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I didn’t realize how loud girls could be.
“Daddy!” Zoey yelled from the other room.
“What’s up?” I asked, peeking into the room against my better judgment. Dress-up clothes, dolls, plastic toy horses, blankets, pillows, and a whole host of other things lay strewn across the floor.
“The doorbell’s ringing.” The girls quieted down just enough that I heard the faint peel of the doorbell from the front of the house. I hoped it was the pizza because the girls were starting a movie once the food arrived. And I needed blessed silence.
Now I understood the looks the parents gave me when they dropped their kids off. I imagined it was the look of pity often given to someone who’s being led to their death.
I yanked open the door. “How much do I—”
“I don’t think you want to finish that sentence, Mr. Hunter,” Wren gave a throaty laugh. Her whole body shook with merriment, and my gaze instinctively slid down to her breasts, which bounced with each chuckle.
My cock shoved against my zipper. I tugged on my t-shirt, hoping it covered enough of my lower half that she wouldn’t notice. “I thought you were the pizza delivery.”
She winked at me. “Sure you did.”
“Excuse me.” The delivery guy ambled up the walkway and shifted to stand next to Wren. I didn’t miss the way he did a double-take. The infatuated expression that crossed his face while he stared at her pissed me off.
What the hell? I ignored the fact that I’d done the same only moments earlier. I snapped my fingers a few times at him. “Hey, right here. Do you have our pizzas?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” He recited the amount.
I took the pizza from him and handed him his tip.
He took one last look at Wren and almost stumbled on the top step. “If you might be free—”
An irrational shot of jealousy spiked down my spine. I tugged Wren inside and glared at the delivery driver before slamming the door shut. “She’s not.”
Wren popped a hand on her hip. “You know that I can say no to men on my own, right?”
My cheeks heated, and I stumbled through a response. “The girls are here, and you shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
Her expression waffled between irritation and confusion. “Um, thank you. I think.”
“I’ll drop the pizza off in the living room with the girls before we head into the kitchen to discuss ideas.”
“How is tonight going?” she asked, falling into step with me.
My instinct was to lie and tell her great, but I ruined it by flinching when a shriek sounded in the next room.
“That good, huh?” She patted my arm.
“How are little girls so loud?” I asked, wincing.
“I don’t know.” She grinned and stepped into the room before me. Excited to see their teacher outside of school, the girls ran up to hug her and say hi.
“What are you doing here, Ms. Winter?” Roxy asked. Or I thought it was Roxy. Maybe it was Michelle. I rubbed at the base of my neck. I was having a hard time keeping everyone's names straight.
“Are you and Zoey’s dad, girlfriend and boyfriend?” one of the other little girls asked.
I froze, each muscle locking up tight. It hadn’t occurred to me that the girls would think we were dating. An uncomfortable twist of my stomach had me glancing at Wren. I wasn’t a relationship kind of guy. I didn’t have time for one and was not interested in anything long term.
A slight smile played on her lips and made me wonder what she thought of this twist and how she’d respond.
Chapter Ten
WREN