CEO Daddy (Crescent Cove 6.50)

Lily watched us with huge eyes, gnawing on her lower lip.

“Such an angel.”

“Are you talking about me or your daughter?” For some reason, she lingered on those last two words, and they hung heavily in the air between us.

She didn’t know, did she?

I certainly hadn’t told her. I didn’t think my grandmother would have either. And Hannah definitely hadn’t let on before that she knew Lily wasn’t biologically mine.

But Crescent Cove wasn’t a huge place. People talked. It wasn’t a secret that I’d adopted Lily after Billy’s death.

I had far too single women approaching me in the grocery store for that very reason. I might not have ever heard the term DILF—or else I’d blocked it out—but my grandmother wasn’t wrong that there was such a phenomenon. Its existence was the main reason I’d turned to grocery delivery services.

If I had to speak to one more woman meaningfully squeezing melons while she eyed me up and down…

“Lily. I’d call you something else.”

She wet her lips. Whether she knew that was a provocative move, I didn’t know. She’d been a virgin.

Until that night.

Until me.

Until us.

Every possessive molecule of my body roared to life at the thought. I was the only man she’d been with. Ever. And perhaps I wasn’t the only one remembering how it had been between us.

Focused on her mouth, I leaned in, my gaze lifting to her eyes. The panic trapped in those startlingly blue depths made me pause. “Hannah?”

She reared back and jumped to her feet, sending the pile of children’s books tumbling to the rug. “Sorry, I have to pee.” She practically shouted it as she fled from the room.

“The bathroom is down the hall, second door beside the—” I trailed off as a door shut somewhere in the distance.

Either she’d already found the bathroom or she’d split. Rightly so.

Christ, I was an asshole. I’d promised not to make any moves on her because of Lily, and I hadn’t even made it a full hour since she arrived.

Lily looked at me accusingly, then sank down onto my leg. Once I’d steadied her, I waited for her to drop her tiny head into her hands. She seemed as defeated as I felt.

So much for having my libido under control. It was as off the rails as the rest of my life.

I could only hope Hannah wouldn’t file a suit against me for inappropriate workplace behavior. Or do something even worse.

Like leave.

Eleven

I gripped the sides of the toilet and prayed to die.

This could not be morning sickness. It was evening. Not to mention, I hadn’t had a lick of it until I’d known I was actually pregnant. Unless Asher’s child had decided to put on a show to let me know he or she was here.

Got it, kid. You can stop anytime now.

Wiping a hand over my sweaty forehead, I leaned up to hit the flusher, then another two times for good measure. Gross. The bowl had just stopped circling when once again, I felt that telltale feeling in my throat.

Seriously?

I stared up at the ceiling and tried counting backwards. Then times tables. Then a list of all the reasons I hated men and their penises, especially Asher’s.