Bare Skin (Skin Deep 5)

Chapter 11

Calland

I was whistling as I pulled away from work, honking and waving at my brother-in-law, Ian, as I passed him. He waved as he pulled the office door shut, and I turned into the street, heading to the hotel to pick Dani and Kade up.

I glanced down at my hands on the steering wheel, grimacing as I realized just how dirty they were. I should have stopped in the office and cleaned up just a bit, but I was a little anxious to see Dani.

That was very uncharacteristic of me, but Christ, she’d gotten under my skin.

I’ve had my fair share of women. Probably more than my fair share, if you asked my sisters, but none of them had ever really held my interest like her. Like Dani. I mean, I enjoy women; I appreciate them, I respect them (because I was raised that way, and if I didn’t, my momma would beat me to a bloody pulp), they’re soft, they’re sweet, and they smell so good. So yeah, definitely, I enjoy women.

And they enjoy me.

But none of them had ever intrigued me the way Dani does.

And, sure, I probably sound like an asshole, but at least I’m an honest one, right?

Take, for instance, the fact that none of my ex-girlfriends/dates/whatever you want to call them, really have anything bad to say about me. Except for the fact that I would never get really serious with any of them…and there were a couple that really wanted to drag me to the altar. Okay, or the sisters I so recently had dated, but that was a fluke! My sisters never let me forget it, either, and had taken to calling them twins, or twinsies every chance they got. And no, I didn’t date them at the same time. And they weren’t twins, by the way. Just so you know.

Well…Buffy may have something against me now that I turned her down for Dani. Or maybe she just has something against Dani because she threatened to get her fired. Who knows?

It was just after six when I knocked on Dani’s door. She opened it, motioning me in as she stepped back and held the door.

“Hey,” I said, leaning down and kissing her cheek as I passed her.

She looked at me warily and I just grinned.

“You ready?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I just have to put Kaden in his seat and grab his bag.”

“Do you want to take his crib-thing?” I asked, following behind her as she moved across the room.

She glanced over her shoulder at me. “His playpen?” she asked, pointing to it.

I nodded.

“Uh, I don’t think I’ll need it. He just got up from his nap, so he’ll probably be okay until we get back. Or he’ll fall asleep in the car on the way back here.”

“Are you sure?” I prodded.

She gave me a weird look. “Yeah, I’m sure. Why?”

I shrugged. “No reason. I just know that Emma and Jenna and Allie all bring everything under the sun when they go somewhere, including swings and the playpen thingy.”

“Thingy? Crib-thing?” she responded, laughing. “Not up to date on your baby paraphernalia, are you.”

I smirked. “Nope. I’m just the cool uncle, here to give them candy, love them unconditionally, and teach them bad habits.”

Dani picked Kaden up from the blanket on the floor he was rolling/crawling around on and turned to face me, her eyes widening comically. “I don’t know that I want you around Kade, then, if you’re gonna teach him bad habits!” she said, jokingly.

I started to reach for the baby, to take him from her, but remembered at the last second that my hands were still filthy from work. When I pulled back, she gave me another weird look.

“You can hold him,” she said, softly. “It’s okay.”

I smiled at her, holding up my hands for her to see. “I know, I just forgot that I need to clean up first.”

I saw her look at me, really taking in my appearance for what must have been the first time since I walked in.

“Wow. You’re really dirty!” she exclaimed, then flushed when I grinned at her.

I ducked my head, winking at her as I stared into her eyes and said, “You have no idea.”

She rolled her eyes and moved away to put the baby in his car seat, but I saw the smile she tried to hide.

As she strapped Kaden in, I told her, “Sorry I’m so dirty. I came directly from work, so I’ll have to jump in the shower when we get to my place, if you’re okay being left alone for a few minutes.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she said, looping her arm through the carrier and hefting it up on her hip as she reached for the diaper bag and her purse.

“Wait a second,” I told her. Just let me wash my hands real quick and I’ll help you carry stuff. Okay?”

She nodded, so I did just that, coming back with clean(ish), dry hands and taking the baby from her. She hiked the bags up on her shoulder and patted her pocket, to check for her key card, I’m assuming, then motioned me towards the door. At the last second, she spun around. “You know, I think I will go ahead and take his playpen, just in case.”

She dropped the bags back down on the bed and make short work of taking down the playpen and stowing it into a carrying case, holding it in one hand while she swung the other bags up onto her shoulder again. “Okay. I’m ready.”

“Do you need me to carry that? I can get something else for you, if you want.”

She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ve got it.”

And with that, we were off.