“I thought you were worried about waking Ava,” he said as his hands came up to cup her breasts.
“We’ll just have to be quiet,” she said, thrusting her chest forward to fill his generous hands.
“It was my singing, wasn’t it? That’s what got you all riled up,” he teased, flicking his thumbs across her taut nipples.
She smiled and shook her head, undulating her hips against his. “Guess again.”
He groaned as his erection rubbed up against her core. “Can’t…really…think straight.” And then he dipped his head to her chest and drew a nipple deep into his warm mouth.
Massaging her fingers into his scalp, she held his head in place as he sucked and nipped at her breasts. Her legs tightened on either side of his as she rubbed along his erection.
Dropping his hands from her breasts, he reached around to cup her backside and lifted her off him. Expecting him to get a condom, she was surprised when he said, “Stay just like that.”
And then he dipped his hand down the front of her panties and cupped her sex.
“Connor,” she said on a deep exhale.
“Shhh. Quiet.”
Nodding, she placed one hand over her mouth and braced herself against him with the other. After teasing her damp folds, he inserted a finger deep inside, causing her to tighten her core around him. He played with her, alternating between soft strokes and deep penetration, until she was bucking into his hand, her head tipped back, one hand still clamped over her mouth.
“You feel so good,” he whispered against her belly, his warm breath fluttering against her damp skin.
Why was it that whenever one was supposed to be quiet, there was an overwhelming urge to cry out? She did her best to stifle her moans in her hand as Connor urged her on.
“I can feel you getting close,” he said and then nipped the underside of her breast.
And that was all it took. Gripping his shoulder tightly, she saw a burst of light behind her eyes, and she came repeatedly, all while trying to remain quiet. Just when she thought her knees might give out, he gently rolled her onto her back and slipped off her panties while she attempted to catch her breath.
Still in a daze, she heard him open the drawer of his nightstand, remove his underwear, and then rip open a condom packet before coming back over her. Supporting his weight on one strong forearm, he took hold of his erection and slowly immersed himself, her legs opening wide to accommodate him. Winding her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and kissed him deeply.
Moaning against her mouth, he lowered one hand to grip her hip as he thrust into her. Even though she’d just climaxed, she was still aroused, and as the friction built between them, she felt on the verge of another orgasm.
Abandoning her mouth, he buried his head in her neck, where he nipped the sensitive skin and then licked it, sending a spark of desire straight to her core.
Running her hands over his back, she reveled in the feel of his muscles contracting as he pounded into her while trying to remain as quiet as possible.
When she cupped his buttocks to pull him in even further, they both lost it—first him and then her. Afterward, they stayed connected until their breathing came down, and then Connor kissed her on the tip of her nose and whispered, “Be right back.”
While he was in the bathroom, Julia found his T-shirt, slipped it back on, and padded over to the crib to check on Ava. She was still sleeping soundly, her thumb partway in her mouth and one arm flung out to the side.
Julia tiptoed back to the bed and slid beneath the covers. It was then that she realized they’d never finished their conversation from earlier, the one about Barbara wanting more grandkids. How she’d love to give Ava a half-brother, half-sister, or both someday. But is that what Connor had been alluding to? She shook her head. Maybe he’d been joking around or speaking hypothetically.
She convinced herself that she’d misunderstood, because why would he be talking about having more kids when they hadn’t even exchanged I love yous yet?
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity. The summer season had finally descended on Michigan, and Connor and his brothers were busy from sunup until sundown with hardly a moment’s rest. Their client list had expanded since they’d opened a storefront in downtown Brandon, and they were gaining more clients every day.
In the meantime, Connor and Cam had agreed that Ava would stay with him three nights a week, plus every other weekend. While he would have liked it to be more, he felt like the arrangement was fair.
He looked forward to his time with Ava more than he’d ever thought possible, and he always felt a letdown when Cam came to pick her up. But on the bright side, he and Cam were cooperating, and for that he was grateful.
Julia had been a huge help too, first, by transforming the spare room into a nursery for Ava, and second, by staying over on the nights that Ava was there. She’d taken great pleasure in choosing the theme for the nursery, and he’d let her decorate it to her heart’s content. If it had been left up to him, he’d have bought a crib and a dresser and called it good.
But now, when he went into Ava’s room, it was like stepping into a Walt Disney film. There were princesses everywhere: on the wallpaper border, the crib bedding, and even the lamp. Julia had been trying unsuccessfully to teach him the names of all the Disney princesses, insisting that this information would somehow be useful to him. Now, in addition to his action movies, he had a collection of Disney DVDs. He was beginning to wonder if this obsession had less to do with Ava and more to do with Julia. But Julia seemed happy, and that was all that mattered.
He wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that he’d started humming Disney tunes when he was at work, but according to Liam, it was the latter.
“Dude? What are you singing?” Liam had said one day.
Connor hadn’t realized that he was singing the theme song from Frozen, until Liam had stared at him with a look of irritation and amusement.
“Get your head out of your ass. Even I know that song!” Finn had said.
