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Natalie puts one leg in front of the other, crossing them in a way that brings my attention to her toned thighs. A slight smile shows the small dimple on the left side of her cheek. “Okay, well let me get dressed real quick. I’ll leave with the two of you.”
“Just make sure you lock up when you get done. No hurry.” I put my hand out to her, stopping her from having to rush. “Think I trust you to be here by yourself.” I give her a smile.
Her cheeks flush pink and the side of her mouth lifts up in a slight grin. “I should hope so. I’m here more than you are.”
Turning from her, I bite my cheek to keep from saying what’s bubbling up inside me. I don’t want her to leave. Instead, I’d rather her be here when I get home. Prefer for my bed not to be empty when I slide between the cool sheets. Now that I’ve seen this side of her, I’m not sure I can fold it up and put it away in a box. Forget this is what she looks like all fresh from the shower.
Innocent and sexy all folded together in one unforgettable combination.
It’s something I’ll never be able to forget. Now that this is out in the open, there’s no going back.
“Daddy, I’m done.” Trinity grabs hold of my shirt, tugging on it. Her sticky hands out in front of her.
Just like that, I’m back in dad mode. The one thing that’s been a constant since she and I became a family of two. It’s what I’ve been able to count on. “Okay, let’s wash up and get on our way to school.” Herding her back into the kitchen, I help her out of the chair and over to the step stool that allows her to wash her own hands.
Movement in the corner of my eye causes me to look back down the hallway. There’s Nat, making a dash for my bedroom.
Her clothes must be in there.
She’s going to be naked.
In. My. Bedroom.
And I won’t be there for it.
To be fair, there hasn’t been a naked woman in my bedroom for at least five years. I don’t do one-night stands and I haven’t had the time it takes to build a relationship. At least not the kind I enjoy. It’s not been a priority, but perhaps it should have.
“Dad.” Trinity’s voice cuts into my thoughts. “I’m done.”
“Okay, go get your stuff.”
I’m scared to go down the hallway again, afraid I’ll see something that I shouldn’t. Possibly a bare back or the smooth line of her leg again. As long as my drought has been, glimpses of those are bound to have me coming against the fabric of my jeans.
More than once.
Gritting my teeth, I try to forget everything that’s happened since I walked into my house and, instead, focus on my daughter.
“Ready, Daddy.” She’s shouldered her book bag. “Bye, Natalie,” she yells behind her.
“Bye!” Nat sticks her head out of my bedroom. “Have a good day at school and don’t forget the homework we worked on.”
“I got it.”
My eyes meet Nat’s. She’s the mother my daughter should’ve had and, in the blink of an eye, she’s become the woman I want warming the empty side of my bed.
The only problem?
Her brother might have a lot to say about that.
CHAPTERTWO
Natalie
I’m frozenas I sit on Cam’s bed, waiting to hear the two of them leave. My muscles are tense, as I think about what he almost saw. It would’ve been so easy for me to release the towel and let things progress however they would’ve. It’s not like I haven’t thought about it. Some nights I sit here and think about nothing but. However, I’m always aware of where we are, where I am. This is the home he shares with his daughter. The one who lost a mother before she ever had a chance to have one. I take the fact I’m that figure for her seriously, and would never do anything to threaten what we’ve built. Once the truck backs out of the garage, I allow myself to relax. That’s when the shakes go through me.
Quickly, I grab my phone and make a call to Hayden. We’ve become friends over the last couple of months. There aren’t many girls hanging around the fire station, and at the very least we know what each other is going through.
“Hey girl,” she answers. “How’s it going? I’m just about to head into the bank, but I have a few minutes.”
