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Good thing I have time to run home.
Getting groceries back to Tanner’s place in my saddle bag would be a pain in the ass. Looks like I need to swap my bike for my truck. I prefer the open air, weather permitting, and only drive the truck when necessary. Which is far more frequent than I like, thanks to all the damn snow we get in this state.
Sitting astride my bike, I consider what it would be like to take Tanner on a ride. I’d love to have my boy on the back of my bike for a short drive to dinner, or even better, a long ride with no destination in mind.
My thoughts take a wildly dirty turn as I imagine Tanner straddling the seat, groin pressed against my ass, arms wrapped around my center as we coast up and down the winding curves of Colorado’s backroads. Shaking clear the imagery, I start the bike and let the engine wash away my wayward fantasy.
Riding distracted is dangerous as fuck out here. Let’s not even get started on what riding while horny could cause.
Gunning out of the lot, I turn onto the main road and head home. A running checklist filters through my mind of what I need to grab from my house and which type of ice cream I should buy my boy as a treat after his long day.
FOURTEEN
I’m notgreat at admitting when I’m wrong. Like most young adults finding their footing in life, we still require a little work when it comes to recognizing our faults. Which is why I’m sitting in my car, rehearsing an apology for Daddy.
Earlier this morning, I was hellbent on proving to Dean this could never work between us. One call from my boss, and I was certain he would be too frustrated or annoyed to move forward with everything we had agreed to.
On top of that, I was convinced another long day was in front of me. Certain I was going to be too exhausted, too overworked to give Dean any sort of time worth having.
How fucking wrong I was.
While Daddy prepared my lunch, I had nothing to worry about other than putting on clothes and ensuring I had my laptop and charger in my messenger bag. There was no need to clean up the kitchen, no thoughts surrounding when I would have time to grab a quick bite as I ran out the door. He made it easy for me.
Daddy’s thoughtfulness kept me going all day long. The lunch he prepared was filling and delicious, something I could enjoy without worrying. I spent twenty minutes eating between my case visits, giving me plenty of time to taste the meal. Gotta say, the sandwich was a hell of a lot better than any granola bar I’ve eaten.
All day long, I found myself in a better place than I’ve been in weeks. Even with two case files greeting me at the office instead of the one Mr. Havers mentioned on the phone, I washappy. Thoughts of Daddy and his promises danced in my head, replacing the million running checklists of to-dos I neglected for the day.
No worrying about dinner, laundry, or cleaning the house. All my focus was centered on my case files and these kids. Exactly where it should be.
Running through my apology monologue one last time, I reach for my bag and exit the car. Locking the doors with my remote, I jog up the stairs and let myself into the apartment. I freeze in the doorway, keys still dangling in the lock. My feet come to a stop so quickly and unexpectedly that my shoulder bag whips around and smacks me in the stomach.
“Oof.” My breath punches out of me, startling Dean.
“Hey, baby bat. Welcome home.” He turns and looks me over, his eyes wrinkling around the edges. “You all right?”
What a question, punctuated by a hopelessly dull adjective. I can’t even begin to describe what’s going on inside me. Well…other than being a little out of breath. Of all the sights I expected to find on the other side of my apartment door, this wasn’t even on my radar.
Every square inch of the apartment is clean. The living room floor is clear of all my toys and the stray blankets have been neatly folded and stacked in the corner. The kitchen counters have been wiped clean, not a dirty dish to be seen, and the floor is suspiciously shiny. Like properly mopped shiny.
Stacks of plastic bento-style boxes litter my kitchen table, each one opened and carefully filled with various meals. My house smells incredible, with scents of freshly baked something—bread, maybe—floating through the air.
And then there’s Daddy.
Sitting at the kitchen table, uncapped permanent marker in hand, poised over a sheet of labels. His cell phone rests beside him, playing a song with soft piano notes and a smooth saxophone. He’s dressed in a pair of black jeans, bare feet, and another button-up shirt rolled to his elbows, showing off his delicious tattoos again.
It’s all so overwhelming. I don’t know where to look—or what to drool over—first.
Daddy caps his marker and stands from the chair. “I may have gone a little overboard.” He runs his hand over the back of his neck, a shy and uncertain move, while I remain gaping at him. “One thing led to another, and well…surprise?”
Because I don’t want to risk breaking my laptop, I carefully slide the leather strap over my head and hang it on the hook by the door. Pulling my keys free from the lock, I shut the door and toss the ring on the counter while I kick off my shoes. Daddy watches me with careful eyes, his expression widening when the second my toes slip free from my loafers, I sprint at him full speed.
He has exactly two seconds to prepare himself to catch me before I jump into his arms, climb him like a damn tree, and start peppering his face with as many kisses as I can, brushing whisperedthanks yousacross his cheeks and lips.
Daddy wraps his arms around me, breaking into a jovial laugh. “I take it you’re not upset with me?”
Pulling back, I stare at him like the crazy man he is. “Upset with you? Dean…this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“I had more time on my hands than I was expecting,” he says through a smirk. “Figured I could get all this stuff out of the way before you got here.”
