The Single Dad

39

“He’s texting with Sydney,” Dominick said. “There’s no one else, aside from Everly, who can make him smile that hard.”

I glanced up from my phone.

Jenner said, “Is that true? Are you texting with Sydney?”

“Yeah, but—”

“Oh hell, he’s in it hard.”

“Stop it,” I told them. “We were talking about f*****g cupcakes, and since Hannah started baking at my house, I’ve developed a sweet tooth. That’s what you saw—an excitement for the dessert, nothing else.”

“But Hannah isn’t the one baking. It’s Sydney.” Dominick paused. “Am I right?”

I nodded.

“And it’s more than just her cupcake you want to eat,” Jenner added.

I flipped him off and returned to my phone.

Me: Just out of curiosity, what flavor?

Sydney: Your favorite, of course.

I laughed.

She knew.

She’d learned during her first week when she made a cake with Everly and she watched me pick around the vanilla cake and only eat the chocolate frosting.

Since there was no reason to reply, I set the phone on the table and gazed up at the guys.

Both were staring at me.

“What?” I asked.

“What?” Dominick mocked, laughing. He raised his hand and called over the waitress, saying to her, “Can you bring two rounds of tequila shots, please?”

“No,” I said before she left our table. “You can bring two rounds for them, and I’ll take a water.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Jenner instructed. “He’ll take the two rounds and a water.” Then, he looked at me the moment she was gone and said, “We’re getting s**t-faced tonight.”

My phone showed it was well after one in the morning when I tiptoed into my house. Sydney had known I was going to be this late; we’d shared a few more text exchanges since discussing the flavor of cupcakes, so I wasn’t filled with guilt as I made my way into the kitchen.

The smell instantly hit me, the chocolate in the air making my goddamn stomach grumble.

“Fuuuck,” I moaned as I searched for where she had put them.

And then I found the adorable display—the cupcakes shaped like a mountain with a glass dome over them.

I lifted the lid, checking out the decoration that had undoubtedly been done by my daughter. Although, I had to admit, she was getting much better. The frosting was mostly swirled, the rainbow sprinkles evenly distributed. She’d even attempted to write a D for Daddy across several. I could tell the ones Sydney had assisted with—the squiggly letters much straighter, smoother.

“You’re home.”

I looked up as Sydney was rising from the couch, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

God, she was beautiful.

Her hair was down and a little wild, her clothes clinging to her, outlining a body I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.

Lips pouty, like they needed to be ravished. Eyes heavy, as though I’d just given her three orgasms.

“What are you doing down here?” I asked. “I told you to crash in one of the guest rooms if you got tired.”

“I figured I’d drive home once you got back.” She tightened the blanket around her, cutting off my view, and waddled into the kitchen as the blanket hung well past her feet. “I didn’t want to get too cozy, but I guess I failed because I fell asleep.”

I checked the time on my phone again. “You’re not driving home tonight. It’s too late.”

Shit.

I’d f*****g fathered her.

Not my intention.

Still, my opinion didn’t change.

“I just don’t want you on the road at this hour,” I clarified. “And I’m sure, by now, my driver is halfway to his house.”

She set the blanket on the back of a chair and went to the fridge, grabbing a carton of milk. She poured some in two glasses and handed me one. “You’re going to need this. They’re rich.” She placed a cupcake on a napkin that she set in front of me and grabbed one for herself. “And it’s fine, by the way. I probably shouldn’t drive this late; you’re right.”

I could hear the tiredness in her voice and felt like hell because I’d woken her up. “I’m sorry, Sydney. Go upstairs and get some sleep. I’ve got this.”

Whatever this was.

I wasn’t sure.

I just knew there were cupcakes in front of me, and at least one was going to get eaten.

“I can’t. I’m hungry now.” She raised the dessert to her lips and took a bite. “And, damn, they’re good.”

I couldn’t f*****g wait.

I took almost half of it into my mouth, the chocolate melting the second it hit my tongue.

“You weren’t kidding,” I groaned, pointing at the mountain of cupcakes. “That’ll be gone by tomorrow.”

“That quick?”

I popped the rest in and chewed, reaching for another. “Yep.”

She laughed. “You should have seen Everly decorating them. She was covered in glittery sprinkles. They were even in her eyebrows. And then the bath bomb turned her hair blue.” Her hand went to my arm as she giggled. “Don’t worry; we got it all out, but oh my God, it was a sight.”

Her fingers felt like a wave of heat that went straight to my c**k.

I did my best to ignore it, asking, “Did you ever tell me what a bath bomb was?”

She traced around the rim of the cupcake and then licked the frosting off her finger.

I couldn’t look away.

I could think of nothing but her tongue circling my c**k, her lips surrounding the head, her throat taking in my shaft.

Fuck.

“I didn’t, I don’t think.” She took a drink of her milk. “But it’s a little bath accessory that dissolves in the water, full of vitamins and skin conditioner and lots of goodies. We made a bunch, all in different colors. I didn’t realize the dye that I used was so strong.” Her eyes went wide. “Oops.”

“That’s all I’ll hear about over breakfast tomorrow.” I pulled the wrapper off my second cupcake. “How much fun she had. How her hair turned blue. How she won’t be able to bathe without a bomb ever again.”

“Oh boy, have I created a monster?” She took a bite, her tongue swiping across my favorite lip to get the chocolate off.

Jesus.

She’d asked a question.

I was sure of it.

But I couldn’t think of anything but her mouth.

“Say that again,” I voiced.

Her lips went thin as she smiled. “Did I create a monster?”