Baby Daddy Wanted (Crescent Cove 5)

I don’t care about Sage’s baby. I want to make a baby with you. Let’s start right here. Right now. Who needs a bearskin rug when there’s a rug shaped like a pair of eyeglasses in front of the fireplace in the reading nook?

Instead, he let out a dry cough. “Thank you, Veronica.”

Blah. So much for significance.

“No problem,” I said brightly, turning to fix their coffees the way I knew they liked them. “I live to serve.”

“If so, why don’t you serve some of us back here?” Mrs. Buck called out. “Tired of the favoritism, just because he’s the size of a redwood tree. They both are. Pushy males.”

I looked over my shoulder at Lucky, who wore a shit-eating grin and had tucked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. He was now chatting with Sage, who’d again whipped out her baby pictures. Behind them, Murphy was flushed right up to his eyebrows.

He was so cute. Mrs. Buck? Not so much.

“Pipe down back there, or we might run out of coffee,” I called, tacking on a little laugh to show them I was joking.

I was not. There was no call for making comments about Murphy. His redwood size had given me more than a few aroused moments, thank you very much.

Macy swung out of the back with Jodi and cocked a brow at me as she noticed the line. She’d also probably heard my not-so-funny comment. “You doing okay out here?”

“Sure thing. Afternoon lull.” I finished making Murphy’s and Sage’s coffees and slid them across the counter to them.

I needed to make up for my jealous thoughts. I was not that girl. It wasn’t Murphy’s fault I wanted to scale his bark like a hungry lizard. Nor was it Sage’s fault she was naturally friendly and had a gorgeous baby girl and a husband with such an obviously gifted sperm delivery system that she was constantly worried about eluding it.

It was time I settled my karmic debt by doing a good deed.

“On the house,” I added.

Macy groaned behind me. “Why, is she pregnant too? Isn’t there a waiting period for this crap? At least get one off the teat before you shoot out the next.” Macy spoke low enough that only I could hear, then she put on an apron and moved to the counter. Her expression resembled that of a warrior entering battle as she faced the restless coffee-seeking heathens. “Who’s next?”

I turned away from the counter and flicked off my apron before grabbing my phone and heading into the break room.

Maybe I’d never have a chance with Murphy, but I had my online mystery man to keep me entertained if nothing else.

If he ended up knocking me up, bully for me.

I didn’t need a real relationship or love or a man in my life longer than the hour it took me to mount him—assuming I was blessed enough to manage to get lucky on the first round.

But not with Lucky.

I shuddered and opened my inbox. Please don’t let him be my mystery man.

Though if it was him, he was far sweeter online than he seemed in person. It couldn’t be him, not with Cabin Fortress’s manners. He had an almost old-fashioned nature mixed with a healthy dose of seductiveness at unexpected times.

I opened Cabin Fortress’s latest email and grinned. Nope. This wasn’t Lucky.

I was almost possibly maybe sure of it.

Five

Murphy

Cabin Fortress,

I have questions. You said you’re interested but I’d like to clarify what lies behind your manners, if I may. Do you mean you’d like to go on a date before we get down to business? Some friendly conversation, some dinner, maybe some dancing first? Or would you prefer right into the sweaty sheets without anything else? I’m fine with either, but I’m curious about your preferences. Hope we talk soon.

Vee

I paced the length of my living room, my triple screen work station taunting me from the far side of the room. Moonlight spilled through the wall of windows and the view that usually calmed me left me itchy in my own damn skin.