Johnson Family 1: Unforgettable by Delaney Diamond

been downright irresistible.
    “When in doubt, getting a woman a gift is always a good way to soften her up,” Ivy quipped.
    He chuckled. “I know a lot about women, but I didn’t think little girls were exactly the same. I should have known.”
    Ivy clasped her hands in front of her. “Um…would you like to stay for dinner?”
    He shook his head. “I’ll have to take a rain check. I’ve got a writing deadline to meet, but I wanted to see her tonight.”
    “I appreciate you doing all of this.”
    He frowned. “All of what?”
    “Spending time with her and hanging in there even though she hasn’t exactly been welcoming.”
    He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s been what, a week? It’s understandable. Like you said, it’ll take time for her to get used to me. Oh, before I forget.” He pulled something out of his pocket. “Here’s the second key to the journal, in case she loses hers or you need to do any snooping.”
    Ivy took it, careful not to touch him. “Look at you, already thinking like a parent.”
    They smiled at each other, and her chest tightened a little. Seconds ticked by and she shifted from one foot to the next.
    “So where do you go to work out?” Lucas asked.
    “I’ve been doing more yoga lately, and I do it here. The trainer comes by and works with me for an hour. I go down to the hotel gym and get on the machines when I want to really sweat.” The last part sounded like sexual innuendo and her cheeks heated.
    He raised an eyebrow and observed her from head to toe. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to lose weight?”
    She blushed at the shock in his voice. “You know how we women are. We always think we can stand to lose a few pounds.”
    In all honesty a few years ago she’d given up trying to lose any more weight and accepted her figure. So her stomach was softer and not as flat and firm as it had been in her early twenties. Her main goal was to stay healthy, and stressing about losing an extra ten pounds that she’d then have to be vigilant about keeping off was not on her list of priorities.
    Both of Lucas’s brows raised in surprise this time. “And you feel that way? Like you could stand to lose a few pounds?”
    “Maybe a pound here or there.” She lifted one shoulder, suggesting it didn’t really matter, but she wondered what he thought. She wasn’t the same lithe young woman he’d met nine years ago.
    “Well, whatever you do…” His gaze raked boldly over her and lingered, settling on the arc of her hips and thighs. She couldn’t read his eyes because he’d lowered his lids and those thick, pretty lashes of his shielded his thoughts. “Lose all the weight you want. Just don’t lose that ass.”
    She stopped breathing. What was she supposed to say to such a comment?
    She ran her hands down her hips to get rid of their dampness, but the action ended up drawing attention to her figure. Lucas’s eyes followed the movement, and heat mushroomed from her pelvis to other parts of her body. She swallowed nervously. Her thoughts veered into dangerous territory, such as wondering what kind of sensation she’d experience if he kissed one of her butt cheeks and she could feel the bristles of his beard rub across her bottom.
    Lucas was an ass man, and he’d made no secret of how much he’d enjoyed hers.
    “Mmm…” His tongue stroked over the curve of her fleshy bottom. He pinched the soft skin between his teeth. She gasped, moving restlessly, lifting her hips higher. Moisture pooled in the apex of her thighs.
    He cupped both cheeks in his big hands and squeezed. He kissed each one in turn.
    “You done turned me into an ass kisser.”
    As if he guessed her thoughts, one corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “I’ll be more considerate of your time tomorrow,” he said. He didn’t move; he just stood there.
    “Thanks.” She couldn’t think of another single thing to say. The complication of a sentence was too much for her brain to handle at the