Page 66 of Forbidden Kisses

“The zebra was supposed to have a baby soon. Riley kept checking the zoo’s website for updates.”

“I think you’re right,” I said as we approached. There was a huge sign in front of the zebras’ area that read “Baby Z is here.”

"Dad," he said, looking up at me, "do you think Riley will want to come here?"

I lowered myself onto my haunches so I was face-to-face with him. "Jeremy, today is Riley's free day. It's not fair to ask her to come here and work on Sunday too."

"But she would love to see the baby, Dad. She told me. And she said that she doesn’t consider me a job. I asked her about it."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, sometimes Ms. Williams tells me that ‘If your dad didn't pay so well, I wouldn't be caught dead here.’" Jeremy said this so matter-of-factly, I had to rewind what he’d just said. I couldn’t believe it.

I barely stopped myself from cursing.What the actual fuck?I'd always thought Ms. Williams was a bit set in her ways, but who in the hell would make a kid feel like he was a chore?

She was not fucking coming back as a nanny. My mind was made up.

"And then I asked Riley once if she would like to still do stuff with me if you didn't pay her, and she said yes." His eyes were almost glassy.

If Riley was here, I would kiss her senseless.

"Still, buddy, it's not fair to ask her to come here on a Sunday evening."

"Please, Dad, let's try. If she has plans, she’ll tell you."

He had a point, of course, but I didn't want to put her in that position. I was feeling more uncomfortable about it now, primarily because she and I were dating. I didn’t want her to think I was taking advantage of her because we were having sex. That would be wrong on so many counts.

But I couldn’t let my boy down.

"Fine, I'll call her. But you have to understand that she might have something else to do."

"Okay."

Riley’s number was in my favorites, and I immediately punched it. I figured maybe she was preparing to go out with her friends again. Hell, maybe she was already somewhere in another beach club, dancing.

Hell no. The thought of men salivating around her was enough to make me see red.

But she was fresh out of college and barely out of that clubbing scene, so who was I to be angry? I kept forgetting we were at different stages in our lives. I was thirty-three and she was twenty-four—when you were young, that age difference probably seemed like light-years apart. Of course she could be out clubbing. But damn it, I didn’t like that one bit.

"Hey," I almost barked when she finally answered.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a panicked voice.

I cleared my throat.

"What are you doing?" I asked her. There. Now I sounded more normal.

I looked down at Jeremy, who was tapping his right foot impatiently.

"Um, not much. I'm home, reading."

That was good. Damn it, I was hoping even more than Jeremy that she'd join us. "Listen. Have you looked at the zoo’s website recently?"

"What? No. Oh my God. Is there news?"

I couldn't help but smile at the excitement in her voice. How could this bring her so much joy? "Yeah. Jeremy and I are here, and we’re happy to inform you that the baby zebra is as well."

"Wow! Wait, let me grab my laptop. They’ve got a live cam.” I could hear her typing in the background for a few moments. “Oh! So cute. It was supposed to come next week. It doesn't need intensive care or anything. I'm so glad."