Page 21 of Wicked Little Thief

“Aw, you’d be the dad who thinks his dog is the smartest and cutest in the class.”

“Well, she would be.” He leaned down and rubbed Phoebe’s ears, his voice higher when he told her. “You’re the smartest, prettiest girl, aren’t you? Yes, you are.”

Utah shook her head with a grin while the dog ate up the attention.

“I can only imagine how you’d be with a human child.”

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

“Do you have kids?”

He stood and walked toward the bed.

“No.”

She cocked her head. “But you want them?”

“God, no,” he exclaimed before getting in next to her. “I mean, I don’t hate them or anything, but just like I have no business owning a dog with as much as I work, I sure as hell have no business having a kid.”

“And yet here you are, owning a dog.”

“Fostering,” he corrected.

“Fostering,” she agreed to placate him, although inside she was snorting, Yeah, sure.

“Besides, I don’t want to be the old dad.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m forty-six.”

“That’s not old.”

“Mmm, it’s getting up there. What about you? Do you have kids?”

She gave him a wry smile. “No.”

“Do you want them?”

“Definitely. But I know it needs to happen soon if I’m going to have a biological child, and since I’m not even dating anyone and am not interested in going to the sperm bank, my chances are dwindling by the day.”

He pulled her into his embrace. “Well, you can’t say you’re not dating anyone anymore.”

The meaning behind his words made her toes curl, but she tried to act unaffected, and glibly replied, “Oh, so we’re dating now?”

Placing a kiss to her temple, he murmured softly in her ear, “Yeah, little bee. We are.”

“What if I don’t want to date you?”

Liam traced her stiff nipple with his index finger, like he didn’t have a care in the world “You do.”

“What if I just want this to be a one-night stand?”

“You don’t.”

“You’re awfully sure of yourself.”

He leaned down and ran his tongue along her stiff peak.

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