As Julia watched her sashay away, she was astonished at how intensely jealous she felt. She never remembered feeling that way with Alec, and he’d been around plenty of other women at med school. But that was different. He hadn’t loved any of those women, nor did he have a child with one of them.
“Sorry about that,” Connor said after Cam left.
“Sorry about what?” Julia said, sitting down on the floor beside him. It was a warm spring day, but she didn’t think it was miniskirt weather. Julia wore cropped jeans and a red crew neck T-shirt, and it struck her that she probably looked more like a mom than Cam did.
“You know,” he said as he stacked up the blocks again.
“No, I don’t. Tell me.”
“Cam. She dresses kind of…”
“Slutty?”
Connor lifted his brows and started laughing. “I was going to say provocatively, but that’ll work.”
“Has she always dressed like that?” It was hard to believe that Cam was fitting into such skimpy clothes after having given birth five months ago. Julia never expected to be so lucky. Of course, even if she were as slim as Cam, she wouldn’t dress like that.
“Yeah,” Connor said, refusing to meet her eyes.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” he said warily.
“What did you ever see in her? Besides the obvious, I mean.”
Scratching the back of his head, he said, “Honestly? I’m not sure.”
“So, it was the obvious, then—the hair, the body, the image.” She wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse, because she was the exact opposite—a blend of her Caucasian and Asian parents. Julia had inherited her dad’s silky black hair and her mom’s dark-brown eyes and petite, curvy figure. She’d come to accept her curvy body long ago and knew she would never be described as “skinny,” but she was okay with that. At least, she was up until now.
“Do you really want to talk about this, Jules? Cam and I were such a long time ago.”
“So were me and Alec, but I told you all about him.”
Sighing, Connor picked up Ava and held her in his lap, and for a moment, Julia was distracted by what an attractive picture they made. Wait until Harper got a load of this. She’d probably start snapping photos the minute she walked in the door!
“What good does it do to talk about it? It’s not like I was excited to hear all about doctor boy.”
She laughed. “Doctor boy? Is that the best you could come up with?”
He shrugged. “I can think of a few other choice words…”
“Hmm. So, am I just supposed to ignore the fact that Cam is a beautiful woman who bore your child?”
“Can you?”
“Not a chance.”
“Damn it!”
She laughed again but scolded, “Not in front of the baby.”
“Uh-oh,” Connor said.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think she’s wet.”
“Here. I’ll change her this time,” Julia said, gently taking Ava out of his arms.
“Thanks. The diaper bag’s in the spare room.”
Just as they stood up, there came the sound of a car door slamming. Showtime!
“It’s probably Finn and Harper. He’s always early,” Connor said.
“I’ll hurry,” Julia said, responding to the look of panic on his face. “Offer them drinks or something.” With that, she rushed down the hall and into the guest bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
The diaper bag was on the bed, and Julia carefully laid Ava down beside it.
“Gagagaga,” Ava said as she gazed up at Julia.
“Shhh. Not yet, little one. Save the show for your uncles.” Uncles? Hmm. This ought to be interesting. Julia and Harper often spoke about the dynamics between the three O’Brien brothers, and Julia wondered how having a new family member would change that. Connor was the prickly one of the bunch, but she’d already begun to notice some changes in him. She’d like to take some of the credit, but she suspected that Ava was the primary reason.
Connor was a father now, and he had more to think about than just himself. He seemed softer, a few of the rough edges having worn off in light of his new role, and maybe that would extend to everyone, even his brothers.
Julia made quick work of changing the diaper and reassembling Ava’s clothes. When she picked Ava up, instead of rushing back to the living room, she held her for a moment, enjoying the feel of her in her arms. And then she caught a glimpse of the two of them in the mirror hanging over the dresser and froze. They looked so natural together that she’d almost forgotten that Ava wasn’t hers.
“Jules? You can come out now,” Connor hollered from the living room.
“Okay, sweetie. Time for your big debut. Knock ’em dead!”
All eyes were upon them as Julia and Ava reentered the living room—Harper’s, Finn’s, and Liam’s, who must have shown up while Julia had been changing Ava. Julia scanned the room for Connor and found him seated in an armchair, hands clasped tightly between his knees and looking nervous. When their eyes met, he smiled and seemed to relax some. Did she really have that kind of effect on him? Maybe he really did need her after all.
Harper was the first to speak, jumping off the couch where she’d been sitting next to Finn and rushing toward Julia and Ava.
“Ohmigod. She’s absolutely adorable!” she gushed, reaching out to touch Ava’s hand.
“Isn’t she?” Julia said and then clamped her mouth shut. She was acting like a proud parent instead of what she was, the girlfriend of Ava’s father.
Finn stood up next and stepped up beside Harper, slipping his arm around her waist and giving it a squeeze. “Someday, babe,” he whispered, but it was loud enough that Julia heard.
And then came Liam, bounding up and patting Ava’s head affectionately. “This is going to be a riot!” he said. When they all stared at him, he said, “What? I can’t wait to see Connor as a dad.”
“What about you?” Julia teased. “Don’t you want to be a dad someday?”
“Gotta meet the right girl first,” he said, and everyone stilled.
