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No. No. No. What was I doing? I pulled away and then pushed at his chest, breathless.
Alex stared at me. As I looked into his gray eyes, I saw undisguised lust and hunger looking back. I shivered under his gaze and bit my lip. I was already wet, and all we’d done was kiss.
“W-why did you do that?” I sputtered out, my body still flame from the kiss.
“To thank you,” he said simply with a shrug.
“Thank me?”
“For the pictures, and for telling me the truth about my daughter. Now I don’t have to wonder, and now I can get to know her, be there for her.”
“A simple thank you would have sufficed.”
A playful smile appeared on his face. “I’ll remember that next time.”
I almost melted under that smile. This wasn’t the distant man crushed by life and an accident, but the boy I’d known back in high school. The boy I’d fallen for. No, the man I’d fallen for.
“I’m serious,” I said, trying to force some iron into my tone.
Alex held up his hands. “Okay, okay. I don’t want to push you or make you uncomfortable.”
I pointed at him. “You can’t go around kissing me. Just because I told you about Kadie doesn’t mean we’re a couple. Let’s be very clear about that.”
He nodded and grinned again. I probably would have been on firmer ground if I hadn’t kissed him back. Even then, it was taking all my self-control not to throw my arms around his neck and pull him in for another kiss.
It wasn’t real, I tried to tell myself. It was old memories confusing me. We weren’t the same people.
“Look,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t want to get lawyers involved with Kadie. But I do want you to have patience. I’ve not had to share Kadie with anyone but my mother before.” I swallowed. “And it’s going to be confusing for her. It’s not like she’ll understand who this stranger is.” I gestured to him.
“I’m not a stranger. I’m her father.”
I shook my head. “You haven’t been here her entire life.”
Alex averted his gaze and nodded once. “Okay, I understand. I don’t want to rush anything. I’ll follow your lead.”
I glanced over at the door. I needed to get out of there before something else happened.
“Okay, so I told you everything, but I should get back to work,” I said, snatching up the brown bag. I’d eat at my desk.
Pictures in hand, Alex walked over to the door and opened it up. “Again, thanks for telling me.”
I took a step then stopped. “One last question.”
“What?”
“You honestly didn’t know Kadie was yours?”
“No? Why did you think I did?”
I shrugged. “I wondered if Carl had told you.”
Alex’s face fell. “No. The guy’s been bending himself in a pretzel to avoid me, which is hard because I’m working for him and living on his ranch.”
“I’m sorry. I asked him to not to.”
“I figured.”
I walked through the open door and headed toward my desk. Alex followed after, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he nodded and headed for the front door.
