Page 38 of Married to the Frenemy

And for making me forget every reason this is a terrible idea with just one hypnotic look.

One thing is certain… This man is going to destroy me. If my daughter weren’t sitting mere feet away, I’d probably slam my lips to his. Tug him against me. Wrap my legs around his waist and treat myself to the kind of mind-erasing orgasm only Beckham has been able to give me.

“Are you guys doing crush business?” Maggie’s sweet voice interjects, cutting through the charged atmosphere.

Slowly, Beckham tears his gaze from mine, but he doesn’t step back, keeping me caged in his strong arms.

“Crush business?” he asks with a single brow arched.

“Yeah.” She looks up from her coloring book splayed in front of her on the large island. “Kissing and stuff.”

“Do you mind if we do crush business?”

A contemplative look crosses her expression. But before I let her answer, I push against Beckham and duck under his arm.

“Never mind about that. Let’s focus on some pancake business instead.”

I hastily pour the batter onto the hot griddle, determined to ignore the electricity crackling in air. And how much I like crush business with Beckham.

“Here.” Beckham approaches with a steaming mug, handing it to me. “Oat milk and stevia.”

“Thanks.”

I take a sip, mindful not to ask how he knows the way I take my coffee in front of Maggie. Did I tell him? Was it one of the things we discussed in the weeks leading up to the wedding? If anything, I may have prepared a cup of coffee for myself in his presence. I didn’t think Beckham would be observant enough to watch how I liked my coffee.

“There’s a boy at school who has crush business with me,” Maggie says proudly.

“Is that right?” I ask, adding some chocolate chips to the pancakes before flipping them.

“Yup. He chases me during recess.”

“What’s this boy’s name?” Beckham asks in a stern voice as he heads to the French doors to let Monte back inside before returning to the kitchen.

“Christian.”

“And what are Christian’s intentions?” His gaze narrows in concern as he widens his stance, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“His…what?” Her tiny brows scrunch in confusion.

“Is he nice to you?”

Maggie nods excitedly. “He always lets me catch him when we play What Time is it Mr. Fox.”

Beckham chuckles, the raspy sound jumpstarting my libido yet again.

As if the old girl had time to cool down in the last few minutes.

“I suppose that’s all that matters.” He adds a scoop of kibble to Monte’s bowl, and his dog gobbles it up like it’s his last meal. “I’m going to jump in the shower,” he tells me before moving toward Maggie. “If I don’t see you, have a good day at school.” He gives her hair a quick tousle, then retreats up the stairs.

As soon as his footsteps fade away, I push out a long breath, praying this situation will get easier over time. If all our mornings are like this, I’m not sure if I’ll survive the next few months. I have a feeling my vibrator will be getting quite the workout in the weeks to come.

“Okay, sweet pea. Eat up.” I place a plate of pancakes in front of her, then set down her cup of water. “Will you be okay for a few minutes while I go get changed?”

“Yup,” she says around a mouthful of food.

“And don’t feed the dog any of those.” I point to her plate, watching as Monte circles her like a hawk, waiting for her to drop even the smallest morsel. “There are chocolate chips in there. Remember what I told you about dogs and chocolate?”

She nods gravely. “It can make them very sick.”

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