On Friday afternoon one week later, I could sense victory. Saturday and Sunday were going to be completely Tate-free. Last weekend had helped me clear my head, but being near Tate every morning this week muddled it all up again. If being near him didn’t help, then distance should do the trick. I was hoping, at least.
Paisley and I went biking again, but we also stayed on North Avenue Beach, enjoying the sun and swimming in the lake. It was far too hot outside. The water was cold, but neither of us cared; we wanted to cool off, and this was what we needed. I kept a close eye on her, but she was a proficient swimmer. Even so, I was next to her the whole time we were in the water. She liked swimming even more than I did, and I only convinced her to get out of the lake when black clouds rolled in. They’d announced this morning that there would be a storm in the evening, but I honestly didn’t buy it because it was so sunny until now.
“I’m tired and sooooo hungry,” she said once we were back in dry clothes.
“So am I. We can Uber home if you want. I’ll order a big car so the bikes also fit.”
Paisley shook her head. “I can do it. And then Daddy promised veggie curry for dinner. I can’t wait.”
The mention of Tate made my stomach somersault. The bright side was that I had half an hour on the bike to brace myself for seeing him and then probably another hour or so in the house. That was plenty of time to get my act together.
“Okay.”
Uber was still my backup plan, though, in case it started raining. The clouds were dark gray, and the air seemed heavy, the way it usually did before a summer storm.
We were lucky—we only felt a few raindrops on the way, but the thunderstorm rolled in as soon as we got inside the house.
To my dismay, Tate was already home, even though it was only five o’clock. He came toward us, walking slowly. He was wearing a black T-shirt that clung a bit to his torso like his skin was still humid. Clearly he’d just showered. He was also wearing jeans. I’d never seen him dressed so casually, and I could barely keep myself from checking out his abs.
There went my plan to brace myself.
“Daddy, I am hungryyyyyyyyyyyy,” Paisley exclaimed, running right past him and into the kitchen.
“I already made sandwiches until dinner is ready,” he called after her.
Instead of following Paisley, he advanced toward me, blue eyes trained on me. “And you, Lexi? Want to stay until the thunderstorm is over? The rain is pretty damn strong. Even with an umbrella, you’ll get soaked walking to the car.”
That was a great excuse.
I bit my lip, wondering if this was smart. He must have picked up on my hesitation, because he cocked a brow. “I’m not letting you walk out in this storm, Lexi. It’s not safe.”
“You’re not letting me?”
My God, the alpha vibes rolling off him weakened my knees.
“No.”
“Well, then. Okay.”
I didn’t have the willpower to say no, and I could only describe the look in his eyes as triumphant.
Oh, Lexi, what did you do?
The thunderstorm only intensified during dinner. Tate made a veggie curry with basmati rice, and it was utterly delicious.
‘Your cooking is amazing,’ I said.
He winked. ‘I’ve had lots of practice.’
Paisley beamed. ‘Daddy is the best cook. Once we had a cooking competition in school and he won it. All the other moms were so mad.’
I pressed my lips together, biting back a chuckle.
‘Notice the emphasis on moms,’ he said out of the corner of his mouth. ‘Says a lot about gender expectations, right?’
I nodded, taking another mouthful of rice. I liked that he didn’t care about any of that. I could imagine him showing up at school at a cooking competition. He was a man of many talents, that was for sure.
After dinner, Paisley said she wanted to sit on the couch and watch TV, but she fell asleep two minutes later.
‘We went swimming in addition to biking today,’ I whispered. ‘It’s not a surprise that she’s asleep.’
‘I’ll take her upstairs really quick,’ he said. Looking straight at me, he added, ‘Wait for me here.’
My heart thundered in my chest. I knew being alone with him wasn’t a good idea, but I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
“I have an excellent wine,” he continued.
And he was bribing me with drinks!
“I’ll stay, but only on one condition.”
“And what’s that?” he asked.
“I want something that’s not on the market yet.”
“I’m sure I’ll find something to your liking, Ms. Langley.” His eyes widened.
Was it an involuntary flirty line? Yes. Yes, it was. And his daughter was asleep a few feet away from us. I wasn’t sure staying was such a good idea. But we were both adults, and we’d drawn a line in the sand.
‘Okay. I’ll wait here,’ I said.
‘Good.’
I tried not to melt too much when he picked up Paisley in his arms. She immediately put her head slightly lower than his shoulder, and he brought his hand to the back of her head, sustaining it with so much ease that it was obvious this happened often.
How could this mountain of a man be so gentle?
I paced the kitchen, unsure what to do with myself while I was waiting for him. I still had some rice to finish, so I sat back in my chair and continued eating.
He came back a few minutes later. I glanced up as I heard his footsteps and really looked at him for the first time tonight.
The man was too handsome. His attraction score skyrocketed in casual clothing. Not like he needed it. The black T-shirt molded perfectly to his sculpted abs and revealed more of his arms than the shirt. The sleeves cut into his biceps. Yum. I trained my gaze on him, but he cocked a brow, making me blush.
‘You want seconds?’ he asked, pointing at the pan with the curry.
‘No, thanks. I’m good. I finished eating this portion. It was huge, but I ate it all anyway. It was so good that I didn’t want to miss one bite.’
