later into her pregnancy and we had to start thinking about the practicality of it, I could feel her interest waning. Her parents weren’t going to help her out anymore if she had a baby with me, so we’d have to live on a budget. She wouldn’t be able to model for a while after Amira was born, and while she had no problem with not working, she had a big problem with not living like a person with money.”
I offer a nod of acknowledgment and he continues.
“Her parents cutting her off was kind of the death knell for our relationship. She thought they’d change their mind once Amira was born, but they didn’t. They wanted nothing to do with her. They didn’t even want to meet her. When Amira was two months old, I came home from work one night and her bags were packed. Not Amira’s, just hers. She said she couldn’t do it, and… she left. I never saw her again after that night.”
My sister speaks up. “Before she starts school, we’re going to try to reach out to the birth mother about legally forfeiting her rights, that way I can officially adopt Amira and there will be no chance of any problems down the road. We don’t expect her to object. After all, Tarek could go after her for child support and he hasn’t. Giving up her rights would mean she’ll never have to worry about that. Amira won’t be her responsibility anymore, she’ll be ours.”
Looking over at my sister with undisguised warmth, Tarek says, “It was only a month later when I took that first flight and met your sister.”
Nora smiles at him and places her hand over his, then she can’t seem to help herself—she leans in and gives him a kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he tells her.
“Aww,” Autumn says, practically melting against me. Now her head is resting on my shoulder just like my sister’s was on Tarek’s a moment ago. She lifts her head and looks over at me. “They’re adorable.”
“You’re a romantic,” I realize immediately.
She nods unabashedly. “The hopeless sort. That’s why you need to keep your lips far away from mine.”
That last bit is said too quietly for my sister to overhear. I shouldn’t even acknowledge it with Nora in the room, but it only seems fair to warn my pretty little snowflake. “I wouldn’t count on that.”
Her cheeks flush, and it’s not from the fire or the shared body heat.
God, I love when she blushes. It’s so fucking cute.
Giving me a playful sideways glare, she pushes off me and leans forward to grab her mug of hot chocolate off the coffee table. It can’t be hot anymore, but she wraps her hands around the mug and takes a big sip of it.
As soon as she sets it down, I reach over and grab her around the back of the neck. She gasps in surprise as I pull her close, taken off-guard when I press my lips to hers.
I tasted her lips with whiskey on them. Now I want her hot chocolate kisses, too.
Despite just telling me several seconds ago not to kiss her, she melts into me, a low moan of pleasure slipping from her throat. Her eyes drift close, the color in her cheeks rises… God, she’s nice to kiss.
I’m not even much for kissing with most women, but Autumn’s kisses are so sweet, her lips so pliant beneath mine… I could kiss her all day.
Since my sister is in the room, I keep this one brief and relatively tame, but when I pull back, Autumn’s pretty face is still hazy with desire.
It probably wasn’t fair of me to kiss her just then. She was already feeling romantic after hearing my sister’s love story. Of course she was in the mood to be kissed after that.
Sighing, Autumn sinks against my side. “You’re a bad listener.”
“You’re not my boss,” I tease, leaning in and brushing my lips against her earlobe just to see how she reacts.
“Stop torturing me,” she complains, shoving me away.
Nora’s voice reminds me we’re not alone yet, so I’m forced to stop bugging Autumn—at least for the moment.
“Well, what about you guys,” Nora says, a big smile on her face. “It sounds like you have an awesome ‘how we met’ story, too. Broken down on the side of the road, my brother riding to your rescue like a knight-in-shining armor—that’s so cute.”
Autumn looks over at me.
I smirk back at her.
She smiles more convincingly