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THE SINGLE DAD 52
To see where we stood.To see if I was going to walk out the door and never come back.Things I would never do because I cared about him and his daughter, those feelings growing stronger each day.What happened between us last night wasn’t all his fault.I knew I was inviting myself to stay in the kitchen rather than go right to bed.And I had known how risky that was, how out of character that was, what kind of challenges that would create for us.But unlike Ford, I didn’t regret a thing.And maybe—just maybe—he would realize that he shouldn’t either.Me: We’re in the middle of making paper flowers and clay vases. Your island is covered in construction paper and glittery pens and stardust. She’s having a blast.Ford: I’m going to have the smartest kid in LA because of you.Me: Her intelligence has nothing to do with me, but thank you for saying that. Seriously, she’s doing fab. After going through one of my cookbooks, she’s decided she wants this fancy egg salad with pickled onions o
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I just hated to alarm him, but telling him was the only thing that felt right.Less than a minute after I hit Send, my phone was ringing, Ford’s name on the screen.I held my cell to my face and said, “Ford—”“Is she all right?”“One sec,” I whispered.Not wanting my voice to wake her, I carefully climbed off her bed and tiptoed into the hallway, closing the door most of the way so the sound wouldn’t travel.“She’s okay. I was just lying with her in bed, and she fell asleep. Her temp was at 102.2. Since I knew you were with a client, I called your mom, just to be on the safe side, and she agreed that I should give her some Motrin. I gave her some about forty-five minutes ago.”“I’ll come home.” There was movement in the background. “I’ll call the pilot and get the plane on the tarmac in less than an hour.”“Ford, no. You don’t have to do that. You know kids get sick all the time. This could be nothing. Let’s see how she feels in a couple hours or maybe even the morning.” When he didn’
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And the movement made me remember just how his lips had felt when he kissed me.The strength of them.The way they had tasted just like wine.“In exchange for the muffins, your neighbor gave us some lemons from her tree, so we came home and made fresh lemonade. It was around that time that her ear started bothering her. I popped some soup into the microwave, and now, she’s in bed. Surrounded by all her animals.” I smiled, hoping it would lighten things a little. “Yesterday was a bit more interesting.”“Yeah?”I took a quick peek inside her room and hurried back to the wall I’d been leaning against before. “She’s all good; don’t worry.” I cleared my throat, getting lost in the way he was licking his lips. “Should I tell you about yesterday, or are you sick of hearing me talk?”“No, far from that.” Now, he was rubbing his fingers over his mouth, drying it. “Tell me everything.”“Hold on a sec. I’ll show you. I snapped a pic of her.” I exited out of FaceTime and pulled up my Photos app,
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“My girl’s kicking ass,” Brett said. “Now, it’s up to you, Ford, to shelter that money from the tax gods, so it doesn’t all go to Uncle Sam.”I laughed.James had become one of my largest clients. As her earnings increased, so did the workload.“You know I’m on it,” I told him.“For what she’s paying you, you’d better be.” He clinked his glass against mine.“Listen,” I said to him, “if you two start having some kids, it’ll make things a lot easier on me. I can set up—”“You’re preaching to the choir, my man.” Brett took a drink of his scotch. “I’ve told her this countless times. I’m ready. I’m just waiting on her.”James was young. At the peak of her career.I understood why she wanted to wait.“Maybe, during your next meeting, you can talk to her about pulling the goalie,” Brett said. “Tell her it’s for tax purposes.”I chuckled. “Now, that’s a topic I’m staying far away from.”“I know a topic I’m going to harp on tonight,” Declan said.I groaned and nursed my drink. “If it’s Hannah,
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“Dude, I saw the same thing last week,” Jenner said, his eyes now on me. “When she stopped by the office with Everly and I came in to talk to you. The way she was looking at you”—he sighed—“man, there’s no question in my mind. That girl has feelings, and they’re strong.”She had feelings.I could sense that the night in my kitchen.The way she had tried to take care of me over FaceTime.But what the hell am I supposed to do?Put myself first and Everly second?“There’s more,” Brett said.“More?” I wrapped my hand around my empty glass, squeezing it in my palm. “How could there be more?”Brett rested his arms on the table, folding his hands together. “When you gave her the ultimatum, she knew better than to choose you.”“What do you mean?” I asked.“With your track record, she’d lose you to Everly. I’m sure she figured that out. Did she go in through the back door? Maybe. If I were in her shoes, that’s what I would have done. But does it matter? Hell no. Because while she’s been fallin
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“She’s with my parents.”Sydney’s hand went to her chest, as though she could finally breathe. “I just had a heart attack.”I smiled.“Don’t laugh at me, Ford. I did.” She fanned her face with her purse. “All I could picture was that little muffin all alone in your house and—I can’t.”“It’s all good. Don’t worry.”She glanced toward the ground.Since she was no longer looking at me, I took my time, taking her in. The dress was one I hadn’t seen her wear before, fitting her the same as the night we had met at the bar. The top hugged her tits, revealing a sexy amount of cleavage, the sides showing those achingly beautiful curves. The bottom landed far above her knees, her gorgeous, long, lean legs ending in a pair of sky-high heels.I wasn’t just hard.I was fucking throbbing.“Except I think I just lost years of my life.” She patted her chest, like she was pushing air back into her lungs. “Anyway, I’m sorry I’m coming home so late. Gabby and I were at a bar, and”—she shrugged—“I don’t
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With her head still tilted back, she was unaware that I’d closed the distance between us until my mouth surrounded the same finger she had just sucked.“Ah!” she gasped the second I dipped to her knuckle, licking the remainder of the sweetness she had left behind. “Ford …”My tongue swirled around her skin, and once it was clean, I pulled her finger out and went in for the cupcake, taking a bite. “Delicious.” I chewed, swallowed. “But not as delicious as you.”She smiled, glancing away. “What are you doing to me?”“What I should have done a long time ago.”My hands gripped her sides, and I was overtaken by the coconut—a scent that now drove me fucking mad.“But, Ford, you’re going to regret this again.” Her eyes were on me, her voice a whisper.Her back was against the island. She was unable to move. That was exactly where I wanted her—caged in by me.“The only thing I’ll regret is not telling you how much I want you.”She sucked in a huge breath. “Don’t.” She paused. “Don’t do this t
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There was so much emotion in her eyes. Not the kind that dripped, but the kind that stirred, that swirled. And she stayed silent while she gazed at me.“Ford …” Her head dropped, her chest rising and falling so fast.My breathing matched as I waited.Every tick, every fucking beat excruciating.When she finally glanced up again, there was a new kind of emotion in her stare.One I was positive I recognized.Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, her hands diving into my hair. “I would pick her over and over again. Everly means everything to me.” She took a breath. “But I want you both, and the truth is, I always have.”I couldn’t wait.My lips slammed against hers, and I held our faces together.My tongue couldn’t wait either, slowly sliding into her mouth, tasting her.That flavor.That heat.It wasn’t enough.I needed more.I reached behind her back, lowering the zipper until it hit the counter and I couldn’t go any farther. The space was enough to slip off the tiny straps from her ar
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