Luckily, that had brought an end to the conversation, but after that, Connor had tried not to sing Disney songs in front of his brothers.
He’d also noticed that his house had been inundated with the color pink. It was everywhere—on blankets, toys, and clothes—but he couldn’t blame it all on Julia. His mom, Harper, McKayla, and Cam were also at fault. The closet in Ava’s room was already full, and she was under one year old! Not to mention the dresser drawers that were bulging with clothes, many of which still had tags on them. His little girl couldn’t even walk, yet she owned more clothes than he did.
“Babies outgrow things quickly,” Julia had said when he’d questioned her about it. “Plus, they stain things, so they need a lot of changes of clothes.”
Knowing his mom and the other women in his life would probably agree, he’d let the matter drop. Besides, Ava always looked adorable thanks to these same women.
Julia wasn’t the only one who had jumped in to help. Barbara had offered to babysit Ava a few days a week while Cam was at work. At first, he hadn’t been sure Cam would go for it, but she didn’t have a lot of other options, so she’d agreed to it on a trial basis. But when Barbara agreed to babysit Ava at Cam’s apartment, it had erased any reservations she’d had. And if for some reason Barbara wasn’t available, his other family members would pitch in in a heartbeat.
Yes, his little princess now had everyone he knew wrapped around her little finger. The only people she hadn’t met yet were Julia’s parents, but that would change soon. Julia had arranged for her parents to come over to his house next Sunday so they could finally meet Ava. While he was still skeptical about Dr. Lee’s opinion of him, Julia had assured him that once they met Ava, that would all change. He had no choice but to take her word for it.
Words. Between work and spending time with Ava, he’d been so busy that he hadn’t found the right time to tell Julia how he felt. That he loved her.<
br />
He thought about it often enough, and it had been right on the tip of his tongue several times, but they’d either been interrupted or he’d chickened out. He hated to admit that he was scared, even to himself. While he considered himself assertive and confident in most things, he felt like a novice when it came to love.
Looking back, he realized that what he’d had with Cam had been more of an infatuation than love. With Cam, he hadn’t looked beyond a particular day or week, but with Julia, he was thinking long term. He could easily imagine being married to her, having kids with her, and meshing their lives together. She already fit in with his family, and everybody loved her. If he were being honest, they probably liked her more than they liked him sometimes. And who could blame them?
Julia was perfect for him, and they were good together. He wanted to build a life with her, and he hoped she wanted the same thing too. Now, if he could only man up and tell her that.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
On one of Connor’s weekends with Ava, Julia suggested they take her to Independence Oaks, a local park that offered walking trails, picnic areas, and a swimming pond. So, after packing and re-packing the diaper bag to account for all possibilities, and loading a cooler with sandwiches, fruit, and drinks, they were off.
It was one of those glorious days in June that felt like summer even though it wasn’t technically summer yet. Julia had dressed Ava in a lightweight cotton outfit (pink, of course) that covered her skin, plus a matching sunhat.
“It’s eighty degrees. Is all that stuff really necessary?” Connor asked.
“Do you want your daughter to burn?” Julia replied.
“No.”
“Well, then, yes. All of this stuff is necessary.”
Julia had become just as protective as he was especially when Ava was on their watch. The last thing she wanted was for something bad to happen and for Cam to blame it on her. They’d formed a tentative bond over these past several weeks, and she didn’t want anything to jeopardize it. Instead of looking at Cam as the enemy or as someone to be jealous of, Julia had started thinking of her as a part of a team—team Ava.
And for the most part, it seemed to be working. There were still occasions where Julia would catch Cam staring at her and Connor with something akin to envy, but for the most part, she’d been respectful. One evening, when Connor had been working late, Julia had been the one at his house when Cam brought Ava over. After Cam had imparted information about Ava’s eating and sleeping schedule, Julia had taken the opportunity to make small talk with her. She hadn’t done it to become Cam’s best friend but to make things more comfortable between them. Ultimately, she’d done it for Connor and Ava.
“How’s it going at work?” Julia asked as she set Ava’s bottles in the refrigerator.
Cam appeared surprised by the show of interest, but she quickly recovered. “Not bad. I feel better about being there now that Barb is watching Ava.”
Barb? Interesting. Everyone else called Connor’s mom Barbara. Cam must have been feeling more comfortable with her too.
“Having her babysit is a lot better than having to use daycare,” Julia said.
Cam nodded. She had sat down at the kitchen table and was still holding Ava in her lap as if she were reluctant to leave her. For all the negative feelings Julia had had at the beginning, she’d realized that Cam was a good mom and was trying to do her best for her daughter.
Sitting down at the table across from her, Julia said, “Would you like something to drink?”
“Oh. No thanks. I’m actually meeting someone for drinks in just a little while.”
Do I dare ask? “Oh. A friend?”
“A co-worker,” Cam replied.
Julia thought that might be the end of the discussion, but Cam continued talking as if she’d wanted to say more all along.
