The Little Black Rose: A Surprise Pregnancy RomCom: Love in Las Vegas Book 3 by Piper James

Author:Piper James [James, Piper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: needs an amazon review
Published: 2022-11-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Daddy Loves You

Zeke

I step out into the waning sunlight, the scent of the sizzling steak wafting up my nose as I open the barbecue to flip the ribeyes I’ve been grilling for dinner. Ava will be home soon, and I’m trying to time dinner perfectly. The baked potatoes in the oven are nearly done, and the corn on the cob is tender and ready to be buttered and salted.

After flipping the steaks, I head back inside, closing the French doors behind me. Shutting off the oven, I slip on a mitt and pull the potatoes from its scorching interior. Slitting them open and squeezing them to loosen the flaky insides, I add salt, butter, and cheese, letting the latter two melt a bit before I dollop on some sour cream.

As I butter the corn, I hear the front door close. Shit. She’s early.

“Hey. Something smells good,” Ava says as she walks into the kitchen and sets her bag on the counter.

“The steaks are almost ready,” I reply, giving her a bright smile.

“Hmm,” she hums, inhaling deeply. “I could really get used to coming home to nice dinners like this.”

That’s the plan.

“Do I have time to go clean up?” she asks.

“Yes, of course,” I say. “This will all be ready in about ten minutes.”

“I can’t wait,” she says over her shoulder as she heads for the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “I’m famished.”

I finish with the corn, then head out to grab the steaks. They need to rest for a few minutes once I pull them off the grill, and that will give me time to finish the potatoes and plate everything up.

It’s a lot more work than I’m used to, cooking full meals for two people––well four, if you include the twins––but I don’t mind. It’s part of the deal I made when I moved in, and it also shows Ava how nice it is to have help.

I know we still have a few months before the babies come, but I’ve started to worry about what will happen when they are born. Will Ava ask me to move out? I don’t want to imagine leaving my children. Only seeing them during planned visits under some fucking custody agreement.

But how can I ask Ava to let me stay? I have no plans to date or engage in any kind of romantic relationship, so living with the mother of my children is no big deal for me. But Ava? She’ll want that. She’ll want romance and love and maybe even marriage, one day. I can’t give her that, and my constant presence in her life and in her home could put a real wrench in starting something new with a possible partner.

And I refuse to analyze the deep clenching in my gut when I imagine her with someone else. It’s the smell of this food making my stomach growl. Nothing more.

“Perfect timing,” I say as she walks back into the kitchen a few minutes later in a pair of leggings and a slim-fitting tank top.

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