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Chapter Twenty-Two

Lars

Last night I fell asleep wrapped up in a warm woman who had rocked my world.

This morning, I awoke from the slumber of the sated. As I reconciled myself to my surroundings, I did a mental check-in for regrets.

Adeline still slept beside me. Not a single regret remained in my head.

So this could go nowhere, but at least we’d satisfied the lust and hopefully dampened the spark. My phone said it was just after six, which meant Mabel was probably hungry.

I did my best to slip out of Adeline’s arms without waking her and pulled my boxer briefs on quickly. I couldn’t help taking a moment to appreciate her lying there, her dark hair fanned out on the pillow, her snoring soft and endearing.

This is it. The last time you’ll see her in this well-fucked, pliable state.

Sighing, I headed into my room where Mabel was already awake.

Though I had kept the monitor on the nightstand, last night was the first time she’d slept alone since she’d come to live with me.

She had managed to pull herself up to a sitting position and was gripping the bar of the crib like an Alcatraz felon proclaiming her innocence.

“What’s goin’ on, Mabel? You trying to escape?”

I picked her up and inhaled her baby scent. A strange peace came over me. I might not be the best dad in the world, but Mabel didn’t know that—at least not yet. I could figure this out. Adeline would help me.

Except her presence here was temporary. And while everything might feel better when she was around, I still had to take care of business.

I changed Mabel—I was a dab hand at it now—and after washing up, took her downstairs to eat. Formula and applesauce, her favorite combo. While I waited for the formula to heat, I checked my phone to see if my run-in with MacFarlane last night was on anyone’s radar yet.

Bingo.

I had a text from Ryder asking me to call him ASAP.

A voice mail from Natalie in PR. On the other hand, the Rebels text thread was unusually quiet, probably because MacFarlane was part of it, and no one wanted to appear to be taking sides without further information.

There were also a couple of messages from Jacobs about inviting Mabel over to hang with his daughter and the Rebels toddler set.

Nothing from Theo yet. It wouldn’t be long, and I needed to think about my strategy around him. For the first time, I would have to lie to my friend.

The bottle warmer beeped and I sat at the kitchen table, feeding my daughter while I worked out how best to cover my tracks. It wasn’t as if Theo would ask outright. I wouldn’t have to lie to his face; I would just not tell him.

The classic fallback of liars and cheaters everywhere. Not so different from the old man.

When were you going to tell me you’ve been placing wagers in my name, Dad?

What you didn’t know didn’t hurt you.

Until it did. Until it almost destroyed my career before it started.

Mabel finished her bottle, gave me a gassy grin, and burped to her satisfaction.

I puttered about the kitchen, noting the supplies I needed to order to make Mabel’s food from scratch.

Cooking was something I’d always enjoyed, a way to settle my brain when I wasn’t playing hockey.

Making baby food was probably not a good use of my time, but I liked the idea of my daughter eating something produced by my hands. I could buy her everything else.

I settled her back in her crib and watched for a few minutes as she punched the air and chatted away in that funny language of hers. I made sure she had Bear nearby, then I went back into the bedroom.

Adeline was still dead to the world—I’d worked that gorgeous body good, and just the sight of her constricted my heart.

I hated the idea of giving her up, but the longer this went on, the riskier it became.

I stepped into the shower, thinking I should head to the Rebels HQ gym and get some work in before facing the music in the front office.

A minute later, the shower door opened behind me and a soft hand touched my back. Looking over my shoulder, I found a naked Adeline. God, she was perfect.

“Did I wake you?” I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her close to the part of me that still ached for her.

“No. Maybe. I checked on Mabel. She looked like a happy, dry-bottomed, well-fed baby.”

“Doesn’t take much to satisfy her.”

She smiled. “Don’t underestimate your contribution here. You’re better at this than you give yourself credit for.”

“Couldn’t do it without you.” I inclined my head, nuzzled my nose against hers, and took her mouth with my own. Christ, the sweetness of her. Her taste, her pliancy, the support I felt with her near—it overwhelmed me with its purity.

“Last night,” she murmured, her lips close to my chest. “Was amazing.” Her eyes were round and tinged with a frankness that scared me.

“It was. You were.”

“We both were.” She ran a hand over my chest, coasted it down to by abs and wrapped it around my willing cock. “I know we didn’t talk about what comes next—and if you want me to leave?—”

“Said while she strokes me just the way I like it.”

