He didn’t know how much more of this he could take.
Over the past two months, she’d become part of their family, someone that they could count on, who made the kids smile and was slowly destroying his will to live for one simple reason...
She’d fucking friend-zoned him.
It really just made his life extra fucking special, Devin thought, biting back a sigh as he watched the woman who had no fucking clue what she did to him when she touched him, hugged him, dropped down on his lap, and curled up in his arms like it was no big deal as she sat down across from him.
He wanted her more with every passing day and there was nothing that he could do about it.
*-*-*-*
“That’s better,” Charlie said with a satisfied sigh as she ignored the pained groan coming from behind her as she settled between his legs to get more comfortable.
“There’s another couch over there,” the man that made the best chair, said even as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.
“I like this one,” she said, shifting to get more comfortable as she reached over and grabbed one of the sugar cookies that she’d made earlier with the twins off the plate on the coffee table before she settled back against him with a satisfied sigh.
“You’re driving me crazy,” Devin said as he plucked the cookie out of her hand and finished it off.
“I tend to have that effect on people,” Charlie said, nodding in agreement as she reached over and selected another cookie, taking her time as she decided between a sugar cookie with green frosting and one with red frosting only to settle on a cookie with white frosting since it had green and red sugar sprinkles on it.
“Tell me something,” Devin drawled softly as the twins settled in to watch The Santa Clause on their sleeping bags with a plate of cookies and the stack of books that they’d been using to teach them how to read, between them.
“What’s that?” Charlie asked, nibbling on her cookie until that familiar large tan hand stole it.
“Why are we watching another Christmas movie?” Devin asked as she sat up and grabbed the large blanket that she kept draped over the back of the couch and pulled it over their legs before lying back against him.
“Tradition,” Dustin said around a bite of cookie, making her smile.
“And when does this tradition end?” Devin asked as he placed his arm back around her.
“The day after Christmas,” she informed him as she felt his hand slide over her stomach as he pulled her closer.
“Any other traditions that I should know about?” he asked as he gently caressed her stomach.
“Probably,” she murmured as she felt a trail of goosebumps race down her neck when his lips brushed against her ear.
“Any chance that you’re going to tell me ahead of time so that I can prepare myself?”
“And ruin the surprise?” Charlie asked with a sad shake of her head. “I would never do that.”
“God, you’re evil,” he said, chuckling.
“I really am,” Charlie readily agreed as she laid there, struggling to watch the movie while the thumb gently caressing her stomach found a patch of bare skin.
The first swipe of his thumb had her breath catching, the second had her licking her lips, and the third…
The third had her wondering what the hell was wrong with her.
Chapter 20
Christmas Eve
“I thought you were trying to save money,” Devin said with a glare aimed at the small woman hogging the scissors.
“And I am,” Charlie said as she finished cutting a large piece of Christmas wrapping paper that didn’t look like it was going to be big enough for the large box that she was trying to wrap.
“Then explain all of this,” Devin said, absently gesturing to the shitload of new toys surrounding them.
Blinking, Charlie said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“We had a deal, woman,” Devin said, narrowing his eyes on the woman that was spoiling his children.
“You mean the one where you tried to limit my gift purchasing needs during the happiest time of the year?” she asked, blinking at him. “Is that what you’re talking about?”
Instead of answering her, mostly because she was too fucking adorable to stay mad at, he simply reached over and grabbed the box with the dinosaur that was almost as big as Dustin and started wrapping it to the little bully’s strict wrapping guidelines. She was a demanding little thing, Devin thought, unable to help but smile because she was just so fucking adorable.
“Can I ask you a question?” Charlie asked as she stole the tape from him.
“Yes, brat,” Devin said with a mocking glare at the familiar demand.
“It’s about the party,” she said with a curious look as she reached over and snagged the dinosaur from him so that she could take over.
“What about it?” Devin asked, sighing as he reached over and grabbed the large teddy bear.
“Why don’t you ever go?” she asked, sending him a questioning look.
“Why would I?” he countered as he tied a ribbon around the teddy bear that Abbi was going to love.
“Umm, because it’s your party?” the little control freak said as she reached over and fixed the bow.
“It’s Bradford Creation’s party,” Devin corrected her as he grabbed the book set and the writing tablet that she’d picked out for Dustin.
“Which you own,” Charlie pointed out as she handed him the red wrapping paper with a smiling Santa Claus that Dustin was going to love.
“The party’s for the employees,” he said, tempted for the first time since he’d started doing this four years ago to go, but…
He wasn’t a fucking masochist.
If he went to the party nothing on earth was going to be able to stop him from pulling her into his arms and dancing with her and that was the problem because he knew that he would never be able to let her go. He also wasn’t sure how he’d handle being forced to watch as some other asshole pulled her into his arms. He’d rather stay home eating ice cream with the twins and watch another Disney movie marathon than to see that.
When Bradford Creations started taking off, he wanted to do something special for everyone that made that possible so he asked T.J.’s father if they could use his restaurant for a New Year’s Eve party. He’d handed the reins over to T.J.’s mother, asked T.J. to make sure that it didn’t get out of hand, spent the night with the twins, and pretended that he wasn’t thinking about the woman that had spent the last two days baking every Christmas themed dessert known to man.
“And you have a hot date that doesn’t want to mingle with the peasants?” Charlie asked, blinking at him.
“I don’t date, smartass,” Devin said dryly as he reached over and grabbed the tape.
“Why is that exactly?” Charlie asked, grabbing a sugar cookie off the plate and took a bite, looking thoughtful as she waited for an answer.
“I just don’t,” Devin said evenly as he reached over and plucked the cookie out of her hand and finished it off in one bite.
Nodding, she said, “That’s an interesting answer.”
“Why don’t you date?” he countered back.
“Who says I don’t?” Charlie asked, grabbing another cookie only to sigh heavily when he stole it.
“You haven’t been out on a date since you moved here,” he pointed out.
“Because it wouldn’t be right to all the men that are pining away for me,” Charlie said with a sad shake of her head and a helpless shrug that had him narrowing his eyes on her.
“You really are a brat, aren’t you?” Devin asked, wondering if she had any fucking idea what she did to him.