Drawn into Love (Fluke My Life 4)

“I think it’s the perfect name. What do you think? Do you like the name Merida?” I look up and see that Courtney is addressing the dog, holding her furry red face in her hands. The dog licks at Courtney’s face, causing her to laugh. “I think she likes it.”

“Merida!” Maddi claps her hands to the tops of her thighs, and the dog rushes to her lap, licking her face and making her giggle.

“Do you want to watch Brave?” Madeline asks.

Courtney looks at my baby with a smile that is so sweet my chest actually aches just from the sight of it.

“Yes. I haven’t seen it since it came out in theaters.”

“YAY!” Maddi shouts. She shoots her hands up in the air while the newly named Merida woofs. She carefully scoots Merida off her lap and heads for her collection of movies.

As the movie starts up, I add the soup to the meat. I feel eyes on me, so I look over the peninsula in the kitchen. My breath catches when my eyes lock with Courtney’s soft ones.

God, she’s beautiful, and so damn sweet that she makes my jaw hurt like I’ve got a toothache.

If I didn’t know it was too soon, I would swear that I was falling in love with her.

“Daddy, can I help make the crescent rolls when it’s time?”

“Yeah, honey,” I answer. Then I look at Courtney once more. “Babe, do you want some wine?”

“Yeah, but I’ll get it.”

“I got it.” I go to the fridge and grab the bottle of wine I picked up for her. It’s the same kind she had last Friday when we were out to dinner—a wine that I tasted on her lips as I brought her to orgasm on her couch.

I open the bottle and pour her a glass while wondering if it would be too much to ask Levi and Fawn to keep Maddi for me one night so that I can be alone with Courtney. A whole night of just us—in her bed or mine. Since my divorce I haven’t even had the desire to have a woman sleep over or to spend the night out, but with Courtney I want that. I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with her. I love the way she can make me laugh without even trying. I love that she’s easy to talk to and as laid back as I am. I can’t get enough of her. Yes, I want her to get to know my daughter, but I also want to get to know Courtney—in every single way there is to know her. In and out of bed.

I take Courtney the glass of wine, letting my fingers linger on hers before I let go of it. Then I touch the top of Madeline’s head and watch her smile up at me before I head back to the kitchen to finish up dinner for both my girls.

“Can Courtney read me a story tonight?”

At Madeline’s question, my heart starts to beat oddly inside my chest. Since she was a baby, I have always been the one to read to her at night before tucking her in to sleep. She never even asked her mom to read to her. It’s our thing.

“I . . .”

“Please, Daddy?”

Looking into her hope-filled eyes, I nod. “I’ll see if she’s up to it,” I answer gruffly as she gets into bed and pulls the blankets up over her lap. “Courtney?” I call.

Two seconds later, she appears in the doorway. Her bare feet are sticking out from under her light jeans, which are molded to her from ankle to hip. She has a simple red T-shirt on. Her hair, which she wore down today, is now up in a messy bun on top of her head. When I see her so comfortable here and with Madeline, my heart stops its awkward thump and settles into a soft tempo.

“What’s up?”

I realize I’ve been staring at her. “Madeline was asking if you’d like to read her a story tonight.” At my question, her eyes flare and then fly to Madeline.

“I . . . ,” she begins, unsure.

I hear the sound of nails clattering on the wood floor.

“Please?” Maddi begs, cutting in.

“Of course, sweetheart.” She looks at me. “If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t,” I say, meaning it.

Merida slowly comes into the room and hops up onto the bed with Maddi, lying at her side and with her head on Maddi’s stomach.

I stand up, and Courtney takes my place on the bed. My baby tugs her to lie down next to her, then cuddles up against her like she does me. Studying the two of them, I wonder if this is too much too soon. If I shouldn’t pull back a little for Maddi’s sake. But I can’t seem to stop it. Really, I don’t want to stop it.