Page 49 of Ice Cold Hearts

“Dimple twins!” Oliver crows. “How about a high-five?”

In my peripheral vision, I see my mother’s eyes dart between Audrey’s dimples and Oliver’s, then their ears. Now that they’re side by side, I can see they’re identical.

She clears her throat and raises her eyebrows at me when I look over. Against my will, I feel a flush creeping over my cheeks. Her lips pinch together like they always do when she’s fighting to keep from blurting things out.

Fuck.

Oliver might not have noticed, but she sure as hell did.

16

OLIVER

For the past three months, I’ve been pinching myself on a daily basis to convince myself that this is real.

Emily must be a sun goddess. Every part of our lives she’s touched is brighter now. When Audrey’s with her, they’re a supernova, too bright for mere mortals to comprehend.

I can’t count how many times I’ve thought that If I ever have a daughter, I’d want her to be just like Audrey. Assuming we don’t screw this up, there’s a good possibility we’ll get to have her as a step-daughter one day, especially if things keep going as well as they have been.

We’ve gone on picnics, had them over for mini barbecues and swimming, alternated houses for movie nights, and even managed to sneak a state away to have a day out at a zoo where we’d be less likely to be recognized.

Emily’s parents had joined us for that one. It was a little awkward after we broke the news that we were seeing each other. There were a lot of questions.

It didn’t last long, but that was partly because Audrey had woken up from her nap and dragged us all out the door. After seeing us all together, it didn’t take long for her mom to start referring to us as “her boys”.

I won’t forget what her dad said any time soon, either. He gave a long sigh and said, “Does this mean I’ll have to buy each of your jerseys? I just got my Figgis jersey broken in.” Everything got more comfortable after he said that.

It both warmed and broke my heart to see them interact as a family. Until I met Alexei, I didn’t even know that parents smiled at their children. Seeing Emily and her family hugging and teasing each other good-naturedly made my chest ache. Being included in all of it was more than I ever could have imagined.

That day was the first time I realized I wanted something permanent with Emily. She’s a wonderful mother, a doting daughter, and also made sure the three of us were included in every single family exploration station at the zoo. She even managed to bully Alexei into it. He enjoyed it too, even though he put on a show of fussing at the “walk like a gorilla” station. Even though we made sure to keep things platonic for Emily’s safety, it felt like we were a real family that day.

The stakes got higher for me after that, and I'm more determined than ever to keep her by my side. So here I am with a bag of takeout in my hand, standing in front of her office door as anxious as a teenager about to go on his first date.

Before I can knock, she opens the door smiling that dazzling smile. Her rich brown waves are neatly coiled into a knot at the top of her head. It was a practical look. It wasn’t meant to be sultry, but I can’t take my eyes off her delicate swan-like neck. I want to drop the bag of takeout, pin her against the door frame, and kiss her neck until she’s breathless and gasping. Instead, I go for a joke.

“Do you have a peephole in that door or something?” I tease. “How did you know I was here?”

She laughs and waves me inside. “They paged me. Didn’t you notice?”

“I was more preoccupied with getting to see your beautiful face,” I say once we’re hidden behind closed doors.

Emily rolls her eyes but gives me a pleased smile anyway.

“What’s in the bag?” she asks.

“I texted your mom. She said you forget to have lunch sometimes, and I thought I’d bring you something to eat,” I say, pushing the bag toward her.

“You are so sweet. I…” She hesitates, then shakes her head and smiles. “I’m really glad I have you.”

The bag crinkles as she opens it, but she frowns when she peeks inside.

“Is there something wrong? Your mom swore it was your favorite.”

My chest feels tight, and I shift uncomfortably in the chair across from hers.

“Well, I’d thought you were here to have lunch with me, but there’s only one wrap in here. Was this just a drop off? I was hoping to get to talk with you.” Emily picks nervously at her cuticles.

I intended for it just to be a drop off. There were a handful of errands I wanted to run, but her adorable pouty expression makes me throw all my plans out the window.