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Except telling Lila. Whoops. “I have a date tonight with Tara so you’re having a sleepover with Uncle Oliver and Aunt Eva.”
“Really?” Her hazel eyes were round and bright with excitement. “You’re going out with Tara? Daddy make sure she has a good time because then maybe she’ll want to marry us and move in here and be my stepmom! Okay?” She jumped up and down, tugging on my arm, begging like she did for staying up an extra hour on the weekends.
“I don’t plan to make sure she has a bad time, sweetheart.”
“Duh.” She rolled her eyes and peeked inside the bag I packed for her. “You forgot my sleepover pajamas, Daddy.” She ran upstairs to grab them just as the doorbell rang.
“Oliver. Thanks for this, I really appreciate it.”
He stepped inside, a teasing grin on his face. “Damn, it smells good in here. What are you making? Is it something sexy like escargots?”
I rolled my eyes and gave him a shove. “No. It’s lamb.”
“Pulling out the big guns. Nice. Where’s Lila?”
“I’m right here,” she called out as she darted down the stairs with a beaming smile on her face. “I’m ready Uncle Oliver!”
“Good because Eva is planning manicures and pizza and I’m planning video games and brownies.”
“A la mode?”
Oliver scoffed. “Is there any other kind?”
“Nope!” Lila turned to me and raised her arms for a hug. “Good night, Daddy. Have fun and tell Tara I said hi!” She tugged on Oliver’s arm, pulling him out the door before she heard my own farewell, barely above a whisper.
At seven on the dot, the doorbell rang and a smile lit my face as I made my way to the door. I opened with what I hoped was a wide, welcoming grin that died on my lips at the sight of her. “Tara, you look…hot.” She looked more than hot in the little black dress she wore that hugged her narrow waist, exaggerating the flare of her hips and breasts. She presented a perfect hourglass, miles of bare skin on display and sexy red heels that caused a lump to form in my throat.
She flashed a shy smile and tucked one thick curl behind her ear. “Thanks.”
“Come on in, Tara.”
She looked up at me, those big green eyes darkening with desire as she took me in from my bare feet to the loose jeans and the green button up shirt I’d worn to impress her. Tara blinked and took a step inside and then a step closer. “You look pretty hot yourself, Mr. Jacobs.”
I grabbed her chin and tilted her head back, stealing a quick kiss before I kicked the door shut behind us. “I guess we’re a pair of hotties,” I growled in her ear, loving the way she didn’t try to hide her shiver.
Tara let out a snort laugh and raised the glittery bag in her hand. “Hotties with whiskey.”
“Whiskey?”
“Figured it was more on point than wine, and this way if some sexy woman ends up bringing a bottle of whiskey in one of your books, I’ll know she’s based on me.”
I wanted to tell her she was already in the new book and so far, easily recognizable, but that was a conversation for another time. “So we’re drinking whiskey?”
She gave a short nod and followed me into the living room. “Dim lights and soft music calls for whiskey, I think. Don’t you?”
“It’s called setting a mood.”
“Ooh, look at you dropping the writer lingo on me. Impressive.” I was once again reminded how much I loved this sassy version of Tara. The one that wasn’t mistrustful or cynical, but open and flirty.
“Wait until you see how well I pour a drink.” I wiggled my eyebrows and the sound of her laughter went straight to my cock. Down boy. Now wasn’t the time.
“What smells so good?”
“Lamb,” I told her with an embarrassed shrug. “It’s taking longer than I planned.” I handed her a tumbler and she took it with a grin as she leaned against the kitchen table, her eyes trekking me as I moved around the kitchen.
“I can wait and while I do, you can tell me about your latest novel.”
I guess later had arrive. “It’s another detective series, this time with a female lead.” Tara listened closely as I told her all about the basic plot. “You might see some of yourself in her since you’ve been on my mind a lot since I started this series.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded and reached for my own glass, taking a sip for courage because it was time to tell her the truth. “Yep. The truth is that this series is the real reason I signed up for Time for Love. I needed to do field research.”
Her gaze stared at me until I squirmed. “You haven’t killed anyone for the sake of research, have you?”
