Free Raw Exposure by Aliyah Burke

gaze before it slipped away. “He’s in Antarctica.”
    There was something else going on but a lusty wail pierced the air. Affrica smiled, and his heart skipped a few beats. Gorgeous. She was simply gorgeous.
    “Logan’s up,” she said, her eyes twinkling with honest humor.
    He took a drink and cocked his head to the side. “How can you tell one from the other? Couldn’t it be…” he trailed off, embarrassed at the realization he didn’t know the children’s names.
    “Ethan has a higher pitched cry. Dinna you know them?”
    The blush raced up his skin. Not really the way to impress her by letting her know he’d not made an effort to get to know the members of his brother’s team.
    “Not really.” He cleared his throat. “You must spend a lot of time here if you can tell the boys apart by their cry.”
    She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Nae. I unfortunately dinna spend as much time here as I’d like to. Just good with remembering things.”
    Jayde entered, carrying the twins, and he watched as one reached out and made grabbing motions with his hands. Affrica pushed to her feet and took him, cooing to him as he laughed and hugged her. She sat back the child in her lap and talked to him in Gaelige.
    “What exactly are you telling my son?” Jadye asked in a teasing voice.
    “Oh, ne’er you mind. This be top secret between me n’ the wee one.” She nuzzled his neck, causing the boy to squeal with pleasure. “Inna that right, Logan?”
    Jayde snorted and rolled her eyes. Tyson walked in but Reeve returned his attention to Affrica who continued to carry on a conversation with Logan.
    “How can you tell them apart?”
    “Tis easy. Logan here is slightly bigger, features are fuller, and is slightly more adventurous.”
    He glanced between the two and couldn’t tell a damn thing. A small fist grabbed his shirt and tugged. He found himself staring into warm hazel eyes. He froze. Hell, when his own niece and nephew were around, he barely interacted with them.
    “He likes you,” Affrica said. “Take him.”
    “I don’t think—”
    She plunked the child on his lap before he could finish the sentence. Crap! He had no clue what to do, where to put his hands, anything.
    “Just hold him up. He won’t break.” She positioned his hands for him, causing his heart to stutter. Then, she moved her touch to his leg, and he held his breath until he realized it was only to adjust Logan’s pant leg. “Don’t drop him, either. Tyson might kill you.”
    He snuck a glance at the Navy SEAL who watched over his son with hawk-like vigilance. Might? Hell no, that’s a definitely. Regardless of the laughing women, Tyson “Cade” Kincade was emotionless. Great, like I needed something else to worry about.
    Jayde and Affrica chatted easily as he held Logan. Every now and then, Affrica would reach out to the boy and touching him. In doing so, she connected with Reeve as well. He relaxed more and more as Logan played with a toy that Affrica gathered every time he dropped it. She never even halted her conversation, just grabbed the toy like second nature. The realization she’d make a wonderful mother hit him out of the blue, and he swallowed hard as he digested that information.
    Reeve was amazed when Tyson said they should get on their way. The time had flown by, and he’d enjoyed sitting there listening to the women talk.
    “Well now, wouldcha look at that. Ya’ve managed ta hold the wee one all this time.” Affrica gave him a smile which hit him like punch to his solar plexus. She stood and reached out for the boy. “Come on, me braw boyo.”
    Logan went easily to her, and Reeve didn’t blame him one bit. If she held out her arms to him, Reeve would have been jumping into them. She shot him a wink, and he preened.
    “Ride with me,” he said after Tyson claimed his boy from her.
    “Ya have something other than that pretentious Enzo?”
    “Not yet.”
    She sighed and shook her head with what he took to