Page 6 of Playing With Forever

Weird?

What was going to be weird was when I grounded my twenty-year-old daughter and took her phone and car keys away.

Thankfully, Josie smiled and shook her head.

“What’s her name?”

“Lindy, listen to me⁠—”

I got no farther. My pain-in-the-ass kid decided to stand. My options were to demand my daughter stop behaving like a lunatic, which would lead to her pressing me for answers I didn’t want to give, or sit through a very uncomfortable dinner.

Josie made the decision for me by walking through the crush of people waiting for tables, likely so Lindy would stop waving at her. When she fully came into view, I saw she had on another pair of jeans—no doubt they’d hug her exceptional ass like last night’s pair. Instead of being tight around her ankle, they were wide-legged. And she was in another pair of heels, these ones were black.

Top to toe, the woman was stunning. She took sexy to an extreme.

Josie Lark was alluring—at first glance, she captivated you, and once you were caught in her spell, there was no getting free.

With my mind full of how great those long legs felt wrapped around my back, how soft her hair was, how sweet she sounded moaning my name, I stood when Josie stopped at our booth.

My daughter politely offered her hand to Josie. “Hey, I’m Lindy.”

At least I raised a well-mannered daughter. It helped wash away some of the frustration of her stunt.

“Josie. Nice to meet you.” When she dropped Lindy’s hand, the blue eyes I’d seen flash with desire were now cool and detached. “Evan.”

Right.

This was how she was going to play this?

“Josie,” I greeted back with the same efficiency.

“The wait’s going to be forever,” Lindy noted. “Please join us. We haven’t ordered yet.”

“That’s very kind, but I don’t want to intrude.”

“It’s not an intrusion. Right, Dad?”

Fuck my life.

“No, join us, Josie.” I added just enough demand in my tone she couldn’t miss the order.

I watched her delicate cheek jump and waited for that outward polished civility to take over. And just like I thought, she yielded.

“As long as you don’t mind.”

Oh, I minded. But my interfering daughter had given me no choice.

I stepped aside to allow Josie into my side of the booth.

Her frightened expression would’ve been amusing if my daughter hadn’t been there.

Lindy slid back into her side. Josie pinned herself to the wall for maximum separation. Again, I would’ve found this entertaining if I’d been in a position to call Josie out on her behavior or ask her why the fuck she’d run out on me.

Since neither of those options were available, I sat back and listened to my daughter rapid-fire questions at Josie. All that was missing was the bright light pointing in Josie’s face, and it would be an interrogation instead of sounding like an interview.

Thankfully, the server stopped at our table for drink orders. Unfortunately, when the guy left to get iced teas all around, Lindy launched back in.

“Lindy,” I gently called.