by Lexy Parker
I rummaged around in the fridge before moving to the freezer to find something to make for dinner. I was not a great cook by any means, but thankfully, my daughter didn’t realize I burnt most of our meals or failed to cook the pasta perfectly. I pulled out a pack of frozen meatballs and decided it was a spaghetti kind of night.
“Here I am!” Sadie declared, bounding back into the small kitchen.
I turned to look at her in the dress and felt my heart swell with love and pride. “You look beautiful, just like a princess,” I told her.
She twirled around, the full skirt fanning around her as she moved. “I love my dress! It’s so pretty!”
“I’m glad you like it, and it looks like it fits perfectly,” I said, admiring it.
I considered taking a picture and sending it to Jamie so she could see her handiwork, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to start sending her pictures of my daughter quite yet.
Sadie ran to me, throwing her arms around my legs. “Thank you so much for the dress. I love you.”
I lifted her up, hugging her close. “I love you too, and I’m glad you like it.”
I didn’t tell her how many places Jamie and I had gone to looking for the right dress. When she got an idea in her mind, she could be very stubborn, just like her dad. I knew she wouldn’t want to settle for any other dress than the one she had decided on. I was very lucky we had managed to find it. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before putting her back down on the floor.
“I’m going to go take it off so it doesn’t get dirty,” she said, already walking away. “Then I have to find the right hairband to wear with it.”
I shook my head, listening to her talk to herself as she went. I couldn’t wait to take her out tomorrow. It was only McDonald’s, but to her, it would be like going to a five-star restaurant. I was going to make it extra special for her.
Chapter 24
Jamie
The day had been grueling, as I’d expected. My feet were throbbing in my comfortable shoes. I had sent Philip out with a small delivery today, promising tomorrow would be intense. I had called and spoken with his boss, asking for a little more time to be dedicated to my route.
I knew it was a big ask, but Clay, the owner of the delivery company, had been more than happy to oblige. He sounded very nice, and I remembered Philip said the two were close friends. Even though the man couldn’t see me, I felt myself blushing, wondering how much Philip had told him about me. I wanted to believe Philip was enough of a gentleman not to give out dirty details, but I couldn’t say without a doubt.
It was late, long after I had locked up for the night, but I had a lot of orders to fill for the big day tomorrow. I found myself humming along as I thought about Philip. The man was occupying my thoughts more and more. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I reached for a Skittle, popping it into my mouth and feeling the burst of sugar explode over my taste buds. I knew it was going to be a long night and had brought plenty of snacks and soda to keep me going. Dani promised to come by after she got off work to help. I was looking forward to spending some time with her.
I heard the knock on the back door and assumed it was her. Truthfully, I was hoping it would be Philip, coming by for a quick kiss before he headed home. I knew it wasn’t likely. He would already be home with his daughter, probably getting her tucked into bed. He’d given me a tantalizing kiss before he left with the deliveries that promised much more was to come as soon as we found time to be alone.
“Who is it?” I called out in a sing-song voice.
“Open the door, and give me all your money!” Dani shouted in an overly dramatic masculine voice.
I laughed, unlocking and opening the door. “I can give you flowers. That’s it. I’m a poor woman with no money.”
She giggled. “I don’t want any stinkin’ flowers—literally, they stink.”
“Get your skinny ass in here,” I said. “I thought you would be here an hour ago.”
She shrugged. “I was hungry. I stopped and ate, and then I thought about eating more but figured you’d be whining over here all by yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. “With the way you eat, it’s no wonder your ass has to be on that spin bike all the time.”
“Don’t be jealous of my very fine ass. I have to get that puppy high and tight before I hit thirty and it drops to my ankles.”
I laughed. “I don’t think you wake up on your birthday and it falls. You’ll be fine. If it starts to head south, just get a butt tuck or whatever it’s called.”
“That’s what you say now,” she grumbled. “You’re two years younger than me. When you have to worry about body parts moving south, you’ll understand.”
“You know you’re beautiful,” I said, walking to the bench. “Now, quit fishing for compliments and help me.”
Every time I looked at the bench, I thought about my nude ass pressed against the sleek stainless steel, with Philip buried inside me. The visual was still very powerful, pulling strong emotions from me every time I thought about it. My body shuddered and my lips parted as I quietly gasped at the vision.
“What’s wrong with you?” Dani asked.
I felt her scrutinizing me and did my best to look natural. I could feel heat between my legs and was ever so thankful I was a woman. If I were a man, I’d have been sporting a major hard-on. I took a deep breath, clearing my thoughts of Philip, sex, and how he felt inside me.
“What? Nothing? Why?” My voice sounded shrill in my ears.
She turned her head, eying me closely. “You look weird, kind of flushed, and you have that voice that says you are guilty of something.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know why. I’m not guilty. I don’t know why you would say that.”
She clearly didn’t believe me. “Bullshit.”
“What? You’re being ridiculous.”
