Page 143 of Daddies on Ice

Being there for all of it, not just as some guy who helped create the baby, but as a real father.

I can share her with Carl and Ash. That realization surprises me, but it’s true.

There’s something incredibly hot about watching them pleasure her, about all of us working together to drive her wild.

The way she responds to each of us differently, the way she needs all three of us in different ways—it works. We work.

My phone buzzes with a text from one of my teammates asking if I want to hit the bars again tonight. I delete it without responding. I’m done running.

Twenty minutes later, I’m standing on Tish’s front porch, my heart hammering against my ribs like I’m facing down the biggest opponent of my career.

The house is quiet except for the soft glow of light coming from the living room window. I can see her silhouette moving around inside, probably cleaning up after putting Becky to bed.

I raise my hand to knock, then hesitate. What if she doesn’t want to see me?

What if I’ve fucked this up beyond repair by disappearing when she needed me most?

Only one way to find out.

I knock, three firm raps that echo in the cold February air. Footsteps approach, and then the door swings open.

Tish stands there in yoga pants and an oversized sweater that somehow makes her look even more beautiful than when she’s all dressed up.

Her long hair is pulled back in a messy bun with strands framing her face, and those incredible dark blue eyes widen when she sees me.

“Jake,” she breathes, and I can hear the surprise and hesitancy in her voice.

I don’t give her a chance to say anything else. I step forward, wrap my arms around her waist, and lift her off her feet, spinning her around as I bury my face in her neck.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper against her skin. “I’m so fucking sorry, Tish. I was scared and I acted like a complete ass.”

She’s stiff in my arms at first, but then I feel her melt against me, her hands coming up to tangle in my hair.

When I set her down, I cup her face in my hands and kiss her like my life depends on it. Her lips are soft and warm, and when she kisses me back, relief floods through me so intensely I nearly stagger.

“I missed you,” she whispers when we break apart, her forehead resting against mine.

“I missed you too. More than I thought possible.” I stroke my thumbs across her cheekbones. “Can we talk?”

She nods and leads me inside, closing the door behind us.

The house is warm and cozy, filled with the scent of whatever she made for dinner and the faint sound of a Disney movie playing in the background.

Probably Becky falling asleep to it.

We settle on the couch, and I pull her against my side, needing to feel her warmth, her realness.

She curls into me like she belongs there, which she does.

“I freaked out,” I admit, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “When you said you were pregnant, all I could think about was how I’m not ready to be a father. How I’m the team playboy and I don’t know the first thing about being in a real relationship, let alone raising a kid.”

She’s quiet, letting me get it all out.

“But these past few days without you… Tish, I couldn’t even look at another woman. I tried to go back to who I used to be, but I can’t. Because I don’t want to be that guy anymore. I want to be the man who deserves you. Who deserves to be a father to your baby—our baby.”

She tilts her head up to look at me, and I see tears shimmering in her eyes. “Really?”

“Really. I’m excited about this, Tish. Scared as hell, but excited. And I can share you with Carl and Ash. What we have together, all four of us—it’s special. It’s right.”