her waist and held her firmly. It helped that she could hold her head up. Alani immediately grabbed his finger and stuck it in her mouth. “So.” Elijah swallowed hard. He could feel every member of the Blaecleah clan watching him except the baby in his arms. He quickly scanned the food piled on the table. “Are there any finger foods?”
* * * *
Elijah leaned against the bedroom door and watched Ruben sitting on the bed, preparing Alani for bed. She had been fed, burped, bathed, and was now getting a clean set of pajamas. Her eyes were already starting to droop. Elijah took that as a good sign. She was an adorable child, but babies took a lot of attention. Once Alani was laid down for the night, Elijah was hoping to spend a little one-on-one time with Ruben. The day had been interesting. Elijah had spent time at the Blaecleah ranch before on several occasions. He’d just never done it with knowing looks aimed in his direction. He was pretty sure every single Blaecleah knew exactly why he was out at the ranch. And strangely enough, he wasn’t bothered by it. Elijah didn’t understand that. He had hidden his desires away from prying eyes for so very long that it had become second nature to him. He wasn’t sure how to act now that people knew. He also wasn’t sure how he felt about people knowing. Ruben wrapped a blanket around Alani then stood, settling the baby against his shoulder. He flushed when he looked over and saw Elijah standing in the doorway. “You don’t have to stay, Elijah.” “I’ll stay.” Ruben started looking a little more flushed, a little flustered. “Why don’t you go down and have coffee with Ma and Da? This may take awhile.” “I’m good.” “Well, at least sit down or something.” Elijah grinned as he walked across the room toward the chair situated by the window. He paused just briefly enough to plant a small kiss on Alani’s forehead and then Ruben’s before happily strolling to the chair and sitting down. Ruben was standing still, staring at him. Shock made his hazel eyes darker. Elijah cocked an eyebrow then chuckled softly when Ruben’s face filled again. The man was just too cute for words. That he could still blush after all of the things he had seen and experienced was a miracle. Elijah hoped Ruben never lost that ability. Elijah sat quietly in the chair by the window and watched Ruben slowly move around the room as he gently patted Alani on the back. His movements were sure and fluid. It looked like Ruben was dancing with his daughter. Elijah could have sat there and watched for hours. He felt a little guilty about the lust that started coursing through him as he watched Ruben move. The man had his daughter in his arms. Elijah knew he shouldn’t be turned on by the alluring sight, but he was. He was so immersed in watching the slow sway of Ruben’s hips and wondering if they would move just the same if he was dancing with Ruben that he almost jumped when Ruben suddenly stopped and walked over to lay the baby down in her cradle. He was up and standing beside Ruben when the man stood straight. Ruben’s eyes widened and a small puff of air shot out of his mouth when he turned and saw Elijah standing next to him. Elijah just smiled and grabbed Ruben’s hand, drawing the sexy man into his arms. “My turn,” he said softly so not to wake the sleeping baby. He had plans for Ruben that didn’t involve any children—or anyone else for that matter. “You want me to rock you to sleep?” “I want you to dance with me.” Ruben’s forehead wrinkled as he frowned. “There’s no music.” “Doesn’t matter.” Elijah liked the look of astonishment on Ruben’s face as he began dancing the man slowly around the room. He enjoyed the feeling of the man in his arms even more. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Ruben’s arms worked around Elijah’s body, and the stiffness in his stature began to fade away. Elijah grabbed Ruben’s head and pressed it