Page 39

Thirty-Nine

SUNNY

Ruby: You made out with a guy?! What?! And you waited until this morning to tell me about it?

I roll my eyes.

Me: Well, I couldn’t immediately grab my phone and text you during it. That would be rude.

Instead, I came home and basically rode Ellie’s father’s face instead.

On the same counter that my breakfast currently sits on.

Ellie is beside me, eating her pancakes while humming a song from Tangled .

Ruby: How was it? Did you manage to get past first base?

I’m not even sure of the bases anymore. I’ve been so far removed from this world that I can’t remember them.

Ruby: Did you have an orgasm? What a great birthday gift!

I slowly chew a bite of my pancake.

I did, but not with the guy I made out with.

My body heats. I shove my plate away and stare at my phone before answering truthfully.

Me: I did.

Ruby: I knew that asshole didn’t ruin you forever. I’m so proud. How was the sex?

I look over at Ellie. She’s still eating her pancakes peacefully like the angel that she is.

Me: We didn’t have sex. But his mouth should get an Emmy.

Ruby: It was that good? #jealous

There’s a pressing ache nestling inside my stomach, and I don’t know if it’s regret or excitement. Maybe a little bit of both?

I’m nervous to see him this morning. Thanks to my encouragement, Ellie decided to eat breakfast with me instead of waking him, so he’s still upstairs, hopefully forgetting the last twenty-four hours.

I selfishly need more time to digest what we did.

It was definitely a one-time thing, which I’m sure he agrees with.

But what do I do when I see him this morning? Just act like he didn’t send tingles to the soles of my feet and help me past something that makes me vulnerable?

“Good morning.”

I shriek, and my phone flies through the air.

Ellie looks at me with wide eyes and then giggles from my outburst.

I wait for the crash of my device to hit the floor, but it never does.

“Morning, Daddy! You slept in for a long time.”

Act cool.

I clear my throat and peek over my shoulder. Rhodes is holding my phone in his large hand—the same hand that was in between my legs less than ten hours ago, and he’s very obviously reading what’s on the screen.

Fuck my life.

I gracelessly fall off my stool and slide over to him on my fuzzy socks. I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and snatch my phone out of his hand. Our fingers brush. A week ago, I wouldn’t have noticed. Now, though? My blood sings.

I have to get it together or else he actually might fire me.

“Thanks.” I hurriedly click my phone off and rush back to my stool.

Rhodes is frozen with his hand in front of him like he’s still holding the device. He cautiously brings his gaze to my red face and stares at me for a second too long.

He absolutely read what I last typed to Ruby.

Now I have to go stick my head in the fridge to cool off my embarrassed-stained cheeks.

After what feels like ten years, Rhodes finally drops his hand and walks casually into the kitchen. I’m almost certain he’s carrying himself with a little more confidence than before, so clearly, the compliment went right to his head.

He deserves it.

I shush my subconscious.

So what, he got me off in record time.

It’s not like he’s the only guy who’s ever gotten me off with his mouth.

It’s just…been a while.

“Morning, Printsessa.” Rhodes kisses the top of Ellie’s freshly braided hair while keeping his sights on me.

How he looks first thing in the morning should be illegal. His gray sweats hang low, and his half-unzipped jacket reveals a bare chest that is toned beyond belief. He has the hood pulled up over his head but not far enough to where I can’t see his freshly tousled hair.

I watch him stride over to the coffee pot. He pours the steaming liquid and slowly spins to lean against the counter.

My heart flips.

“Sunny.” He nods at me, and I swear I see a smirk hiding behind his cup.

Oh, is that how this is going to go? He’s amused by me and my awkwardness this morning?

Fine.

“Oscar,” I say in response. I grab my mug of coffee and also smirk behind the rim.

He grunts, and Ellie giggles.

She and I share a quick smile, and he scoffs.

“I’m not sure that I like you two ganging up on me.”

We giggle again. He squints, pretending to be annoyed, but I can see right through the act. There’s the faintest smidge of contentment on his features, and it pacifies me.

Things are fine between us. We are right back to what we were before we crossed the line.

In fact, we don’t even have to mention it.

“How was your birthday night, Sunny?” Ellie’s eyes swing to the container on the counter that is full of leftover cake. She clearly wants a piece.

“Yeah, Sunny.” Rhodes places his cup on the counter. “How was the rest of your birthday?”

