Max didn’t respond. He knew it was pointless. Once Dylan had made up his mind, there was no getting away from it.
“Well, seeing as you’re here and being busy, I’m going to go and play with our nanny. Don’t be surprised if she hasn’t forgotten your name by the time you get home.”
He chuckled as Dylan disappeared out of the room.
Once he was alone, he sat back and looked over his desk.
He and Dylan had gone into business many years ago. They started with one nightclub and a restaurant, and twenty years later, they owned a whole flock of nightclubs, bars, and restaurants.
Ménage was their first nightclub and combined restaurant, and it took place in a building with multiple levels. People loved the experience, and this was where their main headquarters were. They felt this kept their feet firmly on the ground. Ménage had gone through many transitions and was a firm reminder to never allow ambition to exceed their abilities.
Were they putting too much faith in Raine?
He was worried Dylan was already too invested, but at the same time, so was he.
****
“Uncle Dylan!” Lake threw herself into his arms and Dylan laughed, picking up his favorite child in the whole wide world.
Ever since he and Max had come to a firm decision to find a woman to share, he’d put away the desire to father a child of his own. Finding a woman who wanted the two of them for more than a weekend fuck was, in fact, hard to do. More often than not, they just wanted a taste of two cocks.
He put those thoughts aside as he held a five-year-old. She wouldn’t understand how much he ached for a family of his own, which had occurred just recently, something he was surprised about. For the longest time, he didn’t want to have kids.
“If it isn’t the terror of my life. Ah, get her away.” He blew on her belly, and she burst into a fit of giggles.
As if on cue, Raine stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. It was then he noticed Lake was wearing an apron.
“You’ve been messing up Max’s kitchen?” he asked.
“With cookies. Chocolate chip cookies,” Lake said. “He will love them.”
“Where is Max?” Raine asked. “He sent me a text to say he was on his way home.”
“When?”
Raine reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “Fifteen minutes ago.”
He chuckled. “I have no idea because when I left him, he was only interested in working. That man is a stick in the mud.”
Lake chuckled. He loved that sound.
A buzzer went, and she wriggled in his arms, wanting down, to which he had no choice but to let her go. He turned toward Raine, but the woman was already walking away, following behind Lake.
Dylan couldn’t help but admire her full ass. Raine was all woman and all curves. She was temptation wrapped up in a package. It helped that she was sweet, kind, and so damn nice.
In the past six months, he’d learned she wasn’t putting on any show. This was just who she was. He was surprised because if he had to spend a great deal of time with kids, he would’ve gone crazy. Some people were just better prepared for handling children than he was.
Lake stepped up onto the stool as Raine went straight to the oven, complete with an oven glove, and the scents were amazing. His mouth watered as Raine pulled out not one, but two trays of cookies.
Lake clapped her hands and leaned over, sniffing.
“Ah, be careful, sweetheart. We don’t want to rush and risk burning ourselves, do we?”
“Nope.”
“Go and wash up. I’ll make you a hot chocolate.”
“Yay.” Lake was off the stool and rushing out of the kitchen.
Raine chuckled.
“A hot chocolate before dinner?” Dylan asked. “You’re spoiling her.”
“Have you not checked the time? I couldn’t allow the poor girl to starve.”
Dylan glanced around the room and saw it was close to eight in the evening. “Shit,” he said.
“I’ve noticed time gets away from both of you. I fed Lake and kept her entertained until you arrived.”
His stomach chose that moment to growl.
Raine smiled. “And I have a hot pot in the oven for you and Max.”
“I can’t believe I missed dinner again.” He had tried to get home but work at the clubs just sucked up all of his day.
Annoyed, he removed his jacket, draped it on the back of a chair, and headed to the fridge. After pulling out a bottle of red wine, he opened it up and poured himself a generous glass. There was no reason to offer any to Raine. She never drank. Never. He’d offered her plenty of times.
He also happened to notice she’d pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and was in the process of preparing herself some hot chocolate.