Page 38 of Loving Wild

“And now those forearms I didn’t know I had a thing for are on display and just . . . I really, really missed you today.”

“You did?”

“Hmm hm,” I drag my teeth over the skin behind his ear and mumble.

“I thought you were upset when you came up here earlier.”

I wrap my legs around his hips and hold him in place, but he leans back a little so he can look at me.

“Upset?” I question. “Nah, I was getting a little emotional seeing you with your daughter. Emotional and horny. I’ve never seen Gabe The Dad in action, it’s hot.”

He gives me a chin lift, and I notice his jaw tense before he takes a swig from his beer bottle. I wipe the smile from my own face.

“What?” I question.

“Apparently, I need to do better at that role.”

“Gabe The Dad?” I ask with a frown, pulling my head back so I can take in all of his face, not just his eyes.

“Ava just told me she feels invisible at her mum’s. Lena’s so wrapped up in her little boy and her pregnancy that Ava says she has no time for her.”

“Gabe,” I sigh out his name, “that’s horrible, but that’s on Lena, not you. Why would you think you need to do better?”

“Because I didn’t notice how down she was. I’m her dad, I should’ve noticed.”

“In all fairness, you’ve been dealing with a lot of other stuff . . . mostly me, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry if you feel . . .”

“Don’t even go there, Ren, I’m an adult. I should be more than capable of dealing with your shit and still notice that my daughter’s not happy.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I say nothing for a few seconds.

“Does she like her room?” I finally ask.

“She loves her room. I don’t know why you were so worried.” The spark returns to his blue eyes and he smiles as he talks.

“Well, one, she’s your daughter, and it’s important to me that we get along, that she doesn’t hate me at least. Two, I’ve never designed a room for a client I’ve never met, and three, I thought you told me she was twelve not twenty-eight?”

His smile broadens, making me smile bigger in return. I’m feeling the buzz from the wine I’ve been drinking on an empty stomach, and I’ve got the warm and fuzzies, along with a bit of the horny’s going on inside.

“Yeah, her maturity blows me away too.”

“Shall we take her out somewhere nice for dinner?” I ask, the thought of Gabe’s little girl feeling ignored making my heart hurt for her. “Where’s her favourite? Shall we just take her out places all weekend and spoil her rotten, make her feel seen, heard, just better about herself?” I don’t know why my lip trembles as I talk. I don’t know Ava or what she’s been going through, but I’m hit with a wave of emotions as I think about her feeling down. I know how low feeling unseen and alone can make you feel, and I don’t want that for her.

“You’re happy to do that?” he asks me quietly.

“Of course. I hate that she’s feeling shit about herself, I hate that you feel shit that she feels shit. She’s part of you, Gabe, if she hurts, you hurt. If you hurt, I hurt and no doubt, once we get to know each other, I’ll hurt for her even when you don’t.”

His brows quirk at that. “You know what I mean,” I add with a head shake.

“So, say she wanted to start spending a bit more time here than at . . .”

“I’d have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever, and I don’t like that you’d think for a moment that I would.” I raise my own brows as I speak.

“I didn’t. I already told her that you wouldn’t. She’s worried that we’re new and she’d be getting in the way.”

“See, twenty-eight not twelve. You’re a good dad, she knows that or she wouldn’t want to spend more time here . . . although, it could be the bedroom. I mean, come on. Twelve or twenty-eight, who wouldn’t love that bedroom.”

He gives my hip a pinch as he shakes his head, saying, “It’s not the bedroom, it’s me. It’s definitely me. My kid loves me, and my woman can’t keep her hands off me. I’m just all-around irresistible.” He slides me forward in the seat of the stool and grinds his hips into me as I tighten my grip on his hair.