“Daddy, I’m the princess of forts, and Ethan is the prince.”

  “Okay, Princess Ariel. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  “Dad, you’re the king, and Evie is the queen. You don’t answer to us.”

  “How did I get dragged into this?” I asked Ethan from the couch. “I’m over here reading my book.”

  “That’s what queens do, Evie.” Ariel hopped up onto the couch next to me. “The king and queen are married, so we need a baby.”

  Caleb and I locked eyes for a second.

  “That can be arranged,” he simply stated, grinning like a fool.

  I was the first to break our connection, wrapping my arm around Ariel’s waist, as I sat her in my lap.

  “You’re the baby,” I clarified, ignoring Caleb’s remark as I tickled Ariel. I tried to break the unexpected tension I was feeling.

  “I’m not a baby!” she giggled, whipping her legs around.

  But my favorite memory by far was the breakfast they served me in bed this morning.

  “They made you breakfast,” Caleb announced, stepping into my stateroom with the kids.

  My eyes shifted to him. “Did you make them do that?”

  He shook his head.

  I beamed. “You guys did this for me?”

  “We wanted to do something nice for you,” Ethan explained.

  “You guys…” I coaxed, trying not to cry.

  In three strides, I was pulling them both into a loving hug.

  Ariel declared, “We love you so much, Evie!”

  I sniffled, “I love you guys too.” Closing my eyes, I held them as tight as possible against my body.

  This was the first time they said they loved me. There was no holding back the tears.

  “Thank you. This is the best surprise ever.”

  “We just wanted to see you smile,” Ethan added, only causing more tears to form in my eyes.

  To say I was a little stunned about the kids saying they loved me would be an understatement.

  How was I going to stop being their nanny and being present in their lives everyday?

  The question beat into my head for the rest of the day, just adding more plaguing questions I’d have to face soon. There was one month left in my contract. My time with them would be coming to an end soon.

  How would they handle that?

  The kids were my biggest concern, especially since they didn’t have their mother in their lives. The saddest thing about that was they’d barely mentioned her since I started caring for them. I didn’t want to break their hearts.

  I couldn’t.

  It would kill me.

  “What are you thinking about over there, darlin’?”

  We were sitting at the table, eating the fish Ethan and Caleb had caught earlier.

  “Daddy.” Ariel scratched her little head. “Why do you call Evie darlin’? That’s not her name.”

  He smiled. “It’s a term of endearment.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s like a nickname.”

  “Oh…”

  We ate in silence for a couple minutes until Ariel questioned out of nowhere, “Daddy, is Evie still the love of your life?”

  I choked on my drink, coughing up a storm. “Ariel,” I hacked out. “A little warning next time.”

  Caleb mouthed, “You alright?”

  I nodded. “I think this is where I’m going to excuse myself for the rest of night.”

  “Evie—”

  “I’m okay. I promise. I was going to give you guys some privacy after I was done eating anyway. I’m sure the kids would love to have you all to themselves.”

  “Are you sure?” Caleb asked, concerned.

  “Of course. I’m exhausted. I’d love to take a bath and finish my book. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” I kissed Ariel on her head and then Ethan. “Good night, guys.”

  When I was fully standing, Caleb teased with a grin. “Don’t I get a kiss good night too?”

  The kids giggled while Caleb looked at me with a mischievous expression. He knew I wouldn’t be able to call him out on his flirting with the kids around. Instead of making a big deal about it, I kissed my hand and set it on his head.

  I could tell by the look on his face he wasn’t pleased with my gesture, but since the children were there, he kept his mouth closed. Before giving it another thought, I left them alone and walked down to my stateroom.

  Once I was there, I realized I could still hear them through the open window in the corner of the room.

  I was about to close it when Caleb responded, “Evie will forever be the love of my life, baby girl.”

  I sucked in a breath.

  “If she’s the love of your life, Dad, why aren’t you together like that?”

  “Yeah, Daddy. Why can’t she be our new mommy?”

  Talk about breaking your heart…

  “Evie, is your uncle Jax’s little sister.”

  “Really?” Ariel exclaimed. “We love Uncle Jax!”

  “We all love Uncle Jax,” Caleb agreed. “Especially Evie. When I met her for the first time, I didn’t know she was Jax’s only family. Back then things were complicated, and to make a really long story short, I didn’t want Jax to know I had fallen in love with his sister.”

  “Why?” Ethan questioned while I hung on to every word Caleb was sharing.

  “Jax was very protective of her. Evie didn’t grow up with the best parents.”

  “Was her mommy like our mommy?”

  “Something like that, baby.”

  “Oh…” Ethan muttered.

  “What about now?” Ariel requested. “Can she be our new mommy because we really love her?”

  “There’s a lot I have to make up for.”

  “What did you do?”

  He didn’t respond to Ethan’s question for what felt like forever.

  “I broke her heart.”

  “Oh, no, Daddy, why?”

