Page 6 of My Best Friend’s Silver Fox Daddy (Yes, Daddy #52)

MARCUS

“ W hat’s wrong with you today?” Mo asks.

I turn to him. “What do you mean?”

“You’re distracted today.”

“No, I’m not.”

He scoffs. “Yeah. You really are. I’ve never seen you so out of sorts at practice, man.”

After dismissing the team, I’m sitting in the gym with Maurice Coyle, a former teammate and current assistant coach. He’s also my best friend. Has been since high school. Mo and I have been through the shit together, and there’s nobody in this world I trust more.

“Seriously, bro. That was the most raggedy ass practice I have ever seen you run. Ever,” he says. “What’s up with you?”

What happened with Morgan the other day was incredible.

It lived up to every single fantasy I’ve ever had and then some.

And ever since it happened, I haven’t been able to get it—or her— out of my head.

She’s been on my mind every minute of the day.

I’ve had to stop myself from calling her for a repeat performance since I know what happened cannot happen again.

As it is, I’m going to feel guilty as sin whenever I look into Kelsey’s eyes.

“Bro?”

I sigh. “You ever do something you really wanted to do but knew you shouldn’t, and then you can’t stop thinking about wanting to do it again, even though you know you can’t?”

“Yeah. I always feel that way when I have a second piece of pie.”

We share a laugh, and Mo nudges me with his elbow. He’s always been the kind of person who can lighten the mood, and I appreciate that about him.

“Seriously, what’s going on, Mack?”

I take a drink of water, letting the cool liquid soothe my parched throat, then screw the cap back on and cup the bottle in both hands.

If there is one person I can talk to about this, it’s Mo.

As I try to get them out, I find the words stuck in my throat.

I take another drink, trying to swallow down the lump keeping me from speaking, and let out a long breath.

“So, you know that reporter for the school paper—Morgan Hill?” I finally ask.

Mo nods. “Yeah, she interviewed me the other day.”

“Yeah, she’s my daughter’s best friend. They’ve been tight since they were kids.”

My voice trails off, and Mo stares at me for a moment, waiting for me to go on. But when I don’t, the implication in my words seems to sink in, and his eyes widen as his mouth falls open.

“Bro, really?” he asks.

“She’s been flirting with me for a while,” I explain. “The other day, she showed up at my office to give me an advance copy of her article, and it just happened.”

“In your office?”

“In my office.”

“Damn. That’s kind of hot. I can’t remember the last time Shandra and I got after it in a freaky place like that,” he says.

“I love my wife with everything in me, but we’ve been married for twenty years now, and we stopped doing that high school shit a while ago.

Truth is, I wouldn’t mind a little sexy time adventure now and then. ”

I laugh and shake my head. “Sounds like you just need to introduce it, brother. Take the reins and lead her down that path.”

“I may have to try that sometime,” he replies. “Now, back to you and this reporter?—”

“You mean my daughter’s best friend.”

“Right,” he says. “So, what’s the problem?”

“Kelsey is going to flip out if she ever finds out what happened between us.”

“She might. But she also might realize you’re a grown man who needs some companionship,” he says. “I mean, it’s been a long time since Evie passed, and you haven’t even been on a date since.”

I shrug. “My focus was on the job and on raising my daughter.”

“Right. And now your daughter is grown. She’s a strong, intelligent woman, so maybe it’s time for you to take care of yourself for a change. And maybe you’re not giving her enough credit. Maybe she’ll be okay with it.”

I wince. “Yeah, I’m not so sure about that. I mean, it’s her friend.”

“And you are all adults,” Mo says.

“Not sure that’s going to make a difference.”

Mo turns and stares at me for a long moment. “Tell me something,” he finally says. “Do you like this girl? I mean, is it more than just a physical thing?”

Having been on the verge of a meltdown over sleeping with her, it’s a question I haven’t given a lot of thought to.

But I think I recognize that there’s something different about Morgan.

She’s sexy as hell, of course. But she’s intelligent.

Kind. Funny. There’s something about her I feel connected to.

I don’t understand it, but whenever I’m around her, I feel something stirring inside of me.

And it’s not just a desire to fuck her. It’s something deeper.

I shake my head, trying to push those thoughts away.

Those kinds of thoughts are dangerous. They’ll lead me down a path I shouldn’t dare step foot on.

Most of all because everything is so jumbled in my head right now.

Like Mo said, I haven’t been with anybody in a really long time, and part of me wonders if I’m confusing the desire I feel for Morgan with something more simply because she’s paying attention to me.

Because she wants me. It’s an easy thing to confuse, and the last thing I want to do is launch into something, then figure out it’s not what I really want. I don’t want to hurt Morgan.

“If you care about this girl, then why not pursue it?” Mo pushes. “You’re both adults. You’re both capable of making your own decisions.”

We’re both adults. It’s ironic simply because it’s something I said to Morgan when encouraging her to use my first name.

I have to admit, hearing her call me Mr. Hooper while we were fucking felt filthy and incredibly hot at the same time.

He’s right. We are both adults and capable of making our own decisions about who we spend time with.

In theory, it shouldn’t be an issue, but for the fact that my daughter is her best friend.

“Kelsey will understand,” Mo says as if reading my mind. “I know for a fact that she wants you to be happy, bro. I do too, if I’m being honest. Maybe if you’re getting laid on the regular, you won’t be such a dick sometimes.”

I laugh. “Thanks for that.”

“Seriously, if you care for this girl, pursue her. We only get so many chances to be happy,” he says. “Don’t let this one pass you by.”

“Thanks, Mo.”

“I got you, bro. Always.”

He’s given me a lot to think about. A lot to process. Even as it all spins around in my mind, and I consider pursuing something with Morgan, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to overcome the biggest hurdle.

My daughter.