Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“… bake me a cake as fast as you—”
“Dada!”
The moment I step into the playroom, my little girl spots me and comes toddling over, everyone and everything else forgotten. There’s no better feeling than seeing the look in your child’s eyes when they’re happy to see you.
My stomach knots in memory of Nora signing over her rights and walking out the door without so much as a backward glance. There’s no amount of money in the world worth not being able to hear my daughter’s laughter, see her smile, and smell her sweet baby scent every day. I’ll never understand how Nora and my mom were able to walk away so easily or how my dad could go days, sometimes weeks, without seeing me, but I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Addie never feels as unwanted as I did.
Kira glances up and smiles at me, her eyes twinkling with happiness, and all my negative thoughts are shoved back into the box I keep hidden deep within me. A part of me was hoping I was playing up the chemistry I felt toward Kira this morning, but as she walks over, I know I wasn’t. She’s just as beautiful as I remember. But unlike this morning, when I was taken by surprise, I’ve had time to mentally prepare myself. To put up a wall to keep her charm away from me.
Ana and Julian say I’m too young to be this cynical, but they haven’t experienced what I have. I’d be a damn fool to let another woman into my and my daughter’s lives so she can wreak havoc on our hearts. And I might be a lot of things, but I’m no damn fool.
“Hey!” Kira says as I scoop Addie up into my arms. “How did your meeting go?”
I blank for a moment, lost in my thoughts, but quickly remember I mentioned I was late for my meeting this morning.
“Okay,” I tell her, trying to keep it short but polite.
“That’s it? Okay?” She scrunches her nose up adorably. “Was it good? Bad? Productive? Did you figure out the answer to world domination?”
I choke out a laugh. “It was productive. But unfortunately, world domination was not tackled. Maybe at next week’s meeting.”
“I look forward to hearing about it,” she says with a wink. “Addie here didn’t dominate the world either, but you should’ve seen her jamming out during our dance party. Girl has rhythm.”
Kira reaches out and runs her fingers through my daughter’s short blonde hair, and Addie smiles at her, clearly already enamored by her new friend. Everyone says she looks like me, right down to the same hazel eyes, but she has Nora’s blonde hair while mine is brown.
“Where’s your daughter?” I ask, noticing she’s without her mini.
“She’s playing with the kids her own age in the other room. She loves babies, but she loves the big-kid playground more.”
She playfully rolls her eyes and laughs, and I remind myself that I need to keep my distance from her. Her smile is too sweet, her laugh too melodic—a recipe for heartbreak.
“That’s good,” I choke out. “We need to get going, but, um … we’ll see you on Wednesday.”
“Okay,” she says with a nod. “Bye, Addie. Have a good night with your daddy.”
Addie waves happily to Kira as I grab her diaper bag and run for my life, wondering what the hell has gotten into me.
It’s just because I haven’t gotten laid, I tell myself.
It’s been a while, and my dick is feeling neglected.
But later that night, when the house is quiet, I pull up porn, hoping to relieve some tension. When I blow my load, it isn’t the chick getting fucked on the screen that draws it out of me, but the gorgeous brown-haired, blue-eyed woman with the dimple in her cheek who has captured my attention.
chapter four
RYDER
One Month Later
“I told her if she doesn’t lay her ass down and rest, I’m going to tie her to the bed,” Julian says, trying to sound like there’s even a possibility he has a say in anything his wife does when everyone knows she runs the show.
“So, how’s sleeping on the couch going for you?” I ask, taking a bite of my sub.
Julian glares. “I’m not sleeping on the couch, dickhead. The woman is only a month away from giving birth, but I swear, she thinks she’s invincible. She did agree this will be her last week going into the office though.”
“We both know she can easily run this entire company from her bed regardless,” I point out, making Julian grin like a lovesick puppy.
“Yeah, she can,” he says with a nod.
My phone vibrates with an email from my dad, and I roll my eyes at his formality even though it doesn’t surprise me.
Ryder,
I hope you are well. As you know, Du Ponte Enterprises will be hosting their annual Fourth of July picnic. Margorie hasn’t received your RSVP. I don’t need to remind you that you missed the last two years in a row due to your situation. Am I correct to assume you’ll be attending this year? It looks bad that I’ve yet to meet my granddaughter.