Executive - The Complete Series Box Set (A Single Dad Romance) Page 10

  My cock was semi-hard by the time I got home. I wish Jess knew how much she turned me on, both physically and mentally. She was the perfect package, and now I needed to convince her of that. And the next opportunity I had to show her, I was never letting her go.

  I cooled down before I went inside. Jess and Gina were in the family room. It looked as if a fabric store had exploded inside of my house.

  Jess leaned over her piece of fabric while she hand-stitched one side while Gina sat cross-legged next to her.

  I propped myself against the door frame to watch them for a moment. I’d never seen Gina so still in my life. She sucked on her lower lip while Jess moved the needle and thread through the fabric. Her stitches were precise and small enough that I couldn’t see the marks even from the short distance.

  A few moments later, I cleared my throat. Jess didn’t move, but Gina jumped up.

  Her shock turned to glee as she ran over to me. “You scared me, Daddy.”

  Jess glanced over her shoulder, smiling at Gina. She turned back to her work without a look at me.

  I hoped it was her concentrating and not ignoring me.

  “Come see,” Gina said.

  I sat between the girls. “What are you working on?”

  Jess lifted her eyes to mine. “I’m showing Gina how to hand-sew. Until I can get my hands on a sewing machine.”

  I leaned forward, our faces nearly colliding. Jess moved back.

  “Sorry,” I said, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet. I handed her my home credit card. “Buy whatever you need.”

  “Are you sure?” Jess asked.

  “Buy two!” Gina said jumping up and down. “So we both can have one.”

  Jess hesitated before taking the credit card. “I’ll buy one for now. These things can be a little dangerous to little fingers.”

  “Okay,” Gina conceded.

  Jess and I shared a look and smiled at each other. Okay, we were making progress.

  “How was your day?” Jess asked, getting back to her sewing.

  “We closed a big account today. One of my new guys, Marcel, crushed it.”

  “That sounds great,” Jess said. “I’m sure he’s going to get a big raise, huh?”

  “Probably.” His contribution the business was well deserving of a pay increase. And it would put a fire under the others on the sales team to catch up.

  “I thought about going to Playland tomorrow to celebrate,” I said to Gina.

  She sucked in a big breath. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” I said.

  “Can Jess come?” she asked.

  “Oh, um,” Jess stammered.

  “Jess might have plans, honey,” I said then turned to Jess. “Though you’re invited if you don’t have anything to do.”

  “She doesn’t have plans,” Gina said. “She told me.”

  Jess chewed on her lower lip. “She’s right. But I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You won’t be,” I said, touching her arm.

  The feel of her soft skin under my fingers stirred something inside of me. I quickly moved it away and looked at Gina. She hadn’t noticed whatever spark had occurred between Jess and me.

  “Then I’d love to come,” Jess said, still staring at her arm where my hand had been. She was clearly as affected by me as I was her.

  That was a good thing. Knowing her feelings made my plan much easier to fulfill.

  “Well, I should get going,” Jess said, gathering the swatches of fabric and layering them on top of each other.

  “I’d offer to help, but I don’t want to mess anything up,” I said.

  “That’s okay,” Jess said. “Gina and I dedicated this room to quilting, so we’re leaving it all here.”

  “We don’t use this room anyway,” Gina said.

  She was right. Whenever I had time to watch television with Gina, it was always on the big screen in the living room.

  The doorbell rang, and Gina bolted out of the room shouting, “Pizza!”

  I followed her out of the room before she could open the door.

  After I had tipped the delivery guy, Gina took the pizza into the kitchen.

  “Bye, Jess!” she said, scurrying away.

  “See you tomorrow,” Jess said. “At least now I know that I come second to pizza.” She shook her head and laughed softly.

  And then we were alone again. Over the past few days, our alone time had improved. The awkwardness left that first day, though I sensed Jess was still a little off about everything.

  “Let me walk you to your car,” I said.

  “That’s okay,” Jess said.

  I leaned in. “I insist.”

  She licked her lips and nodded, turning away from me.

  She had no idea what that little gesture did to me. How I wanted to draw her mouth into mine and taste her again. I brought myself back to reality as Jess opened the front door.

  Dark clouds gathered in the short time I was inside. And a cool breeze whooshed passed me. I closed the front door, wanting to keep that chill out of my house.

  I caught up with Jess and walked side-by-side with her. “That was nice of Gina to invite me to the amusement park.”

  “She’s really getting close to you.”

  “I know,” Jess said. “I’m lucky to spend time with her every day. She keeps me on my toes. And she’s quite the little spitfire. You’re going to have a lot on your plate when she’s older.”

  I laughed. “I know. I’m not looking forward to it.”

  “I suppose I have you to thank for bringing us together.”

  “It wasn’t a hard choice for me. And it’s turned out well. I’m happy she has someone like you to spend time with.”

  She smoothed an invisible wrinkle from her shirt. As much as I wanted her to stay with me forever, I had to let her go home.

  “Well,” I said at the same time she said, “Congrats—”

  I put my hand out for her to continue.

  “On the deal…” she finished. She opened her car door. “See you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll text you the details,” I said.

