Page 24 of Hold Me Until Morning

But there was a coil of something inside me that needed to know.

Her arms tightened over her chest, emphasizing those gorgeous tits under her blouse. Her head cocked to the side. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

She said it at the same time as the old woman offered up, “No man around here. Not one for miles and miles.”

Hailey shot out another frustrated, “Lolly.”

“Are you gonna get our couch for us?” The little girl hopped on her feet, that hair bouncing all around her, beaming up at me, so fucking adorable it speared me in a place that wasn’t supposed to exist. “Mr. Cody, that is so very nice.”

She turned to her mother. “Mommy, I think we hit the jackpot and got the best new neighbor.”

No doubt, I was digging a brand-new grave, but how the hell was I supposed to resist that?

So, I looked straight at Hailey and said, “Well, then, it looks like I’m moving in a couch.”

SIX

HAILEY

“Um, no, you most certainly are not.” I made the mistake of taking the time to send a glare at Lolly, because mark my words, she was in so much trouble, while she stood there with some kind of wicked glee dancing over her face.

She actually had the nerve to mouth, You’re welcome.

Only it gave the hulk of a man the time to turn on his heel and start striding up my driveway like he owned the place, all fresh tee and damp hair and ridiculously sexy bare feet.

Wearing clean jeans and smelling like cedar and soap and every bad idea that’d ever been had.

I snapped into action, hurrying behind him in an attempt to sway what I was sure weren’t close to noble intentions, while my daughter started to trot alongside him, too, having no clue the devil was in our midst.

Because that’s what he was.

Tossing out all those smirks and smiles.

Madison clapped her hands as she skipped along and sang, “Yay, we get our couch! That’s really good news because the only thing we got to sit on is the floor, and we don’t even have a TV.”

“Well, you’re in luck, Button, because you’re about to have one.”

Button?

Was he serious?

I increased my pace, growling under my breath, “I told you last night that I do not need your help, Mr. Cooper.”

“Who said I was helping you out? I’m doing it for Lolly and Madison. They’re the ones who asked nicely.” He tossed it out from over his shoulder, that smirk riding on those ridiculous lips, the man dripping sex and salacious schemes.

He rounded to the back of the truck and tossed up the rolling door. Metal grated as it lifted, and he hopped into the high bed like it was nothing.

Exasperation kneaded beneath my skin. Flustered, I tried to think of a solution. How to get this man out of here without disappointing my daughter, but unfortunately disappointment was an inevitable part of life.

“Maddie, go inside with Lolly and make sure nothing is in the way of where the couch is going to go.”

How I came up with that as a valid solution, I didn’t know. Conceding to him bringing in the couch was a treacherous disloyalty.

But I needed to get her out of there because I didn’t want her bearing witness to what was boiling inside me right then.

“On it, Mommy!” She gave me a salute before she turned to Lolly who was slowly making her way up the drive. Excited, she grabbed her hand. “Come on, Lolly! We got to make sure the house is super clean for the couch.”

“Good plan, little one. I’ll even whip up some tea.” Lolly glanced at me, gray eyes gleaming.

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