And maybe even Millie.
As fun and interesting as it’d been riling Kate up and as desperately as I wanted to fuck her, that’s all I wanted.
Wasn’t it?
I didn’t want to settle down and build a family.
I continued to push Millie higher and higher, confusion wracking my brain. Her giggle had morphed into full-blown laughter. And fuck, if that didn’t confuse me even more. I liked hearing it.
“Shit,” I breathed out.
Another giggle spilled from Millie’s lips, but I doubted it was because she heard me.
“Look, Kate, I’m flying.”
My gaze automatically drifted across the yard to where Kate had emerged from the house. And like it’d done for the past few weeks, my heart squeezed violently at the sight of her.
“Oh, wow,” she said to Millie. “You sure are, Bug. Hold on tight, okay?”
“’Kaay,” Millie singsonged.
Kate watched Millie for a few moments longer, the sweetest fucking smile on her lips, then those hazel eyes were on me. Unbelievable, the power this woman had. Even with all the distance between us, I felt the weight of her stare. I felt it as sure as live wires scraping over my bones. My skin stretched tight. Too damn tight.
This woman. This fucking woman turned me inside out with no intention of putting me back together.
It had to stop.Ihad to make it stop.
Averting my gaze, I tried to focus on anything else but her. Should’ve known it was futile. Every movement caught in my peripheral drew my attention straight back to her.
And every single time, my sanity would slip a bit more.
I’d found myself jealous of the straw she lifted to her perfect mouth. Envious of the way her sister made her smile. Ridiculous. But not nearly as ridiculous as when her mother made her laugh, and I had to close my eyes to savor the sweet, melodious sound of it.
I’d lost my damn mind, and it was all Kate’s fault.
Needing a reprieve from...well, everything. I stopped Millie’s swing and crouched in front of her.
“Would you mind if we took a bit of a break, princess?”
Hergaze bounced over my face. Unease rolled down my spine. There was no way for this kid to know or understand the uncomfortable feeling wrapped around my bones. No way at all.
And yet when she looked at me, it was easy to think otherwise.
“Okay,” she finally said. “I’ll go draw by Gramps.”
She scurried across the yard and jumped onto Mr. Rivera’s lap. Face lighting up, he tucked a few curls that’d escaped from her braid behind her ear. The love he felt—all of them felt—for this little girl was so incredibly overwhelming.
And a reminder of everything I never had.
That ache in my chest multiplied then multiplied again. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t fucking breathe.
Moving my feet, I all but ran for the house. The closer I came to the door, the faster I moved. I had my hand poised on the handle when the sound of voices filtered through the house.
“Go away.” Kate didn’t sound happy.
Without giving it a second thought, I went in search of her. She was in the kitchen, standing by the sink with her hands parked on her hips and her glare aimed at the guy I saw earlier.
“Shouldn’t you be out there withyour wife, Bryce?”
