Page 106 of The More the Merrier

“If I was older, Grant, would you still hesitate to get into a relationship with me?”

“Uh, well maybe before that kiss.”

A slow smile broke across his mouth, and I knew, he knew he had the upper hand. “So, now what do you have to say?”

“I’ve been using the age gap as a way not to explain,” I said lamely.

“Tell me.” He cupped my face, and I swore his touch sent little shockwaves through my body. Dalton was a few inches shorter than me, but his height didn’t matter either. How long had it been since someone touched me like he did and sent my thoughts reeling? Far too long. My cock pressed against my thigh. There was no way he didn’t feel it against him as well.

“I’m not a brat.” I went back to my earlier answer. It was about all I could muster given our circumstances. Talking about him becoming my Daddy was not on the table, though I couldn’t get the idea off my mind.

“I do like wrangling brats, but that’s not all I’m into.”

Imagining the possibilities, I swallowed hard. “Maybe we could talk about it tonight?”

“Sure, Grant.” Dalton dropped his hand but didn’t move out of my personal space. “I look forward to it.” He winked before grabbing his jump bag, an item he always carried. It was stocked full of medical equipment in case something happened.

Watching him strut away filled me with a strange sense of trepidation. Dalton wouldn’t let me out of the upcoming conversation easily. Though I told him I wasn’t a brat, I wondered how many times I could poke him before he’d respond. Grinning, I gathered the almost forgotten costume bags and left the room.

Chapter 4

Kendall

Twirling around in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I admired the cute red off-the-shoulder sweater, my flare jeans, and boots. I’d braided my hair into two pigtails, adding a silver ribbon to the ends. Deciding it made me look too childish even though I secretly liked them, I slid the pretty bows off. I wasn’t entirely sure what sort of plan Dalton and Grant had on their minds, but I was intrigued. They seemed to want to help me, but I still wasn’t sure if they were into the exact dynamic I secretly hoped for. I needed a Daddy. Two Daddies sounded even better.

As I was contemplating make-up, two knocks sounded on my front door. Sighing, I sauntered to the door and opened it without looking. Gage, my older brother and local fire captain, leaned against the doorjamb.

“I’m going out. What?”

“Well, aren’t you just oozing holiday cheer, sis?”

“I’m worrying about this thing at the bar.”

“I heard about the tumble you took this week,” he said matter-of-factly. “Do you think maybe you should cut down on the drinking?”

“Like you’re one to talk!” Something about his tone put me on the defense. I didn’t want to explain to my brother what had been going on. No, he wouldn’t like what he heard. We talked openly about his relationship styles and mine. He always helped me through rough patches and I’d been avoiding him like the plague. Gage had a knack for matchmaking, but I never listened to his suggestions.Nothing new there.

“Whoa.” He shook his head. “I’m not the one doing shots on a Tuesday.”

“Did Dalton tell you all the details?”

“Dalton?”

Heat rushed to my face. Maybe Dalton didn’t actually want to start some sort of relationship. I mistakenly thought he had said something to my brother. Because they worked together, it seemed like he wouldn’t offer the details. No, that wasn’t likely true. Dalton frequently went toCreekside, the local BDSM club, with Gage. They had very similar outlooks on life, and had known each other a long time. Dalton wouldn’t likely be intimidated by my brother the way others might be.

“He’s the one who checked me out. Er, I mean over. Grant roped him into helping me since it happened at his bar.”

“Grant returned the costumes tonight and told me as much. What’s up with you and Dalton?”

“Nothing.” I huffed. “At least nothing yet. Don’t worry about it.”

“Hey.” Gage stepped over the threshold and shut the door behind him. “What the heck is going on with you?”

“Nobody in this town gives a shit about me. Maybe I’ll go away for a decade and come back and become everybody’s sweetheart.” I was referring to my cousin, Tiana, returning home. She was living like some fairy-tale princess. A life I wanted.

“Do you really want an escaped criminal to place your pretty face at the top of his to-do list in the worst way possible?”

“No, of course not, but Tiana shouldn’t have tried to handle it herself.”

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