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“Don’t make me ground you.”
“Hard to do when I don’t live with you anymore.” She grinned up at me, and I could only shake my head. It had been a few weeks since she’d decided to move in with her friends, leaving me all alone in a big brownstone that felt entirely too empty now. I knew it was the right move for her, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Don’t remind me,” I grumbled, giving her a squeeze.
“Oh, come on, now you can actually bring your dates home instead of having to go to their place.”
My feet came to an abrupt halt and I blinked. “What?”
Serena rolled her eyes and tightened her hold on my waist, pulling me along with her as she began to move again. “Please don’t think I’ve turned into some sheltered halfwit. I’m well aware you have needs. The kind I don’t need to be around for.”
Thank fuck I wasn’t drinking anything, or I would’ve choked on it.
On second thought, I could use some alcohol right now if this was the conversation we were going to have.
When my mind continued to stutter instead of working out the ability to respond, she laughed.
“No way. Have I actually shocked you speechless?” A gloved hand went over her heart.
“Gonna take a lot more than that, Lovebug.”
“Oh, I can go there. What about that hot guy you went out with that wanted you to put your?—”
I clapped my hand across her mouth before whatever crude thing my sweet, sweet child was about to say could roll off her tongue.
“It’s rude to listen to other people’s conversations,” I said.
“Well, your friends ask interesting questions,” came her muffled reply.
Great. That’s what I got for having a nosy child.
I dropped my hold on her when I thought I could trust her not to expand on that train of thought, but as we passed a display of tall pines, she couldn’t seem to help herself.
“They brought up a good point, though. So many men in this city and you haven’t found someone you want more than a third date with lately. That’s not because of me, right?”
I raised a brow. “Of course not. Why would you say that?”
“I mean, having a kid at home is kind of a cockblock.”
Where the hell was the spiced cider, for God’s sake?
“You’re not a… I mean, you’ve never been a…”
“Cockblock? You can say it.”
She wasn’t exactly quiet, and her word choice caught the attention of several people around us. I gave them a tight smile as we walked by, trying my best not to laugh.
“You never were, nor have you ever been, acockblock,” I said, lowering my voice. “I’ve just been a little too busy for a relationship.”
“Oh, right. In a job where you’re the boss and then taking over the top spot at Elysium that you could’ve palmed off to someone else. Got it.”
I eyed her closely. “I didn’t realize you were so anxious for a stepfather.”
“I’m not. I mean, the extra presents I’d get with one couldn’t hurt.” She winked at me—but behind the teasing twinkle, I sensed something was a little off.
Preston’s words from the other night slammed into my brain. He’d said to ask Serena about their relationship. I hadn’t understood what he meant at the time, but maybe they’d broken up? God, I hoped it had nothing to do with me if that was the case.
No. There was no way.