“Shit. Sorry, dude,” Liam said to Connor.
“Forget about it,” Connor said, looking down at his hands.
Julia struggled to come up with some witty comment to ease the tension but failed. Luckily, Harper stepped in.
“Julia’s great with kids. I’m sure she’ll be a big help to you, Connor.”
“She already is,” he said, shooting Julia a grateful smile.
And then the doorbell rang, puncturing the awkward moment.
“Hello? It’s your mom and dad,” Mrs. O’Brien called as she and her husband came in.
“Oh boy. Here we go,” Liam said with a look of amusement.
The group parted, leaving Julia standing there with Ava, and she shot Connor a panicky look. He should have been the one holding his daughter, not her. But it was too late. Barbara O’Brien was already heading straight toward Julia, her arms outstretched.
“Oh my goodness! Who is this sweet little baby girl?”
Daniel O’Brien had paused and was looking around the room at his sons as if to sniff out the culprit. When his eyes landed on Connor, who was scratching the back of his neck furiously, his eyes widened with understanding.
Luckily, Ava was cooperating beautifully, garnering Barbara’s full attention by smiling and cooing.
“Is she a relative of yours?” Barbara asked Julia.
“Um…no…”
Suddenly, Connor rose from his seat and walked over to where they were standing. Gently taking Ava from Julia, he held her facing outward like a shield and said, “Mom, Dad. I’d like you to meet my daughter, Ava.”
All eyes shifted to Barbara, and nobody moved a muscle as they awaited her reaction.
“Your daughter? But how? When?” She looked Julia up and down as if she’d been secretly carrying Connor’s baby all this time and Barbara had missed it.
&nbs
p; Julia would have laughed had she not noticed the stricken look on Connor’s face. He’d been apprehensive before, but now he looked terrified. Julia had known his family long enough to understand Barbara’s role in the family. In a household full of men, she’d had to hold her own, and she was a tough lady with strong opinions that she didn’t hesitate to share. Her boys were no longer under her control; however, they still revered and respected her, and nobody wanted to endure her wrath.
But Julia also knew that underneath Barbara’s hard-as-nails exterior, she had a soft heart and she loved her boys tremendously even when they screwed up. Everyone knew that Barbara was itching to have grandchildren, but she’d probably never expected it to happen like this. Thus, the reason for Connor’s discomfort.
“Remember Cam?” Connor said.
“The blonde woman who was a little full of herself?” Barbara said.
Liam snickered in the background until Finn punched him in the arm.
“Yes. Well, it turns out that she was pregnant when we broke up, and she neglected to tell me until now.” The second the words were out, Connor looked visibly relieved.
But Barbara wasn’t done. “Well, where is she? I’d like to give her a piece of my mind!”
“Barb,” Daniel warned.
“I mean it. What kind of woman has a baby and doesn’t tell the father?”
A blonde woman who’s a little too full of herself, Julia wanted to say.
“It doesn’t matter, Mom. Now that I know, I’m going to be completely involved in Ava’s life.”
With that, Ava gave a little cry, and Barbara immediately sprang into action.
“Poor baby. Come to Grandma,” she said, whisking Ava out of Connor’s arms.
“I’ll warm up her bottle,” Julia said, grateful for a reason to escape.
“I’ll come with you,” Harper said, jumping up and following her.
As soon as they were alone in the kitchen, Julia let out a breath. “Holy cow. That was intense,” she said as she stuck the bottle in the microwave.
Harper eyed her with concern. “How are you handling this, Jules? I mean, you had to be shocked.”
“Shocked doesn’t begin to cover it.”
“What did Connor have to say for himself?”
“What could he say? He was blindsided by this too. That’s what he was doing in Denver a few weeks ago—meeting Ava for the first time.”
Harper shook her head. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”
“I know, which is why I’m trying to keep it together—for him.”
“Jules,” Harper said, placing a hand on her arm. “Your feelings are important too. Don’t let Connor’s problems weigh you down.”
“But they’re my problems now too,” she argued.
“Only if you want them to be,” Harper said.
Ava’s cries were escalating, and Julia hurriedly took the bottle out of the microwave and squirted some formula on her wrist. “This is good,” she said, looking up to find Harper staring at her. “What?”
“I just hope you know what you’re getting into,” Harper said.
Me too.
Chapter Eight
Shortly after the proud new grandma fed Ava her bottle and she’d fallen asleep, Connor kicked his family out. He’d used the excuse that Ava needed to nap, but the real reason was that he wanted to be alone with Julia. Not to mention that he’d grown tired of his family’s scrutiny, especially his mother’s.
He’d answered her questions the best he could and had watched Julia grow more uncomfortable with each one until he’d decided he couldn’t take it anymore. So now Ava was napping in her bouncy seat where he could still see her, and he and Julia were sitting on the couch—alone.
“Can I get you anything? Are you hungry or thirsty?” he asked.
“No. I’m okay.”
But he wasn’t convinced. So far, she’d been amazing throughout this ordeal, but he saw the doubt and worry in her eyes, and he’d give anything to erase it.
“Are you sure? I’ve got chocolate.”
That perked her up for a second. “What kind of chocolate?”
