Page 9 of Their Perfect Daddy

DANNY

“ Y ou already said that.”

Oh, fuck.

No, no, no, no, no.

I did not just say that to this gorgeous man. This gorgeous man who is smiling at me like we have some type of shared secret.

Skye could have stepped out of a catalogue for men’s wear with how well he’s dressed. His auburn hair drew my attention the second he walked in the room. It’s long and wavy, creating a bright contrast to his pale, freckled skin. His suit is plaid, in a blue so dark it’s nearly midnight.

Everything about him is appealing.

And then he comes over here and introduces himself. Can he read my curious mind? Now he seems to want to keep talking to me.

This kind of thing doesn’t happen to me. Not at all.

Is this my good karma for what happened after the Monty situation? Is the universe cutting me a break after all?

I’m starting to think it’s the only answer that makes sense.

For instance, yesterday I received a delivery to the store in a plain envelope stamped with my full name.

When I opened it up, I found two gift cards for two lingerie shops online.

I tucked them away before Micah came back from his break, and since then, I’ve been thinking of who could have sent them.

Do I have some type of secret admirer? Or did I do that middle-of-the-night-sleep-deprived-shopping thing again?

“Well I felt it only right to repeat myself. I wanted to make sure you remember it,” Skye says, drawing me back into the conversation.

I nod as I take a sip of the juice Finn helped me get earlier. As fancy as this party is, I didn’t expect there to be apple juice and soda on the menu. According to Raymond, they prefer to have options for some of the boyfriends and husbands.

It makes me feel better knowing I’m not the only person avoiding alcohol. The stuff doesn’t always settle well with me. And after the Monty incident, I don’t want to risk lowering my mind anymore.

“Doubt I’ll forget it. Skye isn’t a common name.”

He nods. “Wait until I tell you about my siblings. We all have unique names.”

I raise my brow at him. “Now I’m curious.”

“From oldest to youngest, there’s me, Gale, Storm, Rayne, Daisy, Dewey, Snow, and Poppy. Daisy and Dewey are twins.”

“You’ve got to be joking. That’s… a big family.”

His smirk tells me this isn’t the first time he’s heard this. “My parents were madly in love and didn’t really care about contraceptives. I firmly believe they’d have had more kids had my father not passed away.”

“Oh no! I’m so sorry for your loss.” I put my hand on his bicep, a reflex because I feel the need to comfort him after such sad news.

Skye places his hand over mine, as if he enjoys the touch. “Thank you. It’s been a long time now. It’s weird to think I’ve lived more years without him than I did with him around.”

“Your mom sounds amazing to have raised you all alone. I bet she’s tough.”

“She is,” he says with a laugh as he strokes his hand over mine. I hadn’t even noticed I’m still holding him.

As I move to pull back, he squeezes my hand. I don’t let go just yet since he enjoys it.

Honestly, I do too.

Things with him are easy. He’s open and kind. I don’t have to be anyone other than myself while talking with him.

It’s nothing like ? —

I stop myself before diving into those memories. Monty is merely Micah’s brother now. He’s not a crush or a potential date. I need to push him out of my mind.

Of course, the universe decides that's the minute I need to be slapped around and reminded I’m not in charge because the man I’m thinking of struts into the room.

Ok, maybe strut isn’t the right word. He has a swagger about him that comes from him knowing he’s a big fucking deal.

“Someone you know?” Skye’s voice makes me realize how fucked up this all is. I’m standing and flirting with a super attractive man while looking at someone else. I have no doubt Skye can sense the tension that’s come over me with Monty’s arrival.

I nod. “Yeah, I do. Please excuse me. I need a minute.”

Turning to leave, I attempt to rush into a less noticeable part of this massive home. Unfortunately, I don’t notice the young man with a tray walking past me at that exact moment.

Why does this keep happening to me?!

We collide in a crash of alcohol, glass, and body parts. I squeal as the cold liquid coats me.

“Danny!” Skye grabs me up quickly, his hands moving over my face and neck to see if I’m injured. I’m too dazed to stop him.

It’s not until another figure pops up beside him that I shake off the fog of embarrassment around what’s happened. Life is really kicking me in the face these days.

Monty reaches out for me. I shift slightly to avoid his touch.

“Are you ok, Danny? That was a hard hit. I’d know something about those,” he jokes.

I shake my head. “I’m fine. Really. Just a bit…” I pulled on my clothes. “Sticky.”

Bellamy’s voice comes from behind the two hovering me. “There’s a guest room down the hall. We can take you there and grab some spare clothes for you if you’re willing to stick around, Danny.”

“Please say you’ll stay. I’ll put on some comfy clothes too if you’re worried about being dressed different,” Finn pleads.

Raymond nods eagerly beside him, both men doing prayer hands. I didn’t realize how quickly the friendship with them has formed until this very minute.

Smiling at them, I agree. “Sure. Can someone show us the way?”

“I actually know where to go. I’ve been here before.” Skye’s words have a calming effect on me.

Despite him seeing me like this, I feel good knowing he’s going to help me. The energy he has screams caregiver. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to help me by climbing in the shower too. I think he’d be that dedicated.

“I’m coming too,” Monty says, his voice startling me from the pleasant thoughts of Skye taking care of me.

The long-haired man gripping my hand merely nods at Monty. He’s taller than him, and not nearly as muscular. Skye is lean where Monty is bulkier. Even so, they seem to complement one another.

Looking at them side by side, I find myself questioning all my emotions.

This reminds me of when I’m at the eye doctor and they ask which looks better.

I never know the right answer. Is it the man who gets my motor running but seems disgusted by me?

Or is it the man who is fascinated now, but might change his mind when he finds out my secret too?

Holding Skye’s hand, I let him lead us down the hall. He doesn’t seem fazed by Monty wanting to tag along with us. Neither does anyone else.

Could it be because they don’t want to draw more attention my way? It’s bad enough I caused a ruckus and broke some dishware.

“Oh no!” I shout as I think about the server. “Was the other person hurt? I didn’t pay attention.”

Before I can spin around to check, Monty’s hands raise to stop me. He specifically avoids touching me, which I appreciate, as he answers, “They were fine. You took on most of the liquid. They jumped back to avoid getting hurt.”

Oh.

“That’s good then. Glad they were fine.”

“And now we’re going to get you taken care of. Right, Mr. Can’t Introduce Himself?”

Monty’s gaze whips to Skye. His cheeks glow with a slight pink color as he takes in a deep breath.

“My name is Monty. I was about to introduce myself when things went south. You are?”

“Skye Gellar. See how I used a first and last name. Good manners and all,” he teases before pointing to a door. “A little further down the way and we’re here.”

The music from the party is faint this far away, creating an isolated environment for us. It’s a fantasy come to life. Two hot men giving me all their attention.

Did I actually pass out after the collision? This has to be a dream. No way does this happen to me.

Skye opens a door to our left, leading us into a room that looks almost as extravagant as the space we just left. If this isn’t actually my imagination, then the Bellports have more money than should be humanly possible.

Is that real gold on the mirrors? Holy smokes. This place is fancy.

“Danny, go to the bathroom and wait for me to come help with the shower. They aren’t the easiest to operate. Monty, I want you to look through the closet for anything you think might fit our boy.”

The way he says “our boy” has a shiver coursing through me. Oh yeah, this is definitely not reality. I’m going to soak it up though. I have a feeling I’m going to wake up to my boring life eventually.

Monty nods and stalks off to the open door. I wait another second to make sure Skye looks back at me.

When he does, I wink at him playfully and say, “Yes, Daddy,” before twirling away to get changed.