Mine for Eternity [Council Enforcers] (Siren Publishing Classic)

done with my son?”
    “Whoa. Calm down. He’s right in the kitchen.”
    Tessa didn’t wait for Mitch to finish. Instead, she ran past him into the kitchen.
    “Hi, Mommy.” Nico smiled as he sat on the counter stirring something in a bowl. His face was covered in flour.
    Bursting into tears, Tessa picked her son up and hugged him tight to her chest. She knew she probably looked like a crazy woman at the moment, but she didn’t care. Nico was all that mattered to her, and the thought that something had happened to him was more than she could bear. Holding Nico close to her and smelling his distinctive scent that was his alone, Tessa realized that she could never give him up. Even if it was for just a little while. She would die without him.
    “The little guy woke up early, so I figured I would let him help me make breakfast so he didn’t wake you. You looked like you could use the rest,” Mitch said warily.
    Tessa figured she had probably worn out her welcome by freaking out. By the way Mitch wouldn’t even come in his own kitchen he was probably already contemplating the fastest way to get them out the door. She knew she needed to apologize to him. “I’m sorry. I just woke up, and he wasn’t there. I didn’t know what happened to him, and I thought the worst. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything.”
    “I understand. I probably should have woken you up. Anyway”—Mitch walked over to the stove—“breakfast is just about ready, so grab a chair.”
    Just like that, Mitch managed to wash away her guilt. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t angry at her for attacking him. Even though punching his chest was about as effective as hitting a brick wall, he still should have been at least a little upset with her. Nico squirmed in her arms, so she sat him back in his spot on the counter. He went back to stirring what looked like pancake batter although the majority of it was on the counter. Tessa held back a laugh when she realized Mitch had surrounded her son with what looked like every pot he owned, basically caging Nico in. She didn’t know how effective it was in keeping her son from falling, but it was the thought that counted.
    “You didn’t have to do all of this. We could have gotten something when we left this morning.”
    Mitch only acknowledged her comment with a grunt without even turning from the stove. Tessa admired the muscles in his back and arms as they flexed while he stirred whatever he was cooking. Each arm had to be as thick as one of her thighs. She went over to the table and took a seat to enjoy the show.
    Nico eventually grew bored of stirring and decided to use the pots and pans surrounding him as his own personal drum set. Laughing, he used the spoon to make as much noise as he could, slinging batter in the process. Tessa slapped her hand over her mouth and froze when a large chunk landed in Mitch’s hair. She saw his shoulders stiffen and worried that he was angry, but before she could rise out of her seat to get to Nico, Mitch turned and scooped him up, throwing him over his shoulder.
    “All right, cub, I think that’s enough cooking for you this morning. Come on, it’s time to eat anyway.”
    Tessa wasn’t surprised when Nico squealed and latched onto Mitch’s arm, giggling. In her son’s eyes, no one was a stranger. To him, everyone was a potential playmate. Mitch just happened to be a really big one that Nico could climb all over. What did surprise her, however, was how gentle Mitch was with her son. For someone of his size, he could have easily hurt Nico, but he handled him with surprising care as he sat him in a chair at the table.
    Tessa sighed in relief when she didn’t see any anger at what happened in Mitch’s face. Instead, he smiled and winked at her then went over to the stove to get the food. His smile had her clenching her thighs together. Mitch was already a gorgeous man, but when he smiled, his whole face lit up, making him breathtaking. Tessa wondered why a man with his looks didn’t have a harem of beautiful women throwing themselves at him. Mitch was too good looking to be single, and so far, nothing she had seen of the man would indicate that he was a douche bag or jerk that would turn women off. There had to be a flaw somewhere though. It’s not your job to find it. You’re leaving right after breakfast.
    She ignored the pain in her chest at the thought of leaving. Instead, Tessa focused on putting food on her and Nico’s plates. When she