Bad Engagement (Billionaire's Club #10) - Elise Faber Page 0,22

neck.

“Hi, baby,” he murmured, kissing her lightly. “Work go okay?”

She nodded. “Fine. Now what’s this about my eyes?”

“Jake said—”

Jake picked up a dish towel and chucked it at Kate, the floral-patterned cotton landing on her face with a quiet swoosh.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, yanking it off. “You—”

“Dinner time!” Marabelle called, interrupting the argument before it could really get going, in one of those quintessential Mom ways that told him all he needed to know about her parenting style.

She’d been there, been involved.

As thus, the kids—or well, adults—stopped arguing and got into gear, grabbing plates and napkins, side dishes, and a platter from the counter and carrying them into the dining room.

Ann appeared at his elbow, eyes slightly reddened, but a determined expression on her face, and he gently transferred Lacy into her arms. “She took the bottle?” she asked, surprise flitting across her face.

“Like a champ,” he murmured.

She glanced up at her husband, and they shared a look that said more than words. Then he nodded and glanced over at Jaime. “Hi,” he said. “Dave. Nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” Jaime said and nodded at Lacy. “She’s adorable.”

Ann smiled and ran a finger down her daughter’s nose. “Thanks for feeding her.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said. “Babies are exhausting, and I figured you two could use a break. Thankfully, Kate got me set up with the bottle.”

Kate came up to him, getting close, and instinct had him wrapping his arm around her, tugging her to his side. “Jaime bottle-fed kittens last spring,” she said then added in a stage-whispered, “and he promised me a rooster.”

Two pairs of wide eyes on him and all he could do was chuckle.

“I don’t know if it was quite a promise,” he prevaricated.

“Told you,” Jake said with a sigh. “You’ve lost that negotiating power and—”

This time, Steph was the one who tossed the dish towel. And with perfect accuracy, he might add. It landed across Jake’s face, muffling anything further he might have said, and then as though it were something she’d done a hundred times before, she turned to Jaime, stuck her hand out, and said, “Hi, I’m Steph. Welcome to the crazy.”

He grinned as he shook it. “Jaime. And I have to say, the crazy is more than welcome.”

Marabelle snagged his elbow, lacing her arm through his. “I’m glad you say that because—”

“Mom,” Kate said.

“I was wondering—”

“Mom,” Kate repeated.

“—if you’d like to see Kate’s baby pictures,” Marabelle finished, not acknowledging Kate’s groan, continuing to talk as though her daughter hadn’t said a word. “I have this great shot of her naked in the tub and—”

“Mom!”

She winked, released his arm, and began shepherding them into the dining room.

“I’m kidding about the naked tub picture,” Marabelle added.

Kate sighed, and he stifled a smile.

“Because I have a naked spaghetti picture that’s so much better.”

Jaime couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. Kate smacked him, grabbed his arm, dragging him to a halt in the hall, and gasping in outrage.

“Don’t you dare laugh!”

Then there was another thing he couldn’t help, and that was turning and brushing his fingers over Kate’s cheek, bending down to drop a kiss to her lips that was semi-chaste. Chaste because there was no tongue, but semi because it probably went on longer than it should have, considering they were in her parents’ house and he’d met them all of an hour before.

But she was like a drug.

One touch, and he wanted more. One kiss, and he wanted to run his lips over every inch of her body.

One night, and he wanted an eternity.

The sound of a throat clearing had Jaime slowing the kiss. He dropped his forehead against hers, his breath coming in short bursts and whispered, “Sorry.”

Warm whiskey eyes on his. “For what?”

“That wasn’t exactly what I planned.”

A heated smile. “Feel free to kiss me like that any time you want.”

He lifted his head, brushed back some of the red silken tresses that had crept forward to tangle on her cheek. “I’m going to take you up on that.”

Lacing his fingers with hers, he stepped away, saw that her dad was studying them closely, his expression fierce, though it gentled when it shifted over to his daughter.

“Come on, Katie girl,” he murmured. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

Those eyes, so like Kate’s, flicked to him, and instead of the rebuke Jaime had expected to see, Harry nodded at him approvingly.

Kate squeezed his hand, whispered, “Ready for more of my family?”

He nodded, having more fun than he’d had in ages. “Yeah, Red, bring