  She smiled and got into the car.

  I took a few steps away to allow her enough space to back out of the driveway. And without another glance, she drove away.

  I couldn’t help but think that less than a week ago, we’d had sex. The visceral images flashed in my mind as if they just happened. I could still feel her under me, surrendering to me.

  “Daddy!” Gina called from the front door.

  “Yeah, honey. I’m coming,” I said, turning away from Jess and headed inside to spend some quality time with Gina.

  Later that night, after putting Gina to bed, I went straight into my bedroom to change. This week kicked my butt, and I wanted to get to bed early, knowing tomorrow would be another long one.

  After getting into bed, I flipped on the television to the news. Within minutes, it was hard to keep my eyes open.

  Movement from the other side of the room caught my attention. I sat up and squinted through the darkness

  “Gina?” I asked.

  Her little form ran to my bed, and she launched herself at me. She snuggled under my covers and scooted her body close to mine.

  “You’re supposed to be sleeping,” I said.

  “I can’t sleep! I’m too excited for Playland.”

  “All right, well, you can stay here for a little while, then you’re going to go back to your room.”

  “Can I sleep in here tonight?” she asked sweetly. “You’re bed is huge. I can fit.”

  How could I say no to that logic?

  “Okay,” I said. She had me wrapped around her finger. I didn’t want it any other way.

  She grinned and then kissed my cheek. “Night, Daddy.” She burrowed into the bed and rested her head against my chest.

  I had to come down from my adrenaline rush with her coming into my room when I wasn’t expecting. I played with her hair, softly raking my hands through t
he fine strands. Within a few minutes, she gently snored next to me.

  I kissed her head. “I’m excited too,” I said into her hair.

  That was the truth. But it helped that we had a beautiful woman to accompany us there too.

  CHAPTER 16

  Jess

  “Stop thinking too much into it,” Sierra said over the phone. We rarely shared a phone conversation; our primary source of communication outside of face-to-face was to text. I needed to talk about Noah and texting wouldn’t have been fast enough for me. She had attended a show last night, so I couldn’t get a hold of her until the morning.

  “It’s hard,” I said. I couldn’t explain how it felt to be around Noah. It was as if my body needed him. When he touched my leg yesterday, I nearly imploded. It was a friendly gesture, but he didn’t understand what he did to me. “All I can think about is that night.”

  “Then go for round two,” Sierra said. I heard a smirk in her voice.

  “Maybe,” I said. Thinking about it made me shudder. What if we weren’t as good the second time around? Maybe it had been a fluke between us. That might be the final tipping point of our relationship. Then we could either move on with our lives or it might be too uncomfortable and he’d have to fire me.

  “You two need to talk,” Sierra said. And for once, she was right. Once we got it all out on the table, then I’d be able to move on. Today at the amusement park wouldn’t be the place to talk, but I had to keep it in the back of my mind for the next time we were alone.

  “All right, I should get going,” I said. It was almost ten, and Noah wanted me at his house around ten-thirty. The park opened around eleven and he wanted to be there when the doors unlocked. He was even a stickler for time when it didn’t have to do with his work.

  “Good luck, sweetie,” Sierra said. “And I’ll have my phone with me all day at work today.”

  After we had hung up, I checked myself in the mirror one more time. While I didn’t usually dress up for work, today I went a little more casual than what Noah was used to. Light ripped jeans and a tank top with a cardigan. The weather report called for unseasonably high temperatures.

  At Noah’s, I heard Gina’s voice all the way outside as I walked up the drive. It sounded like she was crying. I picked up my pace and entered the house without knocking.

  Gina flew by me, screaming her head off.

  I smiled. She wasn’t crying. She twirled around the kitchen like a top. I took a breath and sighed with relief. In the short time I worked for the Stone’s, I hadn’t seen Gina have a meltdown yet. She was unique in that sense. As much as I loved Ricky to death, his tantrums were to be reckoned with.

  “Good morning!” I called into the room.

  Gina whirled around and her mouth opened in a wide O. “Jess! Are you excited? I’m excited.”

  “I can see that,” I said, and she attacked me with one of her tight embraces.

  “Jump with me,” she said.

  And I did. It was hard not to do everything she said, especially when she was in this mood.

  I picked her up, and we danced around the room. Gina’s laughter filled the air and also filled my heart.

  Noah walked into the room, and I smiled at him. I bit my tongue to hold myself back from reacting to his new look. I recalled his impressive body when he was naked and on top of me, but I liked him in this look. He’d gone for casual today. I hadn’t seen that side of him before. He chose straight legged jeans with a form-fitted navy polo. He looked like any dad on the street, not a wealthy executive. Either way, he was drool-worthy.

  “Good morning,” he said, coming into the kitchen.

  We continued to dance. “Morning,” I said.

  Noah appraised us and shook his head, grinning. My knees turned to jelly, and my stomach fluttered. Him looking at me like that wouldn’t be good for keeping away from him.

  “You ready?” he asked Gina.

  He didn’t need to ask. Gina jumped up and down chanting, “Yes! Yes!”