“How’s it going with Mr. Hunky Pants?” she asked.
I could feel the blush spreading over my face. There was no stopping it. “Fine, and his name is Philip,” I said, not looking at her.
She threw her head back and laughed, a loud booming sound that was a stark contradiction to her tiny figure. She looked like a dainty model but acted like a rowdy sailor. People who didn’t really know her would never see the real her. There were two sides to my best friend. I was one of the few people who was lucky enough to know the real Dani Yates.
“You had sex with him again!” she shrieked, reaching out and slapping my shoulder.
“What? What are you talking about?” My shrill voice was back.
She stared at me, her eyes wide with excitement. “You fucked him. Where?”
“Dani, I’m not giving you the details,” I replied, hoping she wouldn’t press.
She was grinning so big I could see her back teeth. “You had sex again,” she sang the words.
I blushed even more, feeling the heat evaporating through my pores. “So.”
“Damn girl, is he that good?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Yes, actually he is,” I said with a small smile.
“Well, hallelujah. I’m happy for you. Good sex is a game changer.”
I laughed. “I suppose it is.”
“Do you think this might turn into something bigger?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging a shoulder. “Maybe, possibly, I wouldn’t hate it if it did.”
She was quiet for a few seconds. “If you want to spend tomorrow night with him, go for it. Don’t sacrifice your love life and getting laid on account of me. This kind of thing doesn’t happen often.”
“What kind of thing?” I asked.
“A hot, sexy man that makes you blush like that, your eyes sparkle, and this glow thing you have going. That kind of thing. That’s not something you want to let get away from you. Spend time with him. Don’t let me hold you back.”
I shook my head. “Nope. No way. You aren’t holding me back at all. I want to hang out with you, and you alone. It’s me and
you tomorrow. Besides, he has plans. He’s taking his daughter out. We picked out a pretty dress for her to wear for her daddy-date to McDonald’s tomorrow. I’ll hang out with him another time. We’ve been planning this, and I’m not about to break those plans.”
Dani smiled. “That is pretty much the cutest, sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, the daddy-date thing. No wonder you keep dropping your panties for him.”
“Oh my god, you are so vulgar,” I said with a scowl.” Did my brother know how dirty you were?”
She grinned big. “Oh, he knew just how dirty I could be, and trust me, there were no complaints.”
I wrinkled my nose and held up a hand. “Stop. TMI. No more!”
She giggled again, putting down her purse and moving to stand next to me. “Have you met his daughter yet?”
“No.”
“Is that weird?” she asked.
“Not at all,” I said. “He’s a protective daddy. He says I’m the first woman he’s dated since his wife died. I think he wants to take it slow with her, which I completely understand.”
“I don’t know,” Dani said. “What if he isn’t introducing her because he’s afraid she’ll say something about the other women she’s met?”
I rolled my eyes. “I seriously doubt that. I think he’s being careful. This is all new. Neither of us has talked about whether it’s a serious thing. It’s like we’re avoiding the topic, or at least, I am.”
“Is it serious?” she asked.
“No, not yet,” I said. “How can it be? It’s only been a week or so, and I’m certainly not ready to rush down the aisle.”
“Are you afraid to meet the little girl?”
“No, but I don’t want to get to know her, and then Philip and I don’t work out, you know? It’s hard enough to break up with a guy, let alone adding a little girl to the mix. I don’t want to fall in love with her and then have her ripped out of my life. I don’t think it’s fair to her or any of us. This is adult business. If Philip and I decide we’re interested in taking it further, then we can talk about it then.”
“Good thinking,” she agreed.
“Thank you,” I said, nodding my head, convinced it was the right thing to do.
I handed her one of the arrangements I had been working on. She loved to add the finishing touches, a sprig of baby’s breath, a bow, or whatever suited her fancy.
“Really, if you want to hang out with him, I don’t mind,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Dani, I’m serious. I’ve told him I had plans. He wasn’t going to ask me to do anything anyway. He has plans with his daughter, and I’m absolutely okay with that. We’ve had exactly one official date. Neither of us is ready to jump into the whole Valentine’s Day thing. I want to hang out with you. I don’t want to worry about what dress I’m going to wear or crash dieting so I can fit into said dress. You’ll take me as I am.” I nudged her shoulder with my own.
“Maybe I want you to dress up,” she replied easily.
I laughed. “Too bad. It isn’t going to happen.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
I stuck a piece of foam in the bottom of a vase. “I have just the thing.”
“What?” she asked.
I giggled. “It’s a surprise.”
“Am I going to have to dress up?”
“No, it’s all casual,” I said. “Wear your favorite yoga pants, scrub your face clean, and put your hair up.”
“I’m not putting out on the first date,” she teased. “I’ll leave that to you.”
I groaned. “Seriously?”
“Hey, I’m just saying, you’re the ho here, not me.”
“You’re the one who told me I needed to get laid.”
