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Marlow finally sets her palette knife on the ledge of the easel and turns around with a grin on her face. “Hey, you’re back. How was work?” she asks.
“Care to explain why you’re working on a project instead of taking care of my daughter?” I perch on the edge of the desk.
Her smile instantly turns to a frown. “Excuse me?”
I wave to the mess Lola and Waffles left behind. “You can’t leave a six-year-old unattended with paint. And in the future, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your music down while my daughter is in the room. You might not care about your eardrums, but I would prefer Lola not to have premature hearing loss.”
She flinches at my insult, keeping her hands clenched at her sides. “Anything else you want to add to your list of grievances?” Her voice is noticeably icy.
“Actually, yeah, there is. Want to tell me why my daughter had corn dogs and Cheez-Its for dinner when there are ten pages of healthy meal options in the binder that you supposedly read?” I use air quotes for emphasis.
Marlow briefly closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before she replies. “For the record, the paint is washable. I picked it up from Brush & Palette earlier today. This studio is meant for creating, and the mess that comes with that doesn’t bother me.” She keeps her voice even and calm. “I read your stupid binder, and all the dinner options in there take at least an hour to make. When Lola told me she was hungry, she was on the verge of a meltdown, and I wasn’t going to make her wait that long to eat. Plus, I’m not a good cook, so whatever I would have made probably wouldn’t have been edible.”
“What else were you complaining about?” She taps her finger against her mouth while she thinks. “Oh, yeah, the part where you think I neglected your daughter. Lola asked if she could paint you a surprise and didn’t want me to see it. I pretended I wasn’t paying attention, but I checked on her every few minutes. When you got here, I figured you’d want an uninterrupted moment alone with her.” By this point, fumes are practically coming out of Marlow’s ears. “I’ve told you; I’d never do anything to put Lola in harm’s way. This arrangement won’t work if you keep doubting my ability, temporary or not.”
I stand up and close the distance between us. “You forgot to explain why the music was so loud.” My throat is dry, making it difficult to get the words out. I try to ignore the tightening in my chest at Marlow’s crestfallen expression, but there’s something jarring about seeing her so subdued.
She shakes her head. “No, I just didn’t want to admit that you were right about that,” she confesses with a downcast glance. “I’m sorry.”
God, I’m such an asshole.
When I got here, Lola’s excitement was palpable, and it’s clear that she had an amazing time. Despite my concerns, she’s safe and happier than I’ve ever seen her.
The reason for that is standing right in front of me. Marlow might be messy and chaotic, yet she has a way of connecting with my daughter like no one else can, and I took that for granted tonight.
“Look, I apo—”
I’m cut off when Waffles come running out of nowhere, tumbling into Marlow. I instinctively wrap my arms around her waist to keep her from falling, bringing her body flush with mine. She grabs hold of my shoulders to keep her balance, only a breath of air separating her breasts from pressing against my upper chest. Her scent tickles my nose—paint, citrus, rose, and something sweet.
A searing wave of warmth licks up my spine as her gaze moves from my Adams apple.. Her pupils are blown wide, and her breath catches, a clear sign she’s affected by our close proximity too. The last time we were this close, I didn’t take the chance to really look at her. I’m not making the same mistake again.
I take the moment to study her heart-shaped face. A rosy hue colors her cheeks, and she has a dusting of freckles along the bridge of her nose. Her mouth is slightly parted, and she tilts her head back as she observes me in return. My favorite feature is her unique mismatched eyes.
She’s so goddamn beautiful.
My pulse quickens when I shift my focus to her pouty lips, and an unexpected notion crosses my mind, imagining what it would be like to kiss her. Without thinking, I wipe a smudge of purple paint off her cupid’s bow, and she shivers at my touch.
“You and that dog of yours are a whole lot of trouble,” I whisper.
“At least there’s never a dull moment with us around,” she murmurs.
I’m about to apologize for my outburst when we’re interrupted again.
“Daddy, my hands are all clean, see?” Lola comes running into the room, holding out her hands.
I release my grip on Marlow and step back, creating some much-needed distance between us. I have no idea what came over me, touching her like that, but it won’t be happening again.
At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
I shift my focus to Lola, bending down to inspect her hands. Most of the paint is gone except for a couple of splotches between her fingers.
“You did a great job, ladybug.” I affectionately tap her on the nose. “Why don’t you say goodbye to Marlow and Waffles so we can go home? It’s late, and you’ve got to get ready for bed.”
“Will I get to see Marlow tomorrow?” she asks.
“Yeah, first thing in the morning.”
“Oh, goodie,” she exclaims, rushing over to drape her arms around Waffles. “I’ll see you soon, boy.”
