“Well…” Her fingers clenched around his. “We didn’t put kisses…real kisses…in the contract.”
“It was a verbal agreement, hardly legally binding.” Hayden took her hands and put them around his neck. And then he took his hands and rested them on her hips. It struck him how right that felt. “I wouldn’t mind renegotiating terms.”
“You know how I feel about kisses,” she said softly, almost too soft to hear.
“For you, kisses lead to love.” That statement crowded into his chest, making his heart pound. Hard. Only for once, it wasn’t fear that made his pulse race. It was the possibility of something he’d given up on—love.
“I need boundaries, Hayden,” Evie said in that shaky voice, staring at her toes.
“I can be a bad kisser, if that helps.” Not that he thought he could follow through on that promise. But he had to bring something to the negotiation table.
“One kiss a day,” Evie blurted, forehead resting on his chest. “That’s all.”
He didn’t think one kiss a day would convince his brother they were in love for real. “I think we need two kisses a day, at least. With appropriate witnesses.”
“Appropriate witnesses?”
“Kids don’t count as witnesses,” he hurriedly explained.
“I don’t know.” Evie stared up at him, gnawing on her lip. “Two kisses a day… Even if they were bad kisses, that seems like a lot.”
“Not if they’re very bad kisses,” Hayden gently teased.
She huffed. “You’re making fun of me.”
“I suppose I am.” He gave into temptation and brushed a lock of blond hair from her face. “But that’s only because I’ve never had a woman ask me to do my worst in the kissing department.”
That drew a brief chuckle, a warm glance. “There’s always a first time for everything.”
“I’m not sure I can set the bar so low. I think we need a trial run at horrible kisses.” Hayden drew Evie closer and kissed her sweetly, tenderly, and almost, but not quite, chastely.
When the kiss ended, Evie stared up at him with those wide blue eyes. She’d expected to be underwhelmed.
But by the look on her face, he hadn’t succeeded.
*
My husband can kiss.
Even when he was supposedly trying not to kiss her breathless.
Eve left the bedroom she now shared with Hayden and went downstairs on autopilot, intent upon helping Irene finish dinner. Still floating on a kissing cloud, she entered the crowded kitchen and said to no one in particular, “What can I help with?”
“Nothing. Food’s ready. Sit,” Irene directed. She and Rhett were transferring food from pots and pans into serving dishes. Irene seemed fully present, which pleased Eve as a nurse. “Dinner is about to be served. Tacos, beans, salad, cheesy macaroni, biscuits, and chicken nuggets.”
“Quite the buffet.” Eve took a seat next to one of Rhett’s girls.
Piper and Sadie were a year older than Katie and were cowgirls through and through. They wore T-shirts and blue jeans. Their dark brown hair was held in plain ponytails. They’d been in awe of Katie’s pink tutu, which she’d been wearing when they’d arrived earlier. And her collection of princess dresses, which they’d tried on but almost immediately shucked off.
Hayden entered the kitchen. “My nieces!” He hugged Piper and Sadie. And then he dropped a kiss on top of Eve’s head before sitting next to her.
She raised her brows.
“Pecks don’t count,” he whispered.
Thank heavens for that!
Eve bit back a smile. “How often do you see Piper and Sadie?”