She scoffed. “I didn’t mean on a first date. Sheesh. Have I taught you no standards?”
“Ha. Ha.”
We both got back to work, chatting about nothing. I knew she was happy for me. I was happy for me. I liked the newness, the excitement of discovering more about Philip as we spent more time together. I just hoped that I liked him more and things grew between us. I hated to think we were incompatible. I knew we were certainly very compatible in one area.
Chapter 25
Philip
I checked my reflection in the mirror inside the visor. I didn’t see any food on my chin, but I did notice I should have shaved that morning. I’d been in a rush to get out of the house and didn’t have the time. I rubbed my stubbled jaw line and was suddenly nervous it would be a turn-off for Jamie. I hoped not.
I walked to the back door about twenty minutes earlier than usual. I pushed the button, alerting her I was there. When she pushed open the door, she looked tired but still beautiful. Her hair was piled high on her head, and her skinny jeans were paired with a red top with sheer short sleeves.
“Hi,” I said, unable to stop myself from kissing her.
“Hi,” she replied with a smile.
“Busy morning?” I asked her.
She groaned. “Of course. I’m so glad you came early.”
I reached up to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. “Clay said the two of you talked yesterday. He cleared my schedule to give me extra time for your deliveries.”
“Oh, I get you all to myself?” she cooed.
I kissed her again. “I wish.”
“Me too, but work. We have lots of work.”
I sighed. “I hate adulting.”
She giggled softly. “Are you ready for your big night tonight?” she asked.
I smiled, nodding my head. “I am. I gave her the dress, and she is absolutely in love with it.”
“Good, I’m so glad she liked it,” she replied.
“Do you know what you’re going to be doing tonight?” I asked her.
She took a deep breath. “Get completely drunk while watching movies that make us laugh and cry.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And that’s fun?”
“Yes, actually it is.”
“What movies?” I asked her, curious as to how that was a good night.
She smiled. “I don’t know, something with Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, that kind of thing.”
“Like Pretty Woman?” I asked, remembering how much Tara loved the movie.
She giggled. “Exactly like that.”
“I wish I could spend more time with you. I hate only getting these five minutes in the morning.” The words were out before I had a chance to even think about what I was saying.
Her features softened as a smile spread across her face. “I’d like to spend more time with you, but you have a big night tonight. That is far more important than anything else.”
I nodded. “I do, and it is very important.”
“I have to do this for Dani, and I want to do it,” she insisted.
“You sound like you’re going to be settling in for a wild night,” I said. “Will you work tomorrow?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Yes, I work tomorrow. I don’t have the luxury of calling in sick. Being the boss has good sides and bad sides. Calling in sick isn’t an option, even after a killer hangover. Although I seriously doubt either of us will get to hangover stage. We’ll be passed out by ten after gorging on junk food and wine.”
“I have to say that makes me a little happier,” I told her with a coy smile.
“What makes you happy?”
“That I will get to see you tomorrow morning,” I said, leaning forward and taking her hand.
I found myself counting down the minutes until I got to show up at her back door and see her, even if it was only for five minutes. Those were the best five minutes of my day. They were what got my day off on the right foot.
“Yes, you will, and I hope you will tell me all about your night out with Sadie,” she said with a warm smile.
I nodded. “I definitely will.”
I couldn’t stop staring at her and the bench not far away. The woman was intoxicating. I wanted to bury myself inside her and f
orget all about work and the demands of life, just for an hour. I felt like a kid in high school that just got his first taste of sex. I wanted it all the time. I’d gone years without thinking much about it, and now, it was all I thought about. Not just sex, but sex with her.
“Okay, we better get down to business because if you keep looking at me like that, things are going to get hot and messy,” she said with a strained laugh.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to look at you like that,” I said. “It’s just, I don’t know, I think about it, you, a lot.”
She nodded. “So do I,” she whispered.
I followed her to the cooler that was stuffed with flowers. She pulled out a box already loaded with arrangements and handed it to me before grabbing another.
“These are all very pretty,” I told her. “You do great work.”
“Thank you, I like what I do,” she replied easily.
We put the first load into the truck before going back to the shop to grab the rest. She pulled out the last remaining box and handed me the delivery sheet. I couldn’t leave yet. I wanted a real kiss. I wanted something to hold me over until I could be with her again. I had no idea when that would be but was hoping it was soon.
“I’m going to put this down for a second,” I told her in a low voice.
She looked at me, concern in her eyes. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
I put the box on the counter before turning and pulling her into my arms. My mouth slammed over hers. Her lips automatically parted, making way for my tongue to plunge inside. Our bodies melded together like we were never meant to be apart.
When I stepped away, we were both breathing heavily. My dick was hard and uncomfortable in my jeans. I could tell she was aroused. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes heavy-lidded as she looked up at me. I ran the pad of my thumb over her lower lip that was now red and swollen from the kiss.
“Have a nice time tonight,” I told her.