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THE SINGLE DAD 63
Which happened seconds later.“Uncle D!”He lifted her into the air, kissing her cheek.“It’s my birthday, Uncle D. I’m not a baby no more. No, no, nooo.”He laughed. “Have you told your father that? Because I think he’d disagree.”“Uncle D, Daddy knows I’m this many years old.” She held up her hand.“Is that right?” He paused. “So, if you’re not our baby anymore, then what are you?”Everly smiled and bounced. “A big girl.”“I don’t approve,” Dominick said, kissing her forehead. “I remember when you were so small that you fit in both my hands. Now”—he shook his head—“you’re almost as tall as me.”Everly snorted. “You’re a giant, like Daddy.”“You know what else I am?”Everly’s eyes went wide. “No?”“I’m a tickle monster.”“Auntie Kendall,” Everly screamed as Dominick tickled her, her laughter filling my entire house. “Ahhh! Auntie Kendall, saaave meee.”“Dominick, give me our girl,” Kendall said, holding out her arms. The moment she scooped Everly from Dominick, she added, “I’ve misse
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I hadn’t seen the cake. Sydney wanted it to be a surprise, but she’d asked if she could make it rather than having me order one, like I usually did. Of course, I had agreed. There was nothing sweeter than my girl wanting to bake for my daughter.“I’m going to bring out another wave of appetizers in about five,” Craig said to me.“Sounds good, buddy.”Sydney and I left the kitchen, and as we were coming into the living room, Hannah approached.“There you are,” she said. “I’ve been looking for you.”“We were hiding.” I laughed.“I noticed,” she replied. “Can I talk to you for a second?”“Now?”Hannah nodded.I looked at Sydney and said, “I’ll be right back,” and I followed Hannah outside onto the patio.We stayed close to the sliding door, giving me a view of everything that was happening inside. But I wasn’t looking through the glass. I was focused on my cousin, the concern building on her face as she paced from the pool to the table, where I was standing.“I know Everly’s birthday isn
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I rubbed my temples as a Hannah-headache worked its way through my brain. “How in the hell would you know that?”“Have you listened to anything I’ve said today?”She waited for a response. I didn’t give her one.So, she continued, “I know you. I know how you operate. I know the second something turns slightly serious with a girl, you go all AWOL, and you bail because you don’t want to bring them into Eve’s life.” She turned her head, peeking through the glass. “There’s one way to your heart”—she nodded toward the living room—“and it’s through that little girl right there.” She gazed back at me. “If you had any feelings for Sydney, which I kind of assumed you did, then having her around all the time would only emphasize them. And, eventually, you two would be together … like you are.” She raised her arms in the air, like she was cheering. “Who’s the genius here? Me.”“I don’t even know what the fuck to say right now.”Her arms dropped. “You can tell your little coz how much you love he
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“Do you know why I’m giving this to you?” I asked Everly.She shook her head.“Because we’re going to make our own book, just like this one.” I moved to the end of the couch to get closer to her and pointed at the shot of the Las Vegas Strip, the picture she had just arrived at. “We’re going to fly there, and you’re going to see all the lights and have all the adventures, just like you asked for.”Her mouth opened so wide. “We are?”“How nice,” my mother said. “Everly, your daddy got you such a wonderful gift.”“And we spoil her,” Dominick huffed.I ignored my brother, flipping back a few pages to show her the mountain shots. “And we’re also going there, to Colorado, so you can see those mountains and ride some horses.”“I am?”“You’re going to love the horses,” my father said to her.I lifted her off the ottoman and set her on my lap. “We’re leaving in this many days.” I held two hands in the air, spreading my fingers wide—the same way she had all morning.Her face lit up even more.
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I slid my fingers through her hair, tightening her ponytail, holding back a giggle. “I’ll make sure he stays far away from trouble.”She waved. “Bye, Syd. Bye, Daddy.” She linked hands with the counselor and disappeared inside the room.There had only been a few moments during this trip when we were able to sneak away and have some time alone together. Each of those occasions was after Everly went to bed, and he’d come into my room of the two-bedroom suite he had rented. We didn’t want to take any chances—we were worried that she’d wake up and come in—so we hadn’t done more than just kiss. Now, with an entire day to ourselves, I suspected I was going to get more than just his lips.But before we went anywhere, I needed to make sure of something.I turned toward him, waiting for his eyes to leave the door of the kids’ club, and said, “Are you all right? I know it’s not easy to hand her over to a stranger who’s going to take her hiking and horseback riding and …” I paused, deciding not
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I laughed as I headed for the table and slipped beneath the covers, getting lost in a sea of fluff and softness until I felt his hand. The tables were close, and his fingers had searched under the blanket until they found mine.I glanced across the open space, meeting his grin.My chest swelled, my throat tightening.Some of the moments we spent together were so pure that they didn’t need words.They were raw, honest.Full of emotion.Like when he had walked into the pantry while I was presenting the birthday cake to Everly.When we’d had dinner with his parents the night before we left and he held my hand under the table.When I’d been on a call with Gabby while we were in Vegas and he took the phone from my hand, promising her he would keep me safe. That nothing would ever happen to me.Like now.The knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts, and I heard Ford say, “Come in.”“Hello,” one of the massage therapists said.They closed the door behind them and washed their hands at
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But the more I tried to direct him, the more he resisted.Ford was the kind of man who was always in control.He didn’t take direction.He gave orders instead.And that was exactly what his eyes told me as he breathed across my nipple.There was no touching.Just air.With feral, intense eyes, he asked, “Do you want more?”“Yes.”“How badly?”“Please,” I pleaded, the need like a blast that required urgent attention. “Ford … now.”He blew again, this time only a hairbreadth away from my nipple.His tongue extended, but before it touched me, he pulled back.“You’re going to get everything you want,” he told me. “But you’re going to have to beg.”NineteenFordI wanted her to beg.Maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t tasted her since we’d left LA, not risking the chance of Everly walking into Sydney’s bedroom and seeing us.Maybe it was because we were in a public setting and the thrill of that turned me the fuck on.Maybe I just wanted to hear how badly she wanted me.But as I had her p
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My finger went in deeper, aiming upward, giving her that arch I knew she desired. And while I pulled back to my nail and slowly slid in again, I dragged my tongue up her clit, stopping at the very top, where I gave it a quick swipe.Her hips bucked.“Oh God,” she whispered. Her hand twisted within my locks. “Your tongue … I can’t even think of words.”That was how I wanted her.Lost.Because I was the same, mouth deep in her pussy, knowing even this wasn’t enough.I needed more of her.My tongue flicked harder, staying in that same spot, my finger picking up speed.And while I ate her, while I tapped my tongue back and forth, my dick grew.It fucking ached to be inside her.“Ford …” She was tilting her head up, staring down at me with a hunger in her eyes and on her lips. “You’re going to make me come.”I wanted to taste it.To watch it.To hear her scream.To know I was the one giving her this feeling.Rather than answer, I gave her more.I twisted my wrist, my finger hitting her G-s
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