“Can’t you stop anytime?”

I smirked. “Of course, but I get the impression you don’t want me to.

That you’d like … more.” I flipped her so her back met the shower tile and gave her as good as she was giving me.

My fingers between her thighs, rubbing and stroking through all that sensitive, supple flesh.

I touched her clit, relishing how she arched her body, her breasts wet and slippery against my chest.

“This was my fantasy,” I said. “The shower one.”

Her eyes went wide. “That day I overheard you?”

“The day you eavesdropped.”

“You were loud!” She squeezed harder, rubbed her thumb along the head of my rampant cock. “What was I doing? Something like this.”

“That. And then you were on your knees, sucking me off.”

She jackknifed to the tile and resumed jerking me, long, sinuous slides of her hand from balls to tip. I stepped back against the tiled wall, bringing her out of the shower spray.

“You don’t have to, enkelini.” My angel.

“But I want to.” She licked the head, then applied the most delicious suction. I curled a hand around the back of her head and gently started fucking her mouth. Those ruby red lips, the sweet, velvet suction, had me in the hottest grip.

“That’s it. That’s my girl. So good. So fucking good.”

My balls felt so damn heavy and the sizzle in my spine sparked hard. I pulled back an inch.

“Gonna come, sweet thing.”

She sucked harder, and Jesus, that did it for me.

After, I tried to catch my breath. “You okay?”

With watery eyes, she looked up at me. “That was … so hot.”

“That’s what you do to me.”

I helped her to her feet and kissed her deeply.

She smiled. “Close to your fantasy?”

“A million times better. Now, let’s take care of you.

” My fingers sought that sensitive flesh between her legs, stroking, owning, until finally, I made her come with the heel of my hand.

For a few moments, we clung to each other, neither willing to end it.

The world outside this steamy space was too cold and unforgiving for what we’d created.

Eventually, pruned skin and lukewarm water forced our hand. We stepped out of the shower, and I patted her dry. More kisses, more touches. I couldn’t get enough of her.

The door to the ensuite was open, and the buzz of my phone carried through. Quickly I went into the bedroom and found three new messages blazing on the screen.

Theo

You up? Not a booty call, I promise!

I’m outside with the Halloween stuff for Mabel.

Okay, I’m getting worried now. Coming in!

That last message came through a minute ago. Cocking my ear, I listened for signs of life, a prelude to signs of death. My own.

I put my head around the door to the bathroom. “Your dad’s downstairs.”

God help me, I used Mabel as cover.

Walking into the kitchen with my daughter in my arms, I found Theo helping himself to a coffee from the Keurig. A Safeway shopping bag sat on the kitchen table.

He turned on my entrance and raised a grave eyebrow. “You’re in so much fucking trouble, NyQuil.”

A chill gushed through my veins as I tried to parse the situation.

He knows. Somehow, he knows. And the only reason he’s not punching me is because I’m using my child as a shield.

“You’ll have to be more specific.” I took a seat at the kitchen table, another ploy to avoid being thumped.

“It’s all over the fucking Internet!”

“Could you watch your mouth?”

Theo grimaced before picking up where he left off. “You hit MacFarlane! And while the punch didn’t make it onto ye olde videotape, there is footage of you leaving the club right after.”

Relief flooded me.

“MacFarlane tattled, I suppose.” I sounded so cool, an absolute sociopath.

“Probably. Or one of his entourage. Or someone at the club.” Theo took a sip of his coffee. “Addy still asleep?”

“As far as I know.” Lie Number One.

“Hatch told me MacFarlane was out with my daughter last night.”

I picked my words carefully. “She wasn’t having a good time.”

“Did he hurt her?”

“Not physically. But he made her feel small and that’s not right.” The words sounded angry on my lips, and I soothed Mabel’s back on the road to soothing myself.

“So …” A frowning Theo was trying to connect the dots. “How did you end up there?”

“I called him, Dad.” Adeline stood at the entrance to the kitchen in sweats and her dad’s jersey, her lips still puffy from when she took my cock deep, all of ten minutes ago. She had never looked more beautiful, and I had never been more of a jerk.

She headed for the coffee maker. “I was feeling sorry for myself, and I needed a ride. I could have taken a cab, I suppose, but Lars had already offered to pick me up if I needed it.”

Theo took a good look at his daughter. “You could’ve called me or your brother.”

“Hmm, okay. Remember that time I got stuck in Ravinia when I missed the last train?”