  “I ask myself that every day.”

  Yeah … me too.

  “Did you say you’re sorry?”

  “It’s more than an apology, son. I owe her an explanation.”

  What does he have to tell me?

  “Maybe you should tell her.”

  “I’m trying, Ariel.”

  “She will forgive you because I think she loves you too.”

  I jerked back, not expecting her to say that.

  “She looks at you like Jasmine looks at Aladdin.”

  I scoffed out a chuckle.

  “I’ll keep that in mind, baby girl.”

  “Dad, maybe you should tell her you love her.”

  “I’m trying, Ethan.”

  “Maybe you should try harder.”

  “You know what, son? I think you’re right.”

  My hand instinctively went to my heart. Except he wasn’t breaking it again.

  He was mending it instead.

  Chapter 24

  Evie

  “Darlin’…”

  “Hmm,” I mumbled, stirring awake beneath my tangled white sheets as I faintly felt someone’s lips laying soft kisses down the side of my neck.

  “Wake up, birthday girl…”

  My eyes fluttered, trying to wake up, but my body wouldn’t allow it, and sleep won out. I was tired from spending so much time in the hot sun, falling asleep fast and hard as soon as my head hit the pillow.

  Dreaming only about Caleb.

  Even in my deep slumber, I could still smell his intoxicating scent.

  I could feel his soft lips trailing along my skin, making his way down my stomach.

  “Should I keep going?”

  “Mmm hmm,” I hummed. Kiss by kiss, he pecked every inch of my heated skin until he reached the edge of my panties, making my body shudder at the heady feel of his mouth so close to my core.

  I fisted my sheets.

  Wanting.

  Needing.

  His tongue on my pussy.

  When I felt his fingers tug the waist of my panties, my breathing hitched and my eyes snapped open, big and wide. Coming face to face with the last person I expected to see, hovering above me.

  Caleb.

  There was no way I was still dreaming, but if this happened to be a dream within a dream, then I didn’t want to wake up. In that moment, the world stopped spinning, stopped moving, and time just stood still for us.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I think that’s pretty obvious.” He grinned. “You said I could keep going.”

  “I was sleeping.”

  “I was trying to give you your birthday present.”

  With everything that was going on, my birthday had slipped my mind.

  “Should I keep going?”

  I shook my head.

  “Are you sure, birthday girl? There’s nothing else I’d rather do than make you come in my mouth.”

  I was so disoriented.

  “Your pussy wants me to keep going.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s always wanted bad things for me.”

  “I’ll make you feel really fucking good.”

  “Where are the kids?”

  “I love that you always think about them, Evie.”

  “If they barge in here like their daddy—”

  “I could get used to you calling me that.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Can you please back up?”

  “What? You used to love my face in your pussy.”

  “Caleb, I mean it. If the kids—”

  “They’re with Jennifer on the island.”

  “Island? What time is it?”

  “Almost noon.”

  “What?” I exclaimed, caught off guard.

  “It’s your birthday. I wanted you to sleep in.”

  I grabbed my head. “My mind is spinning.”

  “Let me take care of you then.”

  “You’re the cause.”

  He smiled.

  “That’s not a good thing.”

  “I could think of worst things.”

  “Yes, because you’ve done them.”

  “I’ve done some pretty great things too.”

  “I don’t remember it that way.”

  “As much as I’d love to continue where my mouth was headed, you need to get dressed.”

  “You sure are using that world a lot this week.”

  He smiled. “I’m making up for lost time.” With that, he pushed off the bed, ordering, “Get dressed. We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”

  “Leaving? Where are we going?”

  With an even bigger smile on his face, he informed, “To make up for your last birthday that I ruined.”

  Caleb

  By the time I walked back into her stateroom, she was sitting on the bed wearing a light pink dress, deep in thought.

  Slowly, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the doorway, wanting to remember her in this moment.

  Her hair was pulled away of her face.

  Her lips were still swollen from sleep.

  Her dress clung to her skin, accentuating her curvy figure.

  There was no taking my eyes off her. I couldn’t, and I didn’t fucking want to. She was breathtakingly beautiful sitting there.

  She looked like a dream.

  My dream.

  She didn’t turn toward me or acknowledge I was there, lost in her own little world. A world I desperately wanted to be a part of again.

  I gazed at the side of her gorgeous face, willing her to say something, but her eyes remained front and center toward the middle of the room while mine remained on her. The breeze blowing through the thin white curtains did little to cool the surge of heat I felt for her.

  I could see it in her eyes.

  The doubt.

  The insecurity.

  The pain I’d caused.

  My truths were weighing heavily on her mind.

  I had no idea where we went from here. Evie was always my biggest weakness and my greatest strength.

  Unable to help myself, I walked into her room and caressed the side of her face. To my surprise, she leaned into my embrace with her eyes closed, melting into my touch.

  “Caleb…”

  The smell and feel of her was all around me, making me burn with desire to claim every last fucking inch of her heart, body, and soul.