  The park was a little over a half hour away. For once, it was nice that I wasn’t the one driving Gina around. For the first time in a long time, I could relax. Sharing tasks like driving was something I missed about being in a real relationship. Not that I thought Noah and I were in a relationship, but having Gina in the back seat allowed me to imagine what I wanted in a future partner. Kids were a must, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t happen for some time. At least not when I had a serious crush on my boss.

  There were a few people in line when we arrived, but as we passed through the doors, the other spread around the grounds, giving us freedom of the place with no lines.

  Since Gina was still a toddler, we went to the kid’s area of the park, a designated place for the younger group with less scary rides. That was all right with me. I was never the thrill-seeker when I came to places like this. I preferred the slower and more predictable rides.

  “The trains!” she called when she saw the little train-shaped roller coaster. Gina was on the taller side for her age, so she reached the minimum height for her to ride alone. The attendant let her through the small gate.

  Noah and I stood off to the side. Of course, she went for the conductor car. There was a little wheel there, and she pretended to steer the coaster, even though it hadn’t started moving yet.

  “All aboard!” she called out.

  “Choo choo!” Noah and I said in unison.

  We looked at each other and laughed.

  After two other tots had gotten onto the ride, the attendant went to each of the cars to make sure the kids were strapped in before he started up the train.

  Gina screamed with glee when the coaster moved. My hands tightened on the metal fence. Even though it wasn’t far off the ground, I kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn’t fall out.

  “Which types of rides do you like?” he asked.

  “I’m not a ride person,” I said.

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m more of a games person. I like to keep my feet planted on the ground. How about you?”

  “Anything with loops.”

  “Of course.”

  He chuckled. “Why do you say that?”

  “You seem like the adventurous type.”

  “I thought you were too,” he said.

  I glanced at him to see if there was another deeper meaning to his comment, but it didn’t appear so. “Not when it comes to the loopy rides. These rides break all the time.”

  “Don’t you love the risk though?” he asked.

  I licked my lips as they were suddenly dry. “Not when it comes to my life.”

  He nodded. “Good to know.”

  “If you want to go on those rides, I can watch Gina,” I said.

  “No, I’d rather spend time with the both of you. I’ll get my thrills elsewhere.”

  I had no idea what to say to that. But I had a strong feeling about what he meant.

  The coaster went around the track three times before it slowed to its original position. The attendant helped Gina with her belt and she hopped off.

  “That was so fun!” she said when she came around to us.

  I played with her hair. “What do you want to do next?”

  Gina rode pretend rocket ships, space buggies, and several other rides for the rest of the morning.

  Noah managed to get me on a swing ride and while Gina and Noah whooped and hollered while flying through the air. I held onto the ropes as tight as I could, wishing the ride would end. Though, when it was over, a trembling sensation flitted through my body, and I felt good. Maybe these rides weren’t as bad as I feared.

  Noah lifted Gina off the ground as we headed out of the ride. She giggled as he tickled her tummy.

  “Are your hands okay?” Noah asked me.

  I looked at them. There was nothing out of the ordinary. “Yeah, why?”

  “You held that rope pretty tight,” he said with a silly grin.

  I swatted at him. “Ha ha, you’re so funny.”<
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  “How about we take a break for lunch?” he asked us.

  Even though my stomach was still flying high from the swings, I agreed. At least after eating, I could have an excuse not to go on any more rides.

  The three of us sat under one of the pavilions and chowed down on chicken tenders and greasy fries. The park charged ridiculous prices for the food, but Noah didn’t care. He never did. Money was no object for him. I supposed that came with having a lot of it.

  “These are so good,” I said, polishing off my third chicken tender.

  “I’m going to have to work out for a week to burn these off,” he said, grabbing another with no intention of stopping.

  “Oh, stop,” I said. “You can indulge once in a while.”

  “Yeah, Daddy,” Gina said with a mouth full of fries.

  His mouth slackened. “Is it pick on Daddy day?” he asked Gina and then ruffled her hair.

  She giggled.

  “I thought better of you, Jess,” he said with a smirk.

  “I’m not as good as you think,” I teased.

  “I had a feeling.” His gaze lingered on mine. .

  I quickly glanced at Gina, and she was happily sipping her soda. “So, what are we doing next?” I asked, steering the conversation away from topics that had a deeper meaning to the two of us.

  “Well,” he said. “I can’t do any more rides for at least an hour after eating.”

  “That’s swimming, Daddy,” Gina said.

  “It applies to rides too,” he said.

  “How about some games?” I suggested. If I could, I’d avoid the rides for the rest of the day, but I knew Gina wouldn’t go for that. If I could steer her toward the ones that adults weren’t allowed on, then I would feel much better about continuing with that part of the park.

  “Let’s do the water gun one,” Gina suggested.

  “The water gun one it is then,” Noah said, tilting his cup to me.

  I leaned over the table. “I have to warn you. I’m pretty good at that game.”

  “I hate to burst your bubble,” Noah said, “but I never lose.”

  An hour later, the three of us walked out of the games area of the park. I held two large stuffed animals in my arms and Gina held the smaller one. I’d won all of them.