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I let out a soft chuckle. Yes, I can imagine that. But I don’t think that has anything to do with how Piper feels about Tanner and me. “This is different. You’re her father. You’ve never shown an interest in men before and now, here you are, totally gone for a guy almost half your age. I mean, if my parents suddenly announced they were poly and had fallen for a guy only a few years older than me, it’d take a fuck load of adjusting. I doubt it’d ever happen because my parents never have sex, but still.” Tanner quirks a brow at me and I send him a warning look. “Don’t kill the dream.”
He gives a wry shake of his head and reaches for my hand, clasping it tightly in his. “I get what you’re saying, but I promise it’ll be fine. Even if it does take some adjusting, she’ll get there eventually. And we’ve got plenty of time.”
I smile and lean toward him, touching my lips to his for a gentle kiss.
And, of course, that’s when the apartment door swings open.
“Oh, great, Isoneed to see my dad sucking face with his boy toy on my birthday,” a familiar voice drawls in a tone so sardonic it almost knocks me over.
Fucking hell, this girl really has a knack for bad timing.
“Good to see you again, Piper,” I say awkwardly, trying not to fidget under her fierce look of disapproval.
Either not noticing or ignoring her, Tanner offers a wide grin and steps forward to kiss her cheek. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
She softens at the gesture, seeming unable to help herself from returning his smile. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Deacon!”
I grin as I see Izzy run up to us in her adorable pink party dress. Okay, well, she doesn’t quite run—her balance isn’t steady enough for the same kind of movement an able-bodied five-year-old can manage—but she moves quicker than I’ve ever seen before, a wide grin spread over her face. When she reaches me, she hesitates, blinking up at me in confusion despite her obvious excitement to see me. “Why here?”
I crouch down so I’m at her level. I don’t usually do that too often at school because it’s a bitch to be always crouching down and getting up again, and because we learn in college that kids need to be given a little distance to encourage the growth of independence and shit like that. But we’re not at school now, and I don’t want Izzy to feel like I’m talking down to her. “I’m here for Piper’s birthday,” I tell her.
“Piper’s birthday too,” she says, pointing to herself. “My sister.”
She beams up at Piper, holding up her hands. “Deacon showed me to make pictures with my fingers.”
Piper’s brows creep up. “You mean finger-painting?”
“Deacon’s great at finger-painting,” Tanner says, a teasing note in his voice that I doubt anyone but me picks up on.
Even so, I feel my face flaming bright red at the memory of using my fingers to paint cum all over Tanner’s body.Fucking hell.Please don’t get hard, I beg my cock. I don’t need Piper to think I’m more of a creep than she already does.
Fortunately, Izzy comes to the rescue by speaking up again. “Made picture with fingers,” Izzy says to Piper, beaming proudly. “Jazz helped. Not hanging up.” She says the last part with a wary glance in my direction, as though I might disapprove of her not hanging her painting on a wire like I normally do.
I get to my feet and run a hand over her adorable pigtail braids. “That’s okay. I’m sure it dried anyway.”
She nods. “Jazz did it.”
“Do you rememberhowwe dried it?” Jazz asks, startling me a little because I hadn’t noticed him enter the room.
Izzy giggles and looks up fondly at her brother. “Hair dryer!”
Jazz grins. It’s an astonishing change from the guy I met a couple weeks ago, with his scowls and eye rolls and arrogant smirks. “We almost lost it, didn’t we? But I saved the day with my shoes, didn’t I?”
“Is that why the corner’s have mud on them?” Piper asks, one brow raised.
“It’s called rustic appeal,” Jazz says. “Just go with it.”
“Baby girl, where’s my cuddle?” Tanner asks Izzy.
She beams, as though just noticing he was there. To be fair, seeing her kindergarten teacher at her sister’s birthday must have been a pretty big distraction.
She rushes over to Tanner and he crouches down, pulling her into his arms. “Ah, I missed you,” he says, squeezing her tight. “Did you have fun with Jazz last night?”
She nods, smiling happily. “We did piano.”
Tanner looks up at his son with a warm smile, affection and pride swimming in his gaze.