‘I’m glad you liked it.’ He’d finished his plate, but he sat in the chair next to me. We’d been sitting in the same spots before too, but without Paisley here as a buffer, the tension between us was palpable. His presence was overwhelming and all-consuming.
‘Are you happy after the second week?’ he asked.
‘It was fun, and it’s easy to be with Paisley. She’s so curious about everything.”
“What about me, Lexi? How easy am I?” He pinned me with his blue eyes, and I was instantly on edge, squirming.
“I’m still not sure about that.” Licking my lips, I averted my gaze. “Back to Paisley. I wanted to ask you if some topics are off-limits and if there’s any stuff you don’t want me to talk to her about.’
He frowned. ‘Like what?’
I cleared my throat. ‘Like boys.’
He jerked his head back, eyes wide. ‘She asked about boys?’
Oh, I can see an overprotective father in the making. ‘No, she didn’t. But, you know, in case she asks.’
‘Do girls even think about that at her age?’
‘Sometimes. You’d be surprised all the things girls think about, and they usually don’t want to ask their parents, so they ask me.’
His expression darkened. ‘Well, it’s not like she can ask her mother.’
My heart sank. ‘Did she pass away?’
He shook his head. ‘No, nothing like that. We divorced when Paisley was three years old. She moved away to Seattle, but she’s rarely there. She’s a model, so she travels a lot. It’s one of the reasons she gave me full custody of Paisley.’
‘Oh, okay. She didn’t mention her mother at all, so I was wondering if it’s an off-limits topic as well.’
‘It’s not. Nora is not very involved in Paisley’s life. She calls every few weeks and visits once a year. Paisley also spends one week with her each year, but that’s it.”
My heart bled for Paisley, and for him, because he was clearly hurt and still suffering, even though the divorce happened years ago. ‘I’m sorry.”
“I have my family here, and we’re all very close, but not having a mother is difficult for my daughter.’
‘It is,’ I agreed. ‘If it’s okay, I’d like to tell Paisley that she can ask me anything she feels she can’t ask you, and if I find that something’s very delicate, I’ll ask you before saying anything.’
He looked at me intently, nodding. ‘That sounds great. Thank you. I’m very happy you took the job, Lexi. I’ve never had… Well, Paisley and I have never had anyone like you. You seem to understand what kids need.’
‘Well, I love them. That’s why I became a teacher. I don’t know why, but I always understand where they’re coming from and what they think, especially when they’re Paisley’s age. I’m not very good with toddlers, but I’m great with elementary school kids.’
His expression changed. His eyes softened, and that was my kryptonite. Not his smoldering look or his intense gaze, but that right there was slicing through me, and I had no idea why. I couldn’t understand how Paisley’s mom had left the two of them.
‘Was the divorce amicable?” I asked without thinking. “I’m sorry. If I’m way out of line, you don’t have to answer.’
He leaned in closer, looking straight at me. ‘You and I passed ‘out of line’ on that first phone call, Lexi.’
I laughed, running a hand through my hair, liking this lighthearted side of him. But then he frowned.
‘And no, it wasn’t exactly amicable. She’d been a model before Paisley was born, and when Paisley turned two, she decided to pursue it again. I was supportive, because I understood passion for a career. Then she decided she didn’t like being a wife and that she wanted to dedicate herself to her career. I thought she’d want to stay more involved in Paisley’s life, but she isn’t. I think Paisley is slowly coming to terms with that.”
“And you?”
“I came to terms with the fact that she wanted to be out of our life for good when I insisted on couples therapy and she told me it was no use because she had an affair with a photographer.”
I gasped. “That’s awful.”
He waved his hand, shaking his head. “It is what it is. Not everyone can have a happy marriage like my parents. Before marrying, I thought divorce rates were exaggerated. Now I know they’re not.”
He didn’t say anything more, and I didn’t press, not wanting to bring up old wounds. I wanted to distract him, and then I remembered I had a very good reason.
‘You promised me wine, remember? I don’t see a bottle around here.’
He pulled back, smiling so confidently that my knees weakened. Masculinity rolled off him.
‘I have a wine cellar. I can give you a tour, and you can choose which one you want.’
I straightened up. ‘Oh my God. You have a wine cellar here?’
He chuckled. “Yes, I do. What kind of winemaker would I be otherwise?’
‘I don’t know. I figured maybe you had it at the production site or something.’
‘I have one there too, but this is my own personal cellar. Come on. I’ll show it to you.’
He rose from his chair and then pulled mine back.
As I got up, my arm brushed his chest, and I heard him suck in a breath.
Oh my. Feeling those hard muscles against my arm did things to me.
What is wrong with me? He was Paisley’s dad. True, she didn’t go to my school, so there was no risk of students thinking I had favorites or colleagues gossiping, but I still didn’t think this was a good idea. Especially after what he’d shared with me.
Focus on the fact that he’s Paisley’s dad, Lexi.
It didn’t matter that he was also the hottest man I’d ever seen. But if I was honest, the fact that he was such a dedicated father was also part of his irresistible sex appeal.
I looked up at him and was surprised that his pupils had dilated a bit. I swallowed hard, fidgeting in my spot.
Clearly I wasn’t the only one shaken by this incredible chemistry between us.
