And when she abruptly closes the distance of our mouths and presses her lips against mine, I know I’m not the only who’s been waiting for this to happen since the night of my dad’s heart attack—or, honestly, probably before.
Her lips are softer and smoother and silkier than my brain could’ve even fathomed, and the instant they part, I slip my tongue inside and can taste the remnants of the sugar cookie she had at my house after dinner.
A little moan leaves her throat, and the sound is so good, a tempting combination of sexy and sweet, it’s practically my undoing.
Hands in her hair, I pull her body even closer to mine, as close as two people can be inside a truck without actually having Leah in my lap.
But fuck, that’s definitely an urge I’d love to give in to.
Leah’s thighs spread over my hips.
Her pussy pressed against my cock.
Her full breasts in my face.
And her moans filling my ears.
My dick reacts, growing harder by the fucking second.
Fuck, the things I want to do to this woman.
Another small moan spills from her lungs, and I’m so tempted to reach up and cup her full breasts in my big hands, but the sounds of a little voice echo inside the cab.
“Daddy, I don’t feel good,” Joey groans, and I’m shocked that I almost forgot she was in my damn truck.
Instantly, Leah pulls away, separating us quickly, and I look up in the rearview mirror just in time to see Joey lean forward and vomit all over the floor.
Well, shit.
“Oh no,” Joey says, her voice tearful. “I didn’t mean to throw up, Daddy.”
“It’s okay, baby,” I quickly reassure her.
Leah leans over the back of the front seat and brushes Joey’s hair out of her eyes. “Are you running a fever?” she questions and gently places her hand on my daughter’s forehead.
“Is she?” I ask, and she glances back at me.
“She’s definitely warm.”
“I don’t feel good.” Joey groans again and then leans forward to dry heave a few times.
Leah grabs Ernie, hands him off to me, and proceeds to gently pat my daughter’s back for comfort.
“Well, any chance the doctor’s still on call?” I question, glancing down at the still-sleeping dog in my lap before looking up at meet Leah’s eyes.
“Of course.” She smiles. “How about we get her inside my cabin so she’s more comfortable.”
I nod and hop out of the truck. With Ernie gently clutched in one hand, I round the front of the hood and to the back passenger door where Joey sits.
Leah doesn’t hesitate to take Ernie from my hands, and I carefully lift Joey into my arms and carry her inside.
No doubt, my truck needs a good wash after all the vomit, but I’ll deal with that later.
Nothing takes priority over my little girl.
“Daddy, am I going to live?” Joey asks, her eyes shut and her voice sleepy.
“Yeah, baby, you’re going to live.” I snort and roll my eyes, and Leah just smirks over at me from the other side of the small twin bed Joey has been resting on since we brought her inside a few hours ago.
It’s nearing two in the morning, but thankfully, for the past hour or so, Joey has managed to not vomit, keep some juice and crackers down, and her fever has certainly gone down too.
All thanks to Leah.
The instant I brought Joey inside the cabin, Leah jumped into action.
Within minutes, she managed to get a bucket and cold washcloths and a fan, and even made sure the guest room bed had sheets and pillows for Joe to lie on.
“And what about Ernie?” she asks, and I tilt my head to the side.
“He’s fine. He’s asleep on Leah’s couch in the living room.”
“That’s good, but do I still get to keep him?”
I reach down to brush sweaty pieces of her hair out of her eyes. “Of course you do, baby.”
“But what if he gets sick, too?”
“Dogs don’t get sick from people. They get sick from other dogs.”
“That’s good news,” she comments, her eyelids fluttering with impending sleep. “I guess we can just consider Ernie a birthday present, then, huh?”
I shake my head on a soft laugh. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Leah’s birthday is this Friday too, Daddy. Same as me. We should get her a present.”
I look up and meet Leah’s eyes. “Really?”
She shrugs and nods. “Oddly enough, yes. And I’ll be the ripe old age of twenty-one.”
Bullshit, I mouth, and she grins.
“Fine. Thirty-three. But no presents needed.”
“What do you normally do on your birthday?”
“Well, normally, I grab dinner and eat cake with my girlfriends, but it’s no big deal. I mean, the older you get, the less exciting birthdays are, you know?”
I do know that the older I get, the less I want to celebrate my birthday.
But this conversation isn’t about me. It’s about her. And right then, I decide that this Friday, I’m going to make damn sure that both Joey and Leah have a good birthday.