Page 28 of The Plan

The laugh bubbled up before she could stop it. Georgiano Hiller, terror of the courtroom, done in by vintage wallpaper. "Did you actually fix it, or did you just stick it back up with hope and prayer?"

"There might have been some tape involved."

"Tape." She couldn't help it. The giggles took over completely. "You tried to fix hundred-year-old wallpaper with duct tape?"

There was familiar silver tape looped on the back of that wallpaper.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was going to have the boys fix it properly later—but then you showed up and rocked my world and now... fixing this place suddenly became a lot more important. I promise... it’ll be safe here for you and the baby. I’ll make sure of it."

The intensity in his voice made her heart skip. "George..."

Another strip of wallpaper chose that moment to fall, landing right in the middle of the file boxes. George said a word that he’d better never teach their alien-baby as he looked at it.

"Okay, maybe tape wasn't my finest moment. But in my defense, I've been a little distracted lately. Thinking about a certain law clerk who disappeared on me. Missing you too much."

"I didn't disappear, I quit. There's a difference."

"After we..." His eyes heated, burned with that fire again.

"After we created this situation?" She rested her hand on her stomach, watching his eyes track the movement. Oh, he was looking at her with that same fire again. "Yes. It seemed like the right thing to do. Now... I’ve just complicated your life even more."

And she felt like the world was tilting again. Making her want to cry. The baby... changed everything for him, too.

"You think you’ve complicated my life?" He braced his hands on the counter on either side of her, effectively caging her in. Not that she was trying to escape too hard. He felt too warm, too perfect, surrounding her. "Veronica, you and the babyaremy life. I’ve been in a trance for three damned months. Watching you leave that night was the hardest thing I have ever done in a long, long time."

Oh. Oh.

She almost thought he meant it. Damn him. He knew just how to...oh. "George... show me the rest of the house. Then dinner. Then... we are going to talk. Figure out what we want to do next."

"I know what I want to do next." There was that seriously heated look in his eyes again. The way he had looked at her that night. Oh, damn him. "Deal. Although I should warn you, the wallpaper in the master bedroom is holding on through sheerforce of will at this point. I’ll make that room a priority. This weekend. I promise."

"The master..." Heat flooded her face as implications hit. He was thinking she was going to be spending a lot of time in that master bedroom of his, wasn’t he? "George! I will not be in your master bedroom."

"Just stating facts." He turned back to the stove, but not before she caught the satisfied smirk on his face. "Now, how do you feel about mushroom chicken? The sauce is my grandmother's recipe."

Well, talk about distracting. She was starving, after all. "I feel like that might be emotional manipulation."

"Is it working?"

"Maybe. But I am still plotting revenge for you just commandeering me yet again. I am going home tonight, you know. Just so you know."

20

Ronnie hadnotgone home.

And… well… she had ended up sleeping in his master bedroom. George just hadn’t been in there with her. He’d been on the couch, sprawled like a giant man-creature, when she’d gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. She vaguely recalled falling asleep on that couch, and vaguely remembered strong arms carrying her, then being lowered to a bed, and someone kissing her on the mouth and telling her to sleep.

That he was going to take better care of her from now on. She’d felt warm, comfortable, safe… and loved. Damn it. What was he doing to her here?

He had carried her to his bed and just put her there. Talk about making a woman feel a little gooey and off-center here. He could have just left her on that couch with a blanket. She’d have been just fine.

But she was still there at Georgie’s castle now. She’d even showered in that master bathroom, trying to ignore the scent of George everywhere around her. He’d even had clothes for her to change into. Yes, they were Giavonna’s sweatpants and T-shirt that she’d apparently left at her brother’s, but… they were clean clothes that fit well. Nice and comfy. She suspected he was feeling all good and proud at being able to provide for her today.

And she just hadn’t been in a hurry to go home. They still had baby daddy details to discuss, after all. Now she sat on his front porch with his collection of paint sample swatches. He’d given her a task—to keep her occupied. While he and his beautiful bevvy of brothers did the hard stuff—like stripping all that wicked wallpaper down.

Uh-oh.

Brothers.George wasn’t the only one with brothers.

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