Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
He wrapped his fingers slowly and gently around hers, and then, he kissed her tiny fingers.
And my heart skipped right out of my chest.
It bounced off the walls and slammed back into me, freaking choking me. This six-foot-plus guy with muscles on every inch of his body had my baby girl’s hand in his and kissed it like she was a damn princess, and the lump in my throat was thicker than it had ever been.
“Hi. I’m Zac.” Zac held his hand out, the way his dad just had to Lola.
“Hi, Zac. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Perrie.” He already knew that, but hey. I lightly set my hand on top of his, and his little mouth touched my knuckles in a kiss.
Adrian dipped his head to hide his smile.
All right. Now? Now I couldn’t breathe through the thickness in my throat.
Lola giggled. “Mommy, he likes you.”
Zac bristled. “I’m just being a gentleman.”
Adrian stood, running his tongue over his upper lip, a smile still fixed on his face.
I watched as his tongue swept over his mouth.
I wanted it to be my tongue.
Shit.
“You don’t need to be so mad,” Lola said, hugging Dolly tight to her chest. “I was only telling my mom that you like her. God, Mommy.” She looked at me. “Boys are so sensitive.”
I touched my fingers to my mouth.
“I’m not sensitive!” Zac yelled. “I don’t even know why you’re here. Can’t your dad look after you?”
“Zachary,” Adrian warned in a low, hard voice.
“He’s dead. Why can’t your mommy look after you?” Lola shot back with all the logic—and venom—of an angry seven-year-old.
“Lola Louise!” I dumped the bags and bent down, grabbing her wrist.
“She’s dead, too!” Zac replied, the shouting gone.
I watched as their little eyes met.
In the silent moment that hung between the four of us, I learned far more about Adrian and Zac Potter than I’d ever needed, or wanted, to know.
As Adrian’s eyes burned into the side of my head, I knew he felt the same as I did.
“Okay,” he said softly, crouching in front of Zac. “Do you need five minutes?”
Zac’s nostrils flared, but he shook his head, then turned to Lola. “Do you like Minecraft?”
“I don’t know what it is,” she replied softly.
“You wanna come with me? I’ll show you. Oh, wait.” He looked to Adrian. “Is that okay, Dad? Can she come in my room?”
Lola wrinkled up her face. “Does it smell like boys?”
Zac stared at her.
Adrian smacked his lips together, stood, and looked at me. “If it doesn’t smell like boys, is that all right with you, Mom?”
The boyish glint in his eye had me biting the inside of my lower lip. “I mean, that’s a hard bargain. As long as Her Highness deems it not to smell like boys, it’s fine by me.”
“Ugh.” Lola sighed. “Mommy.”
“Hey, you started it.”
Zac grabbed hold of Lola’s hand, their earlier, tense exchange forgotten, and pulled her toward the bottom of the stairs. “Come on, I have another Xbox controller. We can start a new game. You can build cool stuff like castles and houses and dig pits to throw criminals in.”
“Can we build unicorns?” Lola asked, dutifully allowing herself to be dragged up the stairs, staring after him with wide eyes.
“It’s more fun to throw the criminals in pits they can’t climb out of.”
Adrian lifted a finger, opening his mouth.
Lola’s laugh of, “Cool!” stopped whatever he was about to say.
Instead, he dropped his hand, closed his mouth, and turned to me. “He watches too much TV.”
I put a hand on my hip and raised my eyebrows. “You play that with him, don’t you?”
Adrian grimaced, his lips twitching at their corners despite his best efforts. “I might have done. Once or twice.”
“Or three or four or five…”
“All right, all right. It’s fun bonding time. He likes it.” He grabbed the bags. “Let me take these to the spare room.”
“Oh, wait. One is mine. I need to get changed.” I separated Lola’s bag from mine and my purse. “Can I use your bathroom?”
“Sure. Second door on the left upstairs. Come on.” He led me up them and pointed to the right door. “My sitter will be here in ten minutes. We have to head to the station for a quick briefing, then we’ll be ready head out. Sound good?”
No. Not at all.
Netflix and ice-cream sounded good. This, however, did not.
“Sounds good.” I smiled, turned, and locked myself in the bathroom.
I leaned back against the door and blew out a heavy breath. Quiet giggles came from a room to my left, and that was the reminder I needed of why I was doing this.
This wasn’t happening the way I’d planned for it to, but the most annoying part was the chink in my dislike of Adrian. He couldn’t be a completely bad guy given that I was at his house and my daughter would be for several hours.