Page 69 of Sins of Innocence

"Disneyland."

There are two full seconds of stunned silence and then pandemonium erupts in the kitchen, my girls jumping from their chairs, squealing, screaming, and asking questions over each other so fast, Kieran couldn't answer them if he tried.

Which he doesn't.

The big lummox just sits there in his chair, silent, a tiny quirk tilting one corner of his mouth.

Maybe my bestie doesn't know him as well as she thinks she does, because tiny, or not. That's a smile. And his eyes are filled with pleasure and satisfaction. He's not bothered by the girls in riot mode at all.

Mom leans forward and catches my eye. "Did you know about this?"

"He told me he wanted to take us all on vacation. Get the girls away after yesterday." But we'd agreed on Vegas.

Not freakin' Disneyland.

How are we supposed to manage a spontaneous wedding there?

"I see you told them about Disneyland," Ellie drawls from the kitchen doorway.

She's got keys to the apartment, because she's family. If she didn't, I doubt anyone would have heard her knocking over the girls' boisterous excitement.

Maybe Kieran would have. Did he hear her come in?

I sure didn't.

The girls surge en masse toward their adored adopted aunt.

"Kieran's taking us to Disneyland!" Joy shouts.

Even Neeve's usual reticence is gone. "He brought us honeybuns and cocoa for breakfast."

"Did you know they were dating?" Sadie asks, her countenance suddenly serious, her attention focused 100% on Ellie.

"I sure did. Who do you think introduced them?" my dearest friend lies without blinking an eye. "It's a relief you all know now too. It was hard keeping quiet about it, let me tell you!"

"You introduced them?" mom asks, her inquisition face on.

Oh, no. My lies are going to come home to roost now. No way can Ellie withstand one of my mom's interrogations without slipping up.

But she does, spinning a story even I half believe, knowing it's nothing but fantasy.

"I started working for Kieran a few years ago, but I didn't think of introducing them until earlier this year. He's kind of quiet. Maybe you've noticed?" she asks drily.

Mom surprises me by saying, "He says what he needs to."

I flick my gaze to Kieran. Does he have any idea that my mom just gave him her stamp of approval?

He's looking at me already and our eyes lock. Suddenly, I'm remembering earlier, when we were alone in here and everyone else was still sleeping. The heat in his dark gaze tells me he's thinking about the same thing.

Forcing myself not to look at his crotch for evidence, I lick my lips.

His nostrils flare and I want to be alone with him so bad, my ladybits are aching with it.

"Look at them," Ellie says with a verbal eyeroll. "They're always like this."

"Are they?" Sadie asks, her need for a positive answer unmistakable in her voice.

"Yes. It's nauseating." Ellie winks and laughs.