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“I take it you never went on that date.”
“Oh, I did. But after explaining to my date what happened, she ghosted me. I guess she didn’t want to deal with a rambunctious ten-year-old.”
Her eyes widen. “She did that when she was ten? Geesh—gotta give her a little credit. She’s determined.” She giggles and shakes her head slightly. “I love the one when she called the restaurant and had the staff put the wrong name on a birthday cake and then had them tell your date you arranged the entire thing.”
I shake my head at that too. “At least that one waited to dump me until we left the restaurant. Did I ever tell you about the one where Bug had a drink sent to me at dinner along with a note thanking me for ‘last night’?”
“And your date read the note?”
“The waitress who brought it over made sure to drop it in the center of the table. Guess she thought I was a lying, cheating pig. I tried to explain to my date that it was my daughter. She threw the drink in my face and yelled at me for blaming my daughter to try and cover up my manwhoring.”
Allie giggles. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laughing.”
“Oh, it gets worse. She used my phone more than once to reschedule dates via text. The women thought they’d been stood up. And then there was the time she had flowers sent to a woman and put the wrong name and details of an encounter on the card.”
She covers her mouth, trying not to laugh again. “Is it wrong that I like Bug just a little more now?”
“She’s the sweetest kid, Al. I wish you could see that side of her. She just doesn’t want a woman in my life.”
“It’s understandable. Her birth mom signed away her parental rights, and then her stepmom divorced you after she’d bonded with her for years. I think it’s more about not wanting a woman inherlife than in yours.”
I stare at her, wondering if she’s onto something. “I don’t know. I think a lot of it is her not wanting to share me. She’s gotten used to it being just the two of us. And maybe a part of her is protecting me from another Stella.”
“But she’s really protecting herself.Herheart. She doesn’t want to be let down by a third mother figure.”
I sigh and run my hands through my hair. “Do you think I’ll have to wait until she’s eighteen to bring someone into her life?”
“Eighteen?” She guffaws. “Try thirty-five. I’m twenty-eight and still think my dad walks on water. If he and my mom weren’t together, I’d… well, I’d probably still be pulling adolescent pranks to keep him single.”
I deflate like a balloon. “I love my daughter more than anything. But capitulating to her insecurities for another decade or more just feels like I’m letting her walk all over me.”
“You are.” She leans in and kisses my cheek. “But it’s kind of sexy how protective of her you are. The sexy single dad. The ‘penetration tester.’ The secret meetings in the city. I’d say I’m one lucky girl.”
And there it is. She likes it this way. Secret meetings. Me keeping my life with Bug separate from… this.
Me? I hate it this way. I want to be here with Allieandbe home with Bug. I want both of them. I want both of them all the time.Together.
But even knowing Allie doesn’t share my feelings, my desires for a future, my hopes and dreams, I still find it hard to get myself out of bed and walk away from her. And I know assoon as I walk out that door, I’ll miss her even more than the last time I left. Because the last time I left, I missed her more than the time before.
These feelings I’m having are too much too soon. Yes, it’s been almost sixteen months. But we’ve only really been on fifteen dates, if you can even call them dates. Hookups maybe. Encounters. But damn, I remember every single detail about each one of them. And this one, this one tops all the rest.
I push my emotions aside and climb on top of her, wriggling against her. “The next time I see you, you’ll be wearing a bikini on the beach.”
She shimmies her hips up into me, licks her lips, and raises a sultry brow. “Or maybe I won’t.”
Chapter Five
Allie
Antigua is a beautiful island. It’s not the first time my family or I have been here. Ever since we were little, our parents would take us on fun, exotic, educational vacations.
Although it’s been more than a dozen years since we came here, the white sandy beaches, breezy trade winds, and million-dollar views are what drew Dallas back to the place where he’ll make Asher’s sister his wife.
I’m currently looking at one of those views right now. My beach bungalow sits up on the side of a hill. There are exactly seventy-three steps winding down to an exclusive beach tucked back in a bay, protecting us from the harsher ocean waves. That barrier makes it easier to see the outlines and shadows of sea life beneath the blue-green water, and at the moment I’m tracking a stingray as he flies just underneath the surface.
It truly is paradise.
A slow smile creeps up my face as I remember what Asher said he wanted to do to me here. He arrives later tonight. Along with Bug. I’m not as worried as I was about getting alone time with him. She’ll want to spend every moment she can with her cousin, Charlie. Plus, what teenager wouldn’t want to spend her days on one of the best-rated beaches in the world?