When he lifted his head, her eyes sparkled with happiness at him. “Can you believe this kitchen, Eli? The stove is like the best, although it’s a commercial one. That convection oven is perfect. And a double oven? Love that.” Her hand swept around the room. “Emma let me do some of the cooking and we sort of compared sauces and breads. Her breads are killer, but she’d never made beignets before. She has a killer fryer.” The words tumbled out, nearly running into one another.

He found it interesting that she spoke in a low tone, as if sharing a secret with him. There was joy in her voice, and he knew Emma and Catarina had connected and bonded almost immediately. Both were lonely. Both took care of their men. Both were chained to dominant shifters. They understood one another. But she was still being careful, not wanting to be too loud about making a new friend.

“Emma cooks too?” he asked, inviting conversation. He wanted her to talk to him about Emma without being afraid.

He allowed his gaze to sweep the kitchen, noting the stove in particular and the pots and pans he’d overheard her saying she’d always wanted. He didn’t really understand or give a damn why one skillet or pot would be better to cook in than another and he really didn’t care, except that Catarina did – and that made it important. He didn’t ever want to pass up anything important to her.

“She’s a really good cook. And she bakes too. A lot of people love to do one or the other, but like me, she enjoys both. She has some great recipes. We cook different things, because I’m from New Orleans and she’s from the west, but the more we talked recipes, the more we realized we liked the same things. We’ve decided to swap recipes.”

He circled the nape of her neck with his palm. “I think that’s great, Kitten.”

Catarina glanced over her shoulder at Jake and Emma, who were laughing together as they walked inside hand in hand. “I’m hoping if she has to go on bed rest that she won’t mind me bringing a few meals over to help out. She’s adamant she doesn’t want anyone else taking care of Jake and the children.” She raised her eyes to his. “I understand. I wouldn’t like someone else taking care of you.”

His heart stuttered. Her admission was under her breath, almost as if she was afraid it would upset him. He bent his head to hers. “I wouldn’t want anyone else taking care of me. I’m fond of the way you do it.”

That got a smile.

“You two ready?” Emma asked, as Jake called Kyle and Andraya back into the room. She indicated the two chairs facing the sliding glass door so they’d have the view.

Jake swung both children into booster seats and secured them, dropping kisses on their heads before seating himself beside Andraya. Emma sat next to Kyle.

“Mommy’s going to have another baby,” Kyle announced solemnly.

Catarina smiled at him. “Really? That’s wonderful. What do you want, a brother or sister?”

“A sister,” Kyle said firmly. “Sisters are really good, but you gotta take care of them, right, Dad?”

“That’s right, son,” Jake agreed, putting roast and potatoes on Andraya’s plate and then his own.

Andraya scowled. “No, brothers are better,” she announced. “Don’t like sisters. Brothers are the best.”

“That’s nice that you think so, Draya,” Emma said gently, “but no matter if we have a boy or a girl, all of us are going to love it and take good care of it, right? We talked about it together. The baby will be all of ours to protect and treasure.”

Kyle’s brows drew together. He turned his eyes on Eli. Eli could see the leopard was already strong in the little boy. The eyes were definitely Jake’s.

“Do you like kissin’ girls?” he asked.

“Kyle,” Emma admonished.

Jake grinned and coughed when Emma looked at him.

“I like kissing Catarina,” Eli confessed. “I like kissing her a lot. But I don’t kiss any other girls.”

“Daddy only kisses mommy,” Andraya announced knowledgably. “And us.”

“Your daddy is a very wise man,” Eli said.

“I think so as well,” Emma said, her voice full of laughter.

Catarina seemed to be concentrating on the roast. She glanced up at Emma. “I don’t think I could ever get the gravy like this. It’s wonderful.”

Jake patted his flat belly. “I have to do a lot of… um… exercise to keep in shape with Emma’s cooking.”

Emma rolled her eyes, a faint blush stealing up her neck into her cheeks at the obvious implication.

Eli laughed. He couldn’t help himself. Catarina looked so happy he reached out to connect with her. He knew he did it often, but that was who he was, and she never seemed to mind, not even in front of others. His fingers settled around the nape of her neck and stayed there for a moment.

He liked to slide his fingers around her neck to her throat right over her pulse and feel her heart beating into his hand. Right now, he was content with just her nape. She’d put her hair up in some complicated braid that looked beautiful, but that was coming down the moment they were in the truck and on the way home.

“Isn’t this good?” Catarina asked, her gaze flicking to his the moment his hand settled around her neck.

He went very still. She knew. She knew he had to touch her. He could see the knowledge in her eyes. It wasn’t just a compulsion. It wasn’t because he was creating intimacy or ownership. He needed that connection and she knew. She got it.