“Yeah?” Happiness filled his face.
“Yeah. Aleki. . .” She bit her lip.
“What about Aleki?”
“Sometimes I get the feeling he’s holding something back from me. I catch him staring intently at me then when he sees me looking, he’ll smile and act like nothing is wrong.”
“Aleki is good at hiding his feelings behind his humor, but we both know he feels things deeply.” He reached out and picked her up, holding her on his lap. “We’re not doing the best job of looking after you, are we?”
“Yes, you are,” she defended. “Living here is the safest I’ve felt in, well, years.”
“But we’re supposed to be keeping your stress levels low.”
“You can’t eliminate all stress.”
“Well, I think that one-on-one time is a great idea. It’s time we started taking you out on dates.”
“What if the others don’t want to?” she asked, feeling hesitant now.
“They might be dominant to you, but I’m the head of this household. What I say goes.”
“Ooh, so commanding.”
“And you love it,” he told her, staring down at her intently. He leaned in to kiss her, his lips taking her softly then more firmly. She fell into the kiss. He surrounded her. Her safe place in the storm.
Somehow, he always seemed to sense what she needed. Even before she knew. And whatever she required, he provided.
Hell, he’d sensed that she needed him from halfway across the world.
Drawing back, he stared down at her. “Hard to believe you’re real. That you’re here.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He smiled, lightening the mood. “This means I get to take you out as well.”
A date with Caleb? That was something to make her nervous and excited. He ran a finger down her cheek. “Now do I spend time with Vivi or my jelly bean?”
“Both? Can we do that?”
“Jelly bean, didn’t I just tell you that I’m the boss? Are you having short term memory problems?” he asked teasingly.
“Wolfe just asked me the same thing.”
“Must be because we keep having to tell you things so that they sink in. Like, that we want you here. That you’re safe. That you can trust us to take care of you.”
“I’m trying to believe it.”
“I know. And I’m trying to be patient. Funny, I’ve always been so patient with everything else, but when it comes to you, I feel like I’ve already waited a lifetime.”
She got it. She felt the same.
“And I don’t want to waste any time. If I could be selfish, I’d keep you all to myself.”
“You have me now.”
“I do, don’t I?”
They smiled at each other. “That’s why we have this time together, to woo you.”