Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“Can I tell you a secret, Tucker?” My ears perked up, and I found myself inching closer to make sure I didn’t miss a word. “I wouldn’t mind making those babies with your daddy.”
I swallowed my groan and silently cursed as come leaked from the tip of my rock-hard dick. She was so innocent; she probably didn’t have a single clue what her words were doing to me. She’d probably faint if she saw the things that I was imagining in my head.
The ding of a timer pulled me back to reality as Penelope smacked a kiss on Tucker’s head before dancing over to the oven and pulling out something in a casserole dish. I gave myself a few minutes to get my body under control, then strode nonchalantly into the kitchen.
“Penelope,” I murmured in a low greeting as I approached Tucker. She jumped and spun around, her face turning pink as her eyes darted between me and the doorway. I didn’t say anything, though I did smirk and wink. She clearly didn’t know what to make of my attitude because she shuffled from foot to foot and chewed on her lower lip, eyeing me with confusion.
When I was standing in front of my boy, I released the harnesses and scooped him into my arms. “Hey, little man. I missed you.” One tiny hand stretched toward my face, and I pretended to nibble his fingers, making him gurgle, which I’d determined was his version of laughing.
A small, almost imperceptible sigh had my head swiveling in its direction. Penelope was standing at the island staring at us with a plate in one hand and a serving spoon full of casserole in the other. Both were suspended over the baking dish as though she’d been frozen in time. I smiled, and she almost dropped the plate into the food when she flinched as though I’d sprung out and yelled, “Boo!”
“Um...sorry. I got lost in my thoughts and...um...so, I made dinner.”
“Thank you.”
She shrugged carelessly, but her blue eyes sparkled. “It’s no big deal. I love to cook, but it’s no fun for just one person, and Mallory is never home.” Her head flew up, and she looked nervous as she continued to ramble. “Not that I’m expecting to eat with you. I mean, I wasn’t assuming; I didn’t mean to invite myself—”
“Angel, calm down,” I interrupted with a chuckle. “Of course, you should have dinner with us. It would be awfully ungrateful of me to eat what you made after kicking you out.” I winked at her, and she beamed, making her even more beautiful. Spending more time with her right now was dangerous, but it was just a meal, right? Besides, I had Tucker there as a buffer.
I brought Tucker’s swing from the corner over to the edge of the table and buckled him in as Penelope carried two plates heaped with food and set them down on the shiny, wooden surface. The table was pristine because, before Tucker came into my life, I couldn’t ever remember using it.
She returned to the island, going straight to a drawer that held silverware, and I laughed, drawing her attention. “What? Are these not the forks we should use?” She looked horrified at the thought. “Oh my gosh, I must seem like such a dumb little country girl.” She covered her eyes and groaned.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, angel,” I assured her. “I was actually laughing at myself. I think you are better acquainted with my house than I am.”
Penelope narrowed her eyes and raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “You’re teasing me.”
I shook my head and held up my hand, making the sign of the Scouts.
“Scout’s honor.”
Her eyes narrowed even farther. “Were you even a Scout?”
I laughed and put my other hand on my chest over my heart. “I swear, I was. Both my brother and I were Eagle Scouts, actually.”
Penelope’s jaw dropped a little, and her face smoothed out, morphing from disbelief to shock. Then she giggled. “Wow. I wouldn’t have pegged you for the outdoorsy type.”
I could feel the smolder in my gaze as I stared at her with deep intensity. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, angel. But you will. We’ll know absolutely everything about each other.”
She flushed prettily again, and it had my body burning with desire. I was desperate to see if I could make her blush all over her body. However, it wasn’t the right time to be going in that direction, so I steered the conversation in another direction as we sat down to eat.
The meal was fantastic, and I asked her questions about her perfect kitchen, keeping mental notes in case I needed to renovate. After dinner, I refused to let her clean up, and Tucker was making it very clear that he was ready for his own food. I hated to send Penelope home, but I was only so strong. I wasn’t sure I would be able to stop myself from doing something stupid if we were alone after I put Tucker to bed.