Page 36

The car fell silent, following Ariel’s question. As I steered towards the long driveway out of the ranch, I had to be very careful how I answered. I had an amazing birthday, the details of which I absolutely couldn’t share with my four underage siblings. “Yes, I did. But I’m glad you’re all back now.”
“Me too.”
“Me three!” Florian all but shouted.
“Me four!” Tiana definitely shouted.
“Me five!” Belle was the loudest of the lot.
“Seriously, you guys are the best.”
CHAPTER14
Wolfe
How the fuck was a man supposed to get any work done, when his every waking moment was haunted by the memory of a snow haired fucking princess with beguiling eyes and skin as soft as silk? I swear, I could still smell her scent in my bed. Couldn’t shake the memory of her mouth on mine. The way she molded her body to me when we danced. Jesus…her face when she watched that woman come on the X. Just thinking about it made my dick twitch.
Still, letting her go was the best option. I might have this overwhelming, screaming need to find her and hold her and kiss her and…but it was much better for her if we just let it lie. That one amazing weekend and that’s that. The thought made my chest hurt, so I rubbed at it as I pulled open the door to Jeb’s Diner and stepped inside.
As if my obsession with her had conjured her, Esme stood before me. She wore a neatly pressed, blue and white striped server uniform, white sneakers, her hair in a neat bun on top of her head and a shocked expression on her face. “W-Wolfe.”
Seeing her was so unexpected and she looked so gorgeous that I couldn’t hold back my smile. Her answering smile had me smiling even more, until I was pretty sure I looked like a loon.
“Are you…are you looking for me?”
“No, I didn’t know you worked here. I’m here for a business meeting.”
Her face fell, but she quickly pulled herself together. “Of course. Take a seat. I’ll just put these out back and come and take your order.”
I stepped aside so she could walk by me and, despite my best intentions, checked out her ass. It was ridiculous how hot she looked in that server uniform and it had me thinking all sorts of dirty thoughts.
The bell above the door rang and a blue-haired young woman stepped in, her big brown eyes appraising me so closely that I wondered if I knew her. She glanced down the length of the diner, where Esme was just rounding the end of the counter and heading into the kitchen.
“Wolfe!”
I gave a start of surprise. Crowding into the diner behind the young woman were the four kids I’d seen at the supermarket when I’d paid for Esme’s groceries. The boy, Florian, was grinning at me in greeting. “Oh, uh, hi guys.”
The blue-haired woman’s eyes danced with excitement, and she was rolling her lips together, hard. It seemed like she was bursting to say something, but was using every ounce of will to hold back. “Wolfe, huh? I’m Stef.”
She really was looking at me like she knew me, but then she’d just introduced herself, so fuck me if I knew what was going on here. “Pleased to meet you.”
Esme came back out, her head lowered, digging into her apron, pulling out a notepad and pen. When she raised her head, her eyes widened in surprise, and she checked the clock behind the counter. “Oh, you’re early. Jesus, I thought I’d worked over my shift for a minute there.”
“Nah, you’re good. We are early. They were so good that I said they deserved a treat. They all voted for sundaes, so here we are.”
“Outstanding! I’ll get it, though. You don’t need to be out of pocket.”
“I don’t think so, my little ginger snap. I’m not offering to buy your kids a treat and expecting you to pony up. We’ll be over here when you’re ready.”
This entire dynamic was so weird that I couldn’t figure out what was going on. One thing had become crystal clear, though. She was clearly too young to be their mother, but Esme wasnotthe nanny for these children. She was something much, much more than that.
Esme rolled her eyes but grinned at Stef just the same. “Fine.” Then she turned her luminous blue eyes on me, and I felt all the breath leave my body. “I’ll get the kids sorted, then I’ll be right with you.”
“Um, sure. Yeah. Okay.”
She herded the group towards a booth and as she slid in next to the two younger girls, Stef shot me an impish grin.
I forced my body into motion, choosing a booth towards the other end of the diner. Far enough away that I couldn’t be subjected to anymore of Stef’s very unsettling looks. I could still see Esme, though.