“Thank you for being mine.” He smiled at her softly, stroking her hair. “I wish I could drive you home and spend the night with you.”
“Spending the night together might take some time. But we’ll get there.”
“You’re worth the wait. Even if Doctor Love doesn’t like blue balls.”
She laughed. “I like the way you’ve given yourself a nickname.”
“I believe that pleasure was all yours.” His lips lifted up.
“Well, Doctor Love, this patient needs to get home and recuperate,” she said reluctantly. “And I probably have four loads of laundry to do, two boys who won’t want to go to bed, and a pile of homework that neither of them has touched all weekend.”
“Are you trying to put me off?”
“I’m just keeping it real. If you’re all in, this will be part of your life, too.” She shrugged.
He dipped his face, breathing in her hair. “I can’t think of anything I want more.”
“I keep waiting for you to run away screaming,” she admitted. “I’m a lot to deal with.”
“You forget I come from a big family. I’m used to the craziness. I kind of missed it when I left home.” He gave a half shrug. “And I’m not running anywhere.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “Speaking of your family, I forgot to tell you. Gray’s coming to the Distillery next week to talk about an ad campaign. It might end up affecting you, too. My boss is really keen on having your family be part of the launch of the new whiskey blend. She wants to persuade him to get you all involved.”
“All of us?” Cam looked genuinely surprised.
“Yeah. It’s a family whiskey company, and they want a successful family to promote it. Your brothers and Becca. It’s still in the early stages, but I wanted you to hear it from me first.” She gave him a small smile. “But you don’t have to be involved if you don’t want. What’s happening between us has no bearing on that. It’s between you and your brothers.”
“I guess I’ll see what Gray says.”
She smiled, relief washing over her. “Thank you. I should have mentioned it before. I wasn’t hiding it on purpose. It’s just a bit hush hush.” Sliding her hand down his chest, she glanced up at him. “I don’t want any secrets between us.”
Cam swallowed hard. “Me either.”
“Can I call you later? When the boys are in bed?”
He traced the line of her jaw with his finger. “If you don’t, then I’ll be calling you.”
“You’d better be naked when I call, Doctor Love.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m never going to shake off that name, am I?”
“Why would you want to? It’s an amazing name.”
He pressed his lips against her brow. “I’ll come up with one for you.”
“Other than MILF?”
He laughed. “You’re not a MILF. Your’re a MIF.”
“A MIF?”
“Mom I fu—”
She put her finger across his lips. “Now stop that.”
“You started it.”
Mia shook her head. “Yeah, I did. And now I’m finishing it. Go home and unpack and I’ll talk to you later.”
He slid his fingers into her hair, cupping her face with his other hand, and molded his lips against hers. “Okay, Mom. Whatever you say.”
“Mom, I can’t find my toothbrush,” Josh yelled out, while Mia was putting the first load of laundry into the washer. “Mike, did you steal it?”
“What would I want with your gunky toothbrush?” Michael called out. He was leaning over his homework at the kitchen table, muttering under his breath as he tried to finish his math assignment. “Look in the front zip of your backpack.”
“Found it!”
Michael shook his head at Mia. “Kids.”
“Have you nearly finished your homework?” she asked him. “It’s almost bed time.”
“Dad let us stay up until midnight,” Michael said, giving her a sly glance.
“That’s nice.” She knew exactly what he was trying to do, and it wouldn’t work. She was still too high from her weekend with Cam to let it get to her. “I’m glad you had a good time.”
“We did,” Michael said. His expression softened. “Did you have a nice weekend, too?”
Mia swallowed, and turned her face from his. “Yeah, it was fine.”
“Maybe Dad will take us away another time, give you a break.”
“Maybe.” She smiled at him. “But I don’t need a break from you guys. I like being around you.”
Josh ran into the kitchen, wearing only his pajama bottoms. “I’m ready for bed,” he announced.
“Where’s your top?” Mia asked him, looking at the pile of laundry. No sign of a plaid t-shirt in there.
“I don’t wear it anymore. Big guys just wear bottoms. Isn’t that right, Mikey?”
“Dad told him to take it off at the hotel. It was too hot in the bedrooms.” Michael shrugged.
“You don’t have to be topless to be a big guy,” Mia said, ruffling his hair. “It’s cold in this house.”
“I’m fine,” Josh said. “I don’t feel the cold.”
Michael shook his head and turned back to his math.
“Mom, do you think you’ll find a boyfriend? Like Dad has Gemma?” Josh’s question was innocent, but at that moment it had her heart racing.
Mia closed the washer lid, grateful that they couldn’t see her expression. “What makes you ask that?”
“Dad had a talk with us. Explained that he and Gemma would be getting married. I asked him what about you, and he said you’d probably get a boyfriend.”
She feigned nonchalance. “Maybe.”
Michael glanced over at his brother and rolled his eyes. “Mom won’t date. She doesn’t have time.”
Mia ignored the pang of guilt in her chest. “If you’ve both finished sorting out my love life, I’ll take Josh up to bed. You have twenty minutes,” she warned Michael. “And then you need to jump in the shower. I can still smell the chlorine on you.”
“Had to get that last swim in.” Michael winked at her. “You know what
