Seb tweaked one of Matty’s toes and made him giggle.

“Do I still smell like sweaty muffins?” Via asked with a smile on her face.

“Nah. Just regular muffins,” Matty said as he took a hearty sniff. “And the breakfast you cooked.” He slid away from the grown-ups. “I’m gonna get dressed.”

Matty ran full speed into the kitchen first, Crabby nipping at his heels. Seb knew exactly what he was doing. Checking the kitchen thermometer.

“It’s thirty-eight degrees, Dad!”

“All right,” Seb called back. “So that means pants and a long sleeve and good socks!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Matty muttered and Seb watched him plod down the hall toward his bedroom to change.

“He hates winter clothes. Actually, he hates anything that’ll keep him warm. The kid would live in the freezer if he could.”

Via smiled, looking down the hallway where Matty had just disappeared. She squeaked when Sebastian looped her waist and tugged her to him, chest-to-chest. He was slouching back against the couch, and they were somewhere between sitting up and lying down.

“We’ve got about five minutes until he’s back out here,” Seb whispered into the hollow below her jaw. Via made a noise, something that reminded Seb of a nervous kitten.

He kissed her right there, where he could feel her wild little pulse under his lips. And he did it again. She tried to turn her head but he nudged her back with his nose, exposing that long, gorgeous neck. He trailed a hot line with his tongue up to her ear and allowed himself the distinct pleasure of finally laying lips to those little gold studs that had driven him nuts for months.

Then, one finger on the bottom of her chin, he guided her mouth to his. Maybe it was the time limit looming over them, or every little brush and touch in the kitchen and on the couch, or maybe they were just still that heated from last night. But they both immediately melted into the kiss. It was all tongues and stuttered breath. She was a hot slide against him, and he couldn’t help but press his teeth into that pouty bottom lip.

They heard Matty’s footsteps slapping down the hall, and he gave Via one more kiss, straightening them up. Seb rose and quickly rearranged himself in his underwear, not wanting to give his son an eyeful. When he looked down, though, he’d apparently given Via an eyeful. She stared at his pants, her eyes wide and unfocused, one hand over her mouth like she was trying to keep the kiss trapped inside.

Seb chuckled, because his son was home and there was nothing to do besides laugh. He touched her bun, high and a little crooked now. “I’m gonna put some jeans on.”

He heard Via and Matty packing snacks for the outing and attempting to track down Crabby’s leash. When Seb came back out, he blinked. Kid, dog and woman were all completely ready and smiling at him. He couldn’t remember if that had ever happened before. When Muriel helped get things ready, she was efficient, but Matty always ended up in a foul mood.