“A man, actually. His name’s Tony.”
Julia wasn’t surprised. Cam was an intelligent, beautiful woman, and it was easier to admit that now that she’d stopped pursuing Connor.
“He asked me out a few weeks ago, but I said no. I didn’t think it was a good idea since we work together and because of Ava. But he asked again, and I caved.”
Julia laughed because it seemed like a common theme for the women in her life—herself included. “That good looking, huh?”
Smiling her perfect Barbie-doll smile, Cam said, “Yeah.”
“That’ll do it every time.”
“Is that what happened for you with Connor?”
Uh-oh. Now they were stepping into dangerous territory.
“Sorry. That’s really none of my business,” Cam said, averting her eyes to Ava, who was happily banging a toy against the table.
“Do you really want to know?” Julia ventured.
“Only if you want to tell me.”
Julia took a few seconds and then decided that this is what women do. They share. And since Cam was a woman and was sitting across the table, trying to be nice, she would share—to a point.
“As you probably know, the O’Brien brothers take care of all the lawn maintenance at Harper’s house and studio where I work.”
Cam nodded.
“Well, at first, I avoided Connor like the plague. I thought he was too smooth, too cocky.”
“No argument here.”
Trying not to think about Cam’s firsthand knowledge of the man, Julia continued. “But he just never gave up. He kept asking me out until he caught me at a weak moment, and I finally said yes.”
Cam giggled. “He can be very persistent.”
“And like you with Tony, I couldn’t deny my attraction to him.”
“But at least you and Connor don’t work together. I’ve been through this before, and it was a mistake.”
“Are you talking about Tyler?”
Cam’s smile evaporated. “Yes.”
Julia didn’t bother pointing out that Tyler was her boss and he was married—the double whammy. She assumed Cam had learned her lesson from that poor decision a long time ago.
“At least Tony is single,” Cam said with a nervous laugh. And then, glancing down at her Kate Spade watch, she said, “I better get going.”
With that, she stood up, kissed Ava on both cheeks, and then handed her to Julia.
When Cam had shown up in her formfitting floral print dress and high heels, Julia had assumed that she’d just come from work, but now she knew different. Cam had dressed to impress her date, just like most women would. Of course, not every woman looked like a model, but Julia could still relate.
Following her to the front door, Julia said, “I hope you and Tony have fun tonight.”
“Thanks,” Cam said, and then waving goodbye to Ava, she disappeared down the walkway.
After Cam had left, Julia felt pleased with herself. She’d planted the seeds of trust with Cam, and she couldn’t wait to share the news with Connor when he came home. Oddly enough, she’d skimmed over some of what she and Cam had talked about, deciding that some things were better left unsaid.
Now, as they were walking around the lakeside trail at the park with Ava tucked into a baby carrier on Connor’s chest, Julia wondered why he was so quiet.
“Everything okay?” she asked. He’d seemed distracted recently, and she’d assumed it was because of how busy he was. He’d been trying to balance work and parenthood as well as spending time with her, and she knew that he was exhausted.
She’d been offering her support in any way she could, including waking up with Ava in the middle of the night and letting him sleep in whenever possible, but he still seemed off.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?” Connor replied.
“Just wondered. I know how hard you’ve been working lately and…”
“It’s not that.”
“Okay.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I just have a lot on my mind.”
Julia wasn’t sure what else to say or how to make it better for him. “Do you want to take a br
eak for a few minutes?”
They were about halfway around the trail, and she’d spotted a picnic table up ahead right by the water’s edge.
“Yeah. That’ll be good,” he said.
Between the heat and carrying Ava, she figured he must be sweating. At least there was a breeze coming off the water, and she sat down beside him, facing the lake.
Pulling a teething ring out of the pocket of his cargo shorts, Connor handed it to Ava, who immediately plunked it into her mouth.
Then, inhaling deeply, he angled his body to face Julia, and his eyes locked onto hers. There was that intensity she’d been noticing lately, almost like he wanted to tell her something but didn’t know how.
“What is it?’ she said softly.
“I…I…shit!”
Eyes wide, she tried not to laugh. “Connor?”
“Sorry. I suck at this.”
“This what?” Placing her hand on his forearm, she gave it a squeeze. “Just tell me.” If things hadn’t been going so well between them lately, she might have been nervous. But as it was, she just wanted him to be open with her. Their relationship had changed over the past several weeks, and she felt them getting closer and closer. She didn’t want him to clam up on her now.
“Please,” she added.
And then Ava dropped her teething ring on the ground, right in a patch of dirt at their feet.
“Don’t swear!” Julia said when she saw Connor’s mouth open. “I’ll take care of it.” Removing the small backpack she’d worn, she pulled out a pack of wet wipes and thoroughly cleaned off the toy before handing it back to Ava.
“You were saying?” Julia said without missing a beat.
Shaking his head and smiling, he said, “You’re incredible. You know that?”
“All I did was clean it off,” Julia replied, confused.
The Sweetest Mistake (O'Brien Brothers #2) Page 20