“Your favorite—plain Hershey bars.”
“Really? When did you have time to go out and buy chocolate?”
“You’d be amazed at how good I am at multitasking,” he teased, anxious to bring a smile to her face.
And it worked. “I could have some chocolate.”
“Great. Stay right here,” he said and disappeared into the kitchen.
Seconds later, he handed her the Hershey bar, which she promptly unwrapped and took a bite of.
“Mmm,” she said. “So good.”
Tugging on a strand of her hair, he said, “I’d rather hear you say that to me.”
“I just did,” she teased.
Watching her sitting there enjoying her candy bar, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. She was a woman of simple pleasures, and he admired that about her. She enjoyed being at home with a takeout pizza and a chocolate bar more than any other woman he’d ever known, including Cam. Cam’s tastes had run to the more exotic and expensive, and looking back, he realized he’d never have been able to make her happy. But with Julia, it had been relatively easy until he’d screwed it up.
“Thanks,” she said, licking the chocolate off her fingers.
He’d been watching her before, but now he openly stared and tried to tamp down his arousal. Luckily, she hadn’t even noticed since she was busy licking her fingers and keeping an eye on Ava, who was still sleeping peacefully.
“You’re going to be a great mom someday,” he said, which made her snap her head around. Oops. Maybe not the right thing to say.
But she recovered quickly and said, “I hope so.”
“I know so. Look how good you are with Ava. It’s like you’re already in tune with her.”
“I love babies. It just comes natural to me.”
“I wish I could say the same.”
Setting the empty candy bar wrapper on the table, she placed her hand on his thigh. She’d meant it to be comforting, but he was anything but, his pants becoming tighter by the second.
“You’ll get there,” she said sweetly, giving his thigh a squeeze.
Connor winced, which made her look down at his lap.
“Oh!” she said, noticing the reason for his discomfort.
“Yeah. Serious discussion or not, he’s got a mind of his own.”
And then she gave him that full-on smile that he loved, gums showing and everything, which didn’t help the situation with his pants.
“We might have some time before Ava wakes up,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
“Let’s hope so,” he said, pulling her onto his lap.
What was it about this woman that made him want to touch her constantly? And it didn’t just have to be sexually, although that was part of it. He just wanted her near him, wanted to be able to twist a lock of her hair around his finger, wanted to feel her thigh brush against his when they sat together, or having her straddle him on the couch worked too.
Threading his hands in her silky hair, he brought her face down to his and kissed her, gently at first, testing to see how far she was willing to go. When her lips parted for him, he groaned and plundered her mouth with his tongue, tasting the chocolate that still lingered there.
Adjusting herself on his lap to get closer, her breasts brushed against his chest, and he felt the hard peaks of her nipples poke into him.
If it weren’t for the baby sleeping across the room, he would have already stripped her naked, but he was aware they might be interrupted at any minute. Still, he sank into the kiss, cupping her bottom in his hands and rocking into her hips.
He wasn’t great at telling her how he felt, but he was damn good at showing her, and that’s exactly what he intended to do. He had to prove to her that Cam meant nothing to him aside from being the mother of his child and that Julia, well…
“Connor?” Julia whisper
ed against his lips.
“Yeah?”
“I really want this, but I think we should stop.”
Not what he’d wanted to hear. Peeking around her, he saw that Ava was still resting soundly, her little mouth making a sucking motion in her sleep.
“Are you sure?” he asked, slipping his hands underneath her T-shirt and cupping her breasts.
She shook her head, and he chuckled at her indecision. From the way she’d been responding, he knew it wouldn’t take long, and he hated to stop now. Pulling her bra cups down, he rasped his thumbs across her nipples and then tugged on the tight buds.
Arching her chest into his hands, she rubbed against his erection, making it almost painful for him. He loved seeing her like this, lost in ecstasy, void of inhibitions, and knowing that it was all because of him.
“It’s okay, Julia. Just let go,” he mumbled against her lips.
And she did. Right there on the couch, fully dressed, using the friction generated from their clothed bodies to come undone. Connor thought it might be one of the most erotic moments they’d shared yet, and there had been quite a few.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her tight as she came back to herself, her head resting on his shoulder. When they were together like this, he felt like there wasn’t anything they couldn’t overcome. Not her family’s disapproval, not her doctor ex-boyfriend who was still lurking in the background, and not Cam, who had come back into his life unexpectedly.
Stroking her back, he felt extremely lucky that she was still there. Some other woman might have cut and run at the first sign of trouble, but not her. She was tougher than she looked, stronger than she believed, and more important to him than she knew.
He vowed to change that, but he wouldn’t rush it because, right now, they still had a lot to deal with, and the situation with Ava was still new.
“What about you?” Julia whispered, her breath skimming over his neck and making him squirm.
“What about me?”
“You know,” she said, motioning to his lap.
But just then, Ava let out a peep, and they both stilled.
“Maybe she’ll go back to sleep,” he said, but he doubted it. He was already learning how unpredictable babies could be. As if to prove it, Ava let out a squeal, letting them know she was truly awake.
The Sweetest Mistake (O'Brien Brothers #2) Page 7