Whether her confidence or her logic persuaded me to try, I can’t say, but I launched off the pool wall and flailed my way across the pool. I didn’t drown, so we called it a success.
“Oh, my lord.” There’s a sound of people quickly abandoning water, then Laurel comes rushing past me, hearts in her eyes as she heads away from Rafe and toward… me?
Nope, she breezes right past me. I turn and see Mia and Mateo have come back, and this time, they have Dom in the tiniest pair of red swim shorts imaginable.
“He’s so tiny!” Laurel says, stopping to gaze lovingly at Dom.
Carly comes over and rests a hand on my shoulder. “How do you feel about sleeping on the couch tonight?”
“Opposed,” I state, looking over at her.
“I feel like Laurel needs to stay the night with us. Your charming cousin is staying the night, right?”
“I would assume so. He lives in Vegas, so he can’t go home and come back.”
Carly nods decisively. “Then we force Laurel to sleep with us.”
“Remember how we felt weird with your polygamous Christmas photos? I think it would be weirder to sleep together in the same room. You’re supposed to be keeping me on track, not Laurel.”
“I know, but Lex is an evil bastard.”
“Lex?”
“That’s my new nickname for your cousin. He’s the Lex Luthor to your Clark Kent. We need to binge watch Smallville again, as an aside.”
“I vehemently disagree with that last statement. I watched it with you once; that should be sufficient proof of my love.”
Carly rolls her eyes. “Oh, whatever, you love it.”
“I don’t.”
“It’s your favorite show.”
“Not even close.”
Rafe finally sidles up beside us, adjusting his swim shorts on his hips. Laurel is fawning over the baby but he’s still in pursuit, so he comes up behind her, bracing one hand at the small of her back to alert her of his presence and using his other to reach out and rub Dom’s arm. “Hey there, little guy.”
“Isn’t he the cutest?” Laurel enthuses.
“He’s pretty damn cute.” Rafe slides a look over at Laurel, then back at Mia. He holds his hand out. “All right, hand him over.”
“Seriously?” Mia asks, lightly amused.
“I just want to visit with my little… what, second cousin?”
“If not son,” Carly mutters.
I snort.
“What’s that now?” Rafe asks. Glancing back at Mateo, he says, “We settled that already, didn’t we?”
“We sure did,” Mateo murmurs, looking faintly amused.
“I thought so.”
“I don’t understand,” Laurel says, frowning slightly.
“Here you go,” Mateo says, taking Dom from Mia and handing him to Rafe.
Each lady melts a little as Rafe settles Dom against his chest, looking down at him and murmuring, “Hey, little guy. How’s life treating you so far?”
Laurel takes the opportunity to get closer, holding onto Rafe’s arm while she leans in and says hello to Rafe’s well-formed pecs and the cute baby he is blatantly using as a prop.
Carly emerges from the estrogen fog first, leaning in and telling me, “We have to put a stop to this. We have to take Laurel and retreat. Now Dom and Mia are here to torture you, Rafe is here trying to seduce my sister—we have to abort mission and get the hell out of here. How do you disengage your cousin once he’s executing a plan? Should I literally lie down on the floor and show him my belly? Assure him he’s the alpha dog and I shouldn’t have challenged him?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think you can. Once he’s locked onto a target, that’s it. There’s no disengaging him.”
Rafe’s hand is on Laurel’s lower back at this point. She’s leaning her head on his chest while Dom touches her face.
Aw, shit.
My kid’s totally helping him butter her up.
Mateo is amused by the show.
Fuck all this.
I walk over to break the spell, reaching for Dom. “Come here, little troublemaker.”
Laurel moves back to make room for me, but the spell is not broken. Not at all. If anything, it’s worse. Now that Rafe’s arms are open, Laurel moves right into them. I expect him to make a move if anyone’s going to, but she loops her arms around his neck, pushes up on her tiptoes, and kisses him, right there in front of all of us.
Carly’s jaw falls open.
Rafe’s arms tighten around her waist and he tugs her close, slanting his mouth and kissing her back, not even a little bit shy about having an audience.
He pulls back, smiling down at Laurel. “You ready to leave the pool?”
“Yep,” Laurel replies, without hesitation.
“Laurel, wait.” Carly tugs her sister away from Rafe, shooting him dirty looks, and brings her over by me. “Come stay with us tonight. Vince is going to take the couch, you can sleep in the bed with me—”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” Laurel says.
“He wants to sleep with you,” Carly states, eyes wide.