CEO Daddy (Crescent Cove 6.50)

“The dog you were walking,” Asher said into the silence. “When you coincidentally came across my grandmother.”

I didn’t know if he was intentionally sounding like a dick, but I wasn’t having it. I also wasn’t going to upset Lily, not when she finally seemed settled.

“Actually, your daughter,” I stressed those two words, “fell in love with Latte. Since even a fancy Wainwright like yourself doesn’t own the sidewalk, I figured we could walk on it. If you don’t approve, feel free to tell someone who cares.” I delivered this with a sunny smile, my voice as even as a ruler.

Lily blinked open her big brown eyes and made a face. There was no outwitting a baby. Especially one who was ready to climb before she even walked.

“It just seems so unlikely.” He shrugged and tucked his hands back in his pockets. Guess it was better to touch silky fabric than his own child. “Us meeting again.”

“Another chance meeting after our first chance meeting? Yeah, so strange. Especially since Crescent Cove is so huge. That under three-thousand population definitely makes it hard to run into someone more than once.” I rolled my eyes. “And I didn’t even run into you. I ran into Bess. If she hadn’t gotten it into her head that I would be perfect to help out with Lily, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“No clue where she would’ve gotten that idea.”

I didn’t have to look at him to know he was watching me cuddle Lily. “She didn’t see me hold her or anything,” I said through gritted teeth. Worse, I could feel my cheeks heating.

As if I was embarrassed I liked his little girl. More than he even seemed to.

“She said you needed help,” I continued. “I didn’t want to do it, but your grandmother is friendly and sweet and well, look at her.” I gave Lily a little impatient rock in my arms, and her lips rounded into an O. But she didn’t cry.

Small favors.

“She is adorable.”

“Say that as if you mean it, why don’t you?”

“I know why I’m irritated at you, but maybe you’d like to share why you’re annoyed at me?”

“You have no reason to be irritated at me. I came here to help you.”

“To help Bess,” he corrected. “You didn’t know you’d be helping me. Right?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Sure you aren’t a lawyer instead of a businessman? You’re suspicious enough for one.”

He shrugged.

“Is it that hard for you to believe I wasn’t interested in getting another shot at you?”

“Interesting turn of phrase.” He tilted his head, assessing me in a way that almost made me forget I was holding a baby. From the heat in his eyes as they swept over me, I might as well have been naked.

I definitely felt that way right now.

“You know what? What you think is not my concern.”

“Aren’t you even going to ask why I was irritated at you?”

“Irrationally irritated?” I kept my tone sweet despite my decidedly uncharitable thoughts.

This ass had taken my virginity. Could I get a refund? It was unfortunate the only receipt I had was the X-rated tape that kept wanting to play behind my eyes.

“I won’t dispute you that it’s irrational.” I was so shocked he was agreeing with me that I almost didn’t notice he’d stepped closer.

Until he cupped my chin and lifted my face to his.

“It’s irrational for a man to be mad at a woman who doesn’t want to see him, when that was the agreement all along. When he has no time for her in the first place.”

I tried to focus on what he was saying and not the insistent pressure of his fingers on my skin. Light and possessive, warm and dominating. How it could be all of those things at once, I didn’t know.

Maybe I was just too long deprived.