I choke on air. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo to never mention my birthday ever again.

His eyebrows rise as he smirks.

I shoot him a vexed look, and he snorts.

An exasperated sigh leaves me as I turn toward Ellie. “It was good.” I lean in close. “Would you like a piece of cake?”

She quickly nods, little pieces of hair flying out of her braid.

I hop to my feet with a quiet laugh. I move around the kitchen as if Rhodes isn’t staring at me like he has something else to say.

“Just good?” he asks.

“Hmm?” I say.

It’s hard not to look at him, but I focus on cutting the piece of cake like it’s for the Pope instead of a five-year-old.

“Yum!” Ellie squeals excitedly when I slide the plate in front of her. I swipe my finger over the icing and pop it into my mouth while she digs in.

I take a seat and finally give Rhodes my attention. His jaw flickers while he focuses on my finger inside my mouth.

It was an innocent action, and I thought nothing of it, but with the fiery glint in his eye, I could see how it would come off as something other than that. Whoopsie.

Rhodes exhales. “I thought your birthday celebration deserved an…Emmy.”

My eye twitches.

It did. It really did.

But there is no way I’m letting him win this.

I shrug. “I’ve had better.”

Ellie’s fork clanks to her empty plate, but neither Rhodes nor I look at it.

“That cake deserves an Emmy!” She pauses. “Wait. What’s an Emmy?”

My lips beg to curve.

Rhodes’s twitch.

Then we both laugh.

Thank god for Ellie.

“It’s an award for the best of the best,” Rhodes explains, placing his cup and her plate in the sink. I can’t help but admire his backside as he does the two dishes. If he’s home, he makes it a point to beat me to the dishes.

“I’ve got a game tomorrow night,” he states, mid-wash.

“I saw it in the calendar.” It’s an away game, which means Ellie and I will be on our own.

“Can we go?” Ellie has so much hope riding on the question that it’s kind of sad.

He shakes his head. “It’s a school night, and it’s a few hours away.”

“So.” Ellie crosses her arm and pouts. That bottom lip of hers slips out, so I quickly swoop in and save the day.

“You have to go to school, silly.” I nudge her shoulder with mine. “But maybe I’ll have a surprise for you afterward.”

She gives me a side-eye. “A surprise?”

I nod. “You’ll love it.”

“What is it?” she asks.

“Yeah, what is it?” Rhodes repeats from across the kitchen.

I huff. “The whole point of a surprise is that it’s a surprise .”

They both frown and share a look.

I laugh out loud. “You two better lighten up. Surprises are fun!”

Ellie thinks about it for a second, then eventually, her scrunched face smooths. “Okay…well, we will see.”

And just like that, she’s bouncing off to do cartwheels in the living room from the sugar boost my leftover cake gave her.

“You’re welcome,” I muse, sliding off my seat.

“For?” Rhodes crosses his arms and stares at me from across the island.

I glance at the spot he laid me on last night, and I hate that he saw.

“For making her look forward to something so she isn't focusing on you being away.”

“What's the surprise?” he asks, coming around the island. “Another clay figurine thing?”

I click my tongue. “No.” She loved Pascal, though. “But I can’t tell you. It’ll ruin the surprise.”

“But it’s not a surprise for me,” he argues, leaning one palm on the island— right where my bare ass was. “Or is it?”

Something dangerously inappropriate flies through my head, and the second I catch a glimpse of his eye, I’m almost certain he had the same thought.

“I was going to take her to the studio and teach her how to do pottery,” I blurt quickly. “I mean, if you’re okay with that?”

“Of course I am.” He nods. “I trust you with her.”

I refuse to look him in the eye.

I’m afraid if he looks at me too closely, he’ll be able to read my mind, and what a tragedy that would be.

“Oh.” He leans farther across the island. “You’re welcome too.”

I gradually level my chin and meet his gaze. “For?”

“For the Emmy-deserving birthday gift.” He winks, and my stomach dips.

He backs away slowly with a knowing grin and walks out of the kitchen.

I shout over my shoulder at the last second, “Don’t let that go to your head!”

“Too late!” he shouts back.

I turn away before he can see the smile on my face.

At least he didn’t decide to fire me this morning after remembering how he had a lapse in judgment and broke his own rule of fooling around with his daughter’s nanny.

Though, he wasn’t the only one who had a lapse in judgment.