Page 36 of Aussie
Ava couldn’t take it anymore, and she laughed out loud.
Nails groaned, slumping back in his chair. “This is my nightmare.”
Aussie was practically crying at this point. “Cheer up, Nails. At least you’ve got options, right?”
Nails groaned again, muttering something about needing new friends, while the rest of the table dissolved into another round of laughter.
Once the kids were finished with their dinner, Christian took the kids back upstairs to play, and Nails carefully took Isadora from Aussie’s arms. He gave her a wary look. “Alright, little one, no more of that toxic warfare stuff, okay?”
With Nails handling the baby and getting settled in the living room, Aussie lingered in the kitchen with Ava, rolling up his sleeves to help clean up. But as she was about to reach for a dish, he stepped in close, caging her gently against the kitchen island. His face was inches from hers, eyes twinkling with amusement and something else.
“Do you know how hard it was to sit through dinner while you kept staring at me?” he murmured, voice low and teasing.
Ava’s cheeks flushed. She tried to look away, but he wasn’t having it. He leaned in, brushing his lips over hers in a kiss that was tender, lingering, and left her breathless. She didn’t hold back, sinking into the kiss, letting the warmth of it chase awayevery last bit of embarrassment. But just as things were heating up, they were interrupted by a tiny voice.
“Are you playing the tickle monster game?”
Ava looked up, startled, to see Sienna standing in the doorway. She was eyeing them with all the curiosity of a young child.
Ava looked at Aussie, hoping to get some clarification on Sienna’s comment, but she noticed that he was trying, though slightly failing, not to burst into laughter.
Aussie cleared his throat and handed Sienna a couple of juice boxes, but he ignored her question. “Here you go, kiddo. You better hurry back upstairs because I just heard Amira calling for you.”
Once Sienna was out of earshot, Ava looked at Aussie.
“What in the world is the tickle monster game?”
Aussie chuckled and then proceeded to explain to Ava how the “tickle monster” game came about.
“Apparently, Sienna walked in on her mom and dad getting a little cozy on the couch one night. Irish told her they were playing the tickle monster game.”
Ava’s laughter bubbled over. “That was quick thinking. I’ll give him that.”
“Irish has got his hands full with that one,” Aussie admitted, and Ava agreed. Sienna was a little firecracker.
They stood there in the kitchen looking into each other’s eyes.
Feeling a little brazen, Ava pushed up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to Aussie’s lips.
Before she could pull away, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his body.
“I’m glad I got to see you today,” he said, smiling against her lips.
She grinned, feeling the same. “I am, too.”
“I guess we better finish the dishes,” he said.
She nodded, but really, she wanted to stay wrapped up in Aussie’s arms.
He released her, and her heart raced as she went back to washing the dishes. After spending this evening with Aussie, she was ready to take that next step. Before she left, she vowed that she would ask Aussie if he would be her date for the gala.
???
Aussie leaned against the counter, his hands damp from the dishwater. He could still feel the warmth of Ava’s lips against his. He caught himself smiling as he watched her put away a few of the dishes. Being around her had become so natural, and yet, each time they were together, he felt that familiar thrill. The feeling only intensified when he remembered how she’d looked at him while he was holding Isadora.
What would a baby with Ava look like?The thought was quick, unexpected, and made him pause, almost as if he’d crossed some invisible line. They’d only recently decided to take things to the next level. He needed to rein it in—but he couldn’t shake that image.
He chuckled to himself, still amused by the memory of Sienna catching them in the middle of a kiss, innocently asking if they were “playing the tickle monster game.” The girl had practically become a legend in their circle for that one.
