouldn’t want to introduce them all to the woman who has entranced me, who makes me laugh after a bad day, smile at just the thought of her, and has my kid eating out of the palm of her hand?”
“Well, when you put it like that . . .” I murmur, biting my lip and looking away, but Rhodes’s flexed fingers in my hair bring my gaze back to his.
“I’ve already told Connor, Lily’s dad, and my dad about you and that I want them to meet you. That’s when they let it slip about the moms’ surprise party plans. I’m sorry that I forgot to mention it.”
“I might forgive you . . .”
He brings his face close to mine. “If . . .?”
“If you tell me when and where, I can make sure Harvs is taken care of and Suzy is fine to cover me at the restaurant should any emergencies crop up and—”
“Firstly, Harvs can come too.”
My mouth drops open.
“And second, it’s three weeks from today, and I’ve taken the entire weekend off, so if you and Harvey want to stay with us for those nights, I’d love that. Jake has even been asking about seeing Harvey again.”
My head jerks back, my mind spinning like a Ferris wheel on overdrive as I try to catch up.
Instead, I lean my forehead to his and breathe through it until my heart stops racing. Because it may have only been ten weeks since I first laid eyes on this man, but I’ve fallen head over heels in love with him.
“Dee?” he whispers, his voice thick. “Is this a good moment or a ‘shit, he really screwed up’ moment? Because I really wanna kiss the hell out of you, and we’ve gotta get home to my kid.”
“It’s an ‘I can’t believe