  I wanted to capture this moment and hold onto it for as long as I could. I wanted to remember her just like this.

  For me.

  Mine.

  “What are you doing to me, Caleb?”

  “I need you to give me a chance.”

  She opened her eyes, staring straight into mine.

  “A chance for what?”

  “To show you the man you once loved.”

  “And what if I can’t?”

  “I need you to try. Please. Do it for my kids.”

  She pulled away from my touch. “That’s not fair.”

  “They deserve to have you in their lives.”

  “They do—”

  “Permanently.”

  She gasped as my thumb pulled on her bottom lip.

  “I’ve never been happier than when I’m with you. Even when you hated having me around, they were still the best moments in my life. You made me laugh, smile, feel like I was living again. You make me want to be a better father for my children and a better man … for you.”

  “Caleb—”

  “You know that, don’t you? The affect you’ve always had on me? From your eyes, to your words, to the way you are with my kids. You’re my family, Evie. You’ve always been my family. You fill this void I didn’t know I had in my life until I met you. There’s no coming back from you, Evie. I’ve tried.”

  I was a man of a few words. Yet there I was, laying it all out for her.

  Word by word.

  Sentence by sentence.

  Making my thoughts and emotions known for the first time.

  “I plan to have you all to myself today. Just you and me. Now tell me you want that too…”

  “Do people always just do what you want?”

  “Yes, you should try it sometime.”

  She smiled, and it lit up her entire face.

  “I can’t think when you’re this close to me.”

  “Then I’ll make sure to stay close to you all day.”

  She backed away, reaching for her purse. “Okay, Mr. Hawkins, let’s see this amazing day you have planned for my birthday.”

  In two strides, I grabbed her hand and led her off the yacht where there was another boat waiting for us. The day started with sightseeing and exploring the town where Evie was amazed by all the small shops. She tried to buy a couple of things for herself, Ethan and Ariel, but I paid for them instead.

  For the first time since she came back into my life, she finally allowed herself to enjoy my company.

  We laughed.

  Joked.

  Talked about nothing and everything.

  Except for what I really wanted her to know which would come later tonight.

  The day couldn’t have been better. I loved every second with her, remembering how truly easy it was for us to hang out. Our banter flowed loosely, effortlessly like always. The day quickly turned to night, and I had the crew cook up a spread for her birthday.

  I made her close her eyes before she saw what I prepared for her. We were on the top deck of the boat that picked up us to take us to town. I wanted complete privacy, knowing we wouldn’t get that with my kids around. If these last couple of days proved anything to me, it was how much they were glued to her side.

  I couldn’t blame them. Evie was even easier to love.

  “Caleb, this is stunning.”

  They decorated the table with LED candles and an assortment of different colors of pink roses, her favorite. A bottle of champagne chilled in the metal bucket.

  “I can’t believe you did this.”

  The stars sparkled in the night sky with the full moon looming over the horizon. There was this energy between us that flowed into the air. This magnetic pull that never went away. If anything, it only intensified as the years evolved.

  Evie always controlled my thoughts.

  My actions.

  My choices.

  Consuming every last part of me since the first time I set eyes on her.

  “Come here.” I motioned with my finger.

  She cunningly smirked, as I pulled her toward me instead, making her straddle my lap. She didn’t say a word, but she didn’t have to.

  Her eyes spoke for themselves.

  “I’d do anything for you. Look up, darlin’. Look at all the stars.”

  She glanced up for a second before she questioned in a conceding tone, “Why are you doing this to me, Caleb? Is this just another scheme to get your way?”

  “You know that’s not true.”

  “Which part? The one where you pretended you didn’t know me after the day we had shared? Or how you not only ruined my social life, but also my dating life all through college?” Her voice remained sturdy and strong, though the tormented expression on her face gave away her anguish. “Or how about all the years you pushed me away before you knocked up my roommate and then married her?”

  I didn’t respond, listening intently to the allegations I knew she still had to spew.

  “Do you know I’ve hated my birthday until today?”

  “At least I did something right.”

  “Why would you do that to me, Caleb? How could you hurt me like that when you’d already hurt me enough?”

  I winced. Her admitting that was worse than already knowing it.

  “You want me to forgive you, but it’s so hard to do that. You pushed me away, completely dropped out of my life. Why? I deserve to know the truth. I knew there was something more to you and Tessa. It was written all over your face when you came to my apartment the next morning. You wouldn’t tell me then, but you have to tell me—”

  “If I didn’t marry her.” I paused for a moment, catching my bearings.

  This would be the first time I’d ever confessed this to anyone. I didn’t think I’d get a second chance to make things right, and I wasn’t going to waste another minute without her by my side.

  Looking deep into her glossy gaze, I finally told her the truth…

  “Tessa was going to tell Jax about us.”

  Chapter 25

  Evie

  “What?! How did she know Jax was my brother?”