could just about wreck her.
But then she took in the awe in his ever-shifting hazel eyes as they moved over her face. “I’m the dumbest man in the world.”
A surprised laugh escaped. “What?”
“I just never thought that you . . . that we could . . . even if . . . you’re amazing, Jen Belville.” He stood abruptly. “And I’m done wasting time.” He reached for her hand and towed her to her feet. “Mara’s right. I’ve been crazy about you since the day I met you.”
“The day I supposedly accosted you.”
“Exactly.” He hooked his arm around her waist. “You intrigued me, you amused me, you surprised me. Mostly, you took my breath away. As much as I don’t think I deserve you, I want you in my life and not just as a friend—”
She was done waiting, too. She rose onto her tiptoes to kiss him.
He gasped against her lips, but it took the briefest, barest second for his other arm to wrap around her. If there’d been a hint of desperation to his touch the other night, it was gone in this moment. Instead, he met her lips tonight with a tenderness that might very well make her cry if she weren’t so enraptured by the security of his hold.
He broke away just long enough to whisper her name, then he kissed her again.
She was out of breath when she leaned back, hands on his chest. “I’m really angry at you for waiting this long to make a move, by the way. And I’m angry with Mara and Marshall and Sam for keeping your secret.”
Forehead against hers, he grinned. “If this is you angry—”
Another kiss and then she circled her arms around his neck, head tucked under his chin, embraced in the complete certainty that she could stay right here forever and be perfectly happy.
“I hate to say this,” he murmured against her hair. “But I’m pretty sure I just heard footsteps upstairs.”
“And I heard the bathroom light click on. This is becoming a pattern.” She sighed against. “The thing is, as many times as those kids have interrupted, I want them here, Lucas. I want them to stay in my life almost as much as I want . . .” You. I want you to stay in my life.
Why she couldn’t make those final words eke out, she didn’t know. But surely he could hear her longing all the same.
He kissed her cheek and then her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”
15
It was the crick in his neck he noticed first when he awoke. Then the protesting of every muscle in his back as he opened his eyes.
Then, as he slowly realized where he was—folded like a pretzel into the yellow chair in the corner of Jenessa’s bedroom—the sweet, satisfying feeling that he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
His drowsy gaze drifted to the king-sized bed jutting into the middle of the room. Jenessa slept on her side, Violet curled up against her front and Colie sprawled out on her other side.
After Colie had woken up sick again last night, Jenessa had decided to move the poor girl into her own bedroom since there was an attached bathroom and she wouldn’t have to walk as far if she woke again.
But as soon as she’d gotten Colie settled, Violet had come out of her room crying, saying she wanted to be with her sister. He’d had a whispered conversation in the hallway with Jenessa at that point. She’d eventually decided Violet had already been exposed to germs, so she’d let her climb into bed with Colie.
But then Violet had insisted Jen stay in the room with them, too. And when Lucas had tried to leave, she’d started crying all over again, which had turned into worried sobs about Cade being alone.
They were the illogical cries of a little girl still half asleep. She probably wouldn’t even remember tomorrow. But regardless, Jen had been too exhausted to resist and knowing her, she wouldn’t have wanted to anyway. So he’d urged her in soft tones to go lie down with the girls and had then pushed Cade’s crib from his room into Jen’s, praying all the way that he didn’t wake up.
When he’d finally collapsed in the chair in the corner, he’d only meant to stay until he was sure all three kids were asleep.
But, well, here he was.
And he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Not the soreness from sleeping all night in a chair. Not whatever