The Single Dad (The Dalton Brothers 3)

Now, she was making her way into the pantry, grabbing the bottle she must have brought with her. She didn’t need to ask where the wine opener was—she knew.

With all the baking she had done here, she’d probably used gadgets in this kitchen that I didn’t even know I owned.

She took the cork out and grabbed two glasses from the bar, filling them halfway.

“I recognize that bottle,” I said, reaching for it after I wrapped my fingers around the stem of the glass.

A blush came across her cheeks, not as red as they had been in my office, but certainly darker than normal. “That’s because it’s the wine we had on our date. At Origin’s.”

“Ahhh. Yes …”

She took a breath. “I really enjoyed it, so I bought a case.”

Our date.

That had ended in her apartment.

With her ass bare on the fucking table, her legs straddling me, my dick thrusting in and out of her.

I didn’t give a toast.

I didn’t clink our glasses.

I just brought the wine up to my lips and took a long, hard sip.

“Are you in the mood for something sweet?” She reached for the display that now permanently held desserts in the center of my island, lifting the glass top. “Everly and I made mini pies today.”

“Have I ever said no to anything you made?”

She laughed. “I suppose not.”

She lifted one out of the case and put the top back on. “This one is for me. Yours are in here”—she walked to the fridge and took out a separate container that she placed in front of me—“because they have to be kept cold.”

Several pies were sitting inside the Tupperware.

I brought one up to my nose, smelling it. “Chocolate?”

“Chocolate cream.”

“You didn’t?”

Her eyes went wide as she nodded. “But I did. Do you want a fork?”

“Nah.” I took the pie out of the small foil dish and bit into it. “Damn it, Sydney.”

She did the same, holding it with her hands, chewing as she answered, “Right? It’s beyond.”

“You keep this up, and I’m going to have to start running ten miles every morning.” I moaned as I took in another mouthful. “But, shit, it’s so worth it.”

She laughed. “Thank God your daughter likes to hike; it’s the only thing that’s saving me from all these treats. That, and the gym in my apartment building, which I’m really going to miss.”

“You’re welcome to use the gym here, and I’m not saying that because you need to use it—that’s hardly the case at all. I’m saying it because I can see how much you work out, and it sounds like you enjoy it.”

I didn’t know if I should have said any of that.

But every word was the truth.

Sydney had a hell of a body, and it was obvious she did far more than just run trails. The muscles I could see—that I had touched—told me she spent plenty of time lifting weights as well.

She moved to the other side of the counter to get a napkin and handed me one. “You really don’t mind if I use your gym?”

“That’s why I had it built—to use it. Help yourself, anytime you want.” I finished the first pie, deciding it wasn’t enough. I needed another.

“I took a quick peek inside when I first started here.” She wiped the corners of her mouth. “You’ve built quite the masterpiece. You have everything—free weights, cables, every machine I can think of.”

“Did you go all the way back?”

She shook her head.

“There’s a sauna and whirlpool in there too. Both are pretty easy to operate, but if you need any help while I’m gone, just give me a ring. I can talk you through it.”

“Thank you.” She looked at the top of her wine, twirling the glass in her fingers. “What’s this trip going to look like for you?”

I sighed and drained half my wine. “Busy. Stressful. I think I’m hitting four states and meeting with twenty-something clients. It’s taken my assistant almost three weeks to coordinate all the logistics.”

“Will you be going anywhere fun?”

I laughed. “I’ll only be seeing the inside of my hotel rooms and the homes and offices where I’ll be meeting my clients and probably some restaurants. Unfortunately, aside from that, there won’t be time for any fun.”

“I hate that for you.” She brought the glass close to her lips but didn’t drink from it. “Travel, somehow, someway, should always be enjoyed.”

I broke the second pie in half, the cream oozing out the middle. “There will be good food involved, I’m sure. Scotch that’ll rock my world. And some of the clients I’m meeting I’ve known my entire career, so hanging with them